"Damn it!"
Raiden cursed under his breath.
Unable to gain leverage while suspended in midair, he twisted his body sharply and swung his Nichirin blade.
With both enhancements active, Kokushibo's speed had reached a completely unreasonable level. Simple reaction alone was no longer enough to evade his attacks.
Without preparation, Raiden would struggle to survive this fight for long.
Tamayo's Blood Demon Art had worked perfectly the first time, but now that Kokushibo was alert, there was no way he would allow Raiden another opportunity to use the same trick.
The hurried block forced Raiden's forearm into an awkward angle, and sharp pain shot through his arm, violently stimulating his nerves.
Kokushibo looked slightly surprised that Raiden still had the strength to resist.
But it was only mild surprise.
In the next instant, Kokushibo lightly twisted his flesh blade.
A secondary blade slid past Raiden's Nichirin sword and pierced straight into his chest.
Raiden clenched his teeth as pain exploded through his body.
He knew he could not continue like this. Forget surviving until dawn, he would be lucky to last another five minutes.
A brilliant burst of thunder flames erupted from Raiden's Nichirin blade, lighting up the battlefield around them.
The sudden explosion forced Kokushibo to retreat slightly, giving Raiden a brief moment to breathe.
Raiden landed on his feet several meters away, panting heavily as he gripped his sword. The wound on his chest throbbed violently.
For the first time, he felt true urgency.
He knew he was approaching his limit.
At the same time, Raiden was unaware that subtle changes were happening inside his body.
As his anxiety grew, his body temperature began rising rapidly.
The change was faint, and Raiden, fully focused on the battle, had no time to notice it.
All of his attention was fixed on defeating the monster standing before him.
Kokushibo said nothing.
Holding his grotesque blade firmly, he attacked again.
The two clashed fiercely, their swords colliding again and again as sparks scattered across the battlefield.
Throughout the exchange, Raiden was completely suppressed.
He could only defend.
More and more wounds appeared across his body. Thin lines of blood soon covered most of his upper body.
Yet strangely, the pain from those wounds helped him.
The constant stinging kept Raiden's mind sharp, preventing him from becoming numb under Kokushibo's relentless assault.
Watching the situation suddenly turn, the three Demon Slayer Corps members standing nearby felt their hearts tighten.
Only moments ago, Raiden seemed to have the advantage.
Now he was completely overwhelmed.
They did not understand how the battle had reversed so suddenly. Still, they knew one thing clearly.
If they rushed in now, they would not be helping him.
They would only become a burden.
Raiden's entire body trembled from exhaustion, yet he refused to fall.
Every swing of his sword carried every bit of strength he had left.
Meanwhile, Kokushibo's attacks grew even more ferocious.
It was as if he had sensed Raiden's weakness and decided to end the fight quickly.
Raiden's breathing became uneven.
Each time he dodged Kokushibo's blade, the wound in his chest flared with agonizing pain.
At this point, sheer willpower was the only thing keeping him standing.
Then suddenly, Kokushibo stopped attacking.
A faint chill spread across the battlefield, like the presence of death itself.
Kokushibo spoke calmly.
"Although ending your life brings me some regret, fate can be cruel."
His voice was steady, but Raiden's heart sank.
He understood immediately.
Kokushibo was done dragging this fight out.
Countless crescent shaped blade arcs gathered around Kokushibo's sword, forming a terrifying storm of killing intent.
They looked like the scythes of death itself, waiting to decide Raiden's fate.
Raiden's face turned pale as he felt the overwhelming pressure pouring from Kokushibo.
He knew that this single attack could seriously injure him.
It might even kill him.
Even so, Raiden had no intention of giving up.
Kokushibo swung his blade.
The crescent blade arcs surged forward like a raging storm, swallowing Raiden completely.
Raiden was instantly trapped within the torrent of cutting energy.
Pain tore through his body as the blades struck him again and again.
He could clearly feel the presence of death closing in.
But the determination in his eyes never faded.
After delivering the attack, Kokushibo slowly lowered his sword.
Fighting Raiden had allowed him to understand the young man well.
He was certain of Raiden's condition.
If Raiden survived that strike, it would only be because he possessed another hidden trump card.
But if Raiden truly had such a trump card, why wait until now to use it?
Saving it until after all strength was exhausted was not clever strategy.
It was foolishness.
The three Demon Slayer Corps members watching from the side felt despair creeping into their hearts.
They could only watch helplessly as Raiden was engulfed by the storm of blades.
If Raiden died here, they would not survive either.
"What do we do? Raiden looks like he's in serious trouble."
One of them spoke with a trembling voice.
"Stay calm. This isn't the final moment yet. Besides, when we joined the Demon Slayer Corps, we knew a day like this might come."
The injured member leaning against a rock spoke firmly.
Having just survived death once, his voice carried an unexpected calm.
Facing death again made his emotions surge, but he had few regrets.
He should have died earlier.
He had survived only because Raiden stepped in.
If he died now, it would simply be repaying that kindness.
Meanwhile, Raiden felt as if he had fallen into endless darkness.
Pain stabbed through his body like countless blades, but the light in his eyes never dimmed.
Even in the face of death, he refused to surrender.
He would fight for his life until the very end.
Then suddenly, Raiden felt a powerful surge of energy erupt within his body.
It felt like a blazing fire burning deep inside him.
Heat spread across his face, and the sensation startled him.
But only for a moment.
Soon, Raiden realized what had happened.
The mark.
It had finally appeared.
Fate had not abandoned him.
A dark red mark began spreading across Raiden's cheek.
Its shape resembled lightning intertwined with flames, radiating astonishing power.
The energies of lightning and fire merged together, forming a strength he had never experienced before.
The mark continued spreading across his face like flames dancing in the night.
Raiden felt the power within his body surge toward its peak.
Then it exploded outward.
A violent burst of thunder flames erupted from his body like lightning tearing through the sky.
The explosion shattered the storm of blade arcs surrounding him.
The destructive energy instantly shifted the balance of the battlefield.
Feeling the strength granted by the mark, Raiden slowly smiled.
Normally his smile was calm and relaxed.
But now, with the mark glowing across his face, it carried a dangerous edge.
The reason Kokushibo had suppressed him so easily was because of Kokushibo's mark and the monstrous weapon he wielded.
Now Raiden had awakened his own mark.
The gap between them had narrowed instantly.
He might still struggle to defeat Kokushibo.
But fighting him evenly was now possible.
Seeing his attack destroyed by Raiden's thunder flames, Kokushibo froze for a moment.
Raiden still had this much strength left?
How was that possible?
If he possessed such power, why wait until he had already been engulfed by the blade storm?
Why not use it earlier?
Kokushibo frowned slightly.
The Raiden he had observed did not seem like a foolish man.
So why would he act this way?
===
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