The Hand Demon emerged from the woods and looked at the small team of Demon Slayers before him.
A strange smile spread across his face. Two of his hands rested beneath his chin, their fingers right beside his lips, crimson nails facing the group as he said:
"So many of you! It's been ages since I've had a feast like this!" His tone held a chilling excitement and anticipation.
"Let me count. One, two... seven, eight."
As he counted, three hands curled around from his body, holding up fingers to mark the numbers.
Several members of Kanae's team looked at the Hand Demon before them and listened to his counting. An intense sense of pressure washed over them. Their bodies began trembling uncontrollably.
The boy who had talked back earlier was so frightened that he fell onto his backside. "Impossible! How could there be a huge, grotesque demon like this on Mount Fujikasane? Didn't they say the demons locked up here were all minor ones that had only eaten two or three people?!" His voice trembled with disbelief.
Hearing the boy's words, a mocking gleam flashed through the Hand Demon's eyes. He said:
"I had only eaten two or three people when they locked me up, but the Demon Slayer Corps keeps sending people in here every year!"
At this, the Hand Demon let out a strange laugh and continued:
"So over all these years, little by little, I've eaten..."
"Let me count. One, two, twelve, eighteen, thirty-two, thirty-eight, forty-two."
"I've eaten forty-two people."
"Heh heh heh..." The Hand Demon's chilling laughter echoed through the night sky.
Hearing that the Hand Demon had eaten forty-two people, one of the girls on the team spoke to Kanae in a trembling voice. "L-Lady Kanae, this demon has eaten forty-two people. We can't beat him. Let's run."
Before Kanae could respond to the girl's suggestion to flee, the Hand Demon attacked.
Several of his hands extended forward and twisted together, then compressed slightly toward his body. The arms then shot toward the team like cannonballs.
The others had no time to react. Just then, Kanae suddenly drew her Nichirin Blade, a trace of resolve in her gentle voice:
"Flower Breathing!"
"Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum!"
As her gentle voice rang out, Kanae's Nichirin Blade sent arcing slashes in every direction.
The paths of those slashes were as beautiful and deadly as plum blossom petals. Kanae severed the incoming arms one after another, sending them recoiling.
Once the arms had all withdrawn, Kanae finally spoke. "This demon is different from ordinary demons. I can't protect all of you. He might even kill me. You should run first." Though her voice was gentle, it held an unquestionable resolve.
With that, she glared angrily at the Hand Demon a short distance away. She had always sought a way to coexist peacefully with demons and often refrained from killing them outright, but clearly, this demon who had eaten forty-two people was not among those with whom peaceful coexistence could be sought.
At Kanae's words, the other Demon Slayers turned and ran. Only the Demon Slayer who had asked for her address hesitated where he stood for a moment, but in the end, he turned and fled too.
The Hand Demon seemed to realize that the Demon Slayer before him was no ordinary opponent he could easily deal with. Rather than chase the fleeing Demon Slayers, he fixed his gaze on Kanae. He seemed to know that only by defeating the girl before him could he continue enjoying his "feast."
While the others fled, he merely asked, "Hey... girl! What year of the Meiji era is it?"
Kanae Kocho did not answer the Hand Demon's question. She silently considered how to buy some time so her companions could get farther away.
Seeing no response from Kanae Kocho, the Hand Demon assumed she had not heard him clearly. He raised his voice and repeated the question. "Hey! Girl! I'm asking you! What year of the Meiji era is it?"
Yet even after a long while, Kanae Kocho remained silent, seemingly ignoring the Hand Demon's existence altogether. At last, he could no longer suppress his irritation and anger. His brows knitted tightly, and his tone grew increasingly impatient:
"Hey, hey, if you won't talk, then just die."
With that, three of the many arms wrapped around his body suddenly rose high and shot toward Kanae Kocho like arrows loosed from a bow.
Facing the arms shooting toward her like a surging tide, Kanae Kocho gripped her Nichirin Blade tightly and swung it swiftly. Each stroke was precise and powerful, severing the incoming arms. She moved rapidly around the Hand Demon, as nimble and agile as a cheetah darting through the forest.
The Hand Demon's arms shot after Kanae like venomous snakes, attempting to bind her. But her reactions were extremely fast. Every attack was either deftly evaded or severed by the Nichirin Blade in her hand.
Kanae moved rapidly through the woods, her gaze fixed on the severed arms as they swiftly withdrew. She noticed that these arms could regenerate in a very short time, making her realize that this demon possessed exceptionally powerful regenerative abilities.
She thought to herself, No. At this rate, my stamina will run out first. I have to get close and deal him a fatal blow.
At that thought, Kanae fixed her gaze on the thick arm wrapped around the Hand Demon's neck.
He has a thick arm wrapped around his neck. Does he think it can block a Demon Slayer's slash?
Let's try it first.
With that thought, Kanae quickly adjusted her breathing and steadied her steps, her gaze firm and resolute. She swiftly changed tactics, abandoning her movements around the demon to charge straight toward him.
Her feet stopped abruptly. In an instant, she severed two more attacking arms, then darted forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, rushing toward the Hand Demon.
As he watched Kanae Kocho charge toward him, the Hand Demon stopped attacking in straight lines.
He had chosen straightforward attacks before because Kanae Kocho had kept a certain distance from him, her movements difficult to predict. The chances of hitting her with arms fired straight at her were already low. Adding variations to his attacks would only have lowered them further.
But as Kanae Kocho charged straight toward him, though she still moved left and right, her range of movement had clearly narrowed. As the distance between them closed, that range would shrink further still.
The Hand Demon saw his chance and began adding more variations to his attacks. Since these arms were formed by his Blood Demon Art and had no actual arm bones, they could bend at will.
The arms darted left and right, up and down, lashing swiftly toward Kanae Kocho like flexible tentacles.
Faced with these sudden changes in the attacks, the pressure on Kanae Kocho abruptly increased. She needed to concentrate harder, weaving quickly through the gaps between the arms. Whenever she could not dodge one, she swung her Nichirin Blade to sever it, all while continuing to close in on the Hand Demon.
Kanae Kocho had to focus, weaving swiftly among the arms and cutting down any she could not evade as she rapidly approached the Hand Demon.
Suddenly, the ground several steps ahead gave a faint tremor. Her instincts told her something was wrong. Though her feet continued charging firmly forward, she kept that trembling patch of earth in the corner of her eye.
Five steps remained before that patch of earth.
Something else amiss caught Kanae Kocho's attention. She realized that no arms had attacked her over the last few steps.
Four steps remained before that patch of earth.
Kanae noticed that although the Hand Demon's arms were still flailing menacingly, none could reach her in the immediate moment.
Three steps remained before that patch of earth.
Kanae already had her answer. She realized that the Hand Demon was not attacking because he feared an attack would make her change position and move away from the trap.
Two steps remained before that patch of earth.
Realizing there was a trap ahead, Kanae Kocho quickly shifted several steps to the left, moving away from the trembling patch of earth.
Seeing Kanae Kocho suddenly change direction, the Hand Demon realized his plan had been exposed. Humiliated and furious, he cried out:
"Damn it!"
The arm lying in wait underground swiftly burst out, trying to grab Kanae Kocho after she had changed position.
But Kanae was already prepared. She swung her Nichirin Blade.
Swish!
The blade flashed, and the arm was severed with the sound.
In the blink of an eye, Kanae Kocho had reached the Hand Demon's side.
She deftly evaded the frenzied attacks of several arms, then leaped lightly, cleverly using an incoming arm as a foothold to launch herself upward. In an instant, she rose higher than the Hand Demon.
In midair, she drew a deep breath, gathering all the strength in her body.
As her words fell, she gracefully completed a sideways somersault in midair, like a flower blossoming in the night sky. Her Nichirin Blade gleamed coldly as she brought it down toward the Hand Demon's neck with overwhelming force.
"Flower Breathing!"
"Sixth Form: Whirling Peach!"
As her words fell, she gracefully completed a sideways somersault in midair, like a flower blossoming in the night sky. Her Nichirin Blade gleamed coldly as she brought it down toward the Hand Demon's neck with overwhelming force.
Too late!
She can't cut through it! She can't cut through it!
Faced with Kanae's swift, fierce attack, the Hand Demon kept roaring inwardly. Although he had already wrapped his strongest arm around his neck in defense, who would willingly risk putting their weak point to the test?
Clang!