While Giyu Tomioka was still locked in Muzan with Muzan,
The battle in front of the mountaintop cabin has quickly escalated into a fierce, one-sided rout!
"Boom--!"
A loud bang erupted amidst the ruins littered with icy shards.
"Ugh--!"
Zohakuten let out a piercing scream; his body writhed like a broken kite.
It spun in mid-air and then crashed into an ice sculpture half the height of a person, shattering it with a loud bang.
Directly opposite him
Stone Hashira clasped his hands together, tears streaming down his face!
"Unforgivable... you piece of trash who bullies the weak!!"
Zohakuten crawled out of the pile of ice shards, his handsome young face completely ruined.
He suddenly struck the taiko drum on his back.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Five thick wooden dragons roared as they emerged from the ground.
They opened their large mouths, which were covered in wooden spikes, and lunged at Gyomei from five tricky angles!
"Frenzied Pressure Resonance Waves!!"
Zohakuten opened his mouth, and a super high-frequency sound wave that could instantly turn a person's internal organs into mud followed by the wooden dragon's attack.
Namo Amitabha Buddha!
"Your soul has been corrupted by evil thoughts; let this humble monk help you sever this obsession."
Gyomei's exaggerated biceps on his right arm bulged out even more.
"Call--!"
The black chains were taut in the air, emitting a sharp whistling sound.
"Stone Breathing - Fourth Form - Volcanic Rock, Rapid Conquest!"
That meteor hammer, larger than a millstone, swept out with wind pressure capable of flattening mountains, in an unreasonable manner!
There are no fancy techniques involved; it's just pure, unadulterated physical rituals!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The wooden dragon crumbled as easily as paper when it met the meteor hammer!
Wood chips flew everywhere, and in less than two seconds, Gyomei smashed the five wooden dragons into a shower of rotten firewood!
Immediately afterwards, Gyomei gripped the axe handle with his left hand and swung it forward with a sudden thrust.
"Clang--!"
The ear-piercing sound caused the surrounding snow to evaporate instantly, but Gyomei's towering body didn't even take a single step back!
"This... this is impossible!!"
Zohakuten completely panicked; his mentality collapsed!!
He had never seen a human being withstand his Frenzied Pressure Resonance Wave energy using only physical strength!
This blind monk with tears streaming down his face, is he even human?!
Is he cheating?!
In the instant that Zohakuten a state of mental chaos, Gyomei had already strode across the pile of rotten wood.
A huge shadow instantly covered the Zohakuten.
"Too slow."
With the force of splitting the heavens and earth, the broad axe swept upwards with tremendous force.
"Pfft--!"
"Ahh!"
Zohakuten's right arm and shoulder were completely severed by this axe blow!
The foul-smelling ghost blood was sprayed everywhere.
He tried to back away, but Gyomei's meteor hammer had already come crashing down from another direction, striking him squarely in the chest.
"Crack! Crack--!"
Zohakuten's entire chest cavity caved in, and his internal organs were almost turned into a pile of minced meat by the impact.
"Doma! You bastard, where have you been?! Come save me!!"
Having been brutally beaten, Zohakuten no longer possessed the domineering aura he had displayed moments before.
He cried out for help like a schoolchild who had been beaten and was now crying.
Unfortunately, his fake colleague had already betrayed him and run away; he couldn't even be seen again.
Meanwhile, in that forest halfway up the mountain.
A heart-pounding chase is unfolding.
"Don't run! You coward! Stop right there!!"
Like a completely crazed wolf, Sanemi Shinazugawa ran wildly through the mud.
His team uniform was already soaked in blood, and blood was still oozing from the wrist he had cut while fighting the Split Demon.
Because of excessive blood loss, Sanemi's vision was already a little blurry.
But his bloodshot eyes were fixed on the small, dark figure scrambling through the bushes a few dozen meters ahead.
That's the true form of the Hantengu... that cowardly, Coward Demon!
This withered old man, no bigger than the palm of your hand, with shifty eyes and a sly look, is...
Right now, it's moving at an alarming speed, frantically navigating through various tree roots and thorns.
"Oh dear! Don't kill me! Don't kill this poor old woman!"
As the Coward Demon ran, he let out those hypocritical cries that made people's fists hard.
His face was covered in tears and snot, making him look incredibly pitiful. But everyone present knew how venomous a soul was hidden within that small body.
"Old man? Bah! I'll rip your skull open and use it as a chamber pot today!"
Sanemi roared, and with a sudden burst of power, he kicked off a thick tree trunk and jumped up.
"Wind Breathing - First Form - Dust Whirlwind - Slash!"
A violent blue wind blade swirled around the Nichirin Blade, Sanemi transformed into a green tornado, slashing fiercely down along the path the Coward Demon had taken!
"Boom!"
The wind blades shredded the bushes and soil on the road, leaving a deep ditch.
But the Coward Demon's size is just too damn small.
He nimbly darted into a mouse hole to the side, miraculously dodging the deadly attack.
"Damn it! This rat is so slippery!"
Sanemi was so angry that he cursed loudly, and when he landed, his legs went weak and he almost knelt on one knee.
"Hey you brainless wild boar, can't you use your brain in this fight?"
A cold voice came from the treetops above.
Obanai Iguro stood on a thin branch like a light, venomous snake.
His black and white striped haori fluttered in the wind!
"He's short, of course you can't catch him on flat ground!"
"We need to force him into an open area!"
While delivering a sarcastic remark to Sanemi, Obanai also took action without hesitation.
He jumped down from the tree branch, his uniquely shaped, wave-like Nichirin Blade drawing a twisted arc in mid-air.
"Serpent Breathing, Second Form: Venom Fangs of the Narrow Head!"
Obanai's knife tip wasn't aimed at the Coward Demon, but rather precisely sliced towards a row of dense tree roots in front of the Coward Demon.
The sharp blade instantly severed the tangled tree roots, completely blocking the best hiding route for the Coward Demon!
"Ah!"
The Coward Demon screamed in fright and was forced to change direction, running towards a clearing of rocks on the left.
"Well done! Bandaged Freak!"
Sanemi saw this, his eyes lit up instantly!!
He completely disregarded the fact that his body had reached its limit, and squeezed out the last bit of strength from his muscles, charging forward like a cannonball.
On the other side of the open area, there was a figure, its body charred black, looking just like a roasted sweet potato.
He was dragging his Nichirin Blade, gritting his teeth as he circled around them.
"Sanemi! Obanai! Force him towards me!"
Masachika Kumeno coughed up a mouthful of bloody saliva!
He had been struck by lightning in Sekido, leaving him charred and battered; he was only able to stand by sheer willpower.
But he knew this was his only chance to completely defeat Upper Rank Four!
The three swordsmen, with their health nearly depleted, displayed an astonishing level of teamwork at that moment.
Sanemi, from behind, relentlessly compressed the escape space of the Coward Demon with his ferocious wind blades;
Obanai used his eerie Serpent Breathing to precisely block movement from the flanks;
Masachika, held fast to their escape route!
"No... no! How could you gang up on me, a weakling!"
The Coward Demon was cornered under a large rock, with nowhere left to retreat!
He huddled up in a ball, his withered hands covering his head, trembling.
"Bullying the weak?"
Obanai sneered, her heterochromatic eyes, one gold and one green, filled with murderous intent.
He slowly stepped forward, his wavy Nichirin Blade pressed against the Coward Demon.
"When you cornered us just now, you so-called 'weakling' were incredibly arrogant!!"
Sanemi arrived, panting heavily. He raised his green Nichirin Blade high, the blade reflecting the desperate face of the Coward Demon.
Because Sanemi's wrist was still bleeding, the scent of his rare, top-grade Marechi wafted through the air.
Upon smelling the fragrance, the Coward Demon's eyes, which had been filled with fear, instantly flashed with an almost insane greed!
But he will never have the chance to enjoy that delicious meal again.
"Go to hell! You disgusting piece of trash!"
Sanemi roared and, with all his might, swung his sword at the Coward Demon's thin neck!
Masachika and Obanai simultaneously unleashed their Nichirin Blades from both sides, sealing off any possible escape route for the Coward Demon.
Three swords, carrying the lifelong beliefs of three young swordsmen, slashed down fiercely!
--
100 meters away.
Inside Muzan Kibutsuji's brain, the communication network composed of cells suddenly emitted a piercing alarm!
"These two are terrible!!"
Muzan was absolutely furious!!
His handsome face instantly contorted, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.
The Upper Rank Four Moon Four was driven to a dead end by a blind man and three ants who weren't even pillars!
If these two die here, then the fighting strength of his Twelve Kizuki will suffer a serious gap!
It's impossible to carry it, absolutely impossible!
Just then,
Kokushibo and Akaza, the two defeated and battered soldiers, also fell in Muzan's feet.
Looking at these two "strongest fighters" in front of him, Muzan's anger had reached its peak.
But he didn't lose his mind.
He glanced warily at Giyu Tomioka, who was still holding his knife in the distance, his expression as calm as an abyss.
"I can't keep fooling around here!!"
"This Yoriichi cosplayer is ridiculously strong. If I reveal any weakness now to save those useless guys, he'll definitely use Sun Breathing to instantly kill me."
Survival is always Muzan's first principle!!
As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood. As long as he's still around, the Twelve Kizuki can be recreated anytime!
But if the entire Upper Rank were to break here, it would be a huge loss for him.
We must evacuate immediately!
Nakime!
Muzan issued the highest-level mandatory evacuation order in his mind!
Shake the door! Quickly!
"Zheng--!"
A clear, melodious Biwa instantly resounded throughout the entire Mount Sagiri!
The music seemed to have the power to distort space, causing visible ripples to appear in the surrounding air.
A Japanese paper door with strange patterns appeared Muzan air beneath Muzan's feet.
In front of the wooden cabin on the mountaintop!
"Swish--"
Without warning, a sliding door suddenly opened beneath Zohakuten!
Behind the door was that upside-down, chaotic, Infinity Castle!!
With a pull from the gravity, Zohakuten's tattered body instantly fell in.
Gyomei's broad axe slammed into empty air, crashing heavily onto the muddy ground and carving out a crack several meters deep.
"What?!"
Gyomei's eyes widened slightly, a look of bewilderment flashing across his tear-streaked face.
In the woods halfway up the mountain!
The three Nichirin Blades had already sliced open the dry, Coward Demon neck of the demon!
If we just press down another 10cm, this heinous Upper Rank Four will be completely finished!
However, in that one-thousandth of a second...
"Zheng--!"
The sound of the Biwa began!!
The Coward Demon's face, which had been filled with despair, instantly erupted with wild joy as his small body plunged into the darkness of the Infinity Castle.
"Clang!"
The three knives lost their target, collided with each other, and burst into a dazzling shower of sparks.
"Damn it!! Just a hair's breadth away!! Just a tiny bit more!!"
Sanemi stared at the empty stone, enraged to the point of madness!!
He kicked the stone to pieces and roared angrily at the sky.
Obanai gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, her one gold and one green eye filled with frustration.
He knew that if he let the tiger return to the mountain now, catching this slippery sixth brother again would be harder than climbing to heaven.
And on Muzan's side!!
Without the slightest hesitation, Kokushibo and Akaza retreated back into the eerie paper door.
Muzan stands on the edge of the paper door!!
He turned his head, his crimson vertical pupils coldly scanning the hundred-meter distance before finally fixing their gaze on Giyu Tomioka's face.
You really are a surprise!
"But ultimately, this world is ruled by those who live the longest."
Muzan's voice was icy cold, devoid of any warmth.
Cherish the little time you have left!
"We... will never see each other again!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Muzan turned around gracefully and stepped into the Infinity Castle.
"Clatter."
The paper door closed perfectly, then rapidly distorted and faded in the air before finally disappearing completely.
Along with the terrifying, suffocating pressure, it all vanished into the night wind.
The battlefield has finally fallen completely silent!!
Giyu Tomioka stood there, staring at the spot where the door had disappeared for a full minute.
Until the entire perceptual network of the Transparent World was completely free of any trace of the filth of ghosts.
"Call--!"
Giyu's shoulders, which had been tense, finally slumped slightly.
His palms, gripping the knife, were covered in a thick layer of cold sweat!
If that Trash Boss had just charged at him recklessly, he wouldn't have had the strength to fight back at all!
That monster with five brains inside its body is completely beyond his current capabilities to defeat!!
He actually... managed to scare away the Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji?!
This is practically the ultimate version of the "empty city strategy"!!
Giyu lowered his head, looking at his slightly trembling wrist.
Just then, a sliver of dawn appeared on the horizon.
The first ray of golden sunlight pierced through the layers of mist on Mount Sagiri, casting its light on the ravaged land and bringing a faint but undeniably real warmth to this cold battlefield.
The sky finally brightened!
Giyu faced the rising sun and slowly sheathed his Nichirin Blade.
"It's finally over!!"
Now, he can finally go down the mountain and eat the radish and salmon dish he's been craving all night.