"!"
Hearing Kairo Retsu's provocative tone and words, Kokushibo instinctively tightened his grip on his blade.
"..."
Though Gyomei Himejima could not see, within the Transparent World he could perceive the subtle shifts in Kokushibo's stance.
Others might not have noticed Kokushibo's change in demeanor, but Gyomei distinctly sensed that Kairo's words had shaken him.
"Still not enough?"
Kairo pointed a finger at Kokushibo in challenge, then motioned downward: "Then let me ask it this way!"
"That flute—you know, the bamboo one you personally broke and gave to Yoriichi—you're still carrying it with you after all these centuries, aren't you?"
Kairo grinned viciously at Kokushibo. "What were you thinking, carrying that thing around for hundreds of years?"
"You must remember that final slash he made at you before he died of old age, right? Tell me—was it that Yoriichi's first strike failed to kill you? Or did he spare you out of pity?"
Kairo bared his teeth in a savage grin. "So, let's hear it—Tsugikuni Michikatsu. Tell us what you think."
Kairo threw out his arms wide: "You've heard about Tanjiro, haven't you? When you saw him wielding Sun Breathing, wearing those earrings, and using Yoriichi's very own blade—how did that make you feel?"
"And you? What did you leave behind…? Besides yourself, is there even a single user of Moon Breathing? Is there anyone who inherited your legacy? With your Transparent World, can you even see the same things Yoriichi did?"
"Enough!!"
Kokushibo finally couldn't bear it and shouted, cutting off Kairo's words. "Where are you learning all this from?! No one else should know these things!!!"
"When Yoriichi died—only he and I were there! How do you know all of this!?"
Fury surged through Kokushibo, tangled with a terror that seemed to rise from the marrow of his bones—like invisible fingers squeezing his heart.
"Ha! Got him!"
Kairo pointed at Kokushibo, turning to the others with a gleeful expression. "Told you I could break him down with one sentence, didn't I?"
"I just wanted to see that look on your face!!!"
Kairo tilted his head toward Kokushibo, nearly close enough to touch him.
"That expression—of mental collapse, helplessness—that's what I wanted to see!!!"
"...?"
Even Sanemi was baffled by Kairo's behavior.
A man who hated demons so deeply couldn't understand what Kairo was trying to accomplish.
Meanwhile, behind a nearby pillar, Genya was stunned. "Wh… What a horrible person!"
"Hell yeah!!"
Kairo clenched his fists and swung them down a few times in delight.
"Doma had no emotions of his own! Akaza didn't even remember his time as a human! You can't mentally shatter either of them!"
"But this—this is how it should be! This is satisfying!!!"
Kairo's expression was bright and refreshed, like someone who just took a cold shower and downed a chilled soda. "When it's Muzan's turn—I'm going to break him too, and I'll go hard!!!"
By now, Kokushibo fully understood—Kairo had chosen him as a target for mockery.
His once-calm heart now churned like a storm.
"No matter who you are, or where you learned these things from… I will not let you go."
Kokushibo had made his decision.
No matter how much of a threat Kairo posed—he would make him pay for everything he just said.
"..."
Gyomei sensed the shift in Kokushibo's aura and dragged his chain weapon as he stepped up beside Kairo, ready for battle.
Seeing Gyomei move, the other three Hashira also adopted battle stances.
Genya, meanwhile, like a bronze-ranked player who accidentally queued into a diamond match, stayed hidden behind a pillar, preparing to take potshots from the edge…
"Looks like it's time."
Feeling the shift in atmosphere, Kairo grabbed the hilt of the massive longsword on his back. With a click from the latch on the sheath, the enormous blade sprang outward with a clang.
The sword was deep crimson, adorned with brutal decorations like a monster's claws—wild and beautiful all at once.
"Rathalos Blade! Rathalos Variant! The eternal classic of Monster Hunter!!!"
Kairo raised the greatsword excitedly. "Feel that searing heat?!"
"..."
Kokushibo didn't respond—his mind was consumed with how to handle the upcoming battle.
Kairo, noticing the tension, turned to the nearby Hashira and added:
"Just to be clear—I'm not particularly skilled in martial arts."
That made Sanemi's eyes go wide.
If Kairo lacked technique, then how dare he provoke Kokushibo like that?
Sanemi thought to himself that, had he been the one targeted, he too might have been mentally broken by just a few words from this guy…
This so-called "Guildmaster" clearly had no hesitation about cruelly poking at people's pasts with zero mercy.
"I see… But if you say so, Guildmaster, then I believe you have a plan," said Gyomei calmly.
He didn't place his trust in words—he trusted the pressure he had sensed from Kairo in the Transparent World.
"If you truly have a way to kill this demon, I'll follow any plan you offer," Muichiro said with perfect calm. "Even if it costs me my life—"
"No one is dying today!"
Kairo cut him off immediately. "But to kill him, yes—it's going to take all of us, together!"
"Tragedy… I reject it!"
Kairo beamed. "This is a decision made by the entire First Wave team!"
"Tonight, no one dies in this final battle!!"
Kairo stepped forward.
"To wipe out these demons who violate the laws of nature—that is nature's own will."
"Yoriichi was one part of nature's corrective force—like a Monster Hunter. But he failed, and left only the Breathing Styles behind."
As he said this, Kairo raised his comically oversized longsword and charged straight at Kokushibo.
"Come, Kokushibo!!"
Kokushibo concentrated all his senses, preparing to intercept Kairo's strike. He unleashed a sweeping wave of sword aura meant to stop Kairo in his tracks.
However—
Kairo rolled under the wave, tumbling all the way to Kokushibo's feet—
—and slashed directly at his shin!
"GROUND-SLASH SWORDMASTER!! KAIRO RETSU!! HAS ARRIVED!!!"