Originally, there were over thirty swordsmen on Mount Fujikasane, but now only a little over ten remain. The gap was too large; they didn't have the means to participate in the battle and were completely unable to help.
Not wanting to see the swordsmen die in vain, Shinjuro Rengoku, as a Pillar, issued a command.
The other swordsmen, hearing the order, first looked at each other in dismay. Then, seeing Shinjuro Rengoku's extremely serious expression, they hardened their hearts and turned to flee. They had also witnessed Hongyue kill those swordsmen in the blink of an eye and understood Shinjuro Rengoku's painstaking efforts. Hesitating further would only cause more trouble.
Hongyue didn't concern herself with the fleeing swordsmen; they were insignificant in her eyes. Only Shinjuro Rengoku was her target.
Looking at Shinjuro Rengoku, who was covered in wounds but whose eyes still shone brightly without flinching, Hongyue's eyes were filled with admiration. She had always admired swordsmen who would rather die than surrender.
However, suddenly, a thunderous heartbeat pounded in Shinjuro Rengoku's chest. Under the full exertion of his Breathing Technique, he suddenly found his heart rate and blood flow rapidly increasing, and his physical strength was climbing steadily.
Strange patterns crawled up his cheeks.
Across from him, Hongyue saw the changes in Shinjuro Rengoku and couldn't help but frown slightly. She recalled Kurozawa's Demon Slayer Mark and the unique properties it could transmit.
As long as one Marked Swordsman appears, those who have come into contact with them have a high probability of awakening the Demon Slayer Mark in battle... Could you be the source of the Demon Slayer Mark? Kurozawa's brilliant smile, like the sun, appeared in Hongyue's mind.
She had seen Kurozawa awaken the Demon Slayer Mark and vaguely felt that Kurozawa was the source of the anomaly.
"Four hundred years..." Not knowing what she had thought of, Hongyue suddenly murmured, a look of remembrance flashing in her eyes. Then, she looked at Shinjuro Rengoku, whose heart was pumping like a piston and whose aura had climbed to its peak.
Feeling the surging power within him, Shinjuro Rengoku's entire body's pain seemed to vanish after activating the Demon Slayer Mark. He slowly straightened up, a hearty smile on his face.
"So this is the power of the Demon Slayer Mark. No wonder the Marked Swordsmen of the past could easily sweep away Demons."
"I think it's only now that I'm qualified to fight you."
Crack, crack, crack. His internal bones popped, and many broken ribs were temporarily forced back together. Shinjuro Rengoku's fighting strength was not significantly affected by his injuries.
Swordsmen proficient in Breathing Techniques could do many things ordinary people could not. While not omnipotent, they had indeed surpassed the understanding of regular humans.
Staring intently at Hongyue, Shinjuro Rengoku's entire fighting spirit was locked onto her.
He understood that he only had one chance to strike. With Hongyue's reaction speed, she wouldn't give him a second opportunity.
The Demon Slayer Mark was unstable. The heart rate and blood flow, accelerated to over ten times faster, constantly increased the burden on his body, making his already severe injuries even worse.
But the powerful fighting strength gained at this cost gave Shinjuro Rengoku a glimmer of hope for one last desperate gamble.
"You still haven't gone all out. I hope you can take this fight seriously, otherwise, you might die."
Pulling at the corner of his mouth, Shinjuro Rengoku spoke very seriously.
He knew his current state was a significant improvement but still couldn't compare to Hongyue. However, having seen the Demon King, not experiencing her true power felt like a regret in his heart. Shinjuro Rengoku hoped Hongyue would go all out just once.
"I always maintain respect for the strong. It seems you desire an all-out battle."
"Very well, I will let you die with a smile," Hongyue said indifferently. Under the moonlight, she was stunningly cold and beautiful. Just standing there, she stole the color from the surrounding world.
On the other side, a flame-like aura emerged, flowing into Shinjuro Rengoku's lungs with his breathing. Scattered sparks of fire, like mist, began to swirl around him at some point.
At this moment, the soaring fighting spirit emanating from Shinjuro Rengoku was almost substantial.
*Boom!* Shinjuro Rengoku suddenly stepped forward, both feet simultaneously shattering the ground and sinking into it.
His body lowered, bending at the waist inch by inch. His hands were pressed against his right shoulder, tightly gripping the Nichirin Blade extended towards the sky.
Flame Breathing Secret Technique!
*Flame Breathing, Ninth Form: Rengoku!* With a roar, the ground cracked layer by layer, huge fissures spreading beneath Shinjuro Rengoku's feet. It seemed as though endless flames enveloped him, burning fiercely from his heart and then surging into his limbs.
Violent flames propelled Shinjuro Rengoku forward, arriving in front of Hongyue as if teleporting. Instantly, a colossal pillar of fire formed, connecting his original position and Hongyue's location, completely illuminating Mount Fujikasane in the dark night.
With the final step, circles of fire rose from the ground, enveloping both Hongyue and Shinjuro Rengoku. The surrounding trees suddenly ignited on their own.
The limit of Sword Form, a domain-like Secret Technique, possessed unimaginable power. In this battlefield filled with a fiery inferno, it was Shinjuro Rengoku's ultimate Secret Technique.
In the endless flames, Shinjuro Rengoku, holding his Nichirin Blade in a defensive posture, instantly unleashed thousands of sharp attacks.
A continuous rumbling sounded. A giant fiery tornado, over ten meters thick, appeared from the ground, soaring into the sky. Within the domain created by this fiery tornado, Rengoku's fighting strength reached its peak.
The flames acted as a barrier, obscuring vision. No one could see the actual battle, only vaguely two constantly colliding red lights and fire shadows, accompanied by the continuous sound of metal clashing.
A minute later, with a crisp thud, as if time had stood still, the sound of the flames burning suddenly stopped, then abruptly extinguished, instantly vanishing.
The towering fiery tornado also dissipated.
Smoke filled the air, and the ground was black like scorched earth. Hongyue emitted faint wisps of heat, her appearance greatly changed.
Her shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees, ankles, and other joints each had a crystal-clear and exceptionally sharp blood blade. Not only that, a magnificent and terrifying armor, appearing to be crafted from rubies, covered her entire body, even her face was hidden by a faceplate.
If Kurozawa were here, he would find the aura of the armor on Hongyue's body very familiar.
And where her right arm should have been, it was now empty.
*Crack!* The faceplate rippled and vanished, revealing Hongyue's face.
Clad in armor, she exuded a formidable presence, oppressively suffocating.
Glancing at her severed right arm, Hongyue acknowledged Shinjuro Rengoku's strength: "To be able to wound my Demon God Body, you are very good. The last one who wounded me was that fellow Muzan Kibutsuji."
In the blink of an eye, the severed limb instantly regenerated. To Hongyue, this injury was no different from a scrape.
Across from Hongyue, Shinjuro Rengoku leaned on his Nichirin Blade with both hands, the blade stuck in the ground.
His heart area was deeply caved in, a fatal injury.
"What?"
Hongyue's words caused Shinjuro Rengoku to pause slightly. "You're not the Demon King?"
In front of the dying Shinjuro Rengoku, Hongyue had no intention of hiding anything.
"No, I am."
"Four hundred years ago, he was severely wounded by your Marked Swordsmen. I killed him and was reborn in his body."
"Everything he had now belongs to me – his memories, his grudges, his destiny, everything. However, I have seen the future, and I will not fail."
"The endless cycle of reincarnation in this world will be ended by me."
After speaking, Hongyue glanced in a certain direction, then moved her body and left.
With wide eyes, Shinjuro Rengoku murmured, "It seems like something incredible, but unfortunately, I couldn't understand..."
His voice grew fainter and fainter, eventually disappearing completely.
The flames ignited on Mount Fujikasane became more and more intense. Shinjuro Rengoku stood within the flames, and along with the Wisteria Flowers covering the mountain, he gradually turned into scattered sparks, merging into the heavens and the earth.
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