Feinting to the east and attacking the west, this simple strategy is always effective, whether in battle or war.
What truly made Mizuki feel uneasy was, why did their shouting sound a bit creepy to her?
How did that saying go? Shouting about friendship and bonds before charging forward.
Although this is a hot-blooded manga where bonds and friendship can boost combat power by a thousand percent, fortunately, Mizuki isn't the villain.
And after losing the boost of such buffs, trying to outwit Mizuki with such simple tricks was still quite lacking.
With the gap in raw strength, such cunning maneuvers wouldn't have much chance.
"Snow Breathing, First Form: Tornado." Mizuki immediately raised her hand, unleashing the Tornado, the most defensive form of Snow Breathing.
Tornado is a technique that dismantles enemy attacks by rapidly rotating the body and the Nichirin Blade.
A furious blizzard suddenly descended, chilling the air several degrees, and the biting frost instantly forced back everyone's offensive.
Everyone's coordination was flawless; in fact, achieving such an effect on their first collaboration was already quite impressive, but Mizuki repelled their combined attack with just one Sword Form, which could only be attributed to the gap in raw strength.
Sword Forms might sound flashy, but in a fight, the fundamental physical stats are still what best reflect combat power.
Just like Yoriichi, although he couldn't surpass Muzan in other aspects, he only needed to be faster than him.
"So strong." Kotetsu watched, dazzled.
Although he couldn't understand it, he had a vague sense of awe.
Gin-ko muttered, "Damn it, why is this guy so strong? Muichiro, don't lose!"
But their attack wasn't over. Shinazugawa Genya, who had been sent flying, his face still swollen, adjusted his posture in mid-air, and the moment he landed, he charged towards Mizuki.
Mizuki successfully repelled their offensive. A strong gust of wind assailed her from behind. She calmly turned around, striking backward with her scabbard.
"Snow Breathing, Fifth Form: Snow Drifts Ten Thousand Miles."
"Damn it!"
A wave-like snow-colored tide surged, pushing Genya away.
Behind her, everyone's combined attack came again.
Moreover, this time, they didn't give Mizuki a chance to repel everyone with a single move; the coordination in their attack transitions was perfect.
Even Mizuki, in a defensive stance, could only choose to dismantle each of their attacks one by one.
Their coordination was a bit too good.
It really didn't seem like they were just bickering moments ago.
Perhaps Tanjirou and the others had also activated their Demon Slayer Marks, and their recent training had taken effect, making Mizuki feel a rare sense of pressure.
Well, not much.
Tanjirou tensed his nerves, staring intently at Mizuki's movements.
Too strong. Even with this level of coordination, they couldn't injure Miss Mizuki at all.
But... Bang!!
A gunshot rang out.
As Shinazugawa Genya flew backward, he adjusted his posture in mid-air, pulled out a flintlock, aimed, and fired a special bullet at the opportune moment.
Even though it was a special bullet capable of wounding demons, to Mizuki, nothing among the Demon Slayer Corps' methods posed a threat.
But his timing was excellent, precisely when she was parrying attacks from Inosuke and Zenitsu, one from the left and one from the right.
Mizuki was stretched thin, but with her keen senses, she still tilted her head slightly, dodging the bullet aimed directly at the back of her head.
The bullet grazed her cheek, taking a few strands of Mizuki's long hair with it, leaving a lingering scent of gunpowder.
This guy... was he trying to kill her?
So ruthless.
But it must be said, Mizuki actually quite liked ruthless individuals like him.
Mizuki had trained many people, primarily The Three Little Ones. Even knowing Mizuki was impervious to Nichirin Blade attacks, they would still choose sparring methods in combat.
They wouldn't go for a killing blow.
It wasn't that they could injure Mizuki, but rather they weren't the type to hesitate.
However, such training methods were often not the best. No matter how much she emphasized it, even Inosuke, the less intelligent young man, never went for a ruthless strike.
Being able to go for a ruthless strike and actually doing it are two different things.
In contrast, Kyoujurou, Uzui Tengen, and now Tokito and Genya, all exerted their full strength very well.
When they had a chance to strike Mizuki, they would never hold back in the slightest.
Out of the corner of her eye, a large red rat flashed past. Tanjirou slid past her side, intercepting the few strands of her long hair that the bullet had taken away in mid-air.
So that's it, their goal is her body tissue?
Mizuki didn't forcefully intercept. In this battle, besides absolutely suppressing Tokito, she was giving appropriate sparring guidance to everyone else.
It wasn't just because Tokito was a significant threat; for those who were about to activate their Demon Slayer Marks, insufficient suppression wouldn't meet the physical hard requirements.
Not to mention this kid's stable mentality, truly worthy of his genius reputation.
His talent is much higher than Tanjirou's; if he could master Sun Breathing, his potential might be higher than Tanjirou's.
But Sun Breathing has very demanding physical requirements and may not be suitable for everyone.
As for Moon Breathing, Muichiro, being a descendant of Kokushibou, might have the talent.
However, Mizuki doesn't know many Moon Breathing Sword Forms, and Kokushibou's subsequent Sword Form developments were all combined with Blood Demon Art, which humans cannot learn.
Therefore, continuing to improve their own Breathing Technique is the best option.
After successfully obtaining Mizuki's hair, everyone retreated to a safe position in unison.
Mizuki was genuinely curious about how their coordination came about.
Everyone else made sense; they knew Genya might be taking her body tissue, but what about you, Tokito?
Why could you keep up with their coordination?
Mizuki had a sense of déjà vu, feeling isolated by everyone.
Tanjirou snatched Mizuki's hair, then rolled to deliver the hair into Genya's hand.
"Hmph~"
Genya swallowed Mizuki's hair without hesitation, grunting as the muscles on his face twitched uncontrollably, and his whole body began to tremble.
Everyone's gaze fell on him in unison.
"This is?" Tokito's eyes flickered as he pondered.
Mizuki was the first to notice the abnormality.
Aura had changed.
Aura is unique to everyone; it's not a scent, but something more ethereal.
But at this moment, Genya's aura actually had a subtle resemblance to hers.
But what truly surprised Mizuki was... "Demon Slayer Mark!" Tanjirou couldn't help but exclaim.
On Genya's cheek, a mark appeared that was ninety percent similar to the Demon Slayer Mark on Mizuki's face.
For a moment, Mizuki almost suspected that he had instantly activated his Demon Slayer Mark.
Could Demonization achieve this extent?
Not just Blood Demon Art, but even the Demon Slayer Mark could be replicated.
The Demon Devourer's ability was even more formidable than she had imagined.
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