Marcus Lee, now leaping through the air, suddenly tensed his waist and legs. His body twisted at an impossible angle, hands gripping the hilt of his Sunwheel Blade. From right to left, he swung in a massive, almost flawless arc.
This move was essentially an imitation of the Water Wheel technique, a modified version used by the original protagonist, Tanjiro.
The multiple arms that had been covering the Hand Demon's neck were sliced, leaving a smooth cut.
It seemed like a small effect at first.
"General!"
Because of momentum, Marcus inevitably crashed to the ground. Several of the Hand Demon's arms had already grabbed his limbs, and the tearing pain began to register.
Yet he remained perfectly calm, speaking with measured composure.
The next moment, the initial cut at the Hand Demon's neck rapidly widened.
Its grotesque, twisted head slowly began to recoil.
"What?"
The Hand Demon's pupils shrank in sudden alarm.
What a joke.
How could it die here?
After consuming so many humans and wielding such powerful Blood Demon Arts, how could it be defeated by such a mere human?
It refused to accept it.
It was inconceivably unwilling to die here!
"Jakonji!!"
Marcus could not have predicted that the Hand Demon's hatred for the former Water Pillar outweighed its resentment toward him.
The arms that had been tearing at his limbs crumbled into nothing, disintegrating at a speed visible to the eye, like a burning haystack turning to ash.
"Cough… cough…"
Marcus began to cough violently. Each breath felt like sandpaper scraping across his chest. The lower and middle parts of his torso ached fiercely.
He could no longer maintain his breathing technique and collapsed onto the ground.
His overexerted limbs throbbed painfully, and his breathing became chaotic.
It felt as though something was blocking him, air refusing to enter no matter how he inhaled, refusing to exit fully when he exhaled. The sensation was maddening.
'I can't die here, can I?'
His mind raced with anxious thoughts.
Though his body was in terrible condition, his spirit was brimming with energy.
The series of battles over these past few days, teetering on the edge of life and death, had sharpened his abilities far more effectively than any tedious training ever could.
Especially defeating the Hand Demon while being so much weaker.
It felt as if he had undergone a spiritual transformation. On Mt. Fujiwara, he now had the confidence to face any demon calmly and knew he could win.
Slowly, he sat upright, coughing, blood streaking his spit.
'This must be a normal reaction from using Total Concentration Breathing,' he reasoned, comforting himself.
In his previous life, he might already have been on his way to the emergency room.
Suppressing his weakness, Marcus picked up the broken Sunwheel Blade, stretching his aching arms. His eyes swept over his surroundings with calm confidence.
The ever-present sense of being watched returned.
Some demons, hoping to profit from the chaos, lingered in the shadows. Night concealed their figures, but not the stench of their putrid bodies.
Even in his weakened state, Marcus felt no fear of the hidden demons.
Sure enough, one moved silently, attempting an attack from behind.
It was an old acquaintance.
The long-haired demon, unable to restrain its impatience, leapt high. Its sharp right claw aimed directly at the back of Marcus's head.
It assumed this was the perfect moment, seeing him so weak.
The mountain was eerily quiet at night, but Marcus was far from deaf. How could he not hear the rustling behind him?
He could not sense intent, but he could hear sound.
Tilting his head slightly, his indifferent gaze met the airborne demon, calm and unhesitant. He timed his action perfectly.
When the claw came within two fists' length of his head, Marcus swung his blade. Though he reacted later, he struck first with absolute precision, severing the demon's neck.
"How… how could this be?"
The long-haired demon could not comprehend it. Its power seemed far beyond yesterday's, yet this human had surpassed him.
"Experience in life-and-death battles will improve anyone who survives. Is that so hard to understand?"
"Relying on killing humans as a shortcut may seem efficient, but it only limits your own potential."
Marcus looked at the severed head, expressionless.
A human who had endured several deadly fights could he still be considered ordinary?
Having faced no choice but to fight, having once run out of fear, these few days' experiences outweighed over twenty years of his previous life.
After a brief pause, Marcus remained standing, waiting. No other demons approached.
He was, of course, bluffing.
In his current state, if multiple demons attacked simultaneously, what could he do?
Yet, even so, a few were visibly intimidated.
'After passing the final selection, I will never join the Demon Slayer Corps.'
Feeling his eyelids grow heavy, he focused on distracting his mind.
'I don't have the skills of Gyokko or the potential of the upper pillars. Fighting Muzan directly wouldn't make much difference. Why not just live my life elsewhere?'
Marcus, detached from the world yet fully present in it, silently decided to follow his own path.