First Battle with Upper Rank One
A cold moonlight enveloped the abandoned streets of Tokyo's suburbs. Shiro and Giyuu walked side by side amidst the rubble, their Nichirin swords unsheathed, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
"The information is wrong." Giyuu calmly observed his surroundings, "It's not a lower-rank demon, it's just an ordinary demon."
Before he could finish his words, a dark figure suddenly leaped out of the dilapidated house. The ghost was burly, and his skin looked like rock in the moonlight.
"Blood Demon Art: Rock Skin!" The ghost laughed wildly and punched the ground, sending gravel flying.
Bai leaped back lightly, his silver hair arcing in the moonlight. Giyuu met him head-on, his Sun Blade gleaming with azure light.
"Water Breathing·Fourth Form·Tide Strike!"
The blade collided with the ghost's hardened arm, making a crisp sound of metal hitting metal. Only a white mark was left on the ghost's arm.
"It's useless!" the ghost roared triumphantly, "My blood magic can harden the whole body!"
Bai and Yiyong exchanged a glance. Years of tacit understanding allowed them to instantly understand the tactics.
"Water Breathing·Second Form·Revised·Horizontal Waterwheel!" Bai launched a feint attack from the side, and the sword light poured down like a waterfall.
Gui hurriedly hardened his side, but saw Bai's attack suddenly change direction, and the real killing move came from behind -
"Water Breathing·Pick-up Form·Life Flowing!"
Yiyong's blade spun like a dragon, seizing the moment when the ghost hardening was lifted and slashing towards the neck accurately.
The ghost's head fell to the ground, its face still showing an expression of disbelief. However, at this moment, the ghost's eyes, which had not yet dissipated, suddenly became empty, and a terrifying pressure spread.
"This is..." Bai felt a palpitation in her heart. It was a breath that she was very familiar with.
The ghost's eyes suddenly turned to Bai, and a cold voice seemed to come from hell:
"I found you, my dear experiment."
Bai's face turned pale instantly: "Muzhan..."
Before he finished speaking, an even more terrifying aura descended from the sky. Six blood-red eyes, particularly terrifying in the moonlight, appeared above the ruins like a ghost.
"Teacher..." Bai subconsciously took a half step back, his hand holding the knife trembling slightly.
Kokushibo's gaze swept across Shiro before settling on Giyu. "Come back with me, Shiro."
Giyuu immediately stood in front of Bai, holding the Nichirin Sword across his chest: "Impossible."
Kokushibo's six eyes narrowed slightly. "Pathetic swordsman, are you worthy enough to stop me?"
Without drawing his sword, he simply raised his hand and swung it, and invisible sword energy tore through the earth. Yiyong tried to block it, but the shock made his palm numb.
"Water Breathing·Eleventh Form·Nagi!"
Giyu tried to expand his domain, but Kokushibo's figure had already disappeared.
“Too slow.”
A cold voice came from behind him, and before Giyu could even turn around, he felt a sharp pain in his back. Kokushibo's scabbard struck him hard on the back, sending him flying and collapsing a broken wall.
"Senior Giyu!" Bai screamed and wanted to rush over, but was blocked by Kokushibo.
"Shiro." Kokushibo's six eyes stared at her, "Lord Muzan has been waiting for you."
Bai looked at Giyuu who was struggling to stand up from the ruins. Blood was oozing from the corner of his mouth and his steps were staggering, but he still held the Nichirin Sword tightly.
"I will never go back." Bai's voice trembled with anger. "I would rather die!"
Kokushibo shook his head slightly: "Then I can only take you back by force."
He finally drew his sword—a strange-shaped katana that radiated a cold moonlight. The moment it was unsheathed, the air around him began to tremble.
"Breath of the Moon, Form One, Dark Moon, Palace of Night."
Countless crescent-shaped blades whistled out with the slashing blows, tearing apart everything in their path. Giyuu used his sword to block with all his might, but he was still scratched by several of the crescent-shaped blades, and blood instantly dyed his haori red.
"Stop!" Shiro screamed and rushed towards Kokushibo, "Don't hurt him!"
Kokushibo easily deflected her Nichirin sword. "Are you going to be my enemy for a human, Shiro?"
At this moment, Giyuu stood up again, his deep blue eyes burning with determination: "Shiro, stand back!"
"But..."
"Believe me." Yiyong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and the Sun Blade shone with water again.
Kokushibo sneered, "Stupid."
The ensuing battle was a near-one-sided crushing defeat. No matter how hard Giyuu attacked, Kokushibo easily neutralized him. Each form of Moon Breathing carried devastating force, forcing Giyuu to retreat.
"Water Breathing·Seventh Form·Shizuku Ripple Thrust!" Giyuu launched the final charge, with the tip of the sword pointing directly at Kokushibo's heart.
However, Kokushibo simply turned sideways, and swung his sword down with the cold moonlight—
"Breath of the Moon·Form Five·Moon Soul Disaster Vortex!"
The massive vortex-like slash completely engulfed Giyu. When he landed heavily on the ground, his body was already covered in blood, and the Sun Blade flew out of his hand.
"Senior Yiyong!" Bai's cries were heartbreaking.
She rushed to Yiyong's side, watching him dying, memories flooding back into her mind - the young man who had brought her home in the snow, the teacher who had patiently taught her swordsmanship, the family who had stayed by her side during her nightmares...
"I will never... let you take me away..." Bai slowly stood up, and the Sun Blade in his hand began to emit a strange light.
It was no longer the azure blue of Water's Breath, but a cold silver-white like the moon.
Kokushibo's six eyes widened at the same time: "This is..."
"Breath of the Moon·Land Form·Long Night Lonely Moon·Unending!"
Shiro's blade traced a perfect arc, and countless crescent-shaped blades rained down like a torrential rain. The speed and power of this attack far exceeded Kokushibo's expectations. He hurriedly raised his blade to block, but a crescent-shaped blade still slashed across his cheek.
A drop of blood slid from the wound. Kokushibo stroked his face in disbelief, his six eyes fixed on Shiro.
"You... drew your sword against me?" His voice was filled with indescribable emotion. "For a human?"
Bai gripped the Nichirin Sword tightly, tears and blood mixing together: "He is the most important person to me... just like you, Sensei, are important to me."
Kokushibo was silent. He looked at Bai Juejue's eyes, then at Giyuu, who lay dying on the ground. A complex light flashed in his six eyes.
"Is this your choice..." He slowly sheathed his sword, "Then take care of yourself."
Kokushibo's figure gradually dissipated in the moonlight, leaving behind only a few words floating in the wind:
"Next time we meet, I won't show mercy."
Bai immediately knelt down beside Yiyong and frantically tried to stop the bleeding. "Hold on, Yiyong-senpai... I'll take you to the Butterfly House right away..."
Yiyong weakly raised his hand and gently held her trembling fingers: "You finally... used your real swordsmanship..."
Under the moonlight, their clasped hands were stained with blood, yet also held an undeniable warmth. Bai knew that from this moment on, she could no longer hide her past. But looking at Yiyong's still trusting eyes, she felt that perhaps confessing everything wasn't so scary after all.
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