Description[]
Ninjago vs Demon Slayer! Jay and Zenitsu clash in an electrified showdown to the brutal end! The winner between these two sheepish electrical boys gets to walk home with their lives...and their friend's sister!
Interlude[]
Counter: Lightning. One of the most violent and unpredictable natural occurrences. To master it is to master precision, to master accuracy, and to master skill itself.
Kaiya: And yet maybe those who can best control lightning is one who can match its unpredictable nature. And none represent this more than these two.
Damien: Like Jay Walker, the mouth- sorry, Master of Lightning.
Kaiya: Heheh, he looks like Goku.
Hannah: And Zenitsu Agatsuma, the Demon Slayer who breathes lightning.
Counter: I'm Counter, and these are my partners Damien, Kai and Hannah! And we're here to look at their strength, arsenal and abilities to find out who would win in a Death Battle!
Jay[]
Counter: Throughout the ages of Ninjago’s long history, guardians to the legendary First Spinjitzu Master passed their own powers down to their progeny. These were the Elemental Masters. While these Masters formed their own alliance throughout generations, perhaps the most important of these Masters wielded the Four Elements of Creation. Fire. Earth. Ice. And finally, Lightning.
Kaiya: Over a hundred generations down the line, the Elemental Master of Lightning married famed actor Cliff Gordon, and had a child. This was a child of lightning. This would become the Ninja of Lightning. Jay Walker.
Damien: But due to Cliff’s womanizing nature, the young couple left their child at the doorstep of owners of a large junkyard and inventors themselves, Ed and Edna Walker. They adopted Jay, and raised him as their own.
Hannah: Jay grew up an inventor. He’s invented a warehouse full of inventions that ranged from cooling blankets to malfunctioning stilts that made him dizzy for a month, one of which managed to notch his eyebrow for most of his life.
Counter: Until one fateful day as a teenager, he decided to test some gliders. Despite this being his sixth attempt, Jay’s test failed, and he crashed into a billboard. But perhaps this was destiny, as this was the day he met Master Wu.
Kaiya: And after a short conversation about building the impossible, Jay decided to go with the old man he didn’t know the name of to a monastery on top one of the tallest mountains in Ninjago! ...Thought he was a smart kid?
Damien: Here, he met two other Ninja named Cole and Zane. They trained together, lived together and grew close. But when Master Wu walked up the steps one day with a fourth Ninja, the blacksmith Kai, they truly became a team.
Hannah: It was here that Jay was designated to be the Master of Lightning, destined to wield the mighty Nunchucks of Lightning, one of the Golden Weapons that helped create the island of Ninjago.
Counter: Throughout his journeys through the Underworld, Dark Island, Digiverse, Cloud Kingdom and plenty of other exotic locations and Realms, Jay grew close to Nya, Kai’s sister and Master of Water. They entered a relationship, grew together, saved the world together.
Kaiya: Even against Sky Pirates and conniving Djinns, which cemented their relationship as one to stay. Jay and Nya are inseparable, literally Yin and Yang.
'Damien: Aside from that moment in Season 3 where Nya got a crush on Cole but we...we don’t really talk about that.
Hannah: Jay has been through it all, and got through it all thanks to his Ninja skills and martial arts prowess. While he doesn’t look or act like it, Jay is a powerhouse honing one of the most powerful elements in Ninjago: The power of Lightning.
Counter: The power of Lightning is a versatile ability. With it, Jay can shoot lightning bolts, obviously, but also fly around, influence technology, as well as catch and redirect lightning from a storm. Jay seems to give off his own electrical signal, as his room on Chen’s Island was able to be configured to and powered by it.
Kaiya: Similarly, Jay also acts as a lightning rod, being able to attract lightning bolts from a storm to protect a ship. Due to this ability, Jay can shrug off multiple strikes of lightning like it was nothing! When enraged, Jay’s body crackles and sparks with electricity. It’s very clear that Jay is passively electrical.
Damien: He can shoot orbs, beams or shockwaves of lightning to paralyse and incapacitate his opponents or on occasion his friends, and passively use it to run fast enough to keep up with speeding trucks!
Hannah: But perhaps the most beneficial application of Lightning comes in conjunction with Jay’s martial arts prowess! By spinning extremely fast, Jay can perform Spinjitzu, summoning a tornado of pure lightning around him. The technique adds power to blows through momentum, and the fact that it crackles with lightning makes it difficult for enemies to get close.
Counter: Using Spinjitzu, Jay can leap far distances, charge forwards, throw people around or just suck them in, and move across stairs or large bodies of water. It is also the key to unlocking the famed Dragon Form, a higher form of Elemental Energy.
Kaiya: But Spinjitzu isn’t the only tool in Jay’s kit! He can use Airjitzu to summon a vortex to fly for a short time, or conquer his fear to summon a dragon made of Lightning Elemental Energy! Despite these powers being very tiring, Jay never seems to slow down for long after using them.
Damien: Martial arts aren’t all he’s the master of! He does a little inventing, a dabble in model-building. A touch of cooking. A little poetry-
Hannah: Please don’t.
Counter: Regardless of his skills, Jay is undeniably powerful, mentally and physically. He’s fast enough to dodge cloud-to-ground lightning, requiring him to move at over Mach 66. He’s able to react to, dodge, and perceive lightning on a daily basis, even from his own bolts. And these bolts should be considered comparable to natural lightning. It moves through conductive objects, he can manipulate storm lightning and most importantly, it is an Element of Creation that was used to create the natural world. Thus, it should be comparable to lightning in both makeup and speed, which can move at an average of Mach 1294.
Kaiya: He is also comparable to the other Ninja, and has directly battled Cole before! Each of the original 4 Ninja, while powerless, survived an attack from Morro, who directly created a storm worth over 7 Megatons of TNT! Nadakhan’s Djinn Blade, which was powered by the souls of the Ninja, also lifted chunks of Ninjago City from the ground and suspended them in the air, worth over 14 kilotons of TNT!
Damien: But they could also be a lot stronger. Lloyd shared the remaining 10% of his Golden Power with the Ninja evenly to restore their innate Elemental Powers, which led to trouble later during the ghost invasion. Splitting the power evenly with the Ninja possibly lead to Jay being able to dish out over 27 EXATONS of TNT, enough power to destroy a continent! They should also downscale from Nadakhan the Djinn, who has deflected laser bolts and dodged them point-blank!
Hannah: But he also has insane mental strength and willpower. It pushed him through his imprisonment on Misfortune’s Keep, with regular, torturous beating sessions being a regular, leading to him needing an eyepatch, yet he managed to push through it all using his power of belief and his own Inner Steel.
Counter: Jay’s power of positive thinking may actually be his greatest asset. He has persevered through everything, even his abandonment as a baby. Because, deep down, Jay hopes in the deepest pits of his heart that his birth parents surrendered him for a good reason.
Kaiya: Jay may scream a lot and have a tendency to freak out, but he has a heart and a head made of gold. Buuuut that doesn’t mean he’s unstoppable. Certain materials such as the infamous Vengestone can suppress his powers entirely.
Damien: And while he can never truly lose his power of Lightning permanently and will eventually regain it in the case it is lost, he doesn’t have any special resistance to getting his power stolen. He also does have a habit of freaking out in dire circumstances and losing his head.
Hannah: Regardless, Jay is one of the greatest heroes in Ninjago’s long history. Without the Ninja of Lightning there to help his friends and stop his enemies, the world would have been plunged in darkness many times. This mouth of Lightning has a heart worthy of the First Spinjitzu Master.
(“Lloyd, you said Nya wouldn't want us to quit. That she'd kick our butts and tell us to get to work. And you're right. But you forgot something. We weren't truly a team until Nya joined. And whether we realised it or not, she was the glue that held us together.”)
Zenitsu[]
Counter: Imagine a world where your family’s survival was not guaranteed. Where forces of nature roamed the planet, feeding on flesh and blood without mercy. Hundreds of years old immortal beings with an instinctive desire to kill. A world full of Demons. This is the world that Zenitsu Agatsuma inhabits.
Kaiya: To combat these forces of nature, a Demon Slayer Corps was established, where specific skilled swordsmen are trained to fight and eradicate demons using specialised swordsmanship styles developed generations ago.
Damien: But that is not where our story begins. Zenitsu Agatsuma was abandoned by his parents, without so much as a blanket. Zenitsu’s early life was kind of rough, because he had...(gasp) black hair!
Hannah: Perhaps due to his early abandonment, Zenitsu desired nothing more than companionship. When he was young, he eloped with a girl and decided to give her lots of money. Unfortunately for the young Demon Slayer, this girl ran away with someone else, leaving Zenitsu in debt and alone.
Counter: But he was saved from a lifetime of debt by Jigoro Kuwajima, who took Zenitsu under his wing and taught him the art of breath, becoming affectionately known as ‘Gramps’.
Kaiya: So this kid threw money at a girl who ended up leaving him. Man, he would not survive Twitter.
Damien: But Zenitsu wasn’t just taught the art of breathing. This was the art of Thunder Breathing, one of many ‘Breathing Styles’ where Zenitsu imitates lightning itself, taking off at breathtaking speeds and power.
Hannah: Unlike most Breathing Styles, Thunder Breathing focuses almost exclusively on the legs and maximising their power output. Given the much higher muscle density in human legs compared to arms, this makes Thunder Breathing one of the most powerful and definitely the fastest Style in the world.
Counter: So even if Zenitsu only knew the First Form, he’s still crazy powerful! Despite what it may seem like on the surface, Zenitsu was skilled enough to pass Final Selection and become a proper Demon Slayer, complete with a sunlight-absorbing Nichirin Sword.
Kaiya: It was at Final Selection that Zenitsu met Tanjiro Kamado, a fellow Demon Slayer. Together they met Inosuke Hashibira, and their journey truly began. The one where they sliced apart every Demon until they reached the all-powerful Muzan and killed him.
Damien: He also met Nezuko Kamado and was...well, instantly smitten, we’ll say.
Hannah: Zenitsu was far more than just a crying ‘womaniser’. He may only know the First Form of Thunder Breathing, but he has honed it to perfection. The Thunderclap and Flash, where the user dashes forwards at blinding speeds to decapitate their enemy before they could react.
Counter: Predictable? Maybe, but Zenitsu has honed this skill and created his own versions of the Form. Such as the Sixfold, where he dashes and slashes six times before he’s finished, or the Eightfold, where he dashes forward eight times.
Kaiya: And the all-powerful Godspeed, where he rockets forwards at speeds unheard of. Hell, when he first developed the technique, he had to limit himself to using it only twice otherwise he would risk making his legs useless. That is how powerful the technique is.
Damien: But his mastery of only one form was not enough to earn him the respect of even his peers. He trained with Kaigaku, who looked down at Zenitsu and hated his guts. However, Kaigaku didn’t understand the basics of Thunder Breathing and merely wanted to be the best.
Hannah: Even at the cost of his own mortality. But his misunderstanding of Thunder Breathing would prove fatal, as Zenitsu wasn’t the cowardly weakling he was thought to be, as he had developed his own, completely new form of Thunder Breathing. The Seventh Form: Flaming Thunder God.
Counter: Where he dashes forward and unleashes a singular attack, with a Japanese dragon shaped like a lightning bolt accompanying it. This was a completely unheard of technique, developed purely for a fight against Kaigaku.
Kaiya: He has other techniques to keep him in the fight, too. Zenitsu’s hearing is superb. He can discern multiple layers of sounds, and hear the ‘sound’ of a person. He realised that Nezuko was a demon purely from her sound, and he can tell the difference between demons of different ranks due to the slightly different noises they make. His hearing is so great that if he concentrates, he can even know what a person is thinking about, like a telepathic link with people. It’s weird.
Damien: Despite having no musical background, Zenitsu was able to perfectly imitate a tune he hears on an instrument! It’s this incredible hearing that allows Zenitsu to fight while asleep! He can even effectively fight Demons while in a magic demon sleep spell!
Hannah: While asleep, all the nerves in Zenitsu’s body are no longer an issue and Zenitsu isn’t held back, usually allowing him to fight even better than he could while awake. But if he can overcome these nerves through sheer will or anger, like his battles with Muzan and Kaigaku, his true strength is revealed.
Counter: Yeah, the strength of a Pillar, the most badass of the Demon Slayers! And that’s no exaggeration. Tanjiro Kamado, who Zenitsu is comparable to, was directly compared to that of a Pillar. Given that Zenitsu not only overpowered, but blitzed an Upper Rank Demon, who can directly take on Pillars.
Kaiya: Zenitsu has also blitzed motherfuckin’ lightning, requiring a speed of over Mach 1830! That’s over 1800x the speed of sound! Even one of his earlier Thunder Breathing feats allowed him to move at Mach 11.
Damien: And his strength is crazy to match! His equality with Pillars would put him far above a weakened Doma, who created an ice sculpture almost instantly. Based on the energy needed to freeze this much water, Doma would need to output over 70 Tons of TNT, enough to level a city block!
Hannah: Tanjiro was able to push a large boulder weighing in at over 17,000 kilograms, which Zenitsu should likely match. Considering he has injured an admittedly weakened Muzan and fought many Upper Rank Demons, his strength should definitely be comparable.
Counter: He has truly come into his own as one of the strongest Demon Slayers, but his journey was far more than that. Zenitsu’s journey was about confidence and personal growth. Zenitsu grew up thinking he was worthless and that he was guaranteed to die. But no matter what, Zenitsu persevered, he fought, and he encouraged his friends.
Kaiya: Zenitsu’s journey was about maturity. Despite what he may have thought at first, he was instrumental in defeating Muzan, and constantly strives to better himself and others. In the end, that is the true strength of a Pillar. The drive to protect. The drive to inspire.
Damien: Zenitsu has proven himself as a worthy Pillar and a warrior to make Gramps proud.
Hannah: With Nezuko by his side and his friends to help, Zenitsu can conquer anything.
("People don't simply recover instantly. No matter how strong someone is, they can feel pain and sadness. But hiding from it doesn't solve anything. You must rouse your aching heart and stand back up. I'm sure Rengoku was that kind of person.")
Intermission[]
Counter: Alright, the combatants are set! You guys ready?
Kaiya: Let's do it!
Damien: Heck yeah!
Hannah: Is there any doubt?
Counter: Then let's end this debate once and for all...in a Death Battle!
Death Battle[]
Blackened and smouldering trees stood weakly, desperately clinging to the ground with its roots, bathing in the warming light of the early morning. Rays of pink and yellow light showered over the ground and foliage. Many trees were lying on the ground, smoking and sputtering with the last dying embers of fire. Remnants of a battle were here. Scratch marks decorated some other trees standing proud, displaying them like battle scars.
A boy, no more than sixteen, was walking through these woods. He fought back a small cough as the acrid smell of the smoke entered his nose. He was wearing a yellow, triangle-patterned haori and kyahan. A mess of yellow-orange hair hung over his forehead like a small bowl. A sword nestled comfortably in its sheath was strapped to a white belt around his waist. This was the Demon Slayer Zenitsu Agatsuma. His eyes scanned the wooded area around him, desperately trying to see a glimpse of red hair, a green and black haori, maybe even a bit of cloth. His eyes watered slightly. He was looking for one of his best friends, Tanjiro Kamado.
Mere hours ago, Tanjiro had announced his intentions to travel to the woods with his Demon sister, Nezuko, but he never returned. After many nerve-wracked hours, Zenitsu decided to look for him, leaving the brash Inosuke behind. Yet, when he arrived at the woods, all was quiet. He did not hear a sound that informed him of where his friend could be.
But...wasn’t this the place?! Zenitsu wondered desperately to himself. He was sure this was the forest Tanjiro was referring to, but the mere possibility of him being mistaken, the idea that he would return to find Tanjiro sitting with Inosuke and Nezuko, wondering where he was, motivated him to keep looking. He had a sickly feeling in his stomach. It felt as if he had missed a step while going down the stairs. A feeling of doom. His breath became shaky and heavy. He tried to swallow his fear, but it bubbled up like an overfilled kettle.
Zenitsu’s stride quickened, on the line between a walk and a jog. He heard a snap from somewhere behind him and stifled a small scream. His feet seemed to try and pull him away, taking off as he sprinted through the woods, his eyes fighting back tears and his heart pumping madly in his chest.
Tanjiro...wherever you are...I will find you!
Metres away, their proximity to each other unbeknownst to either of them, a Ninja was walking through the woods. He, too, was searching for a friend. Hours ago, his friend was assigned a mission to find a Demon sighted near the woods, and he took off without a second thought. Yet, he hadn’t reported back. There was not a lick of communication between them. His communicator was offline. Soon after, his sister followed him. When neither returned, a Ninja dressed in blue decided to bring them both back.
His ninja gi was coloured blue, metal straps and latches draped over his shoulders and buckled together at his chest. Two pins, one with a smiley face and one with a lightning bolt, were pinned to one of the straps. His right shoulder was protected by a metal shoulder plate. His hood was draped over his head, hiding his auburn, messy hair. His freckles, however, were unable to be hidden by the hood. This was the famed Ninja of Lightning, Jay Walker. He tried multiple times to communicate with Kai and Nya through their comms, but there wasn’t a response. He assumed the worst at first, but tried reasoning with himself. If they were in actual danger, they’d say something, right? They were probably just lost and too embarrassed to say anything.
Jay kept up this train of thought, clinging to this optimistic view. It was the only thing moving his legs to get him through the woods. The snap that cracked against the night threw Jay into a sprint. He pushed through the bushes, knocking through branches and sticks as he looked into the sky and called out.
“KAI!! NYA?!” He screamed, his head swivelling around, trying to catch a glimpse of grey or red. Zenitsu stopped in his tracks. The scream rang in his ears. His mind told him where the sound emanated from, about 10 metres away from him, near the thorny bushes. He stopped dead, clasping to his sword’s hilt as he turned toward the direction of the sound. Squeezing his eyes closed, Zenitsu told himself to keep moving. He desperately begged his legs to continue, to carry him away from the other person. No matter how he pleaded, his body didn’t seem to listen, and he felt his mouth move before he could stop it.
“I know you’re there!” He called out. Jay stopped and turned towards Zenitsu, shrouded in shadow. His yellow clothing pushed against the darkness like a beacon. He edged closer to him.
“Oh! Hello. I’m Jay!” He greeted the Demon Slayer. “I’m just looking for a friend. He was hunting a Demon somewhere around here, but he’s not-” He stopped suddenly, because Zenitsu had just drawn his blade. “Um..?”
“...You were hunting Nezuko...?” Zenitsu hissed dangerously, his eyes suddenly narrow, staring right into Jay’s. Unnerved, the Ninja of Lightning shuffled backwards.
“Uh...do you know her?”
“You hunted my wife...I will never forgive you...” Zenitsu let out a heavy breath, moving his left foot backwards and digging it into the dirt, like a launch pad. Jay’s eyes widened.
“Oh...my...GOSH!” He gasped, his breath shaky. “You’re...MARRIED?!”
Zenitsu paused. “Uh, well, not yet, but-”
“Wow! That is so sweet!” Jay screeched, his nerves settling back to normal. “Do you need help popping the question? Let’s go find her, I can help!” Zenitsu gasped softly, and gripped his sword tighter. “I have a Yang too, her name’s Nya! And when I look into her eyes I...” Jay trailed off dreamily.
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!
At a blinding speed, Zenitsu rocketed towards Jay like a bolt of lightning. Letting out a scream, Jay dived to the side as Zenitsu slashed, his blade glowing pink in the rays of sunlight. The blade narrowly missed Jay’s leg as he dived out of the way. The Ninja caught himself on the ground, flipping forwards to land back on his feet. Twisting around, Jay looked back at Zenitsu, his heart pumping madly in his chest.
He brought himself up to full height, reaching behind his back to grab the handle of his kusarigama, swinging it to his front. His other hand gripped the chain. Zenitsu stared at the weapon.
A kusarigama! He likes to attack from a distance!
Jay stared right back at Zenitsu’s golden blade, his face creasing into one of determination. What’s with this guy?!
Zenitsu readied himself once again, and Jay took off, readying his kusarigama as he charged towards the thunder breathing Demon Slayer. Zenitsu let out a long breath, sucking in an equally long one through his nose. Blood pumped in his ears.
FIGHT!
Zenitsu took off once more as Jay swung his kusarigama. The sickle crashed against the blade, but neither fighter stopped. Jay dropped to the ground, sliding underneath the slash of the blade as Zenitsu slid to a stop. Scrambling to his feet, Jay jumped towards the Demon Slayer, planting a foot into his back. He pushed off, flipping off his back to land back on his feet.
The Demon Slayer twisted around, thrusting his sword forwards, but Jay swung his kusarigama, deflecting the blade with a metallic clang. Zenitsu pressed on, slashing his blade, forcing Jay to evade the attacks, ducking under a swing aimed for the shoulder. The blue Ninja dove to the side to avoid a stab downwards.
First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!
With a yell, Zenitsu dashed forwards again at blistering speeds. Speeds even Jay could barely track. With a yell of surprise, Jay swung his kusarigama wildly, catching the blade and deflecting it with a loud clang, but Zenitsu stood his ground and thrusted his sword towards the Ninja with a grunt flowing with determination. Jay jumped to the side and threw his kusarigama downwards, wrapping around the sword twice.
“Haha! Gotcha!” Jay laughed, grasping and pulling at the chain. The sword slid from the Demon Slayer and crashed to the ground, leaving Zenitsu weaponless. Spinning around, Jay threw out his foot, burying it in Zenitsu’s stomach and pushing him backwards. Pressing his advantage, Jay dashed forwards, slamming his fist into Zenitsu’s cheek with a roar. Before Zenitsu could react to the first hit, Jay followed up with a punch to the other cheek, jerking his head sideways.
Zenitsu groaned, his vision blurring quickly. He sucked in a deep breath, jumping backwards as Jay swung at him with his chained weapon. In and out. Steadying himself, Zenitsu cleared his view, running forwards as Jay dashed to deliver another set of attacks. Screaming, the Thunder Breathing swordsman ducked low, the top of his hair brushing underneath the Lightning Ninja’s soaring fist. Squeezing his eyes closed, Zenitsu threw his fist forwards with all his might, unleashing a mighty blow into Jay’s stomach. Yelling, the Ninja found himself thrown backwards. He rolled across the ground as he landed, red-hot pain erupting throughout his torso.
Zenitsu dashed forwards, leaping over Jay’s body to scoop his sword off the ground. Groaning, Jay jumped to his feet and put himself back in fighting position. Zenitsu rocketed forwards again, forcing Jay to jump to the side to avoid the deadly slash.
That move again! Does he only have one attack? Jay’s mind raced as Zenitsu pushed on, slashing wildly. He attacked at breathtaking speed, his body leaving faint images of his movements. Jay dodged just as quickly, inches away from the blade, responding in kind with blows from his kusarigama, which were quickly deflected. Lightning seemed to spark between them, illuminating each of their faces. Each emblazoned with determination.
Jay kicked into Zenitsu’s stomach and swung down with his weapon, but Zenitsu was faster, catching the chain with his sword. Jay’s eyes widened for a moment, and the Demon Slayer reared back, slamming his forehead into Jay’s face as hard as he could. A moment passed. A heartbeat’s worth of time, before…
“Ow, ow ow ow!” Jay cried, holding his head as he stumbled backwards. Zenitsu held onto his own forehead, groaning in pain.
“Ouch! How does he do it?!” Zenitsu cried, his eyes watery. Jay shook his head and charged forward, his head pounding madly. Zenitsu jumped backwards to avoid the sickle aimed for his head, and dashed forwards, employing the First Form as he took off in a flash of yellow light. With a small smirk, Jay ducked down and stuck out his foot. The slash soared above his head, Jay’s hair prickling as the sword brushed against it. But moments later, Zenitsu’s body crashed into Jay’s legs, and toppled over, crashing face-first against the dirt, groaning in annoyance.
“Ha! ‘Shocked’?” Jay asked, cocking an eyebrow. Zenitsu got to his feet and turned towards the Ninja, assuming that similar stance and breathing heavily once more.
“You haven’t seen anything yet!”
First Form: Thunderclap and Flash... Sixfold!
In a blast of thunder that slammed against the skies, the thundering Demon Slayer burst forwards like a bullet, flying towards Jay with sword held high. Jay jumped to the side, the sound of lightning crackling in his ears as Zenitsu burst past him. He could feel heat emanating from Zenitsu, his ears ringing ever so slightly. Zenitsu landed on a tree, and pushed off, bounding to another in the blink of an eye.
Twisting around, Jay watched as Zenitsu bounded between four more trees, leaving behind a bright blue trail that tracked his movements. Jay struggled to keep up, his eyes lagging behind Zenitsu’s body. He raised his kusarigama, but the swordfighter dashed towards him before he mounted a defence, slashing across his side as he sailed past, forcing a pained yell out of the Ninja’s mouth. The force of the blow threw Jay backwards, who landed in a heap metres in front of Zenitsu.
Slowly getting to his feet, Jay fought back the tears that built up in the corner of his eye. Groaning to himself, he placed his weapon on his back, and clenched his fists. Yelling, Jay threw his hands forwards, a bolt of lightning cracking against the sky and forcing its way through the air to reach Zenitsu.
Zenitsu let out a noise of shock, raising his blade to block the bolt of lightning. The electricity spread up the blade, tingling his fingers. Sighing, Zenitsu stared at the Ninja with wide eyes.
“Told you you’d be shocked!” Jay yelled, running towards Zenitsu with crackling blue hands. He punched the Demon Slayer in the stomach, the force of his blow amplified by the lightning. Zenitsu leaned backwards, raising his blade to meet Jay’s chest. This power...it was new!
Jay unleashed more lightning bolts that forced Zenitsu to dive to the side. Zenitsu’s heart started pumping harder and harder as he slashed and dived to avoid this new technique. With a grunt, he ran forwards, swinging diagonally as he aimed for Jay’s unprotected shoulder, but the Ninja dropped onto his arms and kicked upwards, knocking the blade upwards. Jumping to his feet, Jay spun around. The ground trembled and the skies rocked as a tornado of pure electrical energy boomed to life around him.
Zenitsu let out a small wheeze of shock, but that’s all he managed to get out, as Jay struck out, his foot connecting with the Demon Slayer’s solar plexus. The air seemed to rush out of Zenitsu’s body and he flew backwards, landing on his back as he desperately wheezed for a shred of oxygen. Using his blade to prop himself back up, Zenitsu stared as Jay slowly spun to a stop, the tornado dying away, with a look of smugness clearly etched onto his face.
Th-There’s no way!! Zenitsu cried in his mind, That’s impossible!
“Ninjaaaa, GO!” Jay yelled, running forwards. He jumped in the air, firing bolts of electricity as he went for a kick. Still clawing for air, Zenitsu weakly raised his blade, deflecting the bolts of lightning.
That wasn’t a Breathing Style! Zenitsu thought, blocking a kick with the flat end of his blade. He responded with a thrust, forcing Jay to awkwardly twist his body to avoid it. What do I do?! I can’t beat that! I’m gonna die!! Jay dropped to the ground to sweep at Zenitsu’s legs, who jumped to avoid it. He swung downwards as Jay rolled backwards, narrowly avoiding the end of the blade. Jumping up, Jay threw his leg towards him, who stepped backwards, countering the blow with a punch.
Crouching low, Jay threw out two more bolts of lightning. They boomed with the force of an entire storm. Jumping backwards, Zenitsu sliced one out of the air, his ears ringing with the noise that followed. The second bolt sailed over his blade, crashing into his arm with a white-hot punch. Screaming, Zenitsu stumbled backwards, the white-hot sensation spreading throughout his arm. Involuntarily, his hand gripped tighter on his blade, his knuckles turned white from the force.
Dashing forwards, Jay leapt high, spinning through the air as he delivered a kick to Zenitsu’s jaw, throwing the fighter backwards. Following through, he punched downwards, burying his fist into Zenitsu’s stomach. The force sent both fighters crashing into the ground. Jay stood up quickly, turning to face his opponent.
Shaking slightly, eyes streaming, Zenitsu slowly got to his knees, groaning to himself. He turned to look at Jay, whose hands were still crackling with lightning. I...can’t...I’m sorry...Gramps...
Yelling, Jay kicked out, connecting with Zenitsu’s side and throwing him backwards with a spark of blue electricity. Zenitsu rolled across the ground, coming to a stop as he slammed into a tree. His hands clenched before he fell still, breathing deeply, his eyes closed.
“Oh, gosh, sorry! My bad!” He called out, rushing over to Zenitsu’s unconscious form. He seemed quite at peace in his sleep. “Aw, man..” He never wanted to knock him out! He just wanted to stop the fight. Jay fell to his knees next to Zenitsu, nudging at his shoulder. Zenitsu’s fingers twitched around his sword’s grip.
WHOOSH!
Jay instinctively threw his head backwards as Zenitsu swung for his neck. The sword missed his body by millimetres, the wind from the strike washed over Jay’s neck, informing him on how close he was to annihilation. Gasping, Jay flipped backwards, staring, wide-eyed, as Zenitsu’s hands clenched.
“Whaaat?” Jay asked, incredulous, as Zenitsu got to his feet. His eyes were closed, his breathing was stable. His body language was relaxed enough. He still seemed to be asleep. It was as if he were being controlled by a puppeteer.
Gramps was right! People will know more than me, my legs will want me to run, to move on! ...But that doesn’t mean I give up! Zenitsu’s unconscious mind went into overdrive, playing him memories of his old master. Crouching low, Zenitsu breathed slowly, planting a foot behind him once again.
FIRST FORM: THUNDERCLAP AND FLASH!
The boy clad in yellow fired out in a flash of light, his sword held close to his body. Gasping, Jay pulled his kusarigama from his back and swung desperately, clanging against the Nichirin Blade, diverting it mere inches away from Jay’s body. Gritting his teeth, the sleeping Zenitsu turned his blade and swung for Jay’s side, forcing the electric Ninja to jump out of the way. Zenitsu pressed his advantage, running forwards as he aimed once more to run his blade through Jay. The Ninja swung his weapon again, clanging against the metal in a noise that shook the leaves on the nearby trees.
Gritting his own teeth, Jay jumped backwards, his hands crackling with Elemental Energy. Both fighters charged at each other, but Zenitsu leapt into the air, holding his sword up high as he descended down on Jay. With a grunt, the Ninja swung his kusarigama upwards, the blade catching on Zenitsu’s cheek, carving a gash into it. The sickle sparked, shocking Zenitsu slightly. His head flicked in response, distracting the unconscious fighter enough for Jay to roll away, narrowly avoiding the blade crashing into the ground.
Jay and Zenitsu threw their fists forwards, clashing together with enough strength to shake the environment around them. Letting out a noise befitting a martial arts movie, Jay jumped forwards and kicked Zenitsu in the side of the head, who responded in kind by burying his fist into the Ninja’s stomach, knocking them both backwards. Both fighters landed on their feet and readied their golden weapons, letting out a breath of exertion.
Charging forwards, sickle crashed against the blade as both fighters pressed their opponent. Jay swung upwards, but Zenitsu was quick, slashing downwards to deflect the attack. Zenitsu stabbed forwards, but Jay twisted his body, spinning around to bring the kusarigama down on Zenitsu’s head. However, the Demon Slayer rolled backwards to avoid the attack.
Pressing his advantage, Jay ran forwards, thrusting forwards with his kusarigama as Zenitsu brought his sword to his chest. The weapons clashed together, scraping against each other as the battle came to a standstill.
“Can’t we talk this out?” Jay rapidly asked his sleeping opponent. “How about some tea? I know Master Wu has some great recipes! Y’know we once owned a tea shop?” But he earned no response, so, sighing, he twisted his weapon around to hook around the blade and wrenched his arms upwards, pulling the blade out of Zenitsu’s hand. Grunting, the electric Demon Slayer slammed the back of his hand into Jay’s wrist, freeing the kusarigama of his grip and allowing them to crash to the floor behind them.
Stepping backwards, Jay prepared himself as Zenitsu lunged forwards, thrusting his fist towards the Ninja. Grunting, he twisted his body to the side to avoid the speedy blow, and smiled. Much too late, Zenitsu realised in horror that he had left himself wide open, allowing Jay to bury his knee into Zenitsu’s stomach and kick him away. As his opponent moved to stand, Jay ran over to his kusarigama and scooped it up.
Breathing heavily, Jay jumped in the air and spun. A blue vortex formed around him with a whooshing noise, carrying him upwards and into the trees. Almost silently, Jay landed in a branch high above the battlefield. He looked down upon Zenitsu, who slowly walked over to his sword and picked it up.
He froze suddenly, as still as a statue, his mind strained. Jay held his breath. Gritting his teeth, Zenitsu’s ears pounded with the sound of a heartbeat, the sound of blood flowing through a human body. But the more he concentrated, the more he heard his own body overtake his own hearing. Nevertheless, he pushed on, focusing on the movement of Jay’s blood, the pumping of his heart, the brushing of his gi on the branches around him. They felt like beacons, shining a light on Jay’s exact location, but that wasn’t what Zenitsu was trying to focus on. He dug deeper, pinpointing the very faintest of the faint sounds. He heard Jay’s muscles bend the tiniest amount, his hand latching onto his kusarigama. He heard his entire plan.
He’s going to jump down and attack me from behind! He’ll do it by going to kick and strike with his kusarigama simultaneously!
Like he was following a script, Jay leapt from the tree with a grunt, holding his kusarigama out high and extending his leg. His leg was pointed for the middle of Zenitsu’s back and his kusarigama swung down, the sickle pointed directly at the top of the Demon Slayer’s head. In a flash, Zenitsu spun around and thrashed the flat side of his blade, slamming into Jay’s leg and forcing it to the side. Grunting, the sleeping fighter leaned backwards and sliced up with his blade, catching the chain of the kusarigama and flinging it back into Jay’s face, the dull end slamming into his nose with a nasty crunch.
Yelling, Jay crashed to the ground. Wasting no time, Zenitsu zipped to Jay’s side and moved to plunge the blade deep into his stomach, but the Ninja didn’t allow him to, letting out a burst of lightning from his body that stung Zenitsu in multiple places, freezing him temporarily. Using the opportunity, Jay rolled away from the sword, slowly getting back to his feet.
Pushing through the shock, Zenitsu dashed forwards and slashed. Shocked, Jay jumped into the air and latched onto a tree branch, climbing into a tree to avoid the attack. Spinning around, Zenitsu leapt into a different tree to match him. His eyes, though closed, seemed to stare daggers into Jay, who was taken aback. Zenitsu let out a deep breath, and the tree branch he was on started to rumble.
Jay let out a small noise of shock and leapt onto a branch behind him, as Zenitsu positioned himself on the tree, his blade sparking with electricity. Breathing raggedly, Jay jumped between the trees, the sticks snagging on his hood, slashing at his arms, catching on his kusarigama. The air started to buzz with electrical potential, as Zenitsu pushed off the tree branch at unparalleled speed.
FIRST FORM: THUNDERCLAP AND FLASH... EIGHTFOLD!!
Like a rocket, Zenitsu dashed between branches, slicing through them as if they were made of paper. Twisting around, Jay continued to leap between trees as he watched Zenitsu zip through branches, bound off of tree trunks and slash through leaves as he continued his unstoppable assault through the trees.
He was getting closer and closer, mowing through the trees naturally, as if he had been doing this all his life. Jay was stuck in an uncomfortable position, pushing through branches as he jumped between trees, each of them snagging on his gi. One branch pulled particularly hard, ripping his smiley face pin free of his strap.
The Demon Slayer jumped between more trees, bounding off his seventh as he became level with Jay, rocketing towards him. Jay desperately swung his kusarigama, but Zenitsu sailed right past, slashing at Jay with enough force to blow him through multiple trees. An explosion of electricity rocketed out from where the blade connected, sending bolts of lightning through the forest, illuminating both their faces in a sea of blue light.
The force of the electricity blew Zenitsu backwards, but he caught himself on a branch as Jay continued to jump through the trees, his hands sparking with lightning.
THUNDERCLAP AND FLASH!
Zenitsu dashed towards Jay, meeting him in a clash of metal, blowing both of them backwards with a shockwave that split apart the tree they were on.
THUNDERCLAP AND FLASH!
Zenitsu pressed his advantage, dashing once more towards Jay, who threw his kusarigama forwards with the force of lightning, meeting the blade in a brilliant shower of lightning bolts as the air itself seemed to explode. Both fighters were thrown apart, but while Zenitsu caught himself on yet another branch, Jay stayed in the air, firing lightning out of his hands to stay floating in the air, his kusarigama nestled on his back.
THUNDERCLAP AND FLASH!
"LIGHTNING!" Jay cried with all his might, as Zenitsu pressed all his power into his legs. Both fighters flew at each other, trailed by lightning, moving at incomprehensible speeds. Flashes of yellow and blue met across the forest as Jay and Zenitu flashed through the trees, their screams of determination echoing through the forest.
The sound of clanging metal rang out through the forest as they both continued their assault. Flashes of gold could be seen, and above it all, their voices continued to ring out as loudly as before, scratching against the atmosphere, despite the blood being spilled and the amount of noise they had generated. Jay’s hood flew off of his head, revealing his features to Zenitsu.
Screaming, Zenitsu swung his sword down with as much force as he could muster. Jay met his blade with his kusarigama, chain against blade. The clang that rang out nearly deafened them both. Screaming right back, Jay began to discharge electricity, his eyes glowing a pale blue. Zenitsu pressed on, ignoring the lightning striking his body, pushing harder and harder with his blade…
...Shattering the kusarigama. The force threw Jay onto the floor with a blast that rang throughout the entire forest. Zenitsu landed on the ground painfully, breathing heavily, as Jay rolled across the floor, coughing to himself. His hood fluttered to the ground beside him. Shattered pieces of chain fell to the ground around him, the sickle of the kusarigama burying itself in the dirt. Bleeding and exhausted, Jay got to his knees and threw the kusarigama’s handle aside.
Zenitsu fell onto his knees as well, his eyes finally fluttering open. His cheek and nose were bleeding, dark red patches patterned over his haori. Jay had a cut under his left eye, gashes in his side colouring some of his gi red. Zenitsu sucked in a deep breath and exhaled slowly, gradually regaining some of his energy. He saw a chip in his blade, reminding him quickly of Inosuke.
How can I fight him? He’s so fast! He shattered my weapon in one clean chop! Jay began to think rapidly, his breathing becoming fast and ragged as his heart pumped faster and faster. Panicked, Jay tried to fight the ever-growing voice in his head. My sides hurt! His sword is so strong! I can barely put a dent in it! But I need to get up! I need to keep going...!
“Okay...” Jay winced, getting to his feet slowly. “Ow...” He stole a deep breath to steady himself, his brain showing him images of his friends, and what he was fighting to go back to.
Cole... An image of the cake-loving Ninja of Earth appeared in his mind’s eye, smiling at him.
Zane... The robotic Ninja of Ice followed, putting him in checkmate in a game of Minidroid Chess.
Nya...I love you... Jay’s Yang smiled warmly at him from inside his mind, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him in for a warm hug. His body began to spark. Strength seemed to flow through his veins, and he brought himself up to his full height, reaching behind his back to pull out a set of black nunchucks. Letting out a ready noise, he swung the nunchaku around himself.
Zenitsu watched his opponent stand, and his heart sank. His stomach did a somersault inside his body, and he fell on all fours, tears leaking out from his eyes.
I-I can’t do it...My body’s screaming at me to stop. My muscles...they ache so badly...He’s so powerful...And he has techniques I don’t... His voice rang out through his head, sinking his heart lower and lower through his body. But inexplicably, he found himself standing, his breath caught the steady flow of tears and hid them from his opponent. He sheathed his sword, keeping a steady grip on its handle. Every breath carried a warmth throughout his body as he thought of what he was fighting for.
Tanjiro... The Sun Breathing Demon Slayer’s friendly wave and kind smile flashed in front of his eyes, reminding him to be steady.
Inosuke... The abrasive boar-like Demon Slayer roared at him in his memory, reminding him to stay strong and never back down.
Nezuko...I’ll protect you, no matter what! The image of the Demon, a piece of bamboo in her mouth and looking at him from her box flashed in front of Zenitsu, reminding him to stay determined. He felt his heart flutter, and steadied himself with his breathing. No matter how much power Jay had, he would defeat him! He would see his friends again!
Jay twisted his body as Zenitsu ran forwards, his fingers twitching over his sword’s sheath. The pain from their injuries seemed negligible, like a prick on the finger instead of large cuts. Jay spun quickly, summoning another tornado of lightning as Zenitsu drew his blade. The tornado bore down on the Demon Slayer, but with an unbridled strength, he drew his blade and slashed in one smooth motion, clashing against the nunchucks in a display of sparks.
Jay spun around again and Zenitsu ducked under a swing from the nunchucks, leaping in the air and rolling into a somersault, swinging his blade in a wide circle. Jay swung his nunchucks upwards, clashing against the sword spectacularly. He spun to a stop as Zenitsu landed on the ground, and leapt towards him, throwing the nunchucks around his head.
The handle of one slammed into Zenitsu’s cheek, sending the Slayer stumbling backwards, but he stayed on his feet. Instead, he jumped towards Jay, kicking the nunchucks to the side as the Ninja swung to intercept him. He thrust his sword, but Jay jumped upwards, tapping into his Airjitzu to take off high in the air.
Smiling, Zenitsu jumped off the ground at the speed of lightning with his First Form, intercepting Jay’s flight as he slashed. Jay let out a yell and Zenitsu threw his foot backwards, slamming into Jay’s back and sending him crashing to the ground.
But the Lightning Ninja was far from done. He dashed towards Zenitsu with the speed of a car as he threw his nunchucks forwards. Letting out a yell, he fired two bursts of lightning, one of which hit Zenitsu, sending electricity through his body as he let out a grunt. The other slammed into the nunchucks, sending them into Zenitsu’s face at an increased speed. The handles slammed into Zenitsu’s nose, which sprayed blood with a sickening slam.
Entering Spinjitzu, Jay dashed forwards, sending a spinning kick into Zenitsu’s stomach as he caught the nunchaku, sending Zenitsu to the ground. The Demon Slayer rolled backwards to get to his feet as Jay spun to a stop and turned around.
Just keep attacking! Zenitsu screamed to himself, slashing wildly at Jay with increased vigour. Any attack will do! I just have to keep hitting him! Jay threw his fist into Zenitsu’s chest, sending him backwards. Zenitsu’s breath strained, but he pushed on, his body streaming with blood and sweat, his muscles screaming for some form of release. Zenitsu desperately thrust with the sword, but Jay deflected it with his foot. Zenitsu watched his wheezing opponent, holding his nunchucks as if letting it go would cause his demise. He’s also as tired as I am! I can hear it! Just...keep...moving!
NINJA NEVER QUIT, JAY! The Ninja told himself, swinging his weapon with as much force as he could output. Zenitsu leaned backwards, barely avoiding the swing, responding with a kick to the knee, sending Jay crashing to the ground. He rolled to the side to avoid the deadly blow, blood leaking out of his gi. JUST KEEP PUSHING!
I have to do it! My legs can hold on...just a little longer! Zenitsu sucked in as much air as he could, the air crackling around him. He placed all his weight onto his legs, gripping his sword as if he were trying to crush it in his palms. THUNDER BREATHING, FIRST FORM: THUNDERCLAP AND FLASH...GODSPEED!
Screaming as loud as he could, ripping his throat raw, Zenitsu charged forwards with all of his might. He took off at speeds he hadn’t ever believed possible. Jay gasped and held out his nunchucks in defence. With a mighty swing, he cleaved through the weapons like a hot knife through butter. Jay had barely a second to react, surrounding himself in an Elemental Shield of pure Lightning.
Yelling louder, sparkling with yellow lightning, Zenitsu buried his sword into the shield, destroying it in an instant and sending Jay flying through the forest. He flew through trees, splintering wood off the trunks as he crashed into the ground. The shockwaves from the attack stripped the leaves off the trees nearby.
Bleeding, battered and broken, Jay rolled a slow stop. Holding his side, he gasped in agony. He rolled over, earning another yell of pain.
“It’s over...” Zenitsu gasped a small sigh of relief, falling onto his knees. He wheezed in pain and exhaustion. His vision blurred and his eyelids suddenly felt one thousand kilograms heavier. There was nothing else he could do…His eyelids started to cover his eyes, as his body lost all the energy it had…
But Jay reached out, weakly latching onto the nearest stick lying beside him. And he stood, using the stick as a makeshift cane, leaning on one leg. Blood stained his body, but his eyes were glowing blue, his hands were crackling with lightning. Zenitsu forced his eyelids open as he watched. His legs shook at the thought of standing, the rest of his body threatening to give out on him.
Gramps…c’mon! Give me one last push! Just one…MORE! Despite the rest of his body screaming at him, despite his heart and legs begging him for a rest, he stood up. Blood rushed down his head, staining his clothing.
Jay’s voice came out in a croak, but it was still audible. “For...NYA!” He yelled, bringing his sparkling hands together. Lightning started to boom around him, as he put the last scraps of his energy into his attack. Come on, Jay…one last attack…that’s all I have left… The area around him glowed a blinding white, before a dragon, a great big dragon made of lightning, appeared out of nowhere, with an utterly exhausted Jay riding on top.
One last attack, Zenitsu! One last attack! That's all I need! Crouching low for one last time, Zenitsu sucked in as much air as possible, begging his legs to continue for one last attack. Squeezing his eyes closed, he screamed out his one last move.
“THUNDER BREATHING, SEVENTH FORM: FLAMING...”
“Positive thinking…” Jay whispered to himself, his voice suddenly growing to a crackling scream.
“THUNDER...!”
“NINJAAAAAAA...”
“GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!”
“GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
Zenitsu’s blade exploded with the power of a yellow dragon, flowing with his blade as Zenitsu pushed one last time with his legs, which exploded with absolute exhaustion, gliding behind him uselessly.
Jay’s Elemental Dragon flew forwards, firing out a jet of Lightning as it swooped down towards Zenitsu. The Demon Slayer held his blade upwards, the lightning striking the blade and redirecting to fire high in the air. Screaming, pushing his voice to its absolute limit, Zenitsu met with the dragon, slicing with all his might, roaring with the power and force of a real dragon.
Zenitsu’s blade shattered, and the Elemental Dragon died away, throwing Jay to the ground. He rolled to a stop and got to his feet, turning around to spot the falling Zenitsu, holding onto the hilt of his blade for dear life and facing Jay. The shattered remains of the Nichirin Sword’s blade fell to the ground.
Roaring just as loud in return, Jay charged forwards, pushing all he had into one last Spinjitzu tornado that zipped across the battlefield. His eyes sparkling with electricity, he pushed off the ground to meet Zenitsu, his back facing the Demon Slayer, as he threw an electrified elbow into Zenitsu’s face, sending a wave of lightning flowing through his body.
He twisted around, throwing a punch with his left hand that connected with Zenitsu’s cheek, sending another wave of electricity through his body. Zenitsu clenched his fists, but his arms refused to move, their energy completely and entirely drained. Screaming one final time, he threw his left leg into Zenitsu’s side, sending one final wave of lightning through Zenitsu’s body. The Demon Slayer let out a scream as the lightning overwhelmed him, bursting out of his body, reducing it to nothingness in an explosion of pure Elemental Energy.
Jay landed on his feet, but they gave out on him, leaving Jay on his knees. His body bleed, his muscles ached like they were being pierced with a thousand red-hot needles, and his eyes leaked with tears, as the last of his energy left his body.
“I...I did it...” Was all he could say, before collapsing, unconscious.
K.O!
Conclusion[]
Kaiya: Woah-ho! Holy shit! That just leaves Inosuke now, right?
Counter: Zenitsu was an undeniably powerful combatant, but Jay simply had him outclassed in several key areas. To give credit to Zenitsu, though, he did have many advantages over the Ninja of Lightning.
Kaiya: Yeah. Zenitsu could definitely move faster. He could move at over Mach 1800 to blitz a bolt of lightning, while Jay moved at over Mach 60 to dodge a bolt of lightning. That would make him over 30x faster. The key here is, 30x faster to move. Jay’s ability to react to and perceive lightning, especially the lightning he fires, shows that he can perceive objects at over Mach 1200. Zenitsu would still be faster, but only about 1.5x faster. Not nearly enough to tip the scales.
Damien: And that’s using conservative estimates for Jay. That’s not including the various, albeit more questionable, laser-dodging feats in Ninjago. At higher estimates, Jay would be several leagues faster than Zenitsu.
Hannah: Zenitsu definitely had more intense training through Final Selection and Hashira Training, making him the more tireless of the two. He also probably trained for longer overall. However, this is where Jay’s advantages start to tip the scales.
Counter: While Zenitsu certainly trained for longer, the stories of both Demon Slayer and Ninjago take place over a couple of years. However, Ninjago likely took place over a longer time, as there are at least two year-long time skips in between seasons. Jay definitely had more experience, especially against a wider variety of foes. He’s fought evil octopi with laser tridents, an evil video game, a sorcerer who can resurrect the dead, the embodiment of evil and darkness itself, and a wish-granting genie, a far cry from the Demons Zenitsu usually dealt with.
Kaiya: It doesn’t help that due to his number of years with Kai, Jay is more than familiar with a sword, while Zenitsu doesn’t have that amount of familiarity with nunchucks or a kusarigama. Shit, Zenitsu only knew two forms of Thunder Breathing, one of which he developed spin-offs from, but at the end of the day, most of those attacks involved just dashing at an opponent.
Damien: Given Jay’s intelligence, this was certainly something he could react to and plan for through the battle. Meanwhile, techniques such as Spinjitzu, Airjitzu and Elemental Dragons are stuff Zenitsu has literally never seen before.
Hannah: And Jay has more applications of his Lightning to use. Thunder Breathing is essentially swordfighting techniques, and the mangaka has stated that Breathing Styles aren’t actually unleashing elemental attacks. Even if they were, Jay could control it using his own powers, and he wasn’t limited by having to use his weapon to use lightning.
Counter: He could channel lightning through the Nichirin Blade, fly around, and has shrugged off being struck by lightning, while a lightning strike permanently changed the colour of Zenitsu’s hair, proving Jay could handle way more lightning than Zenitsu. Zenitsu’s Thunder Breathing was essentially useless against Jay, and if he could manage to disarm Zenitsu, then the Demon Slayer was pretty much out of options, while Jay can fight fine with or without a weapon.
Kaiya: So yeah, Jay has better experience, versatility and greater control of lightning, but let’s not beat around the bush. Who was stronger?
Damien: Well, to put it simply, Jay was. One of the strongest feats in Demon Slayer is Gyutaro’s explosion, which was worth over 4 kilotons of TNT. For the extreme overestimation of Zenitsu’s power, let's assume he could fight and reasonably defeat over 1000 Gyutaros or beings with Gyutaro’s power.
Hannah: This would yield over 4 Megatons of TNT, certainly a lot, but just above half of what Jay could survive even without his Elemental Power. Let’s not forget, Elemental Powers directly amplify the user. Ray and Maya seemingly aged slower, and when Kai and Nya lost their powers, they were portrayed as weaker and tired much easier. When Kai was just starting to regain his powers in the Never-Realm, a small burst of Fire was enough to tire him out.
Counter: And when Nya lost her powers in Crystalized, she was quickly overpowered and overwhelmed by Pythor, who cowers away from other Elemental Masters like Skylor. So Jay’s 7 Megaton feat wasn’t nearly as high as he could get. Applying the same amount of scrutiny to both fighters, Jay could potentially reach a power worth over 27 exatons of TNT. Let’s not forget, while Zenitsu’s overestimation was based on a number that was completely without basis and was just given for the sake of argument, Jay’s overestimation has basis in the canon and in the show.
Kaiya: Right, because Lloyd splitting his Golden Power with the team did connect the 4 Ninja with Lloyd, resulting in the original 4 losing their powers once Lloyd was possessed by Morro. They even tapped into the Golden Power briefly in the Digiverse.
Damien: Even if we ignore EVERYTHING we just stated and use raw numbers, Zenitsu’s 4 Kiloton feat is outdone by Jay scaling to feats worth 14 Kilotons of TNT, which was a feat Nadakhan achieved while directly powered by Kai’s soul.
Hannah: So Jay was anywhere from 3.5x stronger on the absolute low end to 6 trillion times stronger on the absolute high end. Jay is just several leagues stronger than Zenitsu.
Counter: Zenitsu put up a killer fight, and certainly had the speed to give Jay a challenge, but the Ninja of Lightning’s overwhelming strength, durability and shocking electrical versatility gave him the edge he needed.
Kaiya: Agats to be honest, I thought this was a cake walk-er for Jay.
Counter: The winner is Jay Walker.
