Episode 277: Enlightenment! THE ULTIMATE BREATHING STYLE SWORDSMANSHIP—SUN BREATHING, THIRTEENTH FORM!!
『 He could now grasp every movement on the battlefield, just as he did when fighting Kokushibo.
BANG—!
Himejima's heart trembled violently; the sight before him left him stunned.
Himejima's gaze peered beneath the surface, directly into Muzan's inner structure.
This guy… he actually had so many hearts; it was simply incredible!
Now, Himejima finally understood why Muzan was so powerful.
Because of this near-abnormal body structure, even being decapitated wouldn't necessarily be fatal.
Not only that… his brain and hearts weren't fixed; they were constantly shifting inside his body. This meant…
If you couldn't pinpoint their exact locations, it was difficult to deal a fatal blow, and such an attack would have to be executed simultaneously.
Himejima's brain raced, but he couldn't figure out how to defeat Muzan.
If only… if only others could see these vital points inside Muzan, they could coordinate and attack all twelve critical spots at once…
Even if it were just a try.
Realizing this, Himejima immediately shouted to those beside him:
"Quick, look at Muzan's body!"
Everyone was a carefully selected powerhouse, an undisputed master.
Hearing Himejima's words, Obanai immediately widened his eyes, searching for that unique sensation.
Suddenly, his body also trembled.
Sure enough, in that instant, Muzan's body became transparent, and the complex organs were clearly visible.
Just as Himejima was happily preparing to organize an attack, a strong tremor came from the street, scaring a logistics member into peeking out at the battle.
But…
In the center of the street, only Muzan stood unscathed, that…
Where did the others and the Hashira go?
The members looked around, their bodies trembling violently…
They saw all the Hashira smashed against the walls, bleeding, motionless.
Now, everyone lay in a pool of blood, their fate unknown…
Kanao suddenly raised her head, blood in her mouth, murmuring:
"Too fast… It's just too fast!"
Everyone present hadn't expected that after such a long battle, Muzan's speed could still increase so drastically, catching everyone off guard.
At this moment, only Kanao was left kneeling on the ground; her injuries were too severe to stand.
Looking at the monster approaching step by step, Kanao was filled with frustration.
Frustration! True frustration!
To see her sisters sacrifice themselves and the enemy standing right there, yet she was powerless.
She wanted to fight to the end like Shinobu, but no matter how much she willed it, her body wouldn't move.
Muzan walked up to Kanao and raised his long whip high, swinging it down.
It was… too late…
Kanao closed her eyes tightly, quietly waiting for death.
At this moment, "Sun Breathing: Beneficent Radiance—!!"
A figure descended from the sky, launching a spinning attack on Muzan from above.
The blade burned like fire on Muzan's body. Looking at the wound on his hand, Muzan found himself unable to heal for a moment.
Regaining his senses, Tanjiro had already picked up Kanao and placed her beside the logistics members.
The heavily injured Kanao saw Tanjiro before her, tears rolling down her face, mumbling:
"Tanjiro…"
Tanjiro comforted her with a gentle tone:
"I'm sorry…"
"I'm late…"
"Then… I'll leave her to you."
Tanjiro turned around; only one human and one demon remained on the battlefield.
"Oh? Hmph, how ugly!"
"You can't even tell the difference… who is the real demon?"
"Kamado… Tanjiro!"
Muzan's mocking words pierced Tanjiro, who still had raw, unhealed flesh on his face.
Although Muzan spoke lightly, that long-lost sense of disgust made him feel as if he were seeing someone else.
Tanjiro was expressionless, saying faintly:
"Come, let's end this, Muzan Kibutsuji!"
Tanjiro seemed reborn, but his attitude, unlike his usual self, made Muzan uneasy.
Just what… had he experienced! 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Umaru Doma (Himouto): "He, he must have learned something before to have this kind of aura." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "So powerful, it's completely different from what we saw before." ]
[ Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer): "Is this really me?" ]
[ Kamado Tanjiro (Demon Slayer): "If it didn't look just like me, I wouldn't believe it was me." ]
[ .....]
〜Oregairu World〜
Service Club—
Yukino watched the two in the video; now, she couldn't tell who was the good guy, or rather, what could be considered a good guy.
In their world, there were no demons or ghosts; the most ordinary daily life was already enough to suffocate them.
A traditional girl, unable to accept such things, once thought these were things that only happened in games, but now they had fallen into reality, even if it wasn't her own world.
Yukino Yukinoshita couldn't accept it… couldn't accept the sharp lies.
If that's the case, what's the difference between this and a wolf in sheep's clothing? Since there are hidden dangers, there will be accidents, and who knows, one day they might also become perpetrators.
In her eyes, Tanjiro was no different from Muzan right now.
After all, it was just a difference in stance, and it would be the same in the future. Since the stances were different, there would always be perpetrators and victims.
Hachiman Hikigaya, looking at Yukino who was constantly sighing, knew very well that there was basically nothing that could change her; in her heart, she was always correct.
But… Hachiman saw her confusion.
"It's never the flesh that distinguishes humans from demons, but conviction. Even if saying this might make people feel like they're watching some chuunibyou anime, it's the truth."
"Only when you have something to protect does it not matter what you become. You are the same."
For Hachiman, who was always playing games and reading books, this wouldn't refresh his worldview; after all, this kind of thing was in his field of expertise.
"You say… I would want to protect something and change myself."
Yukino looked seriously at the man with dead fish eyes, her large, blinking eyes seeming to urge him to answer.
Hachiman awkwardly scratched the back of his head; how could he possibly know what that woman wanted to protect?
Asking such a question was just making things difficult for him…
—
『 And just a short time before what was on the screen…
The scene from Tanjiro's last unconsciousness gradually surfaced in his mind.
In the dream, Tanjiro experienced the same scene repeatedly, thousands of times already.
Even in the dream, Tanjiro understood that this was a situation he couldn't control.
But even so, he paid very careful attention to every detail, whether it was the angle of Yoriichi's arm, the rhythm of his steps, or the subtle differences in breathing; all these allowed him to realize how much redundant movement he had.
He… still had many areas to improve.
Yoriichi was a particularly steady and simple person.
At that time, Suyako had requested a few times, hoping to see his exquisite swordsmanship with her own eyes, and the warm-hearted Yoriichi immediately demonstrated it.
And Tanjiro's ancestor, Sumiyoshi, who was watching from the side, memorized every subtle detail.
The Sun Breathing before him was not only an incredible technique but also as beautiful as a painting when wielded.
Yoriichi, who controlled these techniques, no longer seemed like an ordinary person at that moment, but more like some sacred existence.
This was probably why Sun Breathing was passed down from generation to generation under the name Kagura.
Suyako and the children were very happy after watching the performance, their faces beaming with bright smiles; as for Yoriichi, he seemed a bit shy, slightly lowering his head.
The whole family enthusiastically said they hoped Yoriichi could visit often. However, before leaving, Yoriichi took off his earrings and gave them to Sumiyoshi.
At that moment, Sumiyoshi realized that perhaps after this parting, Yoriichi would never return.
Watching that lonely back gradually moving away, Tanjiro in the dream couldn't help but shed tears.
He wanted to say something, but in this dream, he couldn't control his actions.
Not long after, he only heard Sumiyoshi cry out with a tearful voice:
"Yoriichi!"
"We will continue to protect everything you cherish!"
"Your life was not lived in vain!"
"Please don't think you are worthless! No one can accuse you of that!"
"I promise! Your earrings and Sun Breathing will be preserved by us forever!"
Hearing this, Yoriichi, who was walking far ahead, felt a shock in his heart and immediately stopped.
Then... he revealed that rare but heartfelt smile...
"Thank you!"
At the last moment, Yoriichi kept waving goodbye to Sumiyoshi's family.
At this moment, Tanjiro couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
"Yoriichi... actually, I should be the one thanking you for protecting our ancestors!"
"If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be able to live in this world at all."
"Thanks to your trust back then, Tamayo was able to live until now and fight against Muzan with the Demon Slayer Corps, pushing him into a desperate situation. Your swordsmanship allowed me to learn the Sun Breathing and the Hinokami Kagura, enabling me to duel with Muzan until now."
"Even after hundreds of years, the Sun Breathing and the twelve forms of swordsmanship are still passed down."
"Dance, Clear Blue Sky, Raging Sun, Fake Rainbow, Fire Wheel, Burning Bones, Summer Sun, Sunflower Thrust, Solar Heat Haze, Setting Sun Transformation, Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance, Beneficent Radiance, and Flame Dance."
"At that time, there were twelve forms you demonstrated, but I have always been curious about what the thirteenth form mentioned by the Flame Hashira was."
"Now I realize that the first and last forms, Dance and Flame Dance, sound very similar. My father once told me that mastering the correct breathing method allows one to dance until dawn. Now observing Muzan's body structure, I am even more certain....."
"The so-called thirteenth form of swordsmanship is to use the twelve forms of Sun Breathing in a cycle, forming a complete reincarnation."
Muzan launched an attack, and Tanjiro lightly swung his sword; the huge flames instantly reduced the opponent's tentacles to ashes.
Tanjiro knew very well that the most important thing now was to find a chance to attack while dodging, continuously performing these forms from Dance to Flame Dance, slashing at Muzan's internal brain and hearts without stopping, until the sun rose.
Although this sounded unbelievable and might plunge him into unprecedented despair, he didn't have the brilliant mind of Yoriichi or his father.
More importantly... with his current physical condition, whether he could hold out until dawn was an unknown. If Muzan planned to run away, all his efforts might be in vain.
Now, Tanjiro finally understood why the previous Flame Hashira lost confidence. The image of the previous Flame Hashira emerged in his mind.
Questions kept emerging in his heart...
Can I really complete… the task that even Yoriichi couldn't complete back then?
But no matter how many difficulties there are, I must do my best!
Never retreat! Never fall!
Let the heart burn!
Muzan revealed a ferocious face, waving his long whips and attacking again. At this moment, Tanjiro was no longer the weak person he used to be.
He had now fully mastered the twelve forms of the Sun Breathing, and coupled with the ability to see through the world, he faced Muzan without any fear. 』
『 .....』
〜Dimensional livestream, Chat Room〜
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "Now, he has also fully learned the skills of the strongest swordsman from the past." ]
[ Keqing (Genshin Impact): "And, the opponent's will." ]
[ March 7th (Honkai: Star Rail): "No wonder, he would have this kind of expression." ]
[ Tsugikuni Yoriichi (Demon Slayer): "This time, it will definitely be resolved; we cannot let the next generation worry about this matter anymore." ]
[ Muzan Kibutsuji (Demon Slayer): "…." ]
[ .....]
〜Demon Slayer World〜
Infinity Castle—
"Impossible!"
The Demon King Muzan looked at the boy on the screen, unable to believe it.
"How is it possible, just a stinking brat, how could he learn that guy's swordsmanship? In that world, there is no such thing as a live stream, yet he could actually learn it! When I dealt with that family, I actually left behind such a big scourge."
"Lord, should we take advantage of this time to go?"
A demon below suggested fearfully.
But before he finished speaking, he exploded on the spot.
"Trash, that swordsman from the past has been revived, what is the use now?"
Demon King Muzan's words were filled with anger.
Although he said that, he didn't know how to escape now either.
He could only take this live stream as an opportunity to watch what his future ending was like while everyone else was watching.
Then, decide where to escape next.
Meanwhile.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was still watching the live stream while searching for the Infinity Castle.
All this, Muzan might not even know.
That someone could actually watch a live stream while on the way.
—
『 In the screen, on the battlefield, Muzan saw this familiar swordsmanship and expression, and the figure of Yoriichi came to his mind again. He couldn't help but shout:
"This annoying ghost!"
He angrily accelerated, and the whips flying from all around still hit Tanjiro hard.
Tanjiro quickly adjusted his stance, finally understanding why everyone had been defeated just now.
It turned out… eight tubes extended from the side of his thighs, and these tubes were much faster than the nine behind his back and those on his arms.
These were the things that were Muzan's real killing move.
Being able to crush the entire Demon Slayer Corps with astonishing speed made Tanjiro even more cautious.
Muzan could change the shape of his body at will; if one thought he was just standing still, one would be attacked from unexpected angles.
There was no time to think of a countermeasure; Muzan had launched an offensive again.
Tanjiro slammed his feet on the ground, the ground beneath his feet instantly cracked into a pit, and then he rushed forward, wielding his Nichirin sword.
"SUN BREATHING, DANCE—!"
"SUN BREATHING, RAGING SUN—!"
"SUN BREATHING, FIRE WHEEL—!"
The Nichirin sword kept cutting off Muzan's tentacles. At this moment, Tanjiro felt very lucky.
Sure enough… sure enough, they could be connected; they were designed this way.
Should be correct… Yoriichi.
This time, I will string all twelve skills together!
At this moment, whether it was the technique or the fearless attitude in spirit, the current Tanjiro reproduced Yoriichi's heroic posture.
However, Muzan showed a trace of a smile.
He knew very well that any creature that had experienced the edge of life and death would become stronger. The changes in their bodies would awaken many sensations and powers that were usually not used. Unless they opened that almost impossible door, they would only face death.
Therefore, even though the current Tanjiro did not have the help of his sister's demon blood art, his sword had turned crimson, so he must have opened that door when he was approaching the abyss of death. 』
『 .....』