"I told you, that blood is very precious."
"Since he is dead, it is up to you to pay it back."
As soon as he finished speaking, Tomioka Giyu just blinked, and Kokushibo's figure disappeared.
There was no time to think—afterimages overlapped, and Giyu stepped back.
Kokushibo's sword let out a hollow cry as it slashed toward his neck!
"Water Breathing, Thirteenth Form: Imprint, Mirror Flower, Water Moon!"
The sword met only air. Kokushibo didn't stop and slashed again at Giyu's neck.
This strike also failed to connect. Kokushibo's tone held a note of admiration.
"Thirteenth Form? A very good move."
"I fought the first user of Water Breathing before. Your sword carries his aura."
"What's your name? Are you his descendant?"
"…Tomioka Giyu."
Giyu had no interest in exchanging words. His mind raced: how could he survive this?
He didn't believe even the other Hashira could help without unlocking the Stripes, Transparency, and Red Blade.
Kokushibo's only known flaw was vanity over his appearance. Otherwise, he was an unbreakable wall.
Still, Giyu couldn't just wait to die. He took the initiative and struck—
Kokushibo stepped back. "I see. You can't freely swing your sword during that move."
"I also saw the weakness."
"Breathing of the Moon, First Form: Dark Moon, Palace of the Night!"
Moonlight exploded, crescent-shaped arcs and scattered moon blades sweeping out with deadly speed.
Giyu was forced to retreat several meters, ending his Thirteenth Form.
His chest was slashed—his clothes torn, skin grazed.
What was once a life-saving technique had been dissected with ease.
"This is… the Transparent World."
His hand trembled around the hilt of his blade. Not even against Dōma had he felt such suffocating pressure.
He knew—Kokushibo hadn't even shown full strength yet.
And his Thirteenth Form had been seen through instantly.
"You dodged after all. Your sword skills and reflexes are superb. You are excellent."
"The Upper Rank Six is now vacant…"
"But since you killed him, you should take his place. Become a demon."
Giyu clenched his teeth, forcing calm. He responded not with words, but steel.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form!"
A roaring water dragon surged forward with tremendous power.
"It seems you've rejected my offer."
Kokushibo met it head-on, casting a moon blade—no intention of retreat.
Bang—
The water dragon was dispersed. Giyu kept his eyes on Kokushibo's movements.
As soon as the arm rose, Giyu swept in with his blade, trying to sever it before another move launched.
But Kokushibo saw it.
Just as Giyu's sword was about to slice his wrist, a massive crescent moon blade burst forth.
"Breathing of the Moon, Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Disaster Vortex!"
Giyu blocked it, barely—but the force sent him flying.
The next moment, a net of chaotic moon blades descended like artillery.
"Breathing of the Moon, Sixth Form: Long Night Lonely Moon – No Space!"
Still mid-air, Giyu stayed calm, watching the blades close in.
At the perfect moment, he twisted with sheer core strength:
"Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Twisting Vortex!"
Slash, slash, slash—
Giyu landed, stumbling several steps before stopping.
He had blocked it… barely. But deep cuts marred his legs, arms, and neck.
His chest had a gash, blood steadily oozing.
He steadied his breath, forced muscles to tense, slowing the bleeding.
Too strong. On a completely different level.
The fight had lasted barely ten minutes, and his body was already battered.
His instincts screamed at him to run—but his talent whispered:
Now. Awaken.
His body surged with energy and a deep, resonant hum.
"Water Breathing, Twelfth Form: Waves of Suppression!"
Dozens of massive water columns erupted toward Kokushibo, and Giyu charged in behind them.
Fighting Kokushibo from afar meant nothing.
"Fearless swordsman… this reminds me of old times."
"In the Warring States era, I once dueled the Water Pillar in this same way…"
Dozens of surging jets closed in—
"Breathing of the Moon, Third Form: Moon of Disgust – Eclipse!"
Two erratic moon blades annihilated the waves in an instant.
Giyu was unfazed. He'd used them as a feint to create a blind spot.
Circling around, he appeared behind Kokushibo and swung at his arm!
He didn't aim for the neck—not because he didn't want to, but because it was impossible.
The arm was the only viable target.
But Giyu miscalculated. He had overestimated his deception—
Kokushibo's six eyes were relentless.
Even before Giyu struck, one eye tracked his every move.
Kokushibo's body shifted slightly—Giyu's Nichirin Blade missed, grazing the arm and hitting the ground.
But Giyu had already anticipated failure.
He leveraged the blade's impact with the ground and kicked at Kokushibo!
Surprised, Kokushibo barely raised the hilt in time to block the blow.
But his counterattack came fast:
"Breathing of the Moon, Fourth Form: Shadow – Moon Rippling!"
Clang—!
This time, Kokushibo was stunned. His flawless thrust had been blocked.
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm."
With his reforged Nichirin blade, Giyu had revived the Eleventh Form, scaling its scope down and infusing it directly into his technique.
He sprang up immediately, drawing back his blade. Kokushibo mirrored him.
Both launched their next attacks simultaneously:
"Breathing of the Moon, First Form: Dark Moon, Palace of the Night!"
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Slash!"
***
Bang—
After the collision, Giyu Tomioka clearly felt a pain in his wrist, but he couldn't stop now!
Cut cut cut—
After several slashes, Giyu finally wounded Kokushibo, but not without receiving several new wounds himself.
"That's right… You've already grasped the true essence of Water Breathing to its peak. I see the shadow of an old friend in you.
I really miss him. He was just like you…"
Bang—
Before he finished, Kokushibo slashed hard with his blade, forcing Giyu to retreat.
"But he never defeated me."
"Breath of the Moon, Second Form: Pearl Flower Moons!"
Two circular moon blades and a rain of shattered crescents came flying. Giyu didn't blink. His breathing grew heavier.
Hiss—Hu—
In the next second, as the moon blades closed in, Giyu swung his sword multiple times in rapid succession, creating a defensive web before him.
As the attack cleared, Giyu didn't stop. He leapt high into the air, blue water bursting from his blade.
"Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!"
Bang—
Kokushibo blocked it easily, but thought to himself, 'His body temperature and heartbeat are rising… could it be—'
As the demon speculated, Giyu struck again—this time with no restraints. Under such pressure, his dormant strength awakened once more, and he re-entered that state from before the markings.
Every cell in Giyu's body felt alive.
This was the exhilaration of facing an overwhelmingly powerful foe… and the joy of fighting with nothing held back.
Unlike in the Flower District—where he had to worry about the surroundings, the civilians, even his comrades—this battle was pure. There were no distractions. No calculations.
Only victory.
If Tanjiro couldn't awaken his markings, the Demon Slayer Corps would fall. But not here. Not now.
Right now, Giyu had only one thought: win.
Seeing Giyu in this state, Kokushibo smiled.
"Yes… this is how it felt. I, too, awakened my markings at the brink of death…"
Cut cut cut—
Giyu charged, blade striking faster, sharper.
Kokushibo remained calm. He swung heavily, sending Giyu flying again.
But this time, he didn't follow up. Instead, he spoke with quiet regret.
"Without exception, every marked swordsman dies before reaching twenty-five.
Even if the markings grant immense strength, they merely burn your life faster.
Isn't it tragic—your breathing refined to perfection, your swordsmanship unmatched—only to vanish from the world?"
In response, Giyu swung.
A roaring water dragon burst from his blade.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
Kokushibo stood motionless in the face of it.
"As long as you become a demon, your body and skill will endure forever. Why can't you see the truth?"
Suddenly, moonlight exploded from Kokushibo, a spiraling maelstrom of blades.
"Breath of the Moon, Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy!"
Giyu was knocked back half a meter, but the water dragon still surged forward.
Just as he prepared to press on—
Kokushibo was faster.
"It's over."
"Breath of the Moon, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon - Incessant!"
The chaotic net of flaming moon slashes approached. Giyu felt the shadow of death upon him.
'I can't dodge… I couldn't even withstand his first form…'
[Giyu, if our generation truly defeats all demons…]
[Would you say it to me again?]
'Adapt, damn it!!!'
His pupils focused. The fiery storm reached him—and shattered in an instant!
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm!"
Kokushibo didn't attack again. Instead, he stared at Giyu.
"Hmph… so your markings have awakened?"
Yes. On Giyu's left cheek, dark blue wave patterns surged. The mark had awakened.
"It's round two, Kokushibo."
Before the last word left his lips, Giyu clenched his blade and dashed forward.
But Kokushibo, with his Transparent World, wasn't shaken by speed alone.
Bang—
Their swords met—and Kokushibo's was knocked back!
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
Puff—
Kokushibo was hit again. This time, his wound burned.
"A crimson blade…?"
That's right—Giyu's Nichirin blade had turned red, truly red.
Not like before, when it had been forced—brief, incomplete. Those times had exhausted him, barely allowing two swings before his wrist gave out.
But now? Now the mark was active. Now, his grip was steady. The blade burned red, and it lasted.
This time, the his blade would strike true.
He didn't pause. The waves around him rose, violent and wild—a tsunami about to crash.
"Water Breathing, Twelfth Form: Water Prison Slash!"
Bang bang bang—!
Kokushibo tossed his cloak aside.
"Very well. Holding back now would be an insult."
His blade grew longer, grotesque and blooming with uneven, serrated edges.
"Breath of the Moon, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail!"
With one sweep, the massive moon blade destroyed dozens of water pillars.
And it wasn't over. The blade's aftermath cut forward—straight toward Giyu!
Giyu's eyes narrowed. At the last second, he slid low, dodging by the narrowest margin.
Using the momentum, he leapt again, closing in.
He had to—if the red blade didn't connect, it was meaningless.
But Kokushibo wouldn't allow it. As Giyu drew near—two meters, then one—another slash erupted like a jagged rift.
"Breath of the Moon, Seventh Form: Mirror of Misfortune - Moonlit!"
Giyu blocked it with his blade, but even so—
Reality hit him like a slap.