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"Ridiculous!!"
As the swordsmen's coordinated assault converged—slashes of every element crashing in—Muzan began to laugh, his face twisting into a grotesque snarl.
"Utterly ridiculous!!"
His body spun in a blur, the elongated thorn-whips of his arms whipping outward with ear-splitting shrieks.
The shadows formed a hurricane vortex; collision sounds rang out in a dense barrage.
In the next instant, every attack dissipated into nothingness. The immense counterforce from the whips hurled the swordsmen backward through the air.
Only Gyomei remained standing, though even he was dragged back several steps by his recoiling flail.
"Ubuyashiki schemed endlessly to lure me here, the onmyōji set this barrier—and this is the welcome you prepare? You insects think you can defeat me!!"
His body suddenly swelled, clothes shredding inch by inch.
"Sun Breathing!" He sneered at the distant Tanjuro. "Is that all? You're leagues below Tsugikuni Yoriichi!!"
As he spoke, his black hair bleached to white, limbs and lower body enveloped in blood and fur, massive maws lined with jagged fangs erupting across his form.
Boundless killing intent radiated from him; the swordsmen felt their skin prickle as if pierced by needles.
"Careful! He's fully demonized!!"
Gyomei's towering frame stood firm at the forefront, one hand on his axe, the other whipping the chained flail into a roaring gale.
"Aaah!"
Sanemi rose to his feet, eyes bloodshot, gaze burning into Muzan. He wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and grinned fiercely.
"So damn strong, you bastard! But even if I die, I'll kill you!!"
"Five brains, seven hearts—if I'm not mistaken, this man won't die even from decapitation!" Rengoku laughed as well. "The night is long; even at the cost of our lives, we'll keep him here!"
Tengen continued, "Until sunrise arrives!"
"No need for words!"
Obanai surged forward again, his blade igniting with pale light, tracing a twisted arc through the air.
"Serpent Breathing – First Form: Winding Serpent Slash!"
"Annoying vermin!!"
Muzan flung his arms wide in fury, the massive thorn-whips writhing once more.
"Rock Breathing – First Form – Serpentinite Bipolar!"
Gyomei's attack arrived second but struck first. Flail and axe hurled simultaneously, clamping the whips in a pincer.
'Got him!'
Blade-light exploded from Obanai's sword as it arced toward Muzan's neck.
But in the instant he looked up, he met Muzan's contemptuous smile.
"Iguro, fall back!"
Gyomei's warning rang out.
'Too late!'
Obanai gritted his teeth and poured strength into his swing, accelerating the blade toward Muzan's throat.
At least decapitation will drain him!!
"Die!"
Muzan's voice was ice. Several crimson blood-whips shot from his back.
White bone spurs gleamed coldly at their tips.
The whips lashed out—one blocking Obanai's serpentine Nichirin blade, the others piercing toward his body in a blink.
'I didn't accomplish anything!'
Obanai felt the spurs' edge keenly on his skin.
Time slowed in that moment.
"Iguro!!!"
"Damn it!!!"
His comrades' cries echoed behind him.
'Sorry.'
He apologized silently to his fellow Hashira.
'The rest is up to you!'
He tried to turn toward the barrier's exterior.
Wonder what Mitsuri is doing—fighting demons too, probably.
Shame… we never got to talk more.
"Protect!"
In the flash of spark and stone, Kaito's voice resounded.
The instant the bone spurs touched Obanai's body, paper talismans burst from within him, forming a translucent spherical barrier that repelled the whips.
Crack!
Fissures spiderwebbed across the shield.
Saved!
The crisp shatter snapped Obanai back to awareness; he leaped backward.
Muzan manipulated the blood-whips for another strike.
Crack!
The barrier shattered.
At that moment, Giyu dropped from above, landing in front of him.
"Water Breathing – Eleventh Form – Dead Calm!"
A zone of utter stillness enveloped his front; invisible slashes deflected every whip.
"Iguro! Don't charge ahead alone like that!"
Sanemi—who had just kicked Giyu skyward for speed—vaulted past Obanai's left.
"Wind Breathing – Seventh Form: Gale, Sudden Gusts!"
"Coordinate with your teammates, Iguro!!"
Rengoku leaped past Obanai's right.
"Flame Breathing – Fifth Form – Flame Tiger!"
His Nichirin blade thrust rapidly; rising flames formed a massive tiger, carrying Sanemi's spinning wind blades in a deafening roar, closing on Muzan in an instant.
"Endless! Endless!!"
Muzan's tone dripped irritation.
His thorn-whips smashed back Gyomei's flail and axe, retracted, then shot forward, piercing the wind-borne tiger and reaching Sanemi and Kyojuro.
"Sound Breathing – Fourth Form – Constant Resounding Slashes!"
Explosions boomed; Tengen's twin blades slashed in rapid succession amid gunpowder blasts, blocking for Kyojuro and halting the whips.
"Rock Breathing – Second Form: Upper Smash!"
The massive flail plummeted again, smashing the whip before Sanemi.
"Nice coordination!!" Sanemi leaped onto the flail, springing high.
"Die!"
Blood-whips split from Muzan's back, stabbing skyward.
Gyomei hurled his axe; it halted precisely beneath Sanemi's foot.
"Perfect!"
Sanemi pushed off, soaring higher, evading the spurs.
Muzan redirected the whips upward; white blade-light suddenly coiled around them like a python constricting prey.
"Serpent Breathing – Third Form – Coil Choke!"
Obanai appeared mid-air, pressing several whips downward with his Nichirin blade.
"Water Breathing – Tenth Form – Constant Flux!"
Giyu's blade carried dragon-like torrents, weaving through the thorn-whips and remaining blood-whips, neutralizing his "weapons."
"Flame Breathing – Ninth Form – Rengoku!"
"Sun Breathing – Eleventh Form: Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance!"
Rengoku and Tanjuro moved in unison.
Rengoku charged, flames erupting like a blazing comet.
Tanjuro mirrored him; dazzling slashes coiled around Rengoku like fire dragons.
Crimson and vermilion flames intertwined, crossing the gap to bombard Muzan.
Then—
"Wind Breathing – Ninth Form – Idaten Typhoon!"
Sanemi plummeted from above, unleashing a massive spinning wind blade into the combined assault.
Flames exploded around Muzan with a thunderous roar, soaring skyward.
In that instant, blinding firelight illuminated the entire estate.