Hunting and Being Hunted

Han Zhiqi's actions stunned everyone. No one had expected anyone to actually provoke that behemoth.

Nohime froze for a moment, her heart pounding, blood surging uncontrollably. She drew her Nichirin Blade and walked behind Han Zhiqi. "I'll help you."

Yuka nodded at Akino, who also drew his Nichirin Blade and stood beside Han Zhiqi. "I'll help you too."

Kimura drew his blade, Eimi drew her blade, and everyone else drew their blades, walking towards the center of the open space to face the surrounding demons.

The moonlight was like water, the wild wind rustled, and the air was filled with the scent of iron and blood. Everyone's blood seemed to be boiling, the atmosphere solemn and grave.

That's right! They wanted to join the Demon Slayer Corps, yet they were afraid of demons. What kind of situation was this?

Since there was no escape, they might as well be bold and face life and death head-on. They had run for six days, hidden for six days, and it was time to freely swing the Nichirin Blades in their hands.

The contestants' collective response enraged the surrounding demons, who bared their teeth and let out strange cries.

"You all shouldn't stand with me. Staying here will only drag me down. Take them all away from here."

Although Han Zhiqi's words sounded a bit harsh, Nohime knew they were the truth.

Han Zhiqi's breathing technique was unique, and the cold air he released would affect other contestants.

The disparity in strength would also tip the scales. If they insisted on staying, Han Zhiqi would have to divide his attention to rescue them while fighting with all his might, which would undoubtedly greatly reduce his effectiveness.

Nohime felt useless for the first time, not even having the qualification to stand beside Han Zhiqi. She lowered her head and said weakly, "You… you be careful."

She exchanged a glance with Akino and then walked towards the main group of people.

The open space was just that large. Almost everyone heard Han Zhiqi's words. Some rejoiced, some worried, and most were shocked.

He wanted to deal with that behemoth alone?

How could he possibly win?

Either he was crazy, or she was crazy?

Many people wished they could immediately distance themselves from that ugly behemoth. Now that someone was taking the lead, everyone eagerly followed, walking towards the periphery of the open space, leaving only the boy in white to the center of the clearing.

Only after everyone had left did Han Zhiqi let out a long sigh, silently chanting, "Ice Breathing, First Form, Cold Tide."

A mass of white mist slowly appeared around his body and spread outwards at a visible rate. Snow-white ice crystals fluttered down from the sky. In the blink of an eye, a white circle formed with Han Zhiqi at its center.

"Cold Tide" was not an attack skill; it expanded perception to amplify other skills.

It used the white mist and ice crystals to confuse the enemy's vision, lower their body temperature and blood flow, thereby affecting their attack speed and power.

This was somewhat similar to a domain, a unique characteristic of Han Zhiqi's breathing technique.

Han Zhiqi's transformation shocked everyone immensely. Firstly, they had never seen such a peculiar breathing technique. Secondly, this boy seemed very powerful, and perhaps he could really defeat that behemoth.

In the crowd, Kimura and Eimi exchanged glances, their mouths half-open, as if they had something to say but didn't know what to say.

Kimura's gaze was quite sharp. When Han Zhiqi appeared in the square, he felt that this young man was unusual, but he still wasn't sharp enough.

Provoked, the Three-Headed Demon let out a sky-shattering roar and charged towards Han Zhiqi with its stout body supported by its legs.

That roar seemed to be the signal to attack. The demons in the forest and on the slopes responded, howling and charging towards the contestants at the periphery of the open space. Only the Bouncing Demon remained on the slope, and the Spider Demon clung to a tree branch, waiting for its opportunity.

After six days of hunting and fleeing, the contestants who remained were all skilled.

"Aim for the neck and slash. Don't hold back anymore. It's only the last night. It's either they die or we die. The longer we drag this out, the more it's disadvantageous for us."

Han Zhiqi's voice echoed again in the center of the open space. "I'll handle this Three-Headed Demon. Everyone else will handle the ordinary demons. Nohime, Kimura, Akino, the three of you watch the Bouncing Demon and the Spider Demon on the slope to prevent them from sneak attacking during the chaos. If their target is me, you don't need to worry. Just stop them from disrupting the rhythm of others."

"Understood."

Kimura never imagined that he, their initial captain, would one day take orders from someone else.

Although he felt awkward, he knew that whether he could walk off Mount Fujikasane alive depended on whether that boy could defeat the giant meatball, and his arrangements were not at all inappropriate.

It was precisely because of the appearance of the Bouncing Demon and the Spider Demon that everyone's psychological defenses were disrupted, ultimately leading to the disintegration of the entire team from the inside out.

The two teams collided again, and the Three-Headed Demon also reached Han Zhiqi.

Six arms suddenly extended, all reaching for Han Zhiqi in the white mist.

"Ice Breathing, Second Form, Falling Snow."

Han Zhiqi gripped the hilt of his blade with both hands and swung it forcefully. The surrounding white mist and ice crystals were drawn by the blade, forming a white arc-shaped tail.

Facing the six extendable arms, Han Zhiqi stood firm, not taking a single step back. His sharp blade sliced through the Three-Headed Demon's grasping palms, leaving an icy wound on each of its palms.

After a few rounds, everyone finally witnessed the strength of this white-haired youth.

The six arms were equivalent to three people. He fought three people with one, his swings steady and powerful, his moves sharp and orderly. Most importantly, he had already made the Three-Headed Demon cry out in pain without even using his full strength.

At first, everyone had their doubts, but after witnessing Han Zhiqi's graceful battle from behind, their confidence surged.

If it weren't for that behemoth and the two strange demons on the slope, honestly, they wouldn't have been afraid of these ugly monsters.

Screams occasionally erupted from the crowd, some from demons, and some from team members.

Demons did not have high intelligence, and their attacks relied entirely on instinct. Therefore, all their moves were messy and disorganized. If observed carefully, they only had a few moves: grab, scratch, pounce, bite.

The only troublesome aspect was their astonishing recovery ability and infinite stamina. Therefore, to eliminate them completely, only by severing their necks was possible.

Nohime, Kimura, and Akino kept an eye on the movements of the two demons on the slope while helping the contestants clear out the ordinary demons.

As the first demon was eliminated, the contestants gradually got into the groove. Their hands no longer trembled as they swung their blades, and occasionally, when they got carried away, they would let out a few joyful cries. After all, they had been suppressed for six days, and now they finally had a chance to vent.

The contestants gradually gained the upper hand.

Finally, the two demons on the slope could no longer stand still.

One leaped from the ground, soaring dozens of meters into the air. The sheer force of its descent alone was formidable, and one could only imagine the destructive power if it added the strength of its legs.

The other slithered down a tree trunk, twisting its increasingly agile waist as it rapidly approached the flat ground, its speed no less than that of a Bouncing Demon.

Which side would the two demons choose to attack?

The crowd of contestants? Or Han Zhiqi?

After all, both had taken a blade from Han Zhiqi, and the Spider Demon had nearly died on the spot.

Nohime, Kimura, and Akino also noticed the movements of the three demons, and their tension reached an extreme.