Su Chen glanced at his broken Nichirin Sword again. He was incredibly frustrated. Damn it! He had to admit, the Nichirin Swords forged by Haganezuka were just too easy to break. Su Chen knew his use of the blade was absolutely correct. This could only be the swordsmith's fault! No wonder Tanjiro's blade kept breaking. It's all because of you, Haganezuka. Next time, no matter what, Su Chen would forge one himself.
Su Chen gripped the hilt of his broken sword. The pressure was immense. He was holding a broken blade against a "low-health" Shinazugawa. His chances of winning were very slim.
"What's wrong? Can't smile now?" Shinazugawa taunted. Blood flowed down his cheek, making his scarred face look even more ferocious and terrifying. At this moment, Shinazugawa's heart was filled with pure excitement. It had been a long time since he had a fight with this much intensity. At first, he was worried Su Chen wouldn't be able to handle his frequent, storm-like attacks. Now, that seemed unnecessary. His opponent's resolve and ability were probably no weaker than his own.
This meant he could finally use his full strength.
"Hahaha!" Shinazugawa laughed wildly. He raised his left arm, the bulging veins clearly visible. The Wind Hashira gripped his Nichirin Sword, and the dragon-like muscles on his arm rapidly swelled. Shinazugawa's face was filled with excitement.
If his feeling was right, Su Chen was already injured by his sword's wind pressure. Now, if Su Chen took just one more hit, Shinazugawa was confident he could knock him right out of the arena. Shinazugawa shook his head, gathering strength in his legs. "Su Chen, you are strong," he said, "but unfortunately, this match is over!"
"Is that so?"
Su Chen's expression was unusually calm. He spoke in a steady voice. At the same time, he tightened his grip on the broken blade. He took a stance, ready to attack.
Below the stage, the crowd was worried. "What a pity. Su Chen's Nichirin Sword is broken. If he still had his sword, Su Chen might have a chance. But now... the chances are very slim." "I know, right? But pushing the Wind Hashira this far is enough to show his talent. If Su Chen really becomes a Hashira, I honestly have no objections." "It seems the Demon Slayer Corps will have another genius, just like Lord Tokito!" "Something's not right! Everyone, look! The Wind Hashira is already preparing his technique! Why isn't Su Chen surrendering? Does he still want to fight?" "Oh my god! Is he crazy?!"
At the Hashira gathering point, all the Hashira had worried expressions. Even the usually unconcerned Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka, fixed his gaze on Su Chen.
As Hashira, they all remained silent. They understood. For a Hashira , the responsibility on their shoulders was much heavier than that of ordinary Demon Slayers. This kind of life-risking fighting style was normal for them.
So now, seeing Su Chen refuse to give up, their first thought wasn't why he was being stubborn. Their first thought was: Does Su Chen have some kind of trump card?
Logically, Su Chen didn't seem like a reckless person. Did he think of a way to counter Shinazugawa? Giyu Tomioka blinked slowly. So familiar. This feeling was incredibly familiar. Su Chen's fighting spirit reminded him of another young man... one with a scar on his forehead and reddish-brown hair. Their backs looked so similar. Gentle, sunny, and strong. Perhaps this person named Su Chen was truly different from the others. Giyu lowered his head, a small flicker of light in his eyes. "Su Chen... don't die."
At the Master's residence, Lady Amane spoke. "Kagaya, should I stop the match? Su Chen's sword is broken. He probably can't participate in any more matches. Shinazugawa still seems to be in good condition." Kagaya Ubuyashiki kept his eyes closed. "No need. Su Chen will have his own solution." Lady Amane looked puzzled. "Oh? Kagaya, you really think that highly of him." "It's different." Kagaya Ubuyashiki smiled faintly. "Because I smell the scent of wisteria."
...On the stage, Su Chen remained silent, facing the disapproval from the crowd. The white-clad young man gripped his broken sword tightly. Across from him, Shinazugawa also took his stance.
"You're not surrendering, Su Chen?" Shinazugawa gave a final warning. "I have to say, this isn't a game. If I lose control for even a moment, you might never be able to stand up again."
Su Chen narrowed his eyes slightly and said just one word: "Come!"
"Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
The Wind Hashira's blade came down. The rolling whirlwind once again filled the stage. It was an attack combined with movement, a typical skill for Shinazugawa. This attack was powerfully charged. The range of the surging wind was more than double what it was before. Shinazugawa saw Su Chen's current weakness, and he did not hold back. In fact, he spent more time preparing his Breathing Style. This scene made the audience below gasp.
Boom!
The attack was like a dragon. Shinazugawa and the raging wind charged straight for Su Chen! But... this time, the attack stopped suddenly when it was only halfway there.
"What's going on?!"
The wind from his technique instantly vanished. He froze in place. A strange numbing sensation was spreading through his body, making his limbs hard to control. Shinazugawa's eyes widened. This feeling was very familiar. He felt the exact same thing when he was defeated by Kocho Shinobu at the Butterfly Mansion. Poisoned? That was Shinazugawa's first thought, but he quickly dismissed it. Su Chen's last attack was all flames. How could he have used poison inside the fire? Unless... Shinazugawa suddenly looked up, just in time to see Su Chen's faint smile. "How is it, Shinazugawa? Can you still move?" Su Chen still had that calm and collected expression. It was as if all of this was part of his plan. This terrifying sense of control made Shinazugawa feel a spark of fear for the first time. The Wind Hashira widened his eyes. "What did you do?!" At this point, the numbing sensation had spread to his eyes, which made him very uncomfortable. Shinazugawa was forced to look at Su Chen with one eye wide open and the other one narrowed.
Su Chen didn't answer him right away. Instead, he observed Shinazugawa's condition and nodded slightly. "It seems the effect is good so far. The paralyzing toxin has frozen half of your body. You should only be able to move one side now, right?" Shinazugawa frowned deeply. "Could it be... you brat, did you poison your blade like Kocho? And aren't you a swordsman who uses Insect Breathing , Flower Breathing , and Flame Breathing? Besides, I'm already immune to the paralyzing poison from Insect Breathing!"
The confusion in Shinazugawa's heart was almost overflowing. He had never been this confused in his life. Why did Su Chen make him feel numb? And when did he even set the trap? The next moment, Su Chen finally answered his question. He smiled faintly. "Who said I only know three Breathing Styles? I made very thorough preparations to deal with you." Shinazugawa's pupils shrank. Su Chen continued, "This Breathing Style is one I learned at the very beginning, but I just haven't used it yet. It has the same poisonous ability as Insect Breathing, and it also uses the other advantages I'm skilled in. I call it... Breath of the Bee."