"Listen up! Kazuma-san is now going to teach you what it means to fight like a Trap Hunter!"
Kazuma Satou declared proudly to Genya Shinazugawa.
"I'm a high-level player!"
"First, there's something you must understand!"
Kazuma raised a finger to emphasize his point.
"Hunters aren't just mindless berserkers! We actually use our brains!"
"Like that masochistic holy knight who can't hit a thing, that joke of a goddess, and the chuuni girl who only ever uses Explosion Magic—none of them qualify as real Hunters!!!!!!"
Genya fell silent at Kazuma's clearly pointed accusations.
He didn't understand a word of it, but… Kazuma-san looked like he was suffering, so Genya offered a moment of silent sympathy.
"Listen well! Hunters are not some kind of slaughter-crazed battle junkies! We rely on terrain advantage, item advantage, and more—we have to consider it all!"
Kazuma pointed to Genya's demon-corrupted double-barreled shotgun.
"Those guys who only rush in and yell don't get it at all! Having someone who can control the field is invaluable!!"
"We're the real MVPs!"
"Now's the time to set up!"
Kazuma gestured flamboyantly, bursting with confidence.
"You see this current stalemate? We're the ones who are gonna break it wide open!"
With rare passion, Kazuma declared:
"Five minutes! I'm taking that six-eyed giant down in five!!"
He pulled Genya in and began whispering tactics, and at the same time—sent a message through the gathering hall channel to Kairo Retsu and Joseph Joestar.
Kairo and Joseph, upon receiving Kazuma's plan, immediately understood—
The decisive moment had arrived.
"Got it!"
Kairo stepped forward without hesitation.
"It's my time to shine!"
"Kokushibo! Come at me, you bastard!!!!"
He raised his voice and charged straight toward Kokushibo.
"!"
The others, unaware of the private communication between Hunters, were stunned to see Kairo suddenly switch up his tactics.
Tanjiro guessed Kairo was probably trying to recreate the strategy he'd used against Akaza—using his own body to create an opening for the others.
Though he felt a pang of guilt, Tanjiro focused his attention—ready for the instant where Kokushibo's head might finally fall.
Joseph had already explained the principles of Red Blades, Demon Slayer Marks, and the Transparent World to Tanjiro.
Tanjiro wasn't sure he could master the Transparent World yet, but…
Now that someone was counting on him, he had to respond.
"!"
Kokushibo was both suspicious and furious after witnessing Kairo's new behavior.
Kairo was taunting him again—surely it was another scheme or trick he couldn't yet see through.
"Dun dun dun dun~"
Once Kazuma and Genya signaled they were ready, Kairo held nothing back—
Right in front of Kokushibo, he dramatically donned a brilliantly golden cloak.
"Kokushibo! You… come at me!!!!"
Now wearing his radiant gold mantle, Kairo charged in face-first toward Kokushibo.
"You bastard…!"
Provoked by the blatant challenge, Kokushibo raised his blade, aiming to slice Kairo in half then and there.
Brushing aside the attacks of others, Kokushibo gathered his focus and unleashed a masterful sword technique with all his might.
In the Transparent World, Kokushibo could clearly see—
Kairo hadn't made a single move to dodge.
This slash would cut directly through the middle of his face.
There was no way he could avoid it.
That was how it should have gone.
But the moment his blade nearly reached Kairo's forehead—
A flash of golden light erupted.
Without warning, Kairo's body twisted unnaturally, flipping away from the strike, and the slash completely missed.
And yet—Kokushibo hadn't seen any indication of evasion in the Transparent World.
"Impossible!!!"
Kokushibo roared, swinging again with all his strength.
This time, a horizontal slash aimed to bisect Kairo at the waist.
But once again—
As the blade neared his body, golden light flared up, and Kairo narrowly evaded.
[Mantle of Reversal: Allows the Hunter to quickly reverse direction and counterattack after dodging enemy strikes. Increases agility and evasion efficiency, consuming duration each time it's used.]
"So this is the extent of your strongest sword techniques?"
Kairo mocked at full volume.
"No wonder you're so weak! Can't even keep up with my evasion speed?!"
Now face-to-face with Kokushibo, his Long Sword's red-hot blade gleamed ominously—
A clear sign of the attack that was about to follow.
"I will NEVER accept this!!!"
Unable to grasp how Kairo was dodging him, Kokushibo's frustration turned to madness.
Veins bulged across his arms as he attempted once more to decapitate him with sheer force.
But—the third swing also missed.
Though it shredded much of the ground, Kairo evaded it completely.
Then Kairo stepped forward, poised for a thrust, and grinned:
"Thanks for all those high-power moves… it's time I returned the favor."
"Dun dun dun dun!!"
Kairo stomped down onto Kokushibo's own embedded sword, using it as a launchpad—
And his Long Sword plunged deep into Kokushibo's body as he vaulted skyward.
"Finisher—Soaring Dragon Slash!!"
"Wha—!"
Kokushibo's pupils widened in alarm.
As Kairo sprang off his own body, he instinctively raised his sword to block.
But too late—
On Kairo's Long Sword, the glowing red energy flared up, casting a brilliant arc of light as it swung downward.
"SLASH——————!!!!"
The blade light split Kokushibo's weapon in two.
It cleaved through the swords erupting from his body.
It cut his entire torso clean through.
A straight, devastating line—
Deadly and dazzling.
Kokushibo couldn't even see the path of the strike.
His six eyes, which had previously predicted every one of Kairo's moves, were now useless.
"You… You don't even have a Nichirin Blade… you could never kill me!!!!"
Kokushibo's voice shook with fury and disbelief.
But Kairo responded calmly:
"You old idiot, didn't I already tell you…"
"I'm not the one who's going to finish you off."