Chapter 232: Will You Remember How Much Bread You Ate

"The imperial city is just ahead."

Tanjiro stood on a high slope, gazing at the towering city walls in the distance.

On the slope behind them, dozens of swordsmen were adjusting their breathing.

They were elites drafted from various regions, each at least First Rank Swordsman in strength. But now, many leaned against tree trunks gasping for air, their exhaustion impossible to hide.

The railway along the way had been destroyed, utility poles were toppled everywhere, so they could only travel on foot; what should have been half a day's journey had been forced to take until now.

At this moment, the sun at the horizon had not yet fully set; there were probably still three or four hours until nightfall.

"Why don't we find a place nearby to rest for the night?" a young swordsman suggested, wiping sweat from his forehead, "Everyone has been going nonstop since morning, and it's already so late."

"What must come will come."

Sanemi Shinazugawa gripped his sword hilt: "Rather than passively taking a beating, we might as well take the initiative. I'd like to see just what abilities that fellow called Dio has!"

Giyu Tomioka, who had been silent for a long time, nodded in agreement: "During the day we can still use sunlight to suppress those monsters, but once night falls, the enemy will surely act. Entering the city now is actually the best choice."

Giyu Tomioka turned around, his gaze sweeping over the swordsmen behind him: "The upcoming battle will be very dangerous. Those who make it back alive may be fewer than half. Anyone who wants to withdraw can leave now."

No one flinched; these swordsmen were elites among elites, each possessing the ability to stand alone, and all had long been prepared to sacrifice themselves.

"Get ready, depart in twenty minutes." Giyu Tomioka issued the order, "Remember, once you enter the imperial city, everyone must be at twelve points of alertness. A moment's carelessness, and you'll die without a whole corpse."

The swordsmen quickly organized their equipment and checked their blades. Some took out medicine they carried on their person and swallowed it; others silently wiped dust from their blades.

Soon, the twenty minutes were up.

"Prepare to move out." Tanjiro stood up, "Senior Gyomei, I'm counting on you."

Gyomei Himejima stepped to the front, the chain hammer in his hand making metallic clashing sounds. He took a deep breath, his muscles instantly swelling, veins bulging.

"Amitabha."

"Boom!"

The meteor hammer, whistling through the air, smashed into the city gate. The heavy iron gate cracked under the impact, fragments flying everywhere. When the smoke and dust cleared, a stench assailed them.

"Stay alert." Giyu Tomioka drew his Nichirin Blade, "Maintain formation and advance."

Passing through the city gate, the sight before them froze everyone in place.

"This is..." Tanjiro's pupils contracted sharply.

Silence, an eerie silence.

The street before them was devoid of people, yet the ground was covered with a layer of dark red blood scabs. The bloodstains had dried, gleaming with an eerie luster in the setting sun.

Obanai Iguro crouched down, his fingers lightly touching the ground: "Hiss, the land here has been completely soaked in blood. Judging by the area and thickness of the bloodstains, at least ten thousand people have died."

"Beasts!" Sanemi Shinazugawa gritted his teeth.

Tanjiro frowned and scanned the surroundings: "The enemies should all be hiding inside the buildings."

Without any order, the swordsmen behind them had already begun to act.

They quickly took down the bundles from their backs and took out one black cylindrical object after another. Those were specially made explosive packs.

The swordsmen split into small teams, quickly placing explosives at the entrances of various buildings. The imperial palace covered a small area, only about the size of several soccer fields.

These explosives were more than enough to blow open all the major buildings.

"Everyone retreat!" Giyu Tomioka gave the order, and the swordsmen quickly pulled back.

Tanjiro gripped the detonator in his hand: "Prepare..."

"Boom!"

A deafening explosion shook the entire imperial city. The air wave kicked up huge clouds of dust, buildings were torn apart in the explosion. Rubble and wood chips flew everywhere like raindrops.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred.

Countless black shadows rose from the shattered buildings. They were huge balloons, their surfaces gleaming with a metallic luster, rapidly rising into the air.

Beneath each balloon hung a silver metal device; the devices activated instantly, and countless smoke arrows shot out.

At the same time, booming sounds came from the ground. Countless smoke shells were fired at high speed from all directions, drawing dense arcs in the air.

"This is..." Sanemi Shinazugawa widened his eyes.

The smoke spread at an astonishing speed. The sky, where sunlight had still been visible, was instantly shrouded in thick smoke screens.

Layers of gray-white smoke, like an invisible wall; the sky, which should not have darkened for another three or four hours, was now as if dusk had fallen.

"Damn it!" Sanemi Shinazugawa gritted his teeth, "Is he trying to create a night environment?"

A young swordsman suddenly coughed painfully, bending over and gasping for air: "My lungs, my lungs are burning!"

At this moment, a swordsman who had inhaled a mouthful of smoke suddenly clutched his chest and knelt on the ground. A searing sensation surged from his lungs, as if countless fine needles were pricking him.

"Cough, cough." The swordsman's face turned red, his breathing becoming increasingly difficult.

Shinobu's expression changed: "Be careful! The smoke is poisonous! Quickly cover your mouths and noses with wet cloth!"

Everyone immediately took action. Some took out canteens from their backpacks and soaked strips of cloth. The swordsmen quickly covered their mouths and noses with wet cloth.

But a few who reacted slowly had already fallen to the ground, clutching their throats and convulsing.

At this moment, rustling sounds suddenly came from all around. At first faint, they gradually became dense, like countless insects crawling.

"They're here!" Muichiro Tokito suddenly turned around.

In the smoke, black shadows flickered. Figures emerged one by one from behind the buildings; their eyes glowed with an eerie red light, their skin an abnormal gray-white.

Not only on the ground, but on walls and roofs, everywhere were figures of Corpse Puppets.

They crowded together densely, crawling like ants, some even walking straight down walls vertically.

The number of Corpse Puppets grew more and more, endlessly surging out from every corner. They swarmed forward, surrounding the swordsmen completely.

"There are too many!" Mitsuri Kanroji gripped her sword hilt.

Hundreds and thousands of Corpse Puppets crowded together, emitting bone-chilling low growls.

"Form up!" Tanjiro shouted loudly, "Back to back, don't leave any openings!"

The swordsmen quickly adjusted their positions, forming a defensive formation, blades drawn, cold light flashing.

"Welcome to my banquet."

A cold voice came from overhead. Everyone looked up; a tall figure stood at the highest point of the palace, looking down on the crowd.

The surrounding Corpse Puppets retreated one after another, clearing a Passage.

Sunlight filtered through the smoke, faintly illuminating that person's silhouette. He wore a black trench coat, golden hair fluttering in the wind.

Although the crowd had never seen Dio, at this moment, gazing at that proudly standing silhouette, everyone understood his identity.

That aura towering above all beings, that arrogance that disregarded life, made one's blood run cold. "Dio!"

"Oh? Seems no introduction is needed." Dio's voice carried amusement.

Tanjiro stared dead at that figure, the hand gripping his sword trembling slightly with Anger, "Just how many innocent people have died by your hand these past few days?! Those civilians, soldiers — they bore you no grudge, why did you do this!"

"Hehe."

Dio let out a contemptuous laugh: "Tell me, Tanjiro, do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten?"

Hearing this, Tanjiro's eyes bloodshot, blue veins bulging on his forehead.

The man before him actually disregarded human life to such an extent. Such inhuman words pushed his Anger to the brink of shattering reason's restraint.

"Bastard!"

The next instant, the Ground beneath Tanjiro's feet cracked open with a Bang. Crimson patterns entwined his Nichirin Blade; a flame-like breath erupted from within his body.

"Sun Breathing, Seventh Form, Solar Flare Thrust!"

Tanjiro became a streak of crimson light, charging at Dio in an instant.

In the one-one-look-no-mistake version!

But just then, a figure suddenly blocked in front of Dio.

"Clang!"

A loud boom, sparks scattering.

Tanjiro's Pupils contracted sharply. The sight before him nearly made him forget to breathe.

"Mr. Rengoku. How could it be."

Six arms grew from Rengoku Kyojuro's body, each gripping a blood-colored Great Sword. His Skin showed an unnatural gray-white; his eyes flashed with blood-red light.

"Impossible, this is impossible!" Mitsuri Kanroji covered her mouth, tears spilling over. As Rengoku's disciple, she could not accept the scene before her.

Rengoku Kyojuro did not speak; six swords swung simultaneously, forming an airtight sword net. Tanjiro was forced to Retreat.

"Hahaha!" Dio laughed loudly, "Want to challenge me? Defeat my subordinates first! Let me see if you so-called Hashira have the qualifications to become my opponents!"

As Dio's words fell, several figures rose from the smoke, blocking before Dio.

When they saw these figures clearly, the Hashira were struck as if by lightning, bodies frozen stiff.

"Sabito." Giyu Tomioka's voice trembled, eyes full of Disbelief.

The close friend who once saved him during the Final Selection now stood before him. The Sabito in memory was already changed beyond recognition; both arms had become sharp blades, eyes flashing with eerie red light.

"Big sister?" Shinobu's Pupils shrank violently, whole body trembling. Her sister Kanae stood there; butterfly-wing-like Bone Blades grew from her back, her whole being Emitting an ominous aura.

The other Hashira also recognized their respective familiar figures, among them no lack of familiar silhouettes.

Every person's body had undergone terrifying modification. Some grew extra limbs... they retained their living appearance, yet had completely become monsters.

"You" Tanjiro stared dead at Dio, Nails digging into Flesh until a trickle of fresh blood flowed,

"What do you take life for?! These are living, breathing people, lives with their own thoughts and feelings! By what right do you trample their dignity like this!"

Dio lowered his head, looking down on Tanjiro, the corner of his mouth hooking a mocking smile: "Hehe, sheep eat grass, people eat sheep, I eat people — this is the food chain, the natural law. I am the predator standing at the top, a higher life form transcending Humanity."

He spread his arms, voice full of wild arrogance: "Aren't you Humans the same? Domesticating animals, crossbreeding, arbitrarily modifying their genes. Did you ask those pets for their opinion?"

Dio sneered, "In my eyes, you Humans are no different from ants. I granted them new life, let them gain power surpassing Humans — this is a gift!"

"Attack!" At Dio's command, hundreds of guns raised simultaneously, muzzles flashing Cold Air.

"Careful!" Tanjiro shouted.

The next instant, dense gunfire rang out. Countless bullets Poured Down like Raindrops; the air filled with the smell of gunpowder.

The swordsmen swiftly raised blades to block; Nichirin Blade bodies and bullets Collided, emitting dense "clang-clang" sounds.

But the poison mist Affected their vision and reaction speed, movements becoming Slow.

"Ah!" A miserable scream rang out; a swordsman's shoulder was hit by a bullet, blood spurting. Immediately after, several more swordsmen slightly slower to react were shot and fell.

"Can't continue like this!" Giyu Tomioka knocked down three bullets with one slash, "Split up, find cover! Everyone Notice, don't stay in place!"

Sanemi Shinazugawa stomped, Ground cracking with a Bang. He charged like a Shell at a group of gun-wielding Corpse Puppets; Blade Light flashed, blood flying.

Muichiro Tokito's figure shuttled through the People; every time Blade Light flashed, several corpses fell.

"Tanjiro!" Giyu Tomioka shouted.

Tanjiro nodded in understanding, and together with Giyu Tomioka charged toward Dio's direction. But just then, two figures flashed like Lightning to intercept before Giyu Tomioka.

"Sabito. Makomo" Giyu Tomioka gripped the hilt tight, voice faintly trembling.

Sabito did not hesitate in the slightest; Nichirin Blade carrying fierce Wind slashed down. Giyu Tomioka could only raise his blade to block; metal Colliding emitted a crisp sound.

On the other side, Kanae blocked before Shinobu. Sisters facing each other, the air permeated with a sorrowful aura.

"Big sister." Shinobu gripped her Nichirin Blade, knuckles white.

Countless scenes of time spent with her sister flashed through her mind, but the one before her eyes was no longer the Kanae of memory.

Tanjiro was about to pursue Dio when Rengoku Kyojuro suddenly blocked before him. Six arms swung Nichirin Blades simultaneously; Blade Light wove a deadly net.

Just then, a sound of Breaking Sky came from the side. Gyomei Himejima's giant axe cleaved the long sky, striking straight at Rengoku's back.

Clang! Rengoku's right-side arm reversed, a Nichirin Blade catching the incoming giant axe. Blade edges met, sparks scattering. Red light flashed in Rengoku's eyes, he shouted low: "Vaporization Freezing Technique!"

Cold Air surged from the blade edge, instantly Spreading to the giant axe. The axe head rapidly froze over, covered in a thick layer of frost.

"Amitabha." Gyomei Himejima gripped the Chain with both hands, "Excuse me!"

"Stone Breathing, Fifth Form, Wheel Punishment Ministry!"

The Meteor Hammer broke through the sky, carrying a whistling wind. Rengoku blocked with all six swords simultaneously, but the tremendous force struck him and sent him flying backward.

His feet plowed two deep furrows into the ground, sending rubble flying in all directions.

Gyomei Himejima was about to pursue and attack when a sudden mechanical roar rang out. A shell whistled through the air, trailing a long tail of fire.

"Watch out!" Tanjiro shouted.

Gyomei Himejima hastily swung the Meteor Hammer to block.

Boom! Amid the tremendous explosion, Gyomei Himejima was pushed back a step by the shockwave. Before he could steady himself, an even louder sound came from within the smoke.

"That is..." Tanjiro's pupils contracted, "The Army's latest weapon?"

The tank turret slowly rotated, its gaping cannon muzzle aiming at the crowd.

The cannon barrel still retained the gunpowder smoke from the previous shell; several Corpse Puppets stood on the armor plates, gripping heavy machine guns.

(Chapter End)