Who are you calling a stable boy?!

"But it doesn't matter."

Zheng Jing opened his fists into a boxing stance, baring his teeth and grinning wildly.

"Anyway, all I ever wanted to do with you ghosts was either kill you or be killed by you!"

Chapter 35: I'm going to start weaving basic attacks into my regular attacks!

"......I see."

As if he had figured something out, Akaza smiled again.

"Optimus Prime, you're too strong."

"For you, it's become so much less different whether your opponent is a human or a demon, right?"

"I understand you, Optimus Prime, I know how it feels!"

"—That's why you should become a ghost!"

With palms forward and fists back, waist and stance lowered, Akaza's eyes widened in excitement.

Technique unfolding—

Destroy the compass needle!

Centered on Akaza, the azure light spread in all directions, instantly forming a snowflake-like array of light beneath his feet.

"What are you babbling about?"

Zheng Jing was the first to make a move.

With his feet pounding the ground, he was like a cannonball, carrying a wave of scorching heat, and suddenly pounced in front of Akaza.

With his powerful internal energy flowing through his shoulders and back, Zheng Jing clenched his five fingers as if grasping wind and thunder. From his high vantage point, Zheng Jing's right fist, as big as a bowl, slammed down on the top of Yiwo's head!

This punch—

In Akaza's eyes, it's not fast.

Of the twelve demon moons, Akaza is confident that he is the fastest in terms of attack speed alone.

However, in a duel between experts, speed alone is sometimes not enough; accuracy is also crucial.

Therefore, in terms of dynamic vision, reaction speed, and body control, Akaza only acknowledges that the Upper Moon One can surpass him among the twelve Kizuki.

Zheng Jing's first punch, which came straight down with earth-shaking force, was indeed powerful, but in Akaza's eyes, such an attack with such obvious intent, no matter how fast it was, he could easily pass it.

At this very moment, facing Zheng Jing's fist, Akaza even had time to feel confused.

Why a fist?

The position of the Upper Moon in the twelve Ghost Months has remained unchanged for over a hundred years.

As the Upper Moon Three, Akaza has naturally fought against the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen more than once in the past hundred years, and he has even killed a Pillar more than once.

The concept that demon hunters must be armed to pose a threat to demons is not unique to Akaza.

In fact, this is almost a common-sense concept for ghosts.

Therefore, this was undoubtedly the first time Akaza had encountered a demon slayer who used his fists.

...A demon hunter who uses his fists?

Don't be ridiculous, how are humans supposed to fight ghosts with their fists?

What exactly is this tactic?

Akaza's eyes moved slightly, trying to take in every movement of Zheng Jing's entire body.

Is it possible to suddenly pull out a hidden weapon from under one's clothes?

Or is there some secret weapon against the demon in the other hand?

Regardless, Akaza felt that the punch was a feint.

That......

What should I do?

That's how it should be done—

Yiwoza turned around and slipped to Zheng Jing's outside, avoiding the attack route of Zheng Jing's left hand while simultaneously opening one palm and directly lifting Zheng Jing's right elbow.

He wants to directly remove one of Zheng Jing's arms!

Anyway, minor problems like missing limbs can be solved after becoming a ghost. Now, in order to subdue Zheng Jing and make him willing to go with him, Yiwozuo has made up his mind to start by taking care of Zheng Jing's legs.

As for Zheng Jing's seemingly unarmed stance, what kind of hidden tricks does he have up his sleeve?

How could Akaza possibly hesitate because of this!

He would only make a move with great anticipation, determined to see for himself just how capable Zheng Jing really was!

However, the moment Akaza's five fingers touched Zheng Jing's flesh, his warrior instincts sensed something was wrong before his thoughts could process it.

He originally intended to grab Zheng Jing's right arm joint, dislocate his tendons and bones, and even tear off his skin and flesh, causing Zheng Jing to lose an arm.

But as soon as their bodies made contact, before they could even exert any force, Akaza felt an irresistible force surging from his right arm.

Can't hold on?

It's more than just being unable to hold on!

In his surprise, Akaza made a very basic mistake.

His attention was involuntarily drawn to Zheng Jing's right arm.

Almost simultaneously, Zheng Jing suddenly pressed down with his right arm, shifted his center of gravity, twisted his waist and stomped his feet, and slammed his left fist, which he had clenched into an iron hammer, into Yiwozuo's face.

Normally, Akaza wouldn't even consider backing down, let alone facing a human's fist, or even the fist of Upper Moon One.

However, when Zheng Jing's left fist was actually in front of him, Akaza's warrior instincts once again drove his body.

Step back, pull away, lean back!

Akaza's eyes were fixed on Zheng Jing's left fist.

He was certain that this slight movement would be enough to evade this inexplicably dangerous punch—

"Bang!!"

Like a giant drum taller than a person being suddenly struck, accompanied by this terrifying muffled sound, Yiwozu was suddenly sent flying backward, crashing straight into the mountain wall dozens of meters away.

"--cough!"

His entire body was deeply embedded in the cracked mountain wall. Amidst the smoke and dust, Akaza couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of foul odor.

He looked down at his own torso.

The sternum and ribs were almost entirely blasted into ashes along with the flesh, scattered in the night wind. Of the internal organs in the chest cavity, only less than a fifth of the liver fragments remained, exuding an enticing, charred aroma. The skeletal remains of the spine, now devoid of thoracic vertebrae, were riddled with cracks...

And all of this was the best result he managed to achieve by desperately changing his form at the last moment.

He got hit.

He was hit by a human fist.

How could I have misjudged the distance?

No—impossible!

Akaza tried hard to recall, and when Zheng Jing's left fist should have missed, he seemed to see a tiny golden flash of lightning on Zheng Jing's left arm.

Immediately afterwards, he was struck in the chest by Zheng Jing's suddenly extended left fist!

Yes, it suddenly stretched out!

No, no! Compared to this—

What... what kind of power is this?!

Striving to rouse his body to fight against the unknown force raging within him and accelerate regeneration, Akaza pushed himself off the mountain wall with both hands.

"you......"

Hearing footsteps, he looked up, stared at Zheng Jing, and asked in a deep voice, "What kind of boxing style is that?!"

"Interweave basic attacks with regular attacks."

Zheng Jing patted his left arm and looked down at Yiwozu, who was squatting on the ground.

"Want to learn? I'll teach you."

"—Really?!"

Meeting Akaza's burning gaze, Zheng Jing was now somewhat surprised.

"You're quite something, kid... Alright, I can really teach you. But you have to answer one question for me first. If you answer it well, what's wrong with teaching you a couple of tricks?"

"What's the problem?"

"Boy, I'm asking you, why do you practice martial arts?"

"Of course, it's to become stronger!"

What happens after you become stronger?

"......ah?"

"What do you mean, 'ah'?"

Zheng Jing picked at his ear with his finger, his eyes half-closed, and said in a leisurely tone, "You're not going to tell me that you're practicing martial arts and getting stronger because you want to become the strongest martial artist, are you?"

Akaza's expression darkened, as if he had vaguely sensed something.

Is there anything wrong with this?

"There's nothing wrong with this ambition itself; in fact, it's quite good."

Looking at his bare fingertips, Zheng Jing blew on them before glancing at Akaza and letting out a sneer.

"But you, a prisoner who has almost lost his true self, do you even have the right to talk about this?"

Chapter Thirty-Six: My Skills Are Still Superior

"The true self?"

Do you remember yourself before you became a ghost?

"...What does that have to do with getting stronger?"

Akaza's memories before he became a demon.

He has rarely paid attention to this point.

Compared to the mysteries of martial arts and the wonder of becoming stronger, those memories from when we were still human are nothing but trivial and useless things. If we can't remember them, we can't remember them; if they're gone, they're gone. What does it matter?

Does being able to remember things make him stronger?

Akaza didn't understand why Zheng Jing would bring this up...

But he felt unhappy.

It wasn't because Zheng Jing mocked him as a prisoner, nor because of Zheng Jing's condescending attitude...

It seems that it was the fact that he had lost his memory that made him feel unhappy.

...This vague feeling made Akaza irritable!

"That kind of thing has nothing to do with getting stronger! Memories, true self—compared to those ethereal things, only refined martial arts and increasingly powerful strength can truly make me stronger!"

As expected of the Upper Moon Three, Akaza's injuries were almost completely healed after taking a punch from Zheng Jing and saying just a few words.

He took up his boxing stance again, this time aimed directly at Zheng Jing.

"Martial arts is a killing technique! Martial arts—it is a killing technique!"

As if trying to prove himself right, Akaza let out a long howl, lowered his body, and charged straight at Zheng Jing!

Destruction and annihilation!

He then channeled his fierce fighting spirit into his fists, striking Zheng Jing's waist on both sides simultaneously, one on the left and one on the right.

This blow, let alone a human, even if an Upper Moon demon were to be hit, would surely result in a bloody and mangled mess!

—But when it landed on Zheng Jing, it only resulted in two muffled thuds.

Hearing this commotion, Akaza's eyes widened in surprise.