Chapter 207: Tsugikuni Michikatsu
*Thud!*
With a faint landing sound, Riezel touched down on the rooftop of a building.
It was a palace.
Riezel landed on the open rooftop of this palace and entered a place that resembled an altar.
In this altar, the surrounding walls were adorned with murals, particularly on two sides that were not only facing each other but depicted entirely opposite scenes.
On the left mural was a sun, radiating light in all directions, beneath which were many people extending their hands toward it in a gesture of worship, resembling a ritual to a god, or a hero.
In contrast, the right mural depicted a moon emitting light in all directions but with no people or animals below, only a desolate nighttime landscape that appeared somewhat barren.
Riezel stood directly before the sun mural, facing the moon mural on the opposite side.
"Hmm, the so-called throne doesn't seem to be here..."
Riezel murmured softly before speaking faintly to his front.
"Upper One."
As Riezel said this, a figure emerged slowly from the shadow of the moon mural across from him.
He held a sword in his hand.
He was dressed in a kimono.
With long black hair tied up in a high ponytail, adorned with red markings on the top left side of his forehead and the bottom right of his chin, his face bore six eyes.
A six-eyed samurai from the Sengoku period had appeared beneath the moon mural.
Indeed, he was none other than the Upper One, Kokushibou.
"...It's you?"
Kokushibou gazed at Riezel with his six eyes, his vision cold and filled with murderous intent.
"...You call yourself Tsugikuni Yoriichi?"
Kokushibou, the strongest Upper Rank, posed such a question.
"What? Have a problem?" Riezel looked back calmly. "Or do you think I'm not up to par?"
Kokushibou did not answer his question but slowly drew the sword from his waist—a terrifying sword adorned with eyes on its blade and handle.
After drawing such a sword, Kokushibou spoke again.
"Whether you're up to par... let me test that."
*Whoosh!*
With those words, Kokushibou suddenly vanished on the spot.
"Moon Breathing..."
*Swish—*
A figure resembling a bright moon breaking through dark clouds suddenly appeared before Riezel.
"First Form - Dark Moon, Evening Palace."
It was an iai slash executed with such speed that the sword was barely visible, leaving behind a trail of crescent-shaped slashes. It was like a moon blade competing with the sun's brilliance, carrying a chilling coldness as it sliced toward Riezel's neck.
*Whoosh!*
In the next moment, the blade that conjured countless crescent moons was intercepted by two fingers, held between them.
"Hou?" Kokushibou's six eyes narrowed slightly. "You stopped it so easily?"
"Easily? Is it difficult for you?"
Kokushibou's words earned only a calm question from Riezel, clearly unmoved.
"Even some Hashira nowadays could easily block such a probing attack. If you want to test my limits, show me something more powerful."
With that, Riezel released the blade from his fingers and surged forward, delivering a fierce kick to Kokushibou's chest.
*BANG!*
Amidst the muffled sound, Riezel's sudden kick landed heavily on the timely sword raised by Kokushibou, unleashing astonishing force.
Kokushibou was sent flying backward as if struck by a train, his feet skidding violently across the ground, retreating a considerable distance.
Riezel's kick had directly knocked Kokushibou back beneath the moon mural, returning him to his original position.
Kokushibou stared at his hands gripping his sword, trembling slightly.
It was clear how much power Riezel had unleashed with that kick alone.
"Incredible strength..." Kokushibou muttered darkly. "A mere human... possessing such strength... No wonder the former Upper Five and Upper Six fell to you..."
Speaking like this, his six eyes revealed not resignation but a more complex emotion as if standing before him wasn't Riezel, but some other existence entirely.
"Your monstrous, inhuman strength... does bear some resemblance to him..." Kokushibou said coldly. "But I must say... you have no right to use that name... even if you've somehow learned Sun Breathing..."
"Heh..."
At his words, Riezel chuckled.
"Coming from you, that's quite the irony..."
Riezel retorted casually, shaking his head.
"At least someone is using that name, unlike you, who has forsaken even your own name, reduced to this grotesque appearance."
Upon hearing this, Kokushibou narrowed his six eyes, exuding an even stronger murderous aura.
"...You know about me?" Kokushibou asked in a low voice.
Naturally, the answer was yes.
"Many people who know about the history of the Demon Slayer Corps during the Sengoku era have heard of Tsugikuni Yoriichi, but they don't know that he actually had an older twin brother."
Riezel's voice slowly filled the air.
"He was once highly esteemed, eager to become a powerful swordsman."
"He was favored more than his younger brother by their father, seen as the sole heir of the family's legacy."
"Due to the strange mark on his younger brother's forehead from birth, his younger brother faced rejection and neglect from their family. Because of this, he gained all the love and growth environment that should have belonged to his younger brother."
"However, there was one thing he could never surpass his younger brother in... talent in swordsmanship."
Riezel's words caused Kokushibou's hand gripping the sword to tighten slowly, yet Riezel seemed oblivious, continuing unabated.
"Just like his younger brother, he had also joined the Demon Slayer Corps and became a Demon Slayer."
"In his goal to surpass his younger brother, he tirelessly honed his swordsmanship."
"Eventually, he not only awakened the Demon Slayer Mark and the Transparent World but also stepped into the Domain of Supremacy that martial artists dream of, becoming one of the strongest in the Corps."
"Even so, he still couldn't surpass his younger brother."
"Faced with his younger brother's dazzling achievements and unparalleled talent, he could only ever gaze at his back."
Such was Tsugikuni Yoriichi's elder brother, a man consumed by an obsession with strength, constantly striving to improve himself while harboring intense jealousy toward his supremely talented younger brother.
"Tsugikuni Michikatsu, that's his name..."
Riezel's eyes gazed calmly into Kokushibou's.
"How does it feel to hear your abandoned name after so long?"
Riezel's words caused Kokushibou to close his six eyes.
After a long while, he opened them again.
"Since it's a name I've long abandoned... what is there to cling to?" Kokushibou said lightly. "Tsugikuni Michikatsu has long been dead and the only one here is Kokushibou, the Upper One... that's all."
"You seem pretty relaxed..." Riezel remarked emotionlessly. "Especially... since you're the one who caused your younger brother's downfall."
Initially, Yoriichi was banished from the Demon Slayer Corps and even asked to perform seppuku for three reasons.
First, for allowing Muzan to escape.
Second, for sparing Tamayo voluntarily.
Third, for having a close relative within the Demon Slayer Corps who assisted Muzan in killing the then Master.
Truthfully, any one of these acts would be unforgivable for anyone.
Just like Zenitsu's master, the former Thunder Hashira, who took his own life simply because his disciple became a demon, and Tanjirou, who nearly committed seppuku for sheltering his demon younger sister.
When these three incidents converged on one person, even someone nearly legendary like Yoriichi, he was ultimately banished from the Demon Slayer Corps.
Michikatsu's betrayal was the final straw that led to this decision.
If the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps hadn't been killed, perhaps Yoriichi's contributions and abilities would have prevented his banishment from the Corps.
It was Yoriichi's elder brother who killed the beloved Master of the Demon Slayer Corps, plunging its members into irreparable sadness and anger, with no possibility of reconciliation.
Given this, Riezel's accusation that Kokushibou was responsible for Yoriichi's downfall was not unfounded.
However, Kokushibou clearly didn't see it that way.
"You... What do you understand...?"
Kokushibou spoke softly, his head lowered.
"Do you understand the feeling of never being able to catch up to someone by your side, no matter what...?"
"Do you understand the feeling of pushing yourself to the limit in training, only to fall short of someone else's casual attempt...?"
"Can you understand... that feeling when everything becomes futile... when even the right to strive is taken away...?"
As Kokushibou's chest began to rise and fall, he lifted his head, revealing bloodshot eyes fixed on Riezel's.
"You don't understand... because you, like him, are both naturally gifted..."
Kokushibou truly envied Yoriichi, envied his own younger brother.
Because of this envy, he despised Yoriichi to the point of anger whenever he thought of him.
His dream was to become a powerful swordsman, but that dream was effortlessly fulfilled by his younger brother, who had been ignored and looked down upon since childhood.
How could anyone else understand such a disparity?
If not for this, Kokushibou wouldn't have become a demon, betrayed the Demon Slayer Corps, and killed the then Master.
However, in truth, the main reason Kokushibou became a demon was actually the Demon Slayer Mark.
He was a Marked Demon Slayer, evidenced by the marks on his forehead and chin.
When he learned that Marked Demon Slayers would die before the age of twenty-five, his first emotion was resentment.
Resentment that he no longer had time to train.
Resentment that he no longer had the opportunity to surpass his younger brother.
Because of this, in order to gain eternal time to perfect his swordsmanship, Kokushibou accepted Muzan's invitation, became a demon, and killed the Master of the Demon Slayer Corps at the time.
In addition, Kokushibou also participated in the ruthless eradication of those who knew about Sun Breathing initiated by Muzan.
"Now that you've used his name... used his breathing style... be prepared..."
As Kokushibou spoke, a terrifying aura gradually emitted from his body, growing stronger by the second.
"I will definitely kill you right here... right now..."
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Chapter 208: Lost Interest
"Head Instructor Tsugikuni Yoriichi is fighting the Upper One!"
When this news spread from the mouth of Kasugai Crows and echoed across the Infinity Castle, everyone momentarily paused their battles.
'Lord Head Instructor is fighting!'
Every member of the Demon Slayer Corps had this thought flash through their minds.
'Upper One is fighting!'
On the other hand, all the demons were equally shaken by this news.
No choice.
After all, the famous head instructor of the Demon Slayer Corps, who could easily slay the Upper Ranks, causing its members to be absent for the first time in a century, was fighting the strongest Upper Rank.
Undoubtedly, there was no reason for this fight not to move everyone deeply.
However, in reality, the fight wasn't as intense as everyone had imagined, and definitely not something like the clash of two titans.
"Moon Breathing - Second Form - Pearl Flower Moongazing."
On the top floor of the altar-like palace, the strongest demon under Muzan exploded from in front of the moon mural, rushing forward while spinning his body and delivering three slashes.
His three slashes, carrying many crescent moon blades, cut through the ground as they swept toward Riezel with such force it seemed they could shred the entire area to pieces.
Facing such a fierce and sharp slashing storm, Riezel didn't retreat but advanced instead.
*BOOM!*
He stomped his foot, igniting a blaze beneath him, and dashed forward with his back to the sun mural.
In the next moment, Riezel grabbed his scabbard and swung it like a blunt weapon toward the incoming crescent moon blades.
*Clang!*
With a metallic clash, Riezel deflected one crescent moon blade, sparking a burst of fire.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
A series of intense clashes followed, as Riezel's scabbard, now an afterimage, deflected all the crescent moon blades flawlessly.
After Riezel easily neutralized Kokushibou's attack, he flashed and darted straight toward Kokushibou.
"Moon Breathing - Third Form - Loathsome Moon, Chains."
Kokushibou immediately twisted his sword and performed two extremely broad slashes which released a storm of crescent moon blades.
As Kokushibou's slashes came too fast, his sword couldn't even be seen, only the slashes and numerous crescent moon blades of varying sizes could be seen, cutting through the air and slicing toward Riezel.
However, in this instant, Riezel's figure suddenly vanished, leaving the crescent moon blades to slice through the empty ground, shredding the floor and sending countless fragments of debris flying.
"?!"
Kokushibou's heart screamed with warning signs as he suddenly ducked and squatted to the ground.
*Swish!*
Almost at the same moment, a still-sheathed sword, whistled past Kokushibou's head, grazing his scalp and nearly blowing his head apart.
"Not bad."
Riezel's calm voice reached Kokushibou's ears.
"Dodging that strike shows your strength is way beyond the other Upper Ranks. As expected from a swordsman who awakened the Mark and the Transparent World before becoming a demon. You must've sensed my next move through the Transparent World, yes?"
Unfortunately, Riezel's words of praise didn't make Kokushibou feel honored at all.
"Moon Breathing - Sixth Form - Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon - Incessant!"
Kokushibou turned around and slashed toward Riezel, who stood behind him.
It was a high-speed combo slash far faster than before.
It was a multitude of curved slashes several meters, which released a wild barrage of crescent moon blades, enveloping Riezel in a storm of slashes, leaving no room to retreat.
In an instant, the spot where Riezel stood was instantly reduced to fragments, while the floor and the nearby pillars were all neatly cut apart.
*Rumble—*
Suddenly, the palace echoed with a heavy rumble.
As the sound of pillars collapsing and the floor breaking mixed together, the entire palace began to shake, causing the open rooftop to raise a cloud of dust that resembled a natural disaster.
Kokushibou's fierce attacks and strong slashes were evident from this.
In fact, the Moon Breathing he used was a breathing style derived directly from Sun Breathing, similar to the five fundamental breathing styles. Yet, it wasn't entirely accurate to call Moon Breathing a derivative of Sun Breathing, as it was more of a degraded version.
Due to the harsh conditions of Sun Breathing, Michikatsu created his own degraded breathing style when he couldn't withstand the sun's power while learning Sun Breathing from his younger brother, Yoriichi.
Ironically, Moon Breathing's existence was a testament to Michikatsu's inferiority to Yoriichi, for no matter how bright the moon was, it could never outshine the sun.
Moreover, this degraded breathing style constantly reminded Michikatsu that he was always inferior to his chosen brother, even after awakening the Demon Slayer Mark and the Transparent World.
After all, Yoriichi was born with the Demon Slayer Mark and already understood and awakened the Transparent World from childhood, an achievement no one could match.
Nevertheless, this didn't mean Moon Breathing wasn't powerful.
On the contrary, because it corresponded with the 'Sun', in terms of sheer power, Moon Breathing surpassed all derivative and branch breathing styles, including the five fundamental breathing styles.
Its effect was to release a wide range of sword auras, with slashes always accompanied by numerous crescent moon-shaped blades. All of its sword forms were high-speed, wide-range killing moves with extremely shocking lethality.
In Michikatsu's hands, this breathing style's power was almost infinite. Coupled with him mastering the Demon Slayer Mark and the Transparent World, its power was even more terrifying.
Consequently, even before becoming a demon, Michikatsu was undoubtedly a Hashira-rank swordsman. Although he couldn't match the broken existence of Yoriichi, he wouldn't lose to any current Hashira, including Gyoumei, praised as the strongest and the pillar of the current Demon Slayer Corps.
In Riezel's view, Michikatsu, before becoming a demon, had power equivalent to the limit of Level 4. Compared to the current Gyoumei, who had also awakened the Demon Slayer Mark and Transparent World, he was definitely on par.
In such circumstances, after Michikatsu abandoned his past, transformed into a demon, and became the Upper One, Kokushibou, his power had undoubtedly reached a higher level.
Now, hundreds of years had passed.
In these centuries, since Kokushibou had devoured countless humans and increased his strength, his power had reached the true supreme realm of this world.
Just as Riezel had previously speculated, Kokushibou was at Level 5, completely above the other Upper Ranks.
In this era without Yoriichi, in terms of individual strength, besides the monstrous Muzan who had lived for a thousand years, no one could match Kokushibou.
In the original work, Kokushibou not only single-handedly fought against Sanemi, who had used the Demon Slayer Mark, but also against Gyoumei and Muichirou, who had both used the Demon Slayer Mark and the Transparent World, ultimately managing to kill one of them.
If it had been the Riezel before arriving in this world, with his status not yet reaching SSS-rank and without mastering Sun Breathing, it would have taken considerable effort to deal with such a first-class adventurer-level demon.
But now?
*BANG!*
In the slash storm that could shred anything, Riezel, wrapped in flames, emerged unscathed and kicked Kokushibou's chest, sending him flying.
*Cough!*
*BOOOM!*
Kokushibou immediately spat out a mouthful of blood, crashing into a pillar and shattering it into pieces.
As the fragments of the stone pillar fell, they instantly buried Kokushibou, making him disappear from Riezel's field of vision.
Riezel, however, did not intend to stop his attack. With his sword still sheathed, he slashed toward the pile of rubble mercilessly.
*BOOOM!*
As his slash hit the rubble, a scorching explosion blasted it, sending debris flying.
Kokushibou emerged from the rubble, rolling on the ground along with various debris, tumbling a considerable distance.
*Cough!* *Cough!*
Kokushibou lay on the ground, coughing up blood, his body completely charred by flames.
"Damn it…"
Feeling the unbearable pain, Kokushibou gritted his teeth, shakily stood up from the ground, and looked at Riezel with both seriousness and anger in his eyes.
The seriousness stemmed from Riezel's great strength, which had far surpassed his imagination.
He knew Riezel was strong and could easily kill an Upper Rank, but to behead an Upper Rank in the blink of an eye was something he could also do, so he didn't think he would be utterly powerless against Riezel.
In his view, Riezel was indeed strong, but that didn't mean he would lose to him. They might be evenly matched, with their strengths at the same level.
However, he never expected that even when facing him, Riezel would still seem so relaxed, without even breaking a sweat.
Such overwhelming power made Kokushibou's heart tremble, and for a moment, he even thought it was his younger brother standing before him.
Remembering that monstrous existence, as powerful as a god—could there really be a second one in this world?
Was that even possible?
Kokushibou's anger gradually arose.
In fact, before Yoriichi died, he had met him one last time.
It was during that meeting that Yoriichi died, right in front of his eyes.
For this reason, he had sworn long ago that he would never lose to anyone again in this life.
Yet now, in front of Riezel, he was not only in a miserable state and completely outmatched, but Riezel hadn't even drawn his sword and was merely using its scabbard.
"Are you looking down on me?!"
Yelling angrily, Kokushibou glared at Riezel with his six eyes, which were almost popping out of their sockets.
Riezel gazed at the enraged Kokushibou, his expression calm, even had a hint of indifference.
"Don't get me wrong. You're still alive because I have a question for you."
Riezel's tone sounded like he wasn't in a battle but merely completing a tedious task.
"Where is the throne?"
Yes, the so-called 'throne' was all Riezel cared about right now.
At this moment, he had completely lost interest in Kokushibou.
Previously, he had had some expectations for this Upper One, but now it seemed Kokushibou was also no match for him.
Given this, Riezel's goal was left with only one thing—Kibutsuji Muzan.
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