The Upper Rank Who Survived Decapitation, Prisoner of the Black Hole!

Rengoku's face darkened at Akaza's reply, his voice turning cold.

"It seems our judgments of what holds value are diametrically opposed."

"The responsibility of the strong is to protect the weak, not abuse their gifts to bully others, let alone line their own pockets!"

Akaza still wore that carefree, mocking smile.

With one hand on his hip, he was just about to continue when a sharp streak of heavenly light flashed past before him, swift beyond measure!

In the blink of an eye, Kashu appeared several meters behind Akaza without a sound, having severed the demon's head. The fine arcs of electricity dancing around him slowly faded away.

"If you can fight, stop talking, Kyojuro. Why waste words on a demon?"

Kashu had moved so fast that neither Rengoku nor Akaza had managed to catch even a trace of his movements.

Rengoku opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.

As the Flame Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, he had never hesitated in the slightest when slaying demons.

But this demon was Upper Rank Three, a powerful existence that even Hashira-class swordsmen had failed to kill for nearly a century!

After sensing the unusually dense and ominous demon aura coming from him, Rengoku had planned to hold his ground and stall for time.

Once the Kamado boy called for reinforcements, they could join forces and eliminate him.

Who could have imagined that Kashu would deal with this Upper Rank demon in a single strike?

"Hm?"

Kashu turned around and looked at the headless demon body still standing upright, a flicker of surprise crossing his brow.

Its head had clearly been severed. Why had it not turned to ash and vanished?

Just as he was about to deliver another strike and finish the demon for good, the headless demon suddenly shot backward more than ten meters!

Flesh and blood writhed and surged from its severed neck, and in the blink of an eye, a brand-new head formed!

"Ha... ha! That just now..."

Akaza gasped for breath, his newly regenerated face filled with terror and lingering fear.

He instinctively raised a hand to touch his neck.

That attack had been far too fast—so fast that even he had thought himself certain to die.

Yet at the brink of death, his tenacious instinct to survive and his overwhelming unwillingness to accept defeat had erupted!

They had transformed into some strange power, forcibly helping him overcome the fatal weakness that demons would die when beheaded!

Rengoku and the hurriedly arriving Tanjiro's expressions changed drastically. The sight before them was almost too unbelievable to accept.

An Upper Rank demon could regenerate even its head!

Tanjiro cried out in shock, "How can something like this be possible!?"

"A demon that can't be killed even after its head is cut off... can only the sun destroy it completely?"

Kashu studied the heavily panting Akaza with interest, a thoughtful glint flashing through his deep eyes.

"So that's how it is. Once demons reach a certain level of strength, they can even overcome a fatal wound like decapitation?"

"Upper Rank Three, you've provided me with some rather important information."

Akaza immediately flew into a rage.

"Bastard! You dare treat me as an experiment!"

Technique Development!

Akaza abruptly took his stance. A massive snowflake-shaped formation appeared beneath his feet in twelve directions, glowing with an eerie light.

This was his unique Blood Demon Art. With the aid of the formation, he could keenly sense every trace of fighting spirit emitted by his opponent.

In this state, Akaza's perception rose to an unimaginable level.

He could swiftly catch every movement his enemies made and deliver precise, fatal strikes in an instant.

The snowflake formation burst with intense light. In his perception, the fighting spirits emanating from Rengoku and Tanjiro were perfectly clear, impossible to hide.

Hm? No, that wasn't right!

What about that guy holding the platinum longsword?

Why couldn't he sense his fighting spirit!?

Akaza jerked his head up. There were indeed three people within his field of vision.

Yet Kashu, standing not far away, seemed to have merged with the night, the grass, and the trees around him. His presence was ethereal, as though he were nature itself.

Alarm bells rang wildly in Akaza's mind as he seemed to think of some terrifying possibility.

He stomped the ground and shot forward like a cannonball, terrified that even the slightest delay would bring a thunderous blow upon him!

Amid a piercing sonic boom, Akaza, moving at high speed, charged straight at Tanjiro.

He was clearly planning to eliminate the weaker opponent first!

Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!

Rengoku's fighting spirit surged, and he gave no ground whatsoever.

He too burst forward with a charging sword technique, boldly meeting Akaza head-on and intercepting his surprise attack with a precise swing.

In a flash, the two clashed briefly in midair before quickly separating.

Akaza did not pause for even a moment. He twisted around and launched another fierce attack at Tanjiro!

Destructive Death: Annihilation Type!

"The farce ends here."

A calm but unquestionable voice rang out as Kashu slipped into the battlefield like a phantom.

Dragon Breathing: Water Form—Raging Scales!

Akaza's unstoppable fists smashed heavily into the flat of Kashu's raised blade.

It felt as if he had fallen into an endless deep-sea vortex, dark currents raging all around him!

His violent attack, which had seemed certain to succeed, was strangely drawn to and stuck against the blade. Trying to pull away and retreat had already become a hopeless dream.

Beneath the calm sea's surface, hidden currents surged. Sword shadows reflected shimmering ripples beneath the night sky.

In a single instant, Akaza was cut into pieces, severed limbs and shattered flesh scattering everywhere!

"I don't believe it!"

Akaza, deprived of his arms and legs, roared in unwillingness as he frantically mobilized his blood, trying to regenerate.

"Your strength, speed, and defense haven't improved significantly. You merely overcame the weakness of decapitation?"

Kashu stepped forward and drove his sword down like lightning, pinning Akaza's dismembered body, which was trying to reassemble, firmly to the ground!

He spread his right hand, magic power surging in his palm as a complex, precise spell pattern took shape.

Imitation Celestial Body: Black Hole.

The mysterious spell transferred from his palm to the ground, instantly turning into a pitch-black hollow that swallowed all light.

Akaza, who had still been struggling violently and trying to rise, felt an irresistible, terrifying force of attraction seize him. His body slammed back onto the ground, and he could not move even a single finger.

Having finished the binding spell, Kashu crouched leisurely in front of Akaza and unhurriedly took a small medical pouch from the inner pocket of his coat.

"You came for the Blue Spider Lily too, didn't you? Could you have Muzan Kibutsuji come speak with me in person?"

Akaza, pinned to the ground spread-eagled, clenched his teeth. His face twisted hideously, as if some force had sealed him completely, leaving him unable to utter a single word.

Kashu casually snapped his fingers and slightly reduced the magic power feeding the spell.

As the binding weakened somewhat, Akaza immediately roared himself hoarse.

"How did you do it!? Answer me!"

"How exactly did you enter that 'supreme realm'!?"

Akaza's expression suddenly froze mid-roar. The furious, crazed look on his face instantly vanished, but his gaze locked onto the Blue Spider Lily in Kashu's hand.

Seeing the demon's bizarrely drastic change in behavior, Kashu nodded thoughtfully.

"So that's it. From too far away, you can't exert precise control directly?"

"Listen carefully, Muzan Kibutsuji. I'll only say this once."

Kashu's voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority.

"One month from now, at midnight, on the summit of Mount Natagumo. I'll be waiting there with the Blue Spider Lily."

"If you fail to appear before the deadline, then say goodbye forever to the immortality you desire most."

With that, Kashu put away the medical pouch and turned toward Rengoku and Tanjiro, who were waiting nearby.

"The crucial information that Upper Rank demons can survive decapitation must be reported to the entire Corps and spread as quickly as possible."

"How much longer until the Kakushi arrive?"

Rengoku solemnly glanced at Akaza, who was completely suppressed, then looked toward the deep night sky before answering seriously.

"They will certainly arrive before dawn. As for this Upper Rank demon... how should we deal with him?"

Kashu smiled helplessly. "Since cutting off his head won't kill him, we can only wait for the sun to rise and see what happens."

Rengoku nodded heavily, walked to Akaza's side, and stood there with a solemn expression.

"In that case, I shall stand guard here, in case of any eventuality!"

Kashu actually wanted to tell him that as long as his magic power had not run dry, the binding spell would not dissipate on its own.

But considering that all the passengers had been safely rescued and the three of them had no pressing matters at hand, he simply let Rengoku do as he wished.

Tanjiro looked at the unruffled Kashu and the vigilant Rengoku, then tightened his grip on his Nichirin Blade. His eyes were filled with unwillingness and disappointment.

On the Infinite Train, he had been easily put to sleep by a Blood Demon Art.

And faced with Upper Rank Three's fierce attacks, he had been completely unable to fight back.

If Kashu and Rengoku had not repeatedly stepped in to save him, he would likely have died long ago.

"Chin up, Kamado boy!"

Rengoku stretched out his fan-sized hand and gave Tanjiro's shoulder a hard slap, his voice booming like a bell.

"You are still young! I believe that in the future, you will become incomparably strong!"

"Tch! How could a weak little brat like that possibly become strong!"

Muzan Kibutsuji's will had clearly departed. Akaza, lying on the ground, regained consciousness and immediately opened his mouth to spew sharp, cutting mockery.

"The weak should know their place! Weaklings are utterly—"

The black hole spell's force of attraction suddenly increased. Akaza cried out in pain before he could shut his mouth, biting off his own tongue.

Only once he obediently buried his head in the mud and no longer dared utter another word did it stop.

Kashu indifferently dusted off his palms, though there was no dust on them, and turned to Tanjiro, whose mood was still somewhat low.

"What? You didn't actually take that guy's demon nonsense seriously, did you?"

Rengoku encouraged him once again. "After we return, let me train you personally, Kamado boy!"

"Um... Mr. Rengoku, my surname is Kamado... Kamado Tanjiro."

Tanjiro corrected him quietly, but then he seemed to remember something. He abruptly looked up at Kashu, a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"Mr. Kashu, that 'supreme realm' he mentioned just now... what was that?"