Sure enough, Sanemi Shinazugawa's eyes were glued to Horitake's sword the moment he saw the Gale Sword Style's power. Nothing else existed—his focus was entirely on Vigorous Light.
Sanemi retained enough clarity to hold back, not acting until he'd seen the full extent of the technique.
He turned to Shinobu, making a rare plea:
"Shinobu Kocho, please! Show this jerk what you're made of!"
Shinobu caught on instantly. Horitake's wind-slicing swordplay was irresistible to Sanemi, and she needed to push Horitake to reveal the full Gale Sword Style!
This guy's scheming against both of us at once!
Fuming, Shinobu's anger fueled her combat prowess. The furious beauty glared, eyes blazing, and charged forward:
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Dragonfly—Compound Eye Hexagon!"
In a flash, Shinobu closed the distance, her poison-laced Nichirin Blade thrusting six times in rapid succession at Horitake!
Horitake's expression shifted slightly.
He knew Shinobu's blade could inject poison into its target.
Normally, when fighting demons, she used wisteria-derived toxins to kill them instantly.
But that didn't mean she couldn't concoct other poisons.
What if she was using a human-lethal toxin now?
Horitake couldn't take that chance. He had to block her strikes.
"Gale Sword Style: Wind Barrier!"
With Vigorous Light, Horitake conjured a wall of wind, tough enough to deflect most attacks.
As expected, Shinobu's Compound Eye Hexagon was stopped cold by the wind barrier.
From the window, Sanemi stared intently at Horitake's move, half his body hanging out, teetering on the edge.
Shinobu's assault didn't let up.
Think her only trick was Breathing Techniques?
Big mistake. Shinobu Kocho was a ruthless, cunning woman. Seeing her attack blocked, she flicked her sleeve, hurling a bamboo tube at Horitake from her haori.
Neither in the original story nor now had Horitake seen this move. He stared at the flying tube, momentarily stunned.
"What's that?"
Before he could react, the tube exploded in front of him, releasing a massive cloud of green gas, spanning four or five meters!
Horitake, wary, leaped back, but a whiff of the gas reached him, clouding his mind.
"Holy—poison gas!"
Snapping himself alert, Horitake slashed, unleashing a gust that scattered the green cloud.
Good grief, a Demon Slayer poison grenade? Shinobu's a genius!
At the window, Sanemi watched, fixated, trying to decipher how Horitake summoned that wind.
Seizing the moment, Shinobu darted in from an angle, aiming another Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter at Horitake's neck!
This move thrived on surprise.
And it was surprising. Caught off guard by the poison bomb, Horitake barely reacted in time, raising his blade to block.
Shinobu's fierce thrust clashed against Vigorous Light, sparks flying as her blade scraped along his.
Up close, Horitake admired Shinobu's delicate features and icy expression. Not bad—her thrusting power is impressive.
Their eyes locked.
Think this led to a romantic spark?
Sorry, no cliché love-at-first-clash here. Shinobu-nee wasn't the type to swoon mid-battle.
Instead, as their gazes met, Shinobu flashed a dazzling smile—then whipped her head around.
Her butterfly hairpin triggered, firing a tiny golden needle from her hair straight at Horitake's eye!
Holy crap!
Horitake's scalp tingled, a chill racing down his spine.
Sure, this ruthless Shinobu-nee is charming, but where'd she learn these tricks?! The original story didn't have this!
The needle's speed and their close proximity left little room to dodge.
Horitake jerked his head aside, narrowly avoiding the projectile.
Too close! A split-second slower, and that needle would've pierced his ear!
Their exchange ended, and both leaped back, putting distance between them.
Horitake couldn't help but protest:
"Shinobu-nee, are you actually trying to kill me?!"
Shinobu raised her Nichirin Blade, her smile blooming like a field of flowers.
"Horitake-san, I have full faith in you. I knew you'd dodge!"
In the time it took for those words, they charged again, blades clashing in a dazzling flurry of strikes, too fast for the eye to follow.
Even mid-fight, they traded quips.
Horitake parried a thrust, countering with a slash.
"Shinobu-nee trusts me that much? Should I be flattered?"
Dodging his strike, Shinobu targeted his legs with rapid attacks.
"Why don't you try trusting me again, Horitake-san?"
Horitake nimbly evaded, aiming a playful slash at her face.
"Again?! I'm starting to think you shouldn't be a swordswoman—you're more suited to being an assassin!"
"Sometimes I think so too!"
Shinobu blocked his strike, then dropped into a splits, showcasing her incredible flexibility. Her right foot shot toward Horitake's throat.
Horitake, on guard, ducked back.
Sure enough, as her foot aimed for him, a blade snapped out from the tip of her shoe, thrusting at his throat.
Thanks to his quick dodge, Shinobu missed.
Even so, Horitake felt a chill at his neck.
He recognized this move—in the original story, Giyū Tomioka nearly fell victim to Shinobu's heel blade. But Horitake was facing a toe-mounted one.
A strange thought crossed his mind:
Giyū only dealt with a heel blade, but I'm getting needles and poison gas. Does that mean Shinobu-nee values me more?
Yeah, that logic tracks.
Grinning, Horitake grabbed Shinobu's leg. Amid her surprised "Ara, ara!" he flung her into the air.
Now he was a bit annoyed.
Shinobu-nee, I've been going easy on you, but you're pushing it!
While Shinobu was airborne, off-balance and without footing, Horitake gathered his strength, slashing Vigorous Light forward.
"Gale Sword Style: Forward Slash!"
Horitake's body melded with the wind, surging toward Shinobu in a blink. His blade unleashed a roaring gust, a torrent of sword-wind aimed at her as she hung in midair!
The five girls watching were dumbstruck.
Sanemi's eyes never wavered, locked on the scene.
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