"Muichiro Tokito vs. Gyokko"
"Hm? What was that?" On the other side of the Swordsmith Village, Muichiro Tokito, facing Upper Moon Five, Gyokko, suddenly felt a distant explosion. The blast was immense; even from a distance, Muichiro felt a wave of suffocating pressure.
"Tsk, it seems Hantengu encountered a formidable opponent over there," Gyokko said, glancing in that direction, a sinister smile playing on his lips. "If he's killed, all the credit will be mine, hee hee hee."
He then turned his attention to Muichiro Tokito, who was also looking at him. "Hee hee hee, nice to meet you. My name is Gyokko. Before I kill you, may I occupy your time a little? I'd like my esteemed guests to appreciate my latest masterpiece before they depart."
A crude-looking pot materialized beside him. Moments later, black liquid flowed from the opening, revealing a gruesome pile of swordsmith corpses fused together.
Kotetsu and Kozo Kanamori nearly vomited. Even Muichiro Tokito's expression subtly changed.
"I call it 'The Swordsmith's Wretched End.' I lavishly used five swordsmith corpses. Seeing your deep appreciation… I'm so moved," Gyokko said.
"Enough, you bastard," Muichiro Tokito said, tightening his grip on his Nichirin Blade. In an instant, he appeared before Gyokko, aiming a swift strike to decapitate him.
However, Gyokko reacted swiftly, retreating into the pot as Muichiro's attack neared, then instantly transferring himself to a pot on the hut's roof.
"My explanation of the artwork isn't over yet. At least let me finish! The most important thing about this pot…" Gyokko said, floating out of the pot.
"I see, he can move between pots," Muichiro Tokito thought, attacking again. This time, he targeted the pot itself, cleaving it in two.
Despite his quick change in tactics, Gyokko escaped.
"Fast. He escaped again. Let's try this one," Muichiro Tokito thought, looking at another pot in the nearby forest. "The pot appeared there instantly. How do these pots appear out of nowhere?"
Gyokko reappeared, furious. "You dared to destroy my pot, you philistine monkey! You muscle-brained apes can't understand the artistry of my work! Oh well!"
Muichiro Tokito ignored him, thinking, "No. Since he escapes so readily, he's different from the previous divided demons. Decapitation will destroy him."
Gyokko produced another pot, releasing numerous large-headed goldfish.
Their mouths expanded, spitting sharp needles at Muichiro Tokito.
"Blood Demon Art: Thousand Needles, Ten Thousand Piercings: Fish Kill!"
Muichiro Tokito, agilely dodging the needles while rolling across the roof, leaped down and saw Kotetsu and Kozo Kanamori huddled together; a goldfish had targeted them.
As the goldfish launched its needles, Muichiro Tokito reacted instantly, shielding them. The poisoned needles pierced his body; from a distance, he looked like a hedgehog.
"Tokito-sama!" Kotetsu and Kozo Kanamori were moved, worried, and dejected.
"You're in the way! Hide!" Muichiro Tokito gritted his teeth, enduring the pain.
They quickly retreated, understanding that staying would only hinder him, potentially costing him his life.
"Hee hee hee, covered in needles… how comical," Gyokko sneered. "How's it going? Your limbs are paralyzing from the poison, right? Hilarious. You die for meaningless lives in a meaningless place."
Feeling his limbs weakening, Muichiro Tokito remained unfazed.
"Ultimately, whether they live or die is inconsequential."
A face flashed in his mind—a familiar yet unfamiliar face.
"Who is that? I can't remember… I feel like I've heard those words before. Where? Summer, hot, the door was open… maybe because it was too hot… it was night, but I could hear cicadas… the cicadas were loud…"
An image of a small hut emerged. Fragmented memories, long lost, began to resurface.
Gyokko continued to taunt. "Hee hee hee, even for a useless Hashira, what kind of masterpiece will you create? Exciting!"
"You're too noisy," Muichiro Tokito said, charging at Gyokko.
"Your words are far more boring," Gyokko retorted, producing another pot. Water erupted, encasing Muichiro Tokito in a water prison.
"Drowning is also a unique beauty. Then, a swift decapitation, sending a chill down the spine. A masterpiece! Your breathing technique is sealed! I can't wait to see your suffocating expression!"
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