A snicker drifted from the hollow stump of the neck.
Tanjiro tightened his grip on his sword. He stared at the headless body, at the newly exposed cross section of its severed neck, which was beginning to writhe.
The writhing flesh split apart.
The head that had rolled onto the ground split too.
Two masses of flesh struggled out of the openings, swelled, and took shape. Two young figures rose from the old man's husk.
One grinned, the corners of his eyes slanting upward. The other scowled, his temples throbbing, a ringed staff now in his hand.
Their oppressive presence bore down on him. It was more than ten times heavier than the hunched old man's.
Tanjiro's breath caught in his throat. He had experienced the pressure of a Lower Rank before. These two felt far heavier.
"Joy-" The grinning demon opened his mouth wide.
An incredibly high-pitched shriek exploded from his mouth. The air distorted under the vibrations, and visible sound waves surged forward.
Tanjiro had no time to block. The sound waves struck his chest, blood seeped from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all at once, and he was hurled backward. His back smashed through three wooden walls in succession, splinters exploding around him, before he crashed onto open ground dozens of meters away. His sword flew from his hand.
"Anger." The scowling demon raised his ringed staff.
The head of the staff lit up. Lightning rained from the night sky, striking the other side of the workshop.
Genya had only just raised his firearm to aim when a web of lightning descended over him. The current raced through the barrel and into his entire body. Charred black all over, he dropped his gun, his knees buckled, and he fell to his knees. White smoke rose from