Breathing: Forward Rotation.
Hoooo....
I inhale and exhale, activating Moon Breathing to bolster my physical form.
Azure 「Flare」.
Breathing: Reverse Rotation.
Tssssssss—!
I apply a crushing grip to the hilt of my Nichirin Blade, triggering the Crimson Blade and heating the steel until it glows a burning red.
Crimson 「Glow」.
Hollow Technique.
Moon Breathing
Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains
With two swift, consecutive strokes, I bisect the Demon's left arm and waist.
Hollow Purple 「Ja」.
"Gyaaaaaaaaa! It hurts! It burns! It huuuuurts!"
The moment the Crimson Blade touches it, the Demon falls to the ground, thrashing and screaming in agony.
Sizzle....
Accompanied by the scent of scorched flesh, the severed edges sizzle and char. The regeneration the Demon so prides itself on is failing to manifest.
Moon Breathing
First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace
With a horizontal sweep, I strike the Demon's neck to grant it final peace.
With a wet thud, the head hits the ground. Yet the pain must have persisted, for the head continued to shriek and the torso continued to struggle until they both crumbled into ash.
Hmph. The screams of a Demon. It is a sweet melody, no matter how many times I hear it.
As expected of the Crimson Blade—its performance is undeniable.
The test results for the Crimson Blade are quite satisfactory.
If Breathing is a resource or a skill that allows one to perform superhuman feats, and the Slayer Mark is a high-risk, high-reward 'doping' that converts one's lifespan into physical ability, and the Transparent World is a state of mental and sensory transcendence...
Then this Crimson Blade can be called a weapon enhancement that drastically boosts the performance of the Nichirin Blade.
The reason the Nichirin Blade is the only weapon capable of killing a Demon is that it is forged from scarlet iron sand or ore that has basked in the sunlight, giving the blade the inherent property of burning Demons.
However, that property is usually so faint that it isn't noticeable in combat. Unless the neck—the Demon's weak point—is decapitated, they simply regenerate with ease. That was the problem.
But the Crimson Blade massively amplifies this burning power. Like the sun itself, it not only reduces a Demon's regenerative speed to an extreme degree but also inflicts excruciating pain.
Furthermore, it can paralyze the body, sealing off the activation of Blood Demon Arts. Since the Demon's flesh burns upon mere contact, the blade's cutting power and lethality are heightened significantly.
It really is a lightsaber.
The only issue is that the Crimson Blade reverts the moment I loosen my strength even slightly.
The grip strength required to manifest it is immense. Since a katana is meant to be held with a supple grip rather than squeezed with brute force, manifesting it mid-battle is nearly impossible for anyone below a Hashira with a Slayer Mark.
Additionally, weapons like polearms, where the handle is far from the blade, seem unable to manifest the Crimson Blade, perhaps due to poor heat conduction.
Thus, Lord Anji—the Echoing Hashira and the only one among the Pillars to use a naginata-style Nichirin Blade—cannot manifest the Crimson Blade.
I thought a red-bladed naginata would look exceptionally stylish, so it's a bit of a shame.
I haven't tested it against a foe as powerful as Upper Rank Zero, so it remains to be seen if it will be effective against Muzan or truly powerful Demons.
"I am Lower Rank Zero...!"
Suddenly, a Demon thrusts its face toward me.
Hmm? Was there another one?
"Well, whether there is one speck of dust to brush off or two..."
Shhhhhhick!
I swing the Crimson Blade, personally bidding its head and torso a permanent farewell.
"Kyaaaaaaaaa!"
"There is no difference that the eye can see."
Just like the previous one, the Demon turns to ash while screaming.
By the way, I think this fellow said something about being a Lower Rank. He even had the kanji for Lower Rank Zero (下弦 0) tattooed in his eyes, just like Upper Rank Zero.
He was pathetically weak, so it likely wasn't much.
I wonder if any more like Upper Rank Zero will appear?
***
...Why is there no one?
The Crimson Blade was not the problem.
The absence of a Demon as strong as Upper Rank Zero was not the problem.
No, seriously, why is there no one?
Why is there no one with an aptitude for Moon Breathing? Why is there no purple blade?
An aptitude for Sun Breathing—which is stronger than my own—existed at least in records, so why is there no one suited for Moon Breathing?
Is this some kind of reincarnation privilege?
This? A privilege? There is no way being weaker than Sun Breathing counts as a 'reincarnation privilege.'
The Crimson Blade, the Transparent World, and the Slayer Mark... though their requirements are absurd, they can eventually be passed down to others.
But Breathing Styles like Moon Breathing are different.
Without the proper aptitude, it becomes a useless burden, much like trying to use Sun Breathing without the necessary traits.
Just in case, I tried teaching Moon Breathing to Amano while she was my Tsuguko, but she was incomparably weaker than when she used her natural Mist Breathing.
I want to have a dedicated Moon Breathing Tsuguko like the other Hashira.
In eight years, I will be gone from this world. I want to create a 'Michikatsu Version 2' before I die.
To be precise... I wanted to leave behind some trace that I had existed in this world.
There is the combat doll that Lady Shutara is currently crafting, but that is merely a puppet.
"Elder Brother? What is the matter?"
Yoriichi asks while looking at my face mid-meal. My troubled expression must have looked quite grim.
"Are you perhaps unwell?"
Uta gazes at me with the exact same expression as Yoriichi.
How can a husband and wife look so alike? Is it because they are married?
"Indeed. Even though Lady Uta is pregnant, she went through the trouble of cooking this meal..."
Uzui, why are you even here?
And I'm the one who made this.
Uta is resting due to her pregnancy, and Yoriichi simply cannot cook.
I learned for the first time that it is possible to cleave a cutting board in half with a kitchen knife. No, I didn't want to know that.
So, unless I was away on a long mission, I had been the one in charge of the cooking for a while.
When I was absent, I would ask Uzui to go and buy food.
My dignity as the head of the household... has it fallen to the dirt?!
"Do the Kakushi not provide food?"
"It's just that the home cooking here is flamboyantly delicious!"
In the meantime, an empty bowl is slid in front of me.
"One more bowl, if you please...."
Wait, why is Amano-san here too?
I scooped another bowl of rice and handed it to Amano-san.
Regardless, this lady has an incredible appetite for someone of her appearance.
This is already her fifth bowl.
"It's because I have no Tsuguko."
I sighed and aired my grievances.
"Elder Brother, is Lady Amano not already by your side as your Tsuguko?"
"That is true, but specifically, I am talking about a Tsuguko who can inherit my Breathing Style."
"Lord Tsugikuni, are you perhaps thinking of taking another Tsuguko?"
Amano blinked and joined the conversation.
"Yes. I was thinking of raising a dedicated disciple. However, the downside is that there are no candidates with an aptitude for Moon Breathing."
"Phew..."
I don't know why, but she looked relieved at my answer.
"Is there a problem?"
"No, no. It's nothing..."
She shook her head vigorously in denial, then returned to her usual expressionless state and continued eating.
"But why are you trying to take a Tsuguko now?"
Yoriichi asked.
"That's right. You already have Lady Amano. Does this mean you're going to cast Lady Amano aside now that she's a Hashira and no longer a Tsuguko?"
Uzui, I beg of you, just shut your mouth.
LadyAmanoItIsNotLikeThatSoPleaseStopStaringAtMeLikeThatIFeelLikeIWillGetIndigestion.
I let out a sigh and gave them my answer.
"It is for the sake of inheriting Moon Breathing. The Demons are growing stronger, yet while we are powerful, we do not have much time. There is no guarantee that Kibutsuji Muzan will fall in our generation, so I wish to leave behind insurance. Alas, there is no one suited for the Moon."
To be more accurate...
The truth was that I wanted to leave something behind in this world.
Of course, I don't care what happens to the world after I die.
Still, I wanted to leave a trace that I had once been here.
Though people call me a Great Grandmaster and look up to me... even if I passed down Breathing, the Transparent World, the Crimson Blade, and the Slayer Mark to all the Hashira...
Can I really say I 'created' those things?
I cannot shake the feeling that I simply discovered what Yoriichi already possessed and brought it to others.
I am merely a bridge of sorts.
Therefore, even if I had to imitate his Sun Breathing, I wanted Moon Breathing—which I created from the ground up, from its methods to its swordsmanship forms—to remain in this world like my own child.
Well, if it doesn't work out, it's just a shame.
"Well, it's just a bit of self-indulgence..."
"Elder Brother, we are not such grand beings."
Yoriichi spoke up.
Wait, what did you say?
"We are but a tiny fragment in the long, long history of humanity. Even at this very moment, those whose talent will surpass our own are being born. They will eventually reach the same heights as us. Therefore, you have nothing to worry about."
Yoriichi spoke with a somewhat bright expression and tone.
Wait a moment. *Our* talent?
I suppose the other Hashira and I might eventually be reached.
But *your* talent?
By whom, exactly?!
========================
The website for reading paid chapters is available on my Patreon. The number of chapters on Patreon: 69
Link: patreon.com/UltraMagnus_T