Epitaph

An accident occurred.

It's not that Okita Souji couldn't master this sword move; the reason she rarely used it was because her body couldn't withstand such a fierce sword technique.

At this crucial moment, her physical condition hampered her movements.

With just one cough, his lion-like aura vanished instantly.

A sick lion cannot command all the beasts and roar freely in the mountains and forests.

Bang!

Okita Souji's body was thrown into the air with great force and fell far away.

Cough cough!

She stood up again, and at the same time, a mouthful of blood gushed from her mouth, the bloodstains staining the light blue haori on her chest, making them particularly conspicuous.

"Okita-san!"

Tanjiro was very anxious, as he couldn't intervene in the battle between Okita Souji and Kokushibo.

With his abilities, it was already quite difficult for him to keep up with their movements and see the situation on the field.

Now, Okita Souji has suffered her first serious injury under Kokushibo's attack, Tanjiro is very worried about her.

Okita Souji gestured to Tanjiro that she was alright, and then continued to hold up her long sword.

The battle is not over yet.

"You are indeed a genius. To be able to master such superb swordsmanship with such a slender body, I have to admit your talent."

Kokushibo looked at Okita Souji and nodded slightly.

"However, the body is also part of one's talent. Without a strong body, one cannot master and control powerful sword skills."

You lost!

At this moment, Kokushibo was absolutely certain that the swordsman before him could no longer pose a threat to him.

He had discerned Okita Souji's weakness, and as long as he targeted that weakness, he was confident he could defeat Okita Souji no matter how skilled he was at swordsmanship.

This is another advantage that becoming a demon brings, besides having time: a physical body.

Even though he suffered two setbacks at the hands of Okita Souji, he is now completely unharmed.

The damage Okita Souji inflicted on him had long since been fully restored thanks to his powerful self-healing ability.

Kokushibo was right, and Okita Souji knew this very well.

How could she not know her own physical condition?

Previously, she always tried to end each of her battles as quickly as possible.

That's not just because of her style, but also because her body couldn't withstand prolonged periods of intense physical exertion.

At this moment, she envied Okita ALter, her other side, Okita Souji with a healthy body.

If it weren't for her physical limitations, she would be absolutely certain of defeating Kokushibo.

The sword in her hand did not lose; it was her frail body that lost.

The fleeting thought only lingered in his mind for a moment before Okita Souji dismissed it.

Envy is useless; her true nature is that she is frail and sickly.

That's exactly who she is – Okita Souji.

Okita Alter is Okita Alter, Okita Souji is Okita Souji.

It is precisely because of her physical limitations that she is even more determined to find a fighting style that suits her.

If she cannot even overcome this, she cannot be called a genius.

Because genius has no limits!

Section 362, Chapter 49: Epitaph

Sluggish due to his own frail health, Okita Souji finds himself in a difficult battle against Kokushibo.

Kokushibo truly lives up to his reputation as Upper Rank One Muzan Kibutsuji.

The relationship between him and Muzan was not a simple superior-subordinate one, but more like a cooperative one.

When Muzan was driven to the brink of defeat by Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he voluntarily switched sides and joined Muzan's camp, providing Muzan with considerable assistance.

In this respect, Kokushibo is completely different from the other Upper Moon demons.

The battle has turned against Okita Souji, who is in a very unfavorable position, as Kokushibo continues to press her.

The constant strain was making Okita Souji increasingly vulnerable, and the longer it went on, the worse it would be for her.

"Huff... huff..."

Her heavy breathing, accompanied by occasional coughs, suggested that she was at her last gasp.

However, there was not a trace of disappointment, helplessness, or despair on Okita Souji's face.

Instead, she wore a faint smile.

She found the battle very enjoyable; as a swordsman, she felt a strange excitement at having an opponent who could make Okita Souji use his full strength.

"It's over."

A faint smile appeared on Kokushibo's face. He was also very satisfied with this battle, which was a true battle between swordsmen.

Now that he wants to end all of this, it has dragged on for too long, Muzan is probably getting impatient.

"Yes, it's time to end this."

Okita Souji also spoke softly.

Her expression immediately turned solemn, and her resolute eyes were filled with nostalgia.

Okita Souji stood ramrod straight, his tone becoming exceptionally solemn.

"First Division Captain of the Shinsengumi, Okita Souji!"

Okita Souji shouted out his identity.

A somewhat tattered flag appeared, its fluttering eerily in the windless, Infinity Castle.

Sincerity!

There is only a big word "sincerity" on the flag.

The Flag of Sincerity is a banner that every captain of the Shinsengumi possesses; it is the embodiment of the Shinsengumi's beliefs.

Unwavering loyalty— Okita Souji once stood shoulder to shoulder with his comrades, and they fought valiantly under this banner.

They were called murderers, they were called executioners who hindered the progress of the times.

But their beliefs were genuine, and their friendship was genuine.

One by one, familiar team members gathered under this flag, holding long swords and smiling as they greeted Okita Souji.

This captain, younger than them all, possessed strength that earned their respect. He was the captain of the First Division, Okita Souji, whom they were all proud of.

It was an honor for them, and also for Okita Souji, to fight alongside him once again.

Okita Souji's Noble Phantasm, the Flag of Sincerity, is Bounded Field born from his mental image.

It looks more like a weaker version of Iskandar's Army of the King.

But the bond between them was no less strong than that between Iskandar and his subjects.

Flat Green Eye.

Okita Souji the same pose once again.

This time, he has companions by his side; they will fight alongside her, sharing life and death.

The members of the First Division launched an attack on Kokushibo without hesitation, cooperating as skillfully as they had in life to fight the enemy together.

Faced with the siege, countless blades sprouted from Kokushibo's body, releasing a gust of wind.

One by one, the members of the First Division were knocked down, but every time someone fell, another member would immediately take their place, continuously slashing at Kokushibo.

One after another, they charged forward.

"Take this flash of my secret sword!"

With the opportunity created by his teammates, Okita Souji finally made his move.

One step to transcend sound, two steps to seamless transition, three steps to absolute annihilation!

The secret sword born from unparalleled skill and speed, the ultimate killing sword of the genius swordsman Okita Souji.

The Muramasa Three-Stage Thrust!

At the moment the three thrusts are activated, the first thrust, the second thrust, and the third thrust all exist simultaneously in the same position.

Even if you block the first thrust, the second and third thrusts will still pierce through the same spot.

It is not "almost simultaneous" but "completely simultaneous".

The horizontal thrust was aimed at Kokushibo's neck.

An irresistible thrust instantly severed Kokushibo's neck, decapitating him.

However, Kokushibo has already broken through the limits of demons, so even if his neck is cut off, he can still survive.

He could not bear to lose to anyone other Yoriichi Tsugikuni.

The flesh at the severed neck began to regenerate, and a new head soon grew back.

"It's no use. You can't defeat us without your comrades."

The remaining members of the First Division continued to rush into battle, and Okita Souji once again unleashed his Noble Phantasm.

The Muramasa Three-Stage Thrust!

Two times, three times.

Finally, Kokushibo collapsed to the ground, his body beginning to disintegrate.

"I am ultimately just a mediocre talent..."

After losing to his younger brother Yoriichi Tsugikuni, he lost again, this time to another exceptionally talented swordsman.

What an enviable talent!

Kokushibo wished he could have such enviable talent, but he didn't; he was just a mediocre person.

Okita Souji gently shook his head as he looked at him.

"You are also a genius, but even geniuses need companions."

Companions?

Kokushibo finally remembered the time he spent with his younger brother when he was a child.

His younger brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, whom he always admired.

He appeared before Kokushibo with tears streaming down his face and lamenting before his death.

Kokushibo realized his mistake.

He was actually just jealous of his younger brother all along, and this jealousy turned him from Kokushibo into Kokushibo.

This jealousy severed the bond between them as brothers.

He became a lonely man, wandering the world for hundreds of years without any companions.

"I just want to be you, my little brother..."

With that soft sigh, Kokushibo vanished completely in that moment.

Okita Souji went back, picked up the scabbard, and sheathed the sword.

Ji Guoyan was an unqualified elder brother, a foolish elder brother.

"How could a younger brother not deeply admire and respect his older brother..."