At Yushiro's warning, Tanjiro had already moved to shield Nezuko.
Lin Guang drew his white Nichirin Blade, then activated his ability with a thought. Spirit Eye! Activate!
Blue light swirled in Lin Guang's eyes. The two temari balls instantly seemed much slower, and he could also see an arrow on each ball, guiding it as it careened around.
"Ice Breathing! Second Form! Flying Star Ice Blade!"
His slash flashed like a shooting star, cutting straight through one of the balls before it could change direction.
After striking the wall, the other ball hurtled toward Lin Guang's head.
Lin Guang remained utterly calm. He could see the ball's direction and speed with perfect clarity.
"Ice Breathing! Fourth Form! Shadowless Ice Thorn!"
Lin Guang had created Ice Breathing's Fourth Form, Shadowless Ice Thorn, based on the fact that pure ice was completely transparent and cast an almost invisible shadow. Its attacks were difficult to detect, making it ideal for surprise assaults.
His blade moved so fast that it seemed to cast no shadow, piercing straight through the second ball.
A moment later, the two destroyed balls turned into a bloody mist and dissipated into the air.
Holding his Nichirin Blade, Lin Guang looked outside the mansion and said, "Tanjiro, get ready to fight. Demons have come knocking."
Hearing this, Tanjiro drew his black Nichirin Blade and took a stance, ready to fight at any moment.
Outside Tamayo's mansion.
Two demons, a man and a woman, stood there. The male demon appeared to be blind. Dressed in a monk's robes with a string of large prayer beads around his neck, he looked like an ordinary person, except for the eerie eyes growing on his palms.
The female demon beside him also looked no different from an ordinary person. A moment later, a temari ball appeared in each of her hands, identical to those that had attacked Lin Guang and the others.
"Yahaba, there seems to be someone strong in that house! He actually destroyed my balls!" the female demon said to the male demon named Yahaba.
"Susamaru, as members of the Twelve Kizuki, we mustn't disappoint our lord!" Yahaba said.
"Honestly, getting interrupted at a crucial moment is really irritating!"
Lin Guang stepped through the ruined wall, his face full of impatience.
"Hahaha!" Susamaru shrugged off her outer robe and pulled open the clothing over her upper body, grinning at Lin Guang. "You seem to be saying something. How amusing, how very amusing! You should feel honored to be killed by me, a member of the Twelve Kizuki!"
"The Twelve Kizuki?" Tanjiro didn't understand what Susamaru meant.
"The Twelve Kizuki serve directly under Kibutsuji!" Tamayo explained.
As he looked at Yahaba and Susamaru outside the mansion, every nerve in Tanjiro's body tensed. Their scent is clearly different from any demon I've encountered before. Is it because they're members of the Twelve Kizuki? It's so intense that breathing it into my lungs feels suffocating.
Just then, Susamaru noticed Tanjiro. Seeing his hanafuda earrings, she said, "Hmm? You're the Demon Slayer with hanafuda-like ornaments on his ears, aren't you?"
"You're after me?" Tanjiro asked, somewhat surprised.
Once he learned they had come for him, Tanjiro turned to Tamayo, hoping to avoid dragging her and Yushiro into this. "Miss Tamayo! Please find somewhere to hide! I'm their target!"
Tamayo showed no intention of leaving. Instead, she told Tanjiro, "Mr. Tanjiro, don't worry about us. Just focus on fighting. We don't need protection. We are demons, after all."
"Miss Tamayo, hearing you say that makes me unhappy. Please make sure you keep yourself safe, no matter what. All right, Miss Tamayo?" Lin Guang said with some displeasure.
"Humans keeping company with demons? What's going on?" Yahaba couldn't understand why Lin Guang and Tanjiro were together with demons.
"Whatever the case, I'll finish this with these!" Two more arms sprouted from each side of Susamaru's body, and the number of balls increased to six.
She hurled all six balls at Lin Guang at once. They constantly changed direction in midair as they flew toward him.
Lin Guang parted his lips and drew a breath.
"Ice Breathing! Third Form! Raging Blade Ice Shatter!"
This technique was derived from Ice Breathing's Second Form, using rapid slashes to tear apart the enemies ahead in an instant.
The six balls were shredded the instant they reached Lin Guang.
Seeing that Lin Guang had sliced apart every ball, the temari demon kept producing new ones with her six hands and throwing them at him.
But every ball was cut apart as it approached Lin Guang, unable to leave so much as a scratch on him.
"Is this all you two can manage together? One brute-force demon who can only throw balls, and one blind demon who can change their direction. Did Kibutsuji go blind when he chose you for the Twelve Kizuki?" Lin Guang taunted.
Inside the room, Tanjiro stared blankly at Lin Guang's back. He's so strong. Lin Guang is far too strong. Can I... really ever catch up to him?
Seeing Tanjiro like this, Nezuko couldn't help taking his hand and placing it on her head.
Tanjiro came back to his senses and looked at Nezuko, understanding something in his heart.
Tamayo watched Lin Guang's back, her emotions tangled. This young man is strong. Given enough time, he might even rival that man from back then. But why would someone like him say those things? I'm a demon, after all-and one burdened with terrible sins.
Seeing Lin Guang's terrifying strength, then recalling his words about pursuing Tamayo, Yushiro loathed him even more. He said to Tamayo, "Lady Tamayo! Let's use them as bait and escape!"
Tamayo looked at Yushiro in disbelief. He immediately changed his tune. "I was joking!"
Meanwhile, Susamaru and Yahaba were clearly enraged by Lin Guang's words.
"You... how dare you show such disrespect to our lord! I'll kill you! I'll definitely kill you!" Veins bulged on Susamaru's forehead and arms as she glared viciously at Lin Guang.
Yahaba spread his hands, the two eyes bearing arrows staring straight at Lin Guang. "I will absolutely, absolutely kill you in the cruelest way possible, then offer your head to our lord!"
Hearing Susamaru and Yahaba's threats, Lin Guang smiled faintly, looking intrigued.
"Oh! Ready to go all out? Then come at me."
As he spoke, Lin Guang curled a finger at Susamaru and Yahaba, beckoning them forward.
In an instant, six balls shot out. The ground beneath Susamaru's feet cracked under her stomp, a testament to her immense strength.
Yahaba waved both hands through the air, sending dozens of arrows flying toward Lin Guang. Susamaru's balls constantly changed direction among the arrows, also making the arrows move a little faster.
Facing Susamaru and Yahaba's terrifying attack, Lin Guang gripped his white Nichirin Blade. White vapor streamed from his lips, and a layer of frost gradually crept over his face.
"Ice Breathing! Sixth Form! Unbreakable Profound Ice: Tortoise!"
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