Chapter 120: 10 seconds
-----
Aoki looked at the army of demons before him.
He had considered the possibility that Muzan Kibutsuji might disrupt the plan and show up early, and he had anticipated that Muzan might bring Kokushibo along. But he had never expected Muzan to bring so many of his forces at this time.
This put their side at a significant disadvantage.
Kanae spoke up, "Mr. Aomura?"
The others also looked at Aoki, their expressions grave.
Aoki scanned their faces and spoke bluntly, "I need you to hold off Muzan Kibutsuji and the other demons for 10 seconds. I have to deal with Kokushibo first"
There was no one in their lineup who could match Kokushibo in battle. If Aoki focused on fighting Muzan, Kokushibo would be free to wreak havoc with no one to stop him.
Eliminating Kokushibo first was the most effective strategy and would maximize their chances of success.
"Ten seconds?"
Everyone looked surprised. Could they really hold off an Upper Moon demon for 10 seconds?
"Can you do it?" Aoki asked, without offering an explanation.
"No problem, leave it to us!" Kyojuro responded loudly.
Sanemi grinned, his eyes filled with murderous intent. "It's just 10 seconds. If we can't manage that, we might as well be dead already."
Gyomei added, "Don't worry, Mr. Aomura. We won't let any demon disturb you while you deal with Kokushibo."
The other Hashira didn't speak, but their resolve was clear in their eyes.
Ten seconds. On average, each of them only needed to hold out for one second. No matter how strong Muzan Kibutsuji was, they could surely stop him for just one second, even if it meant risking their lives.
There was no more time to talk; the demon army had already arrived.
"Rat, we've caught you again!" Muzan Kibutsuji's face was expressionless, but his eyes were full of murderous intent.
Aoki didn't bother to hide his own murderous intent. "Muzan Kibutsuji, I told you that the next time we meet would be the day you die! I planned to let you live a few more days, but I didn't expect you to be so eager to die!"
Just as Muzan was about to respond, his eyes caught sight of the blue flowers behind Aoki. He froze for a moment, then his expression turned ecstatic.
"The Blue Spider Lily! It's really the Blue Spider Lily!"
After yearning for it day and night, searching for thousands of years, he had finally found it!
Muzan Kibutsuji forgot everything else and rushed straight toward the Blue Spider Lily.
At the same time, all the Hashira stepped forward in unison, blocking Muzan's path.
"If you want the Blue Spider Lily, you'll have to get through us first!"
"Out of my way!" Muzan Kibutsuji's face twisted with impatience as he swung his arms, transforming them into thorned whips, while another whip extended from his back.
The whips lashed out, the wind howled, and the sheer force of it made people tremble.
Aoki glanced at Muzan Kibutsuji before shifting his focus elsewhere.
Now it was up to the Demon Slayer Corps to hold the line.
His figure flashed, and he appeared instantly before Kokushibo.
"Am I your target?" Kokushibo narrowed his eyes as he unsheathed his weapon.
The slash, covered with tiny crescent moon blades, filled Aoki's vision. Aoki didn't dodge. Instead, he clenched his fists, stretched his body into a tight bow, and struck downward with immense force.
"Aoki-ryu, Judgment!"
Boom!
The sheer power of the attack destroyed everything in its path.
Kokushibo's slash collapsed, and the demon was cut in half at the waist. The left side of Kokushibo's body exploded into a mist of blood as he was sent flying, his pupils trembling in disbelief.
How is this possible? How could he be so strong?
"Two seconds," Aoki thought silently as he flashed again, appearing above Kokushibo.
Two demons immediately lunged at him.
But just then—
"Breath of Love, First Form: Shivers of First Love!"
"Breath of Insects, Butterfly Dance: Caprice!"
A pink blade flashed, and the demon on the left lost its head in an instant.
Blood spurted from the demon on the right, and its flesh began to rot rapidly, turning black and purple.
"Don't interrupt Mr. Aomura!" Kanroji Mitsuri shouted softly, holding a strange pink flexible sword in her hand.
Shinobu remained silent as she twisted her wrist, and with a swift motion, her long blade pierced through the forehead of another demon.
Kokushibo paid no attention to the surrounding chaos. The pressure from Aoki's relentless assault left him with no room for distraction.
"Breath of the Moon, Sixth Form: Perpetual Night, Lonely Moon—Incessant."
Kokushibo's weapon, the Kyokokukamusari returned to its original form. As he floated in midair, he unleashed a barrage of slashes. Arc-shaped blades filled with tiny crescent moons burst forth, intent on shredding everything before him.
"Aoki-ryu, Tempest!"
Aoki didn't spare a glance at the Kyokokukamusari. He closed the distance in an instant, unleashing a barrage of blows—fists, elbows, knees, and legs—like a violent storm.
Boom, boom, boom!
Countless wounds appeared on Aoki's body, yet they healed instantly. In contrast, Kokushibo's body was riddled with gaping holes that continued to bleed profusely.
Kokushibo found the air growing unbearably heavy, every breath requiring a monumental effort. He realized this was the weight of fear pressing down on him.
Only a few months had passed, yet the strength of the defector had grown exponentially, beyond imagination. The shadow of death loomed over him, ever-present and inescapable, just like when he once faced Yoriichi.
"Six seconds."
Aoki exhaled, crossing the space to reappear directly in front of Kokushibo.
"Breath of the Moon, Fourteenth Form: Tenman Cresent moon!"
Kokushibo suddenly turned, swinging his blade backward. The successive slashes formed a terrifying vortex, surrounded by countless tiny moon blades.
But before the vortex could strike, Aoki vanished once more.
"Aoki-ryu, Banquet!"
Bang!
Kokushibo's head exploded. He staggered back, but his stance remained unbroken. In the Transparent World, he could clearly see Aoki's movements, and the Kyokokukamusari slashed down with precision.
The sharp blade sliced through the air, leaving deep gouges in the ground, but it did not touch Aoki.
In the Transparent World, Aoki had already predicted Kokushibo's prediction.
Bang!
A heavy punch landed, and Kokushibo staggered, his right shoulder exploding into a mist of blood as the Kyokokukamusari was sent flying from his grasp.
A swordsman without his weapon loses most of his strength.
Aoki's figure flashed several times in rapid succession.
Bang, bang, bang…
Kokushibo's left shoulder, both legs, and chest exploded almost simultaneously, the blood mist swirling around him grotesquely.
Aoki appeared again, seemingly having never moved, but Kokushibo's body was now riddled with gaping wounds as he collapsed to the ground.
"Eight seconds," Aoki silently noted.
With "Space Shuttle" no longer having a cooldown, the speed and power of "Banquet" had increased significantly.
"But it's not over yet."
Aoki looked up.
"Am I going to die?"
The shadow of death loomed large, like a giant hand squeezing Kokushibo's heart. He struggled to breathe, and a surge of deep resentment welled up within him.
Why?
Why are there always such powerful beings in this world?
It was like this with Yoriichi, and now again with Aoki.
If Yoriichi was the favored one of the gods, then what about Aoki?
As a demon, how could Aoki, a mere defector, possess more power than Lord Muzan?
Most importantly, why couldn't he achieve the same?
Kokushibo's body suddenly began to swell, with flesh and blood rapidly multiplying in areas without wounds, trying to grow additional arms.
"As expected of an Upper Moon demon," Aoki remarked, then without hesitation, crossed the space to Kokushibo's side and extended his palm.
An invisible vortex formed.
"No!"
The two arms growing from Kokushibo's chest flailed desperately, but they couldn't stop the vortex from consuming him.
In the blink of an eye, Kokushibo's body was completely devoured, and Aoki retracted his hand.
"Ten seconds, just in time."
=====
T/N: There is a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early access of 40+ chapters.
Patreon link:- patreon.com/ANelite