"Tap tap tap..."
Teiichi slowly took a few steps forward and stepped on the arm he had just severed.
With a sudden push to the side and back, the severed arm on the ground transformed into a black shadow, slicing through the air and finally landing with a "bang," kicking up a cloud of dust dozens of meters away.
This thwarted Doma's desire to retrieve the folding fan from his severed arm.
far away.
Under the moonlight, Doma stood quietly, his arm having been restored without anyone noticing.
He watched Teiichi's actions the whole time, a cold and eerie smile playing on his lips.
"I suddenly think it's better not to turn you into a ghost. Dying like this isn't such a bad option!"
Upon hearing Doma's words, Teiichi couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
What do you mean by "don't turn yourself into a ghost"?
Didn't I just reject him, saying I wouldn't become a ghost?
However, without giving Teiichi chance to ask questions, Doma switched the folding fan in his left hand to his right and launched an attack.
The brief exchange had already made him realize this.
The pillar in front of me is very strong!
He's stronger than any of the Pillars I've encountered since becoming a demon!!
It falls to the level where it poses a threat to oneself!!!
but!
If it only goes this far!
Even wanting to kill yourself isn't enough!
A sickly smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
" Blood Demon Art: Scattering Lotus Petals "
In Doma's hands, the folding fan transformed into a series of afterimages, each wave accompanied by a subtle crackling sound in the air.
In the air, an invisible force gathered into crystal-clear ice petals, which quickly condensed and then suddenly bloomed, transforming into a dazzling yet deadly ice rain that relentlessly swept towards Teiichi.
The battle began abruptly.
Gazing at the icy petals pouring down on him like a torrential rain, Teiichi deep breath.
The Breathing Style within his body surged, like a volcano about to erupt, with power coursing through his veins.
" Wind Breathing, Third Form - Clean Storm Wind Tree!"
Teiichi low shout, Nichirin Blade transformed into sharp Wind Blade, weaving an impenetrable defensive net around his body.
Each Wind Blade precisely sliced through the seemingly delicate yet deadly petals, radiating dazzling light before vanishing in an instant.
However, the power of " Scattering Lotus Petals " goes far beyond that.
As Doma fan, petals surged forth like a tide, wave after wave, as if to submerge the entire world in this cold beauty.
With the relentless onslaught of attacks, Teiichi had no choice but to keep swinging his Nichirin Blade.
This continued for some time.
Seeing that the onslaught of petals showed no sign of stopping, Teiichi a chill run down his spine, knowing he had to change his strategy.
Trying to outlast a ghost is not a wise choice, especially since I've already used up a lot of energy running all the way here.
He leaped suddenly, his body tracing a graceful arc in the air, attempting to evade the relentless barrage of petals and find an opportunity to retaliate.
But Doma clearly wouldn't give him that chance; the rain of petals followed him relentlessly.
Helpless, Teiichi could only keep moving around the battlefield, revolving around Doma.
The rain of petals, like a laser beam, relentlessly chased after Teiichi.
Along the way, several large trees were pierced by the petals and fell down.
Seeing that Doma's rain of flower petals seemed inexhaustible, Teiichi's brows furrowed involuntarily.
Is our only option to charge forward while enduring the attacks?
After thinking it over, Teiichi quickly stopped and turned to face Doma.
Doma's lips curled into a meaningful smile, as if he had everything under control.
The rain of petals rushed Teiichi.
"Suck--"
Gazing at the dense, overwhelming petals, Teiichi deep breath, gathering all his strength to its fullest extent at that moment.
" Wind Breathing!"
" First Form: Dust Whirlwind - Slash"
As soon as he finished speaking, Teiichi's figure shot towards Doma like an arrow released from a bow, carrying a world-destroying momentum.
At the same time, a massive tornado formed beneath his feet, spinning and roaring, engulfing everything around him, including the petals that tried to block him.
Clang!
A deafening roar echoed across the battlefield.
The Nichirin Blade and the folding fan clashed violently once again.
However, this time was different from the last. The Nichirin Blade no longer pressed down on the folding fan and continued to slash.
One Doma gripping the end of the fan tightly, while the other hand was supporting the fan's shoulder.
He used both hands to resist the Nichirin Blade that was desperately trying to fall.
The two forces reached their peak the moment their weapons clashed; muscles tensed, veins bulged, and facial expressions became distorted and ferocious due to the excessive force.
Looking at the face of the ghost hunter who was so close, Tong Mo squeezed out a smile on his ferocious face.
"Hey, do you have any other trump cards? With just this, you won't be able to kill me!"
Upon hearing Doma's words, Teiichi frowned slightly, but continued to exert force with his hands.
The brief exchange had already allowed Teiichi to assess his current strength.
He could keep up with Doma in both speed and strength.
The problem is that Doma's Blood Demon Art are mostly ranged.
Overall, I am still some distance from Doma in terms of strength, but not by much.
That makes sense, considering he's only been cultivating for five or six years.
There are still four years until the main story begins, when Tanjiro's family encounters a demon, and Tanjiro still has two years left to train.
There's no specific timeline after Tanjiro starts hunting demons, but it's been at least a year.
In the original story, the Stone Hashira trained for seven years and even after awakening his Demon Slayer Mark, it still took the Shinazugawa brothers and the Mist Hashira to defeat Kokushibo.
Therefore, it is not incomprehensible that one's own strength is at a disadvantage.
Moreover, for Demon Slayer, as long as their speed and strength can keep up with the demons, they have a chance to kill them!
Thinking of this, Teiichi increased the pressure on his Nichirin Blade, continuing to press downwards.
Having sensed the power continuously emanating from his Nichirin Blade and understood the strength of the Demon Slayer before him, Doma decided not to continue his struggle against the Demon Slayer.
His arm suddenly released its grip, and his figure retreated to the side.
The struggle abruptly ended, and the downward-pressing Nichirin Blade continued to fall due to the force still being applied upwards, causing Teiichi's body to bend down as well.
Teiichi reacted quickly, readjusting his posture before the Nichirin Blade hit the ground.
Calm, unassuming voices began to rang out from the side.
" Blood Demon Art: Frozen Lotus "
Doma his folding fan in his right hand.
Crystal-clear ice crystals, shaped like lotus flowers, quickly condensed and took shape in front of him.
It shot towards Teiichi chilling aura.
Teiichi turned around and saw this, Nichirin Blade high.
" Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind "
Four claw-shaped Wind Blade shot out as the Nichirin Blade descended.
The clicking sounds echoed incessantly.
The ice crystals shattered instantly upon impact with the Wind Blade, turning into countless tiny ice crystal fragments that slowly drifted down.
It formed a dazzling curtain of ice crystals.
However, this was only the beginning; behind this beautiful scene lurked a far more deadly crisis.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
A soft hissing sound was heard.
Several vines formed from ice crystals, like venomous snakes, pierced through the gaps in the ice crystal curtain and coiled around Teiichi at an astonishing speed.