The long-haired demon woman

A gleaming slash wreathed in fierce flames struck like lightning, hitting the girl standing in the doorway.

A diagonal gash instantly split the girl's pure, snow-white face, and crimson blood streamed down half of it.

"Heh..."

The girl gave a soft laugh.

Her slender, pale fingers suddenly swelled and thickened, her nails sharpening into claws.

Her long hair spread out in an instant, nearly filling half the room.

"Oh my, young man. You really don't know how to treat a lady..."

The long-haired demon woman brushed her hand lightly over her face, and the bloody gash immediately healed.

"With such a pretty face, I was going to let you enjoy a little earthly pleasure before I ate you... Who knew you were a damned swordsman with no appreciation for romance?"

The writhing black hair clumped together, making Haruto feel sick.

There was no telling how long this demon woman had been here, or how many people she had eaten.

Judging by her overwhelming presence, she was already close to rivaling the Hand Demon on Mount Fujikasane.

The cramped space left Haruto little room to dodge, but going outside risked causing a panic-and, worse, giving the demon other people to devour.

Haruto frowned deeply, his blade flashing as he knocked back each strand of hair flying toward him.

Depending on their innate talents, some demons awakened a Blood Demon Art unique to them.

It might manifest as moves similar to sword techniques, or as long hair like this demon woman's.

Her hair was hard as iron, ringing with the clear clang of metal whenever it struck his blade.

However.

"No matter how hard it is... hair is still hair."

Haruto raised his head, fire dancing in his eyes.

The demon woman's heart jolted. Her hair surged outward, sweeping over him from every direction as she tried to strangle the handsome white-haired swordsman outright!

The black hair immediately wrapped Haruto into a cocoon.

Just like the countless men she had eaten after luring them in with her charms.

"Phew..."

She let out a soft breath. "What was that? All that bluster-I thought I'd run into someone strong."

All of her hair could serve as feeding organs, allowing her to start eating the moment she wrapped up her food.

The countless strands would become spikes tipped with mouthparts and pierce her prey's body. Starting with the organs, they would suck out the human inside like someone sucking meat from a mud snail, leaving only a skeleton wrapped in a thin layer of skin.

Wait...

Why is it so hot?

A scorched smell suddenly rose from the human-shaped cocoon of black hair. Fire flashed inside, and with a low shout through gritted teeth, the tightly constricting strands snapped apart, inch by inch!

"Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Flourishing Flame Whirlwind!"

The slender blade cut unstoppably through the layers of black hair. A vortex of flames bloomed from the swinging blade, burning all those strands away in an instant.

The flames even raced along the remaining hair toward its source!

"Ugh..." The long-haired demon woman grunted and severed her own hair.

Black strands fluttered to the floor, rapidly catching fire as they piled over one another.

"A Flame Breathing swordsman..." She bared her ghastly teeth. "What a nuisance."

Haruto immediately pushed off with his toes and leaped high. Fresh black hair wove a net in front of him, only for his flashing blade to cut it all apart.

Good. I've got momentum. Keep cutting straight through!

He pressed the attack without pause, his white hair whipping noisily behind his ears.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

After several successive clashes between hair and Nichirin Blade, veins bulged across the demon woman's face. Her hideous expression bore no trace of her earlier innocence.

"Damn you, damn you, damn you, swordsman!"

She screamed shrilly, hair pouring from the back of her head. "Go to hell!"

"Hah, hah..."

Knowing he lacked stamina, Haruto darted around the room, dodging hair that pierced the building like a torrential downpour.

His gaze stayed fixed on the source of those strands. His blade swished through the air, and in an instant, he closed in on the demon woman.

As the hideous demon face grew larger in his vision and stared him down, even his heartbeat seemed to slow.

Inhale-

Scorching air churned in his chest, hot breath flowing between his lips and teeth.

Haruto lowered his blade, and a blazing sun seemed to rise from its edge.

"Flame Breathing, Second Form!"

The blade swept upward from below, scorching air surging through the entire room. "Blazing Heaven Ascension!"

Riiip!

Amid the waterfall of black hair, the flaming blade burned a path.

The hideous head flew high, struck the wooden window, then tumbled to the floor.

The headless body could no longer support itself either, collapsing limply to the ground.

"Hah, hah, hah..."

Haruto panted heavily. Pain and weakness rolled through every muscle, and his hands shook so badly that he could barely hold his Nichirin Blade.

No, no... I can't keep going like this!

Not every demon in this world is going to be this weak!

He gripped the hilt tightly, his fingertips turning pale.

What if I run into a stronger demon later?

What if I encounter the Twelve Kizuki, a Lower Rank or Upper Rank, or even the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji?

If I unleash a whole chain of attacks like this and fail to kill them-am I just supposed to wait for death?

Haruto watched the head slowly burn, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

White scrolling comments rolled across his vision again.

But these were no amusing jokes. Instead-

[Danger]

[Danger]

[Danger]

!

A huge row of the word "danger" hovered in his vision, making goosebumps erupt all over his body!

What danger? Isn't the long-haired demon woman already dead?!

Her head is already burning from the Nichirin Blade's scorching cut, isn't it?!

Cold sweat dripped from Haruto's forehead. Compared to a danger he knew about, an unknown danger was truly terrifying.

[White-haired-hottie-]

[My little sweetheart-]

[Came back during the Entertainment District arc to offer incense.]

[That said, in Japanese folklore, Nure-onna and Ox Demon always act together.]

[His senior finally made it. Too bad his friend's about to die.]

Who made it?

And what do Nure-onna and Ox Demon mean?

Haruto was so on edge that he could barely breathe. Had some character from the story arrived here?

More importantly, the long-haired demon woman was definitely dead, so why hadn't the demonic aura in the room dispersed?

Was she not really dead, or-was there another demon here?

There seemed to be a commotion outside. Countless people screamed, throwing the entire Hot Spring District into an uproar.

What happened?

Bewildered, Haruto turned to push open the window and see what was going on, only for the window to open on its own.

A huge octopus tentacle covered in slime smashed through the wooden window and scooped him up around the waist.

As the world spun around him, Haruto tried to draw his sword, only to discover that his limbs were numb and would not move.

The suckers on that octopus tentacle had injected poison into his body the moment they touched him.

Helplessly caught in its coils, Haruto was dragged out of the Hot Steam House. Through his dimming vision, he saw the monster outside.

It was a massive octopus demon with a bull's head, curling him toward its mouth.

Ha... So this is Ox Demon? Then Nure-onna is the long-haired demon woman I just killed?

Visitors fled through the Hot Spring District, wailing and screaming everywhere.

At the edge of Haruto's vision, a boy with messy black hair, deep blue eyes, and a dark red haori was sprinting toward him.

His expression was frantic, his brows drawn tightly together.

"Haruto!"

You're screwed, Giyu Tomioka...

No, wait. I'm the one who's screwed.

His vision went black as he was shoved into Ox Demon's mouth.

Haruto Takanashi, dead again.