Kyojuro Rengoku's roar and his undying flames became the only bright spot on the battlefield.
Single-handedly, he forged an utterly impassable wall of flame for Tanjiro and the companions behind him. Every attack Muzan launched was shattered and burned away by his Bright Red Nichirin Sword, which burned with his very life.
Yet everyone knew this was only temporary.
Kyojuro was burning through his own life.
Every breath he took, every swing of his sword, rapidly drained what little strength he had left. His skin turned crimson from the heat, and his sweat evaporated the moment it emerged. His entire body seemed to have become a statue made of magma.
"Kyojuro!" Sanemi Shinazugawa roared, dragging his badly injured leg as he tried to move forward to help.
"Stay back!" Kyojuro shouted without turning his head. "Protect young Kamado and young Uesugi! That's the only thing we can do now!"
His words brought everyone to their senses.
Yes, their mission was no longer to kill Muzan.
It was to protect.
To protect the two boys who had created countless opportunities for them, and then keep Muzan Kibutsuji pinned down here!
Until... the sun rose!
"Caw-! Caw-!"
Just then, the Kasugai Crow that had been circling for so long once again let out its hoarse yet crucial cry.
"Thirty minutes until sunrise! I repeat! Thirty minutes until sunrise!"
Thirty minutes!
That span of time pierced the hearts of both the Demon Slayer Corps and Muzan Kibutsuji like a double-edged sword.
For the Demon Slayer Corps, it was a countdown to hope.
For Muzan, it was a summons to his death.
"Thirty minutes... That's enough."
The fury on Muzan Kibutsuji's enormous face suddenly vanished, replaced by an icy calm, as though he were calculating something.
He understood that he could no longer kill