Gyomei swung his axe, dragging the chain.
But the axe was only halfway there when Aoki's hand reached his neck.
At the last moment, a pink sword stabbed up from below.
Clang!
Aoki's hand blade was blocked, but he wasn't disappointed.
"Just as I thought!"
Gyomei was strong, the strongest of the Demon Slayers.
He was blind, but his other senses, including his intuition, were sharp. He had a mind's eye that could see through illusions and grasp the essence of things.
With the sound of his special weapon, he could accurately sense the space around him and his enemies' movements, unaffected by his blindness.
"Too bad you met me."
Aoki thought.
Space Traverse let him skip the middle steps and appear directly next to Gyomei.
His blindness was amplified.
No matter how skilled he was, the weight of his weapon limited Gyomei's attack speed.
Because of this, the strongest Demon Slayer was the least threatening and easiest to deal with.
If the Transparent World was Akaza's weakness, Space Traverse was Gyomei's.
Whoosh! The axe swept past, not even touching Aoki's clothes.
Kanae turned sharply.
"Miss Kanae's techniques are so gentle!"
Aoki's voice sounded in her ear. At the same time, her chest hurt, and she flew away.
Giyu, Sanemi, and Tengen arrived at the same time, surrounding Aoki.
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form, Piercing Rain Drop Fall!"
"Wind Breathing, Sixth Form, Black Wind Mountain Mist!"
"Sound Breathing, First Form, Roar!"
Boom!
Aoki vanished. The three swords hit nothing.
As his Intelligence increased, he controlled Space Traverse better. He was more precise with distances, and the "cooldown" was almost halved.
"That ability again!"
The Pillars looked grim.
They had heard Kanae's description and thought it would be troublesome. But it was ten times worse than they expected!
Light outlined Aoki's figure. He landed lightly, looking at the five.
Kanae and Gyomei stood back-to-back. Sanemi, Giyu, and Tengen guarded different areas.
"Are you waiting for me to attack?" Aoki asked.
The five Pillars frowned.
"First Form, Dust Whirlwind, Razor Slash."
Sanemi slashed his sword, and a spiral wind blade formed.
Tengen and Giyu attacked at the same time.
Kanae and Gyomei watched, ready to catch Aoki's "teleportation."
The Pillars weren't good at teamwork.
They were busy and had their own areas. They didn't have time to practice together.
But they were skilled fighters.
Even though they had never fought together, they quickly learned.
They even came up with a way to deal with Space Traverse.
Two groups would attack in turns, guarding each other.
That was the formation they were using now.
"Good idea, but did you forget something?"
Aoki was calm. The Transparent World clearly showed the three's muscle movements. He knew their techniques and actions.
Then, he moved.
Bang bang bang!
Sanemi, Giyu, and Tengen flew back, spitting blood. Their faces were pale.
Aoki had a few cuts, but they healed quickly. He looked at the three.
They were just basic Pillars. Did he need to dodge?
Sanemi, Giyu, Tengen, Kanae, and Gyomei all froze.
They had considered every possibility, but not that the three Pillars would lose.
One-on-one, two-on-one, three-on-one, five-on-one didn't work.
How could they fight?
Aoki didn't care what they thought. He flashed and appeared above Tengen, who was still falling.
Tengen's face changed. He drew his swords without hesitation.
But Aoki was faster. The first punch knocked away his weapons. The second hit his chest.
Thud!
Tengen crashed to the ground, spitting more blood.
Aoki used the recoil to jump back, then vanished again.
"Wind Breathing, Fifth Form, Cold Autumn Mountain Wind!"
Sanemi swung his sword blindly after seeing Tengen attacked.
"Too bad, it's useless!"
In the Transparent World, Aoki saw every movement. He appeared on the side, where the sword couldn't reach.
Thud!
Sanemi flew away, feeling like his back was broken.
"Tengen! Sanemi!"
Gyomei and Kanae attacked.
They had reacted when the three were hit.
But Aoki was too fast. In a blink, Tengen and Sanemi were hit again.
"Stone Breathing, Fifth Form, Stone Fortress Wheel!"
"Flower Breathing, Fourth Form, Crimson Hanagoromo!"
Aoki vanished again.
"Giyu, be careful!" Kanae shouted without looking.
But she was too late.
Giyu saw the figure appear in front of him as she spoke.
Bang bang bang!
He drew his sword, and they fought quickly.
Aoki was unharmed. Giyu took several punches, his face growing paler.
Then, the chain rattled, and a strong wind blew on his neck.
Aoki let go of the swaying Giyu and grabbed.
Whoosh!
His hand precisely avoided the axe and grabbed the chain.
Gyomei stopped, realizing the danger.
Aoki pulled hard.
The chain tightened, and Gyomei stumbled forward.
Even the strongest human body was weaker than Aoki's strength.
Kanae appeared beside him. "Flower Breathing, Fifth Form, Futile Peonies."
Her sword stabbed at Aoki from all directions, the pink blade swirling like a peony.
Aoki appeared above Gyomei.
Gyomei was too slow. It was too late to react.
Boom!
A fist hit his head. The huge body crashed down, blood flowing from his orifices.
---
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