As Upper Moon Three, having fought for hundreds of years, Akaza had encountered Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen and their Breathing Styles, and occasionally, martial artists still using fighting spirit. However, martial artists without Nichirin Blades were no threat at all, merely meat delivering itself to his doorstep. But he had never encountered anything like Uchiha Nagi's ninjutsu.
A single Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu had utterly disoriented him, dragging his entire body into the earth. Then, a strange power layered around him, binding him. Chakra, a power he was encountering for the first time, was unfamiliar.
Yet, faced with this, Akaza felt no fear. Instead, he grew even more excited. Simply being trapped in the earth wasn't enough to defeat him.
"Destructive Death, Leg Type: Capillary Splaying Luster!" Akaza reacted swiftly, immediately using a leg technique to break free from the Earth Style jutsu.
The very next second, as he broke free with Destructive Death, a figure appeared before him: Uchiha Nagi. Akaza met a pair of crimson eyes, unintentionally looking into Uchiha Nagi's red irises.
Mangekyo: Genjutsu!
How powerful was a Mangekyo Genjutsu? The Fourth Mizukage, the Nine-Tails, and even Danzo had all suffered at the hands of Sasuke and Obito, neither of whom specialized in genjutsu.
Akaza was hit by the technique and momentarily fell into an illusion. But in that single moment, the Flame Hashira saw an unprecedented opportunity.
Facing this Upper Moon Three, whose neck was harder than steel, Uchiha Nagi unleashed the final form of Water Breathing.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
Rengoku Kyojuro's eyes lit up as he unleashed the strongest form of Flame Breathing.
"Flame Breathing, Ninth Form: Rengoku!"
Beside them, Uchiha Nagi, already poised, joined forces. Together, they unleashed the final forms of their Water and Flame Breathing Styles.
Two powerful sword techniques slashed directly towards Akaza, who was still trapped in the genjutsu.
Where is this? Who are they?
Akaza stared at the scene within the genjutsu world. A middle-aged man and a young girl were in a martial arts dojo, appearing incredibly close. Beside them, a human who looked just like himself was following behind the girl. The young man and woman seemed blissfully happy, their faces radiant with warm, sunny smiles. The girl would occasionally blush and lower her head shyly.
Why… why does my heart ache so much?
The next second, the genjutsu scene shifted. The girl and the man from before lay in pools of blood, their breathing stopped.
That's right… the reason I became strong… I wanted to protect them… I hate myself for being weak.
As for the reason why, he no longer had his human memories. He only knew it was because of this father and daughter. On one hand, his memories had been erased by Muzan after he became a demon; on the other, twenty years of human memories were but a drop in the ocean compared to hundreds of years of demonic existence.
I can't die! I can't die! I have to protect them! I must become stronger, endlessly stronger! Aaaargh!
In the real world, Uchiha Nagi and Rengoku Kyojuro panted heavily. Nagi had just expended an enormous amount of eye power; his opponent's mental fortitude was truly rare.
And now, Akaza's head had been severed.
A demon whose neck was cut by a Nichirin Blade was certain to die. This had always been the unchanging weakness of demons.
However, this time, something unexpected happened. Rengoku Kyojuro was astonished to find that Akaza hadn't turned to ash yet.
"Destructive Death: Annihilation Type—Blue Silver Chaotic Afterglow!"
A cold voice emanated from Akaza's headless body. The next second, a sudden change occurred. Around Akaza's body, a Compass Needle-like technique formation appeared. Then, in an instant, hundreds of fists shot out in all directions, each fist launching an invisible projectile. The speed was incredible, the power immense. The scene was impossible to dodge, impossible to defend against.
Morning Peacock—
Guy's signature move flashed in Uchiha Nagi's mind. It too was a martial skill developed by pushing taijutsu to its peak. Though different, they shared a similar essence.
There was no time! Although his vision could keep up, his body couldn't. And with such a wide-range attack, only the Flying Thunder God technique could possibly evade it. His left eye's ability was still recovering.
Then—Susanoo!
A colossal skeletal giant, formed from chakra, materialized instantly, shielding them.
Akaza's Destructive Death: Annihilation Type directly struck the supposedly indestructible Susanoo, causing cracking sounds. Uchiha Nagi gritted his teeth, pouring more eye power into it. The nearly shattered Susanoo transformed into its complete body, finally blocking Akaza's ultimate killing move.
BOOM!!
BOOM BOOM!!!
A towering wave of dust billowed across the scene. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and the others stared in disbelief at the battle before them, too stunned to intervene.
The massive Susanoo and Akaza's devastating attack had directly altered the terrain. The once lush, primordial forest was gone, replaced by a cratered wasteland, with shattered trees still burning.
As the smoke cleared, three figures slowly came into view.
Akaza's head had already regrown. A severed head with closed eyes lay rolling on the ground nearby. Perhaps it was strange to wonder if the regrown brain was still "him." But there he stood, completely unharmed. Nearby, Uchiha Nagi had tears streaming from his eyes; his Susanoo had been dispelled, his eye power heavily depleted.
Rengoku Kyojuro, beside him, wasn't severely injured, as the Susanoo had blocked most of the attack for him. However, his stamina was massively drained, and he was panting heavily.
"I misjudged you," Akaza said slowly, walking out of the dust. "I didn't expect your fighting spirit to be weak, yet your actual strength is considerable. You even managed to sever my neck." "And thanks to you both, I was able to break through to the highest realm. Now, having my neck cut by a Nichirin Blade is no longer a weakness for me." "However, you've expended a great deal of stamina, haven't you? The fragile human body… after just a short while fighting, you're already spent." "Conversely, I can continue fighting for an entire day. Come, join the demons. Be free from all restraints. Not only will you have an ageless, undying body, but also one with limitless stamina, allowing you to train for hundreds of years and constantly surpass yourself."
Akaza's eyes were incredibly clear as he sincerely extended his hands towards Uchiha Nagi and Rengoku Kyojuro. At this moment, he was like a master who had encountered kindred spirits, hoping they would join him in pursuing a higher realm of martial arts.
Uchiha Nagi suddenly laughed. "Hahahaha…..."
"What are you laughing at? Is the pursuit of the highest realm of martial arts so amusing?" Akaza asked curiously.
"I find you quite strange," Uchiha Nagi said. "You speak endlessly of your dream, yet you'll never reach the highest realm in this lifetime."
"Why do you think I can't reach it? My lifespan is endless. A hundred years, two hundred years… someday, I will reach it," Akaza said, his face darkening.
"Because Muzan is your greatest obstacle. Your life can be ended with a single thought from him, can't it? How can someone whose life is always in the hands of another ever break through to the supreme realm?"