In Xia Xi's view...
The third and fourth ranks had similar energy levels.
And the fourth rank's Blood Demon Art had an even more troublesome mechanism.
But in actual combat, the third rank felt far stronger.
Like the Demon Slayer Corps' swordsmen, he could use technique alone to achieve actual combat strength several times his energy level.
That alone...
Was enough to leave Hantengu far behind.
If the small fry Koyuki had a challenge rating of 10...
Igarashi and Shinjuro would have challenge ratings of roughly 30 and 45.
Akaza's challenge rating, meanwhile, could shoot straight up to 120.
As for Hantengu, who had been killed not long ago...
His challenge rating was probably less than 80.
Especially his weakened clones at the beginning-aside from being somewhat troublesome because of their enhanced immortality...
Any reasonably competent Hashira-level swordsman could basically take on all four alone.
Only the fused Zohakuten that appeared later had the strength expected of an Upper Rank.
But even then, that was all he amounted to.
If Shinjuro, who had mastered the Bright Red Nichirin Blade, had come instead...
Two Shinjuro would probably have been enough to kill him.
One would hold Zohakuten off.
The other would search for his true body.
With an enemy like Upper Rank Four, the real difficulty had never been how to defeat him.
As long as one's overall strength surpassed his, the threat of his immortality was not actually that great.
What really mattered was how to find his hidden true body.
Conversely, if a swordsman specialized in explosive power and fighting opponents above their level...
And ran into Hantengu without any information...
There was basically no possible outcome other than death.
For a while...
Everyone in the room listened intently.
Xia Xi's fluent account, interspersed with numerical descriptions...
Gave everyone