Slaying the Hand Demon

At dawn on Mt. Fujikasane, sunlight spilled over the land, forcing the demons who had run rampant through the night to vanish into hiding in the blink of an eye. All that remained on the mountain were the mangled corpses of the fallen swordsmen.

"I've held you back, I'm sorry, Mufeng."

"A senior brother helping his junior is only natural. Don't let your mind wander; if you go to see your sister this early, I guarantee your backside won't be safe."

Suzuki Mufeng carried Giyu Tomioka on his back as they trekked through Mt. Fujikasane. Scattered along the mountain paths were the severed limbs and remains of many, clearly left behind by demons who hadn't finished their meals before the sun rose.

Passing these corpses, their hearts grew heavy, and their pace quickened involuntarily.

He couldn't bear to imagine a world where Makomo met such an end.

"Your speed is too slow; we won't find their tracks this way."

Giyu Tomioka, on his back, patted his shoulder, signaling him to ignore his own condition and pick up the pace to find Sabito and the others.

"Mind your wounds, I'm accelerating."

Last night, he had used his Sharingan to hypnotize several demons and learn the status of Sabito and the others.

Sabito, that old big brother, was doing fine; he had single-handedly forced multiple demons to flee in terror, living quite comfortably.

As for Makomo, he couldn't understand her; she had already exhausted much of her stamina killing one or two demons, yet despite being worn out, she was still forcing herself to push deeper into the mountains where the demons were most concentrated.

The demons who had luckily survived her path spoke of the girl with confusion, mixed with a sliver of regret that they hadn't seized the chance to devour her.

"None of these juniors are easy to worry about."

Suzuki Mufeng's feet stirred with wind as he unleashed the Six Powers—Shave. His speed increased exponentially. As they ventured deeper, the stench of rot grew heavier, and he spotted small footprints nearby, prompting him to quicken his pace even further.

Deep within Mt. Fujikasane, where the sunlight could not reach, lay the domain of the demons.

"Cute little fox, with you, I've already eaten ten of Sakonji Urokodaki's disciples. I imagine that old man still hasn't realized that the masks he makes have become death warrants. Little brat, it's all Sakonji Urokodaki's fault; he's the one who killed you all."

"Shut up! You are not allowed to speak of Master like that! I will definitely cut off your head."

Makomo, usually so indifferent, was now overcome with emotion, her combat rhythm falling into chaos. She actually abandoned her speed advantage, charging toward the Hand Demon's head with her blade drawn.

She had lost her composure. Sakonji Urokodaki's disciples were so easy to trick; a little provocation and they delivered themselves to his mouth. But to eat her just like that would be a waste. He would twist her limbs off bit by bit and let her die amidst her own wails—this was the interest he would collect from you, Sakonji Urokodaki!

Dozens of hands erupted from the Hand Demon's body. By the time the lunging Makomo reacted, her vision was filled with those twisted, massive limbs. Was she going to die? Master and Sabito would be so sad.

"Total Concentration—Water Breathing, Sixth Form: Twisting Whirlpool."

Suzuki Mufeng blocked the path in front of Makomo. In mid-air, he twisted his waist and abdomen with force, the rotating flow of water on his blade gathering like a vortex, slicing the reaching demon hands into chunks of meat.

"Hand Demon, I've finally found you. Makomo, leave Giyu to me."

He hadn't expected to encounter the strongest demon on Mt. Fujikasane here, but it was perfect—he would finish him off right now.

"Two more little foxes? It seems Sakonji Urokodaki has taken on quite a few disciples this time; he must have poured a lot of heart into you. If I torture you to death here, just thinking about Sakonji Urokodaki hiding under his covers, crying in sorrow, fills me with such joy!"

The Hand Demon laughed maniacally, scratching his body with his many hands, but he didn't stop his assault; dozens of massive arms still rained down.

In mid-air, Suzuki Mufeng used the monstrous dynamic vision of his Sharingan to track the Hand Demon, catching the lethal strike hidden in his blind spot.

He had to admit, a demon who had eaten over thirty people wasn't a pushover, but unfortunately for him, he had met his match.

"Mufeng, this demon's hands are very hard; be careful your blade doesn't snap."

"Makomo, Mufeng has more than one blade. He will win."

More than one blade? Makomo didn't understand, not until she saw blood spraying across the sky and chunks of shredded flesh falling to the ground.

"Four-Sword Style? What kind of monster is this?"

Suzuki Mufeng gripped his Nichirin Sword in his hands, while Soft & Wet, clinging to his back, also wielded two Nichirin Swords. These were all spoils from his scavenging; he no longer had any blind spots.

"Hand Demon, today is your death day!"

"Total Concentration—Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash."

Suzuki Mufeng stepped through the air. He and Soft & Wet moved in tandem, one left and one right, delivering a horizontal slash toward the Hand Demon's neck.

With strikes coming from all sides, there was nowhere to hide, and no way to dodge.

I haven't taken my revenge on Sakonji Urokodaki yet; how could I be killed by his disciples!

Under the threat of death, the Hand Demon erupted with unprecedented speed. A massive layer of arms sprouted from his neck, stacking into a thick, protective scarf. The blades bit into flesh, and blood splattered everywhere.

The Nichirin Swords sank deep into the flesh of the arms and suddenly stopped, unable to move a fraction further despite all of Suzuki Mufeng's strength.

"Little brats, come on! Cut off my head! Look at your helpless expressions—they're just as resentful and angry as your predecessors when I ate them. It brings me such joy!"

Suzuki Mufeng steeled his resolve to force the head off even if it meant being injured, but he suddenly felt a push on the hand gripping his hilt.

"Mufeng, you aren't the only disciple Master has. Hand Demon, the grudge between you and our lineage ends here!"

"If you insult Master, I will make you pay double."

"We will cut off your head, Hand Demon!"

Sabito, Makomo, and Giyu Tomioka suddenly closed in, gripping three Nichirin Swords together. They were going to help cut off the demon's head as well.

"Another little fox? Is today my lucky day? Devouring four little foxes in one go—how truly delightful!"

The Hand Demon manipulated several massive hands, preparing to ambush them from behind. They had to sever his head before the demon hands could reach them!

Everyone exhausted every ounce of their strength, yet they remained just a hair's breadth away from the Hand Demon's neck. Was this truly the end for them?

Suddenly, they felt a surge of power course through their bodies. Phantoms appeared behind them, their hands—clad in broken fox masks—pressing down upon the hands of the four youths.

These were the souls of the Water Breathing swordsmen who had once perished in the jaws of the Hand Demon.

"Hand Demon, today is the anniversary of your death!"

Squelch—

Suzuki Mufeng's Nichirin Sword sank into the Hand Demon's neck. Following his lead, Sabito and Giyu Tomioka drove their own blades into the flesh. As soon as Makomo's Nichirin Sword bit into the neck, the Hand Demon's head would be severed completely, ending its wretched existence at their hands.

The Hand Demon was truly terrified now; it even tried to open its mouth to beg for mercy, but would Makomo ever give it the chance?

Makomo offered a sweet smile, and with a squelch, her blade buried itself into the neck. As the Hand Demon's head soared into the air, this long-standing grudge was finally brought to an end by the combined efforts of Sakonji Urokodaki's disciples.

"Sabito, take Makomo. I'll handle Giyu. We must leave at once."

They fled into the sunlight before the scent of blood could attract more demons. Once they emerged, they realized it was only midday, leaving them plenty of time to rest.

"Sabito, thank goodness you arrived in time, or we would have been in grave danger."

"Thank yourself. I helped quite a few people on the way, and when they heard I was looking for you, they were very enthusiastic about pointing the way."

"I'm hungry. Sabito, did you bring any food?"

"Giyu, I still have a few rice balls left. Do you want one?"

The fellow disciples chatted harmoniously, while the spirits of their predecessors watched on in silence, seeing themselves in the youths before them.

Now, they could finally rest in peace, returning to Mt. Sagiri to keep company with their beloved grandfather, Sakonji Urokodaki.

Although he hadn't been able to make the Hand Demon suffer in agony, letting the fallen disciples take their own revenge together was a result that seemed even better than he had anticipated.

However, as they departed, each of them seemed to reach out toward him, and specks of starlight flowed into the center of his brow.

The gifts they left behind seemed to make his vision clearer than ever before.

Now that the strongest Hand Demon was dead, the remaining demons were nothing to fear.