However, this amount of time was more than enough for Enmu to deal with Doma, who was far inferior to Meikyō.
The Demon Slayer Blade instantly drawn, drawing a perfect arc in mid-air, and took away Enmu's head.
"What's next? Where should I go?"
Meikyō looked up and asked the Kasugai Crow soaring in the sky.
At the same time.
Another area in the Infinite Castle filled with tall pillars.
The continuous sounds of clashing swords were emanating from this place.
"Sun Breathing - Ninth Form - Setting Sun Transformation!"
"Stone Breathing, First Form, Serpentinite Bipolar!"
A gold and red Nichirin Blade, a sturdy broadsword, and a meteor hammer.
Under the control of their respective masters, the three weapons launched an all-out attack on Kokushibo.
"So you're the swordsman who mastered the Sun Breathing? What a nostalgic technique. Judging from your attire, you must be the current Flame Hashira. And this guy, your body has been tempered through countless trials, surpassing anyone I've seen in the past three hundred years. Truly remarkable."
As Kokushibo spoke, a huge Uzumaki of blade wind rose around him, deflecting the attacks of Rengoku Kyojuro and Himejima.
Moon Breathing, Fifth Form: Moonlight Calamity Vortex!
"Your Sun Breathing seems to be a bit lacking in power."
Kokushibo's six majestic eyes all stared at Rengoku Kyojuro.
"Of course I know that with my mediocre talent, I am not the strongest Sun Breathing swordsman, but it is enough to deal with you!"
Rengoku Kyojuro showed no weakness, swinging his sword again to clash with Kokushibo, creating an opportunity for Himejima Gyomei to attack.
"Moon Breathing, Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains!"
Two crescent-shaped slashes, accompanied by countless Full Moon Blades of varying sizes, were unleashed by Kokushibo's sword, blocking Rengoku Kyojuro's attack while parrying Himejima Yukimura's broad axe.
You can learn Sun Breathing, yet you say you have only average talent?
Kokushibo was somewhat speechless.
But... the strongest Sun Breathing swordsman?
Does the Flame Hashira know of Tsugikuni Yoriichi's existence, or are there other, stronger Sun Breathing swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps?
However, the two opponents in front of him are quite strong, and even he needs to deal with them seriously, so he doesn't have time to think too much.
Kokushibo leaped into the air, dodging the chains, and unleashed another powerful strike from above.
"Moon Breathing - Sixth Form - The Endless Lone Moon of the Long Night!"
Countless wind blades were relentlessly slashing towards Rengoku Kyojuro.
"Sun Breathing, Sixth Form, Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"
With a roar from Rengoku Kyojuro, Uzumaki of flames perfectly blocked Kokushibo's attack.
Just then, a broad axe attacked from behind Kokushibo once again.
However, Kokushibo was already the second-best swordsman Tsugikuni Yoriichi three hundred years ago, and now he has undergone three hundred years of training, so naturally he will not let Himejima Gyomei so easily.
Kokushibo held his swords in both hands and pressed them down heavily. Using the force of his clash with Rengoku Kyojuro, he deftly performed a backflip in mid-air, dodging Himejima Gyomei's broad axe attack.
But before he could land, the meteor hammer, still bound by chains, silently slammed down towards his lower body.
"Good teamwork."
Kokushibo commented calmly, then gripped his sword again and clashed with the meteor hammer before turning and retreating, ending this round of combat.
But as a price, the knife in his hand, covered in eyes, was also broken by the heavy meteor hammer.
However, this sword, named "The Void Cry Divine Departure," was forged from his flesh and blood, and naturally possesses the regenerative abilities of a demon, even more powerful than his own.
At this moment, the regenerated sword has changed, becoming longer and developing multi-edged blades.
"Even the sword is part of the body... So this guy really is a swordsman who willingly fell into Muzan Kibutsuji, betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps, and joined Muzan's arms, thus becoming a demon!"
Rengoku Kyojuro and Himejima Gyomei stances, staring at Kokushibo before them.
"Willing to degenerate? I still can't understand your thinking. Isn't becoming a demon a good thing? You can have greater power, more vigorous energy, and more importantly, you can have Infinity time to exist in the world, to pursue the limits of your skills and power. Why don't you become demons too? Whether it's the Sun Breathing or this body that has been honed to the extreme, it would be too much of a pity to just disappear and die silently tonight."
Kokushibo advised him as if it were perfectly reasonable.
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
Rengoku Kyojuro was even more enraged.
Kokushibo's words were completely contrary to the education he received from childhood and his own thoughts.
"No matter what you say, I will not become a ghost. Whether it is decline, aging, or death, it is because of these things that humans, as short-lived beings, have those precious emotions that are worth cherishing. As for so-called strength, it is not just a word used to describe the body!"
His mother's gentle face suddenly flashed through Rengoku Kyojuro's mind.
Despite her frail body, in Rengoku Kyojuro's heart, she was the true embodiment of inner strength!
"Rengoku Kyojuro is right. Though the body dies, the will can live on forever. This is the Demon Slayer Corps versus the demons, the Eternity spirit versus the indestructible body! As long as demons exist in this world, there will always be someone who picks up a sword, challenges you, and slays demons!"
With a solemn expression and eyes that only showed the whites of his eyes, Himejima Gyomei looked like an angry Vajra, yet also incredibly sacred.
Because right now, he is doing what he considers the most sacred thing!
"Incomprehensible."
Kokushibo coldly uttered four words, then fell silent and brandished the Ghost Kikoku God in his hand.
The sword techniques he just used were those he developed when he was human. Now it seems that he would have to use the sword techniques he developed after becoming a ghost, based on the Kikoku God and the Alien Blade, to have any chance of killing these two.
After all, even with the ultimate human skills, one can only be on par with these two who have also mastered the Transparent World.
"Moon Breathing - Seventh Form: Calamitous Mirror Moon Reflection!"
Five massive shockwaves, stretching across the ground, appeared and surged toward Himejima Gyomei and Rengoku Kyojuro like five cutting machines.
"I'll block it! Kyōjurō, you attack!"
The calm and reliable voice of Himejima Gyomei rang out as he continuously swung his meteor hammer and broad axe, creating an Uzumaki around him and blocking Kokushibo's attack.
This is the Third Form of Stone Breathing, Stone Body Skin, which is the most defensive move among all the basic Breathing Technique.
"Clear!"
With the cover of Himejima Gyomei, Rengoku Kyojuro took off and rushed towards Kokushibo the moment their attacks stopped.
"Sun Breathing - Eleventh Form - Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance!"
"Sun Halo Dragon halo..."
Faced with this high-speed combo attack that resembled a dancing fire dragon, a hint of nostalgia flashed in Kokushibo's eyes, and his hands continued to move.
"Moon Breathing - Ninth Form - Descending Moon Consecutive Faces!"
This move is very similar to the sixth form of Moon Breathing, Endless Lone Moon of the Long Night, because it was originally a further development and enhancement of Endless Lone Moon of the Long Night by Kokushibo after he became a demon, using his stronger physical attributes and special alien blade.
The Endless Lone Moon of the Long Night is Kokushibo's imitation of Tsugikuni Yoriichi's Sun Breathing Eleventh Form, the Sun Halo Dragon, when he was a human.
[Yuan Yi, let your successor represent you and compete against me!]
As Kokushibo's thoughts raced, the thought of his younger brother caused him to swing his sword even faster.
"Stone Breathing, Second Form: Sky Surface Shatter!"
After Kokushibo managed to temporarily force Rengoku Kyojuro back with a brief burst of energy, he now faces the next attack from Himejima Gyomei.
He dodged, slashed diagonally, turned horizontally, and slashed upwards.
In a mere instant, Kokushibo completed a series of movements, dodging the meteor hammer and using his sword to deflect the broad axe's attack.
But the next moment, the chain connecting the broad axe and the meteor hammer quietly wrapped around his neck, forming a circle. If Himejima Gyomei pulled the chain, he could strangle his neck to death.
However, Kokushibo reacted quickly, ducking down to avoid the fatal blow, with only a few strands of hair fluttering in the wind.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing rang out as the two weapons that had been retrieved by Himejima Gyomei collided violently due to inertia, turning crimson red.
"Is this the Crimson Blade that Meikyō spoke of...? Only a blade like this could possess the power to kill the Upper Rank Three demons?"
Seeing this, Rengoku Kyojuro also used his sword to strike hard against Himejima Gyomei's broadsword.
The golden and red Nichirin Blade also transformed into Crimson Blade.
"This is... the same sword as Yuan Yi's..."
Kokushibo frowned.
Without giving him much time to think, Himejima Gyomei and Rengoku Kyojuro launched another joint attack.
This time, they are determined to win this battle and completely eliminate Kokushibo.
"Sun Breathing - First Form - Circular Dance Flash!"
"Sun Breathing, Second Form: Azure Sky!"
"Third Form - Scorching Sun Red Mirror"
"Eleventh Form - Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance!"
"Twelfth Form: Flame Dance!"
A series of continuous slashes were unleashed once again by Rengoku Kyojuro.
He had heard from Meikyō that the most powerful move in Sun Breathing was the Thirteenth Form, which combined the previous twelve moves.
Even with his top-tier physical attributes among all the pillars, using this move still requires a lot of stamina.
But Rengoku Kyojuro believes that as long as he can block Kokushibo -on, it's worth it!
Because in the Demon Slayer Corps, Meikyō once single-handedly fought against both him and Himejima Gyomei, who are currently the strongest Pillars in the Demon Slayer Corps besides Meikyō!
After Rengoku Kyojuro and Himejima Gyomei, they jointly developed a new combination technique!
"Moon Breathing - Fourteenth Form - Catastrophe, Tenman Crescent Moon!"
Kokushibo also used one of his most powerful moves, barely managing to withstand Rengoku Kyojuro's slash. At the same time, his purple-black haori was torn apart by the sword blades that grew from his body.
As a sword demon, the invisible crescent-shaped sword energy when he uses his sword skills, the sword blades that grow on his body, and the strange swords that make up the Kikoku are all his Blood Demon Art.
Although it looks simple, it is most suitable for Kokushibo, who is proficient in swordsmanship, and can unleash extremely terrifying power in his hands.
With his hundreds of years of combat experience, he could naturally tell that Rengoku Kyojuro's current strength was just a burst of energy for a short period of time. As long as he could get through this period, the subsequent battles would be much easier.
After all, as a demon, he possesses almost Infinity stamina and has no such weakness.
"Gyomei! Now!"
Rengoku Kyojuro suddenly shouted and clashed with Kokushibo with all his Kokushibo, using the force to leap backward and retreat.
Not far away, while Rengoku Kyojuro Kokushibo, Himejima Gyomei had been preparing for a long time—in fact, he was accelerating by swinging his meteor hammer and broad axe while rotating the chains.
At this moment, a huge cyclone was even generated centered on Himejima Gyomei, stirring up the surrounding air. The broad axe and meteor hammer, which had turned into Crimson Blade, now generated flames on their surfaces due to high-speed friction with the air, further activating the solar energy in the weapons.
"Clang!"
Kikoku God barely managed to block the meteor hammer, but it broke again. Immediately afterward, Kokushibo quickly retreated to avoid the meteor hammer.
What intrigued Kokushibo was why this giant had released the chains that controlled his weapon.
"Boom!"
Himejima Gyomei stepped on the chains with one foot, causing the broad axe and meteor hammer in mid-air to plummet rapidly, crushing Kokushibo's head along with half of his body. The remaining force even created a large crater in the ground.
Remembering the instructions from the Meikyō, Rengoku Kyojuro rushed forward, ready to slash his sword and destroy the remaining body of Kokushibo.
He remembered what Meikyō had said: some Upper Rank Demon would not die even if their heads were cut off. The top three Upper Rank demons were even more likely to overcome almost all their weaknesses except for sunlight. If their bodies were not completely destroyed, they would have the power to regenerate.
However, the next moment, the only remaining hand of Kokushibo grew back with the Demon Kikoku God.
Damn it!
Rengoku Kyojuro's tone was filled with resentment.
He has already exhausted a lot of his energy. If he were to do it again, it would be difficult for him to achieve such results!
Himejima Gyomei also rushed over.
"Stone Breathing, Fifth Form: Tile Wheel Gyobu!"
"Sun Breathing, Sixth Form, Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"
The two joined forces once again, launching an attack on Kokushibo from different directions.
But this time, Kokushibo easily blocked the attack again and regenerated his head.
Now, he has become stronger.
Of course, it also became uglier.
At this moment, he had become even more demonic, with long, thin fangs growing on his face, horns on his head, and tentacles growing from his body in addition to the sword blades.
Faced with the now-powerful Kokushibo, Rengoku Kyojuro and Himejima Gyomei were completely outmatched this time.
Meanwhile, Meikyō, having received the message from the Kasugai Crow, quietly arrived nearby.