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The night was pitch black, the wind sharp.
The crescent moon flickered in and out of the drifting clouds.
Just another quiet evening in the Swordsmith Village.
A swordsmith, refreshed after soaking in the hot springs, strolled leisurely down the mountain path. His body felt light, his mind clear—he was ready for a good night's rest before tomorrow's work.
And then—
There it was.
A jar sat squarely in the middle of the stone steps ahead.
Its shape smooth, design exquisite, almost like a fine work of art.
"Don't go near it, you idiot!"
"Who finds a random jar blocking the path in the middle of the night and thinks it's fine?!"
"This feels really, really bad!"
Across countless worlds, hearts clenched with unease.
And, as feared—
The premonition proved true the very next moment.
The swordsmith, curious and completely unguarded, stepped closer.
A black hand shot out.
Before he could react, it had already seized his wrist.
Then, to the horror of everyone watching, the swordsmith's body was slowly crushed, bone by bone, dragged screaming into the jar.
The vessel spun, gurgling like a fountain as it vomited the mangled remains back out. Blood splattered across the stones, staining the ground deep red.
Many couldn't bear the sight—they shut their eyes, trembling.
"Disgusting! Absolutely disgusting! The flesh of mountain-dwelling smiths tastes revolting!"
The creature emerged at last—short, stubby arms writhing, two mouths gnashing, a pair of eyes stacked one atop the other.
Etched across its eyeballs glowed the letters—
Upper Rank Five.
The scene shifted.
Outside Tanjiro's quarters, an old man appeared silently, almost pathetically. His back was hunched, a massive lump bulging from his head, long horns curling like some pitiful demon. His eyes were watery, brimming with tears, and his whole body trembled like a frightened child.
And yet—
There was no mistaking it. He was a demon.
Only when he pushed the door open was he finally noticed. Despite his pitiful act, the oppressive aura rolling off him screamed what he really was: an Upper Rank.
Clang!
A blade rang free of its sheath.
"Breath of Mist—Fourth Form: Shifting Flow Slash!"
Mist Hashira Muichiro Tokito moved without hesitation. The instant he laid eyes on the intruder, his blade was already in motion.
But the strike landed on nothing.
The demon slipped to the ceiling in an instant, sobbing, whimpering, begging not to be hurt.
Sanji, Straw Hat crew: "What the hell's his deal? Just looking at him makes my stomach turn. Creepy bastard!"
Gray, Fairy Tail: "So he slaughters people without remorse, yet cries and pleads like a victim? He's not like the demons we've seen before… what is this thing?"
Genos, One Punch Man: "Infuriating. He pretends to be the wronged party while being the true predator. Disgusting."
Reborn, Katekyo Hitman Reborn!: "That boy's one of the Hashira, and even his blade couldn't land. That pitiful-looking demon clearly isn't weak—he reeks of danger."
Bai Yue Kui, Ling Cage: "Even though his eyes don't bear the mark of an Upper Rank, we should assume he is one. Two Upper Moons appearing at once… this is going to be brutal."
Across countless worlds, people instinctively tightened their fists in worry for Tanjiro and the others.
Back in the village—
Flames ignited at Tanjiro's lips.
"Hinokami Kagura—Solar Blaze Strike!"
For Tanjiro, hesitation had no place. Against demons who preyed on humans, his resolve never wavered. His blade swept upward, forcing the creature down from the ceiling.
At the same time, Nezuko's body shifted into her battle form. With a sharp kick, she launched the demon across the room.
Seizing the moment, Muichiro flashed forward. In a single clean strike, he severed the demon's head.
"We got him! Thank god!"
At headquarters, Zenitsu and the others erupted in relief.
Inosuke threw back his head and laughed. "What the hell, I thought this was gonna be something scary! Guess Tanjiro's fine even without me around! Wahahaha!"
Tanjiro, though, didn't relax. His eyes stayed hard. "Don't let your guard down. Even if you cut their head off, an Upper Rank won't necessarily die."
And—
Once again, his warning proved right.
The demon's body did not vanish.
Instead, it split.
The severed head sprouted a new body.
The decapitated body sprouted a new head.
Two demons stood where one had fallen.
This time, their eyes bore the mark of truth—
Upper Rank Four.
Zenitsu shrieked. "Wh-wh-what the hell?! He split into two?! Two Upper Rank Fours—plus that Upper Rank Five earlier—three of them at once?! Are you kidding me?! Tanjiro's gonna die!"
Even the Hashira watching from afar couldn't hide their grim expressions.
Jiraiya, the Pervy Sage: "So that was his plan. He let his neck get cut on purpose—splitting is his true ability. If we'd known, we could've just restrained him until sunrise. In the end, it always comes down to intel. With the right information…"
Sengoku, Fleet Admiral of the Marines: "Every Upper Rank has some insane ability. This one splits when decapitated. But does it stop at two? Or can he keep multiplying? If only we knew their location—we'd take over and wipe them out ourselves."
Vice Admiral Tsuru: "Sengoku, you really want to recruit those kids into the Marines, don't you? I have a feeling no matter how we search, we'll never find them. They may not even exist within our seas at all."
Rimuru Tempest: "If this is like the Sixth's trick, then both heads have to be cut off at the exact same time. But… that's way easier said than done."
There was no time left to think.
The moment the demons split, Tanjiro and Muichiro moved in unison.
From left and right, their blades cut toward the regenerating monsters.
But one of them suddenly drew a fan.
A gentle flick—
BOOM!
"..."
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