Boom!
"What is that?"
"Such terrifying sword intent!"
"Oh my, Lord Kokushibo's body is actually starting to dissipate? It seems this is his final move... Wait! If Lord Kokushibo is dying, does that mean I'm now Upper Moon One? I'll be the strongest Berserk Demon under Lord Muzan's command!"
"Scary, so scary..."
The soaring storm of sword intent instantly drew everyone's attention. Uzui Tengen and Doma couldn't help but stop their battle, turning to look at the tempest of blades and Ren, who stood before it!
Facing this storm capable of tearing everything apart, Ren showed no fear. Without slowing down, he charged straight into the vortex!
"Ren..."
Mitsuri cried out in alarm, quickly turning her head away, unable to watch. She could already envision the scene of Ren being shredded into mincemeat.
It wasn't surprising she thought so; Ren was but flesh and blood. How could he withstand a storm of sword intent that rivaled a natural disaster?
Finally, Ren and the Nichirin Greatsword in his hands collided with the storm!
In an instant, a roar that shook heaven and earth erupted. The moment the cataclysmic storm hit Ren, it inexplicably came to a dead halt, unable to advance another inch!
"Oh? To think he could block such a storm, he truly is the strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps!" Seeing Ren halt the storm, a look of astonishment appeared on Doma's face.
Within his usually emotionless heart, he felt shock for the first time, and hidden beneath that massive surprise was a faint trace of fear.
"What? He actually blocked it!"
Hearing Doma's words, Mitsuri snapped her eyes open and saw Ren standing within the storm.
Compared to the towering tempest, Ren's body appeared exceptionally small. Yet, despite that, his compact frame remained as immovable as a mountain!
However, while Ren had blocked the initial force, this was only the beginning.
The moment it touched the Nichirin Greatsword, dozens of crescent moon slashes within the storm acted like a bursting dam, instantly finding an outlet and sweeping toward Ren in unison.
"Come then! Today, I shall cut through this hurricane!"
"Thunder Combat Technique: Thunder God's Heaven-Slaying Slash!"
Ren gripped his sword with both hands and swung with all his might, parrying every incoming crescent slash.
In Naruto, Kakashi once used a Lightning Style jutsu to cut lightning; today, Ren would use a Thunder Combat Technique to slice through a hurricane!
Puff! Puff! Puff!
While fending off the crescent slashes, hundreds of wounds appeared across Ren's body.
Kokushibo's crescent moon slashes hid countless tiny, irregular wind blades. These blades were hard to detect and numerous; Ren simply couldn't block them all.
Ultimately, he could only let those wind blades strike his body, slicing his skin and forming rows of wounds.
Though not fatal, they caused an agonizing pain, as if countless mantises were frantically gnawing at his flesh.
Not just his body, but even the thick Nichirin Greatsword began to show a dense network of cracks on its edge under such a concentrated assault.
In a flash, only ten crescent moon slashes remained of the overwhelming storm!
'These are the last ten. At this distance, I can't dodge. I have to block them with everything I have. As long as I stop these, the final victory belongs to me!'
Ren could already see Kokushibo's body crumbling; only his upper torso remained. Victory was right before his eyes.
"Thunder Combat Technique: Thunder God's Heaven-Slaying Slash!"
Ren swung his sword again, striking the incoming crescent moon slashes.
Bang!
Suddenly, at the moment the Nichirin Greatsword collided with a crescent moon slash, a crisp snap rang out. The exceptionally heavy greatsword shattered instantly, sending countless shards flying in all directions.
Now, he held only a broken short blade, and the crescent moon slashes capable of shredding everything were right in front of him.
'I've come this far; I can't back down now!'
After the initial shock, Ren's face once again displayed a look of confidence. Almost instinctively, he swung the broken blade at the incoming slashes.
The sword had become lighter after breaking. Under his full-force swings, in the blink of an eye, Ren actually unleashed hundreds of strikes.
It might sound exaggerated, but with his superhuman physique, he could truly achieve it.
The sharp sword intent caught the scattered fragments of the greatsword. As Ren continued his flurry of slashes, the countless shards swirled around him before shooting out like a cloud-sweeping gale, piercing toward Kokushibo's remaining head.
"What? This is impossible! You actually blocked my Cataclysmic Moon and Sun!"
Seeing Ren block his final strike and even develop a brand-new combat technique, Kokushibo's eyes widened, and the fire of jealousy burned within him once more.
"Why? Why?! WHY?!"
"Even my final sword couldn't kill you. Can I truly never surpass you all?"
"If so, what is the meaning of my existence?"
"Answer me, Yoriichi!"
"Answer me, Ren—"
Puff! Puff! Puff!
Before his final words could be finished, Kokushibo's head was pierced by the shards of the Nichirin Greatsword, finally dissipating completely into the world.
Upper Moon One, Kokushibo, was officially dead!
After dealing with Kokushibo, Ren couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief. He didn't have a definitive answer to Kokushibo's final question.
He could only say that humanity is always progressing; one day, someone will surpass their current self.
Ren believed this firmly because he had already seen that beautiful future!
Following Kokushibo's death, a system notification suddenly rang in Ren's mind.
[The host has continuously swung the sword to parry the enemy's slashes, successfully executing Dark Combat Technique: Nightfall Galaxy!]
[Nightfall Galaxy: Unleashes hundreds of strikes in the blink of an eye. The released sword intent is like the Milky Way falling from the highest heavens, capable of dealing large-scale area damage!]
"Nightfall Galaxy... is that the move I just used instinctively? It sounds quite nice..."
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Before his voice faded, Ren suddenly heard a powerful sound of wind. He snapped his head back to see 30-meter-tall ice statues of Bodhisattvas descending from the sky. A piercing chill spread in all directions, naturally enveloping Ren as well.
"Heh, Doma, is it?"
"Kokushibo has been slain by me. Instead of running, you dare to attack? Do you think I'm an easy target just because I'm injured?"
"If that's what you think, you're dead wrong!"
Standing in the freezing wind, Ren remained as steady as a mountain, letting the bone-chilling storm batter against his body.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]