Reflected in Akaza's golden eyes were the intertwined figures of the two, and the blazing flames roaring along their blades.
"RAAAH!!!"
Akaza's eyes split wide as thick veins bulged violently along his arms, trying to force Yuko's blade away.
What terrifying strength.
Yuko's gaze darkened, her arms trembling violently as well.
Her disadvantage in raw strength had not vanished simply because she had awakened her mark. Just as Shinobu, even after awakening her mark, never considered switching her Nichirin blade—strength was always relative.
Even if Shinobu awakened her mark, she would still never match Mitsuri Kanroji in raw power.
Yuko was the same. Akaza, as Upper Rank Three—the so-called Fighting Demon—possessed formidable physical strength.
At the very least… Yuko, without fully demonizing herself, was no match for him in brute force.
As the blade began inching away from Akaza's neck, a shimmering hue flashed through Yuko's crimson eyes, turning them gold.
Faint blue veins surfaced across her pale skin.
"DAMN IT!!!"
Akaza roared as the force in his arms suddenly slackened, his foot slamming into the ground.
Yuko's Transparent World had been active the entire time—she had already anticipated his move.
The instant she saw the changes in muscle tension and blood flow, she reacted.
Yuko stepped in and kicked—snapping Akaza's lower leg in one strike.
As Akaza lost his balance—
SHASH!
Two brilliant streaks of flame flashed past. With no ability to defend himself, Akaza's head was sent flying high into the air once more.
His face was frozen in rage and unwillingness.
Their figures crossed paths. Rengoku Kyōjurō spun around and shouted,
"Don't let your guard down, Tanjiro!"
"I know!"
Tanjiro skidded across the ground, carving a long groove as he twisted his body to stabilize himself.
And sure enough—even without its head, Akaza's body did not collapse.
Instead, it lunged toward Yuko with even greater ferocity.
A headless body could never fight at full strength. Akaza's body flailed wildly like a headless fly, throwing punches in every direction.
Yuko was forced back by the mad-dog assault. She reversed her grip and slashed.
"Snow Breathing, Sixth Form—Snowfall Across Ten Thousand Miles."
Several massive snow-white slashes swept toward Akaza from all directions, leaving no blind spots.
Akaza's body reacted swiftly, dodging and blocking on instinct—but without visual guidance, it was still severed by Yuko's strikes, losing an arm and a leg.
Taking advantage of Akaza's regeneration window, the two moved behind him in perfect coordination, pinning his body down from both sides.
Rengoku pressed down on half of Akaza's body and shouted,
"We have to keep him pinned here! The sun is about to rise!"
"I know!"
Sweat poured down Tanjiro's face as he threw his full weight into it.
This guy…
What monstrous strength!
Even the two of them together couldn't completely suppress him.
Hearing their exchange, Akaza's head turned in terror toward the horizon—just as they said, the sun was almost rising.
It was as if his head were still connected to his brain, roaring in fury as he struggled.
That sudden surge of power nearly flipped the two of them off.
"RA—!"
Akaza's roar cut off abruptly as a black blade plunged mercilessly into his skull.
Yuko stomped his head into the ground and twisted the hilt without expression.
Akaza was truly panicking now, eyes splitting wide as he stared at Yuko.
"You bas—"
How could he die here?!
Wouldn't that mean he was weak?!
He still had to become stronger—
SHASH SHASH SHASH!!
Shattered blade light erupted everywhere. Akaza's head was instantly torn into pieces.
Yuko glanced aside.
The body restrained by Tanjiro and Rengoku was still struggling violently, trying to rise.
At the neck, flesh writhed rapidly. Within just a few breaths, a grotesque new head began to grow.
Both Tanjiro and Rengoku stared in shock.
Even Yuko couldn't help but frown slightly.
This was troublesome.
Even if the head couldn't be reattached, he could simply grow a new one.
She had always thought surviving decapitation was exclusive to the Demon King. She never expected even Upper Rank Three to surpass a demon's limits and overcome the weakness of being beheaded by a Nichirin blade.
If Upper Rank Three could do this…
Then what about the top two?
Especially her lemon-soured older brother…
Honestly, Yuko wasn't necessarily afraid of him—but she wasn't fully confident she could pin him down under sunlight either.
She knew Kokushibo's strength too well. He wasn't inferior to Yoriichi because he lacked talent—Yoriichi's talent was simply monstrous.
Anyone capable of developing Moon Breathing already possessed unparalleled talent beneath Yoriichi alone.
A beam of sunlight poured down from the sky, falling onto Akaza's body.
Feeling the burning pain, Akaza thrashed even more violently, driven by desperate survival instinct, actually throwing Tanjiro and Rengoku aside.
"Not good!"
The two sprang up immediately and chased after him.
Akaza's half-regenerated head—with only one eye—stared in terror toward the horizon as he sprinted nonstop toward the forest.
He had to reach the shadows immediately!
Yuko took a deep breath. His survival instinct had reached its absolute limit.
But unfortunately—
Just as demons never show mercy to humans,
Humans would not show mercy to demons.
Yuko stepped forward, ruthlessly cutting off his final escape.
Seeing Yuko block his path again, Akaza's fury nearly manifested physically.
Blue light flowed across his body—he was clearly preparing to fight to the death.
Yuko's right hand settled on the hilt. Her gaze remained calm as she watched him.
Akaza's body trembled.
That stance—
Exactly the same stance as him.
Gritting his teeth, Akaza tensed every muscle in his body. The moment he entered striking range, he erupted.
"Destructive Death—Final Form: Blue Silver Chaotic Afterglow!"
Centered on Akaza, hundreds of blue, meteor-like projectiles burst outward in an instant.
They were so fast that even Tanjiro and Rengoku behind him could only see flickering flashes of light.
Even they would be caught in it.
Both halted instantly, assuming defensive stances.
"Haa…"
Yuko drew her blade with her right hand, letting it slide across her left palm. Blood spread like a contagion, staining the blade completely crimson.
She exhaled a faint purple breath. The gold in her eyes dimmed slightly as she stepped forward half a pace, completely changing her grip—both hands on the hilt, raised beside her face in an exaggerated stance.
"Snow Breathing, Tenth Form—Moonlight Beneath the Snow."
And then—
A blood-red moon rose from the ground.