It's been a year.
A full year has passed since Giyu Tomioka brought Tamayo back to Mount Sagiri.
In a deep mountain,
Murata leaned against a tree trunk stained red with blood, panting heavily.
Around him were about a dozen Demon Slayer Corps members who were just as disheveled as he was.
They stood back to back, forming a fragile circle, their faces etched with fear and exhaustion.
"Damn it!! This godforsaken place actually has a monster of this level!" One of his companions' voices trembled.
"Damn it, who would have thought that a Kinoe mission would wipe out our entire squad?" The other person's voice was filled with despair.
Kinoe task B...
Murata felt a bitter taste in his mouth.
Their team of over a dozen Mizunoe Rank and Kanoto Rank members thought they were coming to easily defeat the enemy. But who would have thought that they wouldn't even see a ghost before they were already on the verge of being wiped out?
"Don't act like your parents have died!"
A powerful voice rang out, like a stone smashing into this despair.
Murata looked up at their leader. He was a man with a hearty laugh, and even in his current wretched state, his eyes were still bright.
"The Kasugai Crow has already spread the word; 'Pillars' will definitely come to our aid!!"
Column...
Hearing that word calmed Murata slightly, but he was immediately gripped by an even greater fear.
For a mission that would require the "Pillars" to personally intervene,... would they really survive until then?
"Thump~ thump~ thump!"
The earth began to shake violently. The sound was muffled, like the beating of a drum, each beat resonating in everyone's heart.
"Everyone, keep your formation! Don't get separated!" the team leader shouted again.
Murata swallowed hard, gripping the Nichirin Blade at his waist tightly with both hands. The cold hilt was his only support now.
He's been a member of the Demon Slayer Corps for almost two years.
From a complete novice who knew nothing, I participated in countless missions where I faced death at the hands of others.
Thanks to his absurdly lucky streak, he survived one dead end after another, and even managed to rise from the initial Mizunoto Rank to the current Mizunoe Rank.
But now,
His much-vaunted luck seems to be... finally coming to an end.
The next second, dozens of pairs of bloodshot eyes suddenly lit up in the dark forest!
The roars, howls, and the deafening crashes of trees breaking mingled together, forming a wave of death that surged in from all directions!
They are those Wild Beasts controlled by Blood Demon Art!
"Prepare for the enemy!"
Murata roared, forcing himself to suppress his fear. He could see that his companions around him had already started using their own Breathing Style.
Weak streams of water, scattered sparks, shapeless wind blades... these sword techniques, which usually look quite impressive, appear utterly inadequate in the face of this beast tide that is as powerful as a landslide and a tsunami.
But then, a beam of green light instantly tore through the darkness!
It's their team leader!
Murata only saw him rush into the horde of beasts like a ghost, his Nichirin Blade drawing a sharp arc.
He brought the sharpness of the Wind Breathing to its ultimate level!
With a flash of light, the heads of a large tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead, along with several wolves beside it, were instantly severed, and a stench of blood shot into the sky!
The leader's fierce swordsmanship bought them a chance to catch their breath!
But there were just too many Wild Beasts around! They were fearless and could never be killed off!
"Water Breathing, Second Form, Water Wheel!"
Murata seized the opportunity, flipped in mid-air, and drew a vertical circle with his Nichirin Blade, precisely severing the head of a wolf that pounced on him.
There are no fancy special effects, no rushing water; it's just the simplest, most basic swordsmanship.
As a result, he had barely landed and was still catching his breath when another wolf pounced on him from his blind spot!
"Pfft!"
Sharp fangs pierced through the muscles of his left shoulder in an instant!
The excruciating pain caused Murata's vision to go black for a moment, and he almost dropped the knife in his hand!
"Murata!"
A frantic shout rang out, followed by a flash of light, and the wolf that was biting him had its head blown off instantly.
His teammates saved him.
Murata clutched his bleeding shoulder, staggering backward, his vest already soaked with cold sweat.
I was distracted for just a second, and I almost died!
"Damn it! That ghost hasn't even shown up yet, and we're already in such a terrible state!"
"What kind of Blood Demon Art is this...? It's too bizarre!"
"How... how are we supposed to win?"
An atmosphere of despair spread through the ranks like a plague. Everyone's face was drained of color.
Yes, they haven't even seen the enemy, and they've already suffered more than half their casualties. How can they possibly fight this battle?
"Get yourselves together, all of you!!"
That voice again!
The leader forced back several Wild Beasts with a single strike, landing back in the ranks. He surveyed the demoralized crowd and roared:
"Who told you we were going to win?"
"Our mission isn't to kill that monster! It's to survive! It's to hold out until reinforcements arrive!"
"Before that, we all must live well!!"
His words, simple and direct, were like a ray of light, piercing through the darkness in Murata's heart.
Yeah... they don't need to win.
All they need to do is... survive!
The man took a deep breath, pushed off with his legs, and shot into the air like a cannonball, instantly reaching mid-air!
"Wind Breathing, Fifth Form..."
Murata saw his body spinning rapidly in the air, the Nichirin Blade in his hand creating rings of green wind pressure!
--Cold Mountain Wind!
In an instant, a green storm, centered on him, swept out with a deafening roar! It was a destructive tornado composed of countless tiny, sharp, rotating wind blades, impossible to stop! It crashed down from the sky with a world-destroying force, instantly covering an area of tens of meters in radius!
Murata could only watch in horror as those Wild Beasts, which had been so savage just a moment before, were sliced into countless pieces the instant they hit the storm! Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and screams filled the air!
With just this one move, they cleared out the surrounding beast horde!
"Now! Break through to the east!"
The team leader landed smoothly without stopping for a moment and immediately gave the orders.
"Yes!"
The surviving team members were invigorated, and their pent-up morale was instantly reignited!
They followed closely behind their leader, frantically fleeing out of the forest along the path paved with blood and bits of flesh.
That's right!
They must survive!
We must survive until the moment "Pillar" arrives!!