Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

"Mr. Rengoku!" Tanjiro rushed over to check on him, but thankfully he only looked tired and was not injured.

Asuka cleaved a deformed chair in two, dragged the middle-aged man trapped inside out, and then walked up to Hell:

"I'm sorry, I lost my composure."

"No need to blame yourself! Asuka boy!" Hell's voice was still loud. He rubbed his slightly sore upper arm: "You did a good job slaying the demon! The demon had already become one with the train, which was an unavoidable situation!"

However, at the very end, the usually cheerful Flame Pillar paused for a moment:

"However! Your emotions were indeed a bit chaotic just now! You can't let your emotions control you in battle! Otherwise, it will seriously affect your judgment! Do you understand!"

"....I see."

"Oh no! Quick, save them!"

Several Demon Slayer Corps members immediately sprang into action, including Zenitsu, who had just been jolted awake by the violent tremors: "Huh? Why did the car overturn? Was there a battle?"

Next, Tanjiro began to drag the unconscious passengers out from under the twisted iron plates with his bare hands, while Zenitsu flew past carrying a woman and a child. Inosuke let out a terrifying roar and used all his strength to lift the carriage, allowing Nezuko to pull the passengers trapped inside out.

As they rescued people, Asuka and Purgatory discussed what had just happened.

“Mr. Purgatory, after this mission is over, I want to learn the Breath of Flame.” Asuka and Purgatory lifted an old woman together, their voices resolute.

Kyojuro Rengoku wasn't surprised; he had already agreed to let Asuka borrow the book on Flame Breathing. But he still asked, "Do you mean more than just borrowing it for reference, but want to learn it systematically?"

"nice."

"...Asuka boy! I want to know what kind of dream you had? Why does your aura seem to have changed?" Rengoku Kyojuro carefully put down the old woman, his eyes fixed intently on Asuka's pupils: "And your slash just now, that wasn't Wind Breathing, was it?"

"...It's nothing, I'm just a little grumpy when I wake up," Asuka said casually.

He spread his five fingers, looking intently into his palm: "Wind Breathing... is not enough... I need to become stronger!"

"No matter how tiring or difficult it is, or how much I have to pay to practice different breathing techniques at the same time, I will do it!"

The bird clenched its fist, its voice firm.

Even if he mastered all the breathing techniques in the world and raised his mortal swordsmanship to the extreme, he still wouldn't be able to defeat the man in his dream, but he had no choice!

Even if there's only a slight chance, we should still do it.

"Haha! If Shinazugawa heard you say that, he'd definitely be furious!"

Although Rengoku Kyoujuro may seem somewhat impulsive and reckless, he is actually very sensitive inside.

He could see the determination and longing burning in the bird's eyes—a complex flame, both dangerous and dazzling, that was extremely pure.

"Understood! I have received your determination! After the mission is over, I will take you back to the Rengoku family's dojo! Father will surely be pleased to know that someone is so passionate about the Breath of Flame!"

Thank you.

Just as Asuka was becoming restless due to her powerlessness in the dream, and her fighting spirit was roused by the promise of Purgatory, the burning desire for power within her body was surging even more intensely.

An indescribable chill suddenly descended upon me!

His spiritual pressure perception did not disappear.

Now, a gaze far more powerful and suffocating than that of the Lower Moon One is emerging from the dense forest behind us!

The raccoon beside him trembled, and its body hair involuntarily stood on end.

He froze on the spot, looking warily behind him.

"Asuka-kun?" Rengoku Kyojuro immediately noticed Asuka's unusual behavior and looked at him with some curiosity.

"Ready for battle!"

Asuka immediately drew her sword, preparing to unleash the Zanpakuto in front of Rengoku Kyoujuro.

Although he knew that this power did not belong to this world, and that casually revealing it to people might cause unnecessary trouble, he couldn't care less about that now.

The aura coming from the other side is very strong; I can't be careless.

"You spotted me? Very good reaction."

On the edge of the ruins, where the smoke and dust have not yet dissipated, deep within the shadows of collapsed and twisted steel.

A figure slowly emerged from the bottomless abyss.

His physique was tall and well-proportioned, with perfectly defined muscles, as if sculpted from solid marble.

Her short pink hair was like a cold flame, and her upper body was covered with intricate dark blue tattoos, resembling some kind of ancient battle markings.

A pair of golden eyes radiated the fighting spirit of a beast.

At this moment, they are traversing the chaotic ruins, their eyes firmly fixed on Rengoku Kyojuro and Asuka.

There was no madness of nightmares, no sinister glint in his eyes, not even the usual lust of evil spirits for flesh and blood.

There is only one kind of... pure, extreme, and relentless desire to find a powerful opponent and destroy it!

A desire to surpass the pinnacle of martial arts, to regard even the most powerful and unparalleled as awe-inspiring figures.

Moreover, in those eyes, Asuka clearly saw—

Upper Moon 3

Chapter 60 Fierce Battle: Fire and Wind

The lonely moon hung high in the sky, its silvery light splashing across the body of the upper crescent moon, reflecting a deadly chill.

He walked slowly forward, and with each step he took, the bird felt the pressure on its body increase.

This guy is amazing!

“Very beautiful fighting spirit.” The other person smiled and pointed to Asuka and Kyojuro Rengoku: “I recognized you two at a glance, you’re Pillars, right?”

"Be careful, Asuka boy, we can't let our guard down when it's the Upper Moon."

Kyojuro Rengoku ignored Upper Moon Three's attempt to speak, stood side by side with Asuka, and drew his Nichirin Blade: "For hundreds of years, the Upper Moon demon moons have never changed. Each of them has blood debts owed to many Pillar-level swordsmen, making them very difficult to deal with!"

"I know I will do my best."

Om-! !

In front of Kyojuro Rengoku, Asuka tries to unleash her Yotsumi form.

To his surprise, the monstrous beast did not transform into the shape of the serrated greatsword. Instead, its divine aura became more inward, its spiritual pressure more solidified, and it retained the original form of the Nichirin Blade.

Apart from the constantly flowing red and black serrated patterns on the blade, which look like living things, it looks no different from an ordinary Nichirin sword.

Has the raccoon stolen... changed again?

He didn't delve into such a trivial matter, but instead focused his attention on the upper crescent moon in front of him.

"Good knife, what's your name?"

Whoosh—!

The bird had no intention of exchanging a single word with the demon in front of it, and from such a great distance, it unleashed a powerful slash through the air!

The spiritual pressure strike, unleashed with the Breath of Wind sword technique, roared towards Onizuki, its destructive force unstoppable!

Upper Moon Three's eyes narrowed slightly, and a satisfied smile spread across his face, revealing sharp fangs.

He stomped his foot on the ground, unleashing his ghostly power without reservation—

【Spell Deployment - Destructive Kill - Compass】

In an instant, a huge snowflake-shaped array appeared beneath his feet, emanating a dangerous and deadly aura.

This is his Blood Demon Art, his domain of perception.

Within the compass's range, he can sense all the flow of fighting spirit; the stronger the opponent, the faster the compass will react.

Then, he threw several punches with force, the force of which even condensed into shockwaves, directly colliding with Asuka's spiritual pressure strike!

Sizzle—!

It's hard to imagine that the mere fighting spirit of two powerful individuals could create such a terrifying friction sound in mid-air, like the clash of swords!

Sparks flew and the air distorted. Even Tanjiro and the others who were rescuing people in the distance noticed the situation and wanted to come and help.

"This is not your battle! Stand back!" Asuka shouted sternly, her face grave.

However, the force of his fist alone seemed insufficient to withstand the flying bird's spiritual pressure strike, which only heightened Guiyue's excitement:

"Destruction and Slaughter - Chaos Style!"

He took a step forward and threw out both fists at high speed, forming an impenetrable screen of fists in front of him!

Boom boom boom—!

The fist and the strike collided, producing a deafening roar. The bird's probing attack was shattered by his bare fists!

As the dust settled, he flicked the blood off his hands, looked at the slowly healing wounds, and grinned maliciously:

"Young man, you're very strong. Do you want to become a ghost?"

The bird's eyes flickered slightly.

He had heard his teacher say that all the demons in the world were created by Muzan Kibutsuji, the ancestor of all demons, and that if he wished, the demons under his command could also use their blood to create new demons.

Is this Ghost Month trying to recruit me into becoming a ghost?

"I am Akawa, the Upper Moon Three. What's your name?"

Asuka remained silent, but Kyojuro Rengoku spoke up for him: "We are demon hunters, and no matter the reason, we will never become demons!"

"Why?" Akashichou, unfazed by the ruthlessness of Purgatory, patiently explained, "Being human has many inconveniences: we age, we get sick, we die. When can we ever reach the highest realm? But becoming a demon is different..."

"With eternal life, you can train for as long as you want; one day you'll reach the pinnacle..."

"I say, let's become ghosts, you two, and train together for an eternal battle!"

Faced with such fallacies, Kyojuro Rengoku naturally refused to agree, and he righteously raised his Nichirin Blade:

"We will grow old and die. Cherishing the present moment and feeling the passion of life is the beauty of this short human life."

“Strength is not just a word that describes physical strength; mental strength is even more important, and you don’t understand that.”

"I am the Flame Pillar, Rengoku Kyojuro, and I will never become a demon!"

Akaza's expression darkened, her smile faded, and she clenched her fist again, adopting an offensive stance, the snowflake pattern blooming once more:

"Since that's the case, then I have no choice but to kill you..."

"Destruction and Slaughter - Chaos Style!"

With a furious roar, the Wowo Steed charged straight towards the two of them!

"Shiranui!"

"Cut it off!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Asuka and Purgatory charged forward, brandishing their swords!

Faced with the two men's overwhelming aura, Akaza neither flinched nor dodged, but instead continued to laugh wildly as he stepped forward:

"Great! Excellent! This is exactly the kind of battle I've been craving!"

Boom! Clang! Sizzle—!

Three terrifying forces collided violently!

Kyojuro Rengoku's Nichirin Blade unleashed golden-red flames, cleaving Akaza's arm in two. However, Akaza simply turned around and regenerated, continuing to unleash a barrage of punches that clashed with Rengoku's!

Although Asuka's sword didn't seem particularly imposing, Akaza didn't want to confront it head-on. Instead, she used a dodging and counter-attacking approach, constantly striking Asuka's sword or the path of his next strike to block his attacks.

Akaza could sense that Asuka's Nichirin Blade was a bit strange; even as an Upper Moon, the recovery from a cut was somewhat slow.

This is not right; it's best not to touch it rashly.

The three of them clashed, flames and hurricanes, ice and snow and fists merging into one, sending up a sky full of stone chips and dust, leaving Tanjiro and the others in the distance speechless.

This is the Pillar, this is the battle of the Upper Moon!

"Ascension to the sky and blazing flames!"

Seizing an opening, Rengoku Kyojuro immediately changed his attack, unleashing a torrent of flames from below!

At the same time, although Asuka dodged the punch that grazed her cheek, her eye immediately burst open, and blood blurred her vision!

Fortunately, he was able to sense Akaza's movements and also discovered Kyojuro's change of tactics.

With a swift movement, he thrust the hawk-like weapon towards Yiwozuo's vulnerable ribs!

However, Akaza, as an Upper Moon that has existed for hundreds of years, possesses a battle intuition that is faster than one could imagine!