Chapter 66: Final Fight Part 2

'Even after the explosion and Tamayo's help, the fucker still has a lot of strength left.' I thought as he unleashed a demon art. "Black Blood: Brambles!" Hundreds of red whips erupted from his arm, hurtling toward me at high speed. I deflected and cut them as I approached, but a few managed to cut me. I couldn't give a damn about it. 'This bastard is dying tonight!'

I focused my cursed magic to strengthen Shundō and blitzed in front of him. "Cursed Slash!" I severed both his arms and his head, but I was forced to retreat as more whips sprouted from his limbs. His head and arms regenerated instantly.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed the Hashira had arrived. "It's Muzan! It's fucking Kibutsuji Muzan! He won't die even with his head cut off!" I exclaimed for the Hashira and Tanjiro to hear. 'The hell is he doing here?!' as they began to unleash their breathing techniques, closing in on Muzan and me.

I was the closest, and I noticed his smirk first as I cut off his arms again. They healed just as doors appeared on the ground beneath everyone, including myself. Muzan's wide grin returned as he turned to Tanjiro. "You seriously thought you could corner me? You're all going to hell now!"

Tanjiro's voice rang out, filled with determination. "You're the one going to hell, Muzan! You're not getting away! I will defeat you for sure!"

I smirked. 'Good words, Tanjiro!'

As we descended, I coated beneath my feet with Shundō and launched myself toward Muzan, who widened his eyes in shock. I charged Muramasa, ignoring the pain in my side. "Nemesis Cursed Slash!" More doors appeared in front of the strike, but they had only a slight effect, it was too large and powerful to fully stop. My slash cut Muzan in half and continued behind him.

I landed on the same platform as he regenerated, with Tamayo right behind me. "I need to get in close again, Ryou-san. Do you think you can hold him off long enough?"

I nodded, blocking Muzan's view of her as she got on my back. I gripped Muramasa tighter, feeling it purr with anticipation. 'It has been a while, hasn't it? Fine, Muramasa. Let's not take any chances this time.'

I breathed in and out. While I hadn't mastered Total Breathing Concentration, I was still proficient in its use, even if it drained my strength further.

As doors appeared around us, hundreds of demons clawed their way forward. Muzan taunted. "Like my gift?"

Veins pulsed on my forehead as I released my bloodlust for him. The demons felt it, but they still attacked. I unleashed another "Cursed Slash" cutting through a wave of them. I dodged to my right as a clawed hand shot up from beneath me, then ducked while shifting Tamayo my back. "Cursed Slash!" I annihilated another wave of roughly forty to fifty demons.

"Ryou-san, we won't be able to get to Muzan if we have to keep dealing with these demons!"

I grit my teeth. "Hold on then." I focused my bloodlust into Muramasa, feeling a tiny part of my lifeforce and cursed magic flowing into the blade as I shifted into an iaido stance.

"Soul-Rending Flash: Twilight Requiem!"

The air around the worn red blade darkened momentarily, as if it were pulling in the light itself. Like a flash of twilight, a dark, almost black line spread around the demons and Muzan before a powerful shockwave erupted, unleashing a spark of cursed magic from Muramasa's blade.

I felt the pain in my side flare up again momentarily, but I pushed on as all the demons and doors were destroyed, with Muzan healing almost instantly. However, I noticed a difference. 'It's not as fast as before.' That attack, if I was correct, would attack the soul, and I hoped it would reduce his regeneration and strength. It seemed I was justified in that hope.

We clashed again as he used the whips, and I cut through them, dodging some that would've hit Tamayo. She spoke while on my back. "If I can stab him again, I should be able to administer more poison into his body, which will slow him down further."

I nodded and then asked, cutting a whip aimed at my jewels, "If you were to guess, how strong would you say he is right now?" I leapt back as a door appeared under me.

"He should be at around half his strength. While he's the strongest of the demons, he's not the most combat-oriented, that's what the others were for."

I nodded, focusing back on the fight as doors appeared around me, encasing me. I readied another slash, but before I could execute it, one of the doors sent me and Tamayo to another part of this place.

"Fuck!" I cursed loudly, glancing over to see Tamayo nodding in agreement. I started running in the direction of the clashes I had briefly heard. "Do you know your way around this place, Tamayo-chan?" While surprised by the title, she shook her head.

"Unfortunately not yet, but I'm hearing people fighting in the direction we're headed. As much as I don't want to, we'll have to put Muzan on hold for now."

I nodded and ran faster toward the sounds of battle.

Turning a corner, I spotted Muichiro engaged in a fierce fight with a six-eyed demon. 'Muichiro is losing.' I noted. Tamayo spoke with a stutter that had me raising my eyebrow.

"T-That's Upper Rank One, Kokushibo. The brother of Tsugikuni Yoriichi , the strongest and founder of the breathing styles for demon slayers."

'No wonder he exudes such an aura.' I thought as I gripped Muramasa, readying Shundō against him. Kokushibo perceived my presence and reacted faster than I expected, turning to unleash an attack that I met with my own.

"First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace!"

"Nemesis Slash!" The two attacks canceled each other out as I moved toward Muichiro. When I came close, I saw that he had lost an arm.

"Tamayo-chan, think you can get him back on his feet?" I watched her nod as she hopped down from my back, keeping a close watch on Kokushibo, who remained motionless.

I cracked my neck and began to approach him slowly, channeling cursed magic through my body. 'I've got maybe a maximum of ten hours before my strength starts declining at a rapid pace,' I thought while brushing my hair out of my face. We didn't say anything as I got into a stance and he did the same.

I charged at him just as he unleashed another attack. "Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon - Incessant!" Multiple curved slashes appeared in front of him, releasing a wild barrage of moon-shaped blades that sliced through everything in their path toward me.

"Twice Over: Nemesis Cursed Slash!" Two four meter long slashes were sent at his attack, which collided with it. We engaged each other as the attacks were still ongoing. I blocked a katana slash aimed at my neck and responded with one aimed at his arm which he blocked. We got into a strength based clash with his katana against mine, bringing us close together.