BANG!!
A figure was sent flying in disarray, crashing violently into a small wooden stall parked by the street.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as Matsudaira clutched his chest and struggled to rise from the pile of shattered wood.
At least a few ribs were definitely broken, the searing pain in his chest relentless.
Matsudaira's eyes widened in horror as he stared at the two blurred figures clashing relentlessly in the distance.
"Lower Moon Six... is truly monstrous!" Matsudaira muttered bitterly.
Compared to any Demon he had faced before, this one was on an entirely different level!
Even though Matsudaira had long suspected the Lower Moons would be formidable, encountering the weakest of them had still far exceeded his expectations.
Apart from the Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, the lower-ranked swordsmen couldn't even withstand a single direct confrontation with Kamanue.
Even an experienced Hinoe like Matsudaira could barely manage to evade a few more strikes under Kamanue assault.
The moment the battle erupted, Kamanue effortlessly snapped the arms of two Kanoe-ranked swordsmen.
If not for the Insect Hashira's timely intervention, those two would have lost not just their arms—but their heads.
Faced with Kamanue overwhelming strength, Matsudaira as the most senior Demon Slayer in the group aside from Shinobu Kocho, immediately took command.
He shouted orders for the Demon Slayers ranked Kanoto and below to scatter and secure the perimeter, keeping a close watch on the Lower Moon's position to prevent his escape!
Meanwhile, the Demon Slayers ranked Kanoto and above fought desperately to assist the Insect Hashira in slaying the Demon!
But alas, bravery alone wasn't enough—their strength simply couldn't measure up...
"Blood Demon Art: Kamanue Roar!"
Kamanue suddenly opened his maw, unleashing a piercing invisible sonic wave—ROAR!!
Instantly, the faces of two Tsuchinoto-ranked slayers twisted in agony.
Blood gushed uncontrollably from their noses and mouths as their bodies plummeted from midair like broken kites.
"Hmph! What a weakling!" Kamanue crouched on all fours like a beast, perched atop a rooftop.
From the very beginning, he had dismissed these Demon Slayers as insignificant.
The only one he truly feared was that seemingly frail young girl.
In the short span of their battle, Kamanue and Shinobu Kocho had exchanged dozens of blows.
Though the girl appeared harmless, her attacks were ruthlessly precise—every slash aimed straight for Kamanue neck.
As expected of a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps.
Suddenly—Kamanue expression darkened.
He sprang away on all fours, leaping like an agile monkey just as—
BANG!!
The slender Nichirin Blade missed by a hair's breadth, narrowly failing to pierce Kamanue throat.
Landing on another rooftop, Kamanue face twisted into a grotesque snarl, veins bulging across his skin.
"Woman! Don't push me! Do you really think I fear you?! I am Lower Moon Six!"
Swish! Swish!
The nimble Nichirin Blade twirled between Shinobu pale fingers, carving elegant arcs through the air.
Her smile remained fixed, her tone as gentle as ever.
"Oh? Then please don't hold back, Demon-san. After all, I'm quite weak and my Nichirin Blade is so light. Cutting through a demon's neck isn't an easy task, you know~"
"Damn it! This infuriating woman! That pretentious act is so annoying!" Kamanue face flushed crimson with rage at Shinobu's fake smile—he felt utterly mocked!
Yet even as fury consumed him, Kamanue hesitated to unleash his full power against this Hashira.
Having only recently been promoted to Lower Rank status, he'd never faced a Hashira-level Demonslayer before.
His understanding of their strength still stemmed from his days as an ordinary demon.
To the Twelve Kizuki, Hashira might be insignificant—each Upper Moon likely having dozens of Hashira kills to their name.
But for demons outside the Twelve Kizuki, even ordinary Demon Slayer Corps members inspired fear, let alone Hashira.
Thus, despite his rage, Kamanue—still mentally adjusting to his new rank—approached Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho with caution.
But in battle, every second counts.
Seizing Kamanue momentary distraction, Shinobu struck.
Her petite frame launched skyward as she thrust her needle-like blade.
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Bee Sting—True Flutter!"
"What?!" Before Kamanue could react, the slender blade pierced toward his face.
No time to dodge!
With a bestial roar, Kamanue unleashed his blood demon art.
"Blood Demon Art: Dark Tengu Metamorphosis!"
CRACK! CRACK!
Muscles erupted grotesquely across Kamanue body as his claws, face and form underwent violent transformation.
Swelling flesh shredded his garments.
THUNK!
The needle blade embedded in Kamanue forehead—but failed to penetrate completely, for his body had already morphed.
There atop the roof now crouched a monstrous beast on all fours: a shaggy brown-furred body with striped, muscular limbs ending in razor claws.
A thick tail terminating in a ghastly snake's head.
But most horrifying was the face—a nightmarish visage like the legendary mountain demon, a slender Nichirin Blade protruding from its forehead.
Shinobu's smile faltered momentarily at Kamanue monstrous transformation.
Yet her blade had found its mark—the next instant, concentrated wisteria poison flooded through the demon's body.
"ROOOAR!!!"
The beast-Kamanuei howled in agony before violently dislodging the blade.
With powerful limbs coiling, he became a blur streaking toward the horizon.
"Unacceptable! We can't let Demon-san escape!" Shinobu's smile vanished, a vein pulsing at her temple.
Her butterfly-patterned haori became a streak as she pursued the fleeing monstrosity.
"Everyone! Quick! Stay alert! Don't let the Lower Moon demon escape!" Matsudaira limped as he urgently shouted to the still-mobile Demon Slayer Corps members, ordering them all to immediately chase after and assist the Insect Hashira.
****
"Bad bad bad! How did I get separated from everyone? Damn it, it's so dark here!" In the dark alley, Tsuruko delicate face was filled with tension.
She had accidentally gotten separated from her teammates while chasing the demon Kamanue and ended up lost in this maze-like alley.
Trembling slightly, Tsuruko gripped her Nichirin Blade tightly as she cautiously advanced through the alley, checking her surroundings.
Suddenly! A noise came from behind her.
Startled, Tsuruko turn around.
"What was that?!"
She swung her Nichirin Blade wildly, only to see a frightened little calico cat scampering away.
"Oh... just a cat. You scared me." Just as Tsuruko sighed in relief, the next second, a foul warm breath blew down from above, rustling her hair and freezing her in place.
When Tsuruko turned around, she saw a monstrous face covered in purple blotches and dripping with blood.
"Damn... damn it! Poison! I... eat!" The monster stuttered out broken human words before suddenly opening its maw wide to bite down on Tsuruko!
"AHHH!!!"
She didn't know how much time had passed, but the panicked Tsuruko now found herself staring at a dead end, despair creeping in.
The demon Kamanue was hot on her heels—there was no escape!
Thinking this, Tsuruko abruptly turned around, gripping her Nichirin Blade with all her strength.
If it came down to it, she'd fight that monster to the death!
"ROAR!!!" The heavily poisoned Kamanue soon appeared before Tsuruko, lunging at her wildly.
"Come on!!" Tsuruko thrust her Nichirin Blade with all her might, but Kamanue easily swatted it aside with a single slap.
She crashed hard into the wall.
As Kamanue opened his grotesque maw again, the despairing Tsuruko closed her eyes.
CRACK!!
The expected pain never came.
Instead, she heard a strange shattering sound.
Confused, Tsuruko opened her eyes.
A tall figure now stood before her, his white coat fluttering slightly in the wind to reveal the Demon Slayer Corps uniform underneath, emblazoned with the character for "Destroy."
His clenched right fist was covered in blood.
The monstrous Kamanue now lay motionless on the ground nearby like a dead dog.
The figure turned to look at Tsuruko, whose mind was still reeling as she caught sight of his heterochromatic eyes—one peach-pink, the other emerald.
Shinichi who had just one-punched Kamanue flicked the demon blood off his hand and eyed the seemingly slow-witted female Demon Slayer.
"Hey, miss, mind lending me your Nichirin Blade for a sec?"
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