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Chapter 107: Tatakae, Sabito
The wind gently swept across the clearing, carrying fallen leaves through the open space.
"Come. Tatakae (fight or persevere) with me."
Sabito gripped his wooden sword tightly, leveling the tip right at Suyan's nose. A hearty, confident voice echoed from beneath his scarred fox mask. "If you can defeat me, I will acknowledge you! Whether it's becoming a Shikigami or a Nen Beast, I don't care!"
Hearing Sabito's declaration, Suyan couldn't help but doubt his own memory. Did he misspeak earlier? He was pretty sure he never invited Sabito to be his Nen Beast.
But on second thought, it didn't really matter what he had said. Suyan knew perfectly well that the Water Disciples' dying wish was the death of the Hand Demon on Mt. Fujikasane. Even if he clarified the misunderstanding, he'd still have to fight Sabito—the strongest among them—to prove he actually had the capability to slay the beast.
In that case...
Suyan raised his hand and materialized his White Oak Bokken out of thin air. He looked at Sabito and spoke lightly. "Alright then. I'll play with you for a bit."
"Play?"
That single, dismissive word thoroughly ignited the fighting spirit within the peach-haired youth. If he can speak with such arrogance, his strength must be impressive, right? You'd better not disappoint me!
Sabito pushed off the ground, his body rocketing forward like a loosed arrow.
"Water Breathing! Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
He swung his wooden sword with immense force, executing the fourth form of Water Breathing. A pale blue aura of water surged along the blade, carrying the ferocious momentum of a crashing tide as it rushed madly toward Suyan.
Perhaps it was because Breathing Style techniques were specifically designed to execute demons, or perhaps Sabito genuinely wanted to test Suyan's limits—his strike was aimed directly at Suyan's neck. He held nothing back, striking with his full might.
As the blade closed in, Suyan could almost hear the roaring sound of tidal waves echoing in his ears.
Yet, faced with such a ferocious assault, Suyan didn't panic in the slightest. With a casual flick of his wrist, he raised his wooden sword and held it vertically in front of him.
Clang!
That simple, effortless block felt like an immovable mountain rising before Sabito. No matter how much strength he poured into his arms, his wooden sword couldn't advance a single inch. Instead, the massive recoil surging back through the blade left the webbing between his thumbs entirely numb.
Sabito shook out his hands, unable to hide his awe. What incredible strength!
With physical power like that, combined with a Breathing Style, he might actually be able to chop through the Hand Demon's thick neck. But brute strength alone wasn't enough. He needed to see the man's technical skill.
"Water Breathing! Third Form: Flowing Dance!"
Sabito took a deep breath, filling his lungs with biting, icy air. Instantly, his body seemed enveloped by flowing currents. His movements became as fluid and unpredictable as water, weaving rapidly around Suyan and leaving a trail of blue afterimages in the air.
His wooden sword carved arc after brilliant blue arc.
"Not bad," Suyan murmured.
Though he had never fought Tomioka Giyuu, he had seen Giyuu use Water Breathing against Busujima Saeko. Yet, despite using the exact same Breathing Style, Sabito's approach was fundamentally different.
If Giyuu's Water Breathing was a tranquil, unrippled lake hiding unfathomable depths of power... then Sabito's Water Breathing was a relentless ocean tide violently crashing against coastal reefs.
Endless. Unceasing.
"Sun Breathing! Eleventh Form: Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance!"
Faced with such an onslaught, Suyan finally decided to get a bit more serious.
Clusters of golden-red fire erupted from the tip of his White Oak Bokken. The blade seemed to ignite with the scorching heat of the sun, coiling around the wood like a magnificent, winding fire dragon.
Suyan unleashed a continuous flurry of sweeping, crescent slashes, the blazing trajectory forming the shape of a massive dragon's head. Every single strike met Sabito's rapidly swinging wooden sword with pinpoint precision.
The blistering flames melted away Sabito's relentless offensive like the morning sun dissolving spring snow, neutralizing the attacks into absolute nothingness.
"An Onmyoji uses Breathing Styles too?" Sabito's eyes flashed with shock.
Though he couldn't recognize which specific branch of Breathing Suyan was using, the sword forms and the distinct rhythmic breathing left no doubt.
But his astonishment was short-lived. "Since you use a Breathing Style too, why aren't you going on the offensive?" Sabito demanded indignantly. "Are you looking down on me?"
"Water Breathing! Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"
Sabito's heart tightened as he instantly transitioned into the absolute fastest technique in the Water Breathing arsenal. No slashing, no hacking—just an explosive, pinpoint thrust aimed at a single target.
Kocho Shinobu's Insect Breathing was a derivative of a derivative of Water Breathing, and the very core of her lightning-fast thrusting style was entirely born from this Seventh Form.
Therefore, this technique had no other attribute save for pure, unadulterated speed.
The afterimages of the thrusts blurred into a torrential downpour of fine silk threads, seeking to envelop Suyan entirely.
"If you insist, then I'll end this battle just as you wish."
Seeing the sheer determination radiating from the youth, Suyan dropped his casual demeanor. Without tapping into his Nen, he unleashed the Sun Breathing technique he was most comfortable with.
"Sun Breathing! Twelfth Form: Flame Dance!"
In a flash, searing golden-red flames erupted from the tip of his blade. The White Oak Bokken was enveloped in a miniature sun, instantly baking the surrounding air until it felt completely dry.
Suyan swung his wooden sword down, the blazing arc of light crashing heavily against Sabito's blade.
Crack!
Sabito's wooden sword snapped cleanly in two.
The ferocious, blazing slash continued its merciless trajectory, carving straight through the fox mask on the boy's face and splitting it cleanly in half.
The shattered mask fell away, revealing Sabito's youthful, boyish face—a face that bore a winding scar nearly identical to the one painted on the mask he wore.
"How...?" Sabito's face was painted with absolute shock.
He had put every ounce of his strength into that attack, yet he had been defeated so effortlessly. With power like this, the man standing before him had to be on the level of a Hashira!
"Who exactly are you?" Sabito couldn't help but demand.
"Just a passing Nen user. Remember that," Suyan replied coolly.
"Hahaha, a Nen user, huh?" Sabito laughed wildly, as if he had just heard the most amusing joke in the world. He then looked at Suyan with utmost sincerity. "Excellent. I acknowledge your strength. Please, tell me your name."
"As long as you can help me kill that Hand Demon on Mt. Fujikasane, whether it's becoming a Shikigami or a Nen Beast, I agree to it all!"
Suyan scratched his cheek, looking incredibly awkward. "Actually... I only wanted to make Miss Makomo my Nen Beast."
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