Demon Slayer: Muzan, will you dance too?

Third Brother once said during his future battle with Yi Yong that he hadn't encountered a water column in fifty years.

When the Hand Demon was captured, it was during the Edo period, which is about 46 years ago—47 years ago, based on the time Tanjiro participated in the Final Selection.

Shinobu Kocho's generation of Pillars is already the strongest besides the First Hokage—leaving aside the freak Muichiro, it takes anywhere from one to four years to become a Pillar.

The previous generation of pillars must have taken about two to five years.

Urokodaki Sakonji, who was active in the Edo period, was probably not a Pillar when he appeared.

The Demon Slayer Corps at that time probably wouldn't send a Pillar-level swordsman to deal with a demon who had only eaten two or three people.

The number of Pillars in the previous generation was definitely far less than that of the current generation; whether they were even at full strength is questionable.

Therefore, they certainly wouldn't dispatch Pillar-level members so casually.

It can be inferred that when Urokodaki Sakonji encountered the Hand Demon, he was probably not a Pillar yet, and it was even less likely that he would have encountered the Third Brother.

The previous water column killed by Upper Moon Three was probably the one before him.

This old man, who may never have encountered an Upper Moon, or even the strongest Pillar of the previous generation, easily suppressed Kiyokawa Izumi despite not being at his peak.

Relaxed and casual.

Kiyokawa Izumi's body trembled slightly.

It wasn't out of fear, nor was it because of a feeling of unfathomable oppression.

At this moment, he felt inexplicably excited.

So, is there really such a big gap between me and this level?

The excitement of fighting against someone far stronger than oneself is simply irresistible.

Kiyoshi Izumi's eyes were opened wide, and he learned with great eagerness.

Does fighting strong opponents excite you this much?

'There's no hint of frustration... This child is really strange.'

Despite having his Nichirin Blade knocked from his hand and his hand swelling from being struck by the wooden sword, Kiyokawa Izumi showed no discouragement. Instead, he picked up the Nichirin Blade again and solemnly addressed the old man before him.

"continue!"

His swordsmanship was improving at an almost visible rate. After suffering a loss from the soft force once, he gradually mastered the technique.

The jet-black magatama spun rapidly in his pupils.

He wanted to do more than just see the wooden sword swinging out and remember the decades of accumulation behind that perfect arc.

He wants to replicate everything.

He wanted to memorize everything with his eyes, from the rhythm of his breathing as he swung the weapon to the subtle techniques of applying force.

"Type 9 Water Stream Spray!"

Urokodaki Sakonji's wooden sword was silently thrust out, its tip slicing through the air, creating an unusually damp sensation; one could almost hear the splashing of water.

The combo attacks, which had already created afterimages, seemed to be coming from multiple directions at the same time.

At this moment, Kiyokawa Izumi is undoubtedly under tremendous pressure.

Not only do we need to block this attack, but we also need to try to analyze it.

First Form Water Surface Slash - Multi-stage!

The first move is still the one he is most skilled at.

He was not sure if it was because of the intense use of his eyes, but he felt a dull pain in his forehead and eye sockets, and his eyeballs were sore, but it was still within a tolerable range, so he ignored it.

Such a rare opportunity, if we let it slip by, we won't be able to sleep at night!

A large amount of air was drawn into the lungs, and the hands gripping the knife handle suddenly exerted force, the bluish blade tip becoming a blur.

I haven't fully mastered all the moves of Water Breathing yet, and there's not much to say about this move. It's just a series of slashes used to block Urokodaki Sakonji's Ninth Form.

The exchange, lasting less than a breath, ended in an instant. Kiyokawa Izumi retreated repeatedly, leaving deep footprints on the ground.

He gasped, his right rib under his clothes throbbing with excruciating pain; it was likely bruised and purple.

It's normal that it wasn't completely blocked.

He forced himself to stand up straight and looked directly at Urokodaki Sakonji, clearly indicating that he could continue.

Little did he know that Urokodaki Sakonji, standing opposite him, was deeply suspicious at that moment.

He can still easily defeat Kiyokawa Izumi.

But you can feel the obvious growth in this person.

This is not surprising at all; that's just how talented swordsmen are.

I don't know if it was just my imagination, but for a moment just now, it felt like the person standing in front of me was another version of myself?

"Your eyes are very special. Are you imitating someone?"

Looking at the nick on the wooden sword, Urokodaki Sakonji spoke in a gentle yet authoritative tone.

"You can't become a great swordsman just by imitating. You learn very quickly, but you don't have your own style, your own understanding, or you've truly mastered it."

That's not enough.

Although the person before him was not his disciple, the old man still couldn't help but offer a reminder.

Learning quickly and becoming stronger through imitation is certainly a shortcut.

But he could never become the next Sakonji Urokodaki.

The moves he used were merely imitations of Urokodaki Sakonji's technique; they were not his own.

Imitation might make him stronger in a short time.

However, when encountering a truly powerful demon, the inconsistencies and flaws in their moves can be fatal.

The two people have different body types, arm lengths, and strengths. No matter how perfect the imitation is, it is still just an imitation and cannot surpass the original.