Suddenly, Tanjiro's eyes widened as a sharp blue arc streaked through the air, colliding mid-flight with the deadly wave he had just unleashed. A deafening crack echoed across the training grounds as the two energies clashed. The collision birthed a small yet powerful explosion, sending shockwaves in all directions. Caught off guard, the ninjas were flung back violently, their bodies slamming into nearby trees as they rolled and tumbled along the ground.
Every samurai on the field turned toward the source of the interference—Temple Hill. Their eyes scanned the distant treeline, but the attacker was too far and too well hidden. All, except one, failed to see him. Tanjiro's keen eyes locked onto a shadow perched high in the trees—Ichigo. And Ichigo, unflinching, met Tanjiro's gaze with quiet defiance.
A slow, sinister smile curled on Tanjiro's lips. Without hesitation, he swung his blade, sending a massive arc of energy slicing through the sky toward the distant hilltop. Ichigo leapt down just in time, the attack missing him by inches and tearing apart the tree where he stood. He landed softly on the ground, ready and calm.
But the moment his feet touched the earth, a barrage of energy surged toward him—several samurai captains launched simultaneous attacks, aiming to overpower him through sheer force. Ichigo stood firm. With one swift motion, he drew in a breath and unleashed a windstorm from the sweep of his wooden sword.
The storm exploded outward, howling like a beast, uprooting the surrounding air with such speed that the attacking captains were blown off course. Instead of striking Ichigo, they crashed into trees and boulders with staggering impact. Dust and leaves spiraled through the air. Silence followed. Then, stunned groans.
The samurai lieutenants, groaning and disoriented, stared at Ichigo in disbelief. That single gust, created without the use of full power, had completely neutralized their charge. Their pride was shaken.
Tanjiro stepped forward slowly, clapping once, his smile not fading. "Who are you?" he asked, voice deep and amused.
Ichigo met his stare, unwavering. "I am the Captain of the Ninja Association," he said with quiet pride.
Tanjiro chuckled, shaking his head. "You are not just a captain," he muttered, his tone darkening, "You are something… far higher."
Tanjiro narrowed his eyes.
Without a word, he spread his aura like a crushing wave across the field. The atmosphere shifted—dense, suffocating. A storm of pressure choked the air, sending birds fleeing from the trees. All the samurai lieutenants who had once stood proudly now cowered—some ducked into bushes, others climbed into the trees, trembling from the overwhelming force.
A dark crimson flame began to burn within Tanjiro's eyes. His jaw tightened, veins in his arms bulged, glowing with a golden hue as if fire itself flowed through them instead of blood. His grip on the sword was iron-tight. Sparks crackled along its edge.
Ichigo watched, then smirked. "Oh my… the baby boy's finally angry," he said, his voice layered with sarcasm and calm menace. "Ha ha haaaa…"
But just as quickly, the laughter faded. Ichigo went silent.
He looked down at his feet, his hand loosely holding the wooden sword. His neck bent forward slightly. A breeze passed, fluttering his hair. The silence was sharp.
Then, he whispered—so softly it cut through the tension like a blade, "It's time… to shut him down."
In the next breath, he raised his head.
His left eye burst into a blue flame, intense and wild, while his right eye gleamed like a star born of ancient power. The ground trembled. He stepped forward, and a wave of energy surged from his body. His aura, once calm, now matched Tanjiro's fury blow for blow—blue to red, ice to fire, balance to chaos.
The battlefield had split into two worlds.
Tanjiro stepped back with one leg, grounding himself like a drawn bow. His sword extended straight in front of him, gleaming with sharp focus. Tiny red lightning pulses began crackling all over his body—buzzing, sparking—tracing along his veins like living flame.
Then—BOOM.
He dashed forward in a blinding streak, as fast and fierce as raw lightning. The ground beneath him cracked. Trees that stood tall moments ago were ripped from their roots, thrown aside in a straight line of destruction. A tornado of dust and wind trailed his movement like a comet's tail.
The dust finally settled.
But Tanjiro's eyes widened.
The air went still.
Ichigo was standing behind him.
Calm. Unmoved.
"You missed," Ichigo said with a smirk, voice quiet yet sharp as steel.
In the blink of an eye, Ichigo vanished.
SWOOSH!
A sudden clash rang through the air as Ichigo's sword came flying toward Tanjiro. Tanjiro twisted just in time to parry, the impact forcing them both back. Their blades had not yet met with full power, but the air around them cracked like glass.
Both landed, feet skidding across the dirt, now standing apart once more—equal distance, equal intensity.
Ichigo's eyes narrowed. Then—lightning.
He exploded forward, blue lightning enveloping his body, each step scorching the ground. With a swift upward swing, he launched a jagged arc of electric energy toward Tanjiro.
But Tanjiro rolled, the bolt barely missing, exploding into the hillside behind him in a burst of light and flame.
The air trembled as both warriors stood face to face, energy swirling around them like violent storms trapped in human form. Ichigo's right eye blazed with blue flame, his left shimmering like a galaxy—stars dancing in his gaze. Tanjiro's veins pulsed with golden fire, red lightning sparking along his arms. The ground beneath them cracked under the pressure of their overflowing mana. Every tree, every leaf, every creature in the area had frozen in awe and fear.
Ichigo tightened his grip on the wooden sword—now infused with so much raw aura, it looked almost metallic. Tanjiro exhaled deeply, the mist from his breath catching fire in the air. They both shifted their stances simultaneously. Ichigo's body glowed with blue arcs of lightning, his feet grounded like thunder waiting to roar. Tanjiro placed one leg back, his blade pointing forward, charged with molten heat. The sky above rumbled as if nature itself sensed the collision of two titans.
And then—they moved.
A clash of speed and fury.
The earth tore open in their path. Trees were uprooted and flung like straws. The air screamed with energy. Ichigo came from the right with a spinning strike, while Tanjiro burst forward in a straight line like a bullet of fire. Their swords were seconds from meeting. The very air between them sparked.
But then—
Boom!
A sudden pressure descended upon the battlefield like a mountain dropped from the heavens.
In the blink of an eye, two hands extended—one caught Ichigo's shoulder, the other stopped Tanjiro's blade mid-swing.
It was Mr. Kael.
His long coat flapped in the violent winds, yet his face remained calm. The aura that now surrounded him made both Tanjiro and Ichigo look like mere embers compared to a blazing sun. His eyes carried weight—not just of strength, but of wisdom, of stories untold.
"That's enough," Kael said quietly, but his voice echoed like thunder in their ears.
Ichigo's blue flame flickered out slightly. Tanjiro's red lightning began to fade.
"I didn't train you," Kael turned toward Ichigo, "to become a reckless weapon."
Then he turned to Tanjiro. "And I didn't spare your clan years ago just to see you fall into anger."
Tanjiro looked stunned. "You… you were the one that—"
Kael raised a finger. "This is not the time."
Both warriors slowly relaxed, though their eyes remained locked.
The dust settled. The wind died. Silence returned.
But that silence was heavy… filled with the promise of a battle unfinished.
To be continued........