A somewhat nested introduction.
But it was simple enough to understand: Insect Breathing was derived from Flower Breathing, and Flower Breathing was derived from Water Breathing.
This Insect Breathing was a style that Shinobu Kocho had created herself to best suit her own abilities. The most unique thing about it was that she didn't name her sword techniques with "Forms," but described them with "Dances."
That's right, that was the only thing Lexon found unique.
After signing in for Flame Breathing, there was a prompt asking whether to fuse it, but there was no such reminder for Insect Breathing.
'Could it be that it only works with basic breathing styles?'
Lexon guessed in his mind.
'Or perhaps a branch of a breath I already have can't be fused, since I already have Water Breathing, the original basis of Insect Breathing.'
'Oh, right, I still haven't signed in for Tanjiro's Hinokami Kagura...'
Lexon suddenly remembered.
"Miss Shinobu, where is Tanjiro?" Lexon asked Shinobu, who was in the middle of adjusting her condition.
"Hmm?" Shinobu stopped what she was doing and replied to Lexon, "Kamado Tanjiro and his two little companions are at the Butterfly Mansion, receiving treatment and rehabilitation training..."
"At the Butterfly Mansion..." Lexon muttered.
"Why?" Shinobu asked curiously.
"Nothing, I was just thinking of finding some time to go and see him," Lexon said. Then he took off the pot hanging at his waist. "Are you ready, Miss Shinobu?"
"I'm ready," Shinobu replied.
In an instant, Lexon activated his demonization.
A gloomy, dense, and nauseatingly ominous aura swept over them, and Lexon gradually transformed into his demon form.
Even though it wasn't the first time Shinobu had felt the aura of the demonized Lexon or seen his demonized form, she still felt a wave of physiological discomfort.
"I really can't get completely used to it, no matter how many times I see it," Shinobu sighed.
"Then just don't get used to it," Lexon said casually in his empty voice.
"Blood Demon Art: Different World in a Pot."
As his voice fell, a black-hole-like vortex, not too big but not too small, appeared at the mouth of the pot he held up.
Then, a grotesque figure was slowly thrown out from the vortex.
It was Gyokko.
He was curled up, shivering, like a small, helpless animal.
Lexon looked closely at Gyokko and found that there were some burn marks on his body, which were slowly healing.
He was instantly a little puzzled. It was the same the last time he had let him out; there were also some burn marks on his body.
"What happened to you in there?" Lexon asked Gyokko.
Although it was Lexon who had locked him in, he only knew that it was pitch black inside and he couldn't see anything, so he had no interest in going in himself. He didn't know what was happening to Gyokko.
Hearing Lexon's question, Gyokko appeared even more terrified. His two eyes expanded and contracted frantically, and the teeth in the two mouths in his eye sockets chattered nonstop. He couldn't get a single word out.
"After you turn into a demon, there's a fire burning in your eyes. It seems to be burning him," Shinobu said.
"Is it that strange..." Lexon was also a little surprised.
He looked at Gyokko with a hint of pity in his eyes.
'How miserable.'
'But he should still be burned. It's not like he'll die anyway.'
'And besides, he's not an innocent creature to begin with.'
"Drink this and recover some strength," Lexon took out several packs of human blood and threw them to Gyokko.
Although human blood couldn't restore Gyokko to his peak state, it was enough for him to maintain a certain level of combat power.
Fighting Shinobu and giving her the pressure of death was absolutely no problem.
After Gyokko had wolfed down the blood and recovered his combat power, Lexon pointed at Shinobu and said to him, "Go. If you kill her, I'll let you go."
Gyokko was already familiar with this routine.
A few days ago, this damn demon hunter had told him the same thing. Although he had his doubts about whether this damn demon hunter would actually let him go, there was still a sliver of hope in his heart.
Gyokko stood firm, his eyes, which reflected the characters for "Upper Five," staring deadly at the sword-wielding human woman before him.
'If I just kill her...'
'A few days ago, I was so close... so close...'
'This time, I absolutely must!'
Gyokko no longer wanted to return to that dark and lonely space, to endure that ceaseless burning of flames.
And a few days ago, Gyokko had almost been able to grab Shinobu Kocho's head.
"Thirty-minute time limit. Begin!"
Lexon, like a referee at this moment, announced the starting signal, and then his figure hid on the branch of a certain tree, disappearing from sight.
"Insect Breathing, Dance of the Flower Butterfly: Withering."
Shinobu started with a new sword technique she had created based on the experience from their last battle.
Gyokko charged forward fearlessly, intending to tank her sword technique.
In their last duel, Gyokko had learned that this demon hunter's sword couldn't break through the "perfect form" scales of his defense, which were harder than diamond. This had finally restored some of his confidence.
That was why he was being so reckless.
The corners of Shinobu's mouth curled up slightly, and she swung her Nichirin Sword.
Suddenly, in Gyokko's vision, illusory butterfly shadows fluttered about, and beautiful flowers bloomed—a colorful and magnificent picture.
But the next moment, the fluttering butterfly shadows suddenly fell in droves, the beautiful flowers went from bloom to decay, and the colorful, magnificent picture instantly turned gray, filled with a sense of withering.
Gyokko felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down and saw that a large patch of scales on his chest had been gouged out.
'My defense was...'
The moment the thought appeared in Gyokko's mind, black blood couldn't help but seep from his mouth and nose.
It was a sign of poisoning.
"Yo-ho, she broke Gyokko's defense," Lexon said, sitting on the branch of a certain tree, his excellent vision watching the battle between Shinobu and Gyokko.
It was worth noting that the first time Shinobu had fought Gyokko a few days ago, she had exhausted all her strength, used all her sword techniques, and focused her output on a single point, but had only been able to barely chip a single scale, unable to truly break his defense.
She could only spend the entire time constantly fleeing.
He hadn't expected that in just a few days, she would be able to research a new sword technique and achieve such a huge breakthrough in his defense.
'As expected, this generation of Hashira are all exceptionally talented individuals.'
Lexon swung his legs and praised in his heart.
Shinobu's poison was an important factor in her combat power. Before, when she couldn't break Gyokko's defense, the poison couldn't enter his body and naturally had no effect. That was why Lexon had thought the two of them were an extremely poor matchup.
But now that she could break his defense and the poison could enter his body, the battle had become much easier.
The wisteria poison, which was fatal to ordinary demons, was not as effective against Gyokko, but it still had an effect. His movements became sluggish, and his reactions gradually slowed.
...
After thirty minutes, Lexon stopped their fight.
The result was no winner or loser.
Shinobu didn't win, and Gyokko didn't win either.
After all, that was the only move Shinobu had that could break his defense. Once he was on guard, it was difficult for it to have a great effect again. So as time went on, the poison in Gyokko's body gradually dissipated. Gyokko, who had been suppressed, gradually began to regain the upper hand, and then time was up.
Lexon put Gyokko back into the small pot and deactivated his demon form.
"How was it?" Lexon asked Shinobu.
Shinobu's hair was disheveled at this moment, and her Demon Slayer uniform was torn in some places, revealing her fair skin. She looked quite wretched.
But she still maintained her gentle smile and said to Lexon, "I'll get him next time."
"No, you won't get him next time either," Lexon said.
"Hmm?" Shinobu was a little puzzled, not understanding why he was so certain.
"Gyokko's current strength is only about one-third of his peak state."
Hearing Lexon's words, Shinobu finally understood his meaning.
'I'm here to experience the power of an Upper Rank, to improve myself and gain the ability to defeat one.'
'If I only defeat an Upper Rank who possesses one-third of his peak strength, what's the point?'
'It seems my strength really is a bit weak...'
Shinobu remembered the words she had said to Lexon at the Hashira meeting, and a faint blush appeared on her face, but it was concealed by the dust from the battle.
'This won't do...'
She looked at her own hands, lost in thought.
'At this rate, how can I avenge my sister...'
"I will become stronger," Shinobu's purple eyes met Lexon's with determination, her gaze burning, shining with a strange light.
'What's the use of looking at me like that... I'm just a small-time sign-in merchant.'
Lexon shifted his gaze away slightly.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]