The courtyard of the Wisteria House was quiet and elegant.
But that quiet was torn to pieces by a savage roar.
"Hey! You with the black hair! Get out here!"
Inosuke Hashibira stood in the middle of the courtyard, bare-chested, holding two saw-toothed Nichirin Blades.
Bandages still wrapped his body, but his wild fighting spirit burned more fiercely than ever before.
He could not accept it.
He could not accept the humiliation of being easily subdued at the dinner table with nothing but a pair of chopsticks.
That wasn't a fight! That was a sneak attack! He was toying with me!
He wanted a fair, head-on fight to the death!
The sliding paper door opened.
Tanjiro and Zenitsu rushed out.
"Inosuke! What are you doing? Sasuke isn't an enemy!"
Tanjiro tried to stop him.
"Don't, Inosuke! You'll die! He really will kill you!"
Zenitsu hid behind Tanjiro, his face white with fear and his voice on the verge of tears.
"Shut up! Weaklings can get out of my way!"
Inosuke refused to listen. His gaze locked onto the last figure to emerge slowly.
Uesugi Sasuke.
His expression remained indifferent, as though the boisterous boar-man before him were merely a patch of noisy air.
"What happened at the table doesn't count!"
Inosuke pointed his blade at Sasuke and roared.
"Now use that sword of yours! Fight me fair and square, and we'll see who wins!"
Sasuke's brow creased almost imperceptibly.
So loud.
He looked at Inosuke and finally spoke.
"Fine."
He uttered that single word.
"As long as you shut up when you lose."
"Ha! Like I'd ever lose!"
Inosuke laughed wildly, bending his knees slightly and dropping into his signature low, beastlike stance.
Sasuke did not draw the Wakizashi at his waist.
He simply picked up a wooden practice sword