Kokushibo wanted to roar at Kairo Retsu, to deny that everything he said was a lie—but the details Kairo described from Yoriichi's final moments…
Those were things only he should've known—and yet, they were effortlessly spoken from Kairo's mouth.
Now, standing before Kairo's smiling face, Kokushibo felt an inexplicable fear begin to take hold.
Even if Kairo truly lacked combat prowess, his abnormality… was far beyond counting.
"So come on, Kokushibo—you've got to think! You have to reflect! Reflect hard!"
Kairo walked forward with his Rathalos-derived Long Sword dragging behind him, smiling radiantly.
"Think about whether what I said was true! Think about where I might have come from!"
By now, Kairo had closed in—no longer far from Kokushibo.
Kokushibo himself could judge: at this distance, he could easily strike Kairo down and obliterate his body, brain included.
If he destroyed the brain in an instant, Kairo would die completely. That abnormal regeneration wouldn't bring him back…
And yet—Kokushibo could not see fear in Kairo Retsu's eyes.
To pursue the Transparent World, Kokushibo had grown six eyes, hoping to see the world as Yoriichi once did. But now…
Even though Kokushibo could clearly discern Kairo's muscle movements, see the heartbeat within his chest, and read every pulse and breath—he saw no fear.
No fear of Kokushibo. No fear of death.
In fact, from the moment he appeared until now, Kairo hadn't spoken a single lie…
Kokushibo, who once believed he could slay Kairo instantly at this range, suddenly found hesitation blooming in his heart.
And then—he saw Kairo raise a hand behind him to stop the other Demon Slayer Corps Hashira who were about to act.
"Well? Have you figured it out, Kokushibo… no—Tsugikuni Michikatsu."
Kairo smiled breezily at him.
"Have you judged whether what I've said is true?"
"I can give you more time."
Kairo flipped his grip on the Long Sword and gently patted the blade, glancing at the Spirit Gauge he'd been secretly building from all that 'cheap trickery.'
"After all, for us Hunters, slaying Muzan is the real objective. You? You're just a side quest."
"Besides…"
Kairo added,
"Even if I didn't show up, these people here could still kill you.
It would just come at the cost of some of their lives."
"And as for the Transparent World, I can't see it—but others can."
Without turning, Kairo pointed his thumb toward Gyomei's direction.
"He can see it now."
Then he gestured toward Muichiro.
"Muichiro has the talent for it too."
"Oh—and Tanjiro."
Kairo grinned.
"He's got the gift too."
"You can see it, right? Right here."
Kairo pointed to his heart with a clear smile.
"You can see my heartbeat. You should be able to tell whether or not I'm lying…"
Kokushibo fell silent, all six eyes glaring at Kairo's face, heart, and brain—trying to read his every thought.
But… he couldn't. He couldn't glimpse Kairo's true intentions at all.
And then—without warning—Kokushibo pulled a blade tip from his palm and jammed it into his own chest, stimulating his body through pain.
"Enough. I shouldn't have wasted so much time talking to you."
Through the pain he had long grown used to, Kokushibo spoke coldly.
"I won't listen to another word from you. You monster."
"Bullshit! I'm a bona fide human—pure blood, straight lineage!"
Kairo barked back, eyes wide.
"And you're the demon, calling me the monster? That's backwards!"
"I will never lose to someone like you."
Kokushibo's split-blade sword began to rise slowly, charging with power.
"Even if you've been messing with my mind since the moment you arrived…
Whatever schemes you've laid—once I've seen through your true aim, everything you've done is meaningless!"
"So what if you can see the same world I do?
Just thinking about losing to someone like you… it makes my guts churn!!"
"Stop smiling, you freak even further from humanity than a demon."
Kokushibo glared death at Kairo.
"I won't lose to monsters like you again!!"
The next instant—Kokushibo moved, lunging straight at Kairo.
At the same moment, the four Hashira also sprang into action.
But—
This was exactly what Kairo wanted.
He needed Kokushibo to attack in a moment of hesitation.
Only then could Kairo read his movements.
Only then could he react—prepare a counterattack in time.
Just before Kokushibo struck, Kairo gently swung his Long Sword once.
And then…
Kokushibo's fully charged sword technique surged toward him—an overwhelming strike, aiming to cut through not just Kairo, but the fear in his own heart.
This time, Kokushibo did not hold back.
Even though his movement was slow enough for Kairo to follow, its power was beyond anything Kokushibo had unleashed before.
Gripping the Rathalos Long Sword with both hands, Kairo focused intently on Kokushibo's movement, taking a small step backward.
The Spirit Gauge he had built up fully depleted—and the immense Moon Breathing strike fell upon him.
Clang.
A crisp metallic note rang out—where Kokushibo's slash met Kairo's body.
Kokushibo's eyes widened in shock.
That most powerful of slashes… had done nothing to Kairo.
And before the stiffness of his post-swing lag wore off—
Kairo's reaction was faster than Kokushibo—or any of the other Hashira.
That strange two-meter-long Long Sword struck back in a vicious counterattack, the motion sharp and clean—
Completely unlike someone "untrained in combat."
Kokushibo's eyes bulged.
He looked at Kairo and saw a face brimming with joy—more so than ever before.
It was the look of a Hunter watching his prey… walk straight into his trap.
"Taste my Spirit Slash Derivation—SPIRIT ROUNDSLASH!!!!!!!!!"