After taking a deep breath, Kujo Tachibana steadied his breathing, raised the Nichirin Sword in his hand, and charged at Kokushibo!
The two long swords clashed once more in an instant!
"Thunder Breathing—Fourth Form—Distant Thunder Modified—Striking Lightning Racing Star!"
The moment the blades collided, surging electricity raced along the Nichirin Sword in Kujo Tachibana's hand and toward "Hollow Cry Divine Departure" in Kokushibo's!
Caught off guard by the electric shock, Kokushibo's pupils contracted, and his body stiffened for an instant!
Kujo Tachibana didn't try to swing at Kokushibo's neck.
Against a demon of Kokushibo's caliber, this sword form's restraining effect wasn't that strong. At most, it could slow him down a little.
And demons guarded their necks more fiercely than any other part of their bodies.
Kujo Tachibana wasn't confident he could sever Kokushibo's neck in such a short time.
But this was only the opening move in Kujo Tachibana's combo.
Kujo Tachibana used the Nichirin Sword in his right hand to deflect Kokushibo's long blade, "Hollow Cry Divine Departure."
Then, with his other hand, he drew the other sword at his waist—the one his father had left him, "Evil Slayer."
Surging electricity instantly flooded the blade until its entire length was covered in fine blue lightning!
"Thunder Breathing—Eighth Form—Flying Thunder God!"
Kujo Tachibana plunged the blue-lightning-wreathed "Evil Slayer" deep into Kokushibo's chest!
It pierced right through Kokushibo's lung, its blade emerging from his back.
An even stronger current spread from Kokushibo's lung throughout his body.
Kokushibo, who had just recovered from the previous effect, was struck once again.
His gaze turned utterly grim!
This current-charged sword had not only stiffened Kokushibo's movements. More importantly—
It was continuously sending electricity into his lung!
As a result, Kokushibo was now completely unable to use Moon Breathing!
And that was Kujo Tachibana's true goal!
Kokushibo tried to pull the sword from his chest, but by then, his movements were nowhere near as swift as Kujo Tachibana's.
Kujo Tachibana gave Kokushibo no chance to catch his breath!
One sword form followed another, crashing down on Kokushibo like a raging storm!
"Thunder Breathing—Sixth Form—Thunderclap Roar Modified—Violent Thunder Flash!"
Kujo Tachibana swung his Nichirin Sword like a raging bolt of thunder, smashing "Hollow Cry Divine Departure," which Kokushibo had raised to guard himself!
In the blink of an eye, Kokushibo's center was wide open!
"Gasp..."
Kujo Tachibana sucked in a huge breath, his lungs swelling at once!
He returned the Nichirin Sword to its sheath, then drew it again, sweeping it toward Kokushibo's neck with a backhand slash!
"Thunder Breathing—First Form—Thunderclap and Flash Modified—Swallow Reversal!"
"I've got you!"
At that moment, the once utterly grim Kokushibo let a faint smile touch his lips.
At the same time, the sword "Evil Slayer," still lodged in Kokushibo's chest, suddenly shattered into several pieces and shot out from his torso!
Kujo Tachibana's eyes narrowed at once!
He dodged sideways to avoid the flying shards, but the Nichirin Sword in his hand continued its unbroken arc toward Kokushibo's neck!
In an instant, the grotesque long sword "Hollow Cry Divine Departure," which Kujo Tachibana had just smashed apart, reappeared in Kokushibo's hand!
"Moon Breathing—Sixteenth Form—Moonbow—Half Moon!"
Kokushibo paid no heed to the vulnerable spot at his neck. He simply raised his grotesque long sword.
As if willing to trade his life for a human's, he slashed upward at Kujo Tachibana!
Seeing Kokushibo act as though he didn't care about his own life, Kujo Tachibana sighed inwardly.
This guy's sword regenerated far too quickly!
And Kokushibo's body was far tougher than his. With his own strength, Kujo Tachibana didn't think he could sever Kokushibo's neck in a single instant!
Even if he wanted to trade his life for Kokushibo's, he couldn't do it.
Kujo Tachibana reluctantly withdrew his sword and struggled to block Kokushibo's long blade, Hollow Cry Divine Departure!
With a loud bang, Kokushibo sent Kujo Tachibana flying.
The grotesque blade "Hollow Cry Divine Departure" had also carved a horrifying wound into his abdomen!
Kujo Tachibana had thought he'd found an opening, but he hadn't expected that although Kokushibo couldn't use Breathing Styles,
His bizarre Blood Demon Art could free him from Flying Thunder God's effects.
And in the end, he'd seized the opening to deal Kujo Tachibana a devastating blow!
"Haah... haah..."
Kujo Tachibana panted heavily. Even the lightning-shaped mark in his eyes was beginning to fade.
He tensed the muscles around the wound to keep his intestines from spilling out.
He pressed down on the wound and the surrounding blood vessels to keep himself from losing too much blood and passing out.
With a calm expression, Kujo Tachibana raised the Nichirin Sword in his hand and faced Kokushibo.
Looking at Kujo Tachibana's battered state, Kokushibo didn't rush to attack.
"In more than three hundred years, you're the first person to make me fight with all my strength."
"Swordsman, you may well be proud of that!"
After speaking, Kokushibo raised his sword and unleashed a rapid flurry of slashes.
"Moon Breathing—First Form—Dark Moon—Evening Palace!"
"Moon Breathing—Third Form—Loathsome Moon—Chains!"
"Moon Breathing—Tenth Form—Piercing Face Slash—Moon Through Bamboo Leaves!"
"Moon Breathing—Fourteenth Form—Catastrophe—Heavenly Full Moon!"
Kokushibo's grotesque long sword became a blur in his hands, whipping up a vast vortex of blades that thundered toward Kujo Tachibana.
"Breathe... in..."
Kujo Tachibana circulated Thunder Breathing and fought with all his might to withstand Kokushibo's slashes.
But as his strength ebbed and the massive wound in his abdomen took its toll, Kujo Tachibana's movements grew slower and slower.
Kokushibo's grotesque blade and the Moon Blades conjured by his Blood Demon Art began to carve wound after wound into Kujo Tachibana, some deep, some shallow!
Kujo Tachibana kept breathing steadily as he calmly watched the vortex of blades gradually closing in to swallow him.
"Looks like I'm going to die here tonight."
"I wonder if I'll get another chance to be reincarnated..."
At that moment, Tachibana thought back on all the little moments he'd experienced in this world.
"I've changed so much. I wonder whether it'll alter the course of this world in the end..."
"It's a shame I don't seem to have any way left to change anything..."
Tachibana thought of so many things—far too many.
Why had humanity in this world ultimately been able to defeat demons, despite being far inferior to them in strength, speed, regenerative ability, and even lifespan?
Then he thought of the demon slayers and Hashira of this world.
Kujo Tachibana felt he might have found the answer.
The battle between demons and humans was more like the ultimate clash of flesh and will.
Even when humans were at a disadvantage, their will remained eternal and undying.
The swordsmen of this world fought on with severed limbs, grievous injuries, and even death staring them in the face.
Yet they never hesitated to slay demons.
So why should he hesitate?
Exhaustion and pain were simply part of life for the demon slayers of this world.
As the strongest Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, the Rumble Hashira, what right did he have to give up?
He wasn't dead yet, so why assume he would lose?
"Thunder Breathing—Third Form—Gathering Mosquitoes Thunder Modified—Roaring Thunder and Lightning!"
With the rhythm of his breathing, explosive lightning swept forth once more.
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