The Jet-Black Nightmare (Forty-Eight) -- Dividing the Battlefield!

The atmosphere at the mountaintop felt very strange at that moment.

Upper Rank Two, Doma, was kneeling and prone in the snow, in an awkward position.

"Ughhh!!"

"Vomit--!"

"Poison... why would there be poison? This doesn't make sense."

He had been a ghost for hundreds of years, and this was the first time he had ever known that food could cause poisoning.

This is an insult.

"..."

Not far away, Kanae Kocho, who had just gotten up from the ground and was leaning against Giyu's chest, was completely stunned.

Gyomei stood still, holding a meteor hammer.

He wanted to go and finish off Doma, but attacking while someone was vomiting seemed inappropriate.

Just as both sides fell into a brief silence.

A heavy pressure descended from above without warning.

The aura was cold and powerful, carrying with it a long-standing stillness.

The color of the sky seems to have changed.

"This feeling is..."

Gyomei Himejima's expression suddenly changed.

A massive, deep purple, crescent-shaped slash tore through the night sky, carrying immense power as it struck down towards Giyu Tomioka and Kanae Kocho.

"Moon Breathing - Seventh Form - Mirror of Misfortune, Moonlit!"

This strike was fast, covered a wide area, and appeared suddenly.

It is Upper Rank One, Kokushibo.

He returned, and his first move was several times more powerful than before.

"Careful!"

Kanae only had time to let out a shout before she was pushed away by a force.

Giyu Tomioka had somehow managed to stand in front of her.

His deep blue eyes reflected the ever-growing purple slash.

His expression finally changed slightly.

"Isn't this over yet?"

Giyu said something in a low voice, and finally gripped the Nichirin Blade at his waist with his right hand.

The moment the blade was drawn, he poured all his blood and energy into it.

"Zheng--!"

A sharp clang of a blade rang out.

When the deep blue blade was drawn from its sheath, it was covered by a layer of bright, pale blue light.

Giyu held the knife in one hand and swung it upwards towards the sky.

A massive azure blade of light shot upwards, meeting Kokushibo's strike head-on.

"Boom--!"

The two sword energies collided in mid-air.

This time, there was no situation where one side overwhelmed the other.

The collision of purple and blue energies created a shockwave that ripped away the ice, snow, and rocks within a hundred meters, forming a clearing.

In the wind, a tall figure slowly descended, stopping less than twenty meters away from Giyu.

Kokushibo.

He was still wearing that purple kimono, but red Demon Slayer Mark had appeared on his forehead and chin.

The number of eyes on his demon blade increased, and they were all moving.

"What... are you?"

Kokushibo's voice was hoarse and low, filled with confusion.

That last strike was his full-force attack after activating "Stage Two," powerful enough to kill any Pillar.

But the man in front of them easily blocked it.

"Doma!"

Kokushibo said nothing more; he knew he had encountered a formidable enemy today.

He spoke in a commanding tone to Upper Rank Two, who was still convulsing on the ground:

"Stop embarrassing yourself there! Go to that cabin and bring back the 'sample'!"

"I'll deal with this guy!"

Kokushibo's fighting spirit began to rise; he wanted to lure this powerful opponent away and create an opportunity for Doma.

Upon hearing the order, Doma struggled to his feet.

He glanced at Giyu, then turned his gaze to Gyomei and Kanae not far away, a strange smile appearing on his face.

"Yes... Kokushibo."

After hearing Kokushibo's plan, Giyu Tomioka agreed to the arrangement.

That was exactly what he was thinking.

This six-eyed monster is indeed very strong; I must concentrate and not get distracted.

As for the vomiting ice demon, although it looked unwell, it was still Upper Rank Two and its strength was still formidable.

If we hand it over to Mr. Himejima and Kanae, it should... be able to sustain us for a while.

"A swift and decisive victory."

Giyu made a decision in his heart.

The next second, he and Kokushibo vanished from their spot.

Two rapidly moving figures crisscrossed and collided in the forests of Mount Sagiri.

"Moon Breathing - Eighth Form - Moon-Dragon Ringtail!"

Kokushibo's swordsmanship involves large, sweeping movements; each strike creates a circular crescent blade that slices through trees and rocks in its path.

The Giyu responds with composure.

"Water Breathing - Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"

His sword strokes are curved, always able to strike at the weaknesses of Kokushibo's sword techniques from various angles.

At the same time, during the gaps in his parries, a purplish-red moonlight would suddenly burst forth from his blade.

"Moon Breathing, Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains!"

Two crescent-shaped slashes crossed out, forcing Kokushibo to turn his sword back to defend.

The Kokushibo, the more terrified he became.

This man's swordsmanship is strange.

Sometimes flexible, deflecting attacks.

Sometimes forceful, cutting through obstacles.

Less than a minute into the battle, Kokushibo began to feel the pressure.

The situation on the other side is also tense.

"Cough cough... What a pity! You two are going to die!"

Doma clutched his still-painful abdomen, his face pale.

Although the blood poison of Giyu reduced his strength to less than half,

But he thought it was enough to deal with a weakened Stone Hashira and an already injured non-Pillar swordsman.

Blood Demon Art: Freezing Clouds!

Doma his golden fan, and a large swath of icy mist spread out, obstructing the view of Gyomei and Kanae.

"Amitabha! Cease your arrogance!"

Gyomei Himejima his chains, attempting to disperse the icy fog with the wind.

"Stone Breathing, Second Form: Upper Smash!"

He slammed his meteor hammer into the ground, sending up pebbles, hoping to use this method to determine Doma's location.

However, after Doma's fighting style became even more cunning.

Using the cover of the icy mist, he moved at high speed, unleashing tiny ice blades from his golden fan to attack from various angles.

"Puff!"

Kanae, who already had difficulty moving, couldn't dodge in time and suffered another cut on her calf, staining her white team uniform with blood.

"Kanae!" Gyomei called out anxiously.

In the instant he was distracted, Doma's figure appeared behind him.

"Let's deal with you, you big guy, first!"

The golden fan pierced straight into Gyomei's back.

"Careful!"

In the critical moment, Kanae endured the excruciating pain and unleashed her final move.

"Flower Breathing - Final Form - Equinoctial Vermilion Eye!"

Her pupils turned blood red, and everything in her vision slowed down.

She saw Doma's movements clearly.

Kanae used all her strength to throw the Nichirin Blade in her hand.

"Bite!"

The Nichirin Blade struck Doma's gold fan, causing it to deflect slightly.

Although she saved Gyomei, Kanae was so exhausted that she knelt on one knee, and her vision began to blur.

Doma smiled.

"The game is over."

He raised his golden fan high, and a large amount of ice crystals began to gather.

Even with only half its strength remaining, the pressure from Upper Rank Two still filled Gyomei and Kanae with despair.