All this time, Kanao had remained quiet and unnoticed. Aside from staying near her uncle or resting, she spent nearly all her time training.
The girl's talent was not weak, and her physical potential was extraordinary. She improved almost every day.
However, Kanao had rarely had any real chance to show her strength. Even now, seeing Kanao cut off Kokushibo's head with a single strike, Soma was startled.
He had sparred with Kanao in ordinary times, but she had never been this sharp.
Thinking about it carefully, perhaps Kanao had never gone all out in front of him. Or rather, it was impossible for her to truly treat him as an enemy.
After all, sparring was only sparring.
When Kanao struck from the darkness hidden behind him just now, even Soma had felt the hairs on his body stand on end for an instant.
And after cutting off Kokushibo's head, Kanao returned behind Soma, hiding again within his shadow. She looked so inconspicuous.
Soma could not help glancing at Kanao. The girl raised her pinkish-purple eyes and looked at him, the corners of her lips lifting slightly with faint pride.
She was probably proud that she had amazed her uncle.
Soma smiled faintly, then turned back around. Holding his Nichirin Sword, he narrowed his eyes and stared at Kokushibo before him.
Kokushibo's head had been severed by a Nichirin Sword. For an ordinary demon, this would mean certain death.
At this moment, even Gyomei Himejima and the others stopped. Still shocked by Kanao's strength, they all thought the battle had ended.
But—
Soma knew the fight was not over.
Demons like Kokushibo and Akaza were beings with obsessions so powerful they could break through the limits of demonhood. Even if their heads were severed, they would not truly die.
In fact, the strange blade Kokushibo was using to press against Soma's Nichirin Sword had not weakened in the slightest, even after his head was cut off.
So the duel continued.
Soma was still fighting the headless Kokushibo.
After a brief moment of dazed shock, the others joined the siege against Kokushibo once more.
As Upper Rank One of the Twelve Kizuki, Kokushibo was powerful enough to be terrifying. Yet under everyone's combined assault, he still fell into disadvantage.
However—
It was only disadvantage.
As an immortal demon, and one who had broken through the limits of demonhood, Kokushibo could not be killed even if his head was severed by a Nichirin Sword.
Headless, Kokushibo continued to fight.
Whether his thigh was cut off or his arm was severed, the powerful regeneration of an Upper Rank demon allowed him to recover quickly. Worse still, he never tired.
Humans were different. They could die from wounds, and they could die from excessive blood loss. Even if the Hashira had trained their Breathing Styles to the level of Total Concentration: Constant and could maintain their breathing state at all times, that was only in theory. Their bodies could not sustain it forever.
If the battle dragged on, it would become unfavorable for them.
"Stone Breathing, Fifth Form: Arcs of Justice!"
Gyomei Himejima gripped his chain and swung the spiked flail in his hand. With tremendous force, he brought it crashing down onto Kokushibo's back as Kokushibo fought Soma.
That blow was powerful enough to reduce stone to dust. Any other demon struck by it would have been crushed into pulp. Even ordinary members of the Twelve Kizuki would have found it difficult to survive.
But when it landed on Kokushibo's back, it merely flattened the flesh across his back.
For a human, a spiked flail striking with such force—enough to crush the body from back to chest—would have been instantly fatal. But for a demon, it was not a lethal injury.
"Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon—Incessant."
Seeing himself surrounded, Kokushibo swung his blade sharply, unleashing countless vertical crescent-shaped slashes in an instant. They scattered outward in every direction.
Everyone was startled. Some raised their blades to block, while others dodged at once, but several swordsmen were still struck by the sudden crescent attacks.
In an instant, three swordsmen on the outer edge were cut in half at the waist and died on the spot.
"That's a Breathing Style." A swordsman cried out in horror. Many of them could hardly imagine that a demon would know a Breathing Style, something only swordsmen should be able to use.
Some swordsmen did not know the truth and were shaken by it.
But to the Hashira, this was no secret. The moment Kokushibo appeared, people like Gyomei Himejima already knew who he was.
He was once a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps. Long ago, he had betrayed the Corps, joined Muzan Kibutsuji, and even cut off the head of the Master at the time to offer it to Muzan.
Kokushibo could be called the shame of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace."
After forcing everyone back, Kokushibo was still met by Soma's relentless assault from the front. Almost instantly, he launched another powerful slash at Soma, who continued to press him.
This strike, which in the original story would have severed the Mist Hashira's arm in a single blow, only barely forced Soma back.
Having driven Soma away with one slash, the headless Kokushibo retreated at once. His figure landed where his head had fallen, and with a sweep of his hand, he grabbed it and placed it back on his neck.
The flesh at his throat writhed, and the severed head reattached itself.
His six crimson eyes turned. After their exchange, Kokushibo had already confirmed that he would not be able to bring Soma back this time. If he continued to delay, he might even sink into a quagmire himself.
Almost without hesitation, he turned and fled.
When the swordsmen on the perimeter saw this, they were afraid of this powerful demon, but still gritted their teeth and raised their blades to intercept him.
"Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail."
Kokushibo gripped his blade and swung with tremendous force, sending a powerful slash toward the swordsmen blocking his path.
The blade swept out like a dragon of moonlight. For a moment, the swordsmen ahead seemed frozen in time. Then, in the next instant, screams rang out as countless severed limbs flew into the sky.
With a single slash, Kokushibo carved a path through the swordsmen and swiftly retreated.
However, although those swordsmen had delayed him for only half a second, it was enough for Soma to close the distance. Blade in hand, he struck at the retreating Kokushibo.
There was no dazzling sword technique in this strike. It was only a simple, heavy downward slash.
But Kokushibo did not dare ignore it. He understood very clearly how powerful each of Soma's strikes was. In an instant, he turned and lifted his blade to block.
Clang!
Blade struck blade, and sparks burst outward.
Their gazes met across the crossing edges. Soma's sword hand suddenly pressed down, forcing the edge of his Nichirin Sword against Kokushibo's weapon and driving it downward, making Kokushibo's feet sink.
At the same time, the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, had also rushed over. He bent low and slashed at Kokushibo's legs.
Clearly, Sanemi understood that cutting off Kokushibo's head could not kill him. Obsessing over decapitation was meaningless.
Crack!
Blood sprayed as both of Kokushibo's legs were severed on the spot.
With both legs gone, Kokushibo, who had been pinned beneath Soma's blade, immediately sank. His entire body crashed to the ground.
Even after falling, Kokushibo continued using his blade to withstand Soma's sharp follow-up attacks. At the same time, through sheer will, he tried to control his severed legs and draw them back.
But suddenly, he felt resistance.
Kokushibo's heart sank. While fending off Soma's attacks, one of his eyes shifted to the side. There, he saw Sanemi Shinazugawa pinning his severed legs to the ground with a Nichirin Sword, preventing them from moving.
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