Chapter 64 The Emerging Marks!
Bang!
With a single clash, Tomioka Giyu distinctly felt a sharp pain in his wrist, but he couldn't stop now!
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
After several sword clashes, Tomioka Giyu finally managed to wound Kokushibo, but he also sustained several injuries himself.
"Excellent! You have grasped the essence of Water Breathing to its Peak. In you, I see the shadow of an old acquaintance."
"How nostalgic. He was just like you..."
Bang!
Before he finished speaking, Kokushibo delivered a heavy strike, forcing Tomioka Giyu back.
"However, he never defeated me."
"Moon Breathing, Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing!"
Watching the two crescent moon blades and the scattered smaller crescent moons, Tomioka Giyu's eyes didn't blink, and his breathing grew heavier and heavier.
Hiss— Whoosh—
The next second, as the moon blades and crescent moons reached a certain distance, Tomioka Giyu, with extreme speed, unleashed several consecutive strikes, forcefully creating a defensive net in front of him!
Once the attack ended, Tomioka Giyu didn't stop for a moment, leaping high into the air as a deep blue surge of water erupted from his blade.
"Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!"
Bang!
Kokushibo still easily blocked it, but he thought to himself, 'His body temperature and heart rate are both rising. Could it be...'
Just as Kokushibo thought.
Without hesitation, fighting without holding back, and under such high pressure,
Tomioka Giyu's talent once again underwent an Awakening, entering the pre-demon slayer mark state!
Tomioka Giyu felt every cell in his body exhilarating.
This was the excitement of facing an enemy far superior to himself, and also the excitement of no longer needing to hold back or consider other factors!
Like in the Flower District, he had too many things to consider, so much so that he couldn't go all out to kill Gyutaro and the others.
If he had truly done that, he might have felt satisfied, but what about the future?
If Tanjiro hadn't Awakened his demon slayer mark, the Demon Slayer Corps would have been doomed.
But now it was different; no external factors interfered with him. Tomioka Giyu had only one thing on his mind: to win!
Seeing Tomioka Giyu in this state, a smile appeared on Kokushibo's face.
"How similar. I, too, was once like this, activating my demon slayer mark at the brink of death..."
Bang, bang, bang, bang—
Tomioka Giyu, pressing forward, swung his blade faster and more precisely.
But Kokushibo remained unhurried, delivering another heavy blow that sent Tomioka Giyu flying!
At this point, Kokushibo did not pursue, but spoke with a tone of regret.
"demon slayer mark swordsmen, without exception, all pass away before reaching the age of 25."
"Even if activating the demon slayer mark greatly enhances one's power, it merely means prematurely depleting one's lifespan."
"Don't you find it a great pity for a Breathing Style honed to its Peak, and such exquisite swordsmanship, to vanish from this world?"
A Water Dragon roared out from his blade, and Tomioka Giyu answered Kokushibo with his actions.
"No matter what, I will never become that fellow Muzan's Puppet!"
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
Looking at the surging Water Dragon, Kokushibo stood still, continuing to speak.
"As long as you transform into a demon, your body and techniques can last forever. Why do you all not understand this principle?"
No sooner had he spoken than a large-scale circular moon blade erupted without warning around Kokushibo, forming a spiraling vortex of moon blades.
"Moon Breathing, Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Vortex!"
After a single strike, Tomioka Giyu was pushed back half a meter, but the Water Dragon did not disappear. Just as he was about to continue his assault,
Kokushibo's speed was even faster, and his Move had already been unleashed.
"It's over!"
"Moon Breathing, Sixth Form: Endless Night, Solitary Moon!"
Gazing at the irregular moon blade barrage now within arm's reach, Tomioka Giyu clearly felt the approach of death.
'I… I can't dodge it. I can't even defeat Kokushibo's First Form…'
[Giyu, if in our generation, we can truly eliminate all demons...]
[Could you say those words to me again?]
"Shinobu!"
Tomioka Giyu's pupils constricted. When the chaotic moon blade barrage reached him, it instantly shattered!
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm!"
Kokushibo did not continue to unleash his sword technique, but instead stared at Tomioka Giyu and said in a deep voice,
"Hmph, so you've activated your demon slayer mark."
Yes, on Tomioka Giyu's left cheek, deep blue wavy patterns had appeared; the demon slayer mark had finally been activated.
"Now it's round two, Kokushibo!"
Before he finished speaking, Tomioka Giyu clenched his right hand tightly, instantly ambushing Kokushibo.
But Kokushibo, who possessed the Transparent World, would not be fazed by such speed.
Bang!
This collision made a flicker of surprise flash in Kokushibo's eyes. When his blade touched Tomioka Giyu's blade, it was actually repelled!
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
Pfft—
Kokushibo was struck again, but this time, he felt a burning, searing pain from the wound!
"Red Blade?"
Indeed, Tomioka Giyu had activated his Red Blade after a long time!
Or rather, this time, the Red Blade was truly activated.
The previous instances were merely forced activations, with negligible effect.
After all, activating it greatly depleted the strength in his wrist, allowing him to swing at most twice before reaching his limit.
One must know, the premise for the Red Blade to be powerful is to hit the opponent. If you can't even hit them, what's the point of expending so much energy?
But now it was different. After activating his demon slayer mark, Tomioka Giyu could activate his Red Blade by gripping his sword with full strength, and more importantly, his wrist wouldn't lose strength.
Tomioka Giyu didn't stop; waves surged wildly around him, a tsunami was about to strike!
"Water Breathing Style, Twelfth Form: Stilling Waves!"
Bang, bang, bang—
Facing this, Kokushibo casually tossed his clothes aside and said calmly,
"Very well. If I don't go all out, it would be disrespectful!"
As he spoke, Kokushibo's blade had already lengthened, and at the same time, blades of varying sizes grew outward from the entire sword body.
"Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon Dragon Wheel Tail!!"
As Kokushibo swung his blade, an incredibly massive moon blade utterly destroyed the dozens of Water Pillars that crashed down!
And that wasn't all; the residual shockwave of the enormous moon blade, still potent, swept directly towards Tomioka Giyu!
Tomioka Giyu's pupils constricted slightly. At the crucial moment, he slid forward, narrowly dodging the edge of the massive moon blade.
Immediately after, using the inertia to rise, he instantly burst forward at extreme speed, closing in on Kokushibo, just as he had said.
If he couldn't get close to Kokushibo, the effect of the Red Blade would be zero.
But how could Kokushibo let him have his way? When Tomioka Giyu charged to within two or three meters of Kokushibo, a ground-splitting crescent moon slash, detached from his hand, shot forth!
"Moon Breathing, Seventh Form: Calamitous Mirror, Moon Reflection!"
Although Tomioka Giyu drew his sword to block, intending to withstand this blow and get closer to Kokushibo,
Reality slapped him hard in the face!
[ Hello fellas, hope you guys are enjoying the fic.
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