Ryuu began to realize that the
"secret realm"
Roy brought her into was different from the Dungeon.
She couldn't fight in the same way she fought in the Dungeon.
Ryuu asked,
"How do we kill him?"
Roy speculated,
"He simply has a special physique. His actual fighting strength is probably between Level 2 and Level 3, but Demons do not have a Magic Stone. The way to kill a Demon is to cut off his head with the Nichirin Blade the girl is holding, or by exposing him to sunlight."
Ryuu murmured,
"Exposed to sunlight..."
Seeing that Ryuu had her own ideas, Roy didn't interfere much. How could a Level 1 guide a Level 4? Should he micromanage her like a school principal?
That would be too reckless!
Roy's job was done by relaying the information about Doma to Ryuu, and he subtly added fuel to the fire.
Roy said,
"Demons regard humans as food. Their lifespans far exceed those of humans. Don't let that young man's appearance fool you; he has actually lived for over a hundred years. The number of humans he has eaten during that time is uncountable—there are at least tens of thousands of victims."
Ryuu's face instantly darkened. Originally, she had resolved that, for the sake of resurrecting her companions, she wouldn't hesitate even if Roy asked her to kill an innocent person. Since the target was such a lunatic and an egregious monster of sin, she certainly wouldn't hold back now!
While Roy and Ryuu were talking, the battle in the clearing entered a white-hot phase. Kanae Kocho lacked the Demon Slayer 'starter kit' and was fighting in a 'base state' against an Upper Rank Two whose strength far surpassed that of a Hashira. If Doma hadn't wanted to eat her, she would have died long ago.
"Just give up, you are no match for me,"
Doma said with a chuckle, casually approaching Kanae Kocho. A Hashira-level girl, her body perfectly trained, tender flesh, and emitting an alluring scent. He hadn't encountered such a sight many times in a hundred years, so he was being exceptionally patient this time.
Kanae Kocho was gasping for breath, but despite her severe injuries, there was not a hint of weakness or surrender on her face. Just then, a golden figure emerged from the forest, attracting the attention of both sides.
"What is that?"
Doma and Kanae Kocho looked simultaneously at the Elf girl, whose attire was completely different from the Japanese style, with golden long hair and pointed ears. Her exquisite face made Doma pause momentarily. She was too perfect, even surpassing Kanae Kocho.
Boom! Ryuu pushed off with her legs, launching herself like a rocket, charging towards Doma with astonishing speed.
"So fast!"
Doma was startled. Faster than Akaza? Does this girl's physique surpass that of an Upper Rank Demon?
"Interesting! Blood Demon Art: Wreath of Icicles!"
A sinister grin curled on Doma's lips. He brandished his twin fans, and numerous lotus-shaped ice crystals condensed into several ice vines wrapped with ice lotuses, striking at Ryuu like venomous snakes.
Clang! Clang! Ryuu's expression remained unchanged. She easily shattered the ice vines by swinging the wooden sword in her hand.
Roy hid in the grass, observing the battle. The wooden sword in Ryuu's hand looked ordinary but was actually a rare, high-grade weapon. It was the Wooden Sword: Elf Lumina. Ryuu had acquired a branch from the Great Sacred Tree of her homeland,
"Luminas Forest,"
from a secret Dark Faction base before the Great Conflict, and had it crafted into a high-grade weapon by the Hecate Familia. This wooden sword not only had powerful offensive strength and a tough texture but also had the effect of amplifying
"Magic,"
was highly compatible with an Elf's Magic, and possessed the properties of a
"Magic Wand."
"Blood Demon Art: Frigid White Princesses!"
"Blood Demon Art: Crystalline Divine Child!"
Doma's eyes became increasingly fanatic. He rapidly waved his iron fans, unleashing his Blood Demon Arts. Cold air spread, ice lotuses surged from the ground, forming ice sculptures in the shape of young girls and small ice figures resembling Doma himself. Dozens of ice sculptures charged grandly toward Ryuu.
Roy's pupil shrank. As expected of a demon who has lived for centuries, he has some tricks. Can Ryuu handle it? But the reality proved that Roy had severely underestimated the strength of a High-Level Adventurer.
The Elf girl burst forward violently. Every ice sculpture she passed through shattered completely. Her speed grew exponentially, cutting through the obstacles like a hot knife through butter, as if nothing could impede her advance. Gale Force (Jippu Funjin), one of Ryuu's Skills, grants an attack power bonus that increases with speed while sprinting. Ryuu, having activated the Skill, was enveloped in a whirlwind. Her slender figure flashed past like a gust of wind. In an instant, the ice sculptures created by Doma turned into scattered shards, and ice crystals fell everywhere.
"Wonderful!" Doma's greedy and wicked gaze locked onto the Elf girl. Kanae Kocho, whom he had previously cherished, could no longer hold his attention at all. This was a scent he had never smelled before!
Roy silently watched Doma's suicidal behavior. That utterly deranged look could probably only be rivaled by the Gourmet from Tokyo Ghoul.
The Elf girl's nature was to despise evil like poison. Doma's attitude of treating her as food made her absolutely furious. Her eyes grew colder, completely devoid of emotion.
Ryuu's indifferent voice rang out:
"O distant sky of the forest, infinite stars set in the boundless night. Answer the voice of a fool such as myself, and once more grant me the protection of starlight, and the light of mercy upon those who have abandoned you..."
Blood Demon Art: Winter Icicles! Doma swung his iron fan. Ice fog gathered overhead, condensing countless sharp icicles that rained down like bullets, covering an extremely wide area, making evasion impossible!
"—Come now, wandering wind, roaming traveler!"
Ryuu chanted. She gripped her wooden sword with both hands and slashed at the empty space. The resulting gust of wind tore through the icicles. The bullet-like rain of ice split apart to both sides.
Doma's Blood Demon Art was like child's play in front of the Level 4 Ryuu. With one swing of her wooden sword, everything in front of her was easily sliced open.
Roy muttered to himself,
"It's Concurrent Chanting!"
When ordinary adventurers mobilize their mind power to cast magic, they can only stand still. If they mispronounce a single word, the magic might fail. They often need several guards to protect them. Only adventurers with extremely high talent can chant magic spells while taking action. This is a very advanced technique. The Elf girl before him was likely one of the most proficient adventurers in Concurrent Chanting in all of Orario. Ryuu was simultaneously managing five actions: high-speed attack, movement, evasion, defense, and chanting. Even a First-Level Adventurer would be dumbfounded to witness it.
Doma was naturally incapable of feeling emotions. The immense power Ryuu displayed didn't scare him; instead, it plunged him into pure fanaticism.
"Blood Demon Art: Wintry Icicle Budhha!"
The blood vessels on Doma's skin burst open. Blood mist spread and transformed into cold air, and solid ice formed a massive ice figure, taking the shape of a Bodhisattva with hands pressed together. The Ice Bodhisattva chopped down at Ryuu with a hand blade.
"—Fly through the sky, sprint across the wilderness, rush with a speed that surpasses all things! Attack the enemy with the light of the stars!"
Ryuu's eyes were indifferent, her wooden sword pointing at the opponent from a distance.
"Luminous Wind!"