Kokushibo's calm and almost gentle gaze made Gyokko feel even more uneasy.
"Answer me," Kokushibo said quietly. "Who exactly is blind?"
Gyokko stiffened immediately.
Without hesitation, he shut the grotesque eyes embedded within his face and instead opened the two mouths located where his eyes should have been.
"L-Lord Kokushibo… I-I do not possess eyes! Those are merely organs for appreciation and breathing!"
Kokushibo ignored the absurd explanation entirely.
His six eyes shifted toward the distant battlefield where the Demon Slayer Corps continued fighting Hantengu's clones.
"Gyokko," he asked flatly, "do you believe Hantengu will lose?"
Gyokko hurriedly shook his head.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
"Hantengu-sama's Blood Demon Art is far too troublesome. Even Akaza-dono would struggle to kill him completely!"
And honestly
Gyokko was right.
Hantengu's true strength did not lie in direct combat ability.
It lay in survival.
As long as his tiny main body remained hidden, his cloned manifestations could continue fighting endlessly.
And if pushed far enough
Those emotions could even merge into something stronger.
Kokushibo silently observed the exhausted Hashira battling across the ruined district and sighed inwardly.
"…They encountered the Upper Ranks too early."
Because the Demon Slayer Corps had not yet experienced the battle against Gyutaro and Daki, they still lacked a true understanding of how monstrous the Upper Rank demons really were.
Meanwhile, Hantengu's true body had already hidden itself safely within the shadows while his emotion clones overwhelmed the battlefield.
"What kind of demon is this?!" Tengen shouted while avoiding Karaku's devastating gusts of wind.
"Why doesn't it die after decapitation?!"
The fan-wielding clone laughed cheerfully while unleashing another violent shockwave.
Tengen could not block such attacks directly and was forced to evade repeatedly.
Elsewhere, Giyu Tomioka was also under heavy pressure.
Aizetsu's spear techniques attacked relentlessly from impossible angles, forcing Giyu to continuously use Water Breathing footwork to survive.
Although he avoided fatal injuries, his stamina was rapidly draining.
Muichiro's situation was no better.
Urogi remained airborne constantly, making him extremely difficult to reach.
The winged clone grinned wildly.
"Hehehe! Let me sing for you!"
A horrifying sonic scream erupted from his mouth.
The soundwaves blasted across the battlefield.
Muichiro narrowly dodged the direct attack, but the vibrations still struck him.
Instantly, blood poured from his ears, nose, and eyes.
His vision darkened briefly before returning moments later.
Even so, his combat effectiveness had clearly decreased.
Seeing Muichiro injured, Mitsuri instinctively tried to move toward him
But Sekido blocked her path immediately.
"You dare look away while fighting me?!"
The furious clone raised his khakkhara staff high into the air.
Lightning exploded outward.
Boom!
The attack struck Mitsuri directly.
Electricity surged through her body violently.
"Hmph," Sekido sneered. "Ordinary humans would remain unconscious after suffering that level of voltage."
He lowered his weapon slightly.
"I'll leave her alive for now. Lord Doma may find use for her."
Even Hantengu understood clearly which demons he could not afford to offend.
Unfortunately for him
He underestimated Mitsuri Kanroji completely.
Just as Sekido prepared to turn away
Mitsuri suddenly rose from the ground.
Slash!
His arm and head were severed instantly.
Sekido's expression froze.
"This is impossible…"
"A human body cannot endure that much electricity…"
But Mitsuri Kanroji was not normal.
Her muscles possessed density and strength far beyond ordinary humans.
Even among the Hashira, her physical constitution bordered on monstrous.
Still
The lightning had undeniably affected her.
Her breathing became ragged as exhaustion overtook her body.
She collapsed onto one knee, struggling to remain standing.
And because none of the Hashira yet understood Hantengu's true weakness
The battle slowly turned against them.
One by one, exhaustion accumulated.
Then
Gyokko finally made his move.
"Hehehehe… now I shall harvest the rewards!"
Several grotesque goldfish materialized around him and immediately fired barrages of poisoned needles toward the battlefield.
Muichiro and Mitsuri were both too exhausted to evade properly.
If the attack landed directly
They would die.
At the critical moment, Tengen and Giyu stepped forward simultaneously.
Tengen shielded Muichiro.
Giyu protected Mitsuri.
The two Hashira swung their Nichirin Blades rapidly, deflecting the majority of the poisonous projectiles.
Even so, several needles still pierced their flesh.
"Tengen-san!"
"Tomioka-san!"
Muichiro and Mitsuri cried out simultaneously.
Gyokko smirked arrogantly and prepared another attack
But suddenly
The atmosphere changed.
Kokushibo stepped directly onto the battlefield.
Silence instantly spread.
Even Hantengu's clones stopped moving.
Muichiro nearly spoke instinctively upon seeing him.
"Grand "
But Kokushibo interrupted first.
"You there," he said calmly while looking directly at Muichiro.
"The Mist Breathing swordsman."
"What is your name?"
Gyokko immediately chose not to interfere further.
No matter how arrogant he acted normally, he had no desire to provoke Upper Rank One.
Hantengu's clones also remained quiet.
On the Demon Slayer Corps' side, tension reached its peak.
Their agreement with Kokushibo still technically remained active.
But regardless of whether he attacked personally
His mere presence alone was overwhelming enough.
Muichiro quickly understood what Kokushibo intended.
His great-grandfather wished to reveal the truth publicly while protecting Muichiro from suspicion later.
Therefore, Muichiro answered calmly.
"Tokito Muichiro."
Kokushibo pretended to think briefly.
Then he spoke slowly.
"…I see."
"So the Tsugikuni name has already disappeared."
"You are descended from the child I left behind."
"In other words…"
"You are my descendant."
The battlefield fell completely silent.
Even Gyokko and Hantengu froze in shock.
A descendant of Kokushibo
Serving within the Demon Slayer Corps?
Only Kokushibo and Muichiro themselves remained relatively composed.
Even then, Muichiro still acted flawlessly.
His eyes widened slightly.
His lips trembled.
His body staggered subtly in disbelief.
An absolutely perfect performance.
No emotion.
Pure acting skill.
Gyokko's mind descended into chaos.
Was this about to become some emotional reunion between ancestor and descendant?
Then
Kokushibo calmly delivered another bombshell.
"Muichiro."
"Become a demon."
The Demon Slayer Corps instantly became alarmed.
First Kanae Kocho.
Now Muichiro.
Was Upper Rank One secretly trying to recruit Hashira as a hobby?
Tengen immediately grabbed Muichiro's shoulder.
"Don't listen to him!"
Muichiro himself nearly became confused for real.
Did his great-grandfather actually intend this?
Mitsuri and Giyu also moved closer protectively.
"Don't choose something you'll regret," Giyu said firmly.
Mitsuri, meanwhile, somehow reached an entirely different conclusion.
"If you don't become a demon," she declared seriously, "then I won't stop you from being with Tomioka-san!"
"…Hm?"
Giyu froze.
"…Wait, what?"
Even Tengen looked confused.
At that exact moment
Kokushibo quietly winked.
Because the three Hashira stood facing Muichiro with their backs toward Kokushibo, only Muichiro noticed the gesture.
Instantly, he understood.
Kokushibo was helping him maintain his cover.
Muichiro inhaled deeply.
Then he raised his voice firmly.
"I refuse."
"I will never become a demon!"