Han Zhiqi's actions stunned everyone. No one had expected anyone to actually take the initiative to provoke that hulking brute.
Nohime froze for a moment, her heart surging and blood boiling. She drew her Nichirin Blade and stepped behind Han Zhiqi. "I'll help you."
Yuka nodded at Akino. Akino also drew his Nichirin Blade and stood beside Han Zhiqi. "I'll help too."
Kimura drew his blade, Eimi drew hers, and everyone else followed suit, walking toward the center of the clearing to face the demons surrounding them.
Moonlight flowed like water, and the wild wind was bleak. The air was filled with the scent of iron and blood. Everyone's blood seemed to boil, and the atmosphere was solemn yet stirring.
That was right! If they wanted to join the Demon Slayer Corps, how could they still be afraid of demons? What kind of sense did that make?
Since there was nowhere left to run, they might as well face life and death with dignity. They had run for six days and hidden for six days. It was time to wield their Nichirin Blades to their hearts' content.
The contestants' united response enraged the surrounding demons, who bared their fangs and let out a series of strange cries.
"Don't stand with me. Staying here will only hold me back. Lead them all away from here."
Though Han Zhiqi's words sounded hurtful, Nohime knew they were the truth.
Han Zhiqi's Breathing Style was unique. The cold air he released would affect the other contestants.
The disparity in strength would also tip the scales. If they insisted on staying, Han Zhiqi would have to divide his attention between fighting at full strength and rescuing them, greatly reducing his combat ability.
For the first time, Nohime felt utterly useless. She did not even have the right to stand beside Han Zhiqi. Lowering her head, she said weakly, "Y-you be careful."
After exchanging a glance with Akino, she headed toward the larger group.
The clearing was only so large, and nearly everyone heard Han Zhiqi's words. Some were delighted, some worried, but most were shocked.
He wanted to deal with that hulking brute alone?
How could he possibly win?
Either he was crazy, or I was crazy.
Many people had wanted nothing more than to get away from that ugly behemoth. Now that someone had taken the lead, they eagerly followed the crowd toward the edge of the clearing, leaving its center to the white-robed boy.
Only after everyone had left did Han Zhiqi let out a long breath and silently recite, Ice Breathing, First Form: Cold Tide.
A cloud of white mist slowly appeared around his body and spread outward at a visible pace. Snow-white ice flakes drifted down from the sky, and in the blink of an eye, a white circle formed around Han Zhiqi.
Cold Tide was not an offensive technique. It expanded perception and enhanced his other techniques.
The white mist and ice flakes obscured the enemy's vision while lowering their body temperature and blood flow, thereby affecting the speed and force of their attacks.
It was somewhat like a domain, an ability unique to Han Zhiqi's Breathing Style.
Han Zhiqi's transformation shocked everyone. First, they had never seen such a peculiar Breathing Style. Second, the boy seemed remarkably powerful. Perhaps he really could defeat that hulking brute.
Among the crowd, Kimura and Eimi stared at each other with their mouths half-open. They both seemed to have something to say, yet neither knew what to say.
Kimura's instincts had been quite sharp. The moment Han Zhiqi appeared in the square, he had sensed that the boy was extraordinary. But apparently, his instincts had not been sharp enough.
Provoked, the Three-Headed Demon let out an earth-shaking roar and charged at Han Zhiqi on its thick legs, carrying its bloated body forward.
That roar seemed to be the signal to attack. The demons in the forest and on the slopes responded one after another, howling as they rushed toward the contestants around the clearing. Only the Bouncing Demon remained on the hillside, while the Spider Demon crouched on a forked branch, waiting for an opportunity.
After six days of hunting and fleeing, the contestants who remained all had some skill.
"Aim for their necks. Stop holding back. There's only one night left. Either they die, or we do. The longer this drags on, the worse it is for us."
Han Zhiqi's voice rang out from the center of the clearing again. "I'll handle this Three-Headed Demon. Everyone else handles the ordinary demons. Nohime, Kimura, Akino, you three keep an eye on the Bouncing Demon and the Spider Demon on the hillside. Don't let them launch a surprise attack in the chaos. If they target me, ignore them. Just make sure they don't disrupt everyone else's rhythm."
"Understood."
Kimura had never imagined that he, the original captain, would one day be following someone else's orders.
Though it felt awkward, he knew full well that whether they could leave Mount Fujikasane alive depended on whether that boy could defeat the giant meatball. Besides, there was nothing wrong with his arrangements.
Back then, it was the appearance of the Bouncing Demon and Spider Demon that shattered everyone's psychological defenses, ultimately causing the entire group to fall apart from the inside out.
The two sides clashed again, and the Three-Headed Demon charged up to Han Zhiqi.
Its six arms suddenly extended, each reaching for Han Zhiqi within the white mist.
"Ice Breathing, Second Form: Falling Snow."
Han Zhiqi gripped the hilt with both hands and swung his blade with force. The surrounding white mist and ice flakes were drawn along by the blade, forming a white, arcing trail.
Facing the six freely extending arms, Han Zhiqi remained unmoved and did not retreat a single step. His sharp blade swept across the Three-Headed Demon's grasping palms, leaving a frozen wound on each one.
After several exchanges, everyone finally witnessed the white-haired youth's strength.
Six arms were the equivalent of three people. Yet he fought three opponents alone, his swings steady and powerful, his moves fierce but orderly. Most importantly, he had not even used his full strength, yet the Three-Headed Demon was already screaming miserably without pause.
At first, everyone had their doubts. But after witnessing Han Zhiqi's graceful figure as he fought, their confidence immediately soared.
Without that behemoth and the two strange demons on the hillside, they honestly were not afraid of these ugly monsters.
Screams rang out from the crowd from time to time, some from demons and some from contestants.
Demons were not very intelligent and relied entirely on instinct to attack, so their moves were chaotic and disorganized. If one observed carefully, they only had a few tricks: grabbing, scratching, pouncing, and biting.
The only troublesome things were their astonishing recovery abilities and endless stamina. Therefore, the only way to completely eliminate them was to sever their heads.
While keeping an eye on the movements of the two demons on the hillside, Nohime, Kimura, and Akino helped the contestants clear out the ordinary demons.
As the first demon was slain, the contestants seemed to gradually find their rhythm. The hands holding their blades no longer trembled. Sometimes, when they got carried away with killing, they even let out one or two joyous shouts. After all, they had been stifled for six days and had finally found an outlet.
The contestants gradually gained the upper hand.
At last, the two demons on the hillside could no longer remain still.
One of them leaped from level ground, shooting more than ten meters into the air. The force of its descent alone could not be underestimated. Add the strength of its legs, and its destructive power was easy to imagine.
The other slithered down the tree trunk, twisting its increasingly nimble waist as it raced toward the clearing. Its speed was no less than that of the Bouncing Demon.
Which side would the two demons choose as their targets?
The cluster of contestants? Or Han Zhiqi?
After all, both of them had each taken a slash from Han Zhiqi, and the Spider Demon had nearly died on the spot.
Nohime, Kimura, and Akino naturally noticed the movements of the three demons as well, and they instantly grew tense to the extreme.
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