Kanzaki Aoi was completely stunned with fright.
That Yasuo, with just one strike, had slain nearly twenty demons, like a meat grinder.
Flesh and blood flew, and the strong smell of blood spread.
This bloody scene fell into everyone's eyes, making them even more terrified, but they didn't believe Yasuo was helping them; they only saw his power and brutality.
Even fellow demons could be slaughtered madly; there was no way he would show mercy to humans.
The remaining demons had no mind to feast; they had thought he was a savior, but in a blink, he turned into a devil.
They fled in panic.
This great escape suddenly changed its flavor.
Whether it was new swordsmen or demons, all were prey, and there was only one hunter—Yasuo!
Kamihara Tetsuya saw that the system panel had already started timing; how long he could last would determine the reward level.
Demons and new swordsmen posed no threat to him; indeed, only the Demon Slayer Corps' reinforcements could.
And…
"Mist Breathing, Fourth Form: Shifting Flow Slash!"
A small figure rushed out of the forest, with a calm, indifferent voice that gave people a sense of aloofness, as if keeping them a thousand miles away.
The young boy lunged in front of Kamihara Tetsuya, swinging his nichirin blade in a fluid, continuous slash directly at his neck.
Sharingan!
Kamihara Tetsuya's eyes turned blood-red, two blood-colored tomoe appearing, and although Muichiro Tokito's movements were swift, he saw them clearly.
"Blood Demon Art: Dragon Mark Slash!"
Kamihara Tetsuya's hands transformed into steel blades, raised high, and slashed forward fiercely, like two swimming dragons, their trajectories unpredictable, the heavy force tearing through the air.
Bang!
The sharp edges from both collided, sparks exploded, emitting a crisp sound.
Kamihara Tetsuya pressed down hard, the blades transformed from his hands firmly suppressing Muichiro Tokito.
Muichiro Tokito, only ten or eleven years old, had not yet reached his peak strength.
A ripple appeared in Muichiro Tokito's calm, water-like eyes; the opponent's strength was superior to his.
Since strength held no advantage, he could only break through with technique.
Bang!
Muichiro Tokito took a step back, causing Kamihara Tetsuya's slash to miss and hit the ground.
The immense force split the ground into two cracks.
"Mist Breathing, Second Form: Eight-Layered Mist!"
This happened in an instant; Muichiro Tokito retreated, then stepped forward again, stepping onto the back of the blades that were Kamihara Tetsuya's hands, his nichirin blade swinging with afterimages, the sharpness of multiple slashes covering the latter's entire body.
The sharpness of the nichirin blade was extremely dazzling, but it could not block the gaze of the Sharingan.
A wicked smile curled at the corner of Kamihara Tetsuya's mouth beneath his mask; he deactivated the Blood Demon Art of Soul Manipulation: Kamanue.
Whoosh!
The blades that were his hands disappeared.
Muichiro Tokito's eyes widened in astonishment, he missed a step, and his body tilted forward, falling.
"Destructive Kill: Chaotic Style!"
Kamihara Tetsuya's blades vanished, his hands reverting to fists; he didn't hesitate, using the martial arts he had previously copied from Akaza, rapidly alternating his fists to unleash a fierce barrage of blows at Muichiro Tokito at an extremely high speed.
Akaza's Blood Demon Art core was Compass Needle perception, but Kamihara Tetsuya did not possess this Blood Demon Art.
The power of the martial arts he could display only reached about thirty to forty percent of Akaza's.
But against the undeveloped Muichiro Tokito, it was enough!
Suddenly losing his footing and balance, a flurry of fists assaulted him; in such a dangerous situation, any swordsman other than a Pillar would surely die.
For Muichiro Tokito, it was also extremely dangerous.
At this moment, Muichiro Tokito's eyes became sharp; before he recalled his memories, he could not die!
"Mist Breathing, Third Form: Scattering Mist Splash!"
Muichiro Tokito changed his technique on the fly, swinging his blade at the last possible moment, a high-speed rotating slash, like a wooden stick plunged into clouds, stirring up the misty sky.
He formed a protective net in front of him.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Kamihara Tetsuya's fists landed in the vortex formed by Muichiro Tokito's nichirin blade, the crackling sound of sparks exploding was incessant, accompanied by flying bits of flesh.
Fists collided squarely with the sharp nichirin blade, like pork being chopped into minced meat.
Kamihara Tetsuya's body recoiled, his hands bloody and mangled, intense pain flooding his brain.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, truly a genius youth.
This brief exchange revealed many issues: Muichiro Tokito's body had not fully developed, his strength was insufficient, and his combat experience was also lacking.
But his astonishing talent couldn't be denied.
Relying on his keen intuition and exquisite swordsmanship, he was enough to crush most demons.
Soul Manipulation: Devourer!
Kamihara Tetsuya used his Blood Demon Art to devour the souls of two ordinary demons within his body.
Receiving a powerful energy replenishment, new flesh quickly grew on his hands, restoring them to their original state.
This recovery speed was astonishing.
"Two Blood Demon Arts, and this abnormal recovery…" Muichiro Tokito murmured to himself, this guy was really difficult to deal with, much stronger than the demons on Purple Wisteria Mountain.
Then, even he himself didn't notice it.
The corners of his mouth curved into a hint of excitement; his opportunity for a breakthrough lay with this demon.
He was just a step away from becoming a Pillar!
The surrounding demons and new swordsmen had already mostly fled, with only a few people stubbornly remaining.
Among them was Kanzaki Aoi.
Seeing Muichiro Tokito fighting Yasuo back and forth, even holding his own, everyone gasped in their hearts, realizing that this was the true hidden powerhouse.
That Yasuo was certified as an Upper Rank by the Demon Slayer Corps.
Muichiro Tokito being able to fight him meant his strength was at least Pillar-level.
Everyone felt a mix of tears and laughter in their hearts; what was going on? What kind of divine battle was this? Pillar-level swordsmen were participating in this Final Selection.
But thankfully, there was Muichiro Tokito.
Otherwise, they would all have been killed by Yasuo.
Compared to others who were focused on the battle between the two, Kanzaki Aoi's gaze anxiously searched the surroundings, hoping to see the figure she expected in her heart appear.
She only wished for him to be safe and sound.
Muichiro Tokito said, "You are very strong, and you seem to know a lot about Mist Breathing!"
"You too."
Kamihara Tetsuya responded in a hoarse voice.
Actually, he didn't understand Mist Breathing well.
But Mist Breathing was a breathing style derived from Wind Breathing, and he had seen Wind Pillar, Sanemi Shinazugawa's combat, so he could be somewhat prepared.
The two began to exchange compliments.
At the same time, Kamihara Tetsuya was calculating in his mind.
Although the dog system's task was that the longer he lasted, the better the reward, he could only last one night at most, otherwise he would definitely be killed by the Demon Slayer Corps.
If the Demon Slayer Corps' reinforcements were other people, it would be fine, but if it were Gyomei Himejima, then the trouble would be big.
"Mist Breathing, Fourth Form: Shifting Flow Slash!"
Muichiro Tokito attacked again, fluidly swinging his blade to slash.
Sharingan · Genjutsu!
The two blood-colored tomoe in Kamihara Tetsuya's pupils spun wildly, outputting pupil power, and the blood-colored light surged.
Immerse yourself in the Sharingan · Genjutsu!