"Now!!"
Kairo Retsu's voice rang out the moment Kokushibo had responded.
Having nearly been cleaved in two by Kairo's Spirit Helm Breaker, Kokushibo began unleashing wide-range Blood Demon Art attacks—blades sprouting from his body slashed out crescent-shaped waves, trying to buy time to regenerate.
But in the very next instant, a grappling hook latched onto his shoulder.
As Kokushibo turned to trace its source, he saw Joseph Joestar rushing toward him—body glowing with a power deadly to demons.
Facing the incoming crescent slashes, Joseph blocked them with his right-hand shield, forcing his way through the barrage to close in on Kokushibo.
Alarm bells blared in Kokushibo's mind. He knew—he couldn't let that energy touch him.
He had to kill or repel Joseph before he got any closer.
But… just as Kokushibo tried to lift his arm—
Something felt wrong.
The blade he held—was coated in thick frost, dulling his swing and cutting off his technique.
That instant was all Joseph needed—
Clinging to the hook, he arrived beside Kokushibo.
He took a deep breath.
His shield lifted high.
Hamon energy coursed through his arm.
He was preparing to vaporize Kokushibo's entire head.
And Kokushibo saw it all.
At this range, in the Transparent World, he could see the blood flow in Joseph's veins.
The energy—flowing from every cell—gathered through his blood to the ends of his limbs, concentrating into the shield...
But—however lethal the attack may be, Joseph's movements were still too slow.
From Kokushibo's shoulder, a blade created from Blood Demon Art swung at point-blank range—
It sliced off Joseph's right arm, severing his Hamon-infused shield.
Joseph clenched his teeth through the pain. He lifted a leg, trying to strike with Hamon again—
But Kokushibo cut off his other leg and left arm in one swift motion.
Without any limbs for support, Joseph began falling from the air.
One more strike.
That's all Kokushibo needed.
Crush Joseph's skull, and these enemies' regenerative abilities would be meaningless.
One down—irreversible death.
As Kokushibo readied to finish Joseph off—
He looked down.
There, at his feet, was a small figure in a green cloak.
Much smaller than Joseph.
It was Kazuma Satou.
Moments earlier, Kazuma had taken advantage of his small frame to stealthily hitch a ride on Joseph's back, using him as a human shield to break through the slashes and reach Kokushibo.
But Kokushibo hadn't seen any of that.
"!"
His pupils dilated violently.
Who was this?!
How had he gotten so close?!
When did he arrive?!
Why hadn't he been detected in the Transparent World?!
What was he trying to do?!
The sheer terror of the unknown overwhelmed Kokushibo.
He tried to move his still-regenerating body away from the mysterious, pint-sized figure.
But just then—a gunshot rang out.
The moment Kazuma's body came into view, Genya Shinazugawa fired—
Just as he and Kazuma had planned.
His bullets, infused with controlled Blood Demon Art, swerved around Kokushibo's attacks, embedding into both legs and nailing him to the ground.
"Restrain enemy movement…"
Genya swallowed hard, recalling Kazuma's guidance.
"Always observe the terrain and environment…"
He raised his hand.
Thanks to consuming the flesh of three Upper Ranks earlier, Genya's Blood Demon Art had drastically strengthened.
"Use every ability you have!"
From the bullets, branches and icy spikes erupted—
They surged into Kokushibo's flesh, anchoring him more firmly to the ground, rapidly absorbing his blood and growing further.
Kazuma, who had dropped his stealth in front of Kokushibo, raised a hand—
And splashed water in Kokushibo's face.
The fear Kokushibo had just begun to suppress immediately turned into burning killing intent.
But before he could act—
Kazuma's lips moved.
His hand stayed still.
And another spell was released.
"Freeze!"
An opaque, ice-thickened layer enveloped Kokushibo's entire head, freezing it solid.
His sight and hearing vanished in an instant.
Darkness.
Kokushibo couldn't see, couldn't hear.
His legs were pinned down.
The ice over his head was too hard to break quickly.
He was trapped.
He poured all his effort into swinging his Blood Demon Art in every direction, unleashing wild slashes, hoping to carve out a path to survive.
In the darkness, he could only rely on touch and pain.
His perception sharpened to the limit.
Even the flow of air across his skin became discernible.
And then—he felt it.
A burning-hot blade, as if from the sun itself, pierced through his body.
A Nichirin Blade.
That had to be it.
But whose was it?
The Wind Hashira?
Muichiro Tokito?
Tanjiro Kamado?
The blade didn't strike again, yet it burned like sunlight, scorching his insides.
Kokushibo writhed, trying to swing at whoever dealt the blow.
Then—a second strike.
A giant flail crushed into his back, like a meteor.
Its heat, just like the sun.
Third.
Fourth—
Attacks continued, overwhelming his Blood Demon Art.
Eventually, even his sword-wielding arms were severed, and they could no longer regenerate.
His arms were gone.
Chest and abdomen split open.
Legs restrained.
Head frozen.
Kokushibo realized—he truly might die.
He didn't want to.
But he had exhausted every tool at his disposal:
Blood Demon Art, Breathing Techniques, demon physiology…
There was nothing left.
And in the next moment—
Light broke through the ice encasing his head.
With a jarring impact, the ice was shattered.
Joseph Joestar, fully healed, had used his shield to smash through the frozen casing.
Kokushibo thought Joseph was going to land the finishing blow—
But Joseph's figure vanished through a crack in the wall of light—
And in his place appeared a youth eerily similar to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Tanjiro Kamado.
With the same expression of pity Yoriichi had once shown him before death.
Tanjiro, without hesitation, swung down his blade—
Decapitating Kokushibo.
"Sun Breathing…"
"…That really was… a beautiful slash…"