Chapter 210: Can’t beat oneself
In a daze, Kokushibou found himself recalling an event that had occurred a very long time ago.
About sixty years had passed since he became a demon, renounced his name, discarded his humanity, and betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps.
Kokushibou remembered that it was a night like tonight, when the moon seemed to be stained red with blood.
At that time, while passing by a seven-story tower on the outskirts, he witnessed something unbelievable.
He saw a person.
An old man, over 80 years of age, with white hair and a face full of wrinkles.
The old man was dressed in a kimono that was all too familiar to Kokushibou, holding a sword. Despite his aged appearance, Kokushibou recognized his identity instantly.
It was his younger brother—Tsukiguni Yoriichi.
After approximately sixty years, Kokushibou saw his brother again, the one who had always made him jealous, whom he detested, the unforgettably brilliant Sun Swordsman.
He couldn’t believe his eyes.
Because all those who possessed the distinguishing mark were supposed to die before the age of 25.
Kokushibou had always thought that his brother, who had been a weight upon his shoulders, was long dead.
Yet, not only was the other man not dead, but he had also lived to be over 80, which was utterly inconceivable.
But while Kokushibou was doubting his own eyes, his brother, who had become an old man with white hair and wrinkles, shed tears.
"How tragic... Brother..."
The tearful brother who spoke these words immediately took a stance in the blink of an eye.
That stance, not only flawlessly concealed any weaknesses but also emitted such an overwhelming pressure that it almost suffocated Kokushibou.
Then, in less than the blink of an eye, the brother moved.
In that instant, Kokushibou didn’t comprehend what had happened.
In that instant, Kokushibou didn’t even feel pain.
Even though his Transparent World was always active and he himself had become a demon, much stronger than before, he still lost track of his brother’s figure, who disappeared right before his eyes.
When Kokushibou finally came to his senses, he realized that his brother had executed his last strike and was standing behind him.
And on his own neck, there was now a sword wound, nearly severing his head and instantly ending his life.
At that moment, Kokushibou had to admit, he trembled, he feared.
After sixty years, his aged brother could still deliver a blow as powerful and swift as in his prime, that left him utterly incapable of any response, a feeling that Kokushibou couldn’t help but fear.
That night, he was nearly killed, killed by the brother he hated for a lifetime.
And the brother simply stood still, after delivering that strike, he died of old age on the spot.
His death gave Kokushibou his life back.
His death also gave Kokushibou a defeat that he could never mend in this lifetime.
With his own life, he told Kokushibou that even though he turned into a demon and became much stronger than before, he still couldn’t block even one strike from his aged self.
Humiliation... Resentment... Rage... All these emotions flooded Kokushibou that night, ensuring that he could never forget the name "Tsukiguni Yoriichi" for all eternity.
Thus, Kokushibou vowed to never lose to anyone besides Yoriichi in this life, and he assisted Kibutsuji Muzan in eradicating all those who knew the Sun Breathing Technique.
Now, hundreds of years have passed, and Kokushibou thought he had forgotten the past, no longer feeling humiliated by those unbearable memories, only to realize now that he had never truly let go of that incident.
The name "Tsukiguni Yoriichi" had indeed brought him too much jealousy, too much detestation, too much resentment, and too many memories...
In such a circumstance, when Reiger appeared bearing the name "Tsukiguni Yoriichi," Kokushibou lost all rationality and composure, with only one thought remaining in his mind.
That was to defeat him, to defeat the man carrying the name "Tsukiguni Yoriichi."
Whether it was to prove that he had surpassed him or something else, perhaps even Kokushibou himself wasn’t clear.
Kokushibou only knew one thing.
That even after hundreds of years, he was still living in the shadow of that man.
He, once again, was defeated by "Tsukiguni Yoriichi."
With just one strike.
With one strike, he was defeated.
He was defeated miserably, utterly.
"Are you satisfied now?"
It was then that Reiger’s voice leisurely reached Kokushibou’s ears.
Kokushibou remained silent for a very long time before he finally spoke hoarsely.
"Why... can I just not... win against you..."
After leaving those words behind, Kokushibou’s head slid off his neck, falling to the ground.
His body was also bisected at the waist, half collapsing on the ground, and the other half fell against the moonlit wall, facing the lonely and desolate moon as he gradually stopped breathing.
Only then did Reiger turn around, looking at Kokushibou, who was slowly turning into ash, while the sun mural behind him remained dazzling.
"You didn’t lose to Tsukiguni Yoriichi."
Reiger muttered to himself.
"You only lost to yourself."
With that, Reiger turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Suddenly, a voice called out to him.
"What are you doing here?"
Reiger stopped, turned around, and soon showed a look of surprise.
In the corner of the decimated palace, two figures appeared seemingly out of nowhere, right before Reiger.
This way of appearing, Reiger had only seen once before near Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters two months earlier.
The two figures were unmistakably Tamayo and Yushirou.
"We infiltrated using our blood demon art," as Tamayo answered Reiger’s question, she watched Kokushibou disintegrating into ashes, speaking with a complex expression, "I didn’t expect that even Kokushibou, the Upper Rank One, would be no match for you. You are far stronger than I imagined."
Of course, Tamayo was familiar with Kokushibou.
After all, Tamayo was a demon who had survived since the Sengoku period, had seen Tsukiguni Yoriichi, witnessed Kibutsuji Muzan’s sorry state, and naturally, she had also encountered Tsukiguni Yoriichi’s older brother, Tsugikuni Michikatsu, who had once betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps.
Thanks to this, she was well aware of just how strong Kokushibou was.
Upper Rank demons were very powerful, not on the same level as other demons at all, and even the Lower Ranks who were part of the Twelve Kizuki were no more than ants before them.
The Pillars were also no match for the Upper Rank demons, and so far, the majority of the Pillars who had fallen heroically in battle had been hunted down by the Upper Ranks.
But for an Upper Rank demon like Kokushibou, he was still merely a weakling.
The Upper Ranks and the Lower Ranks were not on the same level, and Kokushibou was not on the same level as other Upper Ranks either.
Tamayo had always thought that the only one who could defeat Kokushibou was Kibutsuji Muzan, and even Reiger would not have an easy time overcoming Kokushibou.
Who would have thought, Reiger gave her quite the surprise.
He had proven with his strength that even the Upper Rank One, who was second only to Kibutsuji Muzan, could not withstand a single one of his strikes.
"You’re looking for the Jade Seat, aren’t you?" Tamayo turned to Reiger and said, "I’ll show you the way."
"Oh?" Reiger raised an eyebrow and asked, "You know where the Jade Seat is?"
To Reiger’s question, Tamayo provided only one response.
"I haven’t lived for a few hundred years for nothing."
Throughout these centuries, apart from continuously researching a drug to combat Kibutsuji Muzan and a drug to turn demons back into humans, Tamayo had been constantly investigating Muzan, trying every possible means to gather information related to him.
Her blood demon art, which was activated by injuring her own body, could confuse her opponents with illusions when they smelled her blood—this was quite useful for extracting and investigating information.
Yushirou, who had been following behind Tamayo, possessed a vision-related blood demon art, capable of concealing others’ line of sight or making them see things normally invisible to the eye, creating visual illusions. This ability was also of great help to Tamayo’s endeavors.
Thus, Tamayo and Yushirou were able to infiltrate the Infinite City and grasp its layout.
"Follow me," Tamayo murmured, closing her eyes and suppressing some emotion.
"Let’s end everything tonight."
Tamayo felt that this might be the mission she had lived until now to fulfill.
Reiger watched Tamayo for a while before finally nodding his head.
The three of them promptly left the area, heading toward Kibutsuji Muzan’s location.
...
At the same time, Crows conveyed the recent events.
"Tsugikuni Yoriichi of the Corps has defeated Upper Rank One! Tsugikuni Yoriichi of the Corps has defeated Upper Rank One!"
"The subjugation of Upper Rank One is a success!"
"Casualties: zero!"
When word of this reached the ears of the Demon Slayer Corps members, they were instantly invigorated.
"Yes!"
"We defeated Upper Rank One!"
"All hail the Grand Champion!"
The members of the Demon Slayer Corps cheered.
"How... how is it possible...!?"
The demons, including the Upper Ranks still in combat, could not believe their ears.
"Kokushibou was defeated?"
"This quickly...?"
"No! Impossible!"
"How could Kokushibou be defeated so easily...!?"
No one was not shocked, and no one dared to believe it.
Especially Kaigaku, who was currently battling against Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke, was even more reluctant to accept this reality.
"How could he lose? How could he be defeated by a human?"
Kaigaku felt as if the faith in his heart had shattered.
He became a demon because he had encountered Kokushibou, nearly killed by him, and was only spared after begging for his life. It was his craving for the power that Kokushibou possessed that ultimately drove him to drink Muzan’s blood.
He was all too aware of how terrifying and powerful Kokushibou was.
And now, he had been defeated?
That was impossible!
"Nothing is impossible,"
Zenitsu, wobbly on his feet, stood up and shouted at Kaigaku.
"The strength of our Grand Champion is beyond your imagination."
"How does it feel?"
"The humans you look down upon are now about to go chop off Kibutsuji Muzan’s head!"
Zenitsu’s shout instilled an inexplicable panic in Kaigaku’s heart.
Could it be... that they were truly on the verge of defeat?