"Hahahaha! So strong! So strong!!"
Shinazugawa Genya's lips curled into an unrestrained, frenzied smile, as the blood gushing from the back of his hand formed into blood threads attacking Mizuki.
Mizuki countered with blood threads as well, and the long crimson lines drew streaks of red light that intertwined in mid-air.
Where they passed, ice marks extended across the ground.
Tanjirou swallowed, "That's too incredible."
He only swallowed one strand of Young Miss Mizuki's hair, yet this happened.
However, before Shinazugawa Genya could control it for too long, the frenzied smile on his face suddenly froze, and he fell straight down, stiff as a board.
"Eh?!" Tanjirou's eyes widened, completely failing to understand what had just happened.
"Youth is truly wonderful," Mizuki first sighed with emotion, then looked up at the sky. "This thing isn't so simple to control; it consumes a lot of energy."
Not to mention that Mizuki was still only experimenting with her Blood Demon Art and hadn't gotten serious, otherwise the imitation would shatter the moment it touched the real thing.
Moreover, even she couldn't afford to split her attention to control too many of these blood threads, let alone Shinazugawa Genya, who had only acquired the authorization to use them from her.
Of course, the blood threads can also be controlled unconsciously, but that would lead to a berserk state, destroying everything around her except for herself.
Mizuki didn't want to turn around and see her teammates, who hadn't even fought Muzan yet, sliced into a pile of minced meat by her own power.
And this was something Genya couldn't manage.
Shinazugawa Genya clutched his head and climbed up from the ground. "Damn it, my head hurts so much."
Thanks to Mizuki's regeneration ability, the wounds carved onto his arm by the Nichirin Blade had completely healed, without even a trace of a scar remaining.
Mizuki narrowed her eyes. "It's because you were too arrogant."
Using her own ability against her, and being so arrogant about it, was a bit much.
Shinazugawa Genya scratched his head awkwardly.
Tanjirou frowned, becoming serious—a rare sight. "Young Miss Mizuki, please take this seriously."
"Hmm?"
"If it's about information on your ability, we already understand it," Tanjirou took a deep breath. "I hope you can fight us seriously."
He understood Mizuki's power, and he understood the role intelligence difference played in combat.
But now, they had figured out Young Miss Mizuki's ability.
Therefore, Tanjirou didn't want her to be so casual.
Instead, he wanted Mizuki to be a bit more serious.
Mizuki didn't get angry, but asked with a smile, "Then how serious does Tanjirou want me to be?"
Tanjirou sensed a hint of danger in her smile, but still braced himself and said, "I hope for at least the suppressing power of that Upper Rank One."
"Michikatsu, huh..." Mizuki shook her head helplessly. "It's not that I'm not serious, it's that you guys are still far from enough."
"Even the previous me, you wouldn't be able to defeat in your current state."
Kanao gripped her sword hilt, unable to refute; they hadn't managed to touch Young Miss Mizuki even once.
Whether now or before.
Tanjirou asked with some reluctance, "Is the gap really that huge?"
Even now, after countless hours of training and activating the legendary Demon Slayer Mark.
Mizuki opened her mouth, intending to comfort him a little.
But she saw Tanjirou looking blankly at the Nichirin Blade in his hand and asking, "In that case, what exactly must we do to defeat Muzan?"
Tanjirou had long doubted his own talent. Could someone with his ability truly inherit Mr. Yoriichi's sword?
Mizuki sighed. It seemed she had discouraged the child a bit.
The original intention of this training was actually just for Mizuki to test the extent of her current abilities.
She truly hadn't intended to train Tanjirou and the others into anything specific.
Because they were too weak.
Kochou Shinobu sighed. To reduce the sunny Tanjirou to this state, Mizuki, your sins are truly heavy.
She had gone too far with the game.
Hearing Tanjirou's words, Shinazugawa Genya and Kanao also fell silent.
It was hard to admit, but they felt the same way.
They couldn't do anything.
Feeling smug because of Young Miss Mizuki's power—such a self was truly terrible.
Sensing the low spirits of everyone, Mizuki sighed and said, "Transparent World."
"The Demon Slayer Mark only raises your physical fitness to a level sufficient to fight an Upper Rank, but the Transparent World is what opens the road for you to reach the Peak."
Everyone looked over simultaneously.
They naturally knew about the Transparent World, but... "But besides pushing the body to its limit, it requires extremely high martial arts talent; not everyone can master it."
Among the 'Three-Piece Set,' the scarlet blade is a special attack against demons, the easiest to achieve, yet also the most difficult to achieve.
As for the Demon Slayer Mark, it only requires pushing the body to its limit, the overloaded use of the Breathing Technique, body temperature, and heart rate.
These are all things Mizuki's Transparent Vision can clearly observe and stop at any time.
But the Transparent World is different.
It requires absolute martial arts talent. Even someone as powerful as Akaza couldn't master this technique over hundreds of years.
Currently, the only people who have mastered this technique are probably Mizuki and Michikatsu.
Of course, Mizuki believes Tanjirou can achieve it.
However, her real worry is that she cannot perfectly control that limit.
Unlike the Demon Slayer Mark, where changes in body temperature and heart rate can be felt intuitively, the limit required for the Transparent World is difficult for Mizuki to control.
If an accident were to happen, she wouldn't even have time to cry.
Tanjirou understood Mizuki's words, because Mizuki had mentioned this topic before.
But the current Tanjirou could no longer tolerate his weakness.
He didn't want to be unable to help with anything.
"Young Miss Mizuki, please," Tanjirou said earnestly. "I don't want to be useless when the time comes."
Although he hadn't had the chance to fight others these days, he could tell just by observing Sanemi Shinazugawa's combat.
Even he, having now activated the Demon Slayer Mark, probably wouldn't be a match for Sanemi.
This greatly discouraged Tanjirou, and he wished he could be more useful.
Kanao followed suit, stating, "Me too."
Shinazugawa Genya said nothing, only looking at her seriously.
Mizuki felt stuck between a rock and a hard place; if she had known, she wouldn't have tried this.
Now look, she's driven them crazy, hasn't she?
Mizuki hesitated for a moment. "How about this: once the Hashira finish their special training, we'll find time to train together."
At least that way, there would be other high-level swordsmen to help share the pressure.
At that time, Shinobu can stand by with her blood, and as soon as someone is accidentally cut by her, they will immediately be dragged out of the battlefield for treatment.
As long as the injury isn't instantly fatal, they should theoretically be able to be saved.
She could also feel a little more relieved when using her abilities.
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