Our blood-pumping combination attack

As Byōyō finished speaking, Lin Yoriichi and the others immediately noticed a figure emerging from a dark alley nearby.

The figure had black hair tied into four short braids, with orange tips.

His pale, grayish face bore a blue-green marking shaped like the character "工."

And his left eye clearly read "Lower Six."

[Lower Rank Six · Kamanué]

"Byōyō, what are you doing here?"

"Let me make this clear. I finally found some rare blood, and I'm not going to..."

Kamanué stood dizzily at the alley entrance, still holding a severed human forearm, blood smeared around his mouth.

His voice sounded like that of a drunken human, his words slurred.

Byōyō chuckled.

He offered no explanation, nor did he stop, continuing to sprint forward.

For Byōyō, encountering Lower Rank Six, Kamanué, here was certainly an unexpected delight.

The greater surprise was that Kamanué was eating someone-and a human with rare blood, at that!

Eating just one human with this kind of rare blood could grant nearly as much strength as eating fifty people.

Moreover, some people's rare blood could put demons into a state resembling human drunkenness.

Both their judgment and their reactions would deteriorate drastically.

Clearly, Kamanué had encountered just such a human!

Byōyō knew that, given the Demon Slayer Corps' usual practices, they would certainly prioritize slaying a man-eating demon.

Between himself and Kamanué, the latter would definitely be their first target.

As long as he sold Kamanué out, he could escape with his life while the Demon Slayer Corps dealt with him!

As for failing his mission and provoking that lord's wrath...

That was something to consider only after he escaped!

Meanwhile, Sanemi Shinazugawa's expression grew exceptionally grim.

A demon eating people, and rare blood.

Those two things immediately stirred his memories.

Sanemi Shinazugawa also possessed "rare blood."

He had already begun hunting demons before formally joining the Demon Slayer Corps.

And his method of hunting demons was to first draw his own blood.

The demons that smelled his blood would grow dizzy, as though drunk.

Sanemi Shinazugawa would strike then, injuring the demons with weapons before binding them tightly with chains, until the rising sun burned them to ash!

But if they attacked this newly appeared demon now, what would they do about the other one still fleeing?

Would one of them stay to deal with this demon while the other two continued the pursuit?

Lin Yoriichi suddenly shouted:

"Let's all attack!"

The three exchanged a knowing glance, communicating in an instant.

Sanemi Shinazugawa struck first!

[Wind Breathing · First Form · Dust Whirlwind Cutter]

His body surged forward in an instant, his blade whipping up a spiraling blade of wind.

Like a meat grinder, the wind blade shredded even the ground before the demon.

Caught completely off guard, Kamanué could only take the attack head-on.

In the blink of an eye, a huge, spiraling hole opened in his chest!

"Ghaa-!"

Kamanué let out a wail and violently spat out a mouthful of blood:

"You bastard, you..."

He instinctively reached out with his sharp demonic claws, trying to seize Sanemi Shinazugawa, who had already lunged before him.

But the next moment, Sanemi Shinazugawa stamped hard against the ground, instantly doubling back to continue chasing Byōyō.

"You hurt me, and you think you can just..."

Before Kamanué could finish, he sensed a blazing blade coming toward him.

The dizziness from eating the rare-blooded human had not completely faded. He looked up blankly and saw only that blade, seemingly wrapped in flames!

[Flame Breathing · First Form · Unknowing Fire]

Kyojuro Rengoku likewise unleashed a charging technique.

His figure, seemingly draped in a cloak of flames, closed the distance to Kamanué in an instant.

The next moment, Kyojuro Rengoku swung his blade, slashing into Kamanué's neck.

Slice-

Feeling the blade cut into his neck, Kamanué immediately broke out in a cold sweat.

The dizziness caused by the rare blood vanished completely, and he finally regained his senses.

Unable even to spare a thought for the huge wound piercing his chest, Kamanué abruptly raised his hand and grabbed Kyojuro Rengoku's Nichirin Blade.

The tremendous force of the slash cut through half his palm, but he successfully stopped the blade from severing his head entirely.

Kamanué gritted his teeth, his face filled with fury:

"Blood Demon Art · Night..."

He had intended to seize the chance to gravely wound Kyojuro Rengoku with his Blood Demon Art.

But before he could finish calling out his technique, his eyes widened in shock.

Kyojuro Rengoku had actually let go of his Nichirin Blade without hesitation. Just like Sanemi Shinazugawa, he pushed off hard with both feet and doubled back.

"What are these Demon Slayer Corps bastards doing? Why are they even abandoning their swords?"

"And why did that bastard Byōyō suddenly show up here..."

Though Kamanué had completely shaken off the rare blood's effects and regained his senses, the scenes unfolding before him only left him more confused.

But before he could figure out what had happened, he saw the final figure.

Deep red hair, a mark on his forehead, and hanafuda earrings bearing a sun design...

Fear rising from his blood instantly seized Kamanué's heart.

In his daze, Kamanué seemed to see a vision.

It seemed that three hundred years ago, there had been a swordsman like this...

Lin Yoriichi drew his sword, and the mark on his forehead spread downward as though it had come alive.

Wisps of white mist spilled from the corners of his mouth.

[Sun Breathing · Seventh Form · Sunflower Thrust]

Suddenly swelling sun flames covered Lin Yoriichi's blade, like a Sunflare Flower blooming in the night.

Kamanué stared blankly at those sun flames.

The fear rising from his blood certainly left his entire body rigid.

But the earlier wound through his chest and the cut that had already sliced through well over half his neck left him no time to react at all.

Swish!

The blade instantly pierced the small portion of Kamanué's neck that remained.

Then Lin Yoriichi twisted his blade, and Kamanué's head immediately rolled to the ground.

At the same time, he reached out and deftly caught the Nichirin Blade Kyojuro Rengoku had left behind.

Then he doubled back without looking behind him, continuing the pursuit of Byōyō.

Three people, three sword forms.

They had killed Lower Rank Six in an instant!

Even as one of the planners of this decapitation tactic, Lin Yoriichi had never expected everything to go so smoothly.

All I can say is, this is our blood-pumping combination attack!

Still persisting in his escape, Byōyō also sensed Kamanué's fate.

Sensing the three still pursuing close behind him, Byōyō felt as though even his brain was trembling!

He had come to Tokyo Prefecture for the first time, gotten to play with disease here, and successfully discovered the person that lord wanted to find.

These were clearly two joys piled on top of each other, so why...

Why had things turned out like this?!

Faintly, Byōyō seemed to hear a soft cry:

[Blood Demon Art · Bewitching Blood · Scent of Visual Illusions]

A delicate fragrance wafted toward him.

A multitude of strange patterns suddenly appeared before Byōyō's eyes...