Master Blacksmith in Demon Slayer

This, he excelled at!

A round of Gale Sun ended, yet Doma's weapon remained, his face still bearing that smile that seemed to spring from the depths of his heart, yet one could instantly see the falseness within it.

"Can't stop!!!"

A pause was fatal—no chance could be given to the opponent!!!

The Heavenly Crafting Hammer, having shown a hint of decline, surged forward once more. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!!

Beside him, Shinobu Kocho stared wide-eyed, utterly stunned. A hammer beating a demon? What kind of tactic was this? And what was she supposed to do now? Jump in and help? Would that just cause trouble?

A wave of inexplicable dejection washed over her. Why, at this moment, did it feel like she was the only one useless here?

Meanwhile, midair, Kochou Kanae, her mind in turmoil, had been held back by the last remaining ice puppet. But as she sensed the shift on the battlefield, a single glance brought a sudden light to her heart.

He wasn't dead!

To her, that was the greatest comfort.

Her blade turned, her mind steady, her sword steady—in an instant, petals scattered across the sky!

Breath of the Flower—Fifth Form: Futile Peony!

Sword shadows bloomed like peonies, converging from all sides on a single point, as if petals scattered among the sword's traces, yet flames coiled around them.

In a single moment, a shattering sound rang out, and the ice puppet before her crumbled into fragments.

Turning back, she heard another 'ding' of breaking, a faint surprise flickering across her face. Focusing her gaze, she saw that the iron fan in Doma's hand was now only half intact.

And Tetsu no Sosuke, that mad blacksmith, was inhumanly swinging his forging hammer, relentlessly pounding the demon's head!

Doma was truly baffled!

This swordsmith—he'd actually shattered his iron fan?

And now he was still hitting his head with that broken hammer? What was this supposed to be? Forging iron?

Incapable of grasping any emotion by nature, he felt no anger, only a mild surprise at this outcome.

No matter how he thought about it, there seemed no reason for this to happen.

This guy... was clearly so feeble!

And with his weapon gone, having lost the point of contention with Tetsu no Sosuke, Doma seemed to break free from some kind of restraint.

Amid the rain of hammer strikes, he grabbed Tetsu no Sosuke by the neck. Like a branding iron, his neck was scorching hot!?

He pulled him closer, looking at the face now covered in blood and grime, its mask shattered from the damage: "How filthy?"

With those words, he tightened his grip, about to crush Tetsu no Sosuke's throat.

A frigid blade descended from above. Blood splattered, and an arm was severed with a single stroke.

Chapter 21: Slaying the Demon!

Tetsu no Sosuke's body hit the ground, but the hand around his neck didn't lose its grip.

He clamped both hands onto the fingers of that hand, using all his remaining strength to pry it open and hurl it away.

The aftereffects of Breath of the Sun now coursed through his body, aching so much he could barely move. The wounds that had already tightened began seeping blood again.

Yet throughout it all, his eyes never left Doma for a moment.

He saw Kochou Kanae arrive, sever Doma's arm, and lift Tetsu no Sosuke from the brink of death. Then, her blade reversed, sword traces carrying the fragrance of petals, aimed straight for Doma's neck.

Doma's body shot backward, but he was still a step too late.

A gash opened on his neck from the sword's tip.

Blood spilled from the wound. He frowned, instinctively reaching to touch it, but remembered his right hand had been cut off.

He let out a soft sigh: "How... did it come to this?"

Shinobu Kocho leaped to the side of Kochou Kanae and Tetsu no Sosuke, helping the latter up from the ground as she asked, "Sister, are you alright?"

Kochou Kanae cast a gentle gaze his way, offering a light smile: "This sword seems to pass a warm power to me."

Even in such a state, hearing those words made Tetsu no Sosuke's heart tremble, as if savoring some delicacy, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curling into a pleased arc.

Shinobu Kocho froze, looking from her sister to Tetsu no Sosuke, and a surge of inexplicable anger flared up.

Wasn't I the one asking? Why did it feel like my sister answered my question, yet left me out of it?

"You two, fall back."

Kochou Kanae's gaze swept over Tetsu no Sosuke, a flicker of worry flashing through her eyes before she turned back to Doma, her expression growing stern and cold: "Leave the rest of the fight to me!"

Shinobu Kocho nodded and led Tetsu no Sosuke aside.

Doma, however, shook his head: "To this extent, you'd still bully a demon already wounded like me? The Demon Slayer Corps really are heartless, aren't they?"

Tetsu no Sosuke, just helped to sit down by Shinobu Kocho, let out a cold laugh: "Heartless? Why don't you discuss the topic of heartlessness with the corpses in that house?"

Doma was about to reply, but Kochou Kanae had no intention of continuing the conversation.

Tetsu no Sosuke was gravely wounded, and in that state, he'd still launched an attack of that caliber.

No matter how he'd managed it, now was not the time to be idly chatting with a demon here.

Attack him. Finish him. Slay him.

Then get Tetsu no Sosuke back to the Butterfly Estate for treatment as fast as possible—that's the top priority now. Everything else can wait.

"Such an impatient girl."

Though Doma had lost an arm, it didn't seem to faze him in the slightest. "Eager to become a part of me, are you?"

He swung his left hand. Blood Demon Art: Mystic Ice Pillars!

Kochou Kanae didn't even spare a glance. Her form darted like a shuttle, slipping past the icy pillars raining down from above with effortless grace, threading through the narrowest gaps.

The elegance and beauty of her movements stood in stark contrast to Tetsu no Sosuke's frantic dodging—lunging left, charging right, tumbling forward, rolling back.

Tetsu no Sosuke watched closely, only to realize with resignation that no matter how hard he tried, he could never replicate such graceful motions.

By then, Kochou Kanae had already closed in on Doma. She lowered her stance, her blade spinning like a flurry of petals, two slashes blooming like a floral gown, exuding pure elegance.

Breath of the Flower—Form Four: Red Flower Dress!