Chapter 242

Night, in the forest

Tanjiro stands in the clearing, gripping his Nichirin Blade

Ever since Tamayo revived him with a special method, he can clearly feel an unfamiliar and powerful force surging within his body.

"One more time." Tanjiro takes a deep breath, assuming his opening stance.

His right foot stamps the ground hard, the earth cracking instantly. Tanjiro's whole body shoots out like a fired shell, the Nichirin Blade in his hand tracing a perfect arc.

"Sun Breathing, Third Form, Blazing Sun Mirror!"

The blade tears through the air with a sharp whistle. Flames surge along the blade, becoming a crimson streak that sweeps outward.

Trees within a hundred meters ahead are instantly severed at the waist,

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Amidst the continuous explosions, thick trunks topple one after another.

Tanjiro looks at the destructive power before him, a flicker of shock passing through his eyes. This power far surpasses any technique he has ever mastered.

Yet the force within his body is still far from its limit.

"Caw!"

A cry tears through the night sky. Tanjiro looks up — a Kasugai Crow is diving down from the heavens.

"Tanjiro! Tanjiro!" The Kasugai Crow lands on his shoulder. "Muzan and Dio are battling in the Southern Palace!"

"Finally begun." Tanjiro grips his hilt tighter, intending to depart immediately.

"Wait."

Tamayo walks out slowly, a small vial in her hand containing a dark purple liquid.

"This is." Tanjiro looks at the vial.

"This is a special toxin I developed using Dio's blood." Tamayo hands the vial to Tanjiro. "Although it cannot completely eliminate his power, it can at least weaken his abilities."

"However." Tamayo's face shows worry. "To make the toxin take effect, Dio must absorb it. Given his vigilance, that will not be easy."

"Understood. Thank you." Tanjiro takes the vial, placing it solemnly in his bosom. "Having this is enough."

Suddenly, an irrepressible craving surges up his throat. Tanjiro clutches his neck, fingers digging deep into flesh.

"Starting again." Tanjiro grits his teeth.

The instinct to crave fresh blood clamors within his body; every cell screams wildly. This feeling has never disappeared since he was turned.

Seeing this, Tamayo immediately produces a blood pack from her sleeve. "I prepared some human blood..."

"Not needed." Tanjiro raises a hand to refuse.

Tamayo does not withdraw it. "You have been turned for too short a time; your body is still adapting. If you do not replenish blood in time, you might..."

"Precisely because the time is short." Tanjiro shakes his head. "If I start drinking human blood now, I fear I will never be able to control this craving again."

His right hand grips the Nichirin Blade tight; the feel of the hilt reassures him. "I am still a Demon Slayer Corps swordsman. This blade is the best proof."

Tamayo stares at Tanjiro for a moment, then finally withdraws the pack.

"Since you have decided, I will say no more. But remember — in battle you must stay lucid. Right now you are more dangerous than ever."

"Understood." Tanjiro leaps into the treetops, heading south.

Tamayo watches Tanjiro's blood-red eyes, sighing softly. "Your current state is still not stable enough. If only there were more time."

"There is no time left." Tanjiro shakes his head. "If either side wins, I fear no one will be able to stop him anymore."

"Must succeed." Tanjiro grips his hilt, turning and dashing south.

Tanjiro's figure vanishes into the depths of the dense forest. Tamayo turns to prepare to leave.

"Lady Tamayo, where are you going?" Yushiro steps out from the shadows.

"I am going too."

"No!" Yushiro steps forward, anxiety in his voice. "It is too dangerous there. With Dio and Muzan's strength, you would be killed the moment you arrive!"

"Yushiro." Tamayo cuts him off. "All these years I have been searching for a method to destroy Muzan. The chance is right before me; I cannot miss it."

Her tone becomes determined. "This is not only for myself, but for all who died at Muzan's hands."

Yushiro clenches his fists, nails digging deep into his palms. He wants to say something, yet cannot speak.

"Then let me accompany you."

……………………

Meanwhile, on the battlefield.

Muzan's fifteen flesh whips erupt simultaneously, sweeping toward Dio like steel whips.

"Muda muda muda muda!"

Dio lets out a low roar. The World's twin fists blast out like a torrential rain. Every punch strikes a flesh whip precisely, the tremendous force knocking them all back.

"Too slow, too slow!" Dio throws his head back and laughs wildly. "My World — whether in power or speed — surpasses you!"

Muzan's face instantly twists. His entire body's muscles begin to writhe, eerie ripples surging beneath his skin.

"Black Blood Thorn!"

Muzan shouts. His skin suddenly bursts open. Countless pitch-black thorns rain down on Dio like a shower of arrows.

"THE WORLD!"

Dio roars. Time freezes in this instant. The pitch-black thorns freeze in midair.

The World's fists pour down like a torrential rain, each punch striking a vital point on Muzan's body with precision.

"Time flow resumes!"

The moment time resumes, all damage erupts simultaneously. Muzan's body is struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, instantly exploding into countless fragments.

"Damn it! This skill again." Muzan's voice comes. "What exactly is it?!"

Flesh writhes in the air, quickly reassembling into form. Muzan shoves both palms forward, a terrifying shockwave erupting with him at the center.

"Boom!"

The shockwave flew past Dio's body in an instant; he only felt every nerve in his body trembling, and a burst of severe stabbing pain came from his brain.

"This is... a nerve attack?" A trace of surprise flashed in Dio's eyes.

Muzan seized this opportunity, his whole body rushing toward Dio like a shell leaving the barrel. His arms extended in midair, turning into sharp blades aiming straight for Dio's chest.

"The Blue Spider Lily is mine!"

The moment time resumed flowing, Muzan's body was as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, his whole person slamming heavily onto the ground.

Under the tremendous impact his body sank into the ground, smashing out a huge pit.

Dio took out the wooden box from his bosom, and opening it revealed that crystalline, translucent Blue Spider Lily.

"Since you have already appeared..." Dio's fingers suddenly erupted with high temperature, "this flower no longer has any necessity to exist."

"You dare!" Muzan widened his eyes, his eyeballs filled with disbelief.

Voice not yet fallen, Dio's fingers instantly generated high temperature and ignited the Blue Spider Lily.

"No!!!"

Muzan sprang up from the pit, letting out a hysterical roar, but it was already too late; the Blue Spider Lily rapidly turned to ash under the high temperature, scattering in the wind.

"Do you... do you know what you have done!" Muzan's eyes were bloodshot, his whole body's muscles violently twisting, "That was my only hope! The hope I pursued for several hundred years!"

"Dio! I will kill you! Tear you to pieces!" Muzan roared, sound waves shaking the entire hall into trembling, "I will make you wish you were dead!"

Muzan's body instantly swelled to three times its size, the original human form completely twisted, new eyes growing on his face.

His back exploded, more Flesh Whips bursting out from his body, each one several times thicker than before. His arms also began to deform, turning into giant scythe-shaped sharp Claws.

"Pfft!"

At this moment, Muzan's body suddenly sprayed a large amount of Blood Mist.

The Blood Mist permeated the air; his six eyes simultaneously contracted — beside Dio, he saw a faintly discernible human figure.

Muzan's pupil shrank, recalling Dio's previous behavior; every time Dio was about to attack, he needed to approach himself first.

It seems this human figure cannot stray too far from Dio.

"I see." A trace of ruthlessness flashed in Muzan's eyes, "Found your Weakness!"

"Shhla!"

Dense Bone Spikes burst forth from his body, flying toward Dio.

"Muda muda muda muda!"

The World's fists hammered out like a violent rain, smashing the attacking Bone Spikes one by one.

At this moment, the ground beneath Dio's feet suddenly collapsed. A thick Bone Spike burst out of the earth in an instant, like a shell leaving the barrel, aiming straight for Dio's lower body.

"What?!"

Dio was caught off guard; the Bone Spike directly pierced through his abdomen, pinning his whole person in midair. Fresh blood flowed down the Bone Spike, pooling into a stretch of blood on the ground.

"Die!" Muzan manipulated the Bone Spike to wildly twist, wanting to tear Dio into fragments.

"Vaporization Freezing Technique!"

Dio's whole body suddenly emitted piercing Cold Air; the cold rapidly spread along the Bone Spike.

In less than a second, the giant Bone Spike was thoroughly frozen, emitting unbearable cracking sounds under the erosion of the cold.

"What?!" Muzan had not yet reacted when the Bone Spike exploded into countless fragments under the extreme cold.

"THE WORLD!"

The moment Time Stop activated, Dio had already rushed in front of Muzan. The World's fists hammered out like a violent rain.

"Muda muda muda muda muda!"

The instant time resumed flowing, all damage erupted simultaneously. Muzan's body was beaten into pieces, flesh and blood flying horizontally.

But his Regeneration was equally astonishing; the shattered flesh and blood rapidly recombined.

Dio reached out his hand, wanting to absorb the splattering blood, but Muzan's blood collapsed the moment it made contact.

"Oh? Even blood cannot be absorbed?" Dio's gaze narrowed slightly, "Then I'll beat you until you cannot self-heal!"

"Die! Die! Die!" Muzan roared hysterically, Bone Spikes crazily growing all over his body, "I am the perfect Creature! How could I possibly lose to you!"

"Bang!"

Countless Bone Spikes burst forth in an instant, attacking Dio like a violent storm. The air was torn, emitting sharp whistling sounds.

Dio merely sneered coldly, The World continuously throwing punches.

Again and again, under The World's rain of fists Muzan was continuously smashed to pieces and recombined. After each recombination, his movements became even more sluggish.

"Why... why is it like this?" The fury in Muzan's voice was gradually replaced by panic, "Just what ability is this?!"

"Bang!"

The World's fist once again slammed into Muzan's chest; his body instantly exploded into countless fragments.

But this time, those fragments did not recombine like before, but instead flew scattering toward the rear at high speed.

"I... I cannot die here!" Muzan's consciousness screamed wildly within the fragments, "I have not yet reached perfection!"

His consciousness flowed among the flesh and blood fragments, desperately fleeing toward the rear; at this moment Muzan had completely abandoned his previous arrogance, his heart leaving only the yearning for survival.

"There must still be... there must still be!" Muzan's thoughts were near madness, "This world is so big, Asia, Europe, America... there must still be Blue Spider Lilies existing! As long as I can survive, I can find it!"

"Want to escape?" Dio sneered coldly, "Before me, Dio, you don't even have the qualifications to run away!"

The World's fists hammered out like a violent rain, countless golden Body Flickers flashing in midair. Half the flesh and blood turned to dust under this violent assault.

But just as Dio prepared to continue pursuit, he suddenly stopped his movement.

"Interesting." Dio's eyes narrowed slightly.

A human figure suddenly rushed out from the Ruins, intercepting in front of Muzan's remaining flesh and blood. That person held a blade in one hand, the scar on his forehead particularly conspicuous in the moonlight.

"Muzan!"

Tanjiro's eyes turned blood-red; he stomped his right foot down hard and shot out like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

"Sun Breathing: Radiant Grace!"

Tanjiro slashed down with one strike, sending out dozens of flame slashes, each precisely striking Muzan's flesh and reducing them all to ash.

Muzan's remaining flesh fled wildly into the distance, barely gathering into form in midair.

"Ah!" Muzan let out a shrill scream, "Sun Breathing! Damn Sun Breathing! Cursed Yoriichi Tsugikuni!"

The parts struck by the flames felt intense burning, nearly driving Muzan mad. Those wounds healed slowly, as if an inextinguishable flame burned within his body.

"Interesting." Dio turned to look at Tanjiro, a glint of playfulness in his golden eyes, "You actually didn't die, and seem to have gained quite decent power."

Tanjiro stared fixedly at Dio, but his gaze was surprisingly calm, completely without the madness that usually follows demonization.

"Dio! Creatures like you shouldn't exist in this world."

Just as these two were conversing, the clear sound of a shamisen suddenly echoed through the air.

"Clang—"

The ground suddenly twisted, and a pitch-black dimensional door slowly opened beneath Muzan's feet.

"Don't even think about escaping!"

Tanjiro stomped his foot, and the ground instantly shattered. He shot toward Muzan like a shell from a cannon, his Nichirin Blade drawing a crimson streak across the air.

Dio moved as well; his figure vanished from the spot, and The World followed closely behind.

"THE WORLD!"

In the moment time stopped, Dio had already appeared before Muzan.

Dense punching sounds rang out, Muzan's flesh was again pummeled into pieces, with no time to enter the dimensional door.

"What?!"

Tanjiro's eyes widened; in that instant just now, Muzan's body suddenly crumbled, as if struck by an invisible force.

But his movement did not pause in the slightest; he stomped his foot and had already rushed toward Dio.

"Sun Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dragon of the Solar Halo, Head Dance!"

Blade light like a dragon split into countless slashes in the air.

"Interesting!" Dio laughed wildly, "The World!"

The golden Stand's fists clenched tight, meeting the slashes; fist shadows and sword light collided ceaselessly, sparks flying.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Amidst the dense collision sounds, Dio stood motionless. He looked at Tanjiro's blood-red eyes, a playful smile on his face.

"Not bad, not bad at all. If it were me before gaining The World, I truly would not be your match."

(Chapter End)