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Chapter 93 Shinazugawa Life Crisis.

Hearing Shinazugawa's words, Ubuyashiki Kagaya smiled, couldn't help but feel a bit helpless.

Uzui Tengen was half-kneeling next to Shinazugawa, also looking sideways in surprise:

"You..."

He slightly opened his mouth, the expression on his face changed, and suddenly a smile appeared, the gem decorations on both sides of his head swayed slightly with his movement.

He gave Shinazugawa a thumbs up:

"You issued a challenge quite splendidly."

Uzui Tengen's eyes were serious as he nodded:

"I have high hopes for you."

"Hmm?"

Shinazugawa Sanemi gave him a puzzled look, but didn't pay much attention.

Because -

Due to the remote area he was responsible for, and his temper and character were violent, he didn't talk much with the ordinary swordsmen in the team.

Plus, after the last Hashira joint meeting, because he was dissatisfied with his own strength, he had been practicing swordsmanship hard in his own dojo without paying attention to outside affairs.

This ultimately led to.

Shinazugawa Sanemi - only heard a few things that happened recently from the crow.

For example, the appearance of the Upper Rank in Tokyo.

And for example, the blacksmith village was attacked by demons, but there were no casualties.

- But he didn't know the details.

After all - Ubuyashiki Kagaya was preparing to officially announce these things at this meeting.

And after Tanjuro agreed to Shinazugawa's request.

...

In the courtyard.

The rest of the Hashira were sitting around, facing the same direction as the lord, looking at Tanjuro and Shinazugawa standing in the middle.

For some reason, the representative of the "Flame Hashira" who came to attend the meeting this time was Shinjuro.

After seeing the spirited Shinjuro again, although they didn't know what had happened, the Hashira were much more at ease.

'Seeing you able to come back, we are all sincerely happy.'

This is what Ubuyashiki Kagaya said when he saw Shinjuro.

Hmm! Everyone has become quite splendid.

Uzui Tengen's gaze swept over the other Hashira, his hand with colorful nail polish propped up his chin, and he nodded in satisfaction.

Of course, the most conspicuous one is me.

—Just.

He opened his eyes, his eyebrows slightly raised, and glanced at Tomioka Giyu, who was sitting not far away, always looking at him.

—Tomioka?

—Why has he been staring at me since the beginning...?

Uzui Tengen touched his forehead in confusion.

The gem on his headpiece shone in the sunlight as he moved.

—Could it be... I'm too dazzling today...?

Across from Uzui Tengen.

!!

He was discovered.

Tomioka Giyu's face turned pale (not that you could tell), realizing that Uzui had noticed his gaze, so he casually shifted his gaze away.

Indeed... it's not just one person...

He was still thinking about the figure he saw last night.

...

At this time.

In the courtyard surrounded by the Hashira.

"Next!"

Shinazugawa Sanemi threw a wooden sword to Tanjuro, holding another one in his hand, the sword pointing to the ground.

Snap!

Tanjuro reached out to catch the thrown wooden sword, gripping it tightly.

His dark red eyes reflected Shinazugawa's upturned mouth.

—If he doesn't completely subdue him, guiding the Transparent World might not go smoothly later...

With this thought in mind.

His grip on the sword handle became even stronger.

After the two stared at each other for a while.

Creak!

Boom!

Sanemi twisted his foot, quickly raised his arm, his muscles tensed, like a cannonball, he burst out from the opposite side!

In an instant, a spiral wind sword wrapped around his body from the straight-out sword.

After learning from the last lesson, he abandoned the jumping technique.

Instead, it turned into something that was almost impossible to defend, only to dodge.

—Rapid thrust!

Whoosh!

A light green figure swiftly swept across the courtyard.

Sanemi's center of gravity sank, he showed a smile, but against the backdrop of a face full of scars, this smile looked extremely ferocious.

Just.

The moment he thrust in front of Tanjuro.

Click.

A foot stretched out from the side and stepped on his thrusting sword.

Sanemi's pupils shrank slightly, his eyes quickly followed that foot upwards—

—It's Tanjuro!

...

After predicting through the Transparent World that Sanemi was using a thrusting technique.

A question mark slowly rose above Tanjuro's head.

The start of the thrusting technique reminded him of a former acquaintance who kept jumping on the castle tower.

Almost muscle memory, when Sanemi came to him with a gust of wind, Tanjuro took a step forward and sidestepped.

Click!

He raised his foot and stomped hard on Sanemi's sword!

[Ninja Technique·Insight]

Boom!

With the gravity pressing on the sword, even the Wind Hashira couldn't help but have a moment of imbalance.

He stumbled suddenly.

Shinazugawa felt bad inside.

Again, it was a shift in the center of gravity, just like last time...

His pupils contracted, his eyes widened, bloodshot spread wildly in his whites, and the wooden sword in his hand was tightly gripped.

Is history repeating itself?!

Before this thought in his heart was finished.

"Zing——!"

A wisp of white steam produced by the breathing technique spread into his field of vision.

No time to think.

Boom boom boom!!

With the three howling sounds of the wooden sword cutting through the air.

The legs that lost balance due to the tilt of gravity were suddenly hit by the wooden sword, completely losing the ability to support balance!

Maintaining the sprinting action, Shinazugawa suddenly felt the world spinning.

Then.

Boom!

With a sound, the whole person presented a big character, and once again lay flat in the courtyard.

"...Ah!"

He stared blankly, opening his eyes. His bloodshot eyes incredulously looked up at the azure sky, unable to recover for a long time.

His head was buzzing.

The same outcome as last time.

It was that feeling again.

Shinazugawa Sanemi was staring blankly at the sky, his hand gripping the hilt of the sword had not loosened.

In his two battles with Tanjuro, he had felt it -

- The fight hadn't even started, and his moves had been seen through in advance.

Why would this happen?

Shinazugawa was lying on the ground, he was at a loss.

Meanwhile.

In the circle of Hashira sitting on one side.

"What...?"

Uzui Tengen looked at Tanjuro uncertainly, he squinted his eyes, his hand pinched his raised knee, and his upper body straightened up.

He had expected Shinazugawa to lose, after all, this guy looked much healthier than the last time they met.

What surprised Uzui was.

In the fleeting moment just now, he saw... traces of a 'Ninja' from Tanjuro.

Apart from the Uzui family... are there still Ninjas existing today...?

The rest of the Hashira also looked at the fleeting Shinazugawa Sanemi one after another.

Rengoku Shinjuro was holding his arms, the corner of his mouth twitched slightly - this was much harder than when he had a match with him.

Iguro Obanai, who had never seen Tanjuro fight, looked back and forth between Shinazugawa and Tanjuro in surprise.

After a long time.

Inside the booth.

"Amane."

Ubuyashiki Kagaya, who hadn't heard a sound, turned his head to Amane beside him.

"Hmm." Amane nodded, she was watching Tanjuro, who was helping Shinazugawa up in the courtyard, and explained to Kagaya:

"Wind Hashira has lost."

"I see." After learning the result, Kagaya's expression showed no surprise, he nodded, and then said to the booth below:

"Don't be discouraged, Shinazugawa."

Sanemi, who was helped up by Tanjuro, heard the words and quickly knelt on the ground, bowing his head.

"You have been able to realize what is wrong, you have done well enough."

 

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