Elsewhere, while Goku was fighting Daki, Upper Moon Six, Tengen was running from one roof to another. When he arrived at House Kyogoku, he turned and saw something that shocked him.
(Hinatsuru..)
In front of him, tied in pink bands, there was Hinatsuru, one of his three wives.
Quickly, he extracted his Nichirin cleavers and cut the bands, freeing Hinatsuru.
"Hinatsuru, are you hurt?" he asked.
"Tengen-sama..." whispered Hinatsuru. "I'm okay... Sorry for making you worry so much..."
Tengen just held her closer. "Don't worry, Hinatsuru. No need to talk. Your husband is here to save you all in a flashy way... Please, leave Yoshiwara now. I'll search for Makio and Suma."
After ensuring Hinatsuru was safe, Tengen kept running on the roofs.
(The battle has already begun... Where is it? Is Goku-kun already fighting?) He wondered. Suddenly, under his feet, the Sound Hashira felt something. He quickly jumped off the roof and reached the floor.
(There are movements down there...) He understood. Quickly, he extracted his cleavers once again. "Sound Breathing: First Form -- Roar!"
The smash resounded loudly.
Back with Daki and Goku, the female demon heard the sound of Tengen's attack.
"What was that noise...?" she wondered.
(Was that Tengen?) wondered Goku.
"How many of you are there? Is there a Hashira with you?" asked Daki.
"There are five of us. And yes, there's a Hashira with us," said Goku. "But don't worry: You won't be able to see him, because I'll kill you earlier!"
"So bold!" exclaimed Daki, throwing her sashes at Goku.
"Flame Breathing: Fourth Form -- Blooming Flame Undulation!" exclaimed Goku, cutting all of them. (I fully master Flame Breathing now... I can win, even without using Sun Breathing...)
"Third Form -- Blazing Universe!" he exclaimed, almost hitting Daki.
(He's putting me in a tight spot...) She realized. "Take this!"
Daki hit Goku with a sash. Goku was sent flying forward, but managed to cushion the fall.
(Damn... I let my guard down for a moment...) He thought, slowly getting up.
"Oh? You're still alive?" asked Daki. "Ah! I barely felt it!" exclaimed Goku. The boy jumped high, then disappeared.
"Where did he go...?" wondered Daki.
"Behind you!" exclaimed Goku, actually reappearing behind her.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, more precisely at the Ogimoto House, Inosuke abandoned his disguise and put his boar mask on, searching for the demon.
(I feel it, I feel it!) He thought. "The demon is here!"
He slashed the floor with his swords, revealing a passageway.
"Fortunately, as long as my head fits in, there's nowhere I can't go!" Inosuke exclaimed, entering the passageway. After a long way, where he kept crawling through the passageway, he finally reached the end.
"Finally! I found it!" He exclaimed. When he looked around, Inosuke noticed that a lot of people -- including Zenitsu, Suma, and Makio -- were trapped inside pink sashes. "So that's where Zenitsu was all this time! And those two are Uzui's wives!"
Suddenly, the boy heard a voice. "So, you managed to find the passageway..."
Inosuke turned and saw that one of the sashes was talking.
"Die, you stinky boar!" it said.
"Shut up, Worm Belt!" exclaimed Inosuke, cutting through. As he kept cutting the sashes, the Belt Demon understood Inosuke was stronger than it thought.
"Hey, aren't you forgetting something?" it said.
"Uh? What?" asked Inosuke. But when he turned, the answer was standing right before his eyes -- He also had to protect the people he freed.
"Damn, I forgot the people, you damn Worm Belt!" exclaimed Inosuke, rushing towards the people. But the sashes were neutralized by some kunai.
Inosuke turned and saw Makio and Suma.
"You're awake!" he said.
"Yes, we are!" exclaimed Makio as she rushed forward, cutting the sashes. "And we're gonna help you, Boar Boy!"
"Yes, that's right!" exclaimed Suma. "Even if I'm not so strong, I'll help you too!"
Suddenly, behind Inosuke, another voice spoke up. "Thunder Breathing: First Form -- Thunderclap and Flash, Sixfold..."
It was Zenitsu who slashed through the sashes with tremendous speed.
"Is he a demon slayer, too?" asked Makio. "And why is he dressed so ridiculously?"
"I have no idea!" answered Suma.
Suddenly, everyone felt something arriving from up there. And actually, someone crushed throught the ceiling. The dust settled, revealing who just came inside -- Tengen.
In the blink of an eye, the Sound Hashira cut through every sash, killing the Worm Belt.
"Tengen-sama..." whispered Makio. Without saying anything, Tengen walked up to the two women and patted their heads. Then, he spoke up.
"Makio, Suma, you did great. You're my wives, after all. Now you don't have to worry anymore, things are going to get really flashy!"
Meanwhile, the fight between Goku and Daki was continuing.
The boy sent Daki flying in the sky, but suddenly, the sashes that Tengen cut quickly reanimated and went back to Daki. The sashes entered her body.
(Is she... changing aspect? Is it a power-up?) wondered Goku.
"I knew it..." said Daki, landing on a rooftop as her hair turned white. "A Hashira... A Hashira is here!"
"See? I don't lie," said Goku. "I told you a Hashira was here," said Goku.
(If that's really a power-up, then I'll really need to use Sun Breathing to defeat her...)
Suddenly, a man spoke up. "Hey, are you done fighting? Go resolve your conflicts elsewhere!"
"Sir, I don't think you're understanding the situation..." muttered Goku.
"You shouldn't have spoken up, old man..." whispered Daki. Quickly, her sashes rushed towards Goku and the man.
(I have to save him...!) thought the boy. Without hesitating, he cut Daki's sashes, but something was off. Goku felt his shoulder cut, and it started bleeding. The houses of the district were destroyed.
(What... What the hell...) wondered Goku, looking around, noticing the dead people. (She... She killed all of these people...)
"You..." whispered Goku, as his eyes started bleeding, blood descending from his eyelids and touching his cheeks. "You made a big mistake, bitch!"
(To kill all of these people just because one of them spoke up... is unforgiveable!) He thought, jumping towards Daki with eyes full of hatred. In that moment, Goku remembered a phrase Rengoku told him two months ago.
"Sun Breathing user oftenly born with a red mark on their forehead. This explains your birthmark, Goku-kun!"
Rengoku was right. To think about it, Goku was born with that Mark, just like his father. But he was never able to activate it, even if he knew what type of advantages it would give him.
That birthmark had always been there, but Goku was never put in a situation where it could be activated.
While he was thinking about it, Goku grabbed Daki's leg and sliced it, forcing Daki to jump back.
(Otosan, forgive me... I had the privilege to be born with the mark, but I don't know how to use it... I'm so sorry, otosan... How to awaken it...?)
"You bastard!" exclaimed Daki, throwing her sashes at Goku.
"You wanted to see Sun Breathing, huh? Fine. I will satisfy you," said Goku. "Sun Breathing: First Form -- Dance."
Goku slashed through Daki's defenses, leaving her defenseless.
(Now! It's time!)
In that moment, Daki saw something in her memories. A man with crimson hair and a red haori, with a red mark on the forehead, was speaking.
"What do you find so entertaining? What's so amazing about it?" he was saying. In that moment, Daki realized: Those were memories from Muzan, and that man was Yoriichi.
(It came to my mind... Because this boy is his son!) She realized.
"Sun Breathing: Second Form -- Clear Blue Sky!"
Chapter 23 - End