Feeling the immense power of that Flying Slash, Kujo Tachibana rubbed his chin and nodded in satisfaction.
Using a Nichirin Sword to unleash a Flying Slash had both advantages and disadvantages compared to using a fist.
The advantage was that a blade had a smaller surface area than a fist, allowing the force to be concentrated more tightly. Naturally, that made it much more powerful.
As for the disadvantage, a sword wasn't like a fist—it wasn't part of your body. Controlling a sword to unleash a Flying Slash was much more complicated than controlling a fist.
That was also why Kujo Tachibana's technique had such an obvious windup. Unlike Akaza, who could unleash a "Void Style" punch almost instantly.
Against a true master, an attack with an obvious windup was unlikely to land.
Kokushibo, for example, was right there!
Besides, demons couldn't truly be killed unless their necks were actually severed by a Nichirin Sword.
In fact, Kokushibo was also shocked when he saw that wildly imaginative strike!
He wasn't amazed by the power of the attack, but by Tachibana's terrifying talent for learning!
He had mastered the Transparent World too, but he had never managed to do what Kujo Tachibana had.
In such a short time, he had learned such a complex attack just by observing his opponent!
At that moment, Kokushibo's killing intent toward Kujo Tachibana grew even stronger.
Though he admired Kujo Tachibana's spirit as a swordsman, he was even less willing to see someone so gifted surpass him one day!
In Kujo Tachibana, Kokushibo saw a faint reflection of Yoriichi, even though there was still a vast gap between their strength!
But that talent, which defied all reason, was far too much like his younger brother Yoriichi!
Even if Muzan came today and wanted to turn Kujo Tachibana into a demon, Kokushibo wouldn't agree!
This human swordsman was going to die today! Kokushibo had said so!
Anyone who tried to stop him would be cut down!
After Yoriichi's death, Kokushibo's resolve never to lose to anyone had become an obsession!
He would not allow himself to fail even once!
To prevent that from happening, Kokushibo could cast everything aside!
Just as he had done more than three hundred years ago, in order to defeat Yoriichi!
His human identity, a samurai's honor, his family bonds, affection, friendship, even love!
He, Kokushibo, could abandon every last one of them!
Feeling Kokushibo's surging killing intent, erupting like a volcano!
Kujo Tachibana raised an eyebrow, then relaxed it again.
There was no point dwelling on it now.
Seeing that Akaza had nearly recovered, Kujo Tachibana began to get serious!
He slid his Nichirin Sword into its scabbard. His left hand held the scabbard horizontally, while his right hand took a grip unlike his usual one.
Tachibana's grip now resembled the way one held a dagger.
His right hand held the hilt in a reverse grip!
"Breathe... in..."
Golden Flowing Light quietly coursed down to Kujo Tachibana's feet with each breath, and blue-yellow lightning burst forth!
Kujo Tachibana appeared before Akaza at a speed he couldn't possibly react to!
"Thunder Breathing—Fifth Form—Heat Lightning Modified!"
"Thunder Breathing—First Form—Thunderclap and Flash Modified—Swallow Reversal!"
This combination attack, a draw cut at a speed beyond the limits, was Swallow Reversal!
The instant Kujo Tachibana drew his Nichirin Sword with a reverse grip,
before the blade had even fully cleared its scabbard, it had already turned red-hot!
The red Blade, wreathed in lightning, moved at a speed that left Akaza's thoughts frozen!
It slashed toward his neck!
The Red Blade entered at extreme speed, like a hot knife through butter. With no resistance at all, it sliced through Akaza's spine
Only then did Akaza's mind catch up. He felt the long blade about to sever his neck completely!
But his body had no time to react!
Deep in his heart, Akaza felt a powerful surge of unwillingness!
He shouted with all his might:
"No!"
"I haven't entered the Supreme Territory yet!"
"I can't die! I have to get stronger!! Stronger!!!"
That intense unwillingness drove Akaza's body to undergo a change unlike anything he had ever experienced...
At that very moment, a thunderous "BOOM!!!" rang out.
The change in Akaza's body was forcibly interrupted.
A red blade covered in eyeballs had appeared, firmly blocking Kujo Tachibana's strike!
He'd been so close—so incredibly close!
Akaza's neck had almost been completely severed by Kujo Tachibana... and Akaza would have completed his transformation...
But Kokushibo, with no regard for honor, had still chosen to interfere in the fight!
Kujo Tachibana sighed softly. He still wasn't fast enough!
Before swinging that strike, he had known Kokushibo wouldn't stand by and watch him kill Akaza.
Even if the two demons didn't exactly get along.
Kujo Tachibana had only wanted to try.
If it worked, he might have had a chance to keep Kokushibo at bay for one night in his current state.
If he couldn't kill Akaza, he had absolutely no chance against both of them.
Given Akaza's personality, he probably wouldn't do something so dishonorable.
But Kujo Tachibana couldn't pin his hopes on a demon, either!
Feeling the immense pressure transmitted through his Nichirin Sword, Kujo Tachibana was a little frustrated.
Then he gripped the hilt with his left hand as well, putting all his strength into a contest of force with Kokushibo at Akaza's neck!
The red-hot Blade, wrapped in flickering lightning, left Akaza—who could finally feel heat again—burning in exquisite agony, his eyes gradually rolling back...
Kokushibo kept pressing down with his sword while looking at Kujo Tachibana's crimson Red Blade. He praised him:
"Human swordsman, your Red Blade is good. Very good!"
The red sword covered in eyeballs in Kokushibo's hand had already been deeply cut into by Kujo Tachibana's Red Blade.
Yet it continued to push Kujo Tachibana's sword, slowly but surely, back toward the wound it had come from.
Until Kujo Tachibana's Nichirin Sword had completely withdrawn from Akaza's neck!
"Ah..."
Kujo Tachibana sighed softly, using the force of Kokushibo's blade to leap back and briefly escape his attack range.
He looked at Kokushibo, utterly exasperated, and said:
"Why do you have to push me to this? Wouldn't it be better to stay alive?"
Kujo Tachibana had now completely lost control of his anger!
He looked at Kokushibo and roared:
"I've got something even better. Want to see it?!"
"Demon Slayer Mark, awaken!!"
The sound of his heart pounding grew faster and faster!
It became so loud that even an ordinary person standing nearby could hear it clearly.
Billowing steam rose from Kujo Tachibana's body, and his temperature instantly exceeded the human threshold!
"Thump, thump..."
"Thump-thump-thump-thump..."
"Breathe... in..."
Activating the Thunder Breathing that had long since become instinct, Kujo Tachibana drew in a deep breath, filling his lungs with all the air he could manage!
In an instant, lightning arose in his lungs and coursed along his blood vessels, muscles, and skin, toward his face...
The next moment, fine, irregular, web-like lightning marks had been etched deeply across Kujo Tachibana's forehead and around his eyes!
Though he could tell he looked incredibly cool right now,
Kujo Tachibana wasn't happy at all!
Cool?
It had cost him decades of his life!!
Kujo Tachibana genuinely hadn't wanted to awaken his Demon Slayer Mark!
Wouldn't it be better to live to a hundred?
In his previous life, he'd only lived to twenty-seven!
Was he going to die young again in this life?
But without awakening his Demon Slayer Mark, he had no chance of defeating Kokushibo.
He was human. If he were struck even once by Kokushibo's attack,
he could very well die!
Since he was bound to awaken it...
He might as well do it early. He couldn't wait until he was wounded and on the verge of death, could he?
Kujo Tachibana glared at Kokushibo with eyes as bright as lamps!
Every so often, bolts of lightning sparked from his shining eyes.
(How cool is that? A Demon Slayer Mark with special effects!)
Seeing that Kujo Tachibana had successfully awakened his Demon Slayer Mark, Kokushibo, strangely enough, let out a string of manic, almost hysterical laughter!
"Hahahaha..."
"I can tell you're furious!"
"Looks like you already know that anyone who awakens the Demon Slayer Mark dies before turning twenty-five."
"Then you must understand me, right? If you had the choice, you'd become a demon too, wouldn't you!"
Kujo Tachibana roared, too fed up to listen to any more of Kokushibo's nonsense. He snatched up his Nichirin Sword and charged at him, cursing as he went!
"I'm your father!"
"I understand your ass!"
Mark + Transparent World + Red Blade... plus the protagonist's cheat and plot armor. Can the protagonist win?
Before you continue