The Back He Couldn't Catch, the Promise to Stand Side by Side!

The Sabito on the field grew increasingly apprehensive with each battle.

His Flowing Dance was clearly at its limit, with at most five afterimages, each step perfectly synchronized with his breath, yet Giyu's sword could always pinpoint his true form with pinpoint accuracy.

Sabito gritted his teeth and abruptly changed his move. The afterimage of the Flowing Dance vanished instantly. Using the momentum of his forward charge, he slashed his blade upwards with a low shout:

"Fifth Form - Heaven's Compassionate Rain!"

The deep blue light of the blade shot up into the sky like a waterfall flowing against the current.

But Giyu simply took a half-step back with ease.

The blade grazed his chest, not even touching the hem of his clothes.

Then, Giyu's sword moved.

There's nothing fancy about it, just one word: fast.

It moved as fast as a streak of azure lightning, cleaving Sabito's vision in two.

Sabito's pupils contracted sharply. He had no time to sheathe his sword and parry, and could only desperately turn to the side, his body tilting to one side.

"Sizzle!"

The sound of tearing fabric rang out clearly.

The blade grazed his left side, cutting a half-foot-long gash in his clothes. The cold blade brushed against his skin; it didn't hurt, but the sensation almost made Sabito's heart stop.

He staggered back a few steps, looked down at the tear in his clothes, then looked up at Giyu, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Giyu had already sheathed his sword, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground once more. Not a single drop of sweat clung to the azure blade; it was as clean as if it had just been drawn from its sheath.

"Shall we continue?"

The Sabito gripped the knife tighter, its knuckles turning white.

He looked down at his slightly trembling fingers, sweat trickling down his forehead and dripping into his eyes, stinging slightly.

His breathing was completely erratic, his chest was heaving violently, and his lungs were burning with pain. That high-speed exchange had almost exhausted all his strength.

As for Giyu, he didn't blush or pant, and his breathing rhythm remained unchanged. His black uniform was spotless, without even a speck of dust on it.

The gap is stark, a gap that leaves one feeling utterly hopeless.

Suddenly, Sabito remembered the selection process at Mount Fujikasane three months ago.

Back then, Giyu was still a rookie, his hand holding the knife was unsteady. It was Sabito who protected Giyu all the way to the end, and single-handedly took on the Hand Demon who had been entrenched there for forty-seven years.

At that time, he was stronger than Giyu.

But now...

In just three months, this guy seemed to have unlocked a cheat code, leaving him far behind.

"I... can still fight."

The Sabito's voice was a little hoarse, tinged with weariness, yet unusually firm.

He gripped the knife tightly again, assumed the starting stance, and the wavering in his eyes disappeared, replaced by an almost stubborn determination.

Even if he can't win, even if the gap is huge, he has to finish this match. He needs to see clearly how far apart he is from Zhu.

Giyu looked at him and nodded. "Okay."

Then, for the first time, he took the initiative to attack.

He walked step by step toward the Sabito, his steps steady, each step making a soft "rustling" sound on the sand. The sword dragged at his side, the tip drawing a shallow line in the sand, raising fine grains of sand around it.

But the fur on the entire body of the Sabito stood on end.

Danger, deadly danger.

It's like facing a Wild Beasts slowly approaching. Even though the beast isn't moving fast, the invisible pressure is almost suffocating, making it difficult to even breathe.

Five steps, four steps, three steps!!

Sabito roared and struck first, no longer passively defending. "Sixth Form: Twisting Whirlpool!"

His body suddenly spun around, the blade drawing a perfect circle. A deep blue vortex exploded outwards from his center, the blade tearing through the air with a whistling sound, like the growl of a wild beast.

This is a move that combines offense and defense; the rotating blade curtain can both attack and defend, leaving almost no blind spots and being completely impenetrable.

Giyu stopped at the edge of the vortex, looking at the deep blue storm of blades, his eyes still calm.

Then, he raised the knife.

He gripped the hilt with both hands, raised it above his head, the blade vertical, facing the deep blue vortex.

Then--

Cut.

It's still the simplest vertical slash.

A pale blue light burst forth from the blade, brighter and more intense than before.

"--Sizzle!"

As the water blade sliced through the air, everyone in the training field heard a sound like rough cloth being violently torn apart, piercing yet clear.

The azure water blade cleaved straight into the deep blue vortex.

Without hindrance or pause, it cut straight down, cleaving the entire deep blue vortex in two!

The deep blue blade flashed like shattered glass, crumbling and disappearing without leaving a trace, not even a splash.

The spinning of the Sabito was forcibly stopped. He staggered to a stop, raised his sword with both hands, and desperately held it above his head. Giyu's sword was just three inches above the blade of his sword, steady and without the slightest wobbling.

The azure water blade had dissipated, but the lingering oppressive feeling on the blade remained, pressing heavily on Sabito's sword.

He felt his knife groaning slightly, and the bones in his arm were cracking; he was about to give way.

"This move,"

Giyu pressed the blade down very lightly, gradually increasing the pressure.

"If the center of gravity is too far forward during rotation, it's easy to break."

The Sabito gritted its teeth, making a grinding sound, desperately resisting the heavy force. Its strength had reached its limit; its vision began to darken, its ears were ringing, and it was difficult to breathe.

Are we going to lose...?

Is that it...?

I'm not reconciled, I'm really not reconciled.

Sabito closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then suddenly released his left hand, gripping the sword with his right, and his body lurched backward by Giyu's downward thrust.

In the instant he fell backward, he pushed off the ground hard with his left foot, and using the reaction force, he slid backward a long distance like an arrow released from a bow.

Use the enemy's strength to escape!

"Bang!"

Giyu's sword lost its support and struck empty air, carving a three-foot-long trench in the sand, with grains of sand falling down its sides.

Meanwhile, Sabito had already slid five meters away. He knelt on one knee, using his right hand to support himself with his knife, panting heavily, his chest heaving violently.

But he hasn't fallen yet.

He slowly stood up, gripped the knife with both hands again, the blade trembling, his hands trembling as well.

"The final... move."

The Sabito's voice trembled violently, barely a whisper, yet exceptionally clear, piercing the silence of the training ground.

"Let me... use it."

Giyu looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded.

"Good."

Sabito closed his eyes and began to adjust his breathing. Once, twice, three times, although it was still very erratic, he managed to control it and found a little rhythm in his Water Breathing.

Then he suddenly opened his eyes, all distracting thoughts vanished, leaving only the purest will to unleash this strike. There was no question of winning or losing; he simply wanted to give it his all and unleash his strongest attack.

He began to spin.

Deep blue ripples appeared around him, like eddies gradually forming on a calm surface, expanding in concentric circles.

Urokodaki's Tengu Mask twitched slightly.

Kanae and Shinobu held their breath, their eyes wide open, staring intently at Sabito in the arena, not daring to even breathe loudly.

They recognized it; this was the final form of Water Breathing, and Sabito's strongest technique to date!

"The Tenth Form - The Constant Flux!"

The spinning speed is getting faster and faster, four rotations, five rotations, six rotations!

The deep blue water ripples grew denser and more turbulent, as if trying to draw in the surrounding air.

The figure of the Sabito became blurred as it spun, leaving only a dark blue shadow that spun wildly in the center of the training field. The strong wind it generated stirred up dust from the ground, forming an ever-growing vortex that blotted out the sky.

The momentum of the blade builds up little by little; with each rotation, it adds a bit more power and speed to the next strike.

In theory, as long as the number of rotations is sufficient, the power of the final strike can accumulate infinitely, cutting through everything; nothing can stop it.

But the prerequisite is that it can be started and controlled.

Seven laps, eight laps, nine laps...

Sabito's face was as white as paper. The dizziness from spinning at high speed, along with the exhaustion from physical exhaustion, were simultaneously assaulting his consciousness. His vision began to darken, his ears were ringing, and he was almost losing control of his own spinning.

But he's still spinning, on his tenth lap!

"Drink up!"

A hoarse roar exploded from the vortex, causing the deep blue vortex to expand rapidly before suddenly contracting.

At this moment, everything converged on the blade, transforming into a roaring deep blue water dragon, its blood-red maw gaping wide as it pounced towards Giyu!

Wherever the water dragon passed, the sandy ground seemed to have been plowed, turning up layers of yellow sand, swirling up pebbles into the air, and then slamming them down hard. The air seemed to groan under the weight of the storm, as if it were being torn apart.

This was Sabito's all-out attack, the strongest strike he could muster at the moment, a testament to his utmost physical strength and willpower.

Giyu watched the oncoming water dragon without moving, but gripped the hilt of his sword tightly with both hands, and then closed his eyes.

His breathing changed.

It became like a deep pool in the mountains, calm without a ripple, and even the rise and fall of the chest was almost invisible.

A deep blue water dragon, with a destructive force, pounced on him, its massive head opening wide, ready to devour him completely.

But the moment the dragon's kiss touched him—!

"Splash~"

A soft sound, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, like fine rain falling on the eaves.

The raging water dragon seemed to have crashed into an invisible, soft yet indestructible wall. Starting from the head, it crumbled and dissipated inch by inch, without any power to resist.

The deep blue water burst open silently, turning into countless sparkling specks of light that shimmered in the sunlight. Then, like snowflakes, they gently drifted down, landing on the sand and on Giyu's shoulders with unparalleled tenderness.

There was no sound, no impact, no vibration, nothing at all.

That water dragon, powerful enough to tear the earth apart, vanished quietly and gently into the air just three feet in front of Giyu, leaving not a trace.

As the last drop of water fell to the ground, Giyu opened his eyes. His light blue eyes were as calm as a clear spring. He looked ahead, at Sabito.

Sabito stood there, gripping his sword with both hands, remaining motionless in the posture of having just finished a slash.

His face was blank, his eyes wide open, reflecting the shimmering water falling from the sky, and Giyu standing unharmed in the center of the water, like a quiet stone statue.

Clang.

The knife slipped from his limp hand and fell heavily onto the sand with a dull thud, breaking the silence of the training ground.

Sabito's legs buckled, and he knelt down on the scorching sand. A sharp pain shot through his knees, but he couldn't feel it.

He kept his head down, his shoulders trembling violently, sweat mixed with sand dripping from his chin, hitting the sand and creating small craters.

Giyu walked over, then reached out and helped him up.

Get up.

Sabito used the momentum to stand up, but his legs were still weak and he almost knelt down again. Giyu helped him up and let him lean on his shoulder, half supporting and half helping him.

Sabito opened its mouth, as if to say something, but its throat felt blocked, and it couldn't make a sound, only gasping for breath.

He turned his head and looked at the edge of the training field. Kanae and Shinobu were still standing there, both of them with blank expressions, their eyes wide open and their mouths agape, unable to close them for a long time.

Ren, in particular, had her mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg, her face filled with disbelief.

Urokodaki walked over from the Dojo entrance, his pace slow. He stopped in front of the two, his Tengu Mask slightly lowered, looking at Sabito:

"Now you know?"

Sabito leaned on Giyu's shoulder and nodded, nodding vigorously.

I understand, I understand completely.

The gap between him and Giyu cannot be bridged by killing fifty or a hundred demons. It's not a difference in quantity, but a fundamental difference in their levels of understanding.

For Giyu, water is not just Breathing Style or a move; it is a part of his life, integrated into every movement and every breath.

As for myself, I'm only using Breathing Style and imitating moves; I'm far from good enough.

Giyu helped Sabito walk slowly towards the Dojo, his steps unhurried and steady.

As they passed by Kanae and Shinobu, the two girls seemed to suddenly snap out of their daze and come back to their senses.

"Mr. Righteousness, Mr. Giyu..."

Kanae's voice was slightly ethereal, almost dreamy, as she gently pointed to the center of the training field.

"What was that... just now?"

"The Eleventh Form, Nagi."

Giyu paused, then added,

"Defense skills."

He swallowed hard, a dry sound coming from his throat, his eyes still fixed on the center of the training field.

There were still ruts and furrows left by the Constant Flux, crisscrossing and in a sorry state, while where Giyu had just stood was an exceptionally flat sandy area, without even a speck of dust raised.

On one side were signs of rampant destruction;

On one side, there was absolute tranquility.

The contrast between these two extremes is startling.

"That..."

Ren asked in a low voice, her voice still trembling slightly.

"Can we... learn it too?"

Giyu glanced at her, shook his head, and said in a very sincere tone:

"Not suitable."

"Huh? Why?"

Ren blinked, his face full of confusion.

"Nagi needs extreme self-control."

Giyu explained it very directly, without going into too many complicated reasons.

"Now, you should focus on mastering the basics."

Having said that, he said no more, and, supporting Sabito, slowly entered the Dojo. The curtain fell behind them, blocking the figures of the two boys.

Kanae and Shinobu stood there, staring at the curtain of the Dojo, without moving for a long time.

After a long while, Ren finally murmured, her voice barely audible, "Sister... can we really catch up with someone like that?"

Kanae didn't answer. She just looked in the direction of the Dojo, her pale pink eyes reflecting the afternoon sunlight and a hint of complex emotion that was hard to detect.

Inside the Dojo, the light was dimmer than outside, and it was very quiet.

Giyu helped Sabito sit down on the cushion, poured him a glass of warm water, and handed it to him.

Sabito took the cup and gulped down most of it. The cool water slid down his throat, slightly relieving the burning sensation in his lungs. He let out a long breath, and the rise and fall of his chest gradually subsided.

"Thanks! Giyu!"

His voice was still hoarse and tired.

Sabito looked down at the empty cup in his hand, his fingers tracing the rim. He remained silent for a moment, then, as if making a decision, looked up at Giyu:

"Giyu."

"Hmm?" Giyu looked up at him.

"Am I... destined to never catch up with you?"

Giyu didn't speak. He turned his head and looked at the courtyard outside the Dojo gate, which was brightly lit by the sunlight. The cicadas were still chirping, and the wind was blowing through the leaves, making a soft rustling sound. It was very pleasant.

After a long while, he turned back, his light blue eyes calmly looking at his companion, and spoke each word carefully:

No need to chase.

The Sabito was stunned, blinked, and didn't understand what he meant.

"We are comrades."

Giyu looked at him, his eyes clear and calm, yet exceptionally resolute.

"Fighting side by side is not about who is faster or stronger."

"Besides, you're already very strong."

Sabito was completely stunned, staring blankly at Giyu.

He suddenly felt his eyes getting hot and his nose tingling. He lowered his head and rubbed his nose, not wanting Giyu to see his reddened eyes.

"I understand! I will keep trying!!"

He clenched his fist, his voice still hoarse, but full of strength.

"A hundred demons are a hundred demons, Lower Rank is Lower Rank... One day, I will stand beside you, and fight alongside you!"

Giyu looked at his smile, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a smile so faint it was almost imperceptible, as fleeting as a flash of starlight, before he nodded.

"Okay, I'll wait for you."

Outside the window, the sunlight was just right, streaming through the paper window into the Dojo and casting dappled shadows on the ground.

As the dust settled on the training field, the deep blue and azure marks of the blades were slowly blown away by the wind, leaving only two grooves of varying depths, as if telling the story of the exhilarating battle that had just taken place.