The Stone Pillar, two meters two tall and built like a small mountain, remained silent. After a long while, under Kurozawa's somewhat tense gaze, it finally let out a faint sigh.
"Urokodaki-senpai, two days ago, shattered his own heart."
Each word struck Kurozawa's heart like a heavy hammer. His face instantly darkened, and his eyes seemed to be surrounded by dark clouds and lightning.
Crack, crack, crack. Spiderweb-like cracks appeared beneath Kurozawa's feet, spreading densely outwards.
A layer of fiercely burning Pitch-Black Aura erupted and twisted, enveloping Kurozawa's entire body.
Within the flames that distorted the air and vision, Kurozawa's voice became much more chaotic.
"Why?"
He suppressed his anger and asked in a low voice.
Across from him, two streams of tears flowed from Himejima Gyomei's eyes, running down his rugged cheeks and directly soaking his chest. His voice was sorrowful as he said, "Kurozawa Danryu, you know the reason very well, don't you?"
"There was a swordsman who returned from Lotus Town. He personally witnessed you brutally slaughtering ordinary people."
"Urokodaki-senpai fought for the Demon Slayer Corps his entire life, was respected, and held in high regard, yet because of you, he ended his life in his later years."
"Kurozawa Danryu, it's my turn to ask you, why?"
The swordsman whom Kanae had told to hide escaped from Lotus Town when Doma unleashed his indiscriminate, large-scale Blood Demon Art attack, and traveled day and night towards the Demon Slayer Corps branch.
Subsequently, he reported everything he saw layer by layer, sending it to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters.
All the demon attacks that the Demon Slayer Corps had handled in the past year, the total number of casualties combined, was less than the number Kurozawa had killed.
Even if they were confused and brainwashed Eternal Paradise Cult followers, they were still humans and shouldn't have been treated like that.
Any Demon Slayer Corps swordsman who heard about Kurozawa's actions found it appalling.
Sakonji Urokodaki was the same.
Before this, he had stayed at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, believing firmly in Kurozawa's explanation, thinking there must be a misunderstanding. He advised Kagaya Ubuyashiki to wait for Kurozawa to return after his mission and clear everything up.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki agreed.
But a week later, they didn't wait for Kurozawa; instead, they waited for the exhausted and terrified swordsman from Lotus Town.
When he learned about everything, Sakonji Urokodaki's always upright posture immediately became hunched. In an instant, he seemed to have aged ten years, losing all his vitality and spirit.
Thinking back to what happened that day, the Stone Pillar clasped its hands together, letting the tears flow down. Its voice was heavy and sorrowful as it said, "That day, Urokodaki-senpai bowed deeply to the Master, then said he couldn't lay a hand on you, turned around, went back into his room, and closed the door tightly."
"The next morning, someone discovered that Urokodaki-senpai had passed away."
The Pitch-Black Aura burned even more intensely. Veins subtly bulged on Kurozawa's forehead, and his lips curled into an arc that was hard to tell if it was sad or happy.
Suddenly, Kurozawa remembered the meaningful words Kawaru Toki had said.
"All I want is a harmonious and complete family, but for people like us, this simple wish is the most extravagant desire."
Kurozawa didn't have such thoughts.
But in this dangerous Demon Slayer World, Sakonji Urokodaki had raised him. Kurozawa had always remembered this kindness of raising him. In the end, he couldn't repay this kindness and even killed this stubborn old man.
Perhaps, from the beginning, this ending was already destined.
Targeted by this world, as long as Kurozawa wanted to live and climb to the peak, he would accumulate more and more malice, and the people around him would leave him one by one.
Either they would die directly, or they would become his enemies.
"Actually, maybe this isn't so bad."
"No ties, no shackles, no restraints."
"I can do whatever I want, cast off my burdens, and climb the peak of the world to my heart's content."
"Right, I still have to go to other worlds. I'm just a passerby here."
"..."
Kurozawa clenched his fists, his chest rising and falling violently. He kept using various reasons to convince himself, trying to suppress his turbulent emotions, his face changing.
But a few seconds later, a thunderous roar exploded on the flat ground. Kurozawa's face was distorted with rage as he charged towards the Stone Pillar, carrying the Pitch-Black Aura.
"Demon Slayer Corps!"
A few meters in front of the Stone Pillar, Kurozawa stomped heavily, his lower leg sinking directly into the ground. Then he pulled his arm back to its limit, stretching it like a great bow, the muscles on it taut like steel wires.
The surging power throughout his body erupted, and he slammed a heavy punch towards the Stone Pillar's head. Rings of air waves surged and exploded in front of his fist.
Across from him, the Stone Pillar's face remained unchanged. Its massive body slowly and deliberately moved to the side.
The Pitch-Black Aura grazed its cheek and was avoided, and the fist encased in the Pitch-Black Aura also struck empty air.
Bang! Kurozawa stomped his foot fiercely, stopping his forward momentum, then doubled back, launching a storm of attacks towards the Stone Pillar.
But unfortunately, no matter how fierce Kurozawa's attacks were, the Stone Pillar's tall and strong body was like a small wooden boat in a raging storm. It seemed to be in imminent danger, but in reality, it drifted with the waves and wasn't harmed in the slightest.
And Kurozawa was very familiar with the Stone Pillar's movement patterns.
"Damn Fighting Spirit Perception!"
It was at this moment that Kurozawa truly understood the terrible mental state of others when fighting him.
Fighting Spirit Perception is stronger the closer you are. Around the Stone Pillar, all of Kurozawa's attacks were detected and seen through, making it impossible to harm the Stone Pillar.
Stone Pillar could sense him, but Kurozawa's Fighting Spirit Perception was useless against it.
This battle was extremely disadvantageous for Kurozawa.
But Kurozawa had a fire burning inside him, desperately needing someone to vent on.
"Kurozawa Danryu, I also promised Urokodaki-senpai before that I would give you a chance to explain."
"Although, I think the truth is already quite clear and this is meaningless, I did promise."
"I respect the wishes of the deceased."
"So, speak. Is there any misunderstanding in the Demon Slayer Corps' judgment of you?"
*Boom!* Stone Pillar raised its arm, blocking Kurozawa's heavy kick. Its body only trembled slightly, easily withstanding the immense force of Kurozawa's kick, which was enough to split mountains and crack stones.
Immediately after, Kurozawa leaped up, delivering kick after kick in mid-air. They were covered in Pitch-Black Aura and aimed repeatedly at Stone Pillar's face.
With every kick, the air seemed to vibrate.
But Stone Pillar simply blocked all of Kurozawa's attacks with its steel-like arms, its body remaining unmoving like a mountain.
Through several short exchanges with its body tempered to the limit, Kurozawa already understood that in terms of physical constitution alone, Stone Pillar was stronger than him.
But Kurozawa hid his sword form level, remaining still and only using punches and kicks, just waiting for a suitable opportunity.
Even in his furious state, Kurozawa's excellent combat instinct was still searching for the enemy's weakness.
After a few more seconds of rapid attacks, Kurozawa roughly understood Stone Pillar's optimal perception range. Like him, it was a three-meter radius around its body. Leaving this range would cause its perception ability to drop a level.
Immediately after, Kurozawa took a step back, leaving Stone Pillar's optimal perception range.
He kicked the ground, shattering it, and dozens of sharp stones shrieked as they flew towards Stone Pillar's body.
At the same time, Mingzhou gradually appeared in Kurozawa's hand, and he slashed towards Stone Pillar with full ferocity.
Secret Technique Sword Form: Annihilation!
In an instant, the blade light, covering a range of over ten meters and resembling a black tide, swept down.
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