"A good opportunity."
Giyu's expressionless face remained completely blank.
But in his heart, a monstrous killing intent surged forth in an instant.
This killing intent wasn't directed at Muzan.
Because Giyu knew very well that with his current strength, rushing up to fight the boss would be a sure way to get himself killed.
This murderous intent was completely locked onto the Gyokko that was still gesturing wildly.
The scene he had just witnessed halfway up the mountain flashed uncontrollably through Giyu's mind.
The one who raised him from childhood and taught him things like a father —Sakonji Urokodaki.
That old man who always wore Tengu Mask was actually incredibly gentle.
It was so close, so very close!!
Every time Yi Yong thought of his master lying in the mud, covered in wounds, Giyu heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly by a giant hand, and he couldn't breathe from the pain.
He has lost his older sister in this lifetime!!
He absolutely, absolutely would not allow anyone to disturb the last vestige of hope in his life!!
"Who do you think you are, daring to lay a hand on my master?"
Today, even the King of Heaven has arrived, and this noisy, ugly monster must die!
Moreover, we must reduce Muzan to ashes in the blink of an eye before he Muzan react!
At this moment, Gyokko was completely unaware that she had been recklessly flirting with death countless times.
Seeing that Muzan didn't say anything, he assumed that his boss had tacitly approved of his bravery and was giving him a chance to prove himself!
Instantly, Gyokko became even bolder.
"Lord Muzan! Watch closely!"
The Gyokko was suddenly pulled out of the pottery pot, and its two small hands covered with suckers made exaggerated gestures in front of its chest.
"I wouldn't even need to use Blood Demon Art on a coward like that!"
"I, Gyokko Yuhu, will show him what the cruelty of those in power is like today!"
As she spoke, Gyokko twisted her snake-like lower body and crawled toward Giyu with a sinister grin.
Hey! You expressionless kid!
As Gyokko climbed, he shouted arrogantly.
"Hand over here and wash your neck clean! I'll rip open your skull and offer it to the great..."
Gyokko's words remained stuck in her throat forever.
Because.
Just as he was less than ten steps away from Giyu, at that very moment...
Giyu Tomioka moved.
In the quiet night, Giyu didn't even dabble in breathing.
However, in that instant, the blood in his body forcibly changed its trajectory in a violent manner!
The long, flexible circuit of Water Breathing was instantly severed.
Instead, there is a scalding, wild energy, like magma!
"Boom!"
Without warning, a blinding crimson flame burst forth from the originally deep blue Nichirin Blade!
Giyu's figure transformed into a streak of red light that tore through the darkness.
Quick!
It's ridiculously fast!!
In order to give Muzan no Muzan to make a move, Giyu's strike almost squeezed out every last bit of power from his muscles.
Gyokko's eyes, perched on its mouth, didn't even catch a glimpse of Giyu.
He only felt a sudden burst of light before his eyes, brighter than the sun.
Then, a scorching heat that could burn even the soul to ashes splattered all over his face.
"Sun Breathing-- "
Giyu's cold, indifferent voice rang out softly amidst the firelight.
" --Dance."
A circular blade of light, burning with raging flames, suddenly magnified in Gyokko's vision!
"Pfft--!"
The burning blade sliced smoothly across the neck of the Gyokko.
And at that very moment...
Muzan Kibutsuji, standing a hundred meters away, reacted in an absurdly large way.
The moment that familiar, sun-like, fiery light appeared.
Muzan's crimson pupils Muzan shrank to pinpoints!
"Sun Breathing!!"
The fear ingrained in their DNA erupted completely.
This arrogant and domineering Demon King's first reaction was not to save his subordinate who was frantically pledging his loyalty.
Instead, it retreated more than ten meters in a disheveled, even undignified manner, like a frightened wildcat!
Only after retreating a Muzan distance did Muzan realize with astonishment that the slash had not been aimed at him at all.
"Gurgle..."
A strangely shaped head, with a lingering arrogant smile, rolled several times on the ground before finally coming to rest in a mud puddle.
Gyokko's gaze swept across the air, turning 360 degrees.
He saw a headless body, still in a comical pose with its hands outstretched as if about to claim credit.
"Huh? Whose body is that?"
"Why does this look so familiar?"
Gyokko's brain briefly went blank.
Then, the excruciating pain from the severed neck, which felt like it could burn away his soul, finally slowly reached his brain.
"Ah... Ahh!"
Gyokko let out the most miserable and incredulous scream of her life.
"How is this possible! How is this possible!"
He tried desperately to move his eyes to look at Muzan in the distance.
"Lord Muzan! Lord Muzan, save me!"
"Why... why was my head chopped off even though you were here?"
Why didn't you swat that bug?
Gyokko couldn't understand it even in death: he was clearly the most active and loyal member of the team, so why was he killed instantly with a single strike when the boss was present?
Unfortunately, Muzan didn't even glance at him.
In the eyes of this Demon King, a decapitated piece of trash was worth less than a lump of mud on the ground.
The sun's flames burned fiercely at his wound, preventing even the slightest regeneration of the cells.
Soon, the cries of the Gyokko grew fainter and fainter.
That deformed head, along with his comical headless corpse, quickly burned to charcoal in the fire, eventually turning into a cloud of black ash that drifted away in the wind.
Upper Rank Five, Gyokko!!
--Pawn!!
He died swiftly and hastily, one could even say he died from talking too much.
Giyu Tomioka straightened up.
The red flames on the blade gradually died down, returning to its original deep, aquamarine blue.
With a flick of his wrist, he skillfully twirled the katana and Nichirin Blade it at his side.
From beginning to end, this Water Hashira Lord never once looked down at the flawed artwork that was turning to ashes.
Master's revenge has been taken; now, the main course begins!!
Giyu looked up again, his deep blue eyes piercing through the night wind, once more locking onto Muzan Kibutsuji in front of him.
There was no mockery, no smugness.
It's still that same expressionless face that never changes.
But now, this calm demeanor, in Muzan's eyes, is more deadly than any provocation.
The cold mist in the air spread again.
The human and the ghost, separated by the distance they had just created, faced each other once more.
This time, however, there's no annoying clown missing.
And in the night breeze, there was a trace of the sun's lingering warmth!