The Demon Father roared and charged at Nohime, slamming his fist hard into the ground.
Nohime lightly leaped aside, dodging the attack. She stepped on the Demon Father's arm, sprang over him, circled behind his back, took a deep breath, and gave a sharp cry.
"Love Breathing, fourth form: Suffocating Heartbeat."
Nohime swung her Nichirin Blade. Its sharp blade swiftly coiled around the Demon Father's neck. Then she planted both feet against his back, leaned backward, gripped the hilt tightly with both hands, and began pulling with all her strength, intending to sever his neck in one stroke.
With muscles six times denser than normal, her strength was not to be underestimated. The Nichirin Blade scraped against his frozen throat with a harsh screech.
The Demon Father dropped to his knees with a thud, flailing both hands behind him as he tried to grab Nohime. Failing to catch her, he reached for the Nichirin Blade around his neck. Then he struggled back to his feet and twisted his body wildly, trying to throw her off.
Nohime clung tightly to the hilt, refusing to let go. The blade gradually cut deeper into his neck.
Watching from the opposite bank, Inosuke was utterly shaken. He had never expected this seemingly dazed girl to possess such tremendous strength. Picking up the broken blades from the ground, he prepared to rush over and help.
Sensing the danger, the Demon Father roared repeatedly and plunged into the nearby woods. He crashed about like a madman, snapping waist-thick trees in half and smashing huge boulders to pieces.
Nohime hung from the Demon Father's body like a strip of cloth dancing in the wind. Even as she slammed into surrounding trees and was whipped around until her head spun, she still refused to release her grip.
A