The night was hazy, insects chirping endlessly in the mountains, while occasional breezes stirred the heart.
Beneath the pale crescent moon, two figures faced each other.
Yoriichi held a simple iron blade in hand, his expression calm as he regarded the figure before him. "Let's first see your current strength."
Yuko nodded slightly. "Yes… I also want to see the difference between you and me."
With that, Yuko slowly drew a bloodstained longsword from her palm.
She swept it through a graceful arc, wiping away the blood.
The silver-white blade gleamed with a sacred radiance in the moonlight.
Yet a faintly eerie aura emanated from it, signaling that this was a demon blade.
The longsword resembled the Nichirin blade Yuko had used before, though its features differed slightly.
Its most unique aspect was the edge: pure white, flawless, without a trace of a hamon (blade pattern) — as perfect as a mirror.
In terms of hardness, the demon blade, born from Yuko's own flesh, far exceeded ordinary iron blades.
Only a Nichirin blade could sever it.
But for a Nichirin blade to succeed, the wielder must be strong enough to cut her neck.
Yuko slowly assumed her stance, exhaling faint white breath. "Brother, you needn't hold back. Strike with your full power."
Yoriichi's iron blade was not a Nichirin blade, so it could not deal real damage to a demon.
Even against Yoriichi, it would be ineffective.
No matter how skilled, one cannot cook a meal without rice. Even Yoriichi could not kill a demon with a mere iron blade.
Of course, a demon's regeneration was not infinite. Each regeneration drained stamina, requiring sustenance; overexertion slowed the process.
If a demon faced Yoriichi wielding a normal sword, two outcomes were likely:
1. The demon would be so cut up it would question its own existence… until sunrise.
2. The demon would be struck to the point of losing regenerative ability.
In any case, holding an iron blade, Yoriichi could not deal meaningful damage in a short time.
Most importantly, an iron blade could not manifest a Red Blade.
A Nichirin blade generates the Red Blade through grip because of its special materials: crimson iron and mineral found in the highest mountains nearest the sun, saturated with sunlight and solar energy.
The Red Blade's principle is to activate this energy through grip.
Yoriichi understood this, nodding slightly.
"Then… I'll begin."
Yuko took a deep breath; the world became translucent before her eyes.
"Snow Breathing, Seventh Form — A Line to the Heavens!"
A flash of brilliant white streaked through the air like a silver thread drawn in midair, exquisitely beautiful.
Breath control, muscle movement, watching her opponent's next move.
Yuko's gaze was locked on Yoriichi's body.
To her, the transparent world was the most valuable among the "three treasures" she had mastered.
Even in other anime, the ability to see through a human body would be formidable.
Knowing the gap between herself and Yoriichi, Yuko held nothing back. Her strike was all-out.
The snow-white blade shot straight for Yoriichi's neck.
A habit from her demon-hunting days: even as a demon now, she instinctively thought to decapitate her human opponents.
The white thread of the blade traced a graceful curve through the air — the first time Yoriichi experienced the ultimate form of Snow Breathing.
Since Yuko's injury, Snow Breathing had been nearly lost, as no one could learn it. Its difficulty rivaled Sun Breathing.
Yoriichi had only glimpsed it occasionally while Yuko practiced in secret, never experiencing it like this.
Beautiful as it was, this breathing style was more than aesthetics. Its deadly intent almost pricked Yoriichi's skin — like the icy sting of snow.
This was Snow Breathing.
The white thread sliced past Yoriichi's neck, their forms overlapping.
After the strike, Yuko stared in shock at the headless figure before her.
Before her head could hit the ground, Yoriichi gently caught it and placed it back on her body.
The process looked strangely eerie.
Yuko opened her mouth and said blankly, "…That was… a bit of a shock."
Though she had expected to be outmatched, it still hurt to experience it.
Yoriichi: "…"
After all, she had insisted he teach her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, slightly uncomfortable.
Even without actual damage, the sensation of decapitation could not be avoided.
If Yuko hadn't repeatedly requested it, he would never have done it.
Yuko glanced at him, frustration in her eyes. "Too fast… I didn't feel any pain at all."
Yoriichi smiled. "That's good."
Yuko pouted.
Not good at all.
If she had felt pain, she might have been happier — the gap would not seem so vast.
Being decapitated without even noticing confirmed the dimensional gap between them.
Yoriichi: "Again?"
Yuko took a deep breath. "Yes. This time, I'll be serious."
Yoriichi nodded slightly. They returned to their original positions.
Yuko gripped her snow-white demon blade. Her wine-red eyes closed gently, exhaling slowly.
The next moment, she opened her eyes. Her pupils were golden with hints of deep black, veins subtly protruded around her eyes, a pair of dragon-like demon horns emerged atop her head, and her nails grew slightly longer and blackened.
Her hair, once wine-red, had visibly turned snow-white.
Yoriichi was slightly stunned. He shared the same observation.
She didn't look like a grotesque demon. She looked… divine.
Moonlight filtered through the dense branches, falling softly on Yuko's snow-white hair, draping it in a silvery veil.
With her white hair and dragon-like horns, anyone passing by would never mistake her for a demon.
Yuko quietly sensed her body's condition. Strictly speaking, this was her first full demon transformation. Previously, at the inn, she had been slightly distracted, fearing someone would enter.
Now, her demon form greatly enhanced her physical abilities.
Several times stronger than her human form, and she knew it could improve further. Since becoming a demon, she had not fed on humans yet.
If she did…
Yuko shook her head. Damn Muzan's cells were already affecting her mind.
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Currently at chapter 195 for advance chapters
https:// ko-fi.com/rabi08