[Upper Moon One: Kokushibou]
[Race: Demon]
[Comprehension: Superior]
[Aptitude: Superior]
[Talent: None]
[Skills: Transparent World, Speckles, Moon Breathing First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace (Flawless), Second Form: Pearl Flower Moon (Flawless), Third Form: Repugnant Moon, Erosion (Flawless), Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy (Flawless), Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon (Flawless), Seventh Form: Mirror of Calamity, Moonlit Reflection (Flawless), Eighth Form: Moon Dragon Ringtail (Flawless), Ninth Form: Descending Moon, Continuous Surface (Flawless), Tenth Form: Piercing Moon Slash (Flawless), Fourteenth Form: Catastrophic Change, Heavenly Full Moon (Flawless), Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Crescent Moon (Flawless)…]
[Weapon: Kokushibou's Nichirin Blade]
Even ignoring everything else, the names of Kokushibou's techniques alone sounded far more imposing than those of most breathing styles.
Kaigaku and the other three Demon Slayer Corps members had just stepped out of the courtyard when they suddenly noticed a lone figure standing ahead of them.
The man's back faced them.
He wore an elegant kimono, and a long crimson sword rested quietly at his waist.
Kaigaku paused, slightly stunned.
Was this person also a member of the Demon Slayer Corps? Had headquarters sent someone else to assist with the mission? If so, why had he heard nothing about it?
Something about the man's scent felt wrong.
Why did he smell like a demon?
The injured Demon Slayer being supported by Kaigaku suddenly felt a spark of hope. His eyes brightened slightly.
Could this mysterious swordsman have been the one who saved him?
Judging from his presence alone, he did not seem weak. Perhaps this man might even expose Kaigaku's hypocritical nature.
The wounded swordsman shifted restlessly.
At that moment, the figure slowly turned around.
His skin was pale like moonlight, and his face was strikingly handsome with sharp, smooth features that carried an almost unreal elegance.
His long crimson hair moved gently in the night air, flowing like quiet flames.
Yet none of that compared to the most terrifying feature on his face.
Six eyes.
Three pairs of eyes were arranged symmetrically across his face, centered along the bridge of his nose. Within each pupil were golden patterns that resembled spinning moon wheels.
If one looked at only a single pair of those eyes, they were not particularly frightening. In fact, they possessed an unusual, almost mesmerizing beauty.
But when all three pairs appeared together on the same face, the effect became deeply unsettling.
The face violated every rule of human anatomy, delivering a powerful shock to Kaigaku and the others.
Kaigaku's pupils shrank instantly.
His heart pounded violently, as if it were about to burst from his chest. The composure he normally maintained in battle collapsed in an instant.
It took only a single glance.
A cold wave of fear spread through his body like electricity, racing through every nerve. For the first time, he truly felt that he was staring at the face of a demon.
Every demon he had faced before suddenly seemed insignificant.
Never before had a demon robbed him of his will to fight with just a look.
The wounded Demon Slayer had briefly imagined that the mysterious swordsman might be his savior.
But the moment he saw that terrifying yet majestic face, all hope shattered.
Only despair remained.
"Upper Moon... One..."
Kaigaku swallowed hard and muttered the words under his breath as he stared at the numbers etched within Kokushibou's eyes.
No matter how arrogant Kaigaku could be, he knew one thing for certain.
He could never defeat an Upper Moon.
Even if his master were here personally, victory would not be guaranteed.
He had heard far too many stories about the Upper Moons.
Even a Hashira was only barely qualified to challenge them.
And this demon was not just any Upper Moon.
Upper Moon One.
The strongest demon among the Twelve Kizuki.
Why would such a monster appear here?
What was the intelligence department doing? If a demon of this level appeared, a Hashira should have been dispatched immediately.
"I merely sensed a demon's presence disappear nearby," Kokushibou said calmly. "I did not expect such an interesting discovery. Are you still unwilling to reveal yourself, Your Excellency?"
His gaze remained fixed on Kaigaku and the others, though his head never tilted upward.
"Reveal yourself? What does that mean?"
Kaigaku frowned, confused.
There were only four of them here.
Who was Kokushibou talking to?
Raiden had no intention of hiding.
After hearing Kokushibou's words, he calmly stepped forward.
In the next moment, his figure appeared beside them.
Kaigaku and the others were stunned once again.
There really had been someone else nearby.
Kaigaku stared at the white robe patterned with cloud motifs. A strange sense of familiarity crept into his mind, as if he had seen those clothes somewhere before.
"As expected of Upper Moon One," Raiden said lightly. "Your perception is sharp."
Hearing Raiden's voice only deepened Kaigaku's confusion. The clothing felt familiar, and now even the voice sounded familiar, yet he could not place it.
"You are... Raiden?"
Kokushibou paused slightly as he spoke, as if recalling a distant memory.
Kaigaku froze as if struck by lightning.
Raiden?
That useless guy?
No... he could not call him useless anymore.
Raiden was now the newest Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, the Sound Hashira.
When news reached Peach Mountain that Raiden had become a Hashira, Kaigaku had been completely dumbfounded.
The boy he used to bully had somehow become a Hashira.
And not just any Hashira.
The Sound Hashira, the very position Kaigaku had dreamed of achieving his entire life.
Why?
He had been their master's most outstanding disciple.
Why had Raiden been chosen instead?
Zenitsu was one thing, at least he could perform the First Form of Thunder Breathing.
But Raiden?
Before they left the mountain, Raiden could not even use a breathing technique.
Kaigaku's hands slowly tightened into fists.
He remembered the moment their master heard the news. The old man had laughed loudly, his face full of pride.
That memory made Kaigaku's chest burn with resentment.
The other three Demon Slayer Corps members reacted very differently.
Their eyes filled with admiration as they stared at Raiden's back.
Although Raiden had only recently become a Hashira, he was already the most famous among them.
The reason was simple.
Most Hashira earned their titles by slaying powerful demons or defeating members of the Lower Moons.
Raiden was different.
He had slain Upper Moon Six.
Then Upper Moon Four.
Then Upper Moon Two.
He shattered a century long record where the Upper Moons had remained undefeated.
Because of those achievements, Raiden's reputation spread through the entire Demon Slayer Corps almost instantly.
Many members even believed he might be the strongest Hashira.
If another Hashira had appeared here, they might have still been worried. After all, even a Hashira could not easily defeat an Upper Moon.
But Raiden felt different.
Just by standing there, he created a strange sense of security.
Lord Raiden had killed Upper Moon Two.
Even if he could not defeat Upper Moon One...
He should at least be able to fight him evenly.