"Take him and go quickly."
Giyu Tomioka's voice remained calm.
But to Tengen Uzui Akaza, those words were far more devastating than Akaza's earth-shattering barrage of punches.
Walk?
Which way to go?
He, the god of magnificent festivals, the Sound Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, is now like a complete stray dog.
His partner was beaten half to death; it was unclear whether he was alive or dead.
Now, they even need another companion to do something that's practically suicide, to buy him time to escape.
Tengen Uzui knelt on the ground,
He looked at Shinjuro Rengoku, who had fainted in his arms and whose left arm and half of his body were gone, and then looked up at the man who had sold his entire back to him.
Giyu Tomioka.
At this moment, I'll just stand here quietly.
He was alone, with only a knife.
The two demons we're fighting are Upper Rank One and Upper Rank Three, the two most powerful monsters among them.
His back wasn't particularly wide; in fact, it looked rather thin.
But at this moment, it was like an insurmountable mountain, firmly blocking all death and despair behind it.
"Why..."
Tengen Uzui's lips trembled, and tears mixed with blood uncontrollably slid down his cheeks.
"Why... why do you have to do this too..."
Akaza watched this sudden scene unfold.
The regretful expression on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an even more excited fighting spirit.
"Oh? Another one?"
His golden eyes, engraved with "Upper Rank Three," were fixed on Giyu Tomioka, as if he had discovered some priceless treasure.
"Your fighting spirit... is too perfect!"
"Calm, pure, and refined to the extreme!"
Tell me your name!
"A strongman like you shouldn't be nameless!"
However, the response he received was pressure coming from the other side.
"Step back, Akaza."
Kokushibo's six eyes simultaneously turned to his colleague, his voice carrying an undeniable command.
I'll say it again, this person... is mine.
"Ha?"
Akaza frowned in displeasure upon hearing this.
"Kokushibo, you're mistaken!"
"Such a perfect opponent, do you really want to hog all the glory? That's not in line with the spirit of sharing among warriors!"
"He's no match for you." Kokushibo's tone remained completely calm.
"Are you underestimating me?!"
Akaza's fighting spirit suddenly exploded, and the ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch.
"No matter how strong he is, if the two of us go up against him together, how could we possibly fail?!"
Just when the Upper Rank were about to turn on each other in a comical way because of the unequal distribution of spoils.
Giyu Tomioka, who had been silent until now, finally moved.
He tilted his head slightly and glanced at Tengen Uzui, who was still in a daze behind him, out of the corner of his eye.
There was a hint of impatience in his tone that he himself didn't realize...
"It's so noisy."
"If you don't leave now, you might as well stay and become fertilizer."
"..."
Tengen Uzui suddenly trembled.
Looking at Giyu's indifferent profile, he suddenly understood.
This man doesn't need sympathy, doesn't need understanding, and certainly doesn't need... him getting in the way.
All he needed was to live a magnificent life with the Flame Hashira by his side.
"... I see."
Tengen Uzui took a deep breath and roughly wiped his face with his sleeve.
He carefully picked up the unconscious Shinjuro.
"Giyu Tomioka!"
He roared the name with all his might.
"You bastard... you better survive this horrible life!"
After shouting,
Without further hesitation, he grabbed Shinjuro and ran wildly down the mountain without looking back.
Under the moonlight, his receding figure still looked disheveled, but no longer dejected.
Until Tengen Uzui's aura completely disappeared from his perception range.
Giyu Tomioka then slowly turned around.
He finally looked directly at the two people in front of him, who could be described as the Demon Slayer Corps' ultimate nightmare for hundreds of years.
'So annoying...'
Why do ghosts talk so much nonsense... Do they need a pep talk before a fight?
'After the fight, they want to choose the best fighting spirit of the match? What the heck?'
I'm hungry...
'I should have bought some radish and salmon on the way...'
'Sigh, being a pillar is so hard... o(╥╥)o'
Looking at the two top-tier demons opposite him, who were becoming increasingly annoyed by his silence,
Giyu Tomioka felt... it was necessary to end this quickly.
Finish early, leave work early.
Then he raised his Nichirin Blade, its tip pointing at the two of them.
The brief silence was broken with a tone so calm it was almost provocative.
"You two, come at me together."
"..."
"..."
The air seemed to freeze at that moment.
Akaza's expression went from initial bewilderment to disbelief, and finally to ecstatic joy!
"Ha ha!!"
He let out a deafening laugh.
"Interesting! Absolutely fascinating!! You're the most interesting swordsman I've seen in centuries!"
"Good!!
Because of what you said, I've made up my mind!
I will grind you into dust with the utmost respect!
Meanwhile, a glint of light flashed in the six eyes of the Kokushibo beside him.
"That kind of courage... truly deserves my respect."
"Then, as you wish."
Before the words had even finished...
The battle erupted in an instant!
"Destructive Death - Compass Needle!"
Akaza was the first to go.
A huge twelve-pointed snowflake array instantly spread out beneath their feet.
He charged forward like a streak of blue lightning, his violent punches even creating a series of sonic booms in the air!
At the same time!
"Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace!"
Kokushibo's figure instantly appeared to Giyu's left.
The hideous demonic blade, covered in eyeballs, brought with it a purple crescent blade capable of cleaving mountains, and slashed down at the waist!
One forward, one to the left; one punch & one knife!
The combined attack from the two Upper Rank blocked all possible escape routes; any one of the pillars coming at them would be instantly reduced to ashes!
But they were facing this deadly pincer attack.
Giyu Tomioka's face remained completely expressionless.
He didn't even lift his eyelids.
Just as the violent fist wind and sharp sword energy were about to touch his body...
He moved!!
Or rather, he didn't move!
He simply touched the ground lightly with the toe of his left foot.
"Water Breathing - Eleventh Form..."
"--Nagi."
Time seemed to have been silenced at that moment.
Centered on Giyu Tomioka, an absolutely static domain instantly opened up.
Quiet.
A deathly silence.
Akaza and Kokushibo, two powerful figures standing at the pinnacle of demon martial arts, both wore expressions that read, "Holy crap, I've seen a ghost!"
Their strongest attack... just like that?
However, Giyu Tomioka clearly didn't leave them much time to contemplate life.
Defense is never the end!!
Simply for a more efficient attack!!
In the next 0.1 seconds after neutralizing the attacks of the two.
Giyu's figure vanished from the spot in an instant!
"Water Breathing - Third Form - Flowing Dance!!"
With movements as fluid as water, he slid into the only blind spot of the two Upper Rank attacks in an instant, at a tricky angle!
Offense and defense, it's like an alien!
"Not good!!"
Kokushibo's six eyes all shrank simultaneously!
He tried to switch to a defensive move, but it was too late!
Giyu Tomioka's figure had already appeared behind him.
The clear, water-like azure light on the Nichirin Blade in his hand suddenly turned into a deep, domineering, and ominous purplish-red!
"Moon Breathing - Fifth Form..."
"--Moon Moon-Sickle Vortex!"
Without the slightest pause!
Giyu Tomioka swung his sword!
Countless irregular, wildly spinning purplish-red moon blades exploded out in an instant!
This attack not only completely enveloped Kokushibo's massive body,
The aftershocks of the attack also swept Akaza, who had just regained his footing, into the chaotic storm of sword energy!
"Boom--!"
A terrifying roar echoed through the night sky, and the entire mountain trembled violently under the impact!
Smoke and dust are everywhere!!
Wait until everything calms down.
A large chunk has been forcibly sheared off the mountaintop.
Akaza and Kokushibo landed awkwardly several dozen meters away, one on the left and one on the right.
Akaza had several sword wounds of varying depths on his body, which were rapidly healing while emitting wisps of blue smoke.
Kokushibo's signature purple kimono was ripped to shreds, and a faint bloodstain appeared on his face.
They looked at Giyu Tomioka, who stood amidst the ruins, not even a corner of his haori disheveled.
For the first time ever, a look of solemnity and excitement simultaneously shone in all eight eyes!
This man...
It's a monster!