upper rank three once mentioned during his future battle with Giyuu that he hadn't encountered a Water Hashira in fifty years.
When the Hand Demon was captured, it was still the Edo Period, about forty-six years ago—counting from the time Tanjirou participated in the Final Selection, it should be forty-seven years ago.
Kochou Shinobu's generation of Hashira is already the strongest aside from the first generation—setting aside a freak like Muichiro, the time it took to become a Hashira ranged from as little as one year to as many as four.
The previous generation of Hashira likely took about two to five years as well.
Urokodaki Sakonji, who was active during the Edo Period, probably wasn't a Hashira when he first appeared.
At that time, the Demon Slayer Corps likely wouldn't have dispatched a Hashira-level Swordsman to deal with an evil demon that had only eaten two or three people.
The number of Hashira in the previous generation was certainly far fewer than now; whether the positions were even full is a question mark.
Therefore, they certainly wouldn't have dispatched Hashira-level Team Members so casually.
It can be inferred that when Urokodaki Sakonji encountered the Hand Demon, he was likely not yet a Hashira, and even less likely to have encountered upper rank three.
The previous Water Hashira killed by upper rank three was likely the one before the last.
This old man, who may have never encountered an Upper Rank and might not even have been the strongest Hashira of the previous generation, easily suppressed Kiyokawa Izumi while no longer at his Peak.
Effortlessly and casually.
Kiyokawa Izumi's body began to tremble slightly.
It wasn't out of fear, nor was it because he felt that unfathomable pressure.
At this moment, he felt a strange sense of excitement.
So, is the gap between me and this level really that large?
Fighting an existence far stronger than himself, that sense of excitement was simply impossible to suppress.
Kiyokawa Izumi's eyes were opened, and he learned with a ravenous hunger.
'Does fighting a strong opponent make you this excited?'
'There's no scent of frustration... this child is truly a bit strange.'
The nichirin blade in his hand was knocked away, and the back of his hand was swollen from being struck by the wooden sword, yet Kiyokawa Izumi didn't feel the slightest bit discouraged.
Instead, he picked up the nichirin blade again and spoke solemnly to the old man before him.
"Continue!"
His swordsmanship was growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Having suffered once from the disadvantage of soft force, he was gradually mastering such techniques.
The ink-black tomoe spun rapidly within his pupils.
He didn't just want to see the swinging wooden sword clearly or memorize the decades of accumulation soaked behind that perfect arc.
He wanted to replicate everything.
Whether it was the breathing rhythm during the swing or the subtle techniques of exerting force, he wanted to memorize it all with these eyes.
"Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow!"
Urokodaki Sakonji's wooden sword was thrust out silently.
The tip of the blade sliced through the air, but the airflow it brought was unusually damp, and the sound of splashing water seemed audible to the ear.
The continuous strikes, which had already formed afterimages, seemed to attack from multiple directions simultaneously.
At this moment, Kiyokawa Izumi was undoubtedly under immense pressure.
He not only needed to block this Move but also had to attempt to analyze it.
'First Form: Water Surface Slash - Multi-stage!'
The Move he was most proficient with was still the first.
Perhaps due to the intense use of his eyes, there was a faint ache in his forehead and eye sockets, and his eyeballs felt swollen and sore, but it was within a bearable range, so he ignored it.
If he let such a rare opportunity slip by, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night!
A massive amount of air was inhaled into his lungs.
His hands gripping the hilt suddenly exerted force, and the bluish blade tip blurred into afterimages.
He hadn't fully learned all the Moves of Water Breathing yet.
There wasn't much to say about this Move; it was simply multiple consecutive slashes used to withstand Urokodaki Sakonji's Ninth Form.
The clash, which lasted less than a breath, ended instantly.
Kiyokawa Izumi's footsteps retreated repeatedly, leaving deep marks on the ground.
He was seen drawing a sharp breath.
The pain in his right ribs under his clothes was unbearable.
Unsurprisingly, it was likely already a patch of deep purple.
It was perfectly normal that he hadn't completely blocked it.
Forcing himself to stand upright, he looked straight at Urokodaki Sakonji, clearly signaling that they could continue.
Little did he know that Urokodaki Sakonji, standing opposite him, was currently plunged into deep doubt.
He could still easily defeat Kiyokawa Izumi.
But from this person, he could feel obvious growth.
This actually wasn't anything to be surprised about; talented swordsmen were just like this.
He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but for a moment just now, the person standing across from him seemed like another version of himself.
"Your eyes are very special. Are you imitating me?"
Urokodaki Sakonji looked at the notch carved into the wooden sword and spoke in a tone that was gentle yet not lacking in authority.
"Relying solely on imitation, one cannot become an excellent swordsman. Your learning speed is fast, but you lack your own essence, your own understanding, and you haven't truly mastered it.
Just doing this is not enough."
Although the person before him was not his Disciple, the old man couldn't help but offer a reminder.
Relying on imitation to learn quickly and grow strong fast was certainly a shortcut.
But he could never become the next Urokodaki Sakonji.
The Moves he used were merely imitating Urokodaki Sakonji's execution of those Moves; they were not his own.
Imitation might allow him to grow strong in a short period of time.
But when encountering a truly powerful evil demon, the lack of continuity and the loopholes in the Moves would be fatal.
The physiques, arm lengths, and strength of both parties were different.
No matter how perfect the imitation, it was still just an imitation and could not surpass the original
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Additional chapter at 80 energy stones
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It's tiring to argue with the readers about water breathing...
Firstly, I never said it was the hero's main breathing technique...Secondly, I already mentioned that his compatibility with it is already average, so wait and see...
You can consider breathing water as just an obstacle that the hero will soon overcome.