"???"
Kokushibo was completely caught off guard by that slash.
He had been watching Kairo Retsu's movements closely. Yet, this man wielding a colossal longsword—larger even than a normal person—rolled right up to his feet and struck his shin…?
What sort of swordsmanship was this? In all his centuries, Kokushibo had never encountered anything like it.
Though shocked, Kokushibo quickly responded, bringing his blade—formed from his own flesh and blood—down toward Kairo, who was beneath him.
But Kairo immediately rolled again—dodging with uncanny timing—and once more aimed that ridiculous blade at Kokushibo with a sneak attack.
"Are you trying to humiliate me with this shameful tactic?!"
Kokushibo furiously dodged Kairo's grounded slash and unleashed a wide swath of sword aura, forcing back Gyomei and the others to keep them from attacking.
But Kairo declared proudly, "This is the Sword Style of the Ground-Slash School! It's not just you—I've taken down Black Dragons, Elden Beasts, and Isshin Ashina with this move!"
"Enough!!!"
Kairo's continued taunting gnawed at Kokushibo's nerves, shaking the calm he had maintained for centuries.
"I will never acknowledge someone like you as a monster akin to Yoriichi! Face me with your true swordsmanship!!"
"Nope! I, the Supreme Lord of Action Hunters, have my own fighting style!"
Kairo shouted this as he performed three successive rolls at Kokushibo's feet, dodging sword aura with absurd precision. His shameless approach only enraged Kokushibo further.
The Hashira, focused on coordinating their offensive against Kokushibo, had no time to react to Kairo's antics.
Thus, the duty of commentary fell to the only one who wasn't fighting head-on—Genya.
Watching Kairo flip and spin across the ground like a mole, sneaking attacks at Kokushibo's lower half, Genya's jaw remained dropped the entire time.
"You can fight like that?! And it's actually working… on Upper Rank One?!"
Meanwhile, Kairo continued rolling and slashing, all while monitoring the buildup in his Spirit Gauge…
Truth be told, Kairo hadn't chosen this fighting style—he was forced into it.
"Once I get back, I'm training—seriously!"
Kairo silently wept in his heart.
If he could help it, he didn't want to use the Ground-Slash Sword Style either. Who didn't pick the Long Sword to look cool?
He too wanted to strike a stylish Iai combo against Kokushibo like a hero, but… well, there's a saying:
"No matter how strong you are in the game… it's still just a game."
If Kairo just charged in and tried a flashy combo, odds are the "Iai Slash" would be followed by the word "Fainted."
This is Kokushibo—not Fatalis.
At least with Fatalis, when she opens her mouth, Kairo knows she's about to puke fire.
He has never fought Kokushibo before.
So he carried on with bitter determination, sneaking slash after slash at Kokushibo's legs—and infuriating the demon with every hit.
"As long as it works, that's what matters!"
Sanemi had no qualms and even seemed to agree with Kairo's approach.
To him, any method that could kill a demon was a good method.
The others had their own opinions…
Tengen Uzui wanted to call Kairo's fighting "unflashy," but since Kairo had restored both his hand and his eye, he kept his mouth shut and focused on launching fierce attacks against Kokushibo.
Muichiro was indifferent—he simply matched Kairo's timing.
Gyomei was still immersed in observing through the Transparent World, carefully tracking the movement of Kokushibo, Kairo, and the rest to optimize coordination.
Originally, Kokushibo had full confidence in enduring these attacks.
He had mastered his Breathing Style and, thanks to his demonic body, he could continue fighting indefinitely without fatigue.
But…
Kokushibo was gradually starting to feel something strange in his shin.
A searing force was beginning to burn through his leg. His first suspicion?
Those sneak attacks from Kairo.
After blasting the surrounding fighters away with a massive sword technique, Kokushibo retreated to a safer distance and took a quick moment to assess the damage.
Where Kairo's strikes had landed, his flesh smoldered like it was on fire—similar to how Yoriichi's Sun Breathing would heat a Nichirin Blade into crimson… yet distinctly different.
It was only flame.
Kairo's attacks lacked the natural demon-slaying properties of the Sun Breathing—but the burn was real nonetheless.
"If you refuse to fight me with your true strength…"
Kokushibo's sword twisted hideously, more grotesque branches sprouting from the blood-forged blade brimming with uncountable eyes.
Each extension expanded his attack range further.
The moment he swung, chaotic and overwhelming slashes became a storm of sword aura that tore forward in a wide fan.
All five fighters facing him were caught in the range.
The first to react was Gyomei.
"Protect your vitals!!"
Gyomei's massive flail spun with terrifying might, blocking most of the strikes—yet slashes still slipped through the gaps and tore into his massive frame.
The others fared no better.
Despite Gyomei's warning, the relentless torrent of attacks left deep wounds on the other Hashira. Muichiro's wrist was severed. Sanemi lost a few fingers.
Although those lost limbs would regenerate quickly, the psychological pressure Kokushibo exerted was overwhelming.
He was once a Marked Swordsman.
Upper Rank One.
He had not only retained mastery over his Breathing Style from his human life—he had sharpened it across centuries.
"Truly… a foe I wish I didn't have to face."
Muichiro gripped his blade tightly with his remaining hand.
"Don't say crap like that!"
Sanemi gritted his teeth, forcing himself to the front line again.
"Against a monster like this—we either fight like hell or die trying!!!"
"Damn right! Give it everything!"
Kairo shouted with power in his voice:
"That's the spirit! We Hunters will do everything in our power to minimize your danger—let nature take its course!!!"
"!"
Gyomei was about to respond—but within the Transparent World, he noticed something…
Kairo… had gotten shorter?