Chapter 21: Mist and Electro

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### Chapter 21: Mist and Electro

Hidden amidst the swirling mists, Kintaro struggled to pinpoint Muichiro's location. Each step Muichiro took was silent, as if he had become one with the fog itself. The surrounding scenery was enchanting: the dense white mist infused with a greenish hue gave the entire forest a surreal, dreamlike quality. Snow-covered trees stood tall, their branches weighed down by the pristine white powder. The ground, a smooth expanse of untouched snow, reflected the faint light of the morning sun, creating an ethereal glow.

Kintaro, despite the intense situation, couldn't help but smile. He was surrounded by the beautiful yet mysterious mist, a silent testament to the power and elegance of his opponent. The mist curled and twisted around him, obscuring everything more than a few meters away. The tranquil sound of falling snowflakes and the gentle rustling of leaves added to the serene atmosphere, making it easy to forget that a fierce battle was about to unfold.

The calm was shattered when Kintaro's eyes widened in alarm. He felt a sudden, intense pressure above his head and instinctively ducked. Muichiro's wooden sword, enshrouded in mist, whooshed over his head, missing him by mere inches. Kintaro immediately swung his leg in a counter-attack, aiming to kick Muichiro, but his foot only sliced through the mist, meeting no resistance.

Standing upright again, Kintaro tightened his grip on his sword, his smile returning as he scanned his surroundings with sharp focus. The mist seemed to whisper all around him, and from every direction, he heard Muichiro's voice, calm and slightly amused:

"This is strange. How can you smile in such a situation? Clearly, you're at a disadvantage."

Kintaro swung his sword through the air, attempting to strike the source of the voice, but his blade only cut through the dense fog. In that instant, Muichiro's wooden sword struck again, this time aimed at the left side of Kintaro's head. Feeling the danger, Kintaro raised his left arm to block the attack. The impact stung, but Kintaro quickly readjusted his grip and countered with a swift strike. Muichiro leaped back, avoiding the blow with ease.

Kintaro's eyes widened in realization—this was the real Muichiro, not just an auditory illusion. He lunged forward, trying to catch Muichiro off guard, but found only more mist. Frustrated yet determined, Kintaro glanced at the swelling on his left arm, the pain a reminder of the stakes. Despite the discomfort, he couldn't suppress his grin. He drove his wooden sword into the snowy ground, closed his eyes, and began to concentrate.

'Muichiro-san knows I have the upper hand in direct combat. This strategy is his best way to fight me. But I've thought about this. I've considered what I should do if he used his mist like this, or if I fought a demon in a dark forest. I can win!'

"Electro Breathing, Second Form: Charged Air."

Tiny electro sparks spread out from Kintaro, covering a radius of one kilometer. These minuscule electric charges were harmless and undetectable to most, but Muichiro sensed them and glanced at his hand within the fog, pondering, 'What was that? Am I imagining things?'

Kintaro, still with his eyes closed, began to perceive the world around him differently. His head buzzed with the sounds of the flowing river, rustling leaves, the wind, chirping birds, and scurrying animals—all within a kilometer radius. It was as if he had become an electric radar, detecting every movement.

The sheer volume of sensory input overwhelmed Kintaro. The signals came in waves, appearing and disappearing like flickering green dots on a radar screen. To manage the overload, he reduced his sensory range drastically to just 15 meters. His eyes shot open as he sensed Muichiro's presence within his range.

Grabbing his wooden sword from the snow, Kintaro raised it defensively over his forehead. In less than a second, Muichiro appeared, attacking from above. Muichiro's expression showed a hint of surprise, impressed that Kintaro could sense him amidst the dense fog.

Kintaro clenched his sword tightly, his right hand crossing over his left shoulder in preparation for a reverse swing. Both warriors' eyes gleamed with determination—Muichiro's with a cool, focused intensity, and Kintaro's with a vibrant purple glow.

"Electro Breathing, Third Form: Night's Fury!"

"Mist Breathing, Seventh Form: Obscuring Clouds!"

A horizontal wave of purple energy surged through the mist like a lightning bolt. The purple thermal energy melted the snow below into water, carving a path through the fog and slicing numerous trees in its trajectory. The mist cleared in the wave's wake, revealing the extent of its power. However, Kintaro's eyes widened in shock as he realized he hadn't hit Muichiro. The visible signs of his attack—severed trees, melting snow, and dissipating mist—proved the attack's success, but Muichiro was nowhere to be found.

Kintaro swiftly brought his sword back to a defensive position and turned, but he was too late.

**Crash!!**

Muichiro had already struck with his most powerful technique, the Seventh Form. His wooden sword, cloaked in thick mist, shattered Kintaro's wooden sword into splinters before his eyes.

The scene unfolded in slow motion. Kintaro's wooden sword broke apart, the fragments flying through the air. His face showed a mix of shock and helplessness. In contrast, Muichiro's expression was cold and unfeeling, the embodiment of his mist-like presence.

Kintaro's fight against Muichiro, or rather against the serious Mist Hashira, ended in defeat. Kintaro felt a deep sense of shame, realizing that his ambition to achieve victory over one of the strongest Hashira had been overly optimistic.

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