Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

"Old man, you should rest." Asuka stepped forward and stood in front of Sangdao.

The moment the words left his mouth, the raccoon was drawn from its sheath.

Clang!

"Complete Collection: Breath of Arashi".

Asuka didn't use any complicated sword techniques; he just wanted to try out the lightning burst techniques he had just learned in the past two days.

Step out.

Boom!

The stone bricks beneath its feet shattered instantly, and the bird's silhouette became a fleeting afterimage, invisible to the naked eye.

He could only achieve this speed before by gathering spiritual energy and pressing it onto his toes.

Before the three demons at the forefront could even see the enemy's location, their vision began to spin.

Puff puff!

Three hideous heads flew off at the same time. Due to the speed, the cut surfaces of the wounds even floated in mid-air before they began to spray black blood.

"what?!"

The remaining evil spirits stopped in their tracks in terror.

They had never seen such brutal swordsmanship. The wind pressure generated by the serrated blade as it sliced ​​through the air was as if countless unseen beasts were tearing and biting wildly around them.

"What the hell! It's a pillar!"

They were only ordered to kill the old man, how could there be such a strong swordsman!

The bird's figure disappeared again.

He weaved through the horde of ghosts, each swing of his weapon slicing out a spray of foul-smelling ghost blood.

Some ghosts were cut in half at the waist, some had half their bodies twisted to pieces, and some had their throats ripped apart by saw blades while screaming in agony.

In order to test the effects of Thunder Breathing to the fullest extent, he did not choose to directly sever the demon's head, an action that made him seem somewhat like a demon.

Even so, such weak demons are basically unable to withstand the devouring power of the demon, and will die screaming even if they are just cut in half at the waist.

This scene was utterly unbelievable to Kuwashima Jigoro: "Are all young people like this nowadays? Should we old folks retire...?"

Less than three minutes.

Of the dozen or so evil spirits that were originally so arrogant and domineering, only one remains alive.

Its legs had been severed at the roots, and it was frantically crawling in the mud with its hands, trying to escape the hellish scene created by the bird.

Asuka walked behind it, the tip of her Zanpakuto pressed against its back.

"No...don't kill me..." Ghost trembled, his eyes filled with extreme fear.

"Don't joke around. I'm definitely going to kill you; it's just a matter of whether it's a quick death or a painful one." Asuka coldly sank the tip of her knife deeper and deeper into its skin.

"Who gave you the information? How did you find this place?"

"I don't know... I really don't know..."

The monstrous spiritual pressure surged into his body, causing the evil spirit to scream incessantly, and his psychological defenses quickly collapsed completely.

"It was...it was Lady Naruto who teleported us to the foot of the mountain using her biwa! I really didn't mean to come here!"

Kuwashima Jigoro puffed out his beard and glared: "What is Naruto? A demon? Why is she targeting a useless old man like me?"

"Because...because of that newly appointed Ghost Moon!" It seemed to have finally remembered the crucial information, and hurriedly reported it while tears streamed down its face, begging to be freed from the torment of the vengeful spirit pressure:

"That newly joined master! That master who inherited the Breath of Thunder! He was the one who told the Master in the Infinite Castle that the Sound Pillar is the last foundation of the Breath of Thunder, and that if you are killed, the lineage will be severed..."

The air froze in that instant.

Kuwashima Jigoro's hands began to tremble violently, and his pupils became bloodshot from extreme shock.

"Who is the person you're talking about...?" The old man's voice was terribly hoarse, as if it were being squeezed out from deep within his lungs.

"His name is... his name is Xunyue!" The evil spirit spat out the name viciously, with a sense of satisfaction at having avenged a great grudge.

"He's the new Upper Moon Six! He not only wants you dead, but he also wants to turn the entire Peach Mountain into a graveyard! This bastard dared to trick us into coming here to die... You must kill him! Hahahaha—"

puff!

Without hesitation, the bird severed its head with a single stroke.

He turned his head and looked at Kuwashima Jigoro.

Mingzhu, who is known for his quirky humor and somewhat childlike nature, suddenly seemed to have aged decades in an instant.

His already hunched back collapsed completely, and he swayed precariously in the cold autumn fog.

“Xunyue..…”

Sangdao murmured the name, his eyes revealing not anger, but a bottomless despair and sorrow.

Chapter 97 The Crying Fist

According to the unwritten rules of the Demon Slayer Corps, if one of their disciples falls into demonhood, then the master must bear full responsibility.

But this is not just a matter of responsibility.

For Kuwashima Jigoro, Kusanagi was his pride and the successor on whom he placed his high hopes.

Even though the child was extreme and utilitarian, he always believed that, tempered by the Breath of Thunder, behind that twisted pride, there was always a sliver of protective kindness.

“Old man…” Asuka opened her mouth, wanting to comfort him, but found that she had nothing to say.

The demon's corpse had long since turned into ashes and vanished into the mist.

However, the silence in the courtyard was even more suffocating than the fighting that had just taken place.

"Flying birds..."

Kuwashima Jigoro raised his head, his eyes filled with a deathly stillness:

"Go back now. I am a loser, and I have nothing more to teach you."

He looked down at his hands.

These hands have slain countless demons, gently wiped away the tears of young disciples, and sternly instructed them on the way they wielded their swords.

"The successor of Thunder Breathing has become a Demon Moon... How terrible... I have trained a monster... I have disgraced Thunder Breathing, and dragged the honor of the past Sound Pillars into the mire..."

The old man slowly turned around and walked unsteadily into the temple.

"I must now go and fulfill... my last duty."

The bird followed all the way to the door.

He saw Kuwashima Jigoro enter his Japanese-style room and sit upright on the tatami mat in the center.

The old man unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a chest covered in scars, old yet still strong.

He picked up a clean white cloth and slowly wiped the Nichirin sword that had accompanied him throughout his life.

Without needing to say more, the bird understood the old man's decision.

He committed seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment).

This is the oldest and most tragic way to apologize.

This means that he will face the end of his life alone in extreme pain.

"Aren't you going to wait a little longer?" Asuka stood by the porch, looking at the old man's profile. "The final battle is just around the corner. Perhaps you can end him with your own hands."

“No…” Kuwashima Jigoro’s voice was calm and undisturbed: “That was Zenitsu’s mission… As his master, the last response I can give that traitor is to use my old life to wash away the filth he left on this sect.”

He paused, then suddenly turned his head and gave the bird a smile that held a hint of relief.

"Kid, thank you for letting me see that Thunder Breathing... will not be completely cut off."

"The other sword types are in the Book of the Sound Pillars of the Ages in my room. Take them if you find them useful."

"Let's go, don't look back."

Asuka stood there, watching as the old man's hand gripped the tip of the knife.

He remained silent for a long time before finally bowing deeply to the room.

"Thank you for your guidance, Professor Kuwashima."

That night, the fog over Peach Mountain never dissipated.

In the quiet, late autumn night, only the faint sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh and the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard from the dojo.

A few days later, at the Ubuyashiki mansion.

The atmosphere here is extremely tense.

In preparation for the upcoming final battle, all the Pillars and ordinary team members are undergoing almost insane special training.

The courtyard was filled with figures sweating profusely and the clanging of sharp blades clashing.

The bird walked into the mansion in the afterglow of the setting sun.

He had two swords hanging at his waist, and his expression was calm to the point of being cold.

Anyone with a modicum of skill could sense the change in him—if he was an unpredictable whirlwind before he left, now a condensed and dangerous pressure of lightning subtly emanated from him.

"Lord Arashihashi! You're back!"

Several team members in charge of the training bowed respectfully.

Feiniao nodded slightly, preparing to pass through the corridor to the lord's residence to report on the mission.

However, a yellow figure suddenly rushed out from around the corner.

His movements were extremely fast, even accompanied by a thunderous sound.

"Asuka-!!!"

A shrill, tearful roar echoed through the corridor.

The bird stopped.

Standing before him was the blond boy, Zenitsu Agatsuma, who was always timid, cowardly, and prone to tears.

But Zenitsu at this time was not like before.

He didn't rush up to Asuka and hug her leg as usual, begging her to say nice things and make the training easier.

Zenitsu stared intently at Asuka, his eyes, which were usually filled with unease, now bloodshot.

He was trembling violently, clutching a wrinkled piece of paper tightly in his hand.

"You...you really went to Momoyama, didn't you?" Zenitsu's voice was so hoarse that every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

The bird looked at him but did not answer.

"Speak up, you bastard!" Zenitsu suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Asuka by the collar. "Didn't you say you were going to learn Thunder Breathing? Tell me, are you really there?"

The birds remained silent.

His gaze fell on the letter in Zenitsu's hand, the last letter that Kuwajima Jigoro had Kasugai sent that night.

"Did you...watch him...watch him do that?"

Zenitsu's voice was tinged with obvious sobs, and he almost collapsed to the ground, yet he still gritted his teeth and forced himself to hold on.

“Tell me! They say the old man committed seppuku for that traitor… for that damned guy! And… and there wasn’t even a seppuku attendant…”

“That was his choice.” Asuka finally spoke, her tone as calm as ever, even somewhat indifferent.

These words were like a bolt from the blue for Zenitsu.

“You just stood there…you just stood there watching! Why didn’t you stop him? Aren’t you a pillar? Aren’t you very strong?!”

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"He had a terrible temper...he always beat me...but he was my only family! He was the best old man in the world! How could you...how could you just watch him die like that?!"

Anger and grief overwhelmed reason in an instant.

"You bastard—!!"

Zenitsu suddenly swung his fist and slammed it hard into Asuka's calm face.

boom!