The Beginning of the Melee

The sound of rustling grew denser, like a herd of animals on a forced march at night. Of course, everyone knew it couldn't be animals; they all knew what it was.

The sounds surged like a tide, reaching their peak before gradually quieting down. It wasn't that the tide had receded, but rather that they had arrived.

Yes, the demons had arrived.

The entire group fell into panic again, their circular formation unnaturally contracting inwards. Everyone instinctively began to retreat, those on the outside pushing in, and those on the inside pressing towards the center.

Demons emerged from behind the trees, some standing, some crouching, and some lying down.

Besides the ground, two or three demons were perched on tree branches. In total, there were exactly ten demons.

Ten demons!

One demon was already difficult enough to handle; facing so many at once would make anyone's legs tremble and their body shake.

The demons, though different in size, appearance, and stature, shared one thing in common: their eyes.

Facing Kimura and his group, every demon, without exception, displayed greedy gazes, occasionally licking their lips. They looked like a crowd surrounding a large platter of delicacies.

In their eyes, the people before them were food.

Kimura swallowed, moistening his dry throat. "Everyone, don't be afraid. Focus on the demon in your sector, and don't cross over to disrupt others' rhythm. If someone falls, the person behind them must immediately take their place. Everyone, obey my command, draw your swords!"

After a series of sharp metallic screeches, the outer members of the team drew their Nichirin Blades and, under Kimura's instruction, collectively stepped forward five paces, expanding the inner space of the circle.

This was to facilitate the rescue and replacement of injured team members from within, as well as to prevent them from being too close to each other, which would hinder the use of their Nichirin Blades and potentially cause friendly fire.

Kimura took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. As the Captain, he had to lead by example and was also standing on the outer perimeter.

Everyone waited tensely for the demons' attack, knowing they would surely initiate it.

The clear moonlight scattered over Kimura and the others. It was a fine night.

Finally, one demon, unable to contain the restlessness of the blood within its body, launched the first attack. It scrambled on all fours, rushing towards the crowd at full speed.

Perhaps it felt that a larger size meant a more satisfying meal, so this demon specifically targeted a burly male contestant.

When it was still three meters away from the contestant, the demon leaped, opening its maw wide, and lunged straight at him.

This contestant clearly possessed some skill or had prior experience fighting demons. Facing the charging demon, he wasn't like the others whose hands trembled even while holding their swords.

The contestant lowered his body, bent his knees, and leaned forward, gripping the ground firmly with his feet. When the demon's claws were less than a meter away, he took a deep breath, his eyes sharpened, and he shouted, "Water Breathing: First Form: Surface Slash."

A clear sound of flowing water echoed around him. The blade, like a stream, traced a beautiful arc, heading straight for the demon's throat.

The blade stopped the demon's advance.

Mid-air, the demon halted its body and fell straight to the ground. It naturally crouched, dodging the blade, and then sprang up with its knees, its dark hands with sharp claws digging into the contestant's abdomen.

This contestant clearly hadn't expected the demon's body to be so agile, or its transitions between attacks to be so seamless.

His Nichirin Blade was still suspended in mid-air when the demon's next attack was imminent. Unable to retract his move to defend, he could only watch helplessly as the demon's hands plunged into his chest.

Just then, a male contestant's voice rang out from his right side.

"Water Breathing: Seventh Form: Stinging Rain Ripple."

A white light suddenly appeared in the demon's eyes, like an arrow piercing through the void and appearing before it.

The demon's eyes widened, and it instinctively let out a strange cry, followed by a piercing scream as the Nichirin Blade brutally stabbed into its flank.

The demon closed its eyes, screaming as it jumped aside. The Nichirin Blade was pulled from its cheek, drawing a line of blood.

But as soon as its feet touched the ground, almost simultaneously, another male contestant's voice sounded, this time from the large demon's left.

"Flame Breathing: Second Form: Blazing Heaven Ascension."

A beautiful arc, accompanied by raging flames, rose from the ground like a fire dragon ascending to heaven. The Nichirin Blade sliced through the demon's chest, sending it flying.

The demon let out another sharp scream, even more piercing than the last.

The demon fell to the ground, rolling three to four meters before quickly getting up. It looked like a wounded stray dog, whimpering and glancing fearfully at the three of them before retreating towards the edge of the forest, looking back repeatedly.

That "Flame Breathing: Second Form: Blazing Heaven Ascension" was like a spark in the darkness, igniting hope and bringing light to everyone's hearts.

Hope for survival, a bright future.

It made everyone realize one thing: demons were not invincible.

On the other side, among the demons surrounding the forest's edge, there was considerable commotion the moment the contestant unleashed "Blazing Heaven Ascension."

Demons feared sunlight, and fire was the closest thing to sunlight. Therefore, upon seeing the flames rise, they felt an inexplicable unease.

Besides the team members, Kimura was also inspired. He was the most excited.

He believed that it was due to his brilliant leadership and correct deployment that those three team members were able to repel the attacking demon without a scratch.

If not for this unbreakable defensive formation, that contestant would likely have already become demon fodder.

At this moment, the burly contestant was indeed filled with lingering fear and was continuously thanking the two team members beside him.

How could Kimura miss such a good opportunity to show off?

Kimura cleared his throat, an action to ensure his voice was clear for what he was about to say and also to alert everyone that he was about to speak.

"As everyone has seen, demons are not invincible. As long as the rest of us act like those three team members just did, we will definitely be able to stop the demons' attack."

"Yes, yes, it's all thanks to the Captain's great idea."

"As long as we follow what the Captain said, I believe we can definitely get through seven days and pass the assessment."

"The Captain is truly too clever."

"..."

Listening to everyone's flattery, Kimura felt incredibly pleased, but he maintained a calm demeanor on the surface, as if only this could showcase his temperament as the leader of the team.

"Alright everyone, please lift your spirits. The demon from earlier was clearly just a probe. The attacks that follow will definitely be more intense. Everyone must not let down their guard and be ready to fight at any moment."

"Captain, please rest assured, we are always ready."

"Always ready."

"..."

That move, "Blazing Heaven Ascension," was like a shot of adrenaline to all the team members. Their initial fear had vanished, and their eyes all shimmered with a peculiar light.

It was estimated that even if Muzan Kibutsuji stood before them now, they would dare to challenge him.

Just as Kimura had predicted, not long after, all the demons lurking in the forest launched their attack simultaneously.

"Water Breathing, First Form, Surface Slash."

"Water Breathing, Seventh Form, Stinging Rain Ripple."

"Flame Breathing, First Form, Sea of Fire."

"Wind Breathing, First Form, Dust Whirlwind Cutter."

"..."

To block the onslaught of the horde of demons, various dazzling techniques were performed in succession.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mountain, Han Zhiqi and his companion, who were leisurely enjoying themselves, also encountered their first demon of the night.