Damn Muzan

The night was hazy, with incessant insect chirps from the mountains. Occasionally, a gentle breeze would brush past, stirring the heart.

Beneath the crescent moon, two figures stood opposed.

Yoriichi held an ordinary iron blade, calmly looking at the person before him. "Let's first test your current strength."

Yuko nodded slightly. "Mm, I'm also very curious about the gap between us, Older Brother."

As her voice fell, Yuko slowly drew a blood-soaked long sword from her palm.

She casually twirled it in a flourish, flicking off the bloodstains.

The silver blade, illuminated by the moonlight, emitted a sacred, radiant glow.

However, the slightly eerie aura emanating from the blade was a constant reminder to others that this was a Demon Blade.

This long sword was the same style as the Nichirin Blade Yuko had used before, with only slight differences in its features.

The most peculiar aspect was the blade itself; a pure white edge, almost flawless, without even a blade pattern, as immaculate as a mirror.

In terms of sheer hardness, the Demon Blade born from Yuko's flesh and blood far surpassed an ordinary iron blade.

Only a Nichirin Blade could sever it.

But for a Nichirin Blade to cut it, the wielder had to be strong enough to behead her.

Yuko slowly assumed her starting stance, a faint white mist escaping her lips. "Older Brother, please don't hold back. You can attack with your full strength."

Yoriichi was not using a Nichirin Blade, but a simple iron blade, which could not inflict actual damage on a demon.

Even if the opponent was Yoriichi, it wouldn't matter.

A clever cook can't make a meal without ingredients; even Yoriichi couldn't kill a demon with an iron blade.

Of course, a demon's regeneration wasn't truly infinite. Each regeneration consumed stamina and required feeding to replenish. If stamina was excessively depleted, the regeneration speed would slow down.

If a demon were to encounter Yoriichi wielding an ordinary katana, there would likely only be two outcomes.

One, being cut by Yoriichi until they doubted their entire existence, and then dawn would break.

Two, being cut by Yoriichi until they completely lost their regenerative abilities.

But regardless, wielding an iron blade, even Yoriichi couldn't inflict effective damage on her in a short amount of time.

Most importantly, an iron blade couldn't manifest a Scarlet Blade.

The reason a Nichirin Blade could form a Scarlet Blade through grip strength was due to the special materials it was made from: Scarlet Crimson Sand Iron and Scarlet Crimson Ore, grown on the highest mountains closest to the sun, absorbing ample sunlight and possessing the sun's energy.

The principle of a Scarlet Blade was to stimulate the sun's energy within the Nichirin Blade through grip strength.

Yoriichi understood this principle and nodded slightly.

"Then, I'm coming."

Yuko took a deep breath, the Clear World unfolding before her eyes.

"Snow Breathing: Seventh Form: Snow - A Thin Crack in the Sky!"

A white flash, impossibly fast, streaked past, like a slender silver thread drawn across the air, exquisitely beautiful.

Breathing in her lungs, muscles moving, observing his next move.

Yuko's gaze focused intently on Yoriichi's body.

In Yuko's opinion, the Clear World was the most valuable of the "three-piece set."

Even in other anime, abilities that could see through the human body were rarely subpar.

Knowing the gap between herself and Yoriichi, Yuko held nothing back, launching a full-power attack.

The snow-white blade lunged directly for Yoriichi's neck.

It was a habit ingrained from hunting demons; even after becoming a demon herself, facing a human opponent, she couldn't shake the instinct to aim for the head.

The white thread traced a beautiful arc through the air; this was Yoriichi's first experience of the ultimate Snow Breathing.

Ever since Yuko was injured, Snow Breathing had been practically lost to the world, as no one could learn it. Its difficulty was comparable to Sun Breathing.

Yoriichi had only glimpsed it occasionally when Yuko practiced in secret, but it couldn't compare to this moment.

A beautiful breathing technique, a beautiful sword form.

But it was far from just aesthetically pleasing; the sharp killing intent almost stung Yoriichi's skin.

Like a bone-chilling cold.

This was Snow Breathing.

The snow-white thread sliced past Yoriichi's neck, their blurry figures crossing paths.

After the strike.

Yuko stared in astonishment at the headless figure of herself, holding her Demon Blade.

Before her head could hit the ground, Yoriichi reached out, gently cupped it, and then softly placed it back onto her body.

The entire process looked somewhat eerie.

Yuko opened her mouth and said expressionlessly, "...That's a bit disheartening."

I knew I'd get beaten, but it still hurts when it actually happens.

Yoriichi: "..."

It was someone else who insisted on him teaching them.

Yoriichi said uncomfortably, "Are you alright?"

Although it wouldn't cause any substantial damage, the pain of decapitation was unavoidable.

If Yuko hadn't pleaded with him repeatedly, he wouldn't have been able to go through with it.

Yuko looked up at him and said dejectedly, "It was too fast. I didn't feel any pain at all."

Yoriichi smiled, "That's good then."

Yuko pouted.

It wasn't good at all.

She would have been happier if she could feel the pain, because it would mean the gap between them wasn't that large.

Not even realizing she was being beheaded only proved the dimensional gap between them.

Yoriichi: "Want to go again?"

Yuko took a deep breath, "Yes, I'm going to get serious this time."

Yoriichi nodded slightly, and they both returned to their original positions.

Yuko held her snow-white Demon Blade, her wine-red eyes closed, and let out a soft, long breath.

The next moment, she suddenly opened her eyes. Her dual pupils, with golden outlines and hints of deep darkness, appeared in her eyes. Slight, ferocious veins surfaced around her eyes, and a pair of demon horns resembling dragon horns sprouted from her head. Her jet-black fingernails also grew a bit longer.

Her originally wine-red hair visibly turned snow-white.

Seeing Yuko in this state, Yoriichi couldn't help but be lost in thought for a moment. He shared the same opinion as Yuko.

That she didn't look like one.

She didn't look like an ugly demon; rather, she resembled a deity.

The silvery moonlight slanted down through the branches of the dense forest, gently falling onto Yuko's snow-white hair, as if cloaking her in a light silver veil.

Her snow-colored long hair, coupled with the pair of demon horns resembling dragon horns on her head, would make anyone who passed by see her as anything but a demon.

Yuko quietly felt her body's condition. Strictly speaking, this was her first time fully demonizing. Earlier, at the inn, she was slightly distracted because she was worried someone might come in from outside.

In this state, her physical abilities after demonizing had improved significantly.

It was almost several times that of her human form, and she knew very well that this ability could still be improved. Since becoming a demon, she hadn't eaten anyone. If she were to eat humans...

Yuko quickly shook her head. Those damned Muzan cells were starting to influence her inner thoughts.