The Final Battle

Multiple debuffs had left Muzan at a complete disadvantage in the battle that followed.

Muzan simply had no way to fight.

His strength and speed were continuously weakened, while Shimizu had already been in the same league as him in those aspects. With the armor’s enhancement, Shimizu could even barely overpower Muzan in strength.

As for speed, Shimizu now effectively possessed a spatial ability that allowed him to teleport to multiple fixed points. If Muzan’s attacks had not all been wide-area, indiscriminate strikes, he would have been in an even worse state, without even the strength to defend himself.

Several miles away from where the two were fighting.

Inside a hall lined with countless enormous pillars, Kokushibo looked at the swordsmen before him and silently drew the weapon formed from his own flesh and blood, Demon Cry God.

"A body forged like diamond through countless trials and tempering… In these three hundred years, I have never seen a Pillar achieve such a feat."

With all six golden eyes open, Kokushibo watched the Stone Pillar, Gyomei Himejima, who stood before him.

"And you—have you created a new Breathing Style? It is not weak."

Demon Cry God swept casually yet swiftly around him.

"Moon Breathing: First Form: Dark Moon Night Palace."

"Serpent Breathing: Second Form: Narrow Head Poison Fang!"

At some point, Iguro Obanai had slipped behind Kokushibo and launched a surprise attack, only for the latter to block it and immediately counterattack.

A clear ring of clashing blades sounded from where the two swords met, causing Kokushibo’s expression to shift slightly.

To take his counterattack so easily… this Pillar did not seem simple either.

A Crimson Blade… no, he has not activated his Demon Slayer Mark. His strength is nowhere near enough to awaken a Crimson Blade. He must have achieved it through some unknown method.

Judging by his reaction speed, he has likely comprehended the Transparent World as well.

And that thing tied to his arm, which burns his skin and suppresses his power… some kind of lamp capable of imitating sunlight?

After exchanging only a single move, Kokushibo had analyzed a great deal of information.

His combat experience was also extraordinarily rich. Calling him battle-hardened would almost be an understatement.

If the other Pillar had roughly the same equipment, they would be enough to pose a certain threat to him.

"As expected of Upper Rank One. That strength is simply terrifying!"

The hand gripping Iguro Obanai’s serpent-shaped sword trembled slightly.

A Daylight Lamp Flashlight was strapped to his arm, aimed in the same direction as the tip of his blade.

After many attempts, the Demon Slayer Corps members had found this to be the most suitable way to wear the flashlight.

"Iguro, I’ll take the offensive. You hold him back!"

Gyomei Himejima also activated his Daylight Lamp Flashlight. The broad axe and spiked flail linked by a chain in his hands collided, forming Crimson Blades as he charged toward Kokushibo.

In another corridor, Rengoku Kyojuro encountered the newly promoted Upper Rank Four, Susa Maru, and killed her before meeting Kamado Tanjiro in the corridor.

Tanjiro had also just slain a newly promoted Lower Rank demon.

Lower Rank Six, the Swamp Demon.

His rate of growth was far faster than in the original timeline.

Last year alone, under Rengoku Kyojuro’s guidance, he had completely mastered Flame Breathing and Total Concentration: Constant. He had also learned the first few forms of Sun Breathing, gaining combat power close to that of a Class A Swordsman.

Now, a year later, his strength had improved significantly once again. He had fully mastered every form of Sun Breathing, and his basic physical abilities had essentially reached the standard of a Pillar.

His talent was actually extremely high. After all, in the original timeline, he had possessed relatively formidable strength among the Pillars at only fifteen, and had grown overnight into a superhuman powerhouse capable of directly holding Muzan back for a long time.

It was merely that Water Breathing was far too incompatible with him, which had hindered his early growth to a certain extent.

With two Pillar-level swordsmen who wielded Sun Breathing joining forces, the opponent they were destined to encounter could not possibly be simple.

As though background music had begun to play, a muscular pink-haired male demon with blue demon markings across his body and an open shirt appeared before them.

"Wonderful! You two possess powerful fighting spirit. I like you very much!"

His golden demon eyes, engraved with Upper Rank Two, looked at Rengoku Kyojuro and Kamado Tanjiro with utter excitement.

After Doma’s death, he had moved up from his former position as Upper Rank Three to fill the vacancy of Upper Rank Two.

"Destructive Death: Compass Needle!"

An intricate twelve-pointed snowflake pattern appeared beneath Akaza’s feet.

"Sun Breathing: Fourth Form: Mirage Day Rainbow!"

"Sun Breathing: Seventh Form: Setting Sun Pierce!"

Rengoku Kyojuro and Tanjiro launched their attack together at that moment.

Within another unusually spacious courtyard, weeds grew thick amid shattered moss. An old man no larger than a rat clutched his head and curled up in a pile of weeds beside a hole in the courtyard wall.

"Shinazugawa, cutting off their heads at the same time is useless! It seems they can still merge together!"

At the center of the courtyard, Tokito Muichiro panted lightly as he spoke to Shinazugawa Sanemi beside him.

"Who cares?! I’ll just cut off the head of every demon I see! If cutting off their heads doesn’t kill them, I’ll mince them into pieces and see whether they still die or not!"

Shinazugawa Sanemi gripped his green Nichirin Blade and glared viciously at Zohakuten, formed from the fusion of the four demons Joy, Anger, Sorrow, and Pleasure.

Muichiro frowned slightly.

Something still felt wrong. He calmed his mind.

If he could master the Transparent World, he should be able to discover the enemy’s true weakness easily.

But he was still just one step away from that realm. Perhaps he would gain some insight during this battle against an Upper Rank.

In a woman’s bedroom farther away, Uzui Tengen held his glowing red Nichirin Blades and stared solemnly ahead.

"So it really wasn’t that simple. If Upper Rank Four were only at this level, that would be far too embarrassing."

"Big brother! Avenge me!"

Daki held her own head and reattached it, then shouted at Gyutaro, who stood before her holding a pair of blood-red mantis sickles.

"As her big brother, of course I won’t let anyone who bullies my little sister go. Especially someone so tall and so handsome… you truly make me want to kill you!"

Gyutaro’s ugly face twisted into a ferocious grin at Uzui Tengen.

"A demon as ugly as you is truly rare. But don’t worry—as the god of flamboyance, I’ll flamboyantly cut off your head!"

The Nichirin Blades spun rapidly in Uzui Tengen’s hands. As their master charged forward, they struck toward Gyutaro.

"Sound Breathing: Fourth Form: Resonant Slash – Endless!"

"Blood Demon Art: Rampant Arc Rampage!"

At the same time, elsewhere…