A few days after Kazetoriin arrived, the swordsmen who occasionally came to the Dojo on Tuesdays and Thursdays noticed something.
The Dawn Hashira often followed him into the mountain behind the Dojo.
They had no idea what the two were doing.
In any case, after a thunderous commotion that even those inside the Dojo could hear,
the two would return to the Dojo about an hour later, drenched in sweat and flushed.
Well, the one panting and dripping with sweat was the Feather Hashira.
The Dawn Hashira looked scarcely any less energetic than before he left.
As for Kazetoriin himself,
he finally experienced firsthand just how big and hard Xia Xi's fists were.
It was a world apart from the Nine Hashira ranking tournament back then.
Whether he used his regular combat techniques or the Ancient Martial Arts Flow skills he kept as his trump cards,
against Xia Xi, they were like clay oxen sinking into the sea.
They failed to stir even the slightest ripple.
It made him briefly wonder whether he was dreaming or hallucinating.
The basic forms.
[Third Form: Rainfall Spear], [Fifth Form: Cocooned Jade], [Sixth Form: Sky Moon]...
Each could kill a Lower Rank in a single strike.
Yet little Xia Xi only needed a slash or a punch.
He repeated the same one or two moves throughout, countering every technique Kazetoriin had.
Later, Kazetoriin got serious and unleashed the Kazetoriin Family Secret Technique.
The result barely changed.
His opponent merely increased the output of his Breathing Style a little.
Kazetoriin had worried about using too much power and hurting him, yet Xia Xi had not even used Total Concentration.
Still... Kazetoriin thought this was rather nice, too.
It had been a long time since he had fought with everything he had like this.
He did