Akaza

Asakusa, outskirts.

Kujo Tachibana abruptly turned around and waited quietly for his opponents that night.

Kokushibo and Akaza didn't keep Kujo Tachibana waiting long. They arrived moments later.

Kokushibo had six eyes and the appearance of a "Sword Saint." His long, deep-red hair was tied into a high ponytail, and he still bore the red, flame-shaped Demon Slayer Mark he had awakened as a human on his left forehead and the right side of his neck.

With his arms folded across his chest, Kokushibo looked at Kujo Tachibana and said calmly,

"Human swordsman, my name is Kokushibo. I am Upper Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki!"

"You're fast. I thought you were going to run away."

Kujo Tachibana gave a cold laugh and sneered,

"Run away? Heh... As a swordsman, turning your back on an enemy is the greatest shame!"

"If death comes, so be it. What is there to fear?"

"Kokushibo, enough talk. Draw your sword!"

Kokushibo's lips curled slightly. He was beginning to admire this human swordsman.

"You want me to draw my sword?"

"Then show me that you're worthy!"

"Your opponent is him!"

Kokushibo stretched his arm out straight, pointing at Akaza, who had remained silent beside him.

"You'll see soon enough whether I'm worthy!" Kujo Tachibana tilted his head toward Akaza.

Short pink hair, golden eyes, deathly pale skin, blood-red fingernails, and countless dark-blue tattoos covering his body, marking him as a sinner.

He wore a purple-red sleeveless shirt, with prayer beads hanging from his ankles. What kind of outfit was that?

Akaza put one hand on his shoulder and rolled his arm. Taking a step forward, he activated his Blood Demon Art.

A snowflake-shaped pattern spread across the ground at once.

His eyes brimming with excitement, Akaza looked at Kujo Tachibana and said,

"Human swordsman, my name is Akaza. Do you know how long I've been looking for you?"

"Among frail humans, it's rare to find someone as powerful as you."

"Oh, is that so?" Kujo Tachibana replied with a faint smile.

"Yes. You're powerful. I could tell at a glance—"

But Akaza abruptly stopped speaking!

"What? That's impossible!"

Akaza cried out in shock. His Blood Demon Art, "Destructive Death: Compass Needle," couldn't sense even the slightest fighting spirit from this human swordsman!

Speaking of fighting spirit, it was worth explaining Akaza's unique Blood Demon Art.

Before becoming a demon, Akaza had been a martial artist of extraordinary skill.

Just how skilled was he?

When he was human, he had beaten sixty-seven people to death with his bare hands while seeking revenge on the neighboring swordsmanship dojo!

That was how he caught the eye of Kibutsuji Muzan, who turned him into a demon!

After becoming a demon and losing his memories, Akaza's body still remembered the martial arts he had once trained in.

Using those techniques, Akaza had fought the Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps across generations.

Through those battles, he had cultivated an immensely powerful fighting spirit!

Using his own fighting spirit as a foundation, Akaza had developed ten unique Blood Demon Arts.

Among them, Destructive Death: Compass Needle was the core of his Blood Demon Art!

Destructive Death: Compass Needle:

It sensed an opponent's fighting spirit like a compass, making Akaza's attacks and evasive movements as precise as if they were being drawn toward a magnet.

When activated, a twelve-pointed snowflake pattern appeared beneath his feet. This was called "Technique Development."

(The snowflake pattern was based on the hair ornament worn by Koyuki, his fiancée in life.)

The stronger an opponent's fighting spirit, the stronger the Compass Needle's response, and the greater its power and precision.

However, the Compass Needle couldn't sense opponents without fighting spirit or those who concealed it with the Transparent World.

That was exactly what was happening now. Akaza couldn't sense Kujo Tachibana's fighting spirit at all!

How could such a powerful swordsman have no fighting spirit?

There was only one explanation: this swordsman had reached that realm—the realm Akaza had pursued day and night: the Supreme Territory, the Transparent World!

Just thinking about fighting an expert who had reached such a realm made Akaza's body tremble with excitement...

After becoming a demon and losing his memories, all that remained in Akaza's heart was his obsession with growing stronger and pursuing the highest realm!

That was also one of the reasons Akaza detested Doma so much!

To grow stronger, Akaza only wanted to fight the strong. He looked down on the weak and even despised them!

Yet, guided by his principles as a strong demon, Akaza never killed or ate women. He only chose to eat people when he was starving.

By contrast, Upper Rank Two Doma, who only loved eating women, was his polar opposite. Their relationship was therefore extremely poor.

Watching Akaza's body tremble slightly, all six of Kokushibo's eyes narrowed!

"What is this guy getting so worked up about?"

Kujo Tachibana scratched his head as Akaza continued to stand there without attacking. He had probably guessed what the "martial arts fanatic" was thinking!

After a moment's thought, Kujo Tachibana rested his right hand on the hilt of his Nichirin Sword.

If Akaza kept standing there dazed, he'd be greeted by—

Thunderclap and Flash!

The instant Kujo Tachibana put his hand on the hilt, Akaza felt an overwhelming pressure, as if he were facing death!

If he didn't act now, he might die!

The next moment, Akaza—who had been trembling just an instant earlier—suddenly charged at Kujo Tachibana!

"Destructive Death: Annihilation Type!"

He came right up in front of Kujo Tachibana.

Akaza raised his right fist, drawing it back behind him until it was level with his shoulder!

His upper body leaned forward, his legs spread one in front of the other, and his toes curled tightly into the ground. He was like a powerful bow drawn taut!

His body was the bow, his fist the arrow!

Akaza fired a punch at Kujo Tachibana!

Kujo Tachibana calmly watched the formidable punch before him.

Tachibana's assessment: good control of his body. He'd engaged most of his muscle power, but—

It wouldn't hit anyone. No matter how powerful the punch, it was useless if it missed.

Akaza took too long to control his muscles!

Tachibana could throw a punch like that too, and even do it better than Akaza.

He could perfectly engage the strength of every muscle in his body. He could even generate force without all that effort, completing the entire process within his body!

He could build up power inside himself without moving a muscle or making a single visible motion!

That was the Transparent World!

"Breathe..."

Air rushed into his lungs, filling them in an instant.

He controlled the blood vessels throughout his body, opening them fully and quickly separating the oxygen from the air as it entered the vessels. The oxygen rapidly combined with the red blood cells...

Golden light rose from his lungs and spread through his blood vessels, coursing throughout his body in an instant.

At the same time, he controlled his muscle fibers, evenly distributing this surge of power throughout his body!

In a single instant!

Sparks crackled and thunder began to rumble!

Brilliant lightning spread across Kujo Tachibana's body!

"Thunder Breathing: Third Form—Gathering Mosquitoes Thunder Modified!"