"!"
Faced with the waist-level Spirit Roundslash, Kokushibo instinctively swung his blade horizontally to block it.
But his blade—composed of flesh and blood—was cleaved cleanly by Kairo Retsu's Rathalos Long Sword, only slightly lessening the momentum of that wild, brutal attack.
A savage and violent strike—
Realizing he couldn't regenerate the blade fast enough to block it fully, Kokushibo instinctively leapt backward.
In doing so, he narrowly avoided being bisected by the Roundslash and also just managed to dodge the simultaneous coordinated strike from the four Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
His abdomen had already been split open by the Roundslash—
Though it felt like it was burning with searing flames, Kokushibo swiftly regenerated the large wound and reformed a blade from his own flesh to intercept an oncoming thrust from the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa.
That strike, swift as a gale, gave Kokushibo no time for other thoughts. His torn garments were shredded further by the Wind Breathing blades slicing through the air.
But Sanemi's strike was just the opening blow—
Next came Tengen Uzui, whose explosive beads were hurled tightly behind the Wind Hashira's frame, aiming for Kokushibo's blind spots.
Though subtle in trajectory, Kokushibo had already sensed them.
Blades burst from his body, prematurely detonating the bombs. The same blades also pierced the nearby Sanemi's body—turning him into a human pincushion.
"You're really going for it, huh."
Sanemi, impaled like a porcupine, didn't retreat in the slightest. He forcibly moved, even as his body was torn apart—blood poured from his wounds, emanating a scent that intoxicated demons.
Sanemi Shinazugawa—the rarest of the rare bloods.
His blood could send demons into a drunken daze. And now, he was using that torrent of blood to create openings for his allies' attacks.
"Well done, Shinazugawa!!"
Hearing the sound of Sanemi being ripped apart, Gyomei Himejima instantly understood his intent.
The spiked flail in his hand began spinning rapidly—
And at the very moment Kokushibo succumbed to the rare blood's stupor, Gyomei struck.
The massive chain-flail swung directly at Kokushibo's skull, intending to crush it completely.
"!"
The whistle of the flail's wind snapped Kokushibo out of his trance.
His primal instincts reacted—he raised his arm and took the hit directly, sacrificing an arm to block the weapon's colossal force.
The cost?
Kokushibo now had only one arm left, and facing him were Tengen from the flank, and—
Muichiro Tokito, who had snuck behind the flail thanks to his small frame.
"An attack not fit to exist in this world… is nothing but child's play!"
Just as Muichiro and Tengen approached Kokushibo, slashes too fast to follow assaulted them.
Their techniques—meant to decapitate Kokushibo—were intercepted by blades that erupted from Kokushibo's body.
And with just one hand, Kokushibo nearly shredded them to pieces.
Muichiro had both arms severed, and even his right leg was torn open.
His Nichirin Blade, along with both hands, went flying.
Sanemi was run through with countless blades—completely immobilized.
If not for Tengen's quick reaction—tearing off his own arm, grabbing Sanemi with one hand, and biting onto Muichiro's clothing to pull both away—they would've been diced apart by the forest of blades.
"He didn't even move… those were slashes from within his own body…"
Muichiro stared wide-eyed.
"What kind of monster is this…"
"Do not fear!!"
Gyomei's bellow rang out:
"He's begun to retreat inward! Keep attacking!!!"
Muichiro, hearing the call, crushed the fear rising within.
In an instant, he located his weapon and, with freshly regenerated arms, retrieved it and returned to stance.
"I'll take point!!"
And during this brief regroup by the Demon Slayer Corps—
Kairo Retsu, unfazed, charged directly at Kokushibo.
"I refuse to believe that a bastard like you… CAN'T BE KILLED!!!!"
Kokushibo roared back in fury, swinging his blade at Kairo.
But upon contact, Kokushibo sensed… a third kind of resistance.
It wasn't like the first time, when Kairo's body was easily sliced through.
Nor was it like before, when no attack could damage him.
No—this time it felt like Kairo's body had suddenly become several tiers tougher.
Kokushibo's blade jammed inside Kairo's flesh.
"Because you demons can think…
That's why in a hunt…
We always exploit your intelligence."
Using his body to jam Kokushibo's weapon, Kairo plunged the Rathalos Long Sword into Kokushibo's torso.
Then he wrenched it upward—splitting Kokushibo's upper body from abdomen to shoulder—
Forcing him to abandon his flesh-forged blade to avoid another coordinated barrage.
Watching Kokushibo retreat awkwardly and regenerate a new weapon, Kairo calmly yanked the embedded blade from his body, admiring it:
"Nice material… I wonder if the Felynes could forge a new weapon out of this."
"…Abomination."
Kokushibo muttered as he stared at Kairo.
There were too many anomalies about him.
And he still couldn't grasp Kairo's actual strength.
It was like a veil covered everything—Kairo only showed him what he wanted Kokushibo to see.
Which was the trap?
Which was real?
And Kokushibo also noticed—
That strange blade in Kairo's hand now glowed with a faint white light. Who knows what new trick it concealed.
Kairo was very satisfied with Kokushibo's current expression.
Doubt. Fear.
And a hint of dread.
This tactic… had come from the Two Joes at the Gathering Hub.
Consumable pills that temporarily boosted attributes were perfect tools for confusing demons.
Because what they were hunting now…
Weren't brainless beasts.
As Joseph had explained to the other Hunters:
"At the right time, the opponent's intelligence becomes part of the trap."
"Kokushibo."
Kairo once again flashed a radiant smile—one that grated on Kokushibo's nerves.
"Come on."
"Kill me, if you want.
Do your worst…
I'll be right here."