On the brutal battlefield, Shinichi's furious roar went largely unnoticed—drowned out by the sounds of Kokushibo's slashes severing Demon Slayers' bodies and their agonized screams.
But the sudden, overwhelming surge of heat seized everyone's attention.
The sturdy black uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps exploded off Shinichi's body, revealing his bare torso.
Between his perfectly proportioned muscles, countless horizontal cracks split open, his searing flesh glowing orange-red.
Even the surrounding air distorted from the intense heat radiating off him.
Sharp black claws grew from his hands gripping the Nichirin Blade.
His once-calm face had undergone a monstrous transformation—his right eye's original peach-pink iris now completely replaced by crimson.
The fangs protruding past his lips and the eerie patterns covering his face were enough to send chills down anyone's spine.
The green life force entwined around the Nichirin Blade was no longer pure.
A scorching crimson hue had also coiled around the blade, symbolizing absolute berserk battle intent.
Demon Transformation State - Raging Blood Third Stage!
"Shinichi!?"
The first to sense Shinichi's transformation was none other than Gyomei the Stone Hashira and the strongest among the Hashiras.
In truth, he already know Shinichi's true identity from Oyakata-sama, but Gyomei had never revealed this secret to anyone.
He never imagined Shinichi would expose his true nature as a demon before everyone—even in front of so many Demon Slayer Corps members.
Just as Gyomei had surmised, the Forest Hashira's sudden transformation not only shocked the other demons but also stunned the Demon Slayers present.
However, most of them hadn't yet realized what had truly happened.
To the majority, the Forest Hashira had merely unleashed an unprecedented and overwhelmingly powerful aura.
"Brother! Look over there—that kind of power... A demon eater? No, that's not it. Such a terrifying presence... It can't just be from a demon eater's constitution. The Forest Hashira..." Shinazugawa Genya, clutching a limp arm, struggled to climb onto a pile of rubble, staring wide-eyed at the battlefield not too far away.
As a human with the extremely rare constitution of a demon eater, Genya had always kept his trump card hidden.
By consuming demon flesh, he could temporarily gain a demon's regenerative abilities—even their powers.
It was thanks to this ability that he had narrowly escaped death at the hands of Upper Rank Four, Zohakuten.
Now, his eyes gleamed an eerie black, and the gruesome wound on his chest slowly healed.
But precisely because he understood the limits of a demon eater's constitution, Genya was the first to realize that the Forest Hashira's current state was no mere demon consumption.
This degree of power... It could only be described as true Demon Transformation!
Yet, Genya said nothing.
Beside him, a figure clad in a color-shifting short haori had already surged past like a hurricane, charging straight toward the battlefield where Upper Rank One Kokushibo, stood.
The windmill-shaped mark on his face seemed to come alive, emitting a faint glow in the darkness.
Shinazugawa Sanemi's eyes held no hesitation—only a razor-sharp focus on Kokushibo.
As for Shinichi's transformation, Sanemi paid it no mind.
Or rather, in Sanemi's heart, Shinichi would always be a comrade he could trust with his back, no matter what.
"This power...? This level of presence, rivaling even an Upper Moon... If you possess such demonic strength, why defy Muzan-sama?!" Kokushibo's six eyes narrowed simultaneously, locking onto Shinichi with lethal precision.
The Breathing Technique he loathed had resurfaced in the world, and now, before him stood a being with pure demon blood yet held no regard for hierarchy.
For the first time in centuries, Kokushibo felt genuine fury.
His wrath erupted like a volcano dormant for millennia.
The six demonic eyes blazed with terrifying intensity, and the oppressive aura around him solidified into a tangible force.
The very air seemed to freeze and shatter under the weight of his rage.
He could not tolerate it—a demon standing among humans, wielding the very Breathing Technique that disgusted him!
"Defying your race! Tarnishing your given power! You shall be slain!" Kokushibo's voice was no longer the low indifferent tone from before, but a furious roar that seemed capable of tearing through space itself.
Before the words even faded, the flesh-formed blade in his hand sprouted grotesque branches, transforming in an instant into a bizarre, alien weapon.
With Kokushibo's full-powered slash, countless pearl-like lights erupted, weaving into a deadly net that devoured the moonlight.
"Moon Breathing, Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune - Lunar Reflection!"
In that instant, five enormous crescent-shaped shockwaves fanned out, tearing through the earth like a cataclysmic tide.
Countless smaller crescent blades accompanied them, carrying an annihilating will that crushed everything in their path.
The ground was peeled away like tofu, the air shrieked as it was severed, the sheer force threatening to level the entire battlefield!
The Demon Slayers standing between Kokushibo and Shinichi were the first to experience this apocalyptic assault.
The terrifying power made their souls tremble with primal fear.
They wanted to resist, to dodge, but their efforts would be as futile as grass trying to withstand a collapsing mountain—pitiful and meaningless.
"Stop this!" Himejima Gyomei roared through gritted teeth, his Meteor Hammer roaring like an enraged dragon.
He couldn't stand by and watch his comrades die needlessly before his eyes.
Even Kokushibo took notice of the Hashira's explosive power.
But someone moved faster.
BOOM!!!
CRASH!!!
The Demon Slayer at the front had already braced for death, even closing his eyes—yet the expected pain never came.
Instead, a blinding light flashed through his eyelids, followed by an unbearable wave of scorching heat.
When he hesitantly opened his eyes, he saw the Forest Hashira standing before him, a Nichirin Blade glowing with dual-colored light held firmly in defense.
"F-Forest Hashira...?"
WHOOSH!
Shinichi, having intercepted Kokushibo's attack, suddenly turned his head.
His terrifying demon-transformed face made the Demon Slayer recoil in shock.
He managed to talk while stuttering, "F-Forest Hashira, y-you... your face—"
"MOVE!!"
Shinichi's voice was a guttural snarl, devoid of its usual warmth.
Without hesitation, he kicked the Demon Slayer away with brutal force, sending him tumbling back with a pained gasp.
But Shinichi had no time for gentleness now.
BOOM!!
With a single step, Shinichi became a blazing streak of crimson and emerald light!
He abandoned refined swordsmanship, instead merging the vitality of Forest Breathing with the raw fury and searing heat of demon blood—forging it into pure, unrelenting destruction.
His target: Kokushibo.
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Shinichi identity finally reveal!
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