"Snowfall."
This was the second form of Han Zhiqi's breathing style. Like the first, it was simple—just two words.
Han Zhiqi charged straight at Aoi Kanzaki. Under the effects of his breathing style, a dense chill swirled around his body.
The water vapor suspended in the air froze into icy fragments. Wherever he passed, he resembled a moving cloud of white mist. Even the brown wooden blade in his hand became coated in frost and turned white.
Before he arrived, the cold had already rushed at her face.
Watching the white figure dart swiftly through the mist, Aoi Kanzaki drew a deep breath. She had to complete her breathing before Han Zhiqi closed in. If the chill reached her first, breathing afterward would place an unbearable burden on her lungs.
"Ice Breathing: third form: Flowing Dance."
Using her nimble footwork, Aoi Kanzaki shifted from side to side, transforming into a twisting, winding current as she rushed into the white mist.
Han Zhiqi swung his wooden sword at the approaching Aoi Kanzaki. The blade traced a graceful arc, carrying wind and snow as it collided with her wooden sword.
Aoi Kanzaki blocked Han Zhiqi's strike, then used the momentum of Flowing Dance to slip to his side. She swung at the back of his neck. Her previous strike had only been a feint; this was the real attack.
They were too close. Aoi Kanzaki was certain Han Zhiqi could not evade. If this blow landed on the back of his head, an ordinary person would be unconscious even if they survived.
It's over, you arrogant fool. You knew nothing, yet you made it this far. That was impressive enough.
Aoi Kanzaki put more force into the strike, intending to take Han Zhiqi out of the fight in one blow.
But when the wooden sword was less than half an inch from the back of Han Zhiqi's head, his snow-white head suddenly dipped. Then Aoi Kanzaki heard a voice.
"Shattering Timed Rain."
Damn it!
Aoi Kanzaki had no time to consider how he had noticed her attack. From the corner of her eye, she had already caught sight of Han Zhiqi's counterattack.
Han Zhiqi crouched low, his wrist twisting at an unnatural angle as he swung his sword upward. Several thumb-thick ice spikes, wrapped in wind and snow, shot toward Aoi Kanzaki's chest, neck, and cheek.
Aoi Kanzaki's expression changed drastically. The reversal had come completely out of nowhere. She had intended to catch him off guard and win in one strike, yet not only had she failed to prevail, she had fallen within the range of his attack.
Han Zhiqi's attack covered too much ground and came from too close. There was no way she could block all three attacks.
Left with no choice, Aoi Kanzaki forcibly activated her breathing style to resolve the immediate danger. Enduring the pain in her lungs, she shouted.
"sixth style: Twisting Vortex."
In her haste, Aoi Kanzaki twisted her body and swung her wooden sword with all her strength.
The wooden sword drove the air into a small whirlwind. The ice spikes shattered one after another upon striking it, and even the surrounding white mist was blown away, revealing Han Zhiqi's figure clearly.
Aoi Kanzaki's lungs were aching badly. At such close range, if Han Zhiqi continued his assault, she knew she would struggle to withstand it.
"third form: Flowing Dance."
Aoi Kanzaki could only use Flowing Dance again, trying to widen the distance between herself and Han Zhiqi.
An icy chill pierced her shoulder and the right side of her neck. Though Twisting Vortex had blocked most of the ice spikes, several had still struck her.
This time, Han Zhiqi did not give Aoi Kanzaki a chance to catch her breath as he had before.
As Aoi Kanzaki used Flowing Dance to flee, Han Zhiqi planted one hand on the ground and vaulted into the air.
Under the bright moonlight, Han Zhiqi raised his sword with both hands. In an instant, the temperature in the courtyard plummeted. Snowflakes began to drift down from the sky, as though the season had abruptly shifted into winter.
"Sister Xiao Kui, watch out!"
The Butterfly Mansion trio watching from beneath the corridor had long since been unable to sit still. They had hoped Aoi Kanzaki would vent their anger and teach that rude fellow a lesson. Who could have expected that after only a few exchanges, he would not only remain standing, but Aoi Kanzaki herself would be driven into a flustered, perilous state?
Aoi Kanzaki had been focused solely on escaping and had not noticed Han Zhiqi's next move. Only after the Butterfly Mansion trio warned her did she finally spot him in midair. Before she could steady herself, she heard two words from above.
"Icefall."
Another strange technique.
Han Zhiqi swung his sword down from the sky, cleaving toward Aoi Kanzaki.
Affected by the cold air and after using her breathing style twice in succession, Aoi Kanzaki's lungs were already at their limit. With Han Zhiqi pressing her so relentlessly and giving her no chance to recover, she had no choice but to use that technique to defend herself.
"Water Breathing: seventh form: Stinging Rain Ripple."
This was the fastest and sharpest of all Water Breathing's martial skills, concentrating every attack into a single point.
Aoi Kanzaki raised her sword and thrust forward at high speed, meeting Han Zhiqi's blade with its tip. But the instant they connected, she realized something was wrong.
Stinging Rain Ripple was a technique like a needle against a needle, exceptionally effective when point met point. But if point met a surface...
Han Zhiqi's strike was no ordinary downward slash. It seemed to contain countless layers of force. Just as its name, Icefall, suggested, it was like a waterfall plunging from the sky. Could a single bamboo pole possibly stop a waterfall crashing down from above?
Aoi Kanzaki thought of another Water Breathing technique: Eighth Form: Stagnant Water.
Han Zhiqi's Icefall was extremely similar to Stagnant Water. Both borrowed the force of a downward plunge to crush the enemy. Even if the enemy narrowly dodged, the instant the technique struck the ground, it would inflict splash damage on everyone nearby.
Aoi Kanzaki could already feel the overwhelming force traveling through her wooden sword. It was as though she stood beneath an iceberg, its magnificent pressure carrying bone-piercing cold. If she did not withdraw in time, she would surely be crushed by that force.
But at this point, how could she withdraw? How should she withdraw? And where could she retreat to if she did? Aoi Kanzaki fell into utter despair.
She had never imagined that a mere rookie brat could force her into a state where she could not fight back at all.
Last time, it had been because she did not understand Han Zhiqi's breathing style and had nearly suffered a major loss. But what was the reason this time?
Could this ill-mannered wild child truly be far stronger than her?
Countless thoughts flashed through Aoi Kanzaki's mind in an instant, and a sense of defeat rose from the depths of her heart. She often called herself a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, yet because she was timid and feared death, she did not dare face demons, much less kill them.
Ever since completing the Final Selection, she had hardly taken on a single mission. Could someone like her still be called a Demon Slayer Corps member?
She was the true disgrace of the Demon Slayer Corps.
At that thought, the fighting spirit in Aoi Kanzaki's body completely faded, and she fell into a dazed state.
Shinobu Kocho beneath the corridor abruptly rose to her feet, her right hand pressing against her sword hilt. She sensed the change in Aoi Kanzaki's presence.
To lose one's will to fight in the middle of battle was a grave taboo when lives were at stake. Without the courage to face death head-on, it was difficult to throw oneself into battle without regard for one's life when facing demons.
Though Aoi Kanzaki was impatient and rough in manner, her heart was soft and gentle. She merely used her harshness to conceal her weakness and inferiority.
Not everyone could relish the sight of blood, nor could everyone, like Tanjiro and Han Zhiqi, possess extraordinary talent, keen senses, a clear mind, the courage to face death without hesitation, and something to carry upon their backs.
They were born warriors, born to exist for the purpose of killing demons.
Their appearance in the Demon Slayer Corps was no accident.
Before you continue