Almost the instant Mizuki lost all strength, Kokushibou, who still had the nichirin blade embedded in his neck, quickly pulled back and retreated.
His eyes were wide open, and the veins on his cheeks and neck bulged as he forcibly pulled the nichirin blade out of his neck.
With two-thirds of his neck severed, his head was barely hanging onto his body.
Kokushibou held his head with one hand, gasping heavily. It was that close; if he had been two seconds slower, he would have met his end.
He was actually caught completely off guard by that sudden Sword Form.
The combination of Snow Breathing and Sun Breathing meant that whether it was the preparatory stance or the pulmonary operation, the initial mobilization was almost identical.
While there is indeed a relationship of reference and improvement among Breathing Techniques, no one has ever been able to blend various Breathing Techniques together.
The previous form was clearly one Breathing Technique, yet the next form immediately switched to another Breathing Technique.
Switching between Breathing Techniques is extremely demanding. The Demon Slayer Corps has no shortage of swordsmen who master several Breathing Techniques, but the ability to freely switch their usage during combat is something even Kokushibou himself cannot achieve.
This is not a matter of skill, but a peculiarity of physical constitution.
In the entire Demon Slayer Corps, only Mizuki possesses this talent.
Even the most unique Sun Breathing, Mizuki can use with effort, and the doors to all other Breathing Techniques are wide open for her.
The ability to master all Breathing Techniques, including Sun and Moon Breathing, in three years was something Kokushibou subconsciously overlooked.
Because in his eyes, only the Sun Breathing used by Yoriichi was worth paying attention to, yet Mizuki kept challenging his perception.
If Yoriichi was someone who was far ahead from the start, then Mizuki was someone who obediently followed behind when you didn't pay attention to her, only for you to suddenly realize she had inexplicably walked ahead of you when you finally focused on her.
The burning sensation from the scarlet blade made his neck almost unable to regenerate, but thankfully, that sensation was gradually fading.
Kokushibou furiously severed Mizuki's nichirin blade.
An ownerless nichirin blade is, in the end, nothing more than scrap metal.
The flesh on Kokushibou's neck slowly writhed and healed. Holding his demon blade, which was also slowly regenerating and extending, he walked slowly toward Mizuki.
"Cough, cough... Ugh..."
Mizuki collapsed miserably onto her knees, continuously spitting out thick, congested blood. Her vision blurred, her ears rang, and her mind was nearly blank.
I can't... My body has reached its limit.
A pair of blurry feet appeared before her eyes.
So it wasn't severed after all... The moment the thought surfaced in Mizuki's mind, the owner of the feet bent down, grabbed her neck, and lifted her entire body up.
Mizuki instinctively reached out and grabbed Kokushibou's arm, as if trying to ease her breathing slightly.
She could no longer clearly see the face of the person before her, only struggling unconsciously.
"Cough..." Blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, down her constricted throat, onto Kokushibou's fingers.
Her weak hands were barely resting on his arm. Seeing Mizuki, frail and covered in blood, the anger in Kokushibou's eyes did not subside.
He slightly tightened his grip, and Mizuki was like a dying goldfish in water, constantly spitting bloody foam from the corners of her mouth.
In a daze, a gentle voice seemed to echo in his ear.
'Elder Brother need not prove anything to anyone. I have always been proud of you, Elder Brother.'
Kokushibou's fingers subconsciously loosened their grip considerably... "Let go of Miss Mizuki!"
A sharp shout suddenly rang out from the side. Kokushibou turned his head and saw the Demon Slayer Corps swordsman who had previously fled now rushing toward him, angrily raising her nichirin blade.
Kokushibou, possessing the Transparent World, instantly saw the truth: Namiko was strong on the outside but weak on the inside. Her method of using angry shouts to mask her fear was ineffective.
Namiko had sent the Kasugai Crow away to deliver the message, but thinking that Miss Mizuki was still facing the demon, she forcibly suppressed her inner fear and turned back.
Perhaps Miss Mizuki had already defeated the demon.
She prayed this was the case.
But when she stepped through the doorway, she only saw the sight of Miss Mizuki about to be eaten by the demon.
Facing this terrifying demon, who stood at least 190 centimeters tall, every cell in Namiko's body screamed an alarm, constantly urging her.
Run!
Run!
That is not an enemy you can handle.
Even if you run away, Miss Mizuki won't blame you.
But she couldn't do it. It was supposed to be her mission, yet Miss Mizuki was bearing the consequences. What kind of situation was this?
Mizuki, in her dazed state, also heard the sharp shout and laboriously twisted her head.
A blurry figure rushed toward them, blade in hand. She opened her mouth but only managed a sound as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"Run..."
Mizuki had never felt this terrible before. Her whole body felt as if it were filled with lead, as if no part of it belonged to her, and her consciousness was fading.
Kokushibou stood calmly in place. As the distance closed, a sliver of hope rose in Namiko's heart.
At this distance... I can hit him!
"Water..."
...Her vision suddenly tilted. Namiko stared blankly ahead, her perspective now parallel to the ground.
Mizuki's eyes widened slightly, and the strength in her arms increased a little as she tried to break free.
But in the end, she had no strength left.
Kokushibou held Mizuki with one hand and calmly swung his demon blade with the other. A small branch extending from the blade hooked onto the back collar of Namiko's uniform, dragging her toward the house behind them.
"Let... let go of me!"
Namiko's terrified voice reached Mizuki's ears, making Mizuki feel relieved, yet simultaneously generating a sense of dread.
Inside the house, Namiko was casually tossed aside by Kokushibou. After rolling a few times on the ground, she struggled to escape.
Mizuki's eyes shifted slightly, allowing her to see Namiko's current state clearly.
Blood was oozing from Namiko's hands and feet, as if... her tendons and hamstrings had been severed. She was currently crawling desperately outward using her elbows and knees, her face filled with horror.
Mizuki spoke with difficulty: "What... what do you want to do?"
Kokushibou did not reply. He clearly understood that talking to Mizuki would only bring him displeasure.
She could always say things that broke his emotional defenses without changing her expression.
Kokushibou slightly tightened the hand clutching her neck, his fingernails piercing her skin like sharp knives.
"Ugh~"
Mizuki frowned deeply. She could clearly feel her life force rapidly draining from her body.
It didn't matter if she died.
But what about Namiko...? Kokushibou noticed her peripheral gaze toward Namiko. "At a time like this, you still have the mind to care about others?"
He was hesitating. He was hesitating whether or not to kill Mizuki.
Hearing Kokushibou's words, Mizuki straightened her gaze. Her eyes, as she looked at him, held no hatred, only pity.
Mizuki spoke with difficulty: "Michikatsu... cough, cough... One day, you will pay for the sins you have committed..."
Her voice suddenly cut off, her pupils instantly shrinking to pinpricks. Her mouth was open, but she couldn't make a sound.
Her body.
Something... entered.