I stared at my reflection in the black blade.
A strange red mark had appeared on my left cheek.
It wasn't painful anymore.
Instead...
It filled my body with warmth.
With strength.
With power.
Senjuro smiled.
"So... you've awakened it."
"The Demon Slayer Mark?"
He nodded.
"It has gone by many names throughout history. Long ago, only a handful of warriors ever awakened it."
I looked at my hand.
I could feel power flowing through every muscle in my body.
It felt as if every breath carried twice as much strength as before.
"The mark pushes its user far beyond the limits of an ordinary human," Senjuro explained.
"It enhances your speed, strength, senses, and breathing."
He looked directly into my eyes.
"But remember this..."
"The mark doesn't make you unbeatable."
I tightened my grip on my katana.
"I know."
Senjuro stepped back and drew a line in the dirt with his foot.
"Come."
"This time..."
"Fight me with everything you've got."
I took a deep breath.
Green energy wrapped around the black blade.
The mark on my cheek burned brightly.
"Nature Breathing..."
I lowered my stance.
"Fifth Form..."
The wind around me began to swirl.
"Hurricane!"
BOOM!
The ground cracked beneath my feet as I shot toward Senjuro faster than ever before.
For the first time...
I actually saw surprise in his eyes.
My blade slashed through the air.
But—
WHOOSH!
He disappeared.
I skidded across the grass and immediately turned around.
He was already behind me.
"Much faster," he admitted.
"But still not enough."
I gritted my teeth.
"I'M NOT DONE!"
I spun around and unleashed another attack.
"Seventh Form: Stone Shield!"
My katana became a blur.
Slash after slash filled the air.
The attacks came from every direction.
Left.
Right.
Above.
Below.
The entire field echoed with the sound of steel cutting through the wind.
Yet Senjuro blocked every single strike with his bare hands.
He redirected each attack with perfect timing.
Not one slash touched him.
Finally, he jumped backward.
His breathing remained calm.
Mine didn't.
I was exhausted.
Even with the mark...
He was still stronger.
Much stronger.
My arms trembled.
My breathing became uneven.
My vision blurred.
"I can't..."
Then I remembered.
Everything.
My family.
My village.
Marie.
Tobisa.
Every promise I had made.
Every demon I wanted to defeat.
I couldn't lose.
Not here.
Not now.
Something deep inside me responded.
A memory.
Not my own...
But one that felt familiar.
Words echoed inside my mind.
A technique.
One that wasn't written anywhere in Senjuro's book.
I slowly raised my katana.
Green energy began gathering around the blade.
The wind stopped.
Even the birds fell silent.
Senjuro's expression changed.
He stared at me.
"...Fogo?"
I whispered,
"Nature Breathing..."
The energy around me became stronger.
Grass bent away from my feet.
The ground trembled.
Senjuro's eyes widened.
"The final form is the Seventh..."
His voice suddenly shook.
"...Wait..."
He took a step forward.
"No..."
The power around my blade exploded.
"NO!!"
I looked straight at him.
"...Dance of Nature."
For the first time since our battle began...
Senjuro looked afraid.