Some trees on Mount Fujikasane were ignited by Shinjuro Rengoku's flame slash before, and with the night wind blowing in gusts on this summer night, the fire didn't stop and gradually spread.
Now, within dozens of meters around, there are many trees burning like torches, and the air is filled with scorching heat.
And in this kind of environment, Shinjuro Rengoku's breathing became even more powerful.
Air mixed with some sparks was inhaled into his lungs. Veins bulged on Shinjuro Rengoku's face, and his arm muscles thickened slightly. Total Concentration's boost to him reached its peak at this moment.
And among all Breathing Technique Sword Forms, there is a basic, simple, yet the most fierce and rapid slash.
Water Breathing's First Form is Surface Slash, Thunder Breathing's First Form is Thunderclap and Flash, and Flame Breathing's First Form, which Shinjuro Rengoku used at this time, is Shiranui.
The extremely violent slash was very fast, pulling streams of flame and even forming a fan-shaped afterimage.
Many of the Swordsmen around didn't clearly see Shinjuro Rengoku's movements before he had already charged beside Hongyue. Such explosive power could only be achieved by Flame Breathing and Thunder Breathing.
Hongyue didn't underestimate him. Flesh surged along the edge of her right forearm, and in the blink of an eye, it condensed into a translucent, verdant Crimson Blood Blade resembling a ruby.
Clang! Raising her arm horizontally, Hongyue struck after him but arrived first, blocking Shinjuro Rengoku's attack.
At the same time, she clenched her left hand into a fist. Her delicate, small fist, however, caused the air to explode, compressing the airflow, and she punched towards Shinjuro Rengoku's abdomen.
A tremendous sense of pressure came from his abdominal muscles. Shinjuro Rengoku had a feeling that being hit directly might result in a bloody hole that went straight through.
Shinjuro Rengoku dodged, avoiding the vital spot, but his lower right side was still hit.
Hiss. The intense pain made Shinjuro Rengoku frown repeatedly.
He kicked out, flames erupting from his toes with a bang, aiming for Hongyue's head. Hongyue raised her arm to block the attack, her body only trembling slightly, while Shinjuro Rengoku felt as if he had kicked a mountain as heavy as iron. Then, using the recoil, he retreated several meters.
Looking down, the clothing on his lower right side was completely shredded, revealing a gap in his flesh.
Shinjuro Rengoku sensed the gap in strength and couldn't help but sigh softly.
Facing Hongyue, he wasn't completely helpless; at the very least, he could keep up with her movements, but it was extremely difficult. Moreover, her attacks were hard for him to block, and every time they clashed, his body would sustain injuries.
In just two exchanges, Shinjuro Rengoku had sustained considerable wounds on one side of his chest and one side of his abdomen, while Hongyue was completely unharmed and still hadn't put in her full effort.
"If five people with strength comparable to mine could work together, supporting and cooperating with each other, we should be able to block her attacks and even cause her some damage."
"But it's just me..."
The situation was very bad, but Shinjuro Rengoku suddenly showed a carefree smile.
A Swordsman's best end is to die fighting a Demon. The Rengoku family has never feared death.
He glanced at the crystal-clear Crimson Blood Blade on Hongyue's forearm, seeing the cold glint reflected from its edge in the firelight. Shinjuro Rengoku had no doubt about its lethality.
On the blade of his Nichirin Blade, where it had come into contact with Hongyue's blood blade just now, a small crack had appeared.
Quite some time had passed, and Hongyue's patience was worn thin. She looked up at the moon and stopped wasting time.
Bang! A terrifying force was hidden within her seemingly delicate body. The ground cracked layer by layer, a two to three-meter deep pit appearing beneath Hongyue's feet, while she had transformed into a crimson streak, charging towards Shinjuro Rengoku.
Facing Hongyue's active attack, Shinjuro Rengoku's situation instantly became extremely dangerous and precarious. After the formal engagement, he was sustaining injuries every second.
Unlike Demons who can infinitely repair injuries, Shinjuro Rengoku could only barely stop the blood flow and temporarily maintain combat capability.
Behind Shinjuro Rengoku, the other Swordsmen came back to their senses. Seeing Shinjuro Rengoku in danger, they all felt their lips dry.
In the instincts of all living beings, facing an existence much stronger than oneself inevitably brings fear. When ordinary humans encounter wild beasts in the mountains and want to flee, some will despairingly find that they cannot move their legs at all. This is the predator's oppressive aura.
Only those with extremely resilient mental willpower can break free from this oppressive aura in such a situation. Even more so, they can transform fear into courage and fight desperately.
And nine out of ten Swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps have resilient mental willpower.
After the initial fear and struggle passed, many Swordsmen had completely broken free from Hongyue's oppressive aura. Although their hands gripping the blades were still trembling slightly, they had indeed mustered the courage to confront Hongyue.
The Swordsmen's breathing was no longer disordered. They activated their Breathing Techniques, all entering Total Concentration mode, and went to help Shinjuro Rengoku relieve the pressure.
A Swordsman whose Nichirin Blade glowed with golden lightning was the first to enter the fray.
Just as Hongyue reached out to press down on Shinjuro Rengoku's forehead, this Swordsman launched a swift Thunder Breathing slash from the side of Hongyue's body. A faint scent of burning could be vaguely heard in the air.
At the same level, Thunder Breathing slashes are slightly faster than Flame Breathing, but unfortunately, this Swordsman's strength was average. In Hongyue's eyes, his slash was in slow motion.
She flicked her right hand, deflecting the scorching Nichirin Blade, and continued to grab towards Shinjuro Rengoku. Hongyue didn't even turn her head. Her hair suddenly moved, sweeping past the Thunder Breathing Swordsman.
Crack! His muscles and bones snapped inch by inch. The Swordsman who had entered the fray was split in half and fell to the ground.
With a flick of her hair, the blood on it dripped to the ground. Hongyue stepped over his corpse without even blinking.
However, this tragic death did not deter the other Swordsmen. Swordsmen were accustomed to life and death and had long since come to terms with it. They simply carried the last wishes of their deceased comrades and continued to charge towards Hongyue.
On the other side, Shinjuro Rengoku turned his head to dodge the attack, but Hongyue twisted her wrist and slapped Shinjuro Rengoku's shoulder with a bang, sending him flying far away. One could see Shinjuro Rengoku's left shoulder collapse, his left hand dangling limply below.
Hongyue was about to pursue Shinjuro Rengoku and kill him when more Swordsmen rushed forward one after another. She found it bothersome and tore apart over a dozen approaching Swordsmen in just a few breaths.
With her attack power, only the Pillar level could barely withstand her. Everyone else would shatter upon contact, as fragile as paper soaked in water.
His flying body crashed into a tree, shaking down a large number of leaves. Shinjuro Rengoku gritted his teeth and roared at the remaining Swordsmen, "What are you still coming over for! Are you coming to die?"
"Leave Mount Fujikasane quickly and deliver the message to headquarters. This is an order!"
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