That night, as Kokushibo stepped onto the dimly lit streets, he immediately sensed them
Members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
At their head stood a young woman with long, flowing hair and a gentle yet resolute expression.
Kanae Kocho.
The Flower Hashira.
Kokushibo did not conceal himself.
His six eyes opened fully, the markings within them unmistakable.
An oppressive aura flooded the street.
The surrounding Demon Slayers faltered, their hands trembling on their blades.
But Kanae did not move.
She stood calm.
Unshaken.
Kokushibo raised a hand and motioned casually.
"…Come."
The gesture was dismissive.
Provocative.
The Corps members exchanged glances.
Fear was evident
But retreat was not an option.
They charged.
Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon – Evening Palace!
A single, fluid slash.
Too fast to follow.
The air itself split.
In an instant, multiple Demon Slayers were cut down, their formation shattered before they could even react.
Kokushibo moved to finish them
But
Steel met steel.
Kanae had already closed the distance.
Her blade intercepted his.
From the first clash, Kokushibo understood.
She was strong.
Not merely a Hashira
But one whose skill rivaled the peak of her generation.
Even compared to Shinjuro at his best…
She was not inferior.
Flower Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Bloom!
Her strike descended softly almost gently.
Yet at the moment of contact, her blade flowed along his like drifting petals, redirecting his force.
Kokushibo's eyes narrowed.
The sensation
Was unnatural.
His blade met no resistance.
Yet
It was being controlled.
In the next instant, Kanae reversed her grip, her blade rising toward his neck.
The faint scent of wisteria clung to it.
Kokushibo reacted immediately.
Moon Breathing, Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune – Moonlit Reflection!
His blade extended grotesquely, sweeping outward with destructive force.
The ground ruptured beneath the attack.
Kanae was forced back.
Her uniform tore at the abdomen, a shallow wound marking how close she had come to death.
She steadied herself.
For the first time
A trace of tension entered her gaze.
If I had been slower…
The thought lingered.
But she did not retreat.
"Why do you use Breathing Techniques?" she asked, her tone gentle despite the battlefield.
"Were you once a swordsman of the Corps?"
Kokushibo answered without hesitation.
"I was."
His gaze flickered briefly toward the fallen slayers behind her.
He made no move to pursue them.
Kanae understood.
He was allowing them to withdraw.
"Then why?" she continued softly. "Why become a demon?"
Her grip tightened slightly.
"I believe… humans and demons can coexist."
Kokushibo did not respond.
Instead
He fell silent.
Thinking.
That presence again.
That unseen pressure.
It was not Muzan.
And yet
It lingered.
Watching.
Kanae waited.
She did not attack.
"…What is your answer?" she asked.
Kokushibo turned slightly.
"…Leave."
A simple command.
Kanae smiled faintly.
"I cannot do that. We are here to investigate."
A pause.
"…And to find the demon who has been killing young women."
Her eyes remained gentle
But unwavering.
Kokushibo's patience thinned.
"…That is not me."
"Then we must continue," Kanae replied.
Silence.
Then
Kokushibo drew his blade once more.
"…You truly wish to die here?"
Kanae's smile remained.
"…You are not an opponent to take lightly."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Upper Rank One."
She moved.
Flower Breathing, Third Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!
Petal-like slashes filled the space, light and graceful
Yet layered with intent.
Kokushibo deflected them effortlessly.
No real threat.
Then
Kanae shifted.
Her stance changed.
The rhythm broke.
She spun
Both hands gripping her sword
A direct strike aimed at his neck.
A feint.
Flower Breathing, Seventh Form: Equinoctial Vermilion Eye!
Her blade moved in rapid succession, creating overlapping arcs infused with wisteria.
The air itself seemed to bloom with lethal petals.
Kokushibo responded instantly.
Moon Breathing, Fourteenth Form: Catastrophe – Tenman Crescent Moon!
A vast web of crisscrossing slashes erupted outward, overwhelming everything in its path.
Kanae's attacks shattered.
Yet
She endured.
Flower Breathing, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!
Her blade danced, deflecting multiple strikes in rapid succession, petals scattering to obscure vision.
But
Against Kokushibo
It meant nothing.
Through the Transparent World, every movement was laid bare.
Kokushibo exhaled.
Enough.
Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon – Evening Palace!
A single, decisive slash.
No excess.
No hesitation.
It should have ended.
But
At the final moment
He saw it.
Kanae's expression.
Still smiling.
Unchanged.
The blade veered
Slightly.
It missed.
Silence fell.
Kokushibo stood before her.
Kanae lowered her blade slowly.
"…You did not kill me."
He said nothing.
"…Are you not afraid of death?" he asked at last.
His voice was quieter now.
"Heavier."
"This world does not permit coexistence between humans and demons."
Kanae shook her head gently.
"I believe… nothing is impossible."
She stepped closer.
Without fear.
Without hesitation.
Then
She reached out
And took his hand.
"I think…"
Her voice was soft.
"…you are the one who can change that."
For a fleeting moment
Something stirred within Kokushibo.
Faint.
Unfamiliar.
He looked at her.
Six eyes… steady.
Unreadable.
"…Then prove it."
A pause.
A decision.
"Kanae."
His voice deepened.
"Become a demon."