CHAPTER 119: CHAPTER 119: RUDIMENTARY FOURTH FORM

Happiness isn’t as elusive as it seems. When you give your heart, you will eventually receive it in return.

True sincerity is never wasted; it simply encounters the wrong person.

Sosuke considered himself fortunate to have found someone he wanted to protect.

When he first forged that blade for her, every hammer strike carried his hope for her safety.

And now, it was the same.

To safeguard his happiness, he needed greater strength.

When something he longed for was right before him, yet he hesitated to reach out, it ultimately stemmed from his fear of being unable to bear the weight of responsibility. Then he would simply become stronger!

Kanae shared the same sentiment.

She harbored the same fears and uncertainties as Sosuke. Though she had longed for this outcome, when the moment came to take that decisive step forward, doubt and dread resurfaced.

It wasn’t until Sosuke’s words reached her ears that she finally understood the source of her anxiety.

They both possessed the resolve to protect each other, but what about the strength?

Day after day, they walked the razor’s edge between life and death, the demons’ power looming like a sharp blade suspended above their heads.

Who could guarantee they would survive until tomorrow?

When she recalled her initial hesitation toward Sosuke, she wondered if it stemmed from dislike.

No!

That affection had likely taken root in her heart from their very first meeting. What truly made her hesitate was the uncertainty surrounding life and death.

It wasn’t until Sosuke resolved to become stronger that she began to harbor hope for the future.

She trusted that Sosuke would eventually grow strong enough to protect their future together.

Now that Sosuke had grown stronger, it still wasn’t nearly enough.

And it wasn’t just him—she felt the same way!

They were still far from where they needed to be!

They had to work even harder, not just for all the humans ravaged by demons, but for themselves, to fight for a more perfect future!

With a clear purpose in their hearts, they could walk further down their path.

In that brief moment of eye contact, Sosuke’s words had conveyed their mutual understanding.

The awkward atmosphere vanished instantly as they leaped hand-in-hand from the rooftop.

Kanae turned to go back, but Sosuke pulled her back.

She glanced back at him, her cheeks flushing slightly, before following him into the room.

Within the bamboo forest, the melting snow had transformed into a babbling stream, its waters cascading down rocky cliffs. The rhythmic drip of water striking the stones resonated deep within Sosuke’s heart.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. The Nichirin Blade in his hand blurred into a phantom image as he thrust, slashed horizontally, parried upward, and cleaved downward in a flurry of motion.

The series of movements converged into a single, fluid motion. As the blade light fell, a heatwave seemed to surge forth, the Nichirin Blade blazing like a dragon-shaped sun.

Sosuke exhaled sharply, his Nichirin Blade snapping into its sheath with a *click*.

"Sun Breathing Fourth Form... it’s still not complete."

Sosuke replayed the Sword Form in his mind. He had fused four techniques into a single strike: the thrust he learned from Shinobu Kocho, the horizontal slash from Water Breathing, the upward sweep from Flower Breathing, and the downward chop derived from a variation of his own Sun Breathing Second Form’s breathing technique.

Yet the breathing remained disjointed, the transitions between the four techniques still felt disjointed. This meant the strike couldn’t yet be considered successful.

"I need to refine my breathing further, accelerate the execution, and completely fuse the four techniques into a single, seamless strike. Only then can I adapt to more complex combat situations. Even if a Demon breaks my form, I’ll have more options to counter. That’s what it means to be a true Swordsman!"

Sosuke closed his eyes, mentally reconstructing the four techniques step by step, meticulously analyzing each breath. Finally, he nodded.

Now that the concept was clear, all that remained was relentless practice to perfect every detail. He needed to become faster and stronger to execute the strike flawlessly.

He approached a bamboo stalk.

With a single glance, he extended a finger.

The moment his finger landed, the bamboo split in two with a sharp cracking sound.

"Stone, trees, and similar objects can be identified with a glance. But weapons or harder materials require intense mental focus."

Sosuke recalled his battle with Lower Third. The extreme concentration had allowed him to mobilize nearly every ounce of strength in his body. In that instant, he had glimpsed a flaw in Lower Third’s bone blade and shattered it with a single strike.

"So, the method of focusing my mind must be correct, but my current skill isn’t refined enough. I need to concentrate even more. If I struggle this much with inanimate objects, I can’t sense any weaknesses in people, no matter how hard I focus. And against demons..."

He shook his head. If he could truly discern flaws in demons, even Muzan might not stand a chance against him.

"Hmm, the prerequisite is that I must possess speed surpassing his, an attack power capable of defeating him, and assurance that shattering him will actually kill him..."

After muttering to himself for a while, Sosuke suddenly felt a pang of despair. If shattering him truly meant death, Yoriichi would have eliminated him long ago. Why would he have waited until now?

"Yoriichi should have just dragged him out into the sunlight back then!"

Muzan’s sole weakness was the sun. If they could somehow lure him into the sunlight, it would all be over.

As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, marking the end of another day, Sosuke packed up and turned to head back.

Only three days had passed since Shinobu’s sudden insistence on their marriage.

With no forging duties during the day and his tools unavailable, Sosuke dedicated the entire day to training. At night, he and Kanae would stargaze and admire the moon together.

Shinobu kept a close watch. Though he didn’t know what Kanae had said to her, his sister-in-law had stopped demanding an immediate wedding. However, she remained strictly opposed to them sleeping together before marriage.

Sosuke and Kanae were forced to sneak around at night, either Kanae sneaking into Sosuke’s room or vice versa. Their days spent outwitting Shinobu were surprisingly amusing.

Returning to the Butterfly Mansion, they found Shinobu in a flustered state, her face flushed and her eyes narrowed. She was carrying an iron anvil, panting heavily as she struggled toward Sosuke’s courtyard.

Sosuke stared in surprise. "Have you finally come to your senses and decided to train your strength?"

Shinobu jumped in fright, her grip loosening. The anvil crashed to the ground, nearly crushing her foot. She glared at Sosuke. "Isn’t this all your fault with your junk? Move it yourself!"

She picked up the anvil and tossed it at Sosuke’s feet. "Oh, and there’s a letter from Lord. Reply promptly and don’t be rude!"

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Every 120 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter