The twist he had been working to complete finally came together.
A tree thick enough for three people to wrap their arms around stood where Tetsu no Sosuke had been. Without warning or apparent cause, it suddenly split apart.
The cut was clean, as though a sharp blade had sliced through it, yet it had made no sound at all.
Thud.
Her head hit the ground, defiance still in her eyes. "If there hadn't been so many of you..."
Tetsu no Sosuke couldn't be bothered to look at her, much less listen. Without a second's hesitation, he sheathed his blade and called quietly, "Go!"
Fighting two Lower Ranks could easily draw the other demons on the mountain.
If they didn't leave now, were they going to wait around for Kokushibo?
Two Lower Ranks were one thing. If they encountered Kokushibo in their current state, they would be as good as dead.
"Run for it!"
Kanroji Mitsuri shouted as she ran after them, brimming with excitement.
Shinobu Kocho needed no urging either. Before she left, though, she severed Lower One's tongue.
On this mountain, they couldn't afford even the possibility of a mishap.
After leaving the battlefield, Tetsu no Sosuke checked their planned resting point and told the other two, "Looks safe."
"Mm." Shinobu Kocho nodded. "We've already accomplished a lot in this fight."
They had wiped out all three Lower Ranks and separated the three Upper Ranks as much as possible.
Now they could proceed according to plan, eliminating the demons one by one.
Before that, though, they could regroup with Giyu Tomioka's team. Divided, they were weaker; together, stronger. No one knew when they might face Kokushibo.
And no one wanted to be at a crushing disadvantage when they did.
Upper Moon One!
They had gathered five