"How about this? How about this? Isn't my current form perfect? These scales are harder than diamonds, and the power and speed granted by these soft, incredibly elastic muscles must make you feel ashamed, right?"
Gyokko, now in his second stage, wrapped his snake-like tail around a Hashira, spread his arms and fin-like hands, and boasted exaggeratedly to Kocho Shinobu and Kanroji Mitsuri.
"Feel honored. You are the third and fourth Hashira to witness this form."
Kocho Shinobu and Kanroji Mitsuri gripped their Nichirin Blades, staring at Gyokko.
Though they weren't at their wits' end yet, they had already expended most of their stamina.
And Gyokko still had his second stage; the upcoming fight would be even more difficult, potentially even resulting in a Hashira's death.
Just as Kocho Shinobu was considering whether to use the means she had reserved for Upper Rank Two against Upper Rank Five, a male voice suddenly came from the other side of the street.
"No, actually, there's a fifth, and there won't be a sixth after this."
Qingshui walked towards them, holding his newly acquired Nichirin Blade upside down.
Kocho Shinobu and Kanroji Mitsuri's expressions brightened involuntarily.
Since Qingshui was here, did that mean…
"Hm? Another one?"
Gyokko looked at Qingshui.
"But it's all the same. If I accidentally take the heads of three Hashira, won't that mean no one else gets any kills?"
"You don't need to worry about them; they won't get a chance to take any heads either. And…"
Qingshui scrutinized Gyokko's appearance, then looked at the ceramic pot on the ground.
"You're the ugliest Demon I've ever seen, and your aesthetic sense doesn't seem great either. That pot on the ground, no matter how I look at it, feels a bit asymmetrical, and the craftsmanship doesn't seem very good."
Qingshui cupped his chin with his left hand, offering his critique.
For Gyokko, who prided himself on being an artist and was narcissistic, such a critique was the most effective way to provoke him.
Gyokko's eyes, which read "Upper Rank" and "Five," widened.
"Your eyeballs must be rotten! How am I ugly! How is my pot crooked!"
Gyokko became agitated, momentarily forgetting to attack, seemingly wanting to argue with Qingshui.
"Hmm… your body… the proportions aren't very harmonious, and your face is very ugly. You have two mouths where your eyes should be, and your eyes are where your mouth and forehead should be. Oh, and your eyes don't seem to have eyebrows either!"
Qingshui meticulously pointed out the oddities in Gyokko's appearance.
He genuinely thought Gyokko was ugly.
"You're full of it!"
Gyokko raged.
"I'll rip off your head and present it to Lord Muzan, then replace it with a beautiful fish head as a new work of art!"
Gyokko, consumed by fury, stopped his idle chatter. His body leaped from the railing, and relying on his slender tail and the elastic muscles of his body, he moved rapidly around them, his speed astonishing. With one sweep of his tail, the ground splintered, sending debris flying.
"Blood Demon Art: Scales of Death Array!"
Kanroji Mitsuri and Kocho Shinobu hurriedly converged beside Qingshui, pressing their backs together, Nichirin Blades held forward, on full alert.
"What should we do, Qingshui-senpai? This Demon seems to have gone mad!"
Kanroji Mitsuri realized that in this state, Gyokko's speed and strength had reached an incredible level.
"You don't need to do anything; I'll handle it."
Qingshui said calmly, then reached out and gripped his Nichirin Blade's hilt, gathering his muscle strength, a faint electric arc flickering from his arm.
Regardless of whether Gyokko entered his second stage or retained his ability to escape into pots, with the perception of Transparent World and sufficient speed and explosive power, Qingshui could easily strike his head.
Just like now.
"Separation Breathing, Sixth Form: Parting Dragon Night Dance!"
In an instant, a blue light flashed, like a swimming dragon dancing, dazzling and mesmerizing.
As the Nichirin Blade was swung, it turned crimson due to Qingshui's powerful grip, transforming into a Red Blade, performing high-speed slashes.
The scarlet blade swiftly cut through Gyokko's neck, then elegantly twirled in the air before being sheathed.
Qingshui stopped, turning around.
Gyokko's head simultaneously hit the ground.
This move was a newly developed technique of Separation Breathing, yet not entirely so.
After activating Transparent World, Qingshui could perceive and control his body's muscles and cardiopulmonary activity more clearly. Both his body's utilization rate and the efficiency of his Breathing Style greatly improved, allowing him to execute techniques that had previously only existed in theory but were impossible to perform.
Kocho Shinobu and Kanroji Mitsuri were stunned.
Gyokko, not quite dead yet, was also stunned.
"Damn it! How is this possible! How could a mere human cut off the neck of me, Lord Gyokko! You despicable, lowly creature…"
As Gyokko continued to curse, the area below his neck swelled and writhed incessantly, as if about to regenerate.
Qingshui's brow furrowed slightly.
Gyokko became even uglier.
When a Demon was decapitated, if it still harbored resentment and its obsession remained, it could potentially break through its limits and continue to regenerate.
A Demon that reached that stage could not be killed by further decapitation; only sunlight could truly destroy it.
Gyokko seemed to be undergoing this process, but the powerful solar energy contained within the Red Blade significantly slowed down Gyokko's regeneration. Still, he continued to regenerate without pause.
Qingshui placed his hand back on the hilt of his Nichirin Blade.
It was just a matter of cutting him a few more times. In his original timeline, the Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro, who had awakened his Demon Slayer Mark, had seen Gyokko in this state after decapitating him. He then proceeded to chop Gyokko's entire head into pieces, which finally killed him for good.
However, before Qingshui could act, Kocho Shinobu threw her slender Nichirin Blade, embedding it in Gyokko's head.
The concentrated Wisteria Flower Poison stored within the blade was injected, and Gyokko's head rapidly began to rot and decay.
His regeneration speed was once again restricted, and it was far outpaced by the rate of decay.
Within about ten seconds, Gyokko's voice faded, and his head and body gradually turned to ash and dissipated.
Qingshui felt the slight increase in weight of the syringe in his sleeve and nodded inwardly.
Another Upper Rank Demon's blood was acquired.
Kanroji Mitsuri looked at the spot where Gyokko had disappeared, a bright smile appearing on her face.
"That's amazing! Upper Rank Five, we actually took him down!"
The three of us are incredible! We actually killed an Upper Rank Demon!
Kocho Shinobu, meanwhile, put away her Nichirin Blade and looked at Qingshui with her beautiful purple eyes.
"Qingshui, Upper Rank Two..."
"I killed him. He was quite powerful, a very useful whetstone, but I need to become even stronger."
Qingshui's tone was relaxed and nonchalant.
Kocho Shinobu froze in place, speechless for a long time.
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