Chapter 204: 204 A Battle Fated to Happen
Among the Pillars, some had successfully regrouped to battle against the Upper Moon demons together, while others were still isolated, not having encountered any of their comrades until now.
Rengoku Kyoujurou was one of them.
His Sun Wheel Blade was still sheathed, held in his hand, and thus far, he had not drawn his blade to slay a single demon.
This was because since Rengoku Kyoujurou had been transferred to Infinite City, he hadn’t come across even a single demon.
He couldn’t even find a way to leave the place and was just wandering around a martial arts arena.
Indeed, a martial arts arena.
Rengoku Kyoujurou had been transferred to this martial arts arena that was so out of place with the architecture of Infinite City from the start. Like a samurai who had come to challenge the arena, he couldn’t leave no matter what.
This caused Rengoku Kyoujurou to stop moving. He stood in the very center of the martial arts arena, eyes closed. After a long silence, he suddenly opened them.
"Come out, Akaza."
Rengoku Kyoujurou called out suddenly without any obvious reason.
"You are here, right?"
These words echoed in the martial arts arena for a very long time.
And then...
"You’ve found me."
Accompanied by a voice brimming with battle intent, from the depths of the martial arts arena, a ghost with short peach-colored hair, dressed like a martial artist, gradually approached.
Who else could it be but Akaza?
"Long time no see, Kyoujurou," Akaza said with a smile that seemed joyful as he gazed at Rengoku Kyoujurou. "It’s been half a year since the last time on the Infinite Train, hasn’t it?"
"To be precise, five months," Rengoku Kyoujurou replied, also gazing at Akaza. A moment later, he added, "Indeed, just as Tsukiguni Yoriichi said, you’re not dead yet."
Reiger had already informed all the Pillars that Akaza, the Upper Moon Three, was still alive.
Therefore, seeing Akaza appear, Rengoku Kyoujurou was not surprised.
"How did you manage it?" Rengoku Kyoujurou asked. "You should be different from the Upper Moon Four and Upper Moon Six, not the type who wouldn’t die even if beheaded by a Sun Wheel Blade, right?"
Akaza was a pure martial artist, a pure fighting demon. Rengoku Kyoujurou could feel that.
Such a being shouldn’t have awoken any Blood Demon Art related to survival abilities.
And that was the truth.
Akaza’s Blood Demon Art was a technique for fighting, free of any trickery.
Yet, he had indeed overcome a demon’s weaknesses and surpassed his own limits.
"Ordinary demons would die after being decapitated by a Sun Wheel Blade, this represents the limit of a demon," Akaza explained, spreading one hand out and smiling. "Only a few very powerful demons might break this limit. At the brink of death from decapitation, if they still possess a strong willpower, are intensely resisting the outcome of death, desperately wanting to survive, there would be a chance to break through this limit, making their neck no longer a weakness."
This was a concept known as "Breaking the Limit," unique to demons.
Demons who succeed in breaking through their limits won’t die even if decapitated by a Sun Wheel Blade again, and they can instantly regenerate even if their heads are completely obliterated.
"After being decapitated by Tsukiguni Yoriichi, at the brink of death, an indomitably strong sense of unwillingness and defiance surged within me, allowing me to break through the limits of a demon and to regenerate my head, bringing me back to life."
Akaza shared this with Rengoku Kyoujurou.
"Of course, I only came to understand this afterwards."
The instinct of a battle demon was on full display at that moment.
"What a terrifying fellow," Rengoku Kyoujurou said gravely, "To break through the theoretical limits of ’demon’ life with sheer will and fighting spirit, overcoming the weakness of death by decapitation with a Sun Wheel Blade. Upper Rank Three Akaza, you truly are a dangerous being."
"I am dangerous?" Akaza scoffed. "You’re gravely mistaken."
Akaza retracted his outstretched hand as he spoke.
"It’s just a human, and a younger one than you at that, who managed to decapitate me in an instant before I could even react, nearly killing me."
"Both the former Upper Rank Five and the former Upper Rank Six had greater survival abilities than I do, yet it seems they couldn’t even withstand a single strike from him."
"The Upper Rank Four managed to escape back, but that coward has refused to mention the kid’s name ever since, scared for life, never wanting to encounter that person again."
"Given such circumstances, you dare to call me dangerous?"
"It’s not me who’s the real danger, but that guy!"
As he spoke these words, the smile vanished from Akaza’s face, and his gaze toward Rengoku Kyoujurou became serious.
"Enough about him, let’s talk about you, Kyoujurou," Akaza continued. "The change in you seems quite significant."
Why would he say that?
"Where is your fighting spirit? What happened to the invigorating fighting spirit that you used to condense?" Akaza asked with a somber face. "Why can’t I feel your fighting spirit at all?"
This was why Akaza had only appeared now.
He had waited here for a long time, planning to reveal himself the moment Rengoku Kyoujurou appeared.
But when "Technique Expansion·Destructive Kill·Compass" didn’t react to Rengoku Kyoujurou and couldn’t sense his fighting spirit at all, Akaza’s pupils constricted and he froze, momentarily forgetting to make his presence known.
In theory, such a thing should be impossible.
It was inconceivable for someone not to have fighting spirit. Even a newly born infant knows to snatch and consume food brought to its lips, let alone a battle-hardened samurai.
And as long as there is a will to fight, even if only instinctive, fighting spirit will be generated.
So, without exception, even newborn babies have a faint fighting spirit, making the existence of someone completely devoid of it impossible.
On the Infinite Train, Akaza had already confirmed that Rengoku Kyoujurou possessed a very refined fighting spirit.
For it to have vanished from him, how could Akaza not forget to react?
Shock even filled Akaza’s heart.
Because, as far as he knew, the only state in which one could conceal their fighting spirit so completely was one.
"Have you already stepped into that realm?" Akaza stared intently at Rengoku Kyoujurou and said, "The realm that we martial warriors pursue until death, have you reached it?"
Rengoku Kyoujurou did not answer the question at all.
"Zing..."
Amidst the faint sound of metal scraping, Rengoku Kyoujurou drew his Sun Wheel Blade.
"It’s truly incredible." Rengoku Kyoujurou suddenly said, "For some reason, ever since that time on the Infinite Train, I’ve been constantly replaying our battle in my mind."
That battle saw Rengoku Kyoujurou thoroughly at a disadvantage under Akaza’s fierce onslaught.
"Even though I was also soundly defeated in the fight against Upper Moon Four, I am not obsessed with that defeat. Instead, I keep thinking about the battle against you."
Speaking of this, Rengoku Kyoujurou indeed found it very inexplicable.
"Why is that?" Rengoku Kyoujurou closed his eyes and said with an unprecedented calm, "Why do I feel such an impulse that I cannot lose to you again, that I must defeat you no matter what?"
Rengoku Kyoujurou never figured it out.
But there was one thing that Rengoku Kyoujurou was certain of.
That was...
"You and I are destined to battle." Rengoku Kyoujurou opened his eyes, looked at Akaza, and declared, "The victory that wasn’t settled on the Infinite Train, let’s settle it here."
Upon hearing this, Akaza was momentarily stunned, then he laughed.
He laughed heartily.
"You really get it, Kyoujurou!" Akaza laughed heartily and said, "That’s right, nothing else matters. It comes down to this: you’re here, I’m here, and so a battle cannot be avoided!"
"Even if you have entered that realm, it’s the same!"
Saying so, Akaza stepped forward and assumed a stance.
"Technique Expansion·Destructive Kill·Compass!"
A pattern of snowflakes spread out beneath Akaza’s feet.
Rengoku Kyoujurou also raised his blade, fixed his gaze on Akaza, while a red pattern, like a flame coming to life, appeared on his forehead.
"......!"
In that moment, Akaza—though still not feeling Rengoku Kyoujurou’s fighting spirit—felt a deadly threat.
Thus, Akaza was certain.
Rengoku Kyoujurou, this man, had not only entered that supreme realm but had also awoken some kind of power that had significantly increased his strength.
His Sun Wheel Blade had somehow turned a fiery red.
That blade could kill him.
Even if he, Akaza, had broken through the limits of a demon, having his head chopped off by Rengoku Kyoujurou’s current blade would indeed be fatal.
Realizing this, Akaza’s heart sounded a wild alarm, but his smile grew only wider.
"Let me ask you one last time, Kyoujurou."
"...I think I can guess what you’re about to say, but go ahead, let me hear it."
"Do you want to become a demon?"
"No, thanks."
"...Is that so?"
Their conversation ended there.
The next instant, both of them disappeared from their spot and when they reappeared, one was slashing at the other, while the other was unleashing a punch.
"Boom!"
The booming sound shook the entire battlefield.
Flames and shockwaves swept through, shaking the very air.
...
"The Flame Pillar! Engaged in combat with Upper Moon Three!"
"The Flame Pillar! He’s fighting Upper Moon Three!"
With Keigai’s piercing report, the news quickly spread throughout Infinite City.
Everyone knew that Rengoku Kyoujurou was facing Upper Moon Three alone.
That included Reiger.
"..."
Reiger fell silent.
Even he would not have expected that because of his arrival, the battle between Rengoku Kyoujurou and Akaza, which should have been delayed, could still happen as scheduled.
"Could this be what they call fate?"
In the original story, Rengoku Kyoujurou was the first Pillar to die in battle, and Akaza was the one who struck him down.
That battle was also a significant part of the story.
And now, the battle had come nonetheless.
But...
"The outcome is no longer the same."
This time, Reiger had confidence in Rengoku Kyoujurou.
He believed that Rengoku Kyoujurou would surely win.
For sure...