Kokushibo moved, his figure flashing like a ghost. His three-and-a-half-meter-long Kokyū Shinku swept across, the blade cutting through the air and leaving more than a dozen moon-white arcs of light. Each one could easily cut through steel!
Giyu advanced, his eyes resolute. With a powerful stomp of his foot, he charged towards Kokushibo like an arrow!
He took a step forward, and the tiles beneath his feet instantly shattered; his movements were as agile as a leopard.
The Nichirin Blade was swung out in an instant!
"Water Breathing - Second Form - Water Wheel!"
With a flash of light, the blade precisely grazed the side of Kokyū Shinku, using a clever trick to deflect the terrifying trajectory of the slash and dissipate most of its force!
"Clang--!"
Sparks exploded, blooming like beautiful fireworks in the morning light, dazzlingly bright!
The six proliferating blades on Kokushibo's back stabbed at the same time, blocking Giyu's escape routes from six different directions!
Giyu ducked low and spun rapidly, like a blue tornado, frantically weaving through the dense gaps between the blades!
The proliferating blade grazed his shoulders, ribs, and thighs, leaving deep gashes that revealed the bone. Blood gushed out like a fountain, instantly staining his white haori red. Yet, he still managed to dodge all the fatal wounds using his agility!
In the instant he turned, he lunged forward, his Nichirin Blade aimed straight for Kokushibo struggle, trading injury for injury!
The skin on Kokushibo's chest split open instantly, and the proliferating blade broke through the skin, precisely meeting Giyu's blade tip!
"Pfft--!"
Giyu's Nichirin Blade plunged three inches into Kokushibo's chest, the tip piercing through the demon's flesh!
Almost simultaneously, Kokushibo's proliferating blade pierced Giyu's left abdomen, emerging from his back, the cold edge tearing apart his internal organs!
The excruciating pain made Giyu's vision go black, but he gritted his teeth and refused to let go. Instead, he pushed the hilt of the knife forward a little more, trying to inflict even more damage!
Blood gushed from the two men like a fountain, weaving a crimson curtain in the morning light!
They retreated and charged forward simultaneously, blades clashing against blades, flesh against flesh, without any fancy moves, only the purest and most deadly fighting!
Kokushibo's Kokyū Shinku struck Giyu's right shoulder hard, shattering his shoulder blade, and blood spurted out like mist;
Giyu's Nichirin Blade also severed the overgrown blade on Kokushibo's left arm, leaving behind numerous wounds as the blade flashed past!
Blood mist burst open again and again, staining the rooftops beneath their feet and the rising sun red, filling the entire courtyard with a strong stench of blood.
In the courtyard, Shinjuro Rengoku's eyes were almost bulging out of their sockets. He gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white and the veins on his arms bulging, but he dared not go up recklessly.
He knew that if he went up now, he would not only be of no help, but would also become a burden to Giyu and hold him back!
What he saw was no longer two people fighting, but the extreme collision of two beams of light!
The blue light, like the sea in a storm, surged and raged, defiant and unyielding.
The white light, like a cold moon that has never melted for a thousand years, was icy and chilling, exuding a murderous aura!
That's too fast! It's really too fast!
As he approached the Flame Hashira, he could no longer see the two people's movements clearly. He could only see shadows filling the sky, hear the constant clanging of metal, and smell the increasingly strong, suffocating stench of blood.
"This... this is the true power of Upper Rank One..."
Shinjuro Rengoku's voice trembled, his eyes filled with shock and a sense of helplessness.
"No... this is Giyu Tomioka... this is the Water Hashira of our Demon Slayer Corps!"
He recalled the Hashira Meeting a month ago, where the quiet boy, who exuded an aura of "stay away from me," sat quietly in the corner, not speaking to anyone, as if he were isolated from the whole world;
Thinking of Shimoda Port, that boy who ate twenty-seven bowls of ramen in one go, yet whose eyes remained cold. Back then, he thought Giyu was just a talented but withdrawn boy.
But now, this boy is risking his life to fight Upper Rank One, using his own flesh and blood to uphold everyone's hope!
Obanai Iguro stood behind Shinjuro Rengoku, trembling violently, so shocked that he could barely speak.
Does this person... not feel pain?! Doesn't he know death?!
"Can he... win?"
Obanai's voice trembled, her heterochromatic eyes filled with worry and awe as she stared intently at the blood-soaked blue figure on the roof, fearing that he would collapse at any moment and never rise again.
Shinjuro Rengoku remained silent for a long time, so long that Obanai thought he wouldn't answer, before he slowly spoke, his voice hoarse but carrying an undeniable firmness:
He's stalling for time.
Shinjuro Rengoku looked up at the eastern sky. The sun had already peeked out, its golden rays bathing the earth and dispelling the last vestiges of darkness.
"He's desperately stalling for time, until the sun is fully up, at which point the ghosts will have to retreat. That's their fate, and there's no way to change it!"
"Use... use your life to drag it out?"
Obanai's voice choked with emotion, and his eyes reddened. He finally understood that every time Giyu was stabbed and injured, it was intentional, to buy time, to protect them, and to give the Demon Slayer Corps a chance to survive!
"Yes, drag it with our lives."
Shinjuro Rengoku turned his head and looked at Obanai, his eyes filled with complex and fervent emotions—admiration, heartache, and a firm resolve to carry on the legacy.
"Remember everything you see now, kid! This is Pillar! A Pillar's duty is never to win every battle, but to risk his life without hesitation when it's time to protect those behind him, to protect the light and hope of this world!"
Obanai bit her lower lip hard, staring at the blue figure on the rooftop, covered in blood but still standing straight.
Seeing him continue to swing his knife despite being severely injured, the shock in his eyes gradually transformed into a burning conviction that raged within his chest!
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, and blood seeped out between his fingers, but he felt nothing. He only felt an unprecedented power surging through his body.
He also wants to become such a pillar, someone who can protect others, and never again be like this, only able to watch helplessly as his comrades fight desperately, unable to do anything himself!
In the hundredth round, Giyu was panting heavily, blood flowing continuously from the corner of his mouth, and all the wounds on his body were bleeding. He looked like he had been pulled out of a pool of blood, a wretched and miserable sight.
But he was still smiling, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, revealing a pale yet resolute smile.
He felt himself getting faster and stronger!
At first, Kokushibo's sword was so fast that he could barely keep up and could only passively defend.
Now, he can see the trajectory of every slash and even predict Kokushibo's next move, turning from passive defense to active counterattack!
The art of Water Breathing was completely transformed in his hands.
No longer fixed moves, but flowing freely; this strike is the arc of the Second Form, the next the thrust of the Seventh Form, and the one after that the tranquility of the Eleventh Form...
All the moves have been mastered and integrated, becoming a sword that belongs only to Giyu Tomioka, unique and impossible for anyone to replicate!
Kokushibo also noticed this, and his six golden eyes narrowed simultaneously, a look of disbelief and shock flashing in his eyes, along with a deep sense of apprehension.
This boy actually evolved during the battle!
At the critical moment between life and death, he pushed himself to his limits!
For four hundred years, he had only seen one person do this: his younger brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni!
That genius swordsman who drove him mad with jealousy, who he hated for four hundred years, and who he also revered for four hundred years!
"Enough!"
Kokushibo suddenly stopped, his Demon Aura surging wildly, his killing intent overwhelming. He stared intently at Giyu, the fear in his eyes gradually turning into extreme rage!
The two men faced each other, standing a meter apart, blood dripping from their bodies and leaving dark red craters on the roof tiles.
"It's such a waste to have such talent on a human being!"
Kokushibo's eyes were filled with confusion and resentment.
"You will grow old, you will die, your body will rot, and like all humans, you will turn to dust and disappear from this world!"
"But if you become a ghost, you will have eternal life, endless power, you can..."
"You're right."
Giyu interrupted him, his voice soft but exceptionally firm, without the slightest wavering.
"But I refused."
Those four short words were like four sharp knives, piercing deeply into Kokushibo's heart!
In that instant, he saw the shadow of Yoriichi Tsugikuni in Giyu's eyes.
Clear, resolute, unmoved by external things, gifted yet indifferent—this gaze, this demeanor, drove him to the brink of madness with jealousy, making him wish he could tear the boy before him to pieces immediately!
"Why?!"
Kokushibo's voice began to distort, filled with resentment and rage; his six eyes were bloodshot, and he seemed to have gone mad.
"Why refuse?! What's wrong with becoming a ghost?!"
"Eternal life, boundless power, you can do whatever you want, without any constraints or limitations!"
Why?! Tell me!
Giyu looked at him, his eyes calm and unwavering, without a trace of anger, and simply asked in return:
Why did you become a ghost?
Kokushibo froze, his anger instantly turning to ice, as if he had been doused with a bucket of cold water, chilling him to the bone.
Why?
Why did he become a ghost?
To surpass Yoriichi Tsugikuni and become the greatest swordsman in the world?
To possess eternal life and no longer fear death?
So that I won't be left behind by anyone anymore, and I won't live in someone else's shadow?
To avoid being overwhelmed by his younger brother's talent, and to stop enduring that deep-seated jealousy and resentment?
He had repeated these words to himself countless times, but he couldn't bring himself to say them. He could only grit his teeth, his face ashen, and his whole body trembling.
"Shut up--!"
Kokushibo finally couldn't hold back any longer, letting out a deafening roar. His Kokyū Shinku, imbued with four hundred years of hatred, four hundred years of jealousy, and four hundred years of resentment, slashed wildly at Giyu. Each strike carried earth-shattering power, each strike a roar questioning:
"Why do you have this talent too?! Why do you look at me like that?! Why won't you become a ghost?!"
Kokushibo has completely gone mad!
The six proliferating blades spun wildly, like six death whirlwinds, and countless blade lights attacked from all directions, blocking all of Giyu's escape routes, leaving him nowhere to hide!
Giyu felt immense pressure, and his wounds began to reopen, bleeding profusely. Yet, he grew increasingly calm, his Transparent World Full Release, capturing every subtle movement of Kokushibo.
In the 120th round, Kokushibo slashed horizontally, and Giyu leaned back to dodge. Suddenly, the extended blade on his left shoulder lengthened and pierced straight for his heart. He swung his sword to the side, trying to cut off the base of the blade!
However, the Kokyū Shinku at an extremely tricky angle, with a timing that was frighteningly precise.
Although Giyu's Transparent World saw everything, his body was too injured to react quickly enough, and he could only watch helplessly as the blade slashed towards his left arm!
"Pfft--!"
With a crisp sound of a knife piercing flesh, Giyu's left arm was severed at the shoulder!
The severed arm spun through the air, falling from the roof and crashing onto the ground in the yard with a dull thud. A sharp pain erupted in Giyu's shoulder like a volcano, making his vision go black and almost causing him to faint!
Before he could recover, Kokushibo's longsword had already spun and slashed down, carrying a chilling killing intent, heading straight for his chest!
"Snap--!"
A crisp cracking sound rang out as Giyu's ribs were shattered in several places. The excruciating pain caused him to cough up a mouthful of blood, and his body flew off the roof like a puppet with its strings cut, crashing heavily into the dirt in the yard!
"Tomioka!!"
Giyu lay in a pool of blood, blood gushing from the severed wound on his left shoulder. The wound on his chest was so deep that bone was visible, and his internal organs were seeping out. His life force was rapidly draining away like flowing water, and all his strength was constantly disappearing. He was almost too weak to even open his eyes.
'Sister... I'm sorry...'
'Master Urokodaki... Sabito... I'm sorry...'
'I... it seems... I can't go on living...'
The smile of the Sabito was warm and bright, like the morning sun, dispelling all darkness and cold. It was the warmest smile he had ever seen in his life.
'I'm sorry... everyone...'
'I think... I'm going to let you all down...'
The footsteps grew closer, steady and cold, carrying the aura of death, until they stopped in front of Giyu.
With difficulty, Giyu raised his eyelids. Through his blurred vision, he saw Kokushibo's pale and indifferent face. In his six golden eyes, there was a faint trace of regret, as if he were looking at a work of art that was about to be destroyed.
"Becoming a ghost is your last chance."
Kokushibo crouched down, extending his pale hand, trying to touch Giyu's face; the movement was slow and eerie.
"Drink my blood, and you will live, you will have the same power as me, you will..."
Giyu stared at the hand. Through his bloodshot vision, the hand was as pale as a dead man's bone, lifeless, yet possessing a deadly allure.
He smiled, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth revealing a pale yet incredibly resolute smile. With his last ounce of strength, he said, word by word:
"I... refuse."
Kokushibo's hand froze in mid-air, and the regret in his six eyes instantly turned into extreme coldness.
He slowly withdrew his hand, stood up, turned around and was about to leave, as if he had completely lost interest in this stubborn boy.
But at that moment, Giyu used his right hand to support himself on the ground and, with all his strength, crawled up inch by inch from the pool of blood!
The excruciating pain from his severed arm was agonizing, and every movement of his chest wound caused blood to gush out. The pain in his internal organs almost suffocated him.
But he didn't stop, he didn't give up. With an amazing willpower, he slowly pushed himself up, his knees on the ground, and then he slowly stood up straight. His body swayed, but he remained upright!
He bent down and picked up the Nichirin Blade that had fallen beside him. He gripped the hilt tightly with his right hand, blood seeping from between his fingers and staining the hilt red, but he refused to let go. He used his last bit of strength to regulate his breathing.
Kokushibo turned around and looked at him, his six eyes filled with complex emotions: shock, confusion, and a hint of admiration that even he himself didn't realize.
This boy, despite being severely injured and on the verge of death, still refused to give in and still wanted to fight. This willpower and this obsession moved even him, a ghost.
"You really are... just like him."
Kokushibo's voice was low and hoarse, with a barely perceptible sigh, as if lamenting the cycle of fate or regretting the fall of a genius.
The two attacked simultaneously, their blades clashing, the killing intent in the air so intense it was explosive!
"Water Breathing - First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
A flash of light, a deep blue like the ocean, slashed straight at Kokushibo's chest with an unstoppable momentum!
"Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace!"
The moon-white blade flash, like a shooting star in the cold night, carried a world-destroying power as it met the Giyu blade!
"Laugh--"
Giyu's body was severed at the waist by the moon-white blade, blood gushing out and staining a large patch of soil red. Life slipped away in an instant, and the light in his eyes dimmed little by little...
Almost simultaneously, Giyu's blade also struck Kokushibo's chest precisely, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound from his right shoulder to his left abdomen.
Demon blood gushed out like a spring, staining his black haori red. The intense pain made him groan, stagger back several steps, and barely manage to regain his footing.
Kokushibo looked up at Giyu. In his six eyes, there was no joy, no anger, only a deathly calm and a faint regret.
"If you become a ghost..."
He spoke in a low voice, hoarse, with a hint of barely perceptible regret.
How strong must it be?
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".
This exceptionally talented yet stubborn young man ultimately chose to protect humanity, becoming his enemy and dying by his blade, turning into dust.
Just like Yoriichi Tsugikuni four hundred years ago, he used his life to demonstrate what it means to protect.