Shinjuro was the first to lose patience and ask.
"Even you, Xia Xi... were no match for that guy?"
When he saw several of his colleagues giving him looks that said, "Isn't that obvious?"
Big Owl hurriedly added, "I mean, if it weren't a chance encounter, and you had time to prepare."
"Or once you've grown a little older and trained for a few more years."
"Would you still be unable to beat that Michikatsu Tsugikuni?"
As he saw it,
even back when Xia Xi had only mastered the Bright Red Nichirin Blade, he could already hold his own against Upper Rank Three.
Now he had mastered two Supreme Territories in succession and trained for so long.
Even if he might still be somewhat inferior to Upper Rank One,
the gap shouldn't have been worlds apart.
Xia Xi didn't try to save face.
He admitted readily, "That Upper Rank One is stronger than me. As I am now, I can't beat him even if I give it everything I have."
"Besides, he's someone from the Sengoku Period who's been training all the way up to the present."
"Even if I spend another few years buried in training, I'm afraid it'll still be hard to catch up with more than four hundred years of accumulated experience."
Of course, that was by ordinary reasoning.
But his talent and intelligence, as Kurumazuka Natsumi, had never been something ordinary reasoning could measure.
Beside him, Gyomei looked grave as he asked in a low voice,
"That Upper Rank One... really is the first-generation Demon Slayer Corps Swordsman you and Mr. Shinjuro mentioned before?"
Back when Xia Xi was still learning his craft in Broken Sword Village,
the Nine Hashira had heard that Xia Xi had discussed with the Flame Hashira the possibility that the first