"Click click click..."
A chilling sound of bones snapping together suddenly rang out in the deathly silent alley.
Not far away, the head of the Zohakuten, which should have been burned to ashes, strangely floated up and flew precisely back to the severed neck.
The wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. In less than three seconds, the boy who had just been killed in one strike was standing up again completely unharmed.
"Are you kidding me..."
Sanemi lay prone in the mud, his fists clenched tightly, trying to squeeze out the last bit of strength from his body through the excruciating pain so that he could stand up again.
But the broken bones and torn muscles wouldn't obey my commands.
"Damn it! Move! Get moving, you useless piece of trash!"
Sanemi roared inwardly, not at the enemy, but at his own useless body.
Those bloodshot eyes were fixed on the back of the figure that remained standing ramrod straight despite being attacked from both Upper Rank.
The fire of humiliation and resentment nearly burned away his reason.
He, Sanemi Shinazugawa, could only lie here like a dead dog, watching helplessly as others fought for him!
Zohakuten's face was so black it could drip water, and his beautiful eyes burned with immense humiliation.
He, the strongest form of Upper Moon Upper Rank Four, had his head chopped off by a human with a single blow. This was an utter disgrace that could never be washed away.
"Kokushibo, this is my prey."
Zohakuten spoke coldly, trying to regain some ground with his imposing aura.
Kokushibo with Giyu at high speed, didn't even bother to turn his head, only giving Giyu a cold glance with the two outermost of his six eyes.
"Muzan's order... is to kill this man."
Kokushibo's voice was devoid of any emotion.
"If you think you're in the way, you can get out of the way."
These words were extremely harsh; they were practically calling him a good-for-nothing.
Zohakuten's face instantly turned a deep liver color.
But faced with Upper Rank One's absolute authority, he swallowed his anger and directed all his fury at Giyu.
"Great!! Then let's all go at him and grind him into the finest mincemeat!!"
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The drumbeats, even more ferocious than before, resounded through the night sky.
This time, five enormous wooden dragons, even thicker and more ferocious than before, roared as they burst from the earth.
Combined with Kokushibo's overwhelming purple crescent moons,
In an instant, they created a complete and inescapable trap, launching a frenzied attack on Giyu Tomioka!
The two Upper Rank teamed up!
Such a luxurious and extravagant lineup is enough to make any pillar feel despair.
However, standing at the center of the storm, Giyu Tomioka's handsome face, as cold as an ice sculpture, remained expressionless.
Behind him were three seriously wounded companions.
He cannot retreat, not even a single step.
Giyu a deep breath, and his lungs roared like the cry of a deep-sea whale.
He completely abandoned any unnecessary maneuvering, gripped the knife with both hands, and stood firmly in front of the three men like a stabilizing pillar.
He seamlessly switched between Water Breathing and Moon Breathing in an extremely short time, driven by his will.
Facing the five roaring, charging wooden dragons, the blade in his hand seemed to transform into a boundless ocean.
The incredible flexibility and continuity of the Water Breathing neutralized and deflected the terrifying impact from the wooden dragon.
Faced with Kokushibo's all-pervasive and extremely cunning purple crescent slash...
The purplish-red light on his blade would suddenly blaze, and the overwhelming and fierce power of Moon Breathing would shatter those deadly crescent moons one by one in mid-air.
At this moment, Giyu Tomioka is simply an unsurpassable work of art.
Each swing of his knife carried an almost divine beauty.
The gentle flow of water and the fierce moonlight, two completely different forces, intertwined around him to create a beautiful yet deadly picture of death.
When defending, he's like an impregnable fortress of water, unmoved by any storm.
When he retaliates, his blade transforms into a terrifying purple moon that tears through the long night.
Even the occasional glimpse of sword energy forced Kokushibo and Zohakuten.
Obanai was lying on the ground.
Watching that figure, still wielding his weapon with ease and even gaining the upper hand amidst the attacks of the two Upper Rank, the shock I felt was beyond words.
This is the true peak!!
This is the strongest swordsman who crushes everyone else with his superior skill!
At this moment, no one can shake the absolute territory belonging to Giyu Tomioka!!
Just as the battle raged fiercely halfway up the mountain, another uninvited guest was leisurely strolling up the mountain at the foot of Mount Sagiri.
The newcomer had short, white oak hair, iridescent eyes, and a gentle, warm smile on his face.
It is none other Upper Rank Two – Doma.
"Oh my, the air here is so fresh!"
As Doma hummed a little tune, Doma used his golden fan to push aside the branches blocking his path.
"It's nice to change things up once in a while and enjoy the fresh air of nature."
Just then, a young member of the Demon Slayer Corps, wearing a uniform, stumbled out of the roadside bushes.
He was clearly terrified by the aftermath of the battle halfway up the mountain and was running downhill in a panic.
When he saw Doma's seven-colored eyes, he instinctively felt a fear rising from his soul, and his legs went weak on the spot, causing him to sit down on the ground with a thud.
"Win... Upper Rank..."
Doma's smile widened. He bent down and gently lifted the team member's chin with his fan.
"Don't be afraid, my friend. It's so pitiful to see you in so much pain."
Doma's tone was as gentle as if he were coaxing a frightened child.
"Let me help you find liberation and send you to Pure Land free from suffering."
He hadn't finished speaking.
"Blood Demon Art: Freezing Clouds"
With a gentle wave of the golden fan, a chilling mist instantly enveloped the team member.
His face still held an expression of extreme fear, but his entire body was instantly frozen into a glittering ice sculpture.
"See, now you can't feel the pain anymore, can you?"
Doma clapped his hands, his smile unchanged, as if he had simply done a good deed on a whim.
He continued upwards and soon arrived at the Mount Sagiri, where a secluded wooden cabin, dimly lit, stood quietly before him.
"Oh? Is anyone still home so late? What a touching child."
"Let me, your older brother, deliver a gift package of eternal peaceful sleep to you."
He strode briskly, preparing to push open the wooden door.
Sudden!!
"Call--!"
A huge black shadow, accompanied by a whooshing sound, descended from the sky and slammed heavily onto the ground in front of Doma!
"Boom!"
The ground cracked open, and dust flew everywhere.
Doma forced back several steps by this immense force, and the smile on his face disappeared for the first time.
As the dust settled, a massive meteor hammer and a menacing broad axe were seen deeply embedded in the ground, blocking his path.
At the other end of the weapon, a tall, imposing man, muscular and dressed in a monk's robe, stood quietly.
The man's hands were bound with chains, and two streams of tears flowed down his face.
[Stone Hashira] -- The Gyomei Himejima.
"Namo Amitabha Buddha..."
Slowly, Gyomei Himejima raised his head. His unfocused, whitish eyes seemed to see through all the evil in the world.
"You sinful demon, your filthy feet are unworthy to set foot here."
Doma stared blankly at the muscular man in front of him, who was crying and spouting threats, for a moment, then burst into exaggerated laughter.
"Haha!! Oh my! This is hilarious! A big, crying monk!"
Are you sad for me?
"No need, I don't feel sorry for myself at all~"
He stopped smiling, his colorful eyes flashing with a cold yet excited light.
"However, since you're so eager to save me, then... how about I free you first and send you to Pure Land?"