"Uh... did I go to hell?"
"Such a strong guy..."
"Zenitsu... Inosuke..." Tears welled up in Tanjirou's eyes. He almost thought he was going to lose everyone.
Just as he was moved and about to hug them, someone suddenly tugged at his coat corner from behind.
Tanjirou looked back and saw Nezuko puffing out her cheeks, staring at him with a resentful expression.
Tanjirou froze for a moment, then frantically waved his hands: "I'm sorry, Big Brother didn't mean to forget you..."
On the other side, Suma awkwardly held Uzui Tengen's severed arm and looked at Mizuki: "That older sister... could you maybe..."
Before she could finish her sentence, the other two covered her mouth.
Makio glared at her: "Shh, idiot, don't speak."
Of course they also wanted Lord Tengen's arm reattached, but this person's expression looked terrible... It made sense, after losing so much blood, how could her complexion be good?
"Give it to me..." Mizuki shook her head, her face pale, and took the severed arm from Suma.
Uzui Tengen frowned: "Are you alright?"
"It was my oversight..." Mizuki lowered her eyelids, attached the severed arm to his shoulder, and silently began the repair process.
She had been too complacent.
Thinking that taking care of Upper Rank Three would be enough to cripple Muzan.
In Mizuki's eyes, Muzan was an idiot who possessed power but didn't know how to use it at all.
A villain who was useless except for his strength.
She hadn't expected Muzan to directly send Kokushibou over... No, she should have expected it. Given Muzan's fear of Yoriichi, anything was possible.
It was her fault.
Just as Mizuki was repairing Uzui Tengen's arm, a red light flashed across the ground.
Uzui Tengen and Tanjirou reacted first, looking up.
Two Flying Sickles, seemingly wrapped in bloody light, spun and flew toward them.
Tanjirou glanced at his companions, who were either still being treated or just recovering, gritted his teeth, and picked up his broken sword.
Boom!!
A purple Crescent Moon Slash instantly extinguished the red light.
Tanjirou looked over in astonishment, as Kokushibou calmly lowered his hand.
"Lord Kokushibou? What are you doing?" Gyuutarou's hoarse voice sounded in confusion from behind.
Kokushibou said flatly: "You don't need to know."
Daki, perched on Gyuutarou's back, said discontentedly: "Lord Muzan's order was to eliminate all of them..."
Kokushibou swept a cold glance over her, and Daki felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
This was not just suppression based on hierarchy, but suppression based on combat power itself.
Sweat dripped down Gyuutarou's cheek... "It's done." Mizuki retracted her hand.
Uzui Tengen's attention was completely off his arm now; he was staring at the demons with an astonished expression.
Mizuki swayed slightly, stood up, took a deep breath, and turned around while maintaining a calm expression.
Two people, ten eyeballs.
When the siblings stood in the same place again, nearly five hundred years had passed since their last meeting.
Mizuki suddenly remembered how she used to mock him as the Six-Eyed Lemon Freak, but now she felt unable to say it.
"Why?" Kokushibou was the first to speak.
Mizuki flexed her fingers: "Why what? That's what I should be asking."
"..." Kokushibou was silent for a moment: "You still remember that incident, but you were dying at the time. It was the only way to save you."
Mizuki touched the Demon Slayer Mark on her cheek: "I was going to die anyway."
Even without the lung issues, she wouldn't have lived past twenty-five after activating the Demon Slayer Mark.
"I was going to die, and you should have died too..."
They should have both died back in the Sengoku Period.
Tanjirou looked at Kokushibou with uncertainty and surprise, guessing his identity.
He almost thought this person was the older brother who created Sun Breathing with Miss Mizuki, but upon reflection, that person was named Yoriichi.
The demon just now also called out that name, so... is this someone else?
But the appearance is truly too similar... Mizuki had only told Kochou Shinobu about Michikatsu.
The intelligence on Kokushibou did not reveal their relationship.
So Tanjirou and the others were unaware.
Kokushibou fell silent again because of Mizuki's words. He didn't understand why Mizuki was so stubborn.
Just as Mizuki didn't understand: was defeating his younger brother truly that important?
Important enough that he was willing to abandon his identity as a human.
After more than four hundred years, the minds of the two had long become two non-intersecting paths.
"Handling the two guys next to him is up to you, is that alright?" Mizuki looked at Kokushibou and said flatly.
Uzui Tengen nodded firmly: "Yes, leave it to us."
He had already lost once to that monster; he didn't want to lose a second time.
Mizuki glanced at the broken sword in Tanjirou's hand, unclipped the Nichirin Blade from her waist, and threw it over: "Those two are Twin Demons; you need to cut off both their heads simultaneously for them to die."
"Be careful."
Tanjirou took the Nichirin Blade: "Miss Mizuki..."
Mizuki smiled slightly: "Didn't we already talk about this?"
"I would give you this sword once you mastered Sun Breathing."
"Now is the time."
She had wanted to give the sword to Tanjirou before, but he had refused, saying his own sword was still usable.
Tanjirou's mouth tasted bitter. If it had been before, maybe he would have shamelessly answered yes.
But now... has he truly mastered it?
Kokushibou looked at the Black Blade. Without a doubt, he remembered it, even after centuries.
That was Yoriichi's sword.
To actually give it to that brat... Kokushibou said flatly: "That brat isn't even one ten-thousandth of Yoriichi. Mizuki, you don't actually think this level of swordsmanship can defeat Lord Muzan, do you?"
"Your delusion is far too unrealistic."
Hearing those words, Tanjirou involuntarily tightened his grip on the hilt.
He couldn't refute it... "Targeting a child like that?" Mizuki curled her lips, her crimson eyes showing a hint of cold mockery, "What? Does seeing a swordsman who uses Sun Breathing make you so displeased?"
"Are you thinking of the embarrassing times when you never won against Yoriichi?"
"You're still exactly the same as before..."
"The scent of jealousy is truly teeth-grindingly sour."
It must be said, this was Kokushibou's biggest insecurity. Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Mizuki's words inevitably broke through his defenses.
Kokushibou maintained a calm expression: "Your mouth is still as sharp as it used to be."
"Are you angry? The way you're struggling to maintain a calm expression is hilarious." Mizuki sneered, "Your tone sped up, you Slowpoke Old Man."
As a samurai from the Sengoku Period, Kokushibou displayed the demeanor of a superior, both in terms of etiquette and speech.
His pauses were longer when speaking, but his articulation was very clear.
Everyone: "..."
This person has a vicious mouth.
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