Tsugikuni Kuuga had no choice but to forcefully knock Kamuna's pincers aside, then did a backflip to evade the scorpion tail's attack.
"Well, damn. You're playing dirty with me, huh?" Tsugikuni Kuuga complained.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You're no good, kid!"
"Tch!"
Tsugikuni Kuuga charged forward again. Kamuna continued spewing centipedes, but Tsugikuni Kuuga swiftly cut every one of them down.
Their attacks were evenly matched. Kamuna's indiscriminate strikes made the entire cave tremble. Suddenly, Kamuna leaped into the air before plummeting down at high speed.
Kamuna's pitch-black body crashed toward Tsugikuni Kuuga like a meteor. Rather than meet it head-on, Tsugikuni Kuuga nimbly dodged the attack.
Kamuna smashed a huge crater into the ground and vanished at the same time. Only rumbling rose from beneath the earth, but before long, even that faded away.
The cave suddenly fell silent—so silent that dripping water could be heard. Without a doubt, Kamuna's Blood Demon Art included Earth Burrowing.
Beneath the ground, Kamuna watched Tsugikuni Kuuga standing still, a smug smile curling across his lips. Didn't expect this, did you? I can burrow underground too.
But he had not expected Tsugikuni Kuuga to simply close his eyes. Damn it! How dare you look down on me like this? Die!
Kamuna quietly tunneled behind Tsugikuni Kuuga, then burst from the ground and snapped one pincer at him.
Kamuna's pincer shot for Tsugikuni Kuuga's vulnerable neck like a pair of scissors, but something unexpected happened. Tsugikuni Kuuga merely bent at the waist and evaded the attack.
At the same time, he spun around and slashed Kamuna. Half of Kamuna's left pincer was cut away, but he ignored the pain and burrowed underground again.
Tsugikuni Kuuga smiled. Sneaking up on him under Tai Chi Sense was impossible. He had sensed Kamuna the instant he emerged from the earth.
"Hey! You're a Lower Rank, aren't you? Could you stop hiding like a turtle? You're making it really hard for me to kill you!" Tsugikuni Kuuga complained.
Beneath the ground, veins bulged across Kamuna's forehead. This was outright humiliation. Die, you damned human!
Kamuna burst from Tsugikuni Kuuga's right side again, believing that Tsugikuni Kuuga had only discovered his previous attack by luck.
Tsugikuni Kuuga's head was already within his attack range. With the slightest squeeze, he could crush it.
But just as Kamuna was about to clamp down, Tsugikuni Kuuga crouched. Kamuna froze. He had clearly succeeded—why?!
Then Tsugikuni Kuuga sprang up from the ground like a coiled spring. A blade wreathed in circular flames thrust toward Kamuna's head—it was Sun-Breathing: Seventh Form, Sun Blossom Thrust.
Tsugikuni Kuuga's Nichirin Blade pierced straight through Kamuna's left eye. Kamuna's pig-like shriek echoed throughout the cave.
But Tsugikuni Kuuga's blade had already turned sideways and swept toward Kamuna's neck. Kamuna hurriedly spewed centipedes, forcing Tsugikuni Kuuga to pull back his Nichirin Blade, though he still cut off half of Kamuna's skull.
As Kamuna burrowed away, that half of his skull turned to ash and vanished. The cave then fell completely still. Tsugikuni Kuuga remained alert to his surroundings, but Kamuna hid and refused to emerge again.
Tsugikuni Kuuga suddenly realized that this ability was indeed excellent for staying alive. No wonder Kamuna had survived for so long.
But if this dragged on until nightfall, the villagers would be in trouble. He could deal with Kamuna's attacks, but ordinary people could not. Especially with Kamuna underground—if he made it to the village, disaster was inevitable.
Who knew what a desperate Lower Rank might do? Time passed second by second, yet Kamuna stubbornly refused to attack again. If it had not been daytime, Tsugikuni Kuuga might have suspected that Kamuna had already left.
Suddenly, Tsugikuni Kuuga sliced open his left hand with his Nichirin Blade, then clenched it tightly. Drops of fresh blood fell to the ground, quickly forming a small pool of blood.
No demon could resist the temptation of Rare Blood, just as a drunkard could not live without alcohol. The scent of Rare Blood soon traveled through the ground and reached Kamuna's nose.
Kamuna's eyes widened in shock. He had never expected this guy to possess Rare Blood. Eating him would be worth a hundred people. Desire surged within Kamuna once more. He could regenerate anyway—he would wear this guy down to death.
Kamuna suddenly felt capable again. Taking down Tsugikuni Kuuga was inevitable. Hashira or not, you're still just a human. How could you possibly outlast the mighty Lower Rank Six?
Though this guy's swordsmanship was strange, and Kamuna's left pincer still had not fully healed. Even though the wound on his face had closed, it still burned.
Still, Kamuna felt he could make another charge. He acted at once, bursting straight out from the front.
Tsugikuni Kuuga sidestepped the attack, then sharply flicked his left hand. His blood flew through the air, straight toward Kamuna.
Kamuna was stunned by Tsugikuni Kuuga's move. Was he just handing over a gift? Driven by instinct, Kamuna opened his mouth. Rare Blood truly was different.
But in that instant, Tsugikuni Kuuga also threw out a paper packet, which entered Kamuna's mouth along with the blood.
The packet did not contain incense, but poison Shinobu Kocho had prepared for Tsugikuni Kuuga to kill demons. Tsugikuni Kuuga did not know how to control the dosage, so he simply threw all of it out at once.
Having tasted the sweetness, Kamuna did not even bother retreating underground. He greedily stared at Tsugikuni Kuuga, occasionally licking his lips.
"Hey! Could you stop looking at me like some kind of pervert?"
"I can't be bothered talking to food. You should feel honored to become part of my strength!" Kamuna laughed wildly.
"I don't think you'll get to eat me!" Tsugikuni Kuuga provoked him.
Kamuna said nothing more and resumed wearing Tsugikuni Kuuga down, but he felt his body growing heavier and his mind becoming muddled.
When Kamuna slowed down, Tsugikuni Kuuga knew the poison had taken effect. Powerful demons like the Twelve Kizuki could automatically break down poison, but even a drop in speed was fatal.
Tsugikuni Kuuga first used Sun-Breathing: Eighth Form, Flying Wheel Sun Haze, creating the illusion that his blade had become shorter. Kamuna took the bait, believing Tsugikuni Kuuga's sword was still some distance from his neck.
He decisively extended his massive pincer and smashed it toward Tsugikuni Kuuga's head, but somehow, the Fire Dragon's head was already pressed against his neck.
"Sun-Breathing: Eleventh Form, Halo Dragon: Head Dance. You may rest in peace!"
With Tsugikuni Kuuga's roar, Kamuna's head flew away, and his pincer stopped just before Tsugikuni Kuuga's forehead.
"No... impossible!" Kamuna unwillingly watched his body disintegrate.
"Nothing is impossible. In your next life, don't be so greedy!"
Tsugikuni Kuuga sheathed his Nichirin Blade and left the cave. The mission was complete!
Before you continue