**Chapter 57: The Clash of Thunder and Blood**
A thick, tense silence filled the chamber where Kintaro, Muzan, and the Upper Moons stood, each figure still as stone. The air was electric, but it wasn't just the pressure of the looming battle—it was Kintaro's eyes, glowing with a faint purple light, and Muzan's deep crimson stare, meeting with a silent understanding. The Upper Moons watched with sharp intensity, their own eyes shimmering with power.
In Kintaro's hands, two jagged daggers of pure lightning flickered, unstable and crackling with energy. The electricity danced erratically, as though the blades themselves were struggling to maintain form. Muzan's gaze lingered on the weapons before he spoke, his voice cold and calculated.
"I've never seen a human capable of manifesting such power," Muzan mused, his expression unreadable. "No human should be able to wield such unstable forces. You're more like a demon than a man."
The blades vibrated, shifting in shape as the lightning coursed through them, unstable and wild. *Daki*, the Sixth Upper Moon, narrowed her eyes in disgust, a sneer curling her lips.
"Do you think you can defeat us with such an unreliable weapon?" she taunted, her voice dripping with contempt.
Kintaro smiled calmly, a dangerous glint in his glowing purple eyes. Without a word, he transformed one of the daggers into a spear of pure lightning. The weapon stretched into the air, humming with immense power. In an instant, Kintaro vanished in a flash of light, reappearing five meters above Daki. Before she could react, he hurled the spear like a bolt of thunder from the heavens.
*CRACK!*
The spear struck Daki with a blinding flash, and she screamed in agony as the lightning coursed through her body, paralyzing her completely. In that moment of vulnerability, Kintaro appeared before her, his remaining dagger gleaming in his hand.
*SWOOSH!*
In one swift motion, he severed her head from her body, the blade crackling as it cut through her neck. Daki's head hit the ground, her eyes wide in disbelief, her lips trembling as they tried to form words. Kintaro's face was serene, his eyes burning brighter than ever, as he smiled down at her.
"I'll keep cutting off your heads as many times as it takes," he declared confidently, his voice echoing through the room.
But in that same moment, Kintaro's eyes widened in shock as he noticed something. From directly in front of him, the massive blade of *Kokushibo*, the First Upper Moon, was descending toward his neck, gleaming in the dim light.
Kintaro leaped backward, his instincts sharp, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike. But before his feet even touched the ground, a powerful force descended from above.
*BAM!*
Akaza crashed down like a meteor, his fists coated in a vibrant blue aura. The impact shattered the wooden floor beneath him, sending shards of debris flying through the air. Akaza's golden eyes glowed in the dust-filled room, and he looked up calmly at the new location of his target: Kintaro, perched in a higher chamber.
A single bead of sweat trickled down Kintaro's face, his breathing slightly heavier. Akaza's voice broke the silence, quiet but menacing.
"You've done well to avoid our attacks so far," Akaza said, his eyes narrowing. "But are you sure the place you've landed is safe?"
Kintaro's purple eyes darted downward, sensing something approaching. There, crawling toward him with a broken expression, was the *Fourth Upper Moon*, his face streaked with tears. His sobs filled the air as his body trembled with sorrow. Without hesitation, Kintaro reformed the two lightning daggers in his hands and slashed both blades through the demon's body.
*SLASH!*
Blood sprayed into the air as the Fourth Upper Moon's body was torn into four pieces. The cuts were clean, electricity still dancing through the air as pieces of flesh and droplets of blood flew in every direction, scattering across the wooden floor.
But before Kintaro could even blink, Akaza appeared before him, the room darkening in his presence. In that brief, chilling moment, Kintaro saw the golden eyes of the Third Upper Moon, the ominous symbol of *Upper Rank Three* etched into his irises. Akaza's fist, glowing with a deadly blue aura, was mere inches from Kintaro's body, ready to crush him.
With no time to think, Kintaro threw himself backward, moving as a flash of lightning to avoid the strike. But as he soared through the air, a voice rang out, chilling and fierce.
"*Blood Demon Art: Flying Poisoned Sickles!*"
Red, poisoned sickles, belonging to Gyutaro, the brother of Daki, shot toward Kintaro at incredible speed. He was in mid-air, completely vulnerable, with no time to dodge.
Kintaro clenched his fists, his eyes glowing with fierce determination as lightning crackled around him. His teeth gritted, veins bulging, as the energy around him surged.
Suddenly, his hair floated upwards, glowing with a radiant purple hue as cracks of lightning formed around his eyes. Without warning, a powerful wave of electricity exploded from his body, surging in all directions. The wave disintegrated the poison sickles mid-flight, turning them to dust.
*ZAP!*
The electric wave struck all the Upper Moons and even Muzan himself. Their bodies convulsed as the shock rippled through them, blood spilling from their noses, though their rapid regeneration quickly erased the damage.
Kintaro landed on the wooden floor, his chest heaving, sweat dripping from his face. He barely had time to gather himself before he found himself surrounded. Four versions of the Fourth Upper Moon materialized around him, each one a different embodiment of emotion—anger, sorrow, fear, and hatred.
The pleasure version snarled, his voice low and trembling with fury, "You think you can defeat us?!"
The Sorrowful version whimpered, tears streaming down his face, "Why must you hurt us? Why must we suffer?"
The Joyful version trembled, his eyes wide with dread, "Let's fight Let's fight! Let's enjoy this fight!"
The Angry version spat, his face twisted with loathing, "I'll rip you apart with my own hands!"
Kintaro's eyes narrowed, his vision blurring for a moment as exhaustion began to take its toll. His body felt heavy, the intense strain of channeling such immense power starting to wear him down. Despite this, his gaze remained sharp, filled with determination. He couldn't afford to falter now.
As the Fourth Upper Moon's clones closed in, Kintaro steadied himself, his purple eyes glowing brighter than ever. The storm wasn't over yet.
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