Haruto focused on dealing with Nure-onna.
The girl's newly grown snake tail had clearly increased her speed. Compared to their encounter in that cramped room, Nure-onna was far more dangerous now.
Now this was more like the strength of someone who had eaten an entire hot spring pool full of people.
Smack! Her long snake tail lashed at him. Haruto held his blade horizontally to block, but the tremendous force sent him and his sword crashing to the ground.
He sprang up and rolled sideways before countless strands of hair could pierce his body, narrowly escaping the attack.
"Haruto?!" Giyu Tomioka had to spare a glance his way, but his own opponent was even more troublesome. Eight writhing tentacles kept breaking through his Water Breathing.
"Focus on your opponent!"
Haruto shouted. He nimbly dodged another sweep of Nure-onna's tail, stamped hard against a rock beside him, and soared into the air like an eagle diving for prey.
The long hair that flew toward him and missed became a foothold for his advance. His toes touched down on those taut, rigid strands as he raced toward Nure-onna.
Clang, clang, clang, clang! His blade blocked the needle-sharp black hair, and Haruto finally closed in on Nure-onna again.
Sensing mortal danger, Nure-onna immediately twisted her body, truly becoming a giant snake!
Whoosh! His flame-wreathed blade severed one of her arms, and the thick smell of blood spread through the air.
"Roar!" The Ox Demon fighting Giyu Tomioka bellowed. Ignoring even the swordsman who had cut off his octopus limbs, he turned and rapidly crawled toward Haruto.
"What the hell?!"
Haruto retreated swiftly, dodging the sucker-covered tentacles.
To his surprise, the Ox Demon did not continue attacking him. Instead, he curled a tentacle around Nure-onna's severed arm in the seawater, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed ravenously.
The incessant crunching reminded Haruto of the end of his last attempt, when he had been shoved into that mouth.
The two swordsmen gained a brief respite. Standing shoulder to shoulder, they exchanged glances, neither knowing what had happened.
"I said, enough!" Watching the Ox Demon devour her arm like a starving wolf, Nure-onna suddenly flew into a rage. Her waterfall of black hair abruptly changed direction and shot toward him like a volley of arrows.
Wet punctures sounded one after another as the hair pierced the Ox Demon all over. His blue blood stained the sea an even deeper blue.
"Ow, ow, ow!" The Ox Demon roared and chopped through the hair with his tentacles, wanting to drive them through Nure-onna's chest just as he did with all his prey.
Yet the two enormous eyes on his massive bull's head merely rolled wildly.
They weren't going to fight?
Haruto was a little disappointed, but this was certainly a good opening. He nudged Giyu with his shoulder, and Giyu signaled his understanding.
Blue ripples and red flames rose from their respective blades as the swordsmen charged the demons once more.
"Deal with these vermin first!" Nure-onna shrieked. With a wet spurt, another arm grew from her severed stump.
The white-haired boy was already before her, wreathed in blazing flames.
She knew a demon's weak point was the head, so she quickly drew her hair back to guard her neck securely.
"Strike a snake at its weak spot!"
But Haruto shouted and, turning his blade, slashed toward Nure-onna's abdomen instead!
The black hair surged down to wrap around her abdomen.
"So fickle." Haruto chuckled and rotated the sword hilt in his palm. "I'm not a woman, but I'm just as fickle..."
With his extraordinary control over his body, he twisted sharply in midair, forcibly turning his downward plunge into an upward surge.
By the time Nure-onna reacted in that split second, Haruto was facing her with a mocking grin.
"Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe!"
A single slash, cleaving down from above.
His blade swept an arc of blazing flame. Under Nure-onna's shocked, furious gaze, her head flew high, struck the jagged rocks along the shore, and rolled into the sea.
Haruto did not relax after beheading Nure-onna with one stroke. The moment he landed, he jumped backward. An octopus tentacle shot through the spot where he had landed an instant later.
Giyu Tomioka closed in, his Nichirin Blade drawing out layer upon layer of ripples.
Haruto propelled his entire body into a leap, his long blade ringing in his hand.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
The young swordsmen crossed paths, their Nichirin Blades crossing as fire and water merged.
At the final instant before the Ox Demon's head flew off, a venomous tentacle slammed into Haruto's chest.
"Urgh!"
He heard his breastbone crack, then flew backward and crashed onto the soft sand.
The enormous bull's head flew into the air and began burning along with the octopus body.
Whew... finally dealt with them...
"Mr. Takanashi!" A rather unfamiliar voice called beside his ear.
The invading poison darkened his vision. Haruto struggled to lift his head and saw a boy with center-parted hair sliding toward him on his knees to help him up.
Was his name... Murata?
Haruto closed his eyes and passed out.
Darkness.
Before him lay an endless expanse of darkness.
What happened? Did I die again?
Haruto was bewildered. Could he no longer turn back time after dying this time?
Fortunately, his confusion did not last long. Familiar scrolling comments flew past him.
[Demon Slayer's trademark tragic flashback lol]
[Didn't expect to see a tragic flashback in a side story too.]
[So did my white-haired hubby die or not?]
I'd like to know too, damn it!
A pillar of light suddenly appeared in the pitch-black space. Standing within it was a very young-looking man.
"Give it up, Keita!" An elderly man berated him loudly. "The Hino family will never marry into the Kushiro family! Unless I die, you will never be allowed to marry Mihoko Kushiro!"
The scene shifted. Wearing a kimono and wooden clogs, he appeared by the sea and stumbled forward a few steps. "Mihoko?"
Before him lay a girl who had long since died, washed ashore by the waves.
The girl was beautiful and innocent-looking, with a face identical to Nure-onna's.
"Mihoko..."
Keita sank to his knees, trembling, and gathered Mihoko into his arms as he broke down sobbing. "Gods, why would you do this to us?!"
He cried for who knew how long, until bloody tears flowed from his eyes. Then a gentle laugh echoed beside his ear.
"Oh my, what an adorable little girl."
[Knew it was you, Doma!]
[Doma, come out and get some sun!]
[The scumbag boss's number-one scumbag demon!]
Keita looked up. A handsome man in a Western-style kimono had suddenly appeared before him.
He had rainbow-colored eyes and white-oak hair. His gentle expression and lilting voice easily put Keita at ease.
"Would you like to join the Eternal Paradise Cult?"
The handsome man ignored Keita and extended a hand toward the dead Mihoko instead. "I'll take your silence as a yes~"
His sharp nails sliced open his own palm, and a few drops of blood floated into Mihoko's mouth.
"As for you..."
He turned to Keita, who was now trembling in fear. After a moment's consideration, he grabbed him by the neck and hurled him into the sea.
"Just die for good. Don't become a burden to my follower."
He softly hummed something, in a thoroughly cheerful mood.
"Oh my, I've saved another beautiful child..."
Before you continue