Before emerging from the porcelain pot, Gyokko had imagined the scene he would face.
At this hour, the dining hall should have been empty.
Even if anyone was there, they would be nothing more than materials for his great works of art.
But the instant the eyes on his forehead and mouth took in his surroundings, he froze.
There were actually this many Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen!
And every one of them had taken an attacking stance!
At that moment, an overwhelming fury surged through Gyokko.
They were only Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, yet instead of fleeing immediately at the sight of the great Lord Gyokko, they actually dared to fight back!
That settled it!
I had to dismember them all and turn them into a work of art with the beauty of fragmentation!
They dared to provoke me? Did they think they were all Hashira?
Several pots patterned with aquatic plants silently appeared on the short, slender arms at Gyokko's sides:
[Blood Demon Art: Thousand Needle Fish Kill]
Several enormous goldfish were summoned in an instant.
The very next moment, the goldfish opened their mouths and spat out masses of poisoned needles.
At the sight, Gyokko immediately grew smug.
Out in an open space, wiping out these Demon Slayers in one go might have taken some effort.
But these fools had been stupid enough to gather in a room like this!
My [Blood Demon Art: Thousand Needle Fish Kill] could fill the entire room with needles in an instant.
These fools could just wait to be turned into pincushions!
Just then, however, one figure made the first move:
[Flame Breathing: Fourth Form: Blazing Flame Spiral]
With Kyojuro Rengoku at its center, his Nichirin Blade, wrapped in roaring flames, suddenly twisted, unleashing a slash like a vortex of fire.
The [Blood Demon Art: Thousand Needle Fish Kill] Gyokko took such pride in was completely blocked in the blink of an eye!
This unexpected turn left Gyokko stunned again.
It had actually been blocked?
The next moment, Gyokko saw the words "Destroyer of Demons" on his opponent's blade.
This fellow really was a Hashira!
Refusing to accept it, Gyokko spread his short, slender arms again and took out a pot patterned with sticky fish.
Even if there really was a Hashira here, so what?
Just one Hashira was no match for me, much less capable of saving everyone else in such a cramped space.
Besides, what I was about to unleash was [Blood Demon Art: Ten Thousand Gliding Sticky Fish]!
Every one of these fish had sharp teeth, enough to gnaw these fools down to their skeletons.
And even if that Hashira tried the same trick again, using his sword techniques to cut up all the fish and stop them, he could forget about protecting the others again.
After all, these fish would spray deadly poison the moment they were slashed!
Even if that deadly poison merely touched their skin, it would be absorbed immediately.
But before Gyokko could unleash his Blood Demon Art, he felt his arms grow lighter.
No!
Someone had actually severed his arms!
Gyokko turned his head in bewilderment, only to discover a black-haired swordsman in a two-toned haori behind him.
[Water Breathing: Third Form: Flowing Dance]
As Gyokko rapidly regenerated his limbs, he roared in exasperation:
"Damn you! You dared to damage this body of mine, a work of art! You..."
Gyokko's voice cut off abruptly.
Because he had clearly seen the blade of that black-haired swordsman in the two-toned haori.
The words "Destroyer of Demons" were engraved on it too!
This one was also a Hashira!
Why were there two Hashira here?!
A bad feeling suddenly rose in Gyokko's heart-
Among the nine people present, how many more Hashira were hiding?
No, the question was, which of them wasn't a Hashira?
Bang!
In the moment Gyokko froze, he suddenly felt the whole world go "dark."
Only when a horrifying pain suddenly shot through his body, as though he were melting, did Gyokko realize what had happened.
The world had not suddenly gone dark; most of his head had been smashed apart!
Gyokko desperately regenerated his head, even growing eyes on his shoulders.
Only then did he see that the one who had shattered most of his skull was an exceptionally tall fellow.
He had just pulled back the flail in his hand.
[Stone Breathing: Second Form: Heaven-Splitting Strike]
Through the eyes on his shoulders, Gyokko saw that a broad axe was actually attached to the other end of that flail!
This fellow's appearance and weapons...
Even without checking whether his weapons bore the words "Destroyer of Demons," Gyokko could be certain that this fellow was also a Hashira!
That made three Hashira already. I absolutely couldn't keep tangling with them!
Ever since becoming a demon, Gyokko had felt he had long since lost the capacity for fear.
But now, he remembered the taste of fear once again!
He immediately tried to retreat into his porcelain pot and escape from this place.
But then Gyokko discovered, to his horror, that half his body had already gone numb!
When had I been poisoned?!
Was it that melting pain just now?
Half of Gyokko's head had regrown, and the eye at his mouth immediately caught sight of a petite figure with purple hair.
[Insect Breathing: Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter]
Damn it, even this woman was a Hashira!
The thought had barely formed when Gyokko detected another powerful disturbance in the air ahead.
Without even having time to regenerate his head completely, he conjured a dark, spotted pot directly on his half-regrown head.
[Blood Demon Art: Octopus Pot Hell]
The next moment, several enormous octopus tentacles stretched out of the pot.
These octopus tentacles were extremely elastic and exceptionally tough.
Normally, Gyokko would use these tentacles to seize his opponent and crush them completely.
But at this moment, Gyokko chose to wrap the tentacles around himself, trying to block his opponent's attack.
Because he had already seen that the white-haired fellow with scars on his face was also a Hashira!
[Wind Breathing: Eighth Form: First Gale Slash]
Powerful, spiraling wind blades instantly coiled around Gyokko.
Those exceptionally tough, elastic octopus tentacles protected him for only a moment before the wind blades sliced them into pieces that scattered across the floor.
Gyokko was on the verge of going mad!
This was already the fifth Hashira to attack!
Was there no end to this?!
Why had you bastards all come to the Swordsmith Village together?
And gathered in the dining hall at this hour?
I was an Upper Rank!
Was I supposed to become your after-dinner entertainment?
[Shedding Skin]
At that moment, Gyokko revealed his true form.
He had now regrown two arms, a snakelike tail had appeared behind him, and his body was covered in scales as hard as diamond.
With this, he did not believe anything could break through his defenses!
Just then, Muichiro Tokito, who had yet to make a move, suddenly spoke:
"What an ugly pot."