"A Hashira?"
It seems the Demon the crow mentioned is this piece of filth.
Clad in a Japanese kimono, the Demon was distinguished by thorn-like protrusions on its arms and a pair of massive, oni-like horns on its head.
And then there was its eye.
Upper Rank 0?
Unlike the previous prototypes of the Twelve Kizuki, which bore the characters for 'New Moon' or 'Full Moon,' this one had a new kanji etched into its pupil.
Muzan, that fool, has gone and updated something useless again.
Looking at the corpses scattered about... it seems there are no survivors. Wait, there is one man. Though he looks to be on the verge of death.
But his face looks oddly familiar... even the crest engraved on the armor of the fallen samurai looks like something I've seen before. Where was it?
He stared intently at my face while I was lost in thought, and then he opened his mouth.
"Yoriichi...? Yoriichi... is that you...?"
How does this man know Yoriichi? Wait a moment... this man...?
"The Lord of the Tsugikuni Clan?"
Amano-san spoke, her expression one of shock. With those words, the sense of dissonance I had been feeling finally clicked into place.
Wait, why is my father here? I didn't recognize him because it's been ten years.
In that instant.
"This is disappointing. To look away in the middle of a confrontation..."
Judging that I was distracted, the Demon lunged at me with incredible speed.
Moon Breathing
Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamity
A swift, agile strike that unleashed a wide-range assault to check the enemy's approach.
Hm?
I had clearly aimed to sever its head.
"It dodged that?"
"Agile and swift indeed. Your blade barely seemed to move, yet it produced such a wide-reaching attack."
Furthermore, the wound near its neck regenerated in a heartbeat. This wasn't just regeneration; it was a total restoration of its physical state.
"Or did it just seem that way? Regardless, that was close."
The Demon stroked the area where I had slashed its neck.
Since the manifestation of my Mark, my physical abilities, along with the power and precision of my Breathing, have grown to a level incomparable to before.
I'm confident I could finish off twelve of those Tiger Demons I fought three years ago within two minutes, even if they all attacked at once.
And yet, it dodged that attack? Muzan, you son of a bitch, what exactly did you create?
"Amano-dono, take that man to safety and perform first aid..."
"No, he is already..."
Amano examined my father's body closely before shaking her head, signaling that it was hopeless.
...Well, his lower half has been obliterated. It's a miracle he's even survived this long.
"Yoriichi...."
It seemed he was mistaking me for Yoriichi, likely because of my Mark.
Given how much he must have loathed Yoriichi, was he about to let out a string of curses? Or was it...
"I am sorry.... Yoriichi.... truly.... I am sorry..... Michi...."
And with that, his head slumped forward.
...
Ito must have reported Yoriichi's abilities to him, so he would have known of his power.
I don't know if that was a self-satisfying apology because of that, or if he was truly apologizing as a father.
"An apology after ten years, and those are your final words? You should have said it to him directly, you damn father."
I hated every bit of this situation...
A bitter taste filled my mouth.
I let out a sigh and leveled my Nichirin Blade at the Demon.
"A violet Nichirin Blade.... You must be the Moon Hashira. The one who brought down New Moon three years ago."
The Demon began to condense its blood, initiating a transformation.
Back then and even now.
Are you all idiots? Why do you think your enemy will just wait for you to finish your transformation?
Moon Breathing
First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace
A horizontal slash swung in a flash.
With my physical abilities bolstered by the Mark and the precision of my Breathing reached its peak, the godspeed strike aimed for the Demon's neck.
In that moment.
Blood Demon Art: Mighty Bow
"Tch..."
KABOOM——!!!!!
A tremendous impact washed over my body.
The attack became a streak of light, obliterating everything around me.
"Tsugikuni-dono!"
In that split second, I barely managed to deflect the force of the blow.
The Mark is indeed powerful; its performance is reliable. However...
Despite deflecting it properly, the shockwave sent me flying quite a distance.
This was the most destructive Blood Demon Art I had ever encountered.
If I hadn't manifested the Mark, my Nichirin Blade would have shattered. Or I would have failed to deflect it entirely.
The source of the shockwave was the Demon, now fully transformed.
Its classic oni-like appearance was gone, replaced by a dark red suit of O-gusoku armor covering its entire body, and it held a massive bow in its hand.
"You blocked my attack in that short window? How interesting."
It seemed that bow was the medium for its power.
First things first.
"Demon, let's change locations. I'd rather not fight here."
Hooooo—
!!!!!
Moon Breathing
Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamity
One of the fastest techniques in my arsenal, it relentlessly targeted the Demon's neck with agile speed.
The Demon countered my assault using the body of the bow.
Each time the bow and my Nichirin Blade collided, shockwaves rippled through the surroundings.
The Demon tried to create distance, but I stayed glued to it. As it naturally retreated from my pressure, we moved further away from the site of the corpses.
Realizing it had no choice, the Demon struck out with its bow to force me back, then drew its string. Blood began to coalesce in the empty space between the bow and the string, forming arrows.
Blood Demon Art: Volleying Bow
SWOOSH——!!!!!
As the string was released, dozens of arrows poured down in a continuous barrage.
But they were slow. Compared to Yoriichi's attacks, they were infinitely slow.
Moon Breathing
Second Form: Pearl Flowers Moonglow
I swung my Nichirin Blade in a wide arc, parrying every single one.
These arrows weren't as strong as the initial attack. It seemed to be a technique that relied on overwhelming numbers.
Muzan really did a shitty job with this update.
After these two exchanges, I could tell.
Even for a Hashira, a head-on confrontation would lead to defeat.
The regeneration and destructive power were on a completely different level than any Demon I've faced before.
Without the Mark, it would take at least three Hashira just to maintain a stalemate.
"You cut through the attack itself?"
The Demon sounded impressed as it immediately prepared its next move.
Mist Breathing
Fourth Form: Advection Slash
Suddenly, Amano launched a surprise attack with fluid movements.
—Clang!
However, the Demon raised its arm and blocked her, as if it had anticipated the move.
"Now that I think about it, you were there when New Moon fell as well."
The Demon drew its string, aiming at Amano from point-blank range.
I won't let you.
"Let me show you."
Blood Demon Art
Moon Breathing
Mist Breathing
"What true 'power' looks like."
「Mighty Bow」
Eighth Form: Heavenly Piercing Sliced Moon — Moon Fang Heaven-Piercer
Sixth Form: Moonlit Vapors
My strike cleaved through the attack itself, the traversing slash nullifying the Demon's offensive.
"Wh-what?"
Taking advantage of the Demon's confusion, Amano followed up.
She attempted to take the Demon's head, her blade moving as if shrouding the area in mist.
However, the Demon pulled back and evaded the strike.
It's incredibly fast, truly.
Amano cannot handle that creature's destructive power in a frontal clash.
Right now, I am likely the only Hashira who can mark this thing head-on, thanks to the Mark.
But even my attacks, bolstered by the Mark, are being dodged by the narrowest of margins.
I should take the front while Amano attacks from the flanks... is that the strategy?
No, we need at least one more Hashira. We need someone else to help Amano exploit the openings on the flanks.
@@@
Countless exchanges followed.
The world is vast, and there are many strong individuals.
To think there was a human capable of cutting through my Mighty Bow head-on.
He refused to let me create distance. Like a fearless beast, he lunged with tenacity, biting and tearing at me relentlessly. At the same time, he never allowed a single attack to land.
Furthermore, he was absorbing every attack I directed at the woman.
And that was not all. The woman beside him filled every gap with the natural grace of mist, as if she and the man were a single entity.
But they lack a finishing blow.
The mist's attacks can fill the gaps, but they aren't enough to take my head. The moon's attacks are so occupied with enduring my onslaught that he has no room to strike my neck.
Of course, I cannot harm them either, so we are at a stalemate.
It will be a battle against time. Will the moon fall first, or will the sun rise?
In that moment.
CRACKLE!
The sound of thunder roared as someone intruded upon the battlefield.
I twisted my body, but a wet slicing sound followed. My left arm was left dangling, nearly severed.
That sound of thunder... The Echoing Hashira?
It matters not. Her skill in finding the gaps in my armor is commendable, but her speed is inferior to the Moon Hashira's. She is no threat.
I must finish the Moon Hashira quickly—
Hm?
The regeneration of my left arm has slowed.
Why? Come to think of it, I have no sensation around the wound on my arm.
I glanced at my left arm and could not help but be shocked.
The wound was rotting as if necrotizing, actively hindering my regeneration.
Damn it... cold...?
@@@
CRACKLE!
I don't know if the Kasugai Crow delivered the report, but thank goodness. The Echoing Hashira is here.
Her timing is perfect... but why does her face look so strange?
Her eyes have inverted colors.
Is that... Hollowfication?