Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

Seeing the descending blade, Ryuma bent backward with lightning speed, narrowly avoiding the fatal strike.

In the same fluid motion, Ryuma swung his own blade, Autumn Water, aiming it directly at Zavia's head.

But then, something strange happened. Autumn Water passed right through Zavia's body, leaving Ryuma with a look of genuine surprise for the first time.

Zavia planted his foot firmly on the ground, using the momentum to halt his advance. He swiftly turned, his eyes locked onto Ryuma.

Ryuma, in turn, leaped back, creating distance between them, his eyes fixated on his opponent.

"Yohohoho, what a curious ability you possess, sir," Ryuma remarked, his tone laced with intrigue at the spectacle he had just witnessed.

Silence. Zavia offered no reply. In battle, he rarely spoke unless he was absolutely certain of his opponent's inferiority or if a well-placed taunt was necessary. His battles were devoid of passionate speeches or flamboyant pronouncements of techniques. All he offered his enemies was the cold kiss of his blade.

"Yohohoho, silence then?" Ryuma chuckled, undeterred.

Silence again.

The air crackled with tension as both Zavia and Ryuma vanished again.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of clashing steel echoed through the air as Zavia and Ryuma became streaks of blue light, colliding and separating in a mesmerizing dance of death.

"Heavenly Blade: Azure!"

Zavia unleashed three swift slashes, sending azure-colored arcs of energy flying towards Ryuma.

Ryuma's hollow eyes seemed to regain a spark of life as he focused his gaze. With three precise thrusts, he pierced through the azure energy waves, dispersing them into nothingness.

Having anticipated this, Zavia was already charging forward as he unleashed his Azure attack.

Clang!

The Yamato blade sang as Zavia aimed for Ryuma's neck, seeking to claim his head.

Ryuma, of course, wouldn't allow such a thing. He raised Autumn Water vertically, blocking Zavia's strike.

However, Zavia had anticipated this as well. The Yamato blade, initially aimed at Ryuma's neck, suddenly changed direction, slicing upward.

Ryuma realized he had been outmaneuvered.

He tilted his head back with all his might, but Zavia's change in attack was too sudden. The Yamato blade grazed Ryuma's right eye, leaving a gash.

Ryuma leaped back once more, creating a distance of twenty meters between them.

A crack appeared above Ryuma's empty eye socket, not deep, but undeniably horrifying.

Ryuma stood there, his hand covering the wound, his body frozen.

If he still had eyes, they would have been wide with shock.

"Yohohoho, so I have been injured? This is truly..." Ryuma began to laugh hysterically, his body trembling slightly.

"Wow, big brother is so strong!"

Hidden in the nearby bushes, Arthur watched the scene unfold, his eyes filled with admiration.

"Indeed, quite impressive. To think he could fight that guy on equal footing." Suddenly, a slightly aged voice sounded behind Arthur.

Arthur's body trembled, and he slowly turned his head with a look of terror. He saw an old man with a lantern, his appearance resembling that of a zombie.

"A ghost!!!" Arthur screamed, muttering prayers under his breath.

"What ghost? I'm a real human being!" The old man seemed annoyed by Arthur's words, lifting his lantern for emphasis.

"You're lying! Humans can't have no shadow! You're definitely a ghost!" Arthur calmed down a little, observing the old man and noticing the lack of a shadow. His face contorted back into fear.

"Sigh, child, you don't understand. My shadow was taken away. I used to be just like you, living under the sun."

The old man shook his head, realizing it was pointless to explain further to a child. If the boy didn't believe him, so be it.

"Taken away...? "

"Yes, taken away by someone named Moonlight... Ah, why am I telling a child all this." The old man's gaze drifted upward, lost in a flood of memories, before he stopped himself.

"Alright, alright, I'll believe you for now. I... I can sense that you... you mean no harm." Arthur calmed down further, his voice still trembling slightly.

He was a magician, albeit a young one, and he could sense the old man's lack of hostility. After all, he had been through a lot. He had his own way of judging who was good and who was bad. His earlier reaction was purely out of fear of the supernatural. He had mistaken the old man for a ghost.

In other words, it didn't matter whether the old man had any fighting ability or not. As long as he fit Arthur's criteria for a ghost, the boy would react with fear.

…

"Heavenly Blade: Azure!"

Zavia slashed forward, sending an azure-colored energy wave flying. As he did so, he lifted his toes, and with a soft thud, vanished from sight.

Ryuma's hollow eyes narrowed slightly. He raised Autumn Water, unleashing a flurry of swift strikes that generated several sword beams, intercepting and dissipating Zavia's Azure attack.

With each strike, Ryuma propelled himself forward, his movements resembling an arrow shot from a bow.

Clang!

The Yamato blade and Autumn Water clashed once more, sparks flying.

Whoosh—!

Ryuma tilted his head back as a kick aimed for his chin whizzed past.

Seeing his attack dodged, Zavia's left leg descended like an axe, aiming for Ryuma's head.

Unable to defend against this move, Ryuma raised his left arm to block the strike.

Zavia used this to his advantage. He channeled his strength into his right leg, leaped into the air, and used Ryuma's arm as a springboard, driving his right knee into the zombie's chin before performing a backflip and landing gracefully.

Ryuma slid backward from the impact, then planted his feet firmly on the ground to regain his balance.

He adjusted his jaw with his hand, instantly snapping it back into place. The blow seemed to have had no effect, not even leaving him dazed.

(He took a hit to the chin and is still fighting strong. As expected of a legendary swordsman. Or is it because he's already dead?)

Zavia observed Ryuma. He acknowledged Ryuma's strength but also sensed a certain weakness.

This was understandable. After all, the Ryuma before him was merely a corpse animated by Brook's shadow.

His techniques and even his speech patterns mirrored Brook's, significantly diminishing his true power.

Ryuma, in turn, was also evaluating Zavia.

(This boy is no ordinary opponent. In just a few minutes of fighting, he's displayed skills far beyond his years. Is this the strength of the younger generation? Yohohoho.

Well then, one more attack should do it. Ah, youth is truly a blessing. He's exerted so much effort, yet he shows no signs of fatigue.)

Ryuma panted slightly, seemingly feeling the strain of the battle.

In the short time they had been fighting, he had repeatedly used Brook's stamina-draining techniques, such as Swallow Banderole.

Zavia, on the other hand, thanks to his demonic physique enhanced by the Legacy of the Demon God and his rigorous training, remained unfazed, his breathing steady and his face showing no signs of exhaustion.

However, these few minutes of combat had led Zavia to a conclusion: fighting the current Ryuma wasn't particularly thrilling.

If he wanted to, he could easily outmaneuver Ryuma with his spatial abilities alone.

While Ryuma was undoubtedly strong, and the zombified version before him was no exception, Zavia felt that his strength lay primarily in his physical resilience, a far cry from the legendary swordsman's true power.

The real Ryuma, in his prime, could have ended the battle with a single strike.

Observing Ryuma's labored breathing, Zavia decided it was time to end the fight.

He sheathed the Yamato blade, bent his body slightly, and placed his right hand on the hilt, assuming the stance for a Iaido slash.

Ryuma, seeing this, smiled faintly. He stood upright, his right hand gripping Autumn Water, and an intimidating aura emanated from his hollow eyes.

"Hanauta Sancho:..."

"Heavenly Blade:..."

Both prepared their final attacks simultaneously.

"Swallow Banderole!"

"Instant Inferno!"

In an instant, dust swirled around them, and a powerful gust of wind swept through the area, bending the surrounding trees. Both Zavia and Ryuma vanished.

Slash.

Sizzle—

The next moment, they reappeared, each in the other's former position.

Ryuma remained in his lunging stance, while Zavia stood with his blade sheathed.

A moment later, Ryuma stumbled, his balance faltering. A gash appeared on his left side, and flames erupted from within, quickly spreading throughout his body.

Zavia, in turn, had a wound on his left arm, blood dripping from the cut.

"Yohohohoho, to think I have been defeated? So this is the feeling of defeat?" Ryuma laughed, his body engulfed in flames, as he struggled to maintain his balance.

Zavia turned, his expression calm as he watched Ryuma burn.

"Yohohoho, sir, before I depart, may I know your name?"

"...Zavia."

"Zavia, is it? I shall remember. I will never forget that name."

With those final words, Ryuma's body disintegrated into flames, turning into a wisp of black smoke that dissipated in the wind. Just before it vanished entirely, a small shadow flew out of Ryuma's mouth, soaring into the distance.

"Of course, you will remember my name. Not just you, but the entire world will know my name!" Zavia declared as Ryuma's remains vanished.

He walked over to where Ryuma had fallen and picked up the black blade, Shusui, gazing at it silently.