In the destroyed village, Dojomaru continued his rampage through the streets, crushing buildings and destroying everything in his path.
Shinobu slowly opened her eyes amid the ruins of the village. Her body was already badly injured from Dojomaru's earlier rampage, and she struggled to move through the debris. Suddenly, the ground shook violently beneath her.
Shinobu looked up and saw Dojomaru, a massive earthworm-like demon, charging toward her. Its enormous, thick body surged across the ruined street, crushing everything beneath it. Shinobu tried to escape, but Dojomaru slammed his huge body into her, throwing her to the ground. Before she could recover, the gigantic demon moved over her and opened its enormous mouth, leaving Shinobu with nowhere to run.
His enormous mouth opened, and he swallowed her in a single motion. When Shinobu opened her eyes again, she found herself trapped inside a strange coffin-like structure within the demon's body. She pushed against the walls, desperately searching for a way out, but the structure would not move.
Outside, Mayumi and several Demon Hunters arrived and surrounded Dojomaru.
Each hunter carried a massive iron chain, and Mayumi quickly began giving them instructions. "Everyone, listen carefully! Follow my movements and don't release the chains!"
The hunters scattered around Dojomaru's enormous earthworm-like body, moving swiftly across the ground as they wrapped the heavy iron chains around his thick, segmented body. Several hunters secured the chains around different sections while others pulled them tight, trying to keep the writhing demon from burrowing into the earth.
Dojomaru suddenly shook his enormous body with tremendous force, throwing two hunters far into the air while another was caught beneath his massive body and crushed against the ground.
"Keep pulling! Don't let him break free!"
The remaining Demon Hunters planted their feet and pulled the chains together.
Dojomaru struggled violently, but the combined strength of the hunters slowly restricted his movements. Mayumi raised one hand and activated her power.
The iron chains began to glow red as intense heat spread through them. The heated metal pressed against Dojomaru's body, burning through his outer layer as the demon screamed and desperately tried to break free.
"Hold him there!"
The hunters continued pulling while Mayumi increased the temperature of the chains. The heated restraints gradually penetrated deeper into Dojomaru's body, cutting through his muscles as the hunters pulled from every direction.
The enormous demon's movements became weaker and weaker until the chains finally cut through his body, separating his massive form into several sections. Dojomaru's screams stopped, and his enormous body became into pieces.
Mayumi immediately rushed toward the iron structure and opened it. Inside, she found Shinobu alive but exhausted.
"Shinobu!"
Mayumi helped her out and immediately called for the medics. The medical team rushed forward and carried Shinobu toward the hospital while Mayumi followed behind, still worried about the condition of the other hunters.
When Mayumi entered the infirmary, she suddenly stopped. Fumika was standing beside the injured Yuka, who was lying near Shinobu's bed. For a moment, Mayumi simply stared at her before tears began filling her eyes. She rushed forward and hugged Fumika tightly.
"You're alive…"
Fumika hugged her back, tears running down her face.
"I'm glad you're here too."
Fumika then told Mayumi that several of her students had also survived and were being treated inside the infirmary.
Mayumi looked around and saw Shin lying on one bed with his eyes covered, Kenzo lying critically injured on another, and Aoi and Riku resting nearby with serious but stable injuries.
Nao and Reika were standing beside them, both looking exhausted from everything they had endured at the shrine.
Mayumi looked toward them. "What happened at the shrine?"
Reika's eyes immediately filled with tears. Aoi moved beside her and supported her while Shin quietly explained what had happened.
"We managed to rescue the villagers, but Kazuto lost his life protecting them."
The room became silent. Mayumi lowered her head as she remembered the young shaman who had fought to protect the villagers.
Nao then asked about the village headquarters.
Fumika answered from behind him, saying that the headquarters was completely surrounded by a thick mist and that anyone who attempted to enter would have their body begin to decay.
Mayumi's expression became serious.
"Then we're going there."
She looked toward Nao, Reika, and Fumika.
"We need to find out what happened to everyone inside."
Shin slowly sat up from the bed. "I'm coming too."
Mayumi turned toward him. "Shin, you're blind."
"I know,"
Shin replied, reaching for his weapon. "But I can still fight."
Mayumi studied him for a moment before finally nodding. The group left the hospital together, heading toward the headquarters while the injured hunters remained under the care of the medics.
Meanwhile, deep inside the village headquarters, Ryuu, Yasuo, and their leader Dajiro were trapped inside the building.
Thick mist surrounded the headquarters from every direction, covering the yard and blocking every exit. The strange fog moved slowly toward the building as if it were alive, making it impossible to see what was hiding beyond it.
Several guards stood nervously near the entrance. One of them cautiously stepped closer to the mist and looked into the mist.
"Stay back," Dajiro warned.
The guard barely had time to turn around.
A rope suddenly shot out from the darkness and wrapped tightly around his leg. He looked down in shock before the rope violently dragged him toward the mist.
"Help me!"
The other guards rushed forward and grabbed his arms, but the force pulling him was too strong. Within seconds, the guard disappeared into the thick fog. His screams echoed from somewhere beyond the mist before abruptly falling silent.
Everyone stood frozen.
Dajiro stared toward the entrance, his expression becoming grim. "Nobody leaves this building."
Yasuo tightened his grip while Ryuu continued staring into the darkness.