Gyokko was quickly shuffling through the forest, his teeth gritting hard and his mind constantly thinking about one fact.
'Kokushibo-sama is still alive!'
'And there are swordsmen who have mastered Moon Breathing...'
Muzan-sama did not respond either to his calling!
Gyokko stopped far away from Shinjuro and the Tokitos. His face was ashen, and his head turned around frantically.
"Don't run, you catfish head!!"
Yuichiro shouted, running as fast as he could to chase him, but his small body just couldn't keep up.
Even Shinjuro barely keeps up with Gyokko's speed.
After his initial panic, Gyokko suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
"Is this... part of Muzan-sama's plan?" The presence of Kokushibo in this encounter at the outskirts of the Swordsmith village seems too much of a coincidence to be a stroke of fate.
Gyokko's frowned face finally relaxed as a wave of joy washed his entire being from the worries weighing his heart.
Yes, this Gyokko finally understands the whole plan.
Muzan-sama didn't reply to his plea, because the King of Demons doesn't need to explain anything to a demon like Gyokko when he does things.
And their Upper Moon One, Kokushibo...
...it's impossible for him to mingle with mere humans! There's only one reason why he is here!
It was all Muzan-sama's order!
Gyokko turned around to face his pursuer. The panic on his face was replaced by a smug smile, and his eyes gained a pity for these pathetic brats and adults that insult his art!
'It must be a new experimental plan to train members of the Kizuki in swordsmanship before turning them into demons!'
The specific details escape him, but he can make an educated guess about this extremely secretive experiment.
The only one Muzan-sama trusted to carry out this experiment... was his most trusted lieutenant and the demon closest to him, Kokushibo-sama!
'It makes sense...'
'I stumbled upon the ongoing experiment right now.'
Gyokko's mind became clearer the more he understood what was going on.
'As expected of me, Upper Moon Four, Gyokko-sama!'
"Forgive me, Kokushibo-sama!"
Gyokko shouted out toward the depths of the forest. He pressed both his hands together in an apology gesture, not caring about the approaching Shinjuro on his tail.
"I'm deeply sorry for almost turning your experiment into a teapot..." His voice was so sincere, you would have a hard time believing it coming from this psychopath. "I'll be taking my leave now!"
Just as Gyokko finished his sentence, he dodged the slash from Shinjuro, who had caught up.
Swish!
Gyokko faintly felt a purple moon arc instantly burst out from the forest behind him, brushing gently past his face.
Boom!
The strike plowed the ground, leaving a deep mark and the surrounding trees in a mess.
Gyokko blinked at the reflected light from Kokushibo's blade. That control... and that power...
An inexplicable confidence welled up in his heart.
He was even more convinced of the secret plan now!
Kokushibo had all the time in the world to strike him down just now, yet he didn't do it.
Which means Kokushibo has no intention of killing Gyokko at all. He was urging him to leave the area quickly!
"I understand, Kokushibo-sama!"
With that, Gyokko laughed and casually wiped his fish-scale arm on the tree stump, turning the tree into a lively fish.
"You really don't stand on ceremony."
With a flick of its tail, Gyokko deviated from his original escape route and instead left in the opposite direction of the cracked ground by Kokushibo's slash.
Gyokko's laughter can be heard by those who pursued him, as they can do nothing but watch.
---
Michikatsu watched his three descendants slowly sheathe their swords and not pursue Gyokko. His face was contemplative.
He closed his eyes back into two and glanced strangely at Gyokko's fleeing form.
He knew the Kizukis were a bunch of insane egomaniacs.
But what the hell was Gyokko talking about?
Click.
He sheathed his blade back in its scabbard and concealed his presence again as he continued to watch and assess the Tokito family.
It's a good thing Gyokko went in the direction of the village as he had intended.
---
---
Not long after.
Gyokko arrived near the village in a swimming fashion. His arms were raised high, and the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile.
His eyes took in the state of the village in front of him.
There were ruins everywhere he looked and several houses that had their roofs blown off as if a storm had come through.
"Not bad, Hantengu. Not bad—Hm?"
Gyokko was happy for a job well done, thinking that their mission would soon be completed successfully...
When his gaze caught something moving in the air...
...the figure of a red-haired swordsman in the sky...
...surrounded by lightning like an angry deliverance upon those who have sinned.
---
Crack!
Kaboom!
The moment Tanjuro leapt into the air.
Sekido thrust his staff and unleashed a torrent of lightning spears to kill this stupid swordsman!
A crumpled white paper doll crawled out of Tanjuro's collar. It struggled and floated onto Kusabimaru.
The next moment etched itself in the mind of Hantengu forever.
Bzzt—!
)—Way of Tomoe—(
Tanjuro exerted force on his core, holding Kusabimaru up in the air and against the approaching thunder that reflected in his eyes.
He clenched his sword tightly in his hands.
)—Kaminari Gaeshi!—(
(tr. Lightning Reversal)
Tanjuro spins in the air along with Kusabimaru. As the blade swept through the air in a wide arc, for some unknown reason, the lightning unleashed by Sekido was instantly attracted to Tanjuro's sword.
A bright flash blinded everyone in the area as the lightning wrapped around the blade. The red and blue lightning gradually turned into golden yellow with Kusabimaru at its center!
"What!?"
Sekido and Karaku were stunned in disbelief at the phenomenon in front of their eyes. Sekido looked back at the staff in his hands.
'My lightning?!'
'Was taken away!?!'
While Sekido and Karaku were still processing what they had just seen...
Chime.
A few illusory pink cherry blossom petals entangled with golden lightning floated gently at the corner of the two demons' eyes.
Unconsciously, Sekido turned his head to look.
Tanjuro was still airborne as he held up Kusabimaru in a slashing motion. The golden thunder wrapped around the sword seems to accumulate more power and was several times longer than the blade itself.
Every spectator could see the ruins as if it were daylight due to how bright the thunder was.
Swish!
With a swift motion of repeated action, Tanjuro swings his sword and returns the thunder back to its caster.
Kaboom!!
"Guagh!!"
"Ahhgg-cough!"
The thunder spear pierces through the two demons right at their hearts.
Sekido was in panic as his body trembled from the shock. His eyes were full of disbelief at the fact that lightning had hurt him.
His lightning should not have hurt him!!
"W-What the hell is going on?!" Karaku was even more shocked. Static lightning still flashed across his body as he looked to Sekido with incredulity. "O-Oi, S-Seki-ido..."
The two demons were unable to move for a while after that lightning strike.
Thump.
Tanjuro's feet touched the ground again, and he squatted down to unload the remaining lightning into the earth.
"Huff..."
He slowly stood up; the dark red feather weave on his body was looking a little charred, and smoke was coming out of his whole body.
Even with his mastery of lightning reversal, it was not in the nature of lightning and thunder to be controlled.
Fortunately,
Shaa—!
Being entangled by lightning has turned Kusabimaru into a bright red sword.