Chapter 222: Riezel vs Yoriichi (II)

Chapter 222: Riezel vs Yoriichi (II)

*BOOM!*

In the blazing reddish flames, the two figures that had been battling fiercely finally pulled apart, as if blown back by a shockwave, creating distance between them.

Yoriichi landed on the ground, taking a few steps back before finally stabilizing himself.

Riezel, on the other hand, continued to scrape the ground with his feet, leaving a furrow several meters long before coming to a stop.

After such an intense exchange of offense and defense, they finally had a moment to catch their breath.

"Hahh... as expected from the one who defeated Kibutsuji Muzan." Yoriichi remarked, looking at the young man across from him, raising his sword in admiration. "You're far stronger than I was in life."

"No..." Riezel remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh. "In some ways, I am far from being as good as you."

What he said were his heartfelt words.

In the recent battle, there was no doubt that Riezel had been at a disadvantage for most of the time.

Why?

Was it because Yoriichi's current strength was greater than his?

No.

If you only consider their overall abilities, Riezel and Yoriichi were nearly evenly matched.

In terms of strength and speed, they were very close, with no clear superiority.

However, outside of their physical abilities, Yoriichi had clearly surpassed Riezel in many areas.

For instance, in swordsmanship, Yoriichi was clearly better than Riezel.

Although their use of Sun Breathing's sword forms was similar in effect, Yoriichi's transitions between the forms were smoother and quicker than Riezel's, allowing him to manage his overall combat skills and rhythm better.

Additionally, regarding the Transparent World, Yoriichi had been accustomed to this ability for many years.

In other words, Yoriichi observed details more finely and reacted faster than Riezel who had just awakened it several months ago. Furthermore, Yoriichi's control over finer details was also superior, causing Riezel to sometimes struggle to keep up with his movements and reactions.

Moreover, Yoriichi's use of Sun Breathing had a level of refinement that Riezel couldn't match.

It was important to note that Riezel's Hermit was not an ordinary Nichirin Sword but first-class special equipment, constantly emitting high temperatures that could easily melt steel.

Yoriichi's Nichirin Sword, on the other hand, was an ordinary weapon, not reaching the level of special equipment.

In a clash between Yoriichi's Nichirin Sword and Riezel's Hermit, the expected outcome should be clear—Riezel's Hermit should cut through Yoriichi's Nichirin Sword.

However, Yoriichi's Nichirin Sword was not only unharmed but also withstood multiple collisions with Hermit without showing any damage.

Why?

In fact, this was because Yoriichi wrapped the flames of Sun Breathing around his sword and ignited them upon impact, converting the high temperature into a hot wind that neutralized the heat from Hermit and softened Riezel's slash speed and power.

As a result, Hermit could not cut through Yoriichi's Nichirin Sword.

Such remarkable skill and the combination of various factors allowed Yoriichi to suppress Riezel.

Whether it was swordsmanship or the Transparent World, these were clearly abilities that Yoriichi had possessed even before he evolved Sun Breathing.

What did this imply?

It implied that before evolving his Sun Breathing and reaching Level 7, Yoriichi's swordsmanship and Transparent World were already superior to Riezel's.

Even though Riezel, after evolving Sun Breathing, had achieved strength comparable to Level 7, his swordsmanship and Transparent World were still inferior to Yoriichi's.

Because of this, Riezel made such heartfelt words.

However, at the same time, it also served as a wake-up call for him.

*BOOM!*

A thunderous roar erupted, and the explosion once again forced the two swordsmen apart, creating distance between them.

"Huuu..."

"Haaa..."

Riezel and Yoriichi stood facing each other, raising their swords, appearing completely unwearied.

Riezel, who possessed the highest rank of 'Healing Power' development ability, had nearly infinite stamina and hardly ever felt tired.

Yoriichi, though lacking Riezel's development ability, had a breathing style so extraordinary that as long as his breathing remained steady, he rarely felt fatigued.

In the original work, Tanjirou's father had once said—If the breathing method is correct, you can keep dancing.

Holding onto this belief, Tanjirou's father could dance the Kagura Dance in the snow for a day and night without feeling tired, despite his frail body.

Yoriichi was undoubtedly the same.

His mastery of Sun Breathing was so extraordinary that it allowed him to fight intensely for long periods without feeling tired.

Of course, whether tired or not, after more than ten hours of fierce battle, both Riezel and Yoriichi looked drastically different from before.

Not only were they both battered, with their clothes torn by sharp blades or scorched black by flames, but their appearance was so disheveled that it would shock anyone who knew them.

Yet, despite their ragged and scarred state, their eyes shone brightly, full of spirit.

Clearly, their fighting intent and determination had never wavered.

"You've caught up to me already." Yoriichi remarked with a smile.

"Yeah, finally..." Riezel responded with a smile of his own.

After hours of intense combat, Riezel had fully matched Yoriichi's swordsmanship. Even the Transparent World, he gradually became more skilled at using it by observing Yoriichi.

Now, facing Yoriichi, he no longer found himself at a disadvantage like earlier.

However—

"Even so, it will only become a stalemate at most..." Yoriichi continued. "In that case, you won't be able to defeat me."

Indeed, Riezel was at his limit as well.

Needless to say, as the two of them had reached a perfect balance and neither was getting tired, the fight would only end in a draw if it continued.

Consequently, there was no way to determine a clear winner.

Even if they fought for three days and nights, or even ten days and nights, it would still remain the same.

At least, Yoriichi didn't think he would lose.

However, Riezel shook his head at Yoriichi's words, denying it.

"No, there will be a winner... I still have one final strike left."

Upon hearing Riezel's words, Yoriichi was slightly taken aback.

"One final strike...?" Yoriichi muttered confusedly.

Seeing his confusion, Riezel smiled faintly.

"Honestly, I've always felt that the thirteenth form you created doesn't really count as a new sword form."

"For this reason, I've invented my own thirteenth form."