Chapter 234: Transparent World

At the same time, another battlefield.

Countless Corpse Puppets densely surrounded Tanjiro.

A rotten stench permeated the air, and every Corpse Puppet's eyes flickered with an eerie red light.

"Up! Tear him apart!"

Someone shouted, and several Corpse Puppets instantly rushed toward Tanjiro.

"Clang!"

Rengoku Kyojuro swung six Great Swords at once; blade light flashed, and the Corpse Puppets at the front were instantly cut in half.

He turned his head, his blood-red eyes sweeping over the remaining Corpse Puppets: "Get out of the way! This is my prey."

The Corpse Puppets instinctively retreated under this aura, quickly scattering to form an encirclement in the distance.

Tanjiro gripped his Nichirin Blade tightly and stared fixedly at Rengoku: "Mr. Rengoku."

"Tanjiro, this time, I will offer your head to Dio-sama." Rengoku Kyojuro's eyes flickered with blood-red light.

Before his voice fell, a loud bang erupted beneath Rengoku Kyojuro's feet, and his whole body instantly turned into a streak of crimson lightning.

Six Great Swords crossed in the air, slashing out six blade lights, each aimed at Tanjiro's vital points.

"Total Concentration!"

Tanjiro took a deep breath, and flame-like markings instantly appeared on his forehead.

"Sun Breathing Round Dance!"

He gripped the blade with both hands, his body spinning, fierce flames coiling around the blade edge as he drew circle after circle of fire rings in the air.

"Clang!"

Amidst flying sparks, Tanjiro blocked the six swords, but the immense force still shook him back three steps, and the ground beneath Tanjiro's feet shattered bit by bit

"So strong!" Cold sweat beaded on Tanjiro's forehead, "This power is stronger than before!"

Rengoku Kyojuro gave him no chance to catch his breath; six arms swung simultaneously, six Great Swords crossing in the air to form an impenetrable sword net.

"Sun Breathing Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance!"

Tanjiro gripped the blade with both hands, every muscle in his body tensed, and the aura within him instantly condensed onto the blade edge.

Crimson flames coiled around the Nichirin Blade, forming a circular defensive barrier.

"Clang clang clang!"

The two blades collided incessantly, the metallic clashing sounds so dense they almost merged into one.

Shockwaves spread out, shaking the rubble on the ground into the air.

At this moment Tanjiro's movements grew faster and faster; the Nichirin Blade in his hand became streaks of crimson light and shadow, his whole body like a fireball of intertwined blade light and flames.

But Rengoku Kyojuro's attacks grew more and more fierce. The sword net formed by six Great Swords kept tightening, leaving Tanjiro less and less room to maneuver and dodge.

At this moment Tanjiro's complexion grew worse and worse; though relying on his reflexes, he barely kept up with the opponent's attacks.

But Rengoku Kyojuro's attacks grew faster and faster, and the force grew heavier and heavier.

And the circulation of the aura within his own body grew more and more difficult, his arms also beginning to feel heavy. Continuing like this, he definitely could not hold out for long.

At this moment, Rengoku Kyojuro's movements suddenly changed.

He stomped his foot, and the ground instantly cracked open. Six arms raised simultaneously, eerie red light flickering on the blade edges.

A scorching aura erupted from within him, and the surrounding temperature suddenly rose.

"Flame Breathing Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"

Rengoku Kyojuro swung six Great Swords at once; blade light converged in the air into a roaring fire tiger, pouncing toward Tanjiro.

Tanjiro instinctively raised his blade to block.

"Bang!"

Tanjiro was shaken back by a blade; he planted his right foot on the ground to steady himself, and the sweat on his forehead had already soaked through his headband.

"Going on like this won't work." Tanjiro gripped the hilt tightly, gasping heavily.

A trace of mockery flashed in Rengoku Kyojuro's eyes; six arms raised simultaneously, blade edges crossing to form an impenetrable defensive wall: "How is it? Running out of stamina?"

At this moment Tanjiro stared at Rengoku Kyojuro ahead, his breathing steadied, his gaze gradually sharpening; he had to decide the victor in a single strike.

Rengoku Kyojuro sensed his intention; six arms raised simultaneously, assuming a defensive posture.

"Right now!"

A gleam flashed in Tanjiro's eyes; he gripped the Nichirin Blade tightly with both hands. His muscles tensed to the limit at this moment, and the aura within him was like a volcano about to erupt.

"Boom!"

Tanjiro's right foot suddenly stomped the ground; under this immense force, the ground instantly cracked open, and rubble flew in all directions.

Tanjiro's speed reached the extreme, leaving a crimson light trail in the air as an afterimage.

"Courting death!"

Rengoku Kyojuro slashed down with six blades at once; blade light intertwined into a net, covering all of Tanjiro's retreat routes.

But just as the blade edge was about to touch Tanjiro, his whole figure suddenly became blurred, turning into a mass of afterimages.

"Disappeared?!" Rengoku Kyojuro slashed at empty air, his expression changed, and a deadly sense of crisis surged from behind.

"Sun Breathing Fourth Form: False Day Rainbow!"

Tanjiro's figure suddenly appeared behind Rengoku Kyojuro; the flame markings on his forehead seemed about to burn through his skin.

The Nichirin Blade brought a scorching air wave down, forming a long flame rainbow, slashing straight toward Rengoku Kyojuro's nape.

This strike was fast as lightning; even the air was cut open by the blade edge, emitting a sharp whistling sound.

"What?!" Rengoku Kyojuro's pupils suddenly contracted, but his reaction speed was not slow at all.

"Second Form: Rising Scorching Heaven!"

Rengoku Kyojuro hastily turned to block. In his haste, he only managed to cross two blades to parry Tanjiro's slash.

"Clang!"

Amidst the metallic clash, sparks flew. Rengoku Kyojuro's defense was breached, and Tanjiro's Nichirin Blade advanced like splitting bamboo, directly severing one of his arms.

The severed arm flew out with the Great Sword, drawing a line of blood through the air.

Rengoku Kyojuro immediately used another blade to block horizontally, the metal striking emitting an ear-piercing screech.

But the momentum of Tanjiro's strike had reached its peak, the force so great it was suffocating; Rengoku Kyojuro's arm bulged with veins, yet still could not resist this immense power.

"Boom!"

The ground instantly cracked under this terrifying force, spiderweb-like cracks spreading outward.

Amidst flying rubble, Rengoku Kyojuro's right knee slammed into the Ground; the massive impact forced him to plunge his remaining two blades into the Ground to barely stabilize himself.

"This power..." Rengoku Kyojuro Grit Teeth.

Tanjiro's Nichirin Blade continued to press down, the flame-like Blade Qi nearly swallowing him.

At this Critical Moment, the flames on the blade in Rengoku Kyojuro's hand suddenly extinguished; the originally scorching aura instantly Dissipated.

"Vaporization Freezing Technique!"

In an Instant, Cold Air erupted from the blade edge. Invisible cold air spread as if tangible, and water vapor in the air instantly condensed into ice crystals.

"What!"

Before Tanjiro could react, he saw a thin layer of ice forming on his blade edge at a visible speed.

Even scarier, this Cold Air continued to Spread along the blade edge, covering his entire arm in the blink of an eye.

A bone-piercing chill traveled straight to his heart through his arm, his blood seeming to freeze. The feeling was like being thrown into an ice cellar, every cell Trembling.

"Not good!"

Tanjiro's expression changed drastically; he immediately withdrew his suppressive force. He kicked off the Ground, using the momentum to retreat violently backward.

At this Moment, an anomaly suddenly occurred.

"Bang!" Tanjiro felt a violent tugging sensation in his right Foot, and his Whole Body instantly lost balance.

He looked down; a strand of pitch-black hair had Unknown When drilled out from the Ground crack, Entangling his ankle like a poisonous snake.

"What?!"

No time to think; a suffocating Killing Intent swept over him.

"You can't escape."

Rengoku Kyojuro leaped up fiercely, a sinister smile curling at the corner of his mouth. His eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty red light, his Whole Body emitting suffocating killing intent.

"Ninth Form: Rengoku!"

Rengoku Kyojuro roared, eerie black-red flames igniting on his blade edge.

Every blade aimed at Tanjiro's vitals—throat, heart, spine—leaving no blind spot.

"Damn it!"

Tanjiro's Pupils suddenly contracted; at this moment his ankle was Entangled by hair, unable to exert force in the air, now completely losing any possibility of evasion.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Tanjiro watched the Blade Light assaulting him head-on; his heartbeat slowed to a Scary degree at this Instant. Only his own breathing remained in his ears.

"Am I going to die?"

Time seemed to freeze at this moment. Tanjiro's Pupils reflected the Blade Light coming toward him, countless images flashing through his mind.

At this Critical Moment, Tanjiro's consciousness suddenly became exceptionally clear.

The colors of The World gradually faded in his eyes, replaced by an unprecedented feeling.

The flow of time, Space, and matter, the rhythm of life—everything became so clear.

He could perceive the trajectory of the blade slicing through the air, even capturing every contraction of Rengoku Kyojuro's Muscle.

Everything became so clear that even the flow of time seemed infinitely extended.

"Is this... the Transparent World?"

In this state, every strike by Rengoku Kyojuro became clearly visible, as if the image had been slowed several times.

The trajectories of the six blades turned into six clear lines in his eyes, and between these lines, he saw an almost impossible path to survival.

"Here!"

Tanjiro propped himself on the Ground with his left hand, using the force of his body falling to violently twist his waist.

His right leg, Entangled by hair, instead became a pivot; his Whole Body traced an eerie arc in the air.

"Clang clang clang!"

Five blades almost Brushed Past his body as they slashed past, the resulting wind even cutting his clothes.

But it was this unbelievable angle that allowed him to escape from the deadly Blade Net.

"What?!" A trace of Disbelief flashed in Rengoku Kyojuro's eyes.

At this moment, Tanjiro violently propped himself on the Ground with his left hand while his frozen right arm suddenly exerted force.

"Water Breathing: Tide Surge!"

Tanjiro slashed at the Ground with one blade. The moment the blade edge cut into the Ground, the massive impact sent rubble flying everywhere; the Ground cracked open as if struck by a Tsunami.

The ice layer covering his arm instantly Shattered under this brute force; at the same time, Tanjiro's Whole Body leaped into the air again using the reaction force.

At the same time, he grasped the hair Entangling his ankle with his left hand, his fingers sinking deep into it.

"Hah!"

He let out a low shout, violently exerting force to pull his Whole Body upward. Those strands of hair instead became his pivot; his body traced a perfect arc in midair.

Rengoku Kyojuro was pulled slightly forward by the tug from the hair; it was a momentary opening in that Instant.

"Sun Breathing: Tenth Form: Radiant Sun!"

Flames more intense than before ignited on Tanjiro's blade; wherever the blade edge passed, even the air was scorched crimson.

This slash came too fast, too sudden; Rengoku Kyojuro simply had no time to react.

"Pfft!"

A crisp slashing sound rang out. Tanjiro's blade swept across Rengoku Kyojuro's neck, as easily as cutting through tofu.

Fresh blood drew a perfect arc in the air; Rengoku Kyojuro's skull slowly slid off, his face still bearing an expression of disbelief.

But just at the moment Rengoku Kyojuro's skull was about to slide off, his eyes suddenly opened, a strange light flashing through his blood-red pupils.

"Space Ripper Stingy Eyes!"

Rengoku Kyojuro's right eye instantly congested with blood; a compressed liquid shot out like a laser, aimed straight at Tanjiro's face.

But in the Transparent World state, Tanjiro had long anticipated this strike. His body tilted slightly in midair; the laser brushed past his cheek and whistled by.

"Mr. Rengoku." Tanjiro gripped his Nichirin Blade with both hands, his gaze determined. "This time, let me be the one to help you find release."

"Sun Breathing, Twelfth Form, Flame Dance!"

The flames on the blade grew even more intense at this moment; crimson light dyed the surrounding air the color of fire.

This slash descended; Rengoku Kyojuro's skull was instantly engulfed by flames.

"Cough cough!"

A sudden violent cough surged from his chest; Tanjiro dropped to one knee, cold sweat instantly soaking his clothes.

The poison gas's erosion was more severe than imagined; every breath felt like countless fine needles stabbing his lungs.

The Corpse Puppets on the periphery instantly rioted. Dense Corpse Puppets surged forward like a tide; the stench of rot assaulted the face.

"Clang!"

Tanjiro's Nichirin Blade swung continuously; each slash could sever several Corpse Puppets. But new Corpse Puppets immediately filled the gaps, seemingly endless.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Dense gunshots rang out all around. Some Corpse Puppets hiding in the rear set up machine guns; bullets swept in like raindrops.

"Ah!"

A miserable scream came from afar; Tanjiro looked back and saw a swordsman clutching his bullet-hit shoulder collapse.

The battle situation in other directions was also not optimistic.

Giyu Tomioka was besieged by dozens of Corpse Puppets; although each slash could kill several enemies, new Corpse Puppets immediately filled the void.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Muichiro Tokito's blade flew past; three Corpse Puppets' skulls flew up.

But his breathing had already begun to grow rapid, clearly also affected by the poison gas.

Tank wreckage burned in the smoke, but compared to the endless corpse sea before them, those steel behemoths instead appeared insignificant.

"This can't go on." Giyu Tomioka turned and slew several charging Corpse Puppets, saying in a deep voice: "If we drag this out any longer, we'll all be worn to death."

"Amitabha." Gyomei Himejima's chain shook; the ground instantly cracked open, driving back a group of Corpse Puppets.

"Someone must go find Dio; otherwise these monsters will keep pouring in endlessly."

"I'll go!" Sanemi Shinazugawa cleaved a charging Corpse Puppet with one slash, grinning a ferocious smile. "Just right to settle accounts with that bastard."

(Chapter End)