[Ding! Slain one low-level demon. Gained 5 points.] [Ding! Slain one Common Demon. Gained 15 points! Current total points: 1480]
Zenitsu and Genya, who were following behind, had long since gone numb. The freeloading participants were even more terrified by what they saw, desperately keeping up with the group for fear of being left behind as a snack for the demons.
"Why is he still chasing me????"
Kanao Tsuyuri glanced back and saw that figure in the black trench coat weaving through the demons like a phantom.
The distance between them seemed to have narrowed a little, and a clear trace of panic appeared on her face.
Kirishima Bupai was still shouting, "Powa, Powa, this is Powa!"
He looked utterly deranged, swinging his sword while covering his face and laughing, occasionally throwing in a few English lyrics.
After cutting down two more demons, he spread his arms, tipped his head back, and howled, "I love you, Powa!"
"..."
Wiping away her cold sweat, Kanao Tsuyuri suddenly felt an overwhelming push to accelerate.
Is this guy insane? To be honest, this really had scared Kanao Tsuyuri. She could guarantee that this guy was absolutely not human.
So she no longer bothered conserving her strength. Pushing her Breathing Style to its limit, she became a blurry pink figure and charged forward like mad.
An open clearing appeared ahead. Just as Kanao Tsuyuri was about to speed across it, a sudden whistle of something cutting through the air came from behind.
She abruptly twisted aside. A gust from a sword slash flew past her cheek and cut a large tree behind her clean in half.
"Hey! What are you running for?" Kirishima Bupai's voice came from behind her, a hint of puzzlement on his stern face. "There are lots of demons up ahead. It's dangerous!"
As far as he was concerned, although Kanao Tsuyuri was fairly skilled, only a fool would pass up free pickings. All these demon kills belonged to him!
But he hadn't expected her to run so fast, looking as though she'd seen a ghost.
To Kanao Tsuyuri, however, those words were full of menace...
Especially with Kirishima Bupai now wrenching his neck around and tugging at his collar like a lunatic, looking supremely arrogant and thoroughly enjoying himself.
What am I running for?
You, you freak!
You say it's dangerous ahead? You're the biggest danger here!
After an internal struggle, she decisively took two steps back.
Clang-!
Kanao Tsuyuri still said nothing. She simply drew her Nichirin Blade and pointed it at him, her wrist trembling almost imperceptibly.
Tightening her grip on her Nichirin Blade, she turned around and took a defensive stance.
Although that same placid smile still rested on her face, the wariness in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.
Kirishima Bupai froze. Seeing her ready to attack him, he immediately frowned. "What are you doing...?"
But before he could finish, Kanao Tsuyuri moved.
Her figure flickered, drifting before Kirishima Bupai like a falling leaf. Her Nichirin Blade stabbed toward his chest with a sharp whistle.
"What the hell?" Kirishima Bupai hadn't expected her to attack so suddenly and instinctively sidestepped. "What's wrong with you? I was only trying to help..."
Clang!
Kanao Tsuyuri gave her no chance to explain, changing her blade's course and sweeping it toward Kirishima Bupai's upper body.
Her swordplay was light and swift, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, every strike vicious and aimed at a tricky angle.
Kirishima Bupai frowned, finding this rather baffling, but still patiently dodged.
He could tell Kanao Tsuyuri was quite capable, certainly outstanding among her peers, but she still wasn't much compared to him.
"Hey! Stop!"
Kirishima Bupai shouted as he dodged.
But Kanao Tsuyuri refused to believe him. Taking it as nothing more than an attempt to stall, she attacked even more fiercely.
"What a... nuisance."
Kirishima Bupai sighed. He felt that letting this drag on was no solution.
Spotting an opening as Kanao Tsuyuri swung again, he suddenly closed in, moving too fast for her to react at all.
Tap!
With a soft sound, Kirishima Bupai curled a finger and lightly flicked the back of Kanao Tsuyuri's neck.
Kanao Tsuyuri's body abruptly stiffened. The wariness in her eyes instantly faded, replaced by blank confusion.
She shook her head, then toppled straight over.
Kirishima Bupai caught her and gently laid her on the ground, shaking his head helplessly. "What a troublesome little thing..."
"Do I really look that much like a bad guy?" Muttering to himself, he turned his head toward the crowd behind him.
Hearing this, the nobodies and bit players who had only come to coast through the selection frantically shook their heads.
"No, no, no! Sir, sir! You're no bad guy. You're a hero!"
"Yes, exactly! Sir, you couldn't possibly be a bad guy!"
"Sir, how could you say that? You're practically the Demon Slayer Corps' rising star!"
They didn't dare defy Kirishima Bupai. Although his earlier behavior had convinced them he was a lunatic, they didn't dare utter a peep.
"He's certainly no bad guy. I'd say he's a lunatic..." Zenitsu shrank back, trembling as he turned to look at Genya.
"Hmph...!" Seeing Zenitsu like this, Genya snorted coldly, not even bothering to give him a proper look.
Stretching, Kirishima Bupai turned to the girls behind him, jutting his chin and pointing at Kanao Tsuyuri on the ground:
"What are you girls doing? Can't you see there's an injured person here?"
"Huh? M-me?" One of the girls pointed at her own face, looking rather blank and wooden.
With pattering footsteps, another girl hurried forward without daring to delay and helped Kanao Tsuyuri up.
"That's more like it."
He was just about to turn and leave when he suddenly heard fierce fighting nearby, mixed with Tanjiro's shouts.
"Hm?" Kirishima Bupai raised an eyebrow and walked toward the sounds, sword in hand.
Zenitsu and Genya hurried after him. The freeloading participants hesitated, then steeled themselves and followed as well.
Rounding a corner, everyone gasped at the sight before them.
A demon as enormous as a small hill stood in the clearing.
Its body was composed of countless twisted arms, looking like a gigantic tumor.
Every arm flailed wildly, grabbing at the boy standing before it-none other than Tanjiro Kamado.
He was locked in combat with the demon, constantly swinging his sword and severing the grasping arms one after another.
But the severed arms soon grew back, thicker and fiercer than before.
"Wh-what kind of demon is that?!"
The buzz-cut boy's legs went weak with fright.
"How could there be such a powerful demon in the Final Selection?!"
The boy wearing a bamboo hat went deathly pale. "That's not something we can handle at all... Let's run!"
The other freeloading participants also showed their fear, and quite a few had already begun quietly backing away.
This was clearly Tanjiro's first time facing such a bizarre and powerful opponent, too, but he didn't retreat.
He took a deep breath. His Nichirin Blade traced a graceful arc, crashing toward the demon like a wave and instantly severing over a dozen arms.
Roar-!
The demon let out an enraged roar. More arms instantly burst from the severed stumps, surging toward Tanjiro like a tide to engulf him.
Just then, the demon's gaze suddenly shifted past Tanjiro and landed on Kirishima Bupai, who had just approached.
When it saw the Disaster Ward Mask hanging at Kirishima Bupai's waist, it suddenly burst into shrill, wild laughter.
"Heh heh heh... Urokodaki's disciple? Another one of Urokodaki's disciples! Wonderful! Today I get to eat two more of Urokodaki's disciples!"
Before you continue