Since today is a special day, here's three chapter for you!
Happy Holidays!
Disclaimer: Demon Slayer is not mine. This fanfic is a translation.
Enjoy Reading!
---
Kokushibo stood in the dust and mist that had been kicked up, his robes fluttering in the breeze.
His six golden eyes reflect light in the shadows.
The dust settled down, revealing the upper half of his body.
Kokushibo took a look at Kamado Tanjuro, focusing solely on him.
On his dark red haori...
The mark on his forehead...
Red hair...
And...
Those hanafuda earrings from his mother...
---
The two swordsmen stopped in their tracks as they assessed this new threat.
Kyojuro held his breath, his eyes serious, and his thumb moved for a better grip on his sword. His face was solemn as he looked into Kokushibo's eyes.
The black kanji in the golden pupils was so clear in the night.
[Rank][One]
He tightly gripped the hilt of his Nichirin blade, muscles tense as he readied himself.
'Compared to that demon before, this One... is significantly stronger.'
From his aura, his stance, his appearance, and that oppressive force weighing down on his shoulder, Kyojuro suspects that this Demon... is Upper Moon level.
At Rank One too. The Strongest of the Twelve Kizuki!
Kyojuro's sweat dripped down from his forehead to his chin. His eyes don't leave the figure for even one second, and he furiously thinks about countermeasures in his mind.
'The intelligence is wrong!'
'We need to evacuate all the people here! Retreat!'
"..."
Tanjuro straightened his back, locked down his emotion, and held the hilt of his Nichirin sword with his left hand.
He had mentally prepared for Muzan to send one of his best to hunt him down.
The image of Kokushibo was reflected in his deep red eyes.
Tanjuro's mouth twitched.
'Really, Muzan?'
'Oh, I'm just sending Kokushibo over for a chat. You guys are brothers, right?' Tanjuro imitated Muzan's voice in his head.
However, this was in line with Muzan's scummy behaviors.
Tanjuro took a deep breath and exhaled to calm himself down. He succeeded in deceiving Muzan because of Muzan's PTSD and cowardly nature.
But Kokushibo...
Yeah, Tanjuro had no confidence that he could fool him.
---
"You..." Kokushibo's hoarse voice reached everyone in the vicinity.
"You look a lot like him."
Kyojuro became more vigilant and prepared to move at any time hearing Kokushibo's words.
But he realized that Kokushibo's gaze was focused on Tanjuro beside him.
"Were you... talking to Tanjuro-san?"
Kokushibo ignored Kyojuro's query. He raised his arm and pointed with his index and middle fingers.
"You... You are not Him."
Blitzzz—!
!!
Kyojuro and Tanjuro felt the enormous pressure emanating from Kokushibo, and together, they dropped the stance and prepared themselves.
Tanjuro was not surprised that his 'cosplay' was seen through. After all, he was in front of one of the people who was familiar with Yoriichi in the whole world.
"Pathetic..."
Kokushibo noticed the similarities between Tanjuro and Yoriichi in his memory. He didn't know what emotions he was feeling right now.
Agitation? Anger? Joy? Envy?
His mouth was about to burst with cussed words.
But the words wouldn't leave the tip of his tongue, as if someone locked his lips so he couldn't say anything.
Perhaps...
At the bottom of his heart, he wouldn't say such vulgarity even to the 'memories' of Yoriichi.
Such feelings just ignited his endless hatred and anger in his heart.
Along with the greediest amount of envy.
—YoRiicHi!!—
Kokushibo's narrowed eyes looked at the wary Tanjuro and the way he held the hilt of his sword.
'Why? Even after Muzan-sama and I had hunted everyone related to the Sun Breathing...'
'WHy? You still leave a mark on the world, long after you've gone...'
'WHY!?'
Kokushibo's hands were twitching to slash at something.
Luckily for him, he has the perfect target.
Whoosh!
Kokushibo moved...
And only his afterimage remains.
!!!
Tanjuro's eyes barely see the slight motion Kokushibo made to draw his sword.
'I can't see it!'
Tanjuro scanned his surroundings but couldn't pinpoint his enemy's location.
"You... can't see?"
Kokushibo swung his blade and appeared on Tanjuro's side.
He doesn't execute a breathing technique, but simple probing. The eyes-covered blade slashes a perfect arc in the air.
Tanjuro reacted with everything he had and raised his Nichirin blade in his hand subconsciously to block the attack.
Crack!
Great tremor traveled from his wrist to his shoulder; Tanjuro felt the sword in his hand become lighter.
It was obvious because the Nichirin blade broke like glass after the clash. Every piece of the blade sprinkled down like rain.
Tanjuro immediately separates himself and draws out Kusabimaru.
He had no time to adjust and was forced to use a reverse grip and swung upward to block the incoming slash.
Clang!
Brilliant sparks burst from where the blades met, and this time, Kusabimaru held steady, unlike his Nichirin. Tanjuro uses both his hands to hold off Kokushibo.
He successfully blocked Kokushibo's attack.
'No!'
Tanjuro looked at Kokushibo's relaxed demeanor. In contrast, his own hands were trembling after just receiving two attacks.
'If this continues, I will die!'
Though, even if he dies, he can use the Dragon's Heritage power to resurrect himself.
But...
Tanjuro's eyes moved to Kyojuro's location, who had circled behind Kokushibo and was about to execute his breathing technique.
On the other side, Mitsuri was rushing over to them, bringing along the bomb she found.
In the time between his death and resurrection.
Everyone else will die.
Tanjuro wanted to live, at all costs.
He wants to spend time with Kie and his kids.
He had lived two full reincarnated lives, more than anyone on earth or in the universe ever deserved.
One lifetime was already exhausting, let alone three.
However, Muzan will not let him go after their encounter and will keep hunting him down. In the process, Tanjuro will inevitably die again and again.
Or being captured and experimented on.
Either way, both paths would require constant resurrection. Which means the people around him will be infected by Dragonrot.
Kie, Tanjiro, Nezuko...
They will all die slowly.
...
...
...
...
...
"That won't do!"
Chime!
Tanjuro used up all the resurrection power.
"Wha—" Kokushibo felt the sudden surge of vitality from the man in front of him.
The stunned Kokushibo couldn't make head or tail of why that was possible when the force resisting his blade increased.
Trang!
With a crisp sound of colliding metals and flying sparks, Kokushibo was parried away and was forced to retreat to observe the phenomenon that is Tanjuro.
"..that's a nice surprise."
Tanjuro murmured.
His body was rejuvenated with vitality by the resurrection energy.
His pale face turned warm and pinkish as his blood flowed smoothly all across his body. The muscles in his arms and legs became more taut and more durable.
His Demon Slayer Mark burned hotter and glowed like a live coal.
His crimson pupils take in Kokushibo's surprised expression.
More importantly,
The bar that appeared above Kokushibo's head and his own.
—The Posture Gauge.