No, saying "keep up" was a bit of a stretch.
If he hadn't anticipated the other's path of movement in advance by observing Kokushibou's muscle movements, it was highly likely that his eyes would have struggled to follow.
A chill rose in Tanjirou's heart. If his eyes couldn't keep up, what about his body?
Could it keep up?
Was he going to repeat the same mistakes again?
Tanjirou shook his head, gritted his teeth, and stared fixedly at Kokushibou.
He wouldn't always be lucky enough to receive help from others.
He had to find a way... to confront this guy.
Inosuke didn't have much of a brain; he just mindlessly swung his Nichirin Blade at Kokushibou.
"You bastard! If you have the guts, stop jumping around!" Inosuke yelled, completely unaware of the gravity of the situation.
Inosuke's swaggering stance left no room for Tanjirou to think, because he saw it!
The next moment, Tanjirou's figure appeared beside Inosuke, and a metallic clang rang out as sparks flew from their clashing blades.
He... he blocked it.
Cold sweat beaded on Tanjirou's forehead. He didn't dare to relax his stance in the slightest. His muscles seemed to be screaming; and this was just from blocking a single strike.
This guy... that strike just now was intended to decapitate Inosuke; there was no intention of testing him.
"bastard!" Realizing that Tanjirou had saved his life, Inosuke angrily slashed at Kokushibou. "How dare you sneak attack this great lord!"
Tanjirou felt his hands lighten as Kokushibou retreated, appearing five meters away from them without the slightest forewarning.
"Sneak attack? Don't misunderstand, I just walked to your side quite normally, and then slashed down." Kokushibou's calm voice resounded.
Inosuke was making a fuss and wanted to rush forward again, but Tanjirou quickly grabbed him to stop him.
That guy was right; he had just walked to Inosuke's side quite normally, and then slashed down.
But... it was too fast.
Too fast for them to react.
Tanjirou took a deep breath and calmed his agitated heart.
He couldn't be nervous. He had to relax his mindset and seize the opportunity. As long as he could see the precursor to that movement, he would be able to react.
Out of the blue, Kokushibou suddenly said: "Can you see it? That world..."
"What?" Tanjirou's pupils dilated slightly. He hadn't expected the activation of the Transparent World to be seen through by the opponent instantly.
"It seems you are indeed very gifted. If given enough time, perhaps you really could pass on that Breathing Technique."
Kokushibou's voice was heavy, so heavy that it felt like a giant stone was pressing down on Tanjirou's heart.
No... he wasn't afraid of the voice; he was afraid of this person.
The images of everyone on the brink of death were still etched vividly deep in Tanjirou's mind.
He had to find a way to overcome the fear in his heart.
Perhaps slashing recklessly like Inosuke was the best choice.
Tanjirou's grip on his Nichirin Blade tightened.
"However, everything is in vain..." Kokushibou's fingers gripped the hilt of his sword. "The Demon Slayer Corps will become history today."
"The one who will become history is you!" Tanjirou no longer hesitated. Crimson Breathing Technique escaped his lips, and his figure flashed as he charged toward Kokushibou.
"Ah! Sneaky!" Inosuke realized belatedly, stomped his feet twice, and hurriedly followed.
"An ant shaking a tree." Kokushibou's voice rang out, flat and indifferent. Even though Tanjirou was almost upon him, he hadn't even drawn his sword.
There wasn't even a sign of him drawing his sword. Was he not planning to move yet?
In Tanjirou's Transparent World vision, Kokushibou still looked like he was sitting securely on a fishing platform, without any sign of movement.
Was this distance still not enough to make him wary?
Tanjirou gritted his teeth; this distance no longer allowed him to stop.
Even if he could pull back, Inosuke behind him would definitely collide with him.
He couldn't let Inosuke face the risk alone.
Right now, the only ones here who could restrict that monster were him and Inosuke. He had to ensure his and Inosuke's safety as much as possible.
Once they lost a member, they would likely be instantly broken through by the opponent.
No, even now, Tanjirou didn't dare to guarantee that he could truly confront the monster before him head-on.
The Hashira in the Infinity Castle had now fully assembled; he at least had to drag things out until help arrived.
"Sun Breathing, First Form: Circle Haze!"
Tanjirou violently slashed forward with a flaming arc, wanting to sever Kokushibou's neck with one strike.
Tanjirou wasn't confident enough to think he could decapitate the opponent in one strike. As his Nichirin Blade swung, his gaze remained locked tightly on Kokushibou.
Even for an existence as strong as a monster, as long as it made a move, it would be seen clearly.
Sure enough, just as the searing flames were about to touch that fragile neck, the muscles inside Kokushibou's body contracted.
"...There!" Tanjirou whipped his head around and slashed at the empty air to the side.
"Sun Breathing, Twelfth Form: Burning Sun!"
This was an advancement of the First Form: Circle Haze; it was an additional slash based on Circle Haze.
He judged that Kokushibou would not fight him head-on because this monster was arrogant and looked down on him from the bottom of his heart, so he had left an opportunity to strike a second blow.
However... Kokushibou's figure did not appear there as he had hoped.
He had slashed at empty air.
"How is that possible..." Tanjirou's pupils dilated slightly. He had clearly seen his movement.
An indescribable sense of crisis instantly enveloped his entire body. Out of the corner of his eye, a demon blade covered in eyeballs swept toward him, its speed so fast that Tanjirou couldn't dodge.
Fortunately, he was not alone.
"Ha!" At the critical moment, Inosuke's figure appeared beside him. His jumping form landed heavily, slamming onto the back of the cry of emptiness, causing it to deviate slightly.
Tanjirou narrowly avoided the fatal strike.
"You seem surprised that I saw through your actions." Kokushibou had no intention of pursuing; just as Tanjirou understood, this guy was very conceited and arrogant.
"Or are you saying you thought you saw through my movements?"
Tanjirou gritted his teeth and said nothing. He understood now.
Because this guy also possessed the Transparent World, the disparity in physical ability became apparent.
When both sides possessed the ability to see through the other's movements, the only deciding factor lay in their hard physical stats.
Fortunately, Kokushibou didn't possess any flashy Blood Demon Arts, otherwise he would have been even more troublesome.
"What are you chirping about? Come again!" The Pig-headed Boy let out a wise-sounding voice, and without using his brain at all, he rushed up again.
Is this guy's head really okay? Kokushibou thought for no reason.
Forget it.
Let's finish them off. There was no time to waste here; he had to find Mizuki as soon as possible.
Facing Inosuke who was rushing straight at him, Kokushibou slowly raised the cry of emptiness.
That long sword, which was originally ugly, eerie, and covered in eyeballs, actually extended segments of blade laterally, like tree branches.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"