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As the attack descended, Kokushibo's life flashed before his eyes.
Four hundred years ago, sixty years after becoming a demon, on a night bathed in crimson moonlight—
Passing by a seven-story pagoda in the countryside, Kokushibo witnessed something impossible.
Standing before him was an elderly man over eighty years old, hair turned completely white yet somehow still radiating strength—his twin brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Kokushibo knew every Marked swordsman died before twenty-five. The white-haired old man before him defied everything he understood.
'How pitiful you are, brother...'
Faced with his younger brother's pity, Kokushibo felt no anger. Instead, for the first time, he felt sorrow—moved by the tears streaming down Yoriichi's face.
To sever this cursed bond, Kokushibo drew his blade. But Yoriichi moved first—
In a heartbeat, before Kokushibo could react, Yoriichi's blade grazed his throat.
When awareness returned, Kokushibo realized with dawning horror—Yoriichi's strike, even at eighty, matched his prime in both power and speed.
Terror consumed him. Simultaneously, hatred and jealousy toward his brother ignited with renewed fury.
He knew Yoriichi's next strike would take his head—yet he prepared to face it anyway.
But then—
Yoriichi simply stood there. Motionless.
The strike had been his last. His life had ended mid-swing, breath ceasing before the blade completed its arc.
Yoriichi's death meant Kokushibo would never surpass him. Never.
Rage and humiliation overwhelmed reason. To vent his fury, Kokushibo cleaved Yoriichi's corpse in half—
That single strike severed both body and the small pouch Yoriichi had carried for decades.
From the torn fabric fell a broken flute, split in two—the very flute Kokushibo had carved for his brother in childhood.
In that moment, Kokushibo understood. Through all those years, Yoriichi had treasured the only gift his brother had ever given him.
The memories flooded back. Kokushibo's fury exploded.
"AAAAAAHHH!"
His body erupted with countless massive arc-shaped blade winds. Gyomei, Sanemi, and Tengen—unable to dodge—were grievously wounded and forced backward.
SLASH—
Muichiro, closest to Kokushibo, was bisected at the waist.
Even Genya was caught—his body cleaved in half by the unexpected assault.
Kokushibo's transformation accelerated. Blades identical to his weapon sprouted throughout his body—dozens of eyes opening across the new flesh.
Despite being bisected, Muichiro refused to release his blade—still embedded in Kokushibo's torso.
'I have to... stop him somehow. Muzan still waits beyond this battle. For everyone's sake... I must protect these three...'
Kokushibo raised his grotesque blade, preparing to annihilate everyone before him.
'He's deploying another technique... I can't let him succeed! Before I... die... I must... stop him!'
Muichiro's grip tightened. Tighter. Tighter still—
The blade turned crimson.
Bright Red Blade—awakened!
"The blade... turned red!" Kokushibo stared at the glowing sword piercing his organs. His internal structure was being destroyed, regeneration failing. The searing pain was unbearable.
"SEVER HIS NECK!" Sanemi's blade carved into Kokushibo's throat with everything he had left—but only penetrated partially.
Tengen attacked from the opposite angle, dual blades converging—but his critical injuries limited the cut to a third of the way through.
"I... will... protect... everyone... Blood... Demon... Art!" Genya, split in half, summoned his technique through sheer willpower—binding Kokushibo once more.
CRACK—
Trees erupted behind Kokushibo, roots burrowing into his body. They drained massive quantities of blood, preventing him from deploying his own Blood Demon Art.
Gyomei seized the opening. Coordinating with Sanemi and Tengen, he swung his axe toward the demon's throat.
But Kokushibo's neck was impossibly resilient. Gyomei immediately followed with the flail, hammering the back of the demon's nape.
"GRAAAAAAH!"
The flail's searing heat elicited agonized screams.
Seeing the crimson blade, Kokushibo's thoughts returned to Yoriichi—
"TENGEN!" Sanemi's shout.
"GOT IT!"
"UPPER RANK ONE—TASTE THIS! HAAAAH!"
Both warriors struck their blades against the flail simultaneously.
CLANG—
The impact of four weapons colliding turned them all bright red. Under the combined pressure, Kokushibo's neck finally severed—
His head fell.
Even decapitated, Muichiro refused to release his grip...
Genya, bisected, continued channeling Blood Demon Art through his human body...
Sanemi and Tengen, repeatedly wounded and bleeding profusely, remained conscious through impossible will...
And Gyomei, whose growth rate rivaled demons themselves, had pushed beyond human limits...
None of them were Sun Breathing users—yet they'd turned their blades red anyway.
But it wasn't over. Kokushibo's body didn't disintegrate. Regeneration signs appeared.
"SHINAZUGAWA! TENGEN! DON'T SLOW DOWN—KEEP CUTTING! DESTROY HIM COMPLETELY! WE CAN'T LET TOKITO AND GENYA'S SACRIFICES BE IN VAIN!"
"FINE! I'LL ERASE THIS BASTARD FROM EXISTENCE!" Sanemi roared through tears.
"LET'S FLAMBOYANTLY FINISH UPPER RANK ONE!" Tengen agreed.
"Wind Breathing, Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash!"
"Sound Breathing, Fourth Form: Constant Resounding Slashes!"
Both warriors forced their broken bodies upright, unleashing wide-range techniques. Continuous slashes surrounded Kokushibo's form, carving through regenerating flesh. They wouldn't stop until complete annihilation.
"Stone Breathing, Fifth Form: Arcs of Justice!"
Gyomei leapt skyward. He hurled the axe first, then the flail, alternating projectiles that hammered Kokushibo's headless body. Deafening impacts tore through regenerating tissue.
But the unexpected occurred—
Kokushibo, driven by absolute refusal to accept defeat, broke through his limits just as Akaza had. The severed neck healed. A new head regenerated. He'd overcome decapitation itself.
His new form was grotesque, monstrous. He glanced at Muichiro and Genya with internal mockery.
"Damn it—he grew another head??"
"Hideous! Completely unflamboyant!"
"KEEP ATTACKING! He just regenerated from decapitation—his body must still be vulnerable!"
Sanemi/Tengen: "RIGHT!"
The three charged again.
'I've conquered death. Nothing but sunlight can harm me now. Decapitation means nothing. I'll never lose to anyone again—'
Before the Hashira's attacks connected, Kokushibo saw his reflection in Sanemi's blade—
"What... what is that hideous creature...??"
'Brother, is your dream to become the nation's strongest warrior?'
'I want to be as strong as you... so I'll become the second strongest!'
"Is this... what a warrior looks like? Could this... truly be what I wanted?"
The three attacks landed simultaneously. Kokushibo realized the wound Muichiro had inflicted was spreading—his body crumbling from the inside.
"No... I can't deploy techniques... can't use Blood Demon Art... my body is... disintegrating...!"
"Not yet... I haven't lost... I still..."
'Brother... how pitiful you are...'
"Yoriichi... I just... wanted to become you."
The truth hit him. Yoriichi had maintained his childhood wish to grow stronger together. But Kokushibo had abandoned—betrayed—that shared dream.
Their relationship shattered because of his baseless jealousy. And Yoriichi had never held grudges—had always respected him from the heart.
Finally remembering why he'd wanted strength in the first place, Kokushibo lost his will to fight. His body began dissolving...
Even as he faded, questions lingered. If the bloodline had ended, why did new Sun Breathing users appear?
Why couldn't he leave anything behind? No matter his efforts, why could he never match Yoriichi?
Gradually, Kokushibo vanished completely—leaving only his unwithered warrior's garb and the small flute he'd carried for four centuries. The flute he'd carved for his brother with his own hands.
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Upper Rank One was dead—but Gyomei noticed Sanemi still swinging his blade at empty air.
"SHINAZUGAWA, STOP! THE DEMON'S GONE!"
But Sanemi continued slashing mindlessly. Gyomei and Tengen restrained him. "SHINAZUGAWA, STOP! WE DEFEATED UPPER RANK ONE! IT'S OVER! THE BATTLE'S FINISHED!"
"Himejima—he passed out!"
Gyomei realized Sanemi had been unconscious throughout his final assault.
'Unbelievable. Fighting while completely unconscious...' He gently laid Sanemi down to rest.
Tengen sat heavily, fist clenched. They'd killed Upper Rank One—but lost Muichiro and Genya. Gyomei felt the same crushing grief.
"Himejima... san..." Genya's weak voice.
Gyomei rushed to his side. "We're alive. We're okay. Tokito... he..." His gaze fell on Muichiro's bisected form. Words failed.
"Don't... worry about me... treat Tokito-san's... wounds first..."
Seeing Genya prioritize others despite his own fatal injuries broke Gyomei's heart.
"Brother... still alive... thank god..."
Gyomei approached Muichiro, draping his cape over the boy's body.
"Tokito... we won because of you. I offer my deepest gratitude and respect. So young, yet faithful to your duty until the very end. We will destroy Muzan Kibutsuji. Rest now..." He closed Muichiro's eyes, resolve crystallizing—he would carry their will forward.
Sanemi regained consciousness shortly after, seeing his brother bleeding out.
"AAAAAAHHH! WHY?? WHAT HAPPENED?? WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?? DAMN IT! DAMN IT!"
Tears streamed down his face.
"Brother... I'm... sorry..."
"DON'T TALK! I'll find a way—I'll get Kaido, he can definitely—"
"No need... brother... sorry for... always causing... trouble... thank you... for protecting me..."
"I DIDN'T PROTECT YOU AT ALL, YOU IDIOT! AAAAAHHH! DAMN IT ALL!"
Genya's eyes closed.
"AAAHHH! WHY?? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?? GENYA!"
Gyomei stood helplessly, unable to offer comfort.
After a minute or two of heavy silence, as Gyomei prepared to speak—
"Why are you crying?"
"Brother."
All three Hashira whipped around—stunned.
Muichiro and Genya stood perfectly intact, watching them.
"What the—did they come back from the dead??" Tengen's eyes became dots.
Gyomei and Sanemi shared his shock—but Gyomei quickly noticed something.
The "corpses" had transformed into wooden puppets. Muichiro's was missing the left arm. Genya's was bisected and armless.
"What's going on?"
"I think Kaido did this!" Muichiro explained the substitute puppets Kaido had merged with their bodies.
As for the delayed activation—Muichiro theorized the more severe the injury, the longer the recovery. After "dying," he'd only seen faint light enveloping him before slowly reforming.
Understanding dawned. Sanemi felt overwhelming gratitude toward Kaido—though he covered it with bravado. "Tch. That punk made me grieve for nothing! After we kill Muzan, I'm raiding his house and eating him out of food!"
The others smiled knowingly. Sanemi's exterior couldn't hide his warm heart. In Kaido's words—tsundere.
(Kaido: Achoo!)
"Everyone. We need to move. Until Muzan is destroyed, nothing is truly finished."
"Right!"
The five immediately resumed their advance toward Muzan's location.
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"CAW! Gyomei Himejima, Sanemi Shinazugawa, Tengen Uzui, Muichiro Tokito, and Corps member Genya Shinazugawa have defeated Upper Rank One! CAW!"
The announcement surged through the Corps. Morale skyrocketed—everyone sensed Muzan's inevitable defeat. Tonight, he would die.
"Rengoku-san, Tomioka-san—Upper Rank One's dead too! They're amazing!"
"Good. They survived."
"Indeed! We need to hurry as well—reach Muzan and finish this!"
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"Sister, looks like Himejima-san's group succeeded!"
"Yes. We need to push harder too—regroup with everyone and destroy Muzan!"
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"Upper Rank One's dead too! Mitsuri, let's support the others!"
"Okay, Obanai!"
They glanced at the platform where Yushiro had seized control of Nakime, then departed toward Muzan's location.
Originally, Mitsuri and Obanai had been fighting Nakime—but her Blood Demon Art, though lacking offensive power, was maddeningly obstructive. She'd manipulated the architecture endlessly, preventing their approach.
Whenever they got close, doors would teleport them away. When they tried leaving to support others, she'd teleport them back. Her goal: pin them down and kill them eventually.
Just as another trapdoor opened beneath them, Yushiro appeared—grabbing their collars and rescuing them. He explained he'd come to help.
Obanai remained wary of this unknown demon—until Yushiro mentioned Kaido had sent him. Suspicion lessened, though didn't completely vanish.
Yushiro ignored their caution, explaining his Blood Demon Art could approach Nakime undetected—but he needed them to distract her first.
"Understand? I'm a demon, but I'm on your side. If it wasn't for my debt to Kaido, I wouldn't bother with you people. If you're not complete idiots, cooperate with me immediately."
They'd followed the plan—attacking continuously to hold Nakime's attention while Yushiro approached invisibly.
After seizing control, Yushiro used his Blood Demon Art to create illusions of Obanai and Mitsuri being killed, freeing them to support their comrades.
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