"Flame Breathing: Flaming Tiger!"
"Fire God Kagura: Solar Halo Dragon!"
A blazing tiger collided head-on with a spiraling dragon of fire. Yet this time, the flames didn't explode—they intertwined, merged, and finally dispersed like water rippling into the air, splashing across the scorched training ground.
The earth beneath Chika and Rengoku Kyojuro's feet was so hot it could have fried an egg on contact. If someone had one, it would've sizzled with a "tsssshh!" the instant it touched the ground.
Both fighters were drenched in sweat, breathing heavily amid the rising heat—especially Chika.
Her unique physique traded stamina for extraordinary power, and the Fire God Kagura consumed far more energy than any ordinary Breathing Style. After such an intense exchange, she had reached her limit.
Rengoku wasn't much better off. His wrists, which had trembled before, now screamed with strain; his entire body ached from the shock of each impact.
Her strength keeps increasing…!
Every time he met her blade, he had to exert an almost inhuman level of force just to withstand it. His muscles were screaming, but his spirit burned brighter.
Neither of them knew how many blows they had exchanged—their swords had been moving too fast to count. Every strike carried enough power to kill a high-ranked demon—perhaps even a Lower Moon.
Rengoku's breath came rough and ragged. As he noticed that Chika hadn't immediately attacked again, something caught his attention.
He looked down at the sword gripped in his hand.
The crimson-streaked Nichirin Blade had turned entirely red.
Even without generating flames, the blade looked alive, as though it were burning on its own. And the aura—the searing, oppressive heat that demons instinctively feared—had multiplied severalfold.
"This is…"
The Red Blade!
Rengoku's eyes widened in awe.
And on Chika's side—her sword too had changed. Though not completely red, streaks of black interwove with the scarlet glow, just like the blade once wielded by Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
She could feel it—the searing life pulsing within the blade, the raw power that could terrify even a demon lord. A bright grin spread across her face.
"One of the Three Great Blessings… the Red Blade—finally, it's mine!"
The greatest difference between demons and humans—what was it?
Blood Demon Arts? No.
Demon Slayers had their own techniques that rivaled those.
Physical strength? Not really.
With Total Concentration Breathing, the difference in body durability was minimal.
The true difference was regeneration.
When a human's limbs were severed, there was no returning from it—certainly not within battle. Even with reattachment, they would never fight again at full strength.
But a demon? Slice off its arm, and within seconds it would sprout anew.
In Rengoku's own battle against Upper Moon Three, that regenerative ability had been the greatest obstacle of all.
Yet under the blaze of the Red Blade, that ability was nullified.
A single cut would make regeneration impossible—and the pain it inflicted went far beyond the physical.
As Chika and Rengoku finally ceased their clash, a commotion spread across the training grounds. The other Hashira, drawn by the immense energy, arrived one after another—and froze when they saw the glowing blades.
"Rengoku-sensei! Chika! What happened to your swords?!"
Kanroji Mitsuri clasped her face with both hands, her eyes sparkling with shock and awe.
Kocho Shinobu tilted her head curiously.
Tomioka Giyu remained silent, watching.
Iguro Obanai's pupils narrowed.
Himejima Gyomei quietly turned his prayer beads.
Shinazugawa Sanemi strode forward, stopping beside Rengoku.
"Rengoku, we need to report this to Oyakata-sama immediately."
Rengoku nodded solemnly. "Agreed. This change will shape the very future of the Corps."
All around, the Hashira nodded in silent understanding.
Chika, however, was still lost in exhilaration—her eyes sparkling, her grin verging on devilish.
"Red Blade… Red Blade! Finally! Now when I fight Upper Moon Three, it's my turn to have the advantage. You like using your fists, huh? Let's see you take a hit from this!"
Her laughter turned dark, her expression gleefully wicked.
The others stared at her, bewildered.
Tanjiro gave an awkward smile, waving his hands. "Don't mind her—she does that sometimes. It's… normal."
The Hashira exchanged looks that said, Are you sure that's normal?
Sanemi twitched an eyebrow, glaring at the still-grinning Chika.
"What are you standing there for? You're coming too!" he barked.
Snapping out of her giddy trance, Chika straightened her back. "Right, right!"
Though she didn't hold a Hashira title, her strength placed her on equal footing—and since both she and Rengoku had awakened the Red Blade together, she had every reason to attend.
This was part of her plan all along.
The duel hadn't just been about testing her limits. She wanted to prove that the Red Blade could be awakened intentionally—to spread the concept throughout the Corps.
In the original history, the Hashira had only awakened their Red Blades in desperate battles, their lives on the line.
But if they could master it now, before the war truly began—
They could turn the tide.
Imagine it: a demon charges, confident in its immortality. A Slayer grips their sword tighter—igniting the Red Blade by sheer will. One strike, and the demon's body stops healing.
The demon hesitates.
The Slayer doesn't.
Another strike.
Pain—real, searing, unforgettable pain—flashes across the creature's face.
Body and mind, cut together.
A dual destruction.
After a brief exchange of words, the group hurried toward the Master's mansion.
Upon hearing the report, Kagaya Ubuyashiki's expression stiffened, then brightened with excitement. He immediately summoned all the Hashira inside.
Thus, an emergency Hashira meeting began—
its topic:
the awakening of the Red Blade.