But Takeo was fast. Kokushibo had seen it clearly.

That strange ability of his—something beyond a Breathing Technique, almost akin to a demon's power—granted him incredible speed.

If Kokushibo targeted Takeo directly, he would likely evade the strike.

But… if the attack was aimed at someone else?

With Takeo's personality, he wouldn't dodge. He would throw himself into harm's way to protect others.

In an instant, Kokushibo formulated his strategy. He raised his evolved blade once more and launched another attack—this time, striking at both of them simultaneously.

Moon Breathing, Tenth Form—

Three massive crescent-shaped slashes, followed by a storm of crescent blades raining from the sky, came crashing down toward the heads of both Kyojuro and Takeo!

The two men each unleashed their most powerful techniques, but in that critical moment, they both failed to notice the blade aimed directly at Kyojuro—hidden beneath the veil of crescent moonlight.

The grotesque, eye-covered blade pierced straight toward Kyojuro's chest, cloaked by the swirling arcs of moonlight.

Kyojuro didn't see it coming.

But Takeo did.

No—Kokushibo wanted him to see it.

Without hesitation, without even a moment's thought, Takeo suppressed his instinctive fear of death. Activating [Overclocking], he instantly flashed to Kyojuro's side and shoved him out of harm's way.

Pchhk!

The grotesque blade stabbed through Takeo's body, its bloody tip still a short distance from emerging out his back.

Even so, Takeo felt a flicker of relief—if he had chosen to stand in front of Kyojuro instead of pushing him aside, both of them would've been skewered like candied fruit on a stick.

"!!"

Only then did Kyojuro realize what had happened. As he was pushed aside and saw Takeo's body impaled, his expression darkened, solemn and heavy.

Yet even in that state, Takeo did not relent.

With a roar of determination, he dropped one of his Nichirin swords and grabbed hold of Kokushibo's wrist with his free hand. In his remaining hand, he wielded the Sun Blade, its edge glowing with a faint, burning white light.

Kokushibo instinctively tried to pull his arm back—but found that he couldn't. His expression shifted slightly, and for the first time, a sliver of true seriousness crept into his six eyes as he looked at Takeo.

Takeo grinned, blood dripping from his lips, and met that gaze head-on.

"I learned it from you."

Previously, Kokushibo had used the muscles in his neck to trap Takeo's blades, preventing him from drawing them. If Kyojuro hadn't arrived in time, Takeo might have lost both his hands.

And now, Takeo returned the favor—using his own body as a shackle to bind his opponent. He wrapped his arm around Kokushibo's blade and used his left hand to grip Kokushibo's sword-wielding wrist, locking him in place and halting his escape—if only for a moment.

Then…

[Charged Attack]. [Overclocking]. [Shock Wave].

Takeo unleashed everything at once—layering each ability onto his strike.

Fusing these techniques with the Breathing Style tailored to his body, the Sun Blade in his right hand erupted with energy—and the silhouette of a massive wolf surged into view!

But unlike the fiery wolf from the Sixth Form, this wolf exuded pure majesty and overwhelming dominance. Countless wind blades converged into its form, forming a truly awe-inspiring presence…

The Wolf King!

Ninth Form—!

Takeo gritted his teeth and swung the blade toward Kokushibo's exposed neck.

—Wolf King!!!

Shhhk!

The blade cleaved into Kokushibo's neck—and this time, it dug deep.

The demon's defense... had been broken!

"!!!"

Kokushibo, who hadn't been struck on the neck in a long time, couldn't help but feel surprised in that moment.

He could clearly sense the life of the red-haired boy in front of him slipping away, yet at the last second, the boy had unleashed his potential and launched an attack powerful enough to threaten him!

A flicker of emotion passed through Kokushibo's eyes. He looked at the boy roaring ferociously, and a trace of displeasure rose in his heart.

Humans… are sometimes like this.

So weak that anything can kill them—yet in times of crisis, they burst forth with irrational strength.

It was the same in the past, and it is the same now.

Kokushibo had witnessed many Hashira unleash everything in battle, breaking past their limits. But it was all in vain… no matter how far those Hashira pushed beyond their boundaries, it was ultimately meaningless.

It had always been that way. And the boy before him was no different…

Feeling the pressure on his neck, Kokushibo tensed the muscles there in resistance.

At the same time, he twisted his right hand, and the branches extending from his blade tore through the boy's internal organs.

Just as Kokushibo made that move, Kyojuro—engulfed in flames—charged straight at him from the other side!

Flame Breathing, Ninth Form—!

The raging flames almost lit up the entire sky. And the blade within those flames, carrying a force no weaker than that of the Wolf King—perhaps even stronger—came crashing down on the opposite side of Kokushibo's neck!

—Rengoku!!

"!"

Kyojuro's strike was even fiercer than Takeo's.

As someone who had become a Hashira long ago, Kyojuro had far more experience dealing with powerful foes than Takeo.

The fiery red Sun Blade cut into Kokushibo's neck, contrasting sharply with the grey-green Sun Blade striking from the other side.

Invisible air currents swirled around them, intensifying Kyojuro's fury, and both men roared in unison:

"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

Pouring every ounce of strength into their blades, the two now had only one goal—to sever Kokushibo's neck!

If Kokushibo had remained motionless, he might truly have been beheaded by the combined assault.

But unfortunately…

Dawn was fast approaching, and Kokushibo had no intention of remaining entangled with them.

In the blink of an eye, Kokushibo vanished from between them.

His speed far outmatched that of the two younger warriors. If he chose to flee, there was no one who could stop him.

"!"

Seeing his strike miss, Kyojuro froze for a moment—then immediately turned to look at Takeo.

He remembered that Takeo had locked Kokushibo's blade with his body… had grabbed hold of him with both hands…

With that thought flashing through his mind, Kyojuro turned to look at Takeo—and his breath nearly stopped.

Takeo was still standing there, but the blade—and the flesh that should have been between his chest and abdomen—had vanished.

From the front, one could see a gaping hole in his body, visible even from behind. It was clear that all of his internal organs had been severely damaged.

The left hand that had been gripping Kokushibo's arm was gone, blood spurting from the stump. Takeo's eyes had lost their light, and he stood frozen in place—like a corpse still upright.

_________

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