Those narrow, slitted crimson eyes—resembling those of a feral cat—constricted violently. Through Kokushibo's vision, Muzan saw Izumi Kiyokazu clearly, now bearing the exact same marks as Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
It was this man. This was the man who had cornered him, forcing him to humiliate himself by self-detonating just to survive as a fragment of flesh.
Muzan clawed at the scars on his own body, feeling the power that continued to sear his flesh even after hundreds of years. He hated him!
He gritted his teeth so hard that blood began to seep from his gums.
Nakime, watching Muzan as he radiated an aura of pure insanity, felt that her luck was truly abysmal. Why did she have to awaken such a specific Blood Demon Art?
Muzan, naturally, read Nakime's thoughts. He cast a sideways glance at her and let out a long, heavy breath; he didn't have the luxury of time to punish her right now. The most important thing was to get Kokushibo to snap out of it and decapitate that reincarnation of Yoriichi Tsugikuni!
"Kokushibo!!!"
Muzan began to roar again within the Infinity Castle, trying to use his voice to goad Kokushibo into action.
However, the moment Izumi Kiyokazu mentioned the flute, Kokushibo's obsession with Yoriichi had already eclipsed his loyalty to Muzan. Or rather, he had chosen to become a demon specifically so he could surpass Yoriichi! If he could have surpassed him as a human, he would have gladly died the moment he achieved victory.
In the next moment, Kokushibo slowly raised his head. He looked directly at Kiyokazu, the chaos and agony in his six blood-red eyes gradually receding, replaced by a stillness that bordered on deathly calm.
But Kiyokazu knew that beneath that calm exterior lay an obsession countless times more terrifying than mere madness.
"Enough. I no longer wish to dwell on the past! What has happened is an unalterable fact!"
As he spoke, Kokushibo's voice returned to its usual low, steady pitch. But Kiyokazu could hear a suppressed, desperate resolve within that depth.
"Yoriichi Tsugikuni... no. What is your name?"
This time, Kokushibo did not continue to address Kiyokazu as Yoriichi. This subtle shift meant he acknowledged the person before him as "Yoriichi," but not entirely as the Yoriichi he once knew.
Kiyokazu, as if suddenly waking from a dream, met Kokushibo's gaze. The pity from before was gone, but it was still replaced by a gaze filled with indelible, complex emotions.
"Izumi Kiyokazu."
Seeing that look, Kokushibo felt more certain of his theory.
Kiyokazu was the reincarnation of Yoriichi, but he wasn't Yoriichi himself. He possessed the same talent for Sun Breathing, but he was far from having Yoriichi's innate physical constitution and genius. For the current Kiyokazu to become a man like Yoriichi, there was a chasm before him that was almost impossible to cross.
But this... this played right into his desires!
He still remembered the question he had once asked Yoriichi: "Sun Breathing and Moon Breathing cannot be passed down. Why do you still smile?"
The Yoriichi who had smiled at him back then had replied:
"Brother, you overestimate us. Even after we are gone, countless powerful geniuses will be born in this era. They will do better than we ever did. Furthermore, all the memories and paths of this world... as long as one reaches the peak, they all lead to the same destination."
Recalling that conversation, a flicker of light actually appeared in Kokushibo's eyes as he looked at Kiyokazu.
Yoriichi was a child favored by the gods; he had a Mark from birth, the Transparent World from birth, and a perfect physical vessel. But the Kiyokazu before him was different. He had Sun Breathing, but he lacked Yoriichi's other divine conditions.
In that case, wasn't this Izumi Kiyokazu just another version of himself?!
Sun Breathing and Moon Breathing... perhaps in these few decades, a true winner could finally be decided!
Though Kokushibo was loath to admit it, he knew in his heart that he could never have defeated the original Yoriichi. But at the very least, he wanted to fairly and squarely defeat Yoriichi's successor once using the Breathing Style he had created. He wanted to prove that he wasn't just a moon that could only live in the sun's shadow! He, too, had a place where he could surpass Yoriichi!
At this thought, Kokushibo's heart rate accelerated. He took a deep breath, and his voice turned low.
"Lord Muzan's orders are absolute."
He slowly rested his hand on the hilt of Kyokuseibo. The movement made Kiyokazu, who had just caught his breath, tense up once more.
"I cannot defy them."
Kiyokazu's heart sank to the bottom. But in the next heartbeat, Kokushibo's words took a sudden turn.
"However..."
Those six crimson eyes locked onto Kiyokazu's face, swirling with emotions too complex for words.
"My hatred for you is also real. Prove it to me. Prove that you are worth the price I will pay for defying Lord Muzan's command."
As Kokushibo's voice fell, a sharp hum suddenly echoed through the forest.
Kyokuseibo—the blade made of Kokushibo's own flesh—was suddenly unsheathed. The crimson blade, covered in countless eyes, reflected a desolate lunar glow. A piercing murderous intent swept out like a frigid tide, even causing the nearby wisteria fires to flicker and shrink.
"Survive three of my moves."
Kokushibo's voice was icy and solemn, leaving Kiyokazu no room to bargain.
"If you can survive three strikes and remain standing, I will acknowledge your right to live—and your right to stand before me once again."
Hearing this, Kiyokazu took a deep breath. He looked at the Wind Hashira, who was unconscious on the ground, and the Stone Hashira, who was barely clinging to awareness.
"If I want to take them with me... what level of performance must I show?"
Kokushibo looked momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Kiyokazu to still be thinking of others in this situation. He pondered for a moment before answering seriously.
"You must show me swordsmanship that satisfies me even further. Those two are weak. Weaklings of that level will never be a nuisance to Lord Muzan, no matter how many there are. Therefore, I can make the decision regarding their lives."
As his words fell, a terrifying pressure like a collapsing ocean crashed down upon the exhausted Kiyokazu.
Sensing the aura radiating from Kokushibo, Kiyokazu knew that the demon wasn't going to simply crush him with raw stats. What Kokushibo wanted from him was a demonstration of "value."
Kiyokazu let out a deep, long breath. Today, he was likely going to make it through this. But he still had to give it his all. Those two Hashira had come to save him; he absolutely could not let them die here!
Moon Breathing, right? Sixteen forms, is it?
Fine. I'll show you a Seventeenth Form right now!
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Demon Slayer: Starting by Snatching Daki(175 Chapter- Ongoing)
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