Seeing that Tengen and Tanjirou were determined to protect Nezuko, Gyuutarou changed his strategy. His strength was already superior to theirs; the poison was merely an added bonus. Since this demon could neutralize his poison, he decided to forgo using it altogether.
Gyuutarou flung out one Blood Scythe, aiming for Tanjirou, then, holding the other Blood Scythe, charged towards Tengen. Simultaneously, countless Blood Blades flew out from his body in all directions.
Gyuutarou's continuous attacks left Tengen no opportunity to assist Tanjirou. At this moment, he could only trust Tanjirou to handle the situation on his own.
He swung his nichirin blade, cutting through the Blood Blades, just as Gyuutarou arrived in front of him.
"I'd like to see how you'll defeat me with such a burden," Gyuutarou said, thrusting a Blood Scythe towards Tengen's chest, while simultaneously controlling the other Blood Scythe to fly towards Tanjirou's head.
Tanjirou could not cut through the Blood Blades like Tengen; he could only barely alter their trajectory. However, these Blood Blades were also under Gyuutarou's control and could change direction, leaving Tanjirou momentarily flustered.
Under Gyuutarou's control, a large number of Blood Blades enveloped Tanjirou, and simultaneously, the Blood Scythe swung towards his head.
Stamina... it's running out...
Tanjirou's hands trembled. If he hadn't tied his blade to his hands beforehand, he would no longer have the strength to hold it.
The Blood Blade encirclement tightened, about to touch Tanjirou's body. However, he now found it difficult to raise his blade to block or alter the Blood Blades' trajectory.
Not far away, Nezuko ran desperately towards Tanjirou, her expression filled with anxiety.
Clang!
He blocked the Blood Scythe aimed at his head with all his might, but the immense force from the Blood Scythe, carrying his broken blade, continued to hack towards his head. His action only slightly slowed the Blood Scythe's speed.
Pfft!
A Blood Blade landed on Tanjirou's shoulder, and a flower of blood bloomed.
Is it over...?
The Blood Scythe had already pierced the skin on his forehead. Without Tengen's poison resistance, Tanjirou immediately felt his head growing dizzy.
...
"Tanjirou... use your Breathing..."
"Brother, come back quickly!"
...
Voices echoed in his mind, and the figures of his parents and younger siblings appeared in his thoughts.
Finally, Nezuko's human form appeared, her smile unchanged. However, when he opened his eyes again, the Nezuko before him was still in her demon form.
I must turn Nezuko back into a human... Before that... I must persevere no matter what!
"Ahhhhhhh!!!"
Tanjirou's fighting spirit reignited, and he mustered all his strength to resist the Blood Scythe.
For some unknown reason, the Blood Scythe that had pierced the skin on his forehead seemed to be momentarily halted. It was precisely this momentary delay that saved Tanjirou from being decapitated.
The Blood Scythe was blocked, but Tanjirou faced more danger than that; four or five Blood Blades simultaneously closed in on his body, about to slice him into pieces.
Boom!
Flames soared from Tanjirou's body, incinerating the poison within him at that moment, and simultaneously weakening the Blood Blades somewhat.
At the same time, the scar on Tanjirou's forehead, while he was engulfed in flames, extended around his left eye, forming a flame-shaped Breath Styles / Marks.
Everything in his vision seemed to slow down, and his body's strength returned, even surpassing its previous level.
Sun Breathing Sixth Form: Burning Bones, Summer Sun!
There was no time to ponder the cause. Tanjirou spun his body, swinging his broken blade. Amidst the intense flames of Nezuko's Blood Demon Art, his broken nichirin blade glowed crimson. The Blood Scythe and Blood Blades were either knocked away or cut apart by Tanjirou.
This brat actually neutralized my attack!
Gyuutarou, who was attacking Tengen, was shocked when he caught sight of Tanjirou's situation from the corner of his eye.
Conversely, Tengen felt much relieved upon seeing this.
However, the next moment, a large amount of blood suddenly surged from Gyuutarou's arms, then wrapped around them, forming large Blood Blades.
Blood Demon Art: Rotating Circular Slashes!
Tengen's attention immediately returned to the scene. He wielded his twin blades, causing an explosion in front of him.
Sound Breathing Fourth Form: Constant Resounding Slashes!
"Uzui-san, get out of the way quickly!"
Tanjirou saw the Blood Scythe he had knocked away, now controlled by Gyuutarou, attacking Tengen's back. However, he was too far away to block it for Tengen and could only shout a warning.
The fierce attack Gyuutarou launched in front of him made Tengen somewhat overlook the potential danger from behind. Upon hearing Tanjirou's warning, he immediately felt a chill down his spine.
He tried to dodge by turning sideways, but his movement was a little too late. The Blood Scythe spun past, carving a large wound on his back and left chest.
Due to his poison resistance, Tengen did not immediately withdraw from the battle to seek Nezuko's help in removing the poison. Instead, he charged directly at Gyuutarou.
Just then, Hinatsuru appeared on a rooftop beside the street, holding a strange weapon studded with kunai.
The next moment, kunai were launched, showering down upon Gyuutarou.
Kunai?
Gyuutarou noticed Hinatsuru's attack and felt a bit confused. He didn't believe such things could harm him.
These things are too troublesome to block, and even if I get hit, it doesn't matter...
No, these guys shouldn't be that foolish.
Blood Demon Art: Rampant Mayhem!
Gyuutarou suddenly understood and immediately used his Blood Demon Art for defense. However, due to his momentary hesitation, two or three kunai still struck him.
As the Blood Blade shield dissipated, Gyuutarou found Tengen already in front of him. The recent kunai attack, with its wide range, had also enveloped Tengen, yet he hadn't dodged and now had some kunai embedded in him as well.
"Sun Breathing Twelfth Form: Flame Dance!"
Tanjirou, having caught up at some point, wielded his Crimson Blade, wreathed in flames. With one strike, he severed Gyuutarou's left arm, and then, with another horizontal slash, aimed for his neck.
Gyuutarou, intending to regenerate immediately, discovered his left arm could not regenerate and simultaneously felt a burning pain.
With the Crimson Blade and the wisteria poison on the kunai, Gyuutarou's left arm could not regenerate for a short period.
"Blood Demon Art: Rotating Circular Slashes!"
Upon realizing he couldn't regenerate, Gyuutarou simply gave up on recovering. The blood from his wound, along with blood seeping from his body, all transformed into Blood Blades that wrapped around his upper torso. Tanjirou's broken blade even sparked as it struck them.
"Sound Breathing Second Form: Duet!"
Sound Hashira Tengen Uzui, holding his twin blades, slammed one in front of him onto the Blood Blades released by Gyuutarou, creating a roar that scattered some of the Blood Blades. The other blade spun halfway around Gyuutarou's neck before landing on the Blood Blades at the back of his neck.
The roar of an explosion sounded again, two distinct sounds, one after the other, like a duet.
"Brother! Don't let yourself be decapitated by someone like that!"
Daki, noticing Gyuutarou's situation, grew anxious and quickly shouted towards him.
"Thunder Breathing First Form: Thunderclap and Flash - Godspeed!"