Just how long could Upper Rank One last in the hands of the current Dawn Hashira?
How long, exactly?
Perhaps everyone would have a different answer.
Most of the Nine Hashira who had personally experienced Kokushibo's all-out attacks...
Though they all knew Xia Xi would certainly win.
No matter how they looked at it, a one-on-one fight would take at least ten minutes of fierce combat.
As for the Provisional Hashira, who were still far short of the Upper Rank Chief's realm...
They simply could not give an answer.
To them, both sides' strength had already entered a realm utterly beyond their comprehension.
Only Gyomei, who had likewise mastered the Third Three Supreme Territories...
Gave a rather short answer.
He believed Xia Xi would end the battle within two or three minutes...
But the answer was forty-two seconds.
Once Xia Xi had enjoyed himself beating on Tsugikuni Michikatsu for a bit and saw that he could barely even restore his human form...
He stopped pummeling him.
The Nichirin Blade in his hand had already swept across the demon's neck.
[Have you decided what to do about a successor?]
At that instant, Kokushibo suddenly recalled something he had discussed with his elder brother hundreds of years ago.
Back then, having obtained the original [Demon Slayer Mark]...
After the other swordsmen died one after another, he already knew that he did not have long to live.
So he sought out his younger twin brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni... wanting to discuss the inheritance of their swordsmanship and the Demon Slayer Corps with him.
It would be one thing if his own swordsmanship, Michikatsu's, were lost.
But if Yoriichi, whose talent inspired both envy and jealousy in him, also lost his unparalleled talent and swordsmanship to the world...
The mere thought filled Tsugikuni Michikatsu with