In Xia Xi's arrangements...
Akaza and Kokushibo, who had fought him before, could be tracked in real time through the map navigation.
So the Nine Hashira responsible for intercepting those two Upper Rank Demons...
Had actually been assigned long ago.
As for Gyokko, who had once shown himself in front of Tanjuro, the Intelligence Department had followed the trail of his so-called works of art.
They had found that Upper Rank's exact location.
Naturally, the Intelligence Department could also roughly deduce which direction he would approach Okutama Town from.
But for the remaining two or three Upper Ranks...
They could only station the Nine Hashira in different directions, ready to move around and provide support as needed.
As for Tengen Uzui's group...
So far, they had not seen even a trace of a demon, let alone an Upper Rank.
Uzui began lamenting his bad luck.
He wondered whether he and those Twelve Kizuki were simply incompatible.
Kanae, Sabito, and even those two fathers who had been promoted after him...
Had all slain Lower Ranks.
Yet he had searched for so long without ever encountering one.
He had been forced to earn his promotion to the Nine Hashira by killing fifty demons.
And on the few occasions he had actually encountered one of the Twelve Kizuki...
One had been Lower Rank Two.
He had not even seen the demon's face before he and Sabito were forcibly hypnotized.
The other time... it had been the leader of the Upper Ranks.
Although he had not been taken down instantly...
He had spent the entire fight getting beaten up. It had been utterly stifling.
I, Lord Tengen...
Want a proper, satisfying fight against an evenly matched opponent too.
Once Obanai, beside him, saw that Tengen had settled down...
He started chatting over the channel