Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

As the storm subsided, Asuka reappeared in the same spot, still wielding her twin swords with a slight downward thrust.

As he slowly slowed his breathing, the gray-black aura surrounding him began to dissipate and merge into the air.

"Yuhua!"

Asuka spoke coldly, her tone urgent, "Take good care of the injured!"

"Yes...yes!" Yuka, who was standing at the shop entrance, had not yet recovered from the shock of killing the three demons in an instant. She hurriedly accepted Asuka's order.

"Then where are you going?"

Together with two slightly calmer workers, she began to care for the seriously injured and unconscious Shiba, along with the choked-up Harada. She anxiously and loudly inquired about Asuka's hurried departure.

Asuka did not answer; his entire focus was on sensing spiritual pressure!

Following the direction in which the dark red energy fled, he sped through the streets and crowds, not caring if he knocked people over or was seen walking down the street with a samurai sword.

For some reason, he felt very irritable.

The more you track it, the more pronounced the chill in the air becomes.

He knew the source was near.

As he followed the scent through a tranquil pine forest—

A solemn and enormous shrine suddenly appeared before our eyes.

The black-lacquered palace reflected a dim light under the bright moon, adorned with golden ornaments, making it solemn and magnificent.

The massive torii gate at the main entrance stands tall, like a gateway to another world.

Osaki Hachiman Shrine, the religious center of Sendai residents.

Chapter 28 Lower Moon Two

"Complete Collection: Breath of the Wind..."

Asuka didn't want to waste any more words. She let her breathing technique surge through her body, making her blood hot and scalding, and concentrated all her attention on the twin swords in her hands.

He could already sense the intense ghostly aura emanating from here, even more ferocious and terrifying than the Red Swamp he had encountered before.

With a shake of her twin swords, Asuka resolutely stepped into the shrine's gate.

However, contrary to his expectations, he did not spend too much time looking for a target.

Because the evil spirit dressed in a dark-patterned kimono was sitting openly in the center of the courtyard.

"Oh, you're here."

The area in front of the shrine's main hall was already a mess.

Blood meandered and flowed, soaking the ancient stone bricks in the courtyard, and the air was filled with the lingering warmth of despair.

At the demon's feet lay several mangled human bodies, one of whom appeared to have been recently disemboweled, his abdomen empty and his internal organs missing.

Gazing at the menacing bird, the demon's eyes flickered, revealing the numbers within.

The second string, the windlass.

Very strong.

Asuka instantly felt the pressure emanating from the other party, and tightened her grip on the long sword.

The air around him seemed to stagnate, becoming thick and viscous.

Lu Lu watched the bird fly without saying a word, and paused in its chewing motion.

He casually tossed the arm he was still holding, which he hadn't finished using, into the pool of blood, and then stuck out his long, scarlet tongue to lick his fingers, which were covered in blood and bits of flesh, with lingering satisfaction.

"I thought it was a pillar at first, I was terrified, but it wasn't..."

"...Slice it off!!"

Before Lu Lu could finish speaking, the bird had already transformed into a streak of emerald green that tore through the air!

With both swords drawn simultaneously, the cyan wind blades whistled and spun, tearing apart even the dense ghostly energy!

however.

"Children should not interrupt adults when they are speaking!"

Faced with this strike that was powerful enough to tear an ordinary evil spirit to shreds, Lu Lu raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat dissatisfied.

In the instant the bird attacked, his figure blurred eerily, like smoke scattered by the wind.

Then, the rock-splitting strike actually pierced through his figure and slammed heavily into the vermilion-painted shrine pillar behind him, instantly sending wood chips flying!

"Your sword stance is too straightforward, kid." Lulu's voice rang out almost right next to Asuka's ear, tinged with mockery.

His bloodied hand slammed into the bird's back with lightning speed, carrying a sinister sense of oppression.

Asuka immediately twisted her body to protect herself, holding her Nichirin Blade in front of her chest!

Clang!

The grotesque ghost hand struck the bird's blade, producing a deafening clang of metal clashing against metal!

Asuka felt an unbearable force coming from his arms. He had no choice but to use the force to deflect it, avoiding a direct confrontation with the wheel, and once again used the Breath of Wind to try to fight back!

With a backward leap, Lu Lu did not intercept Fei Niao's sword move, but landed lightly at the starting position where Fei Niao had just launched her charge.

"Wind? Ah...you're that person from back then..."

Lulu seemed to remember something and looked at the bird with amusement.

"That woman with the high ponytail, what was her name again... Rinne? I can't remember... Swordplay, like you, is your master?"

"What a stupid woman! She almost killed me, but she exposed her weakness while trying to save someone... She deserved to be killed!"

The teacher's daughter?!

This guy did it?!

Asuka's breathing became heavy, and a murderous intent slowly rose in her eyes.

"Speaking of which, you wind swordsmen are really annoying... Senior [Guhuoniao] was killed by a group of wind swordsmen, right? Although you killed them, couldn't you...?"

"Shut up!!"

This was the first time the bird's emotions had fluctuated so strongly.

He felt his body trembling, blood rushing uncontrollably to his brain, and the veins on his forehead throbbing!

During his two years at the Hayama Training Center, he changed a lot. Most importantly, he experienced for the first time what it meant to have "family" and "friends".

Images flashed through his mind of Arashizaki Teshin, who would often stare blankly at the empty room, his eyes filled with reminiscence, and Rika's silent tears at the graves of Kamino Masachika and Arashizaki Suzune.

Teacher, Rika, Kenichi, Shinsuke... and the people they cherish, Asuka will care about them just the same.

And now, the ghost on the other side is insulting his family.

"Don't you dare say their names with your filthy mouth again!"

"Wind Breathing - Eighth Form - First Fierce Wind Slash!"

The colorless Nichirin Blade in Asuka's hand trembled and turned blackish-red under his extreme rage!

He shot out again, his blade unleashing a furious strike, determined to utterly shatter the demon!

The rapidly spinning cross-shaped wind blades emitted a terrifying shriek that crushed the air, slicing through the ground and devouring the ghostly figure in the center of the courtyard!

The hard stone bricks crumbled inch by inch, and the sheer force of the attack surprised even the opposing wheel.

"This kid... there's something wrong with him..."

Lulu has survived from the end of the Tokugawa shogunate to the present day, not because of any great military strength or extraordinary intelligence.

It all comes down to four words: being cautious and meticulous.

He clearly deduced from the feedback generated after the Blood Demon Art was destroyed that the person opposite him was definitely not a Pillar-level swordsman.

Such a powerful swordsman, who is still under control, would be most nutritious to eat; otherwise, he would have run away long ago!

However, at this moment, the strongest sword aura that Asuka unleashed was imbued with his killing intent and rage, and at least from this strike, it still posed a certain threat to him.

Boom!

Two devastating wind blades slammed into the spot where Lulu stood, shattering the floor tiles and dust, which exploded violently, shaking the entire main hall of the shrine!

However, the lulu itself was not harmed in any way, or rather, it was neutralized by him.

His figure, like the faceless ghosts he conjured, suddenly became blurred and distorted, then vanished from the spot—like a wisp of smoke scattered by a gale.

A moment later, Lu Lu reappeared with a solemn expression, but this time he was several body lengths away from the bird.

"Blood Demon Technique - Mirage Tower... Kid, you're pretty good. Can you just let me go like this?"

He had already received part of his reward, so there was no need for him to go head-to-head with this clueless brat.

I am the second lower moon, so the other side should back down, right?

If we're all okay, wouldn't it be better if we all survived? If we run into each other again, we can always talk about it if things really don't work out.

However, the luan's "good intentions" landed in the bird's ears and became a spark that ignited the pyre.

"Walk?"

Asuka flicked her still-humming Nichirin Blade, her gaze fixed on the wheel's yellow pupils.

He gripped the Nichirin Blade even tighter, his knuckles turning slightly pale.

"The Demon Slayer Corps' order: to exterminate the evil spirits of the Sendai region, is that you?"

"With the hatred from Yeshan, you can't leave."

Lulu's fake smile froze for a moment. She patted her dust-covered, dark-patterned kimono and looked at Asuka with some confusion:

"Young man, don't be so stubborn. We're both working for the adults, why should we fight to the death?"

"The law of the jungle prevails, it's only natural... Those workers, or that female swordsman you care about, died because they weren't strong enough, unlike you and me."

"I can see you're a promising young man! Take a good look at me, I'm a Lower Moon! It's not worth it to fight to the death!"

"How about we part ways here? You can go back and say you defeated the Lower Moon! As for me... I'll go somewhere else to enjoy myself. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

Although these extremely shameless remarks did not move Asuka.

However, after two encounters, he realized how big the gap was between his strength and that of his opponent. Even if his opponent stood there and let him attack, his Breath of Wind could not hit that strange phantom body.

"Blood Demon Art, is that it...?"

Asuka murmured, the Nichirin Blade in her hand gradually fading in color, and she sheathed it.

Lu Lu saw this as a sign of compromise, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, already thinking about which city to go to next.

But the next second, Lu Lu's face froze.

Because the kid on the other side had a different aura.

It's even more dangerous than before!

The tattered longsword in his hand was emitting a terrifying buzzing sound!

Chapter 29 Initial Release: The Raccoon's Deception

Since that day, when the flying bird was accidentally freed, the bird has never tried to fully unleash that power again.

Firstly, because I have been training in Hayama for the past two years, I haven't had a suitable opportunity to use it. At most, I have only studied some special sword moves that utilize the sword, such as the thrusting technique [Tooth Thrust].

Furthermore, he intentionally avoids using this power.

湸颍置緮仄堑丁俊�

It is crafted from souls by artisans in the Soul Society, and can connect with the user's mind and draw out the user's true power.

By knowing the true name of the Zanpakuto, the user can unleash their own unique abilities, making it a one-of-a-kind weapon.

Asuka vaguely remembered the Fiery Blade, but he knew very well that as a homeless child from Rukongai, it was impossible for him to own a Fiery Blade of his own.

Without a doubt, the man named Aizen who had given him this weapon was a test subject who, like him, had been exiled.

With this in mind, Asuka felt somewhat resistant to Zanpakuto and would generally avoid using it unless absolutely necessary, except in critical situations.

But that won't work now. The demon on the other side is too strong, so strong that my Wind Breathing technique can't defeat it.

While Lulu was still chattering on and on, his mind slowly sank into the spiritual world, searching aimlessly and anxiously for the true self deep within his soul...

As her consciousness sank, as if falling into a bottomless abyss, the bird opened its eyes again and felt a chill run down its spine.