Are they getting serious?
Tanjirou didn't underestimate him. He knew very well that this guy's strength was the same as Young Miss Mizuki's.
No, in terms of oppressive feeling, he was even stronger.
And he had only managed to defeat Young Miss Mizuki once by sheer luck, with everyone's help.
Now, it was just him and Inosuke. The gap between them was undeniably huge.
Calm down, calm down, settle your heart.
The gap wasn't as big as he imagined. He had clearly seen Young Miss Mizuki's movements before.
There couldn't be such a huge gap.
Ultimately, it was probably because he, deep down, feared this man.
"Moon Breathing, Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Erosion."
A steady and oppressive voice rang out.
"Not good!" Tanjirou quickly snapped back to attention.
Kokushibou raised his oddly shaped blade, stepped forward, and swung the blade with great force. Two massive, crescent-shaped slashes, riddled with countless delicate crescent moons, flew towards them, threatening to cleave both of them apart.
"Inosuke!"
"I know!"
Both of them dodged to the left and right.
Before they could catch their breath, Kokushibou's voice, like a grim reaper announcing death, rang out again.
"Moon Breathing, Second Form: Pearl Flower Moon Viewing!"
Another continuous wide-range attack!
They had to find an opportunity to get close.
Tanjirou had experienced being tormented by Mizuki's Blood Demon Art. Once the attack frequency increased, even getting close to her was difficult.
Inosuke evidently understood this as well. While dodging Kokushibou's slashes, he was also trying to move towards Kokushibou.
Of course... it was also possible he just wanted to kill Kokushibou.
They couldn't just dodge; they had to find a way to cause trouble for the opponent.
Thinking this, Tanjirou's footsteps slowed slightly, but immediately after, his black Nichirin Blade began to blaze with fierce flames.
"Sun Breathing, Eleventh Form: Halo Dragon Dance!"
The visual effect of a fire dragon soaring went straight for Kokushibou.
Kokushibou's eyes darkened slightly, unconsciously recalling some unpleasant memories.
"Moon Breathing..."
Continuous crescent slashes surged towards Tanjirou like a tidal wave, but this time, Tanjirou chose not to stop.
He could block it!
Tanjirou firmly believed, and a single strike wreathed in flames cut through the purple crescent moons.
The crescent moons that Kokushibou slashed out with his cry of emptiness were met by Tanjirou.
Excellent!
Tanjirou's eyes gleamed; this was an opportunity!
"Oh!" Inosuke followed closely, finding an opportunity when Kokushibou's attention was focused on Tanjirou, and charged from the side.
Kokushibou slightly raised his hand.
Tanjirou's gaze was locked on Kokushibou. What form was it?
He had to see clearly.
Young Miss Mizuki had demonstrated the Breathing Techniques Kokushibou knew, based on the information she had. He had seen it most clearly because he had activated his Transparent World. As long as he could discern the movement and identify the attack, it shouldn't... Tanjirou's expression suddenly changed: "Dodge! Inosuke!"
As he spoke, he had already swung his Nichirin Blade, attempting to stop Kokushibou.
"Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Solitary Moon, Endless."
As Kokushibou raised his demon blade, a series of arc-shaped slashes came vertically, threatening to destroy everything around them.
"What?!" Inosuke's hairs stood on end. His arm joints began to deform, and he successfully slipped through the gaps in the slashes.
However, the tiny crescent moons that extended still left many scars on his body.
Meanwhile, Tanjirou managed to block it with his Halo Dragon.
His palms were numb from the shock; this guy was too dangerous.
Kokushibou looked at Inosuke, whose arm joints were deformed, in surprise, not expecting him to avoid his slashes with such a method.
Interesting.
No chance to get close.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Tanjirou's forehead.
Even if they recognized the opponent's movements, the gap in their combat ability still prevented them from closing the distance.
It wasn't about getting close or not; it was a difference in strength.
Had Young Miss Mizuki held back so much when fighting them?
They hadn't even been actively attacked by this guy yet, and they were already unable to cope.
Kokushibou moved again, and Tanjirou watched without the slightest slack.
That stance... that form was... Kokushibou stepped forward, swinging his demon blade through the air as if putting his entire strength into it.
"Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon Dragon Wheel Tail!"
A massive, difficult-to-fathom moon wheel erupted from the blade, sweeping towards the two of them.
Tanjirou and Inosuke could only dodge awkwardly.
Even without close combat, under such a wide-ranging attack, both of them were already barely holding on, teetering on the brink.
It was too exaggerated. For a Breathing Technique, it was completely beyond the range a blade could cut.
Just dodging the attacks already exhausted all their strength, leaving them drenched in sweat.
Let alone attacking the opponent.
"Is this all you've got?"
Kokushibou slowly emerged from the dust and smoke. Everything around him had been destroyed beyond recognition by the Moon Breathing slashes.
His fierce and suffocating aura rushed towards them.
"How disgraceful." Kokushibou looked at them coldly, "Among the users of that Breathing Technique, you are probably the weakest."
He didn't deny that this child possessed talent, but time wouldn't stand still.
"Your Breathing Technique is already very strong, so why do you still care so much about mine?" Tanjirou asked abruptly.
Kokushibou's pupils constricted slightly.
"You don't actually care about my Breathing Technique, do you?" Tanjirou shakily stood up, "You're just still concerned about that brother who died over four hundred years ago."
He couldn't quite understand.
Young Miss Mizuki's words.
"If you accidentally encounter that guy Kokushibou, and you think you can't beat him, you can try reasoning with him."
"Reason... reasoning?" Tanjirou was bewildered at the time.
"Yes, just argue with him, or..." Mizuki hesitated, "just say whatever you feel like saying."
Young Miss Mizuki had even patiently told him the story of her brother named Michikatsu.
As for what she said later, about 'trash talking might work, it's the protagonist's privilege,' he didn't quite understand.
But he guessed Young Miss Mizuki meant for him to attack Kokushibou psychologically, to break him down mentally.
As expected, Kokushibou paused when he heard Tanjirou's words.
"Mizuki taught you, didn't she?" Kokushibou chuckled, not getting angry, but instead giving Tanjirou a feeling that he was reminiscing.
"She really stops at nothing."
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