𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕥𝕦𝕣𝕟 𝕠𝕗 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔻𝕣𝕒𝕘𝕠𝕟 [𝔻𝕖𝕞𝕠𝕟 𝕊𝕝𝕒𝕪𝕖𝕣]

(Chapter 33) Same goal but different persons

Some years before...

"Takeo let's fight each other."
Takeo got surprised by his brother.
"Ehh!
What?"

Isamu threw a wooden sword at his brother.
"You finally learned the basic forms of Dragon Breathing.
Honing them to the next level should be your next step."

Takeo was a bit scared.
"I have room for improvement and I don't  I can keep up with you Anniki."

"Nonsense!
You know that I learned from our late grandfather.
He was the only one who kept our deep tradition of using the Dragon Breathing.
He was and still is the most powerful man I ever met.
I feel bad you never got the chance to met him and to see with your own eyes how formidable he was.
He passed his knowledge to me and now I am passing it to you."

This got Takeo more confidence and and he was ready to fight against his brother.
Isamu smiled as he saw his brother.

"You know the rule.
I you don't go all out, I'll have to beat you to the pulp."

Takeo ran toward Isamu and delivered continuous slashes that were blocked from him carefully.
It was Isamu's turn and he countered with a strong vertical slash that managed to hit Takeo on his shoulder.

Takeo backed down and collected himself.
(In a long term battle my defeat is sure so I need to use all my power on my next  move, like it was my last.)

Takeo now prepared himself for the next attack as Isamu was waiting for him.
"Dragon Breathing!
First Form:Dragon's Roar!"

At the moment Takeo was ready to attack a blurry piece of memory came to his mind.
It was the same scenario just that in front of him wasn't Isamu but a tall man with a long spiky hair with red tips.
Those mere seconds made Takeo feel like he was teleported somewhere else.
The image of this mysterious man was blury the feeling that he know him was too strong.
The desire to show this man how strong he was overhelmed Takeo.
Takeo attacked him with all his power but  as soon as that, he was beginning to connect himself with the reality and he found his body on the ground collapsed.

Takeo smiled as his eyes were closing.
"I guess I was defeated, be it from that man or my brother."

But Takeo was shocked to see that in those last seconds his brother falled to his knees with his sword destroyed.
And blood was dripping from a big wound on his chest.

The Present...
"I am late!
I am late!"

Takeo was rushing to go to the place where Tadao was waiting to train him.
Apparently, after the restaurant incident Tadao took in his care both Iguro and Takeo in order to grow them stronger but he mentioned that many more young swordsmen will participate in his training.
As the strongest Hashira it is his duty to monitorize the new generation and push them to grow more powerfull.
The rumours about his greatness are famuous within the Corp but only a few would have the chance to directly interact with this man because of his extremely busy schedule.
All this rumors sound like real but after meeting him in person Takeo now has big doubts about this man.

Takeo finally arrived at the destination and the place was filled with many swordsmen who were training with each other.
Takeo was overjoyed to see that many people are trying their best to improve.
Takeo noticed that the place was divided by groups be it friends or ex partners.
Takeo was walking past them trying to find someone familiar but everyone seemed to ignore him.
Some of them were scared of him from the incidents from the past and were trying to vigilant of him and some other loathed him because they believed that he is a great manipulator, being pissed off by the way Oyakata-sama forgave him so easily.