After Kokushibo finished speaking, his three eyes fixed themselves on Raiden.
Suddenly, flame-like markings appeared on Kokushibo's neck and forehead.
These markings were not ordinary patterns. They carried an intense, burning presence, as if hellfire had been ignited beneath his skin. The marks spread from his neck like creeping flames, extending slowly toward his cheeks while another symbol formed across his forehead.
Every inch of skin touched by the marks radiated terrifying heat and crushing pressure.
The shapes resembled burning flames, yet every detail was unnervingly clear. They shifted and flickered constantly, as though alive.
With the appearance of these marks, Kokushibo's aura changed instantly.
A dense and horrifying power erupted from his body, as if the battlefield itself had been set ablaze. The air grew hot, and even the dust on the ground slowly lifted under the pressure of the heat.
But Kokushibo did not stop there.
After activating the marks, he raised his Nichirin blade and held it horizontally before him.
His gaze sharpened further. The three eyes staring forward glowed with a chilling light.
A powerful force surged from deep within his body, gathering into his blade as though every ounce of his strength had been concentrated into that single weapon.
Kokushibo's sword was not an ordinary blade. It was a grotesque weapon formed from his own flesh, blood, and bones.
Under his control, the edges of the blade began to twist and writhe like living flesh.
A faint hum echoed from the weapon, the sound of immense power flowing through it.
As Kokushibo focused his energy, the blade suddenly split open. Several slender blades forced their way outward from the main body of the sword.
Each one curved like a sharp crescent moon, gleaming with a cold and deadly light while surrounding the central blade.
They resembled the fangs of a venomous serpent, poised to pierce through an enemy at any moment.
The deformation did not stop.
The blade continued to twist and reshape itself.
The eyeballs embedded along the sword merged perfectly with the newly formed crescent blades, creating a pattern that was both horrifying and strangely beautiful.
Those eyes moved across the surface of the weapon as if alive, reflecting a power that could send chills down anyone's spine.
"What is the point of fighting this..."
Seeing Kokushibo activate both the marks and the second state of his flesh blade at the same time, Raiden felt his heart sink.
If Kokushibo had activated them separately, Raiden might have adapted slowly, searching for an opportunity to stall until sunrise.
But both at once?
How was he supposed to deal with that?
Did Kokushibo truly need this much power just to fight him?
At the moment, Kokushibo's strength was not completely overwhelming for Raiden, but there was no doubt about the outcome of a direct fight.
Raiden was not his opponent.
"This is going to be rough..."
Raiden let out a bitter smile.
Now he could only stall.
If he lasted until dawn, he would live.
If not, he would die here.
Still, Raiden refused to place all his hope on the rising sun.
With a wave of his hand, several Lords appeared around him.
The moment they landed, they activated the Blood Demon Art: Destructive Death, Compass Needle.
With Raiden's current strength, each Lord using Compass Needle possessed power comparable to Upper Rank Six, Gyutaro.
Even so, they were nothing more than disposable shields in this battle.
Raiden never expected them to injure Kokushibo.
Their only purpose was to distract him and reduce some of the pressure on Raiden himself.
"Not only Akaza's technique, but you can also use Doma's Blood Demon Art. Truly impressive."
Kokushibo's praise sounded sincere.
At that moment, he felt strangely fortunate to have encountered Raiden here.
With Raiden's talent and terrifying growth rate, Kokushibo could not imagine how powerful he would become if given more time.
The next time they met, perhaps Kokushibo would not be the calm one.
Raiden simply shook his head.
Doma's Blood Demon Art was not the point. If he survived tonight, he might even master every form of Moon Breathing before their next encounter.
But none of that mattered right now.
Survival came first.
Kokushibo stopped speaking.
His grip tightened around the flesh blade.
In the next instant, his figure vanished.
Raiden's eyes widened.
The moment Kokushibo disappeared, a warning screamed inside his mind.
Without hesitation, Raiden reacted on instinct.
His Nichirin blade shot backward like lightning.
It cut through nothing but empty air.
Raiden's heart skipped a beat.
Missed?
The presence had clearly been behind him. Did Kokushibo dodge it?
How fast was he?
Raiden's attack had been preemptive, leaving Kokushibo barely a fraction of a second to react. Yet he had avoided it effortlessly.
Before Raiden could think further, a freezing gust of wind swept past his neck.
The sensation was so cold it felt as if his soul had been touched.
His hair stood on end.
In that instant of life and death, Raiden did not hesitate.
"Bewildering Blood, Visionary Dream Fragrance."
A faint whisper escaped his lips.
A strange aura spread quietly through the air.
A subtle fragrance drifted outward and slipped into Kokushibo's senses.
For a single moment, Kokushibo's movements faltered.
Confusion flashed across his eyes.
Strange patterns appeared in his vision, rising slowly like illusions from a dream.
A hazy mist clouded his sight.
His thoughts slowed, and his body suddenly felt heavy.
Raiden immediately seized the opportunity.
His body flickered as he retreated several meters away.
When Kokushibo recovered only a moment later, Raiden exhaled slowly.
This Blood Demon Art was something he rarely used, but at this moment it proved invaluable.
He silently thanked Tamayo.
After activating the marks, Kokushibo's speed had increased to a terrifying level. Raiden even felt as if the space around him had shrunk.
If his body's instinctive reaction had been even slightly slower, that previous strike would have killed him.
"Are you truly a Hashira?"
Kokushibo studied Raiden carefully, surprise visible in all three of his eyes.
"Why does it feel like you are more dangerous when using Blood Demon Arts?"
Raiden had displayed an astonishing number of techniques.
If not for the unmistakable human aura surrounding him, Kokushibo might have wondered which of them was actually the demon.
Would the Ubuyashiki family truly allow someone like Raiden to become a Hashira?
"I think the same thing sometimes."
Raiden smiled lightly.
Hidden beneath his sleeve, his fingers moved subtly.
Several Red Clean Arrows silently condensed behind Kokushibo before launching forward.
A loud impact rang out.
"Having many tricks does not make you stronger. Stop wasting your effort on such childish tactics."
Kokushibo did not even bother turning around.
His crescent moon blade aura erupted instantly, shattering every Red Clean Arrow before they could reach him.
In the next moment, Kokushibo appeared directly in front of Raiden.
The Lords surrounding Raiden immediately rushed forward to intercept him.
They charged straight toward Kokushibo's flesh blade.
The moment they touched the weapon, their bodies disintegrated.
Yet the remaining energy from their destruction turned into frost that clung briefly to the blade.
Clang.
Even after being slowed slightly by the Lords, the strike still sent Raiden flying backward.
Kokushibo had no intention of giving him another chance.
Before Raiden could even land, Kokushibo disappeared once again and reappeared beside him in midair.
The flesh blade fell mercilessly toward Raiden.