Clang!!
The green dragon violently collided with the crimson spear in Maito's hand, the sharp Nichirin Blade grinding against the blood-red spear with a screeching sound.
In the deadlock, Shinichi took a sharp breath, slightly retracting his strength before delivering a fierce slash!
Though Maito's spear possessed tremendous power, its flexibility greatly diminished in close combat, slowing for just an instant.
Seizing this split-second opportunity, Shinichi's body slid along the spear shaft like a fish, narrowly avoiding another fatal thrust from Maito.
Simultaneously, his Nichirin Blade followed through with the sliding momentum, delivering a vicious slash toward the joint of Maito's spear-wielding arm!
"Hmph!" Maito reacted swiftly, his left arm's blood armor surging with fresh blood, instantly thickening to form a blood shield.
"Blood Martial Arts·Shield!"
CLANG!!
The Nichirin Blade struck the thick blood shield, erupting in dazzling sparks and energy ripples.
But that was all—Maito wasn't surprised, even having the leisure to flash a mocking grin at Shinichi, as if saying: Is that it?
Of course, it wasn't over!
SWISH!
Shinichi's left hand drew another Nichirin longsword from his waist with lightning speed, its crimson blade radiating oppressive force.
In a thunderous instant, an overbearing sword aura surged from the blade.
"Forest Breathing·Fifth Form· Soaring Bamboo Slash!"
SHING!
CRACK!!
A fierce emerald blade light flashed, trailing a streak of scarlet!
Maito's blood armor was cleaved open across the chest, black blood oozing out, revealing glimpses of pale bones and organs beneath.
A flicker of shock crossed his eyes, but Maito's formidable instincts drove him to make the optimal choice.
With a roar while ignoring his chest wound, he even discarded his blood spear and shield, using his fists as weapons to launch himself like a cannonball straight at Shinichi's head.
This forced Shinichi to abandon plans of inflicting further wounds with his Nichirin Blades, crossing both swords to block Maito's fists.
BAM!!
The tremendous recoil numbed Shinichi's palms and sent him stumbling back over ten meters.
Maito was a ruthless fighter who seized weaknesses without hesitation.
Capitalizing on Shinichi's retreat, he stomped the ground, his body pausing mid-air before hurtling like a projectile toward Shinichi, unleashing a devastating high kick!
BAM! BOOM!!
Shinichi was sent flying by the sweeping kick, carving a deep trench into the ground as rubble scattered.
Yet Shinichi quickly rose from the debris, wiping blood from his lips.
Rain streamed down his face, but his gaze remained icy and sharp, locked onto Maito.
Maito cracked his neck, the blood armor on his chest squirming as the deep wound healed in moments—though noticeably slower than at his peak.
Perhaps the fight had ignited Maito's bloodlust; his golden vertical pupils burned with even greater battle fervor as he let out an excited growl.
The two faced off briefly across the rain and ruins.
The downpour washed away blood and dirt, but their killing intent grew thicker.
Maito broke the silence first, raising his hands as twin blood blades reformed in his grip, their crimson glow eerier in the rain.
"You surprise me, Shinichi. You've grown so fast. I'm genuinely curious now—what have you been through? Your Demon scent is almost untraceable. Could it be... you're the one Muzan-sama is searching for?"
Shinichi didn't answer, only steadily adjusting his breath.
His emerald Nichirin Blade in his right hand tilted toward the ground, while the crimson one in his left was held reverse-grip behind his arm, rainwater gathering at its tip before dripping.
He, too, could sense Maito's current strength—the blood armor's defense was more terrifying than ever, its power monstrous.
But the fire in Shinichi's heart burned fiercer.
Shinobu's face flashed in his mind, transforming into boundless resolve.
In the end, it was Maito who moved first.
"Again!" he roared, his blood-armored body launching forward like a war chariot once more.
Twin blades whirled through a storm of gore as he charged toward Shinichi!
"Come! Today, I kill you right here you traitor!" Shinichi took a deep breath, channeling his life force at full speed.
It surged through his limbs like a raging river.
Holding nothing back, his figure shot forward to meet the devastating crimson onslaught.
Blade light and blood shadows collided violently once more amidst the downpour and ruins.
Blades tore through the air, blood-red edges parting the rain.
Fists slammed against blood armor with dull, thunderous impacts, while claws shredded uniforms with the sound of tearing fabric.
The crisp snap of breaking bones, the wet ripping of muscle, the explosive clashes of energy—all these grating sounds intertwined in the rain-soaked night.
The already ravaged ground continued to collapse and crack under their trampling and impacts.
Everything around them was relentlessly destroyed by the scattering emerald blade energy and crimson slashes, sending shards of stone and wood flying in all directions.
Shinichi's blade grew faster, his angles more unpredictable.
The emerald flashes of his sword came like a sudden storm, constantly seeking the weak points and joints in Maito's blood armor.
Maito's twin blades, meanwhile, raged like a violent tempest—each block sent numbing tremors through Shinichi's arms, each counterattack carrying lethal intent.
The battle escalated into its most brutal, exhausting climax.
Rain mixed with blood as it streamed endlessly from their bodies.
Every breath burned, every movement tugged at fresh wounds.
Yet their eyes remained locked on each other, unyielding, filled only with the resolve to utterly annihilate the other.
The rain fell harder.
The deathmatch in the ruins raged on.
Crash!
A gray figure had appeared unnoticed atop the nearby treetops.
His mist-gray eyes brimmed with resignation as he watched the two figures locked in combat below.
"Must it come to this? You always say we have no choice, yet look at what you're doing now. Maito, you stubborn fool—thinking of dying on the battlefield will solve everything. How stupid!" Lee, hidden beneath her cloak, spoke with unmistakable disdain.
Though the two below were still locked in their death struggle, Lee had already seen the inevitable outcome.
While Muzan's blood had indeed made Maito stronger, Shinichi's growth and power had shocked Lee just as much.
Moreover, both she and Maito knew Shinichi still held his final trump card—Demon Transformation: Raging Blood—unused.
If the fight continued, Maito's defeat was certain!
Even if this was Maito seeking death, Lee wouldn't stand by and just watch.
"Selfish bastard. You think throwing your life away will let you escape everything?!"
With that thought, Lee could wait no longer.
Her body dissolved into a mist-like afterimage as she shot toward the battling pair.
"SHINICHI MORIKI! Is this all you've got?! Do you even know how twisted that human girl's face was when my fist tore through her body? I could feel every tremor, every spasm of her flesh!" Maito's eyes widened with madness as he spat the words.
"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!!!"