Wamuu was dead.
The purest warrior among the Pillar Men, and also the most powerful in combat, had finally fallen at the hands of Joseph Joestar.
Next... only Kars remained. The leader of the Pillar Men, a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius. Would he become the so-called Ultimate Lifeform?
Facing the Demon Slayer Corps, Kujo Jotaro, and Joseph Joestar all by himself... no matter how you looked at it, it seemed impossible.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage—
Kars: "Wamuu... You are the same as you always were. As a warrior, you were far too pure."
Madara Uchiha: "It is the pure warrior who inspires the most respect. Compared to the cowards of the shinobi world who only know how to launch sneak attacks, fighting such a man is far more enjoyable. A pity..."
Esdeath: "This is the bearing a strong warrior should have, the resolve of the powerful. Wamuu may be dead, but his status as a true warrior will not change. He is more worthy of respect than the vast majority of people in the Empire."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "The joy of battle is something I cannot comprehend. However... from a human perspective, Wamuu was indeed a respectable warrior."
Eren Yeager: "But no matter what, he was a figure who stood in opposition to humanity. Although he was not mindless like the Titans, he was still a nightmare for mankind."
Detective Conan: "That's right. His position dictated his death. As an individual, Joseph will mourn his passing, but as a human, Joseph would never have let Wamuu go, no matter how respectable he was."
---o---
On-screen—
With his final words spoken, Wamuu dissipated in the wind. He was a warrior of the wind; every technique he used was accompanied by a gale, and now, he vanished in a gentle breeze.
"Whew. It's truly hard to imagine. A creature standing in opposition to humanity, yet possessing such a dazzling spirit that even I, his enemy, can't help but feel respect."
Joseph stood his ground, subconsciously raising his hand in a salute. According to what he knew, there were only three Pillar Men. Now... only the one named Kars was left.
Esidisi's loyalty and Wamuu's resolve were both exceptionally rare. And as the master they served, what kind of resolve and power did this Kars possess?
Joseph didn't know, but one thing was certain: the reason he was here was because Kars was also here. His destiny... was to defeat Kars.
That opponent would undoubtedly be the strongest he had ever faced in his entire life, so powerful as to inspire despair and terror.
After a long moment of silent tribute to Wamuu, Joseph lowered his saluting hand, snapping out of his trance. He had never even met Kars, he didn't even know what kind of person he was, so why did he feel a strange, inexplicable... fear?
He wasn't the only one. The audience outside the light curtain felt it too. The word "fate" had been mentioned more than once. Kars spoke of it, DIO spoke of it, and all the transmigrators who had come to the Demon Slayer world spoke of it.
Conversely, the native inhabitants of the Demon Slayer world had never once mentioned the word. Was there a reason for this? Or was it... that in the worlds where Joseph and the others lived, there was an existence similar to the Counter Force in the Type-Moon universe, one that governed the fate of humanity?
---o---
As the audience pondered this, the camera shifted back to Kars and Kokushibo.
Kokushibo's defeat was inevitable. The gap between their species was simply too great. Even if Kokushibo had reached the pinnacle of what it meant to be a 'demon', he was no match for Kars.
Now, Kokushibo was pinned viciously to a wall by Kars. The Breathing Styles and sword techniques he took so much pride in were utterly useless in Kars's eyes.
"Douma... right? You said the Red Stone is with him. So where is he now?"
A voice uncannily similar to Yoriichi Tsugikuni's sounded in Kokushibo's ear, but the icy tone held none of Yoriichi's warmth.
"He... should have been dispatched to another part of the Infinity Castle by now."
He quickly gave up Douma's location to Kars. After all, just as Giyu was the outcast among the Hashira, Douma was the pariah among the demons. None of the Upper Ranks had a favorable impression of the emotionless demon, not even their boss, Kibutsuji Muzan.
If it weren't for Douma's shocking talent—becoming a demon after Akaza but quickly surpassing him to become Upper Rank Two with his natural aptitude—and his obedience, Muzan would have killed him long ago.
After revealing Douma's whereabouts, Kokushibo lifted his head to face Kars, his eyes already filled with the acceptance of death. For a samurai, to be defeated and killed was a common fate.
Kars showed no mercy. He swiftly beheaded Kokushibo. As for why he didn't consume him... it would take too much time. Kars's goal from beginning to end was the Red Stone. Killing Kokushibo was incidental.
In any case, Kokushibo had already completely lost his ability to regenerate. No matter how powerful a demon was, it was still a living creature. Once its internal energy was depleted without replenishment, it would naturally die.
As Kokushibo's head hit the floor, his eyes reflected... his own body, and the broken half of a flute that had fallen during the battle.
This is...
His thoughts drifted back in time. Kokushibo remembered the one figure he could never forget in his entire life, the man who was blessed by the gods and beloved by all, the strongest man in the history of the Demon Slayer world... Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
The flashback began. It turned out that Kokushibo's real name was Michikatsu Tsugikuni, the eldest son of a samurai family during the Sengoku period.
His father was obsessed with class and succession. His younger brother, Yoriichi, was born with a strange birthmark on his forehead and was thus considered an ill omen. It was decided that Yoriichi would be sent to a monastery at the age of ten, while Michikatsu, as the eldest, was designated as the heir.
As a child, Michikatsu often looked out for his younger brother, earning frequent scoldings from his father. He once carved a flute for Yoriichi. Though it was poorly made and often went out of tune, his brother cherished it deeply.
Because Yoriichi had never spoken a word since birth, Michikatsu, like his parents, believed him to be deaf.
But one day, as Michikatsu was practicing his swordsmanship, Yoriichi saw him and asked what his dream was. He was so shocked that he dropped his wooden sword, dazedly replying that his dream was to become the strongest samurai in the country.
"If big brother wants to become the strongest samurai in the country, then... I will become the second-strongest samurai in the country!"
Seeing Yoriichi smile for the first time and declare his own desire to be a samurai, Michikatsu felt a strange sense of disgust. How could someone who clung to their mother's side all day possibly become a samurai?
Though he was disgusted, Michikatsu didn't take Yoriichi's words to heart. Until... that day.
It was a day Michikatsu would never forget for the rest of his life. Out of curiosity, Yoriichi sparred with Michikatsu's sword instructor. Yoriichi, who had never held a sword before, struck down the instructor—a man Michikatsu couldn't defeat even with all his might—in an instant, leaving him with swollen bruises.
Upon questioning, Michikatsu learned that Yoriichi possessed an innate "Transparent World" and a unique breathing method. It was then he realized that the pitiful little brother he had always looked down upon was far more brilliant than him.
Yet Yoriichi, who possessed such a heavenly gift for the sword, had no interest in it whatsoever, viewing it as nothing more than child's play. Michikatsu became intensely jealous, lamenting why heaven wouldn't bestow such a gift upon someone who was truly dedicated to the art.
This lamentation quickly turned to fear. If his father found out that the untrained Yoriichi had so easily defeated the sword instructor, he would surely pass the succession to him. Then Michikatsu would never be able to fulfill his dream of becoming the strongest.
As if sensing he would supplant his brother, Yoriichi quietly left the family after their mother passed away, much to Michikatsu's relief.
However... when Michikatsu read his mother's diary, he discovered she had been suffering from an illness that left the left side of her body immobile. He then understood that his brother had always clung to their mother not to be coddled, but to support her weakened side.
As the elder brother, Michikatsu felt he had lost to his younger brother in both filial piety and talent. From that moment on, a deep-seated hatred and jealousy for his genius brother began to fester in his heart.
More than a decade later, Michikatsu had become the head of the Tsugikuni clan, had married, and had children. They lived a stable life.
But one day, his troops were attacked by a demon. His retainers were all slaughtered, and he was saved only by the sudden reappearance of Yoriichi, whom he hadn't seen in years.
The childhood nightmare resurfaced. Desperate to become stronger, he decided to follow in Yoriichi's footsteps, abandoning his wife and children to join the Demon Slayer Corps.
Though Yoriichi taught him the Sun Breathing, Michikatsu lacked the aptitude to master it, eventually creating his own derivative, the Moon Breathing. Later, along with other demon slayers, he awakened his Mark, greatly increasing his strength, but he was still no match for Yoriichi.
"All who master their path arrive at the same destination."
This was Yoriichi's answer when Michikatsu asked him if he was not afraid of the Sun Breathing being lost to time. At that time, Michikatsu... did not understand these words.
Later, when Michikatsu watched his marked comrades die one by one before reaching the age of twenty-five, he realized the limits of humanity. In his despair, he accepted Muzan's blood, taking three days to degenerate into a demon.
After becoming a demon, Michikatsu believed he would never see Yoriichi, who was cursed to die by twenty-five, ever again.
However... more than sixty years later, on a full moon night, he once again encountered Yoriichi. His brother was now old and frail. The fact that he had awakened the Mark yet lived to old age shocked Michikatsu.
"How pitiful you are, brother."
With tears in his eyes, even in his old age, even being a shadow of his former self, Yoriichi nearly killed Kokushibo with a single slash. He was just one step away from ending his brother's life.
But Yoriichi's life had finally reached its end. Before he could deliver the next blow, he passed away from old age. Kokushibo, consumed by his jealous rage, cut Yoriichi's body in two.
In doing so, he found the flute he had given Yoriichi all those years ago. He took this memento, and from that day forward, Kokushibo lived in Yoriichi's shadow, never able to find peace.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage—
Upon learning Kokushibo's past as Michikatsu Tsugikuni, the audience did not feel the same sadness or shed the tears they had for Upper Ranks Three and Six.
In fact, they didn't even care much about Kokushibo's memories. Their attention was completely captivated by the other person in the story.
A man who could nearly kill Kokushibo with a single blow even in his frail old age. A man born with the Transparent World and a breathing style. The progenitor of all demon slayers... Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Umaru Doma: "What... What kind of ridiculously overpowered character is this? Born with a breathing style and the Transparent World, and he can one-shot Kokushibo even as an old man? Not even Kars could do that, could he?"
Shinobu Kocho: "One-shotting Upper Rank One... Such a person existed in the Demon Slayer Corps? Why have we never heard of him before? Sun Breathing, Transparent World... these terms are so unfamiliar."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki: "There are records of this person in the history of the Corps, but the related information is too scarce. Was it deliberately erased?"
Conan: "No... something's not right. If Yoriichi Tsugikuni was truly as powerful as he is in Kokushibo's memory, then why is Kibutsuji Muzan still alive? Could Muzan be even stronger than him?"
The Overseer of Schicksal: "There is one possibility. If Kokushibo's account is accurate, then it is highly probable that Kibutsuji Muzan fled in terror and hid from him, living in constant fear until Yoriichi died of natural causes."
Kibutsuji Muzan: "You... You're spouting nonsense! How could I possibly lose? He is dead! That means I won! The one who survived is me!!"
Madara Uchiha: "Hmph. So you admit it? It seems you were thoroughly terrified. You cowered for so long, not daring to speak in the light curtain barrage, only to be triggered by a man who's been dead for centuries. A laughable creature."
Author's PS:
After thinking about it carefully, the only person in the Demon Slayer Corps who can really be put on a pedestal is Yoriichi Tsugikuni. But since he's dead, I'll just give him a little flashback scene. The next two chapters will be the birth of the Ultimate Lifeform, and the climax will begin after Kars achieves that state.