The World On His Shoulders | Demon slayer x Male reader

Chapter XCVI

As the debris settled and the silence of the ruined castle followed around them, Y/N faced off against Kokushibo, who stood amused at his opponent's choice of weapons—red-hot nichirin brass knuckles glowing with intense heat.

Kokushibo unleashed a series of Moon Breathing attacks, each more than the last. He started with the First Form: Dark Moon Evening Palace, sending a crescent wave slashing towards Y/N.

Y/N dodged to the side with almost supernatural agility, the attack missing him by mere inches. Next came the Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing with multiple crescent blades spinning towards him. Y/N bent backward, his spine arching in godlike flexibility, each blade whizzing past dangerously close.

"Amusing," Kokushibo remarked, his voice with a mocking tone. "What do you hope to achieve with those little toys?"

Without responding, Y/N continued his dodges. Kokushibo's Third Form: Loathsome Moon, a series of slashes aimed directly at Y/N, was evaded with swift jumps and rolls.

Seizing the moment, Y/N struck. He lunged forward, closing the distance in a blink. His right hook swung ferociously, connecting with Kokushibo's cheek. The impact was explosive, shattering bone resounding through the air as Kokushibo's cheekbones and nose cracked under the force. The heat from the nichirin brass knuckles seared his flesh, leaving burns.

Kokushibo staggered back, a hand reflexively going to his face. His fingers came away wet with blood, his expression shifting from amusement to shock and then to worry. Before he could recover, Y/N was on him again. Another devastating blow landed on Kokushibo's stomach, the heat of the knuckles branding him as they broke the ribs beneath the surface.

Y/N didn't let up. He aimed strikes at Kokushibo's sides, each hit designed to crack more ribs, the sounds of his bones breaking almost drowned out by Kokushibo's grunts of pain.

The boys watched in shock from their positions, injuries forgotten for a moment, as Kokushibo struggled. Each punch Y/N delivered was not just fast; it was punishingly powerful.

"What's happening?" Genya managed to gasp out.

Kokushibo tried to step back, his regeneration visibly struggling to keep up with the damage. The usual swift closing of his wounds was now a sluggish crawl, the tissue knitting together far slower than before.

"Why... how..." Kokushibo said as he felt the raw, unfiltered pain radiating from his injuries. His body, usually so adept at healing now betrayed him.

Y/N didn't pause. "You're not invincible," he declared, voice low but carrying clearly over the sound of the crumbling castle. "I'm going to break you, piece by piece."

Kokushibo's eyes narrowed. "As if... human," he hissed, preparing for his next move.

Kokushibo unleashed Ninth Form: Waning Moonswaths, his altered katana carving through. Multiple curved slashes, all nearby sent numerous crescent moon blades towards Y/N. Each blade threatened lethal damage, yet Y/N ducked, weaved, and spun, each movement calculated and precise, the crescent moons slicing through the air just inches from his flesh.

In a breathtaking display of combat mastery, Y/N closed the distance once again, depriving Kokushibo of his long-range advantage. The demon's lengthy katana, almost useless in close quarters swung less effectively.

He landed a series of brutal punches, each connecting with a heavy sound. The nichirin knuckles, still glowing red-hot, met Kokushibo's flesh burning and breaking with each strike.

Y/N targeted the demon's already weakened body parts with inhuman strength, he delivered a punishing blow to Kokushibo's solar plexus, followed by a fast succession of jabs to the ribs that had begun to get back together slowly.