Giyu Tomioka arrived at the scene and witnessed with his own eyes Nezuko being reduced to chunks of flesh and blood in front of Sukuna.
He was certain that the girl had died because of the Blood Demon Art released by the boy after he touched her head.
And with such a manner of death, Tomioka could think of no other possibility.
But he quickly realized something was wrong. He had followed the girl's screams echoing in his ears to get here.
Based on his experience, that kind of wild howl most likely meant the girl had already become a demon.
If both of them were demons, why were they killing each other?
What was going on?
Sukuna, meanwhile, carefully observed Tomioka. He could sense an unusual energy emanating from him, but it was completely different feeling compared to cursed energy.
That slash from Tomioka just now was certainly stronger than Nezuko's attacks.
He was probably the equivalent of a sorcerer who exorcises cursed spirits in this world—a warrior specializing in handling demons.
But speaking of warriors, that was a distant memory for Sukuna.
Sukuna stroked his chin and grinned at Tomioka.
How nostalgic."
But Tomioka was not as relaxed as Sukuna. Even though his slash had been a simple Water Breathing technique without any specific form, Sukuna had dodged it far too easily. He couldn't gauge Sukuna's true ability.
"..."
Tomioka had no interest in conversing with Sukuna. His mind raced. With this level of strength and the powerful Blood Demon Art just displayed, could this boy be one of the Twelve Kizuki?
With that thought, Tomioka gripped his Nichirin Blade and immediately launched a new offensive.
"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!"
The blade in Tomioka's hand was wrapped in flowing water. With high-speed movement, he left long trails of water behind as he attacked Sukuna.
This was Sukuna's first time witnessing the Breathing Techniques of this world. He also noticed that the water on Tomioka's blade wasn't real, but rather an effect produced by that mysterious power.
Tomioka's fluid, high-speed assault rained down slash after slash on Sukuna.
But he soon realized with shock that even using Third Form: Flowing Dance, he still couldn't touch the 'demon' before him.
At first, Tomioka thought Sukuna might have dodged one strike by luck, but every subsequent slash was evaded just as perfectly.
While observing Tomioka, Sukuna didn't hold back on the mockery.
"Your power is interesting. But if that's all you've got, it's my turn."
The boy's words shocked Tomioka even more. Even with him fighting this seriously, his opponent was still holding back?
He couldn't imagine what kind of power this demon boy possessed to be so confident.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
But Tomioka wasn't about to give up. Using the distance closed by Flowing Dance, he swung with full force at Sukuna's neck, aiming for a decapitation.
The water surrounding that slash raged as if it would devour Sukuna.
But the next second, Tomioka didn't feel the sensation of a decapitation. Instead, he heard a sound like metal clashing.
It was the sound of Sukuna raising his hand and blocking the blade with the back of his left hand.
Can't cut through. Those horrifying words appeared in Tomioka's mind.
The force behind the slash was far weaker than Mahoraga's sword of exorcism that had struck Sukuna back in Shibuya.
"Your abilities are interesting, but far too weak."
By the time Tomioka heard Sukuna's words, his abdomen had already been brutally punched before he could even react.
As he was sent flying by the tremendous force of that punch, he felt his internal organs rupture and blood surge into his mouth like a tidal wave.
Too fast.
And far too strong.
The blood spraying from Tomioka's mouth painted a crimson streak across the snow.
"Oh, you're not dead yet?"
Sukuna stroked his chin and slowly walked toward Tomioka.
"Cough..."
Tomioka coughed up another massive amount of blood, this time mixed with what seemed to be indistinguishable chunks of internal organs.
He had to brace himself with his Nichirin Blade stuck in the ground to stay upright. Sukuna's punch had broken several of his ribs too, but he no longer had the presence of mind to count.
The world before Tomioka's eyes was a sea of red. He didn't know if it was his blood dyeing the snow, or his eyes being stained red, or both.
Enduring the pain, he pulled his Nichirin Blade from the ground and assumed a defensive stance against Sukuna, who was still approaching slowly.
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm!"
But a casual slash from Sukuna cleanly severed Tomioka's left arm.
It all happened too fast. Tomioka stared at his severed left arm still gripping the hilt of his blade as it fell, his eyes full of shock, unable to process what had just happened.
The pain from his body pulled his consciousness back.
Only then did Tomioka notice that even his Nichirin Blade had been neatly cut at the one-third point from the tip.
He couldn't believe it. Even with Eleventh Form: Dead Calm activated, he couldn't keep up with the demon's Blood Demon Art.
Although Tomioka might not have realized it, his subconscious had already begun to feel a sliver of despair in the face of Sukuna's overwhelming power.
The shift in balance from losing his left arm nearly caused the severely wounded Tomioka to collapse, but he still stubbornly gripped his blade with one hand and aimed it at Sukuna.
The only thing keeping Tomioka fighting now was the sun about to rise in the distance.
From Tomioka's perspective, if he could just hold out until sunrise, the sunlight would kill this demon and it would all be over.
If he could kill such a powerful demon, sacrificing his own life would be a bargain.
"It's over..."
Tomioka saw the rising sun and finally let go of his last thread of tension.
"So in the end, you chose to give up?"
Sukuna asked with a hint of contempt, and Yuji's figure involuntarily came to mind.
Not as good as that brat after all.
"You lose!"
Tomioka roared at Sukuna, blood spraying from his mouth as he used the last of his strength to charge at him.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
Because Sukuna hadn't fallen down the valley like the original Tanjiro, the place where he and Tomioka fought wasn't covered by trees—it was an open area. That was why Tomioka was certain Sukuna would die.
"...Huh?"
Sukuna was speechless at Tomioka's victory declaration. He hadn't expected the people in this place to be not only weak but also seemingly not very bright.
Would he be able to get information out of them? he couldn't help but worry.
Tomioka struggled to swing his already broken Nichirin Blade with one arm. As his body spun, his blood merged into the water currents.
The water dragon created by Tenth Form: Constant Flux was dyed red by Tomioka's blood, becoming a transparent crimson water dragon.
And on Tomioka's cheeks, a Mark manifested from his desperate, suicidal attack to hold Sukuna down—a deep blue, wave-like pattern instantly appearing.