Under the silver moon, two figures stood like beings not of this world.
After finishing her adjustments, Yuko let the demon blade glide lightly across her palm. A few drops of blood fell to the ground as a dark-red sheen slowly spread across the blade, transforming the once snow-white, sacred sword into a true demon blade.
Yuko lifted the dark-red demon blade and held it beside her cheek.
Yoriichi's expression shifted slightly; his stance changed.
This rough, unfamiliar opening stance—he had never seen this kind of sword form before.
Yuko's focus reached an unprecedented level. The frustration of being instantly defeated just moments ago struck so deeply that she could suddenly understand Kokushibo a little.
The veins on the back of her hand bulged as she tightened her grip.
"Brother, I'm coming."
The instant the words left her mouth, under Yoriichi's gaze within the Transparent World, Yuko's leg muscles contracted and her body shot high into the air.
Seeing the figure illuminated by the moonlight, Yoriichi's expression turned unexpectedly stiff.
What kind of form was this?
Was it really this exaggerated?
The next moment, he understood.
"Snow Breathing, Tenth Form — Moonlight Beneath the Snow!"
Yuko's body twisted midair, releasing pale white and purple breath.
With the rotation of her body, the blood-red demon blade drew a perfect circular arc through the sky.
A massive, continuous blood-red moon rippled outward in midair—its diameter alone at least six or seven meters.
So this was the sword form amplified by Blood Demon Art?
Even Yuko was shocked at the size.
In her human state, this form's range was basically the length of the blade.
But now—it had multiplied several times.
Under Yoriichi's astonished gaze, the circular moon in the sky seemed to crash down toward him.
And it wasn't finished.
Yuko spun once more in the air.
"Snow Breathing, Tenth Form — Moonlight Beneath the Snow: Second Stroke!"
Two overlapping blood-red moons fell with a thunderous impact.
Even though they had chosen a relatively open area to fight, the sheer scale of the technique enhanced by the Blood Demon Art still sliced the trees at the edges—cut cleanly without the slightest resistance.
Faced with a sword technique beyond human comprehension, Yoriichi instinctively stepped aside to evade.
He retreated a couple of steps and looked upward. Behind the still-descending moon, Yuko's figure had already vanished.
Using the sword form's coverage to obscure her position?
This wasn't like the mist produced by Mist Breathing—it was a wide-range attack forcing the enemy to stay focused, thereby concealing her next move.
However…
Yoriichi's sharp senses urged him to whirl around.
Not far behind him, Yuko's rapidly advancing figure entered his sight.
Her entire bodily structure appeared clearly within his Transparent World.
This raised arm, this muscle control…
That was Sun Breathing, Sixth Form… No!
A ripple flashed across Yoriichi's expression.
"Snow Breathing, Ninth Form — Sunflare Snow."
Yuko's lips curled into a triumphant smile as blood-red flames ignited in Yoriichi's vision, rushing toward him.
She had developed this technique specifically to help Kokushibo understand Sun Breathing.
Since at equal mastery levels, the two could only rely on their physical foundations, her former human state could never defeat Kokushibo.
Thus she created a technique whose opening motion was nearly identical to Sun Breathing, Sixth Form: Solar Heat Haze—
All to make the opponent assume the wrong thing and catch them completely off guard.
And indeed, it worked beautifully.
Not only on Kokushibo, but even now, Yoriichi instinctively misread it.
Eyes do not lie, but people do.
Just as Yuko's blade was about to reach Yoriichi's neck—and before he reacted—she was already starting to stop her swing.
After all, unlike her, Yoriichi could not survive decapitation.
But the moment she withdrew her force—
Yoriichi struck.
So fast!
Almost forming an afterimage in Yuko's sight, Yoriichi's iron blade pressed against her crimson sword.
With an impossibly precise angle, his blade pinned hers down. Sparks burst from the friction against her flame-covered blade. The iron blade enlarged rapidly in Yuko's pupils.
Too fast.
Even if her eyes could see it, her body could not evade.
A burning sting touched her neck.
Yuko's decapitated head fell, straining to look at Yoriichi as it dropped.
That ordinary iron blade—under the friction from her sword form—actually produced crimson flames reminiscent of a red blade.
Her head hit the ground and rolled several times.
"Pft—pft."
Yuko spat out dirt, snapping Yoriichi out of his daze.
Yoriichi hurriedly sheathed his blade, picked up her head, and gently wiped the dirt from her mouth.
"Are you alright?"
"…No."
Yuko was beginning to doubt life itself.
A technique that once nearly severed Kokushibo's neck had been countered effortlessly.
Same recognition, completely different response.
Kokushibo… I understand you now.
Seeing her sulking expression, Yoriichi knew she was fine.
He smiled. "It was an excellent form. I almost didn't react in time."
"Really?" Yuko looked at him skeptically. "You mean almost? Not… a billion years away?"
"Really."
Yoriichi was already used to not understanding half the things his little sister said.
And he wasn't lying.
Yuko's attack truly astonished him.
That counter just now was purely instinctive.
And instinctive counters… rarely allow holding back.
Though slightly comforted, Yuko still let out a long sigh.
"Aah… that seriously crushed my confidence. Terrible for my growth."
Yoriichi: "…"
The gold in Yuko's eyes gradually faded. She raised her head, staring blankly at Yoriichi with wine-red pupils.
Yoriichi remained still.
Yuko suddenly tilted her head, as if confirming something, a slight shift in her expression.
Then she murmured, "Hmm… but maybe I did win in at least one area."
Yoriichi looked puzzled.
Yuko raised her hand above their heads and gestured.
"Look—I'm taller than you now, right?"
Yoriichi froze for a moment, then followed her gesture upward. He fell silent.
Since he was a bit shorter than Kokushibo, Yuko's 170 cm height plus the additional 20 cm of her horns did indeed make her slightly taller.
But…
Completely useless.
As long as she was happy.
Yoriichi suddenly felt unwilling to continue this topic. He shifted the conversation.
"That breathing technique you used earlier combined elements of Sun and Moon Breathing, didn't it?"
Yuko nodded repeatedly with a bright smile. "Mm-hm! Amazing, right?"
Yoriichi smiled as well. "Yuko really is talented."
She truly was amazing.
Combining so many breathing styles one by one was no simple task.
Each style had its own breathing method, rhythm, and even overall character:
Stone Breathing's heaviness,
Water Breathing's softness,
Wind Breathing's sharpness,
Flame Breathing's passion… and so on.
To merge them all together—
That was nowhere near as simple as one plus one equals two.
---
Currently at chapter 207 for advance chapters
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