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He… healed?
Why did he heal so fast?
Iori stared in shock at Takeo's abs, utterly confused.
The boy's expression turned a shade more dangerous. He fixed his gaze on Takeo and asked,
"Are you… a demon?"
"Are you blind?" Takeo shot back without hesitation, matching venom with venom. He pointed up at the already-risen sun.
"You ever seen a demon walk around in broad daylight? This is my natural ability. Sure, it's not as fast as a demon's regeneration, but… most fatal wounds aren't enough to kill me anymore. That's why I said you couldn't actually kill me with that strike of yours. Even if your sword had been real—it wouldn't have mattered!"
As Takeo's body continued to grow stronger, the regenerative ability inherited from Old Man Logan had gradually improved as well.
At the very least, most so-called fatal injuries no longer posed a threat to him.
He just had to make sure his heart, lungs, and head stayed intact.
The heart pumped blood throughout the body—if anything happened to it, then no matter how strong his regeneration was, he would still die.
The lungs were essential for performing Breathing Techniques—if they were damaged, Takeo wouldn't be able to use his Breathing at all and would be completely at the mercy of his opponent.
And as for the head, that went without saying—it was the most vital part of all.
If it were severed, Takeo would die instantly, no question about it.
But conversely, aside from those three areas, Takeo didn't need to defend the rest of his body too carefully.
"…I see. In that case, I suppose it's time to stop holding back."
After confirming that Takeo wasn't a demon, the boy's previous dangerous aura dissipated—but it was immediately replaced by a far more intense pressure.
It was the kind of spiritual pressure you'd expect from a Bleach captain—just the force of his presence alone was enough to make the heart tremble.
Feeling the oppressive pressure radiating from the boy, Takeo's expression grew even more serious.
This guy… this kid who looked to be the same age as him—was he really just a trainee?
Don't tell me he's some Hashira candidate out here on a little "field trip"?
"Mist Breathing, Second Form—"
The boy shifted into position, quietly announcing the name of his next technique.
Takeo's expression grew even more serious. He gripped the wooden sword tightly with both hands, eyes locked onto the boy's every movement.
It's coming!
A thin mist suddenly unfurled before him, obscuring the boy's figure completely—Takeo could no longer pinpoint his exact location.
Not even a full breath's time passed before the boy, hidden in the fog, surged forward. The flash of his wooden blade lit up the mist as he appeared right in front of Takeo in an instant!
The sword came down suddenly, slicing toward Takeo's waist and abdomen.
Takeo instinctively blocked it, but just as he parried the first strike, a second came immediately—and this time… he couldn't block in time!
In just that fleeting moment, the boy unleashed at least seven or eight consecutive slashes. Takeo could only manage to react to two or three of them at most.
Sharp flashes of the blade, cloaked in mist, nearly engulfed Takeo completely. This time, the boy was fighting seriously—his strikes were fast, sharp, and overwhelming.
But if Takeo couldn't react—then he wouldn't try to.
Of all the attacks coming at him in that brief moment, only a few were truly aimed at fatal points—
The head, neck, and chest.
As long as he protected those three vital areas, it wouldn't matter if the rest of his body took a hit!
Clang, clang, clang—!
The decision was made in the blink of an eye. As soon as Takeo committed to it, the rest of the boy's strikes came crashing down.
Three sharp collisions rang out in near-unison as the wooden blades clashed. The boy's figure reappeared beside Takeo, and as the mist dispersed, the crowd could finally see Takeo's battered form.
"—Eight-Layered Mist."
The boy quietly announced the name of his technique after executing it.
As for Takeo—his bare upper body was covered in red, bleeding marks. His waist, lower abdomen, under his ribs, and forearm all showed signs of fresh wounds.
Had this been a real battle, he would have been seriously injured in that moment.
"Again—!"
But Takeo paid no mind to the injuries on his body. With his Breathing Technique activated, his physical capabilities surged—and along with that, so did his regeneration.
The bloody wounds left by the boy's slashes began to heal in just a few breaths, fading rapidly until only faint red traces remained to show they'd ever existed.
Takeo pivoted, redirecting his stance and pointing the tip of his wooden blade at the boy.
A cutting wind wrapped itself around the wooden sword—and in the instant he turned, Takeo unleashed his Breathing Technique!
Wind Breathing, Third Form – Clean Storm Wind Tree!
Three slashes erupted from Takeo's position, each radiating outward from his body—like a counterattack mirroring the flurry the boy had just unleashed.
"Mist Breathing, Fourth Form—"
The boy nimbly dodged Takeo's strikes. His movements were like mist untouched by wind, slipping through the gaps in the air currents and weaving effortlessly between Takeo's attacks.
Then, he struck back with incredible speed.
"—Shifting Flow Slash."
Before the name of the technique had even left his lips, Takeo had already been hit.
The boy's sword was blindingly fast—so fast, it was nearly on par with 2B after she activated Overclock in Takeo's mental realm.
Just as Takeo couldn't react in time to 2B's assaults, he couldn't keep up with the boy's movements either.
But still—the boy hadn't managed to "kill" Takeo in a single strike.
The slash that had been aimed for Takeo's neck was narrowly redirected to his chest at the last moment, thanks to a desperate twist of his body.
A long, narrow red gash opened, blood seeping from the wound. Knowing full well that Takeo had exceptional regenerative powers, the boy didn't hold back during their match.
Which meant that even a wooden sword—when swung with full strength—was enough to tear Takeo's flesh apart!
Takeo didn't say a word. When the boy vanished and reappeared behind him again, he immediately turned and gave chase.
He ignored the wounds on his body. He ignored all of the boy's attacks that weren't aimed at vital points. Takeo chose to fight with a wound-for-wound approach, forcing his way forward!
Clack, clack!—the sharp sounds of wooden swords colliding rang out once more.
On the sidelines, Iori watched with growing concern in her eyes.
Shouldn't he just surrender…?
She really wanted to say that to Takeo.
It was just a sparring match, after all—there was no need to fight to such extremes. And from start to finish, not a single one of Takeo's strikes had landed on that boy.
So why keep pushing?
There was no shame in losing to someone stronger. If it were her in Takeo's place, she would've given up and begged for mercy without hesitation.
"Takeo…"
Iori softly murmured his name. She wanted to say something—but when she saw the serious expression on his face, in the end, she couldn't say a word.
Back in the fight, after unleashing yet another Eightfold Mist Slash, the boy finally paused for the first time.
The boy turned his head, looking calmly at the red-haired teen now covered in wounds, whose regeneration had noticeably slowed.
"Your healing relies on the enhancement from your Breathing Technique, or something like that, yeah? But now your breathing's grown ragged. Your recovery has slowed. Even so… you still won't yield?"
"…I don't know why," Takeo replied, blood trickling down his forehead, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth, "but for some reason… I just don't want to admit defeat to you."
The blood running down his face only made his appearance more savage.
This time, the boy didn't say much. He readied his stance again and said,
"People who can't recognize their own limits are worse than weaklings. And the way you look right now—not even like a human… more like a demon. I'm starting to regret agreeing to fight you. Let's end this."
Though his tone and expression remained calm and emotionless, it was clear to everyone watching—his patience had run out.
Earlier, the boy had still been holding back. But now—this final strike was going to be full force.
Proof of that?
The moment he entered his stance, Takeo completely lost sight of him.
By the time Takeo located his position again, the boy had already emerged from within the lingering mist—right in front of him!
Mist Breathing, Fifth Form – Sea of Clouds and Haze!
It was a technique composed of a continuous flurry of high-speed slashes.
This was currently the final form in the boy's self-created Breathing Style. In other words—it was also his strongest technique.
If Takeo were to be hit by it—even though the boy was only wielding a wooden sword—there was no doubt he would be in serious danger.
Sure, he could heal from it eventually, but at the very least, he'd be bedridden for quite some time.
I'm going to lose—
In that brief moment of stillness, where time seemed to slow under the weight of fast-paced thoughts, Takeo whispered to himself internally.
And yet—whether it was the impact of the boy's earlier words, or that phenomenon where your life flashes before your eyes in moments of crisis—Takeo suddenly saw the image of Rengoku Kyojuro flash before him.
Eh..?
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12 Advance chapters—P@treon/HornyFBI