Kokushibo's Dark Moon: Evening Palace tore through space toward Tanjiro's waist. His six eyes, seething with demon blood, had already foreseen the boy's torso splitting in two, blood spraying everywhere...
Yet the expected severing of flesh never came. That chillingly beautiful blade slammed into a strange shield instead.
CLANG-!!!! Sparks flew!
The shield was bizarre in shape, seemingly forged from some enormous bone fused with unusual ore. Its entire surface had a thick, sturdy, ochre stone hue, and its peculiar design even carried a hint of something indescribably comical.
Upper Rank One froze on the spot, staring fixedly at the strange shield that had blocked his killing stroke, his eyes filled with utter bewilderment.
???
Not just Kokushibo-the entire battlefield fell silent for a moment at this sudden turn of events.
Akaza's swinging fist stopped in midair.
The ice crystals on Doma's fan abruptly stalled.
Even Gyokko, whose throat Gyomei Himejima had clamped in a crushing grip, momentarily forgot his pain as he struggled frantically and regenerated amid the poison.
Countless grotesque eyes fixed on the shield that had suddenly appeared, radiating a strange attraction.
Why do I want to attack that strange shield?
No! Looking at that shield pisses me off. I want to stomp it to pieces!
What an ugly shield. I'm going to smash it up and use it for firewood!
Aaaah, I can't hold back! I have to hit it!
An impulse rose from the depths of their souls. In every Upper Rank Demon's heart, the urge to attack flared like wildfire, locking firmly onto the Ochre Strange Shield!
Like the brightest beacon in the night, the shield emitted an uncanny field that practically screamed, "Please, by all means, attack me!"
While the swordsmen stood stunned by the strange shield drawing every Upper Rank's attacks, another