Akaza stared with wide eyes at the human swordsman who had clearly reached his limit.
Once again, he swung his Nichirin Sword and fought Kokushibo without giving an inch!
This human really was a monster. Although Akaza had never seen Boss Muzan fight at full strength,
at that moment, Akaza thought this was surely the pinnacle of power in the world!
Watching Kujo Tachibana "mysteriously" regain his strength and continue fighting him for quite some time, Kokushibo began to feel exhausted too.
Before he knew it, he and this human swordsman had been fighting for almost the entire night.
The stars and moon had already set. The pitch-black night, devoid of even the faintest light, was a sign that dawn was near.
"But why won't you die?!"
"Why endure so much pain just to struggle on?"
"Do you really think you can change anything?"
Kokushibo roared in his heart.
He no longer wanted to say anything to this stubborn human swordsman.
All Kokushibo wanted now was to kill this human swordsman, already covered in wounds and long past exhaustion,
before the sun rose again!
With dawn drawing near, every extra second Kujo Tachibana remained alive made Kokushibo feel an unbearable, suffocating oppression!
"Moon Breathing—Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon—Muken!"
A massive crescent-shaped slash, carrying Kokushibo's boundless fury, shot straight toward Kujo Tachibana.
Feeling the immense power of the attack before him, Kujo Tachibana didn't waste his strength trying to block it.
He focused only on the direction of the attack, calculating the least exhausting way to evade as he dodged the incoming blow.
Kujo Tachibana's condition was not nearly as good as he made it seem.
Every muscle in his body seemed to be radiating exhaustion.
Even the Nichirin Sword in his hand had never felt so heavy.
Kujo Tachibana was relying on nothing but his will to keep moving this body, which was on the verge of collapse...
"Almost... almost..."
As he calculated how long remained until sunrise, Kujo Tachibana silently counted down in his heart.
"Moon Breathing—Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail!"
A slash more than ten meters long burst from Kokushibo's Hollow Cry Divine Departure!
The enormous slash tore along the ground toward Kujo Tachibana in the distance.
Looking at Kujo Tachibana, who seemed like a "corpse" to him,
Kokushibo could no longer keep his face from twisting into a savage expression.
"Die! Human swordsman, no one can defeat me!"
Kujo Tachibana calmly watched the slash before him, feeling that his body could no longer move even a fraction.
His clear black-and-white eyes showed not the slightest ripple.
"There are probably about five minutes until dawn... That should do it..."
Kujo Tachibana drew all his senses inward.
Without the slightest resistance, his awareness passed through his skin and entered his body in an instant.
He felt his heart, which had grown weak and was beating slowly.
Yet Kujo Tachibana didn't hesitate. He took complete control of the muscles around his heart and squeezed with all his might!
Burn the mind, break through the limit!
This was a life-consuming technique that the future Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro, used when he faced Akaza in the story.
But Kujo Tachibana, who had awakened the Demon Slayer Mark and could only live to twenty-five, wasn't entirely sure
whether the nine years of life he had left would be enough to last until dawn.
That was why he had waited until now to use it.
The course of the world had already changed because of me. I didn't know whether the future I helped shape would become better or worse.
But even if I died this very moment, I should still give everything I had to do something for this world!
Blue-and-yellow lightning burst from Kujo Tachibana's heart and spread throughout his body in the blink of an eye!
"Thump, thump..."
With his heart pounding, the strength Kujo Tachibana had lost returned to his body in an even more violent surge!
Kujo Tachibana looked at Kokushibo and roared. The Demon Slayer Mark on his forehead and around his eyes blazed with lightning!
"Kokushibo!!"
As lightning coiled around his Nichirin Sword once more, Kujo Tachibana swung it, and the blade turned bright red!
With a casual strike, he shattered the enormous slash Kokushibo had sent at him!
Feeling the pressure radiating from Kujo Tachibana,
Kokushibo once again saw the figure of that man in the human swordsman.
Only this time, the feeling was far more intense...
As the sole spectator of this battle between two peak fighters,
Akaza felt conflicted.
This human swordsman had been fighting fiercely since last night, and now dawn was almost here.
By all rights, no human body could withstand a battle this intense for so long.
Yet this human was not only defying all expectations,
but also unleashing greater strength with every burst of power from his human body!
By now, he was even overpowering Lord Kokushibo.
To be honest, Akaza didn't want to interrupt this sacred duel, at least in his eyes.
But watching Lord Kokushibo take one beating after another, now completely suppressed by Kujo Tachibana, Akaza hesitated.
After all, Lord Kokushibo had just saved him last night...
While Akaza was still hesitating, Kujo Tachibana had already cut off Kokushibo's sword-wielding right arm!
He followed up with a slash at Kokushibo's neck!
Kokushibo controlled the blades protruding from his body and barely managed to block the attack.
Kokushibo's expression had become unbearably grim.
How many years had it been?
Since that man's death, Kokushibo hadn't encountered a single opponent who could challenge him!
Not until he met this human swordsman last night...
Now the man was even threatening his life!
No matter what, Kokushibo absolutely could not lose!
He only needed to win, no matter the cost or the means he had to use!
Having steeled himself, Kokushibo turned toward Akaza in the distance and roared:
"Akaza!"
"Are you just going to stand there and watch? It'll be dawn soon!"
"Do you intend to disobey Lord Muzan's orders?"
Akaza looked up at the eastern sky. The sun could rise at any moment!
Daring not to hesitate any longer, Akaza finally chose to go against his own wishes and join Kokushibo in attacking Kujo Tachibana.
With Akaza joining the fight, the pressure on Kokushibo instantly eased, while Kujo Tachibana was suddenly in grave danger.
After all, Kujo Tachibana wasn't a demon. Even if he ignored Akaza, Akaza could still kill him.
Before you continue