The Three-Headed Demon fled, the Bouncing Demon died in battle, and even the last remaining Spider Demon showed signs of fear. Under the combined restraint of Kimura and Akino, it led the remaining seven or eight demons in retreat toward the hillside.
In terms of numbers, the contestants now outnumbered the demons. The contestants fought more fiercely with every battle, beating the demons until they could not fight back. Several demons had already fled as soon as the Bouncing Demon died.
The Spider Demon wanted to run as well, but Kimura and Akino clung to it desperately. It could only call the other demons together around itself, apparently intending to gather all its strength and break through toward the hillside as a group.
With the Bouncing Demon dead, Nohime also joined the others in slaughtering the remaining demons. She had originally thought that killing the Bouncing Demon would make her feel terrible.
But the instant she pulled the hilt and severed the Bouncing Demon's head, she realized that her heart had remained utterly calm, as if she had done something insignificant.
Still, she knew deeply that after that strike, she would never be the same person she had once been.
With Nohime joining in, the demons' collapse became even more apparent.
The Spider Demon was not especially strong, but its small body made it difficult to catch. Its six legs also increased its speed, and with the blurred visibility of the night, it had repeatedly succeeded in its earlier sneak attacks.
Now that Kimura and Akino had it firmly in their sights, it could no longer launch any effective ambushes.
Whenever it spotted suitable prey and prepared to strike, the two would follow it like leeches. Working together, one attacking and one defending, they drove it into a frantic mess,