DS Chapter 86: The Nichirin Blade Shatters?!
The clash of their auras reached its peak.
A thunderous roar erupted from the audience.
"What am I looking at?! Is that kid, Ren, really this strong?!"
"My God! For a moment, I thought I was watching Rengoku-sama fight!"
"It looks like I seriously underestimated Ren. His strength doesn't seem inferior to Wind Hashira-sama's at all!"
"But aren't they going a little overboard? Isn't it too early to unleash techniques this powerful?"
"Too early? Battles between masters are decided in only a few moves. What did you expect? This isn't some fight where it takes forever to kill a weak demon!"
Everyone reacted differently, but nearly all of them were left speechless by Ren's blazing swordsmanship.
---
At the younger Demon Slayers' viewing area—
"That's it!" Inosuke cheered.
"That's how you do it, Master Ren!"
"I've hated that scar-faced guy for ages! So what if he's a Hashira? My master will crush him anyway! Hahaha!"
Zenitsu sighed.
"Since when did he become your master...?"
"Whatever. As long as you're happy."
Tanjiro watched the battle with sparkling eyes.
"Ren-sensei is incredible!"
"He's actually fighting a Hashira on equal footing."
"And I heard he's even younger than Nezuko..."
"His talent is unbelievable."
Inside the wooden box, Nezuko nodded enthusiastically.
"Mhm! Mhm!"
---
At the Hashira viewing area—
Tengen grinned.
"Now that was flamboyant!"
"Looks like Shinazugawa's in real trouble!"
Muichiro tilted his head.
"How strange."
"I've never seen that Breathing Style before."
"Is it another derivative style, like Mist Breathing?"
Mitsuri clasped her hands against her chest.
"Serious Ren-sama is so handsome~!"
Obanai frowned anxiously.
"Can Shinazugawa actually handle this?"
"Don't lose to Ren..."
"My heart can't take it."
Gyomei quietly prayed.
"Namu Amida Butsu."
Giyu remained silent.
---
Inside the Ubuyashiki Estate—
Amane smiled faintly.
"It seems your intuition was right again, Kagaya."
"Ren's performance has exceeded even my expectations."
"But..."
"His Nichirin Blade has broken."
"What will he do now?"
Kagaya chuckled softly.
"It's fine, Amane."
"Afterward, we'll simply ask the Swordsmith Village chief to forge him another blade."
"I'm afraid..."
"We still haven't seen Ren's true strength."
---
Suddenly—
"Look!"
"The winner has been decided!"
Someone in the front row shouted.
Every pair of eyes immediately turned toward the arena.
As the smoke and dust gradually dispersed, the first thing everyone noticed was the enormous crater in the center of the stage.
Since most of the arena had been constructed from wood by the Kakushi, its durability had been limited.
After only a few exchanges, it had been utterly destroyed.
The once-flat stage now resembled a miniature colosseum.
Broken planks and shattered debris littered the surrounding area.
Combined with the savage battle that had taken place within it...
It looked more like the battlefield of two wild beasts than a martial arts arena.
At that moment—
The clouds overhead slowly drifted apart.
The morning sun emerged in full brilliance.
Golden sunlight pierced through the lingering smoke and illuminated the battlefield.
Only then...
Did everyone finally see the outcome.
"My God!"
"Ren's Nichirin Blade broke!"
"What a shame..."
"I thought he was actually going to win."
"How can he keep fighting now?"
Ren immediately became the center of everyone's attention.
Standing in the middle of the arena, the young man held only half of his broken blade.
The fracture was perfectly clean.
It had been severed in a single strike.
Ren breathed heavily.
He looked exhausted.
His once-commanding aura had noticeably faded.
His white robes were covered in dust.
A stain of blood spread across his chest.
Seeing this, Inosuke immediately panicked.
"Master!"
"What's wrong?!"
"Are you hurt?!"
Like a charging wild boar, he tried to rush onto the stage.
Fortunately, Zenitsu and Tanjiro grabbed him before he could.
"Don't be stupid!" Zenitsu screamed.
"Ren-sensei's sword broke!"
"He didn't!"
"If you rush over there and make Wind Hashira-sama angry..."
"We're all dead!"
Even after Zenitsu's frantic shouting, Inosuke continued struggling wildly.
"I don't care!"
"I'm going to save my master!"
"Calm down, Inosuke."
Tanjiro grimaced as he desperately held onto Inosuke's leg.
If Inosuke charged into the arena now...
He'd only get in Ren's way.
Just as the three were wrestling with one another—
Another cry erupted from the front row.
"Look!"
"Wind Hashira-sama!"
"He's seriously injured!"
The moment Sanemi emerged from the smoke...
The entire audience froze.
Although his Nichirin Blade remained intact...
His body was covered in burns and countless cuts.
Blood stained nearly every inch of his clothes.
After taking Ren's ultimate technique head-on...
The Wind Hashira had been left in such a miserable state.
Looking at the two fighters...
It hardly seemed like Ren had lost at all.
Seeing Sanemi covered in injuries, Inosuke immediately relaxed.
"Hahaha!"
"I knew it!"
"My master couldn't possibly lose!"
"Looks like I underestimated him!"
Zenitsu and Tanjiro also stared in astonishment.
Neither of them had expected the legendary Wind Hashira to suffer injuries this severe.
This was undoubtedly huge news for the Demon Slayer Corps.
---
Compared with the younger trio...
The Hashira's reactions were far more complicated.
Ren's performance had exceeded everyone's expectations.
Obanai narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
He actually forced Shinazugawa into such a desperate situation...
He had to admit it.
Ren already possessed the qualifications to become a Hashira.
His broken blade effectively meant defeat.
But pushing Sanemi this far...
Was already an astonishing achievement.
Even so...
He hadn't truly defeated him.
As long as Sanemi remained standing...
The battle wasn't over.
Obanai quietly glanced toward Mitsuri.
Sure enough...
Her eyes were still sparkling with admiration.
Tch.
Ren... just hurry up and die.
---
At the center of the arena—
Both fighters breathed heavily.
Ren looked down at the broken blade in his hand, his thoughts complicated.
He knew Sanemi's injuries were more severe than his own.
His stamina had also been depleted much faster.
But...
Sanemi was a veteran Hashira.
Their physical conditions couldn't be judged by ordinary standards.
Setting stamina aside...
As the physician of the Butterfly Mansion, Ren immediately noticed something else.
Sanemi's wounds...
Had already stopped bleeding.
Not only that—
His overall condition remained astonishingly stable.
Ren frowned.
He recalled everything he knew about Sanemi.
The man simply refused to fall unless he was on the verge of death.
Because of his rare constitution...
Ordinary injuries barely affected his combat ability.
If anything...
The blood and pain only seemed to make him more dangerous.
Perhaps...
The battle everyone thought had just ended...
Was only just beginning.