Tanjuro's face and smile seemed to be right before his eyes... He would always look at him gently, like a reclusive orchid blooming quietly in the spring.
That small home would still be left for his father to protect. As for this large one outside... Roy tightened his grip on the sword.
The blade swept horizontally... "Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
It stirred up the river water, forming a dancing ribbon of water that rushed toward Giyu Tomioka.
Hearing "father," Giyu Tomioka thought of his sister. His sister, too, would always look at him as gently as water... He reached out and caught a drop of water, then took a step, bursting out of the waterfall, and raised his hand, unleashing the same "Striking Tide" to clash with Roy!
Everyone protects different things. Women manage the household and care for the old and young, men bear the burden of livelihood, earning money to support their families, and the Demon Slayer Corps hunts demons to protect a region...
Everyone is desperately trying to live...
"Cling, clang, clang...."
The sound of clashing metal was like large and small pearls falling onto a jade plate, continuous and unending...
The flashing of blades devoured everything in the vicinity, whether cutting down trees, cleaving the lake water, or shattering green stones... Shinsuke, Fukuda, Shimizu, and Watanabe watched in shock. They had already widened their eyes as much as possible, only to find it was still difficult to keep up with the rhythm of the two... It became more and more strenuous to watch...
"Too fast! It's understandable that Senior Brother Giyu has this strength as a 'Hashira,' but what's the deal with this Eiichiro guy?"
Watching someone chop a wooden stake alone was far less visually impactful than a fierce battle between experts.
After learning Giyu Tomioka was coming, Shinsuke and Fukuda had intended to dampen Roy's spirits a bit, to tell him to be more careful when he left the mountain in the future, so he wouldn't suffer a big loss... Now, they looked at each other...
The two were fighting back and forth; it was still unknown who was teaching whom a lesson!
The key was... "Eiichiro isn't even using a Breathing Style." Makomo struggled to capture Roy's figure. Judging from the powerful and steady rise and fall of his chest, which was not as intense as Giyu Tomioka's... the boy was fighting entirely with his own formidable physical body!
"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance... Fifth Form: Blessed Rain After a Drought... Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin... Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow...."
One sword technique after another clashed, and the battle grew white-hot... Giyu Tomioka's breathing visibly began to grow heavy....
Sabito was the strongest among all the disciples. He had also mastered the Breathing Style when he was alive, and although he couldn't maintain "Total Concentration: Constant" like Giyu Tomioka, keeping the breathing mode active 24/7, his eyesight was undoubtedly much stronger than Makomo's, Shinsuke's, and the others'.
So when he noticed Giyu Tomioka starting to pant, Sabito's gaze hardened, his feelings indescribably complex... There was affirmation for Giyu's strength, but also shock that Roy could last until now without falling behind in the slightest, as well as immense gratification...
'They're both outstanding.' He opened his mouth, wanting to call a stop. The 'test' had reached this point; there was no need to continue.
But... as a swordsman, he couldn't speak up, because he understood what it meant for a swordsman to meet their match!
This was evident from the fact that both sides were becoming excited, their attacks growing faster and faster.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux."
"Roar!"
The swords guided the water, and the water formed dragons... Roy and Giyu Tomioka, as if by telepathy, struck out at the same time, each commanding a water dragon, which roared as it slashed towards the other!
"Ding—" A sharp sound, enough to pierce eardrums, tore through the air and swept outwards...
Roy and Giyu Tomioka broke apart on contact, each landing on a birch tree, standing firmly on its tip.
"Boom!" The waterfall, with the central axis between the two as its boundary, exploded violently!
Water splashed everywhere, rustling down like a small rain... soaking the area.
"Hah..." Giyu Tomioka let out a long breath, looking across at the young man opposite him. Roy's heart wasn't pounding, his breathing wasn't ragged; he was calm, composed, and at ease. His condition... was far better than his own!
Logically, the 'test' having reached this point, there was no need to continue... To be able to fight him, a 'Hashira', to this extent, Giyu Tomioka could almost imagine the expression his Master would have upon hearing this news.
Perhaps he would smile faintly as usual, but Giyu Tomioka knew in his heart that his mood would be anything but as calm as he appeared.
"Splash, splash..."
The waterfall returned to its original state... Giyu Tomioka took a deep breath, readjusted his stance, locked his gaze on Roy, and said in a deep voice, "Eiichiro, for someone your age..."
"I, Giyu Tomioka, will call you the strongest!"
"You're too kind, Senior Brother." Roy held his sword in one hand, the tip pointing down at an angle, and looked at Giyu Tomioka with no small amount of admiration. This senior brother of his was, on the inside, far from as cold as his exterior suggested.
On the contrary, in the original story, it was he and Urokodaki Sakonji who vouched for Tanjiro at the Hashira meeting, helping him save Nezuko. Even if times were different now, Roy was grateful for this, and would not disrespect him.
Giyu Tomioka shook his head, saying seriously, "I never joke."
He looked at Roy with a burning gaze, gripped his Nichirin Sword with both hands, the tip also pointing down at an angle, and said calmly, "I still have one more technique. Do you want to see it?"
"Is it the Eleventh Form?"
"It is."
"Hey, hey... don't just decide things on your own!" Shinsuke, Fukuda, and the others were dumbfounded.
They had practiced "Water Breathing" with Urokodaki Sakonji for so many years. Weren't there only "ten" forms in total?
When did an "Eleventh Form" suddenly appear?
"It must be a sword technique Giyu created himself," Sabito said, looking at Giyu Tomioka with emotion. The little crybaby from back then had finally grown to a point that even he could hardly hope to reach... "Once the 'Eleventh Form' is out, I'm afraid even Master wouldn't know how to deal with it."
Makomo anxiously tried to make excuses for Urokodaki Sakonji: "Master is old, it's normal for him to be no match for Senior Brother Giyu. After all... no matter what, he is the current 'Water Hashira'."
Sabito smiled and said no more, turning his head to look at Roy.
The young man's expression was calm. He had, in fact, long wanted to see "Nagi," the sword technique that had lopped off the "Lower Moon Five, Rui's" head in the spider arc, and just how magnificent it would be...
He broke into a smile. "If Senior Brother wants me to see it, of course I want to see it. And..."
Roy rested his hand on the hilt of his short-hilt sword, letting the tip drop to his toes, and looked at Giyu Tomioka with narrowed eyes. "This junior brother also has one technique. I'd like to ask Senior Brother for his critique."
Hmm?
Shinsuke slapped Fukuda. "Did I hear that right?"
*Slap, slap...* Fukuda slapped him back twice. "You heard right."
The group looked at Roy suspiciously, momentarily unsure if Eiichiro's words... were just bluster meant to disrupt Senior Brother Giyu's concentration, or if he was serious... They stared at him blankly...
Makomo's mouth dropped open in an 'ooh'. She reached out and poked Sabito... The fox-masked boy was clearly taken aback as well. He was stunned for a long while before coming back to his senses, exchanging a baffled look with Makomo...