I Can't Lose Yet!

"Water Breathing—First Form—Water Surface Slash!"

He aimed at the neck ahead, gripping the blade in one hand.

Surging water bloomed along the blade as he swept it forward, sending a great spray flying.

It should have been an unavoidable strike.

Yet Kamanue bent its upper body backward and evaded it, then lifted a foot and kicked Tanjiro flying.

Once the two of them steadied themselves in midair.

They saw that Kamanue's original body had turned into something like a raccoon's, as fluid and ever-changing as liquid.

Combined with Tiger's limbs.

Its strength, speed, and agility had now reached a terrifying level.

It would not be easy for Tanjiro to defeat this thing.

"Is that a cat or a tiger?"

Inosuke stared at Kamanue in confusion, suddenly feeling that his brain was not enough for this.

Tanjiro, on the other hand, was much calmer. Enduring the intense pain in his abdomen, he began analyzing his opponent.

This demon had the incredibly nimble body of a cat, while Tiger's limbs provided sufficient strength and explosive speed.

It was practically a close-combat killer.

Fortunately, Ashuramaru could hurt it, and it could not regenerate its injuries.

Thinking back to his training over the past few days, as well as the changes brought about by Nourishment during this time.

He was confident that he could win!

At that moment, Zenitsu stood trembling with his sword in the corridor behind them and shouted.

"Tanjiro, can you guys win?"

Hearing that, Tanjiro answered without looking back.

"It's a little troublesome, but we'll win..."

Inosuke shook off the numbness in his hands from the impact, and his fighting spirit surged even higher. "Enough talk. I'm definitely cutting off your neck!"

"You vile criminals, I'll kill you in the cruelest way possible!"

Kamanue smiled viciously.

The malice it radiated made even the battle-eager Inosuke's body tremble slightly.

"This isn't good. This is the first time I've felt such immense pressure from an enemy. The pressure alone is nearly crushing my body..."

It had nearly made Inosuke lose his will to fight.

He could be certain of this kind of strength.

He could not defeat this thing, and the thought of giving up rose in his heart without him even realizing it...

Fortunately, Tanjiro snapped him out of it in time.

"Don't give up, Inosuke. We won't lose!"

After a brief silence, Inosuke tightened his grip on his twin blades. "That's right, we absolutely can't lose. Come on, you demon cat... tiger...

You actually made me think this hard. You're finished!"

Kamanue's vicious smile froze, and even the corners of its mouth twitched uncontrollably.

Was something wrong with this guy?

Seeing Inosuke pull himself together, Tanjiro finally felt relieved and focused on the enemy before him.

"Let's go together!"

With that, he rushed forward.

He held his sword in one hand.

"Water Breathing—Fourth Form—Striking Tide!"

He unleashed several tidal slashes forward.

But Kamanue twisted its body and easily neutralized them all, then threw a punch at Tanjiro's head.

Fortunately, Tanjiro pulled back his blade in time and blocked it before him.

Even so, that heavy punch still sent him flying.

Inosuke had already reached Kamanue again. Raising his twin blades, he shouted, "Beast Breathing—Third Form—Fangs: Slice and Dice!"

His twin blades swept horizontally toward opposite sides.

Yet Kamanue's flexible, ever-changing body evaded them again in an utterly unreasonable way, then punched him in the abdomen with its backhand.

Inosuke was flung back into the room and landed beside Zenitsu, blood pouring from the mouth of his boar mask.

"That really hurts..."

"Uh... are you okay?"

Though Zenitsu was scared to death, he still hurried over and asked with concern.

Lying in the corridor, Inosuke felt pain everywhere in his body. His lungs in particular felt as though they were about to explode.

But upon seeing Zenitsu beside him, he immediately said, "I'm fine. Why aren't you going up there to help?"

That one sentence.

Left Zenitsu speechless.

"I... I'm scared... I'm not married yet. I don't want to die this young... Besides, Tanjiro himself said they'd win..."

"You really are useless."

It was the first time Inosuke had ever given someone that assessment. Fortunately, his injuries were still bearable, and he struggled to get back up.

Picking up his swords, he headed down the corridor toward the fight.

Meanwhile.

Tanjiro was also fighting Kamanue head-on.

The two exchanged dozens of blows.

Kamanue did its best to rely on its agile body to evade Tanjiro's slashing blade, but in such close-quarters combat.

Mistakes were inevitable.

Several vicious cuts had now been carved across its body.

"Damn it... You actually dared to hurt me. Your sins are unforgivable!" Kamanue roared at the sky and attacked again.

"Blood Demon Art—Tiger Savage Claw Rend!"

Its claws suddenly grew wildly, each extending dozens of centimeters as they slashed fiercely at Tanjiro.

With every swing.

Everything before them was torn apart.

Except before Ashuramaru, where the thing being torn apart was itself!

However, there was an exception.

Those claws were not flesh and blood by nature, so preventing regeneration had little effect on them. It could still suppress their regeneration.

But the effect was ultimately poor.

Kamanue noticed that as well and began pouring all its strength into rapidly regenerating its claws.

Even so, their regeneration speed was far inferior to Tanjiro's slashes. "Water Breathing—Third Form—Flowing Dance!"

His footwork shifted and flowed like water as he rapidly closed in.

Water surged over the blade.

The instant his figure swept past, all of Kamanue's claws were severed, and another wound opened across its chest.

But at that very moment.

A black shadow suddenly shot out from behind Kamanue. Looking closely, it was a venomous snake covered in intricate patterns.

It opened its bloody maw, bared its fangs, and bit toward Tanjiro's unguarded back.

Seeing that, Kamanue curled its lips into a wicked smile.

"Got you!"

Lin Fan immediately warned him from within the blade.

"Watch your back."

Tanjiro did not hesitate. He turned and raised his blade to block, splitting the snake's head down the middle.

Did this guy have eyes on the back of his head?!

Kamanue's expression became even uglier. Its carefully prepared sneak attack had been seen through just like that.

At that moment, Inosuke finally arrived again. He leaped into the air and raised his twin blades. "Beast Breathing—Second Form—Slice and Dice!"

Tanjiro attacked at the same time.

"Water Breathing—Seventh Form—Ripple Thrust!"

The two attacked simultaneously.

Tanjiro's blade pierced through its abdomen, while Inosuke's twin swords struck its neck. They cut through the skin but were caught by the flesh beneath.

Inosuke exerted force with both hands.

"So hard, I can't cut through..."

But Kamanue suddenly started laughing.

"Ha ha ha! You both have sins! Die!"

Its head began to swell and change, transforming in an instant into something like an ape's head. It opened its huge, bloody mouth.

And roared at Tanjiro in front of it.

"Boom!"

The ape-like cry was deafening. At such close range, Tanjiro felt dizzy and disoriented, blood flowing from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

He could barely keep hold of the sword in his hand.

Inosuke was no better off either. Kamanue slapped him away, smashing a hole in the courtyard wall.

This time, Inosuke was truly seriously injured.

For the moment, he had no ability to move.

But Tanjiro had Lin Fan's healing, so his injuries immediately recovered. He gripped Ashuramaru tightly once more.

He suddenly exerted force, intending to cleave it in two.

But Kamanue drove both claws into Tanjiro's body, piercing straight through his heart. Its body floated into the air, flew a short distance, and dragged him along the ground.

Then it flung him directly into the room.

Zenitsu truly could not take it anymore this time. Didn't Tanjiro say they were going to win?

Lying amid the wreckage in the room, Tanjiro felt that his body was nearing its limit. This demon was not someone he could defeat as he was now.

Zenitsu's sobbing echoed in his ears, and his consciousness was about to fade away. Before losing consciousness, his eyes turned toward Nezuko in the room.

I can't lose like this...

As Lin Fan sent Demon Power into him to repair his injuries, he also drew Tanjiro's consciousness into the interior of the blade.

At the boundary between the sky and sea.

Tanjiro looked around and immediately spotted that elf-like figure. The moment he saw him, he spoke.