[Location: The Hashira Training Grounds]
The fight began with a flash.
Tengen Uzui, the fastest among the Hashira(except Manjiro of course), vanished from his initial position. He appeared instantly in Manjiro's blind spot, his dual cleavers spinning like buzzsaws.
"Sound Breathing, Fourth Form: Constant Resounding Slashes!"
Explosions erupted everywhere. Tengen created a literal wall of noise and fire, a chaotic barrier meant to overwhelm the senses.
Technique: Snake Muffler
The bandages around his neck snapped out.
CLACK-CLACK-BOOM.
The scarf ends hardened into steel whips, infused with the golden glow of the Ripple. They smacked the massive cleavers aside mid-spin with the sound of a gunshot.
"You know, for someone so flashy," Manjiro said, sidestepping a massive explosion without looking. "I was hoping for something more…"
From the smoke of Tengen's attack, Giyu Tomioka emerged silently.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide.
His blade surging forward in overlapping arcs, slipping past the shockwaves to aim a fluid, decapitating slash at Manjiro's neck.
Manjiro smiled expecting this.
The Snake Muffler snapped out to its full two-meter limit. The cloth(bandages) wrapped around Giyu's Nichirin blade mid-swing, hardening instantly to bind the weapon.
"Sendo Ripple Overdrive!"
ZHUUM.
Manjiro sent a pulse of Hamon through the cloth and directly into the metal of Giyu's sword. The blade vibrated as shockwave shot up the hilt.
Giyu's hands seized up as his nerves were overwhelmed by the shockwave. He gasped, his grip failing, and leaped back just before he dropped his weapon, shaking his numb hands.
[POV: Sanemi] 'He hadn't even drawn his sword yet. Seems he's using some blood demon art. He gotta have explanation for all this. That bastard went and powered up'
A shadow covered the sun.
Gyomei Himejima swung his flail. The spiked iron ball descended like a meteor.
"Stone Breathing, Second Form: Upper Smash."
CRUNCH.
The ground where Manjiro stood a split-second ago was pulverized. Gyomei didn't wait, he swung the heavy axe end immediately to catch the dodge, reading the sound of Manjiro's movement.
But Manjiro wasn't on the ground. He landed on the chain.
He surfed down the spinning metal chain links toward Gyomei.
"Life Magnetism Overdrive!" His boots stuck to the metal links like glue, using the Ripple to adhere to the surface even as it spun.
[POV: Mitsuri]: She squealed, clutching her cheeks, her face flushing pink. 'He's surfing on the Stone Hashira's weapon?! Manjiro-kun is incredible! '
Gyomei grunted, sensing the weight on his chain. He vibrated the weapon violently to throw him off.
Manjiro backflipped off the chain, landing in the center of the trio. "Okay. Playtime is over. Let's switch things up."
Manjiro's posture changed. Now emitting pressure, "I'm going to crush you all now."
"Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!"
A shockwave of golden heat blasted outward from his fist.
Tengen's skin blistered from the heat. Gyomei felt the gravity double, forcing him to brace his legs. Giyu felt the moisture in his lungs evaporate.
Move. Or die.
I am the Water Hashira, Giyu thought, his teeth gritting against the pressure. I must be calm. I must be still. I must protect them.
SNAP.
Something broke inside them.
Giyu's left cheek bloomed with a fluid, water-like Mark. Gyomei's forearms cracked with fissure-like patterns. Tengen's eye flared with a musical score pattern.
The three new-Marked Hashira roared, their power exploding to match the pressure.
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm."
Giyu stood in a circle of absolute stillness, nullifying the shockwave.
Manjiro's eyes widened slightly. "Hoh? You all awakening it at the same time? 'Interesting.'"
Manjiro finally drew Kira.
He held the black blade out to his side, point angled down. He wrapped the loose end of the Satiporoja bandage around the hilt.
"Metal Silver Overdrive."
Hamon surged. The black blade turned a brilliant Crimson Red.
"Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail."
SHING
Giant, chaotic crescent moon blades materialized out of nowhere like a demon art. They weren't illusions or wind pressure. They were solid, dozens of crescent moon blades flooded the training ground.
Giyu tried to nullify it with Dead Calm, but the sheer volume of attacks overwhelmed his defense. His blade was knocked aside by five simultaneous impacts.
Tengen threw his anti-demon bombs, but the crescent moons sliced through them instantly, detonating them in the air before they could reach Manjiro.
Gyomei swung his axe to shatter the attack, but the sheer density of the Hamon manifestation knocked the heavy weapon aside as if it weighed nothing.
BOOM.
All three Hashira were blown back. Manjiro stood in the center, unscathed. As the giant crescent moons faded into sparks.
The dust settled.
Giyu panted, his Mark fading slowly. Tengen laughed, clutching his ribs. The image of the Red Blade swinging in arcs of crescent moon burned in everyone's minds.
Manjiro Asakura stood there, lazily winding the Satiporoja Bandages back around his arms. Static electricity popped around him.
Manjiro walked over to Giyu. "You finally got serious. That new move was so cool." He had literal stars in his eyes.
Giyu looked up, his expression unreadable as always "I... see. I still have much to learn."
Manjiro knelt and placed his glowing hand on Giyu's shoulder.
"Hamon Healing."
The fatigue washed away. The pain and bruises slowly fading in real time.
He moved to Tengen. "You good, Festival God?"
Tengen grinned, "That bandage move was brilliant!"
He healed Gyomei, the giant rumbled, bowing his head.
Manjiro stood up. " Now..."
Sanemi Shinazugawa stepped up from the sidelines. He looked spooked.
"That wasn't your breathing style," Sanemi said. "When you used that 'Breathing Style'... I saw actual moons. Physical, glowing crescents of purple and gold light."
Shinobu Kocho approached, her gaze locking onto Manjiro. She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "It looked exactly like a Blood Demon Art," she said bluntly.
The scene locked into place.
Manjiro stopped winding his bandages. He looked at them, his face dead serious.
"Hey. Don't panic, but I think I'm a demon now."
Mitsuri: (Tearing up instantly) "NO! MANJIRO-KUN!"
Obanai: (Drawing his sword immediately) "I knew it."
Rengoku: (Hand on hilt) "I WILL DO IT PAINLESSLY!"
Shinobu: "Ohh... so that's why you smell funny."
Then Manjiro winked.
"I'm... Kidding."
Obanai: "I hate you."
Manjiro chuckled, enjoying their reactions. "You want to know about the moons? It's a Breathing Style created by the demon I slew months ago, Kokushibo. He was a former Slayer. When I fought him, I was able to analyze his movements and replicate the effect using Hamon, which I awakened during the fight."
He held up his hand, letting a golden ripple flow over his skin.
What you guys saw was the synergy of Hamon (The Ripple) and Breathing Styles.
"...To wield the sun itself... Can we learn this?"
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Thanks for Reading.