Kokushibou's body, which had clearly been decapitated, moved as expected.
The flesh at his neck had rapidly regenerated, and the blood had congealed.
He was swinging his massive demon blade towards Tanjirou.
A bead of cold sweat appeared on Tanjirou's forehead.
At this distance, his head would be cut off by Kokushibou before he could smash Kokushibou's head.
Moreover, Tanjirou couldn't even guarantee that smashing Kokushibou's head would definitely stop him from regenerating completely.
At this moment, a hint of regret appeared in Tanjirou's heart.
Too reckless.
"Tanjirou!" Everyone could only watch as the massive body brought its demon blade down on Tanjirou, as if they were about to witness the loss of a friend.
Inosuke and Zenitsu forcefully moved. Golden lightning erupted from Zenitsu's body as he tried to unleash Thunder God once more.
But at this position and distance, it was already too late.
A gust of wind rustled Tanjirou's hair, and Mizuki's back appeared in his sight.
Tanjirou let out a long breath and looked down. The Nichirin Blade in his Hand smoothly pierced through Kokushibou's head.
Kokushibou's cheek was pierced. He stared with wide eyes at Mizuki, who stood behind Tanjirou, blocking the attack for him.
Just a little more... Mizuki was about to speak when the Physical Body of Kokushibou she was blocking suddenly increased its force.
As expected, just stabbing through the head was not enough to kill him.
Mizuki had never underestimated Kokushibou. Although he wasn't the strongest, whether as a human or a demon, his power was still not to be ignored.
Kokushibou's severed neck, which had stopped regenerating, now wriggled incessantly, as if another head was about to grow from his neck.
"Young Miss Mizuki!" Seeing this, Tanjirou was at a loss for what to do.
A head could grow back from the neck. This was an even more powerful existence than Upper Rank Three they encountered on the Mugen Train.
What to do!
If even decapitation with a Nichirin Blade couldn't kill him, wouldn't he be another Muzan?
Everyone else's expressions also turned grim.
Undying after decapitation meant all their efforts just now were in vain.
Even if they chopped him into pieces, he could still regenerate completely.
In comparison, they didn't have enough Hands to deal with such a monster.
Dragging Muzan until dawn was already an unimaginable task.
Just as everyone was at a loss, Mizuki suddenly said, "You guys go first."
"Head in that direction, Muzan is over there." Mizuki looked in one direction.
"Eh? But..." Kochou Shinobu hesitated.
"Leave this place to me." Mizuki blocked Kokushibou's constantly restless body and calmly said, "There's no point in getting entangled here any longer."
Everyone naturally understood Mizuki's meaning, but leaving just one Clone here simply couldn't stop Kokushibou.
With the regeneration speed of that body, the outline of a head was already forming. It would probably only take two or three minutes for him to regenerate completely.
Finally, Himejima Gyomei made a decision.
"Let's go." With that, he was the first to put away his weapon and turned to leave.
Seeing this, everyone else could only follow.
Kochou Shinobu hesitated for a moment, nodded slightly to Mizuki, and then left.
Tanjirou, still worried, exhorted, "Young Miss Mizuki, be careful."
Mizuki watched them leave, ignoring the restless Physical Body in front of her. She turned and sat down before Kokushibou, gently placing her palm on his face, and softly said:
"Isn't that enough!"
Kokushibou just stared at her, still unwilling to admit defeat.
Mizuki looked down at him with a heavy heart: "How much more trouble do you want to cause me...?"
"Do you remember what I said before?" Mizuki lowered her head, her voice very calm, "Whether it's Yoriichi or Michikatsu, they are both my proud older brothers."
Mizuki... A trace of hesitation and pain flashed across Kokushibou's face, making him look particularly conflicted.
"Kokushibou! What are you doing?! If you can move, quickly stop them!" Muzan's cold command echoed in his mind.
Kokushibou's Physical Body walked towards Mizuki, raising the cry of emptiness in his Hand, about to bring it down.
"I still remember the past. I've kept that flute very well..." Mizuki said, subconsciously reaching into her embrace, then belatedly realizing she was just a Clone.
Mizuki paused, then continued, "I've actually always known that you became a demon for me."
"I just couldn't quite accept the fact that I was still alive."
"I'm sorry, it's all because of me."
Hearing this, Kokushibou's eyes trembled slightly, and his heart wavered.
The tall figure behind Mizuki began to struggle.
Memories surged like a spring.
That's right.
He didn't just become a demon and live until now simply to surpass Yoriichi.
What he originally wanted, what he wanted, was to save Mizuki.
He had seen enough of his sister being tormented by illness every day, his sister writhing in bed from pain in the middle of the night.
He wanted to bring his sister back from the brink of death.
He should have thought that way.
Kokushibou looked at Mizuki, his lips moving slightly: "Mizuki..."
"Am I a qualified older brother?"
Mizuki gently stroked his cheek: "Of course, you are my favorite older brother."
"Kokushibou!! You bastard!!! Are you not even listening to me?!"
Kokushibou ignored the angry, questioning voice in his mind and gently closed his eyes.
'An older brother doesn't need to prove himself to anyone. I've always been proud of my older brother.'
'Whether it's older brother or Brother Yoriichi, in my eyes, they are both unique existences.'
'I will regard this flute gifted by my older brother as my older brother...'
As two youthful and gentle voices sounded in his mind, Kokushibou's consciousness gradually plunged into darkness.
Sorry... Mizuki, Yoriichi... His head, which had been pierced by Tanjirou but had already regenerated, developed cracks on its cheeks.
Seeing this, Mizuki's heart tightened, and she instinctively cried out, "Older brother..."
On Kokushibou's body, the fleshy lump that had already taken on the outline of a head withered away.
Soon, his tall body turned to dust and scattered... Mizuki sat in a daze for a while before picking up the bag containing the flute from Michikatsu's scattered ashes and gently opening it.
Inside lay two broken wooden flutes.
Mizuki stared blankly at the flutes, once again sitting motionless in place.
"Sorry... I lied to you again."
She actually hated him the most.
This older brother who betrayed them.
This older brother who killed too many innocent people.
She merely felt that decapitation could no longer restrain Michikatsu, so she tried to attack his heart.
Why... why was she convinced so easily... What 'proud of older brother'... it sounded so fake... She herself almost got goosebumps from saying it... Tears streamed down Mizuki's cheeks.
She should have been happy, having solved such a big problem, so why couldn't she stop crying.
bastard! Didn't they say emotions would fade after becoming a demon?
Could the blood that bastard Muzan gave her be of poor quality?
Mizuki looked up at the giant cocoon in mid-air.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"