Enormous octopus tentacles surged from the tiny mouth of the pot like a tide, their nauseating suckers dripping with sticky fluid.
"What else have you got in that pot? Are you cooking up a Seafood Feast in there?"
Haruto frowned as he darted among the slimy tentacles lashing toward him. "Kyojuro! Kanroji! Watch out for that slime!"
"Understood!" Kyojuro answered at the top of his lungs. "This might not be the best time to say it, but those octopus tentacles look absolutely delicious! Plump, thick, and wonderfully chewy!"
"True. Even in Hokkaido, I never saw an Octopus King this big!" Haruto nodded in agreement. "Too bad it's a Blood Demon Art. Otherwise, I'd treat everyone in the Demon Slayer Corps to a proper feast tonight, no matter what!"
"That really is a shame..." Mitsuri Kanroji smacked her lips, looking at Gyokko with considerable regret.
"Bastards, bastards, bastards!" The little hands growing from Gyokko's face writhed wildly with rage. "This is a work of art I take pride in! Not takoyaki from some street stall! How could idiots with heads full of garbage ever understand?"
The enormous tentacles slithered along the ground, deftly curling toward the two Hashira as they swung their swords furiously.
All those tentacles... an octopus...
The writhing tentacles looked surreal beneath the moonlight and lamplight, successfully dredging up some unpleasant memories for Haruto.
Just before the octopus tentacles engulfed him, Haruto swung his blade and shouted with a scowl, "Damn it, this is bringing back bad memories of fighting the Ox Demon!"
Star Breathing, Second Form: Starlight Prairie Fire!
Blue-violet starlight linked together, taking shape within the tiny space closing around him. The tentacles at his sides instantly burst with explosive cracks, shattering into pieces.
At the same time, Kyojuro roared beside him, **"Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: