"Yoriichi... it really is you!"
Kokushibo's six eyes widened simultaneously, but the jealousy that had burned within them rapidly dissipated.
In its place surged an even more intense fury!
Breath of the Moon - First Form: Dark Moon - Evening Palace
A crescent-shaped iai strike, executed with astonishing speed, hurtled toward Yuki.
The latter immediately abandoned his performance, abruptly shifting his body to evade the impossibly swift attack.
Yuki's eyes narrowed slightly.
As expected of Upper Moon One.
Kokushibo's strength truly dwarfed that of ordinary Lower Rank Demons.
If his Restoration Rate hadn't already reached 45%, Yuki doubted he could have dodged Kokushibo's attack with such relative ease.
If he hadn't first disrupted Kokushibo's composure, if his evasion had been even slightly more clumsy...
Yuki was certain Kokushibo would have detected the inconsistencies in this "Yoriichi."
But if he did that, he wouldn't be able to deliver any more "surprises" to Muzan and Kokushibo.
Breath of the Moon, Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing
Kokushibo twisted his body, unleashing two simultaneous blades of wind.
Yuki drew his sword, the Crimson Blade successfully blocking Kokushibo's renewed assault.
Yet only Yuki knew the truth: after parrying those two strikes, his hand had already begun to numb.
This didn't surprise him.
In the original story, even in his twilight years, Yoriichi had grievously wounded Kokushibo with a single strike.
Kokushibo himself had admitted that another strike from Yoriichi would have severed his head completely.
But let's not forget Kokushibo's other remark:
Despite Yoriichi's frail, emaciated state due to old age, the speed and power of his strikes remained undiminished, indistinguishable from his prime!
Meanwhile, after unleashing two consecutive Breath of the Moon techniques, Kokushibo glared at Yuki, who remained solely on the defensive, his voice growing increasingly furious:
"Yoriichi, you shouldn't have been resurrected!"
"I once asked you how you would choose your successor."
"You dismissed us as arrogant, claiming that children with even greater talent than yours might already have been born."
"If that's truly what you believe, why did you choose to revive?"
Kokushibo couldn't bring himself to finish the question.
A fierce hatred flooded his mind.
Why was Yoriichi always so special?
Despite being a novice swordsman, he had defeated Kokushibo, a swordsman Kokushibo could never hope to touch at the time.
Despite being a Marked Swordsman, he had lived such a long life!
Even in death, he had defied mortality and returned once more!
Kokushibo had just scorned Yoriichi as a mere imitation.
But after two consecutive attacks yielded no results, Kokushibo was forced to confront a bitter truth.
Wasn't he himself clumsily imitating Yoriichi, desperately chasing after him?
He had even sacrificed his humanity, transforming into this grotesque form.
Perhaps overwhelmed by his emotions, Kokushibo suddenly felt disoriented.
He vaguely sensed another will descending into his mind, sharing his senses.
At that moment, Yuki, who had been observing Kokushibo, saw his opportunity!
The moment he had been waiting for had arrived!
Since Muzan had dispatched Kokushibo to search for Yoriichi's burial site, Muzan would remain in a state of anxious unease until he received definitive news from Kokushibo.
Yuki had spoken the words "How pathetic, Elder Brother" and demanded the flute from Kokushibo for one reason: to provoke a reaction.
Muzan was a coward, and he possessed the ability to monitor and control every demon under his command.
When he sensed Kokushibo's emotions surging violently, he would inevitably be unable to resist "logging in remotely" and "checking in" on him.
And that would be the perfect moment for Yuki to deliver his "surprise" to both Kokushibo and Muzan!
Yuki once again channeled Yoriichi, his voice deepening as he declared:
"From the moment I first encountered Muzan, I felt it."
"My purpose in this world is to eliminate him!"
"Since I failed to fulfill my mission then, even if I must overcome death itself, I will return!"
"You and Muzan both fear death, yet you overlook one crucial truth."
"Death is not to be feared."
"Because death is not invincible!"
As he spoke, the Demon Slayer Mark on Yuki's forehead spread, and a wisp of white mist escaped from the corner of his mouth.
The crimson blade, now in its Crimson Blade state, erupted with a sun-like brilliance, unleashing a blinding Sun Flame.
Yuki knew that with his current Restoration Rate, he still couldn't match the final strike Yoriichi had unleashed before his death.
But he also knew where his advantage lay—
Through the Transparent World's perspective, Yuki locked his gaze on a scar on Kokushibo's neck.
It was a mark left centuries ago by Yoriichi himself!
The true Yoriichi had long since passed, but he had left behind a mark that even death could not erase.
Whether it was the thirteen scars on Muzan's body or the wound on Kokushibo's neck, these were signposts left by Yoriichi for those who would follow in his footsteps!
Meanwhile, in the Infinity Castle, after a fierce internal struggle, Muzan finally resolved to connect with Kokushibo.
He knew that suddenly imposing his will upon Kokushibo's mind and establishing a connection would significantly affect him.
But after days of growing anxiety, Muzan could no longer afford such considerations.
To gain a clearer understanding of what was happening, he not only linked his vision with Kokushibo's but also synchronized all his senses.
The next moment, he heard Yuki's words:
"The mission you were born into this world for," "Death is not insurmountable"...
Upon hearing these words, all five of Muzan's brains trembled with terror, and his seven hearts leaped into his throat.
It's really him!
Can he even overcome death?!
In his panic, Muzan felt every muscle in his body twitch uncontrollably, as if instinctively trying to split apart and flee again. He completely forgot to sever the connection, let alone consider its impact on Kokushibo.
For a moment, both Kokushibo and Muzan could only watch helplessly as Yuki's blade erupted in a blinding burst of Sun Flame.
Swish!
The sound of the blade slicing through the air echoed.
The violently erupting flames instantly filled their vision.
Muzan saw the Sun Flame-encased blade hurtling toward "his" neck.
Through his synchronized senses with Kokushibo, Muzan felt with excruciating clarity the sensation of the blade slicing through his neck.