As soon as the words were spoken, time seemed to collapse between them.
In a split second, their afterimages were created in all directions, their movements so fast that they ignored the force of inertia, making the boundaries between perception and reality blur, as if the world could no longer keep up with their speed.
DANG! DANG! DANG!
The clang of clashing swords echoed through the night sky, vibrating the air and shaking the surrounding bamboo forest.
In a fraction of a second, they had exchanged more than 100 slashes, too fast for the ordinary eye to catch.
Their shadows collided in the air, creating afterimages that lingered in empty space before disappearing, swept away by even faster movements.
ZRAAASSH!
Lines of fire split the air every time White Fire and Nichirin Yoriichi met, igniting the wind and leaving a smoldering trail around the bamboo forest.
Each of their steps shattered the ground beneath them, creating small craters that proved the magnitude of the power behind each move.
Sparks rained down on the ground, blending in with the rhythm of swords that incessantly clanged in the middle of the night that seemed to be suffocated by the intensity of their battle.
El slashed forward, White Fire's blade shot out, splitting the bamboo stalk in such a neat cut that time seemed to stop for a moment before it fell to the ground.
The slash marks were scorched, as if the bamboo had been cut by a burning sword.
However, Yoriichi had already disappeared.
In an instant, he appeared on the other side with a deadly sword swing that glided silently, quickly, precisely, and almost inevitably.
CLANG!
Their blades clashed again, the violent vibrations created shaking the nearby wooden bridge until its planks rattled loudly.
Below them, the river rippled wildly, jolted by the pressure of the attack that shook the air.
But there was no pause.
Wasting no time, they were back in motion, their bodies mere shadows that continued to weave through the relentless battle.
Their Selfless State allowed absolute focus, eliminating distractions and minimizing any defensive gaps.
Their Demon Slayer Mark pulsed intensely, enhancing reflexes and attack power to the limit.
The night air was filled with red flashes, traces of the Sun Breathing Style they had mastered, each slash creating waves of heat that vibrated through the air.
SWOOSH!
Yoriichi launched a slash from above, fast and precise, as if splitting the world itself.
However, El twisted his body backward, dodging the attack just a thread's length away.
SHING! SHING! SHING!
El retaliated in one fell swoop, three attack shadows created from his counter-slash, swift, indecipherable, and deadly.
However, Yoriichi parried all of them with perfect movements, without the slightest imbalance in his rhythm.
Then...
BOOM!
The clash of their swords created a devastating shockwave, releasing kinetic energy that swept everything around it.
ZRAASSH!
Bamboos were cut cleanly, leaves flew like they had been hit by a hurricane.
The wooden bridge that stood majestically near them cracked in an instant, then...
CRACK!
Splitting into two, the debris crashed into the river, creating huge ripples that shook the surface of the water.
El and Yoriichi jumped back, returning to a defensive position.
Their breathing was barely audible.
Their eyes met, in a silence more meaningful than a thousand words.
Behind that calmness, there was an understanding that did not need to be spoken.
This was not just an ordinary fight.
This was a duel between two warriors who had transcended human limits.
KRAK!
Suddenly, the loud sound of iron cracking echoed amidst the silent destruction.
In an instant, half the blade of a black sword slipped from its hilt, hovering in the air for a moment before finally sinking into the ground, trembling softly.
The blade was none other than Metsu, Yoriichi's own.
Yoriichi looked down at his broken sword, then smiled faintly, not regret, but understanding and acceptance.
El returned with a similar smile, acknowledging each other's greatness without the need for words.
Then, the night wind blew, carrying the remaining dry leaves, sweeping across the battlefield as if ending this duel.
In the blink of an eye everything disappeared. The bamboo forest, the river, and the bridge that had disappeared. Now all that remained was a silent, all-white room.
With the breaking of Metsu and the return of the scenery to an all-white room, El's victory in the Sun Breathing Style skill battle was decided.
However, the breaking of Metsu did not mean that the sword was of poor quality.
From the start, El had equalized the quality of Metsu with White Fire, ensuring both stood on the same level.
That is, in the series of strikes and slashes they exchanged, Yoriichi used his sword too roughly, letting the blade's durability erode slowly until it finally collapsed.
And when a swordsman's sword broke in the middle of a duel, it wasn't just damage. It was a sign of defeat.
To a swordsman, a sword is not just a weapon, but an extension of their own technique, confidence, and life.
And so, when Metsu shattered, this duel was over.
In the center of the all-white room, El immediately raised his fist up, his expression filled with joy.
"I did it! Hahaha! I finally defeated Yoriichi Tsugikuni!"
His satisfied laughter echoed in the empty space, her eyes shining with pride and accomplishment.
It was no exaggeration that El was overjoyed after defeating the most powerful demon hunter of all time.
The reason?
Because even Michikatsu Tsugikuni, Yoriichi's own twin brother, could never match Yoriichi, even after gaining demonic powers and training for centuries.
But El?
He managed to match and surpass Yoriichi in a Sun Breathing skill duel.
This achievement was not just a victory.
It was a recognition that he had surpassed the limits of a true swordsman.
A short while later, satisfied with celebrating his victory over Yoriichi Tsugikuni, El regained his composure.
There was still a lot of time left on the Bronze Level Training House lease, and he didn't want to waste 3000 points just like that.
With the hologram screen in front of his, El began to adjust the settings and choose his next training opponent.
This time, El did not choose a character from the world of Kimetsu no Yaiba as a training opponent.
Instantly, the all-white room changed drastically, forming a dark, narrow alley.
The surrounding concrete walls looked shabby and damp, illuminated only by a dimly flickering street lamp.
At the end of the alley, a man in a school uniform stood still, his head bowed, while a knife flashed in his hand.
El looked at the figure seriously, his body instinctively stiffening.
Slowly... the man raised his head, revealing a pair of blue irises with rainbow-like aurora.
The beauty of that pair of eyes was like the jewel of the twilight sky, yet behind it lay absolute horror. However, those Eyes were not merely beautiful, they proclaimed the end of all existence, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
As the pair of blue eyes stared, El felt his existence being denied by reality.
His body was suddenly cold and trembling, as if the God of Death was whispering right in his ear.
For a normal person, this would be their worst nightmare come true. However, suddenly El's eyeball underwent a drastic transformation.
The eyeballs with brownish-black irises turned purple with ripple patterns appearing, the six tomoe rotated slowly, indicating Rinnegan had been activated.
Along with that, the Eye of Insight activated. Instantly, his perception of the world changed drastically.
Everything slowed down, and colors disappeared, leaving only black and white in the true sense.
With the activation of the Rinnegan, the chill pressing down on El's body vanished, and the trembling in his body stopped instantly.
Now, before him stood the owner of the Mystical Eye that brought about the end of all existence, Tohno Shiki or better known by his real name, Nanaya Shiki.