In an instant, crimson-gold arcs of electricity, like nimble little snakes, swiftly coiled around Hiruma's body and wound upward. They flashed with dazzling light, as though they would swallow him whole.
At the same time, cracks began to appear in the ground beneath Hiruma's feet, spreading like a spiderweb.
Then, layer after layer of invisible ripples spread out from beneath his feet, forming a massive ring of energy.
Like a crimson-gold meteor, he carved a straight line across the earth.
His blade moved like a dance, thunder rumbled, and all things fell silent.
Beneath the pitch-black night sky, the crimson-gold blade wind condensed into a Thunder Kirin. With a single bite, the Qilin decapitated ten Demons in succession.
On all of Mount Fujikasane, aside from the Hand Demon perhaps needing a few more cuts, no other Demon could withstand even a single exchange with Hiruma.
His haori was reduced to ash by the intense heat, while dying sparks glimmered like scattered starlight.
Sabito's mouth hung wide open. How could this guy be so strong? So strong it defied imagination.
Then he broke into a wide grin and laughed aloud. "Hiruma, with you in the Demon Slayer Corps, I like it!"
Hiruma looked back with a smile. Amid Sabito's dumbfounded expression, he grabbed both of Sabito's arms, spun him in a full circle, and hurled him away.
"Rabbit bastard, it's decided—you're the one! Beat the hell out of it!"
"You don't need to tell me twice! Hahaha!"
Sabito gripped his sword hilt tightly and took a deep breath. Facing those thick arms rushing at him like shooting stars, his fighting spirit only intensified.
In an instant, blade light turned into a sky full of cold, pouring rain.
Water Breathing: Sixth Form: Twisting Whirlpool.
The enormous water tornado was like a blender running at full power, scattering the Hand Demon's arms across the ground.
Sabito stepped on a severed arm and leaped even higher.
"No, no, no!"
"Die, die, die!"
"Damn Urokodaki! Damn Fox Masks! I can't die!"
The Hand Demon let out an unwilling roar. It fled frantically while attacking Sabito, but it was all in vain.
Sabito landed like an unstoppable mountain torrent, advancing fearlessly through the rain of blood.
Under the glow of the Full Moon, eleven boys and girls appeared behind Sabito, all wielding Nichirin Blades. They were the same age as him.
Eleven swords overlapped one upon another, until all eleven merged with Sabito's blade as one.
Water Breathing: Tenth Form: Constant Flow.
Including Sabito's own share, Constant Flow turned to its twelfth layer.
Carrying the will of his senior brothers and sisters, he severed the Hand Demon's neck. Its bloated body, as large as a small mountain, crashed to the ground.
Sabito had avenged them.
He quickly leaped up and snatched up the relics of his senior brothers and sisters, cradling them against his chest like treasures.
At that moment, his heart was finally at peace. The curse upon Urokodaki's line had been broken.
"Urokodaki, I hate you!"
"Urokodaki, I hate you!"
"Urokodaki..."
Amid the Hand Demon's endless resentment, it turned to ash and scattered on the wind.
After the battle ended, Sabito ran over to Giyu. Only after discovering that he was merely asleep did Sabito relax.
He carefully wrapped eleven broken, bloodstained masks in his haori. It was time to take them home.
Once everything was done, Sabito gave Hiruma a deep bow. Hiruma had helped him immensely.
"Hiruma, if you ever need anything, I will spare no effort!" Sabito spoke frankly, just short of being willing to climb mountains of blades and plunge into seas of fire for Hiruma.
"No, no, no, we're buddies. It's only right!" Hiruma could not stand such formality and waved his hands wildly.
Hearing that, Sabito smiled calmly and replied sincerely, "I'm very happy to have a friend like you!"
"You're welcome to visit Mount Sagiri anytime!"
He held out his hand, and Hiruma grasped it without hesitation.
Friendship between men was that simple.
"Oh, right!" Letting go of Hiruma's hand, Sabito took off his Disaster Averting Mask and hung it on the side of Hiruma's head. "Hiruma, this is the Disaster Averting Mask my master carved for me himself. I'm giving it to you. Hehehe!"
Hiruma's mouth twitched. It really was a disaster-averting fox mask now. Before, it had been nothing but a disaster-attracting one, all right?
Since there were two injured people, Hiruma and Sabito built a campfire on the spot and started gnawing on hard, dry rations.
"Ahhh!"
"I want meat so badly!"
"Rations don't fill me up at all!" Hiruma cried out in agony. He was even eating Murata's rations; his own had long since run out.
"Hiruma, didn't you eat more than half a pig just the day before yesterday?" Sabito handed Hiruma the rations from his bundle, asking in confusion.
"Why do you think Iguro Obanai calls me a rice bucket every day?" His eyes gleamed as he looked at the rations Sabito offered him.
Sabito tilted his head in confusion. Wasn't "rice bucket" an insult?
Why was Hiruma so proud of it?
"Big-shot brother, if that isn't enough, I have more here!" Murata's eyes shone with the admiration of a little fanboy as he handed over his bundle. There were even wild fruits he had picked inside.
"You two are such good people! I'm so touched, boohoohoo!???????????"
To a hungry Hiruma, anyone with food was a good person.
After eating, Hiruma volunteered to keep watch. The other two, exhausted to the bone, quickly fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, Hiruma suddenly needed to pee and hurried into the bushes.
"Ah~"
"So good~"
Only someone desperate to pee could understand the relief and comfort of letting it out.
But halfway through, two faint words sounded by his ear.
"Thank you!"
Hiruma turned his head mechanically, his face filled with terror.
"Giyu, I'm peeing! (′-ι_-｀)"
"Sorry. I thought you were looking at the scenery!" Giyu said with a cold face, his tone completely flat.
Hiruma blankly glanced at the pitch-black woods before him. He had never been this speechless in his life.
Who the hell stood in the bushes in the middle of the night to admire a stretch of darkness?
Giyu's train of thought... sigh!
"I'm saying, why haven't you left yet? I'm still peeing!"
"Oh!"
"I want to thank you for your blood. It tasted kind of strange. Are you sick?"
Giyu unhurriedly walked back toward the campfire, leaving Hiruma alone in the wind, completely bewildered.
What the fuck... strange... sick?!
What was any of that supposed to mean?! (?｀⊿′)?
Don't get angry, don't get angry. Giyu was a good boy.
Calming himself, Hiruma went over and sat beside Giyu.
"Thank you!" Giyu thanked him for the third time. Since Hiruma had not responded, he felt that he had not been sincere enough.
Hiruma waved a hand. "I got it!"
"Let's have a chat!"
"Mm!" Giyu nodded. In his heart, Hiruma had silently risen to the rank of super good person. To him, anyone who took the initiative to speak with him was a good person, let alone someone who had saved him.
"I know standing up for your friend is what a real man does, but you can't forget to cherish your own life!"
"It doesn't matter to me. Sabito is stronger than I am. If he lives, he'll accomplish more!"
"Besides, someone like me..." Giyu stopped halfway through. He did not continue with, "Someone like me should just die."
Because Sabito had slapped him for saying such depressing things and threatened to cut ties with him if he ever said them again.
"Do you want to hear about me? I didn't even have parents from the moment I was born..."
Before Hiruma could continue, Giyu's calm voice sounded.
"My condolences!"
Hiruma: "???"
He felt that before he could talk Giyu through anything, he would be angered to death first.
Before you continue