DS Chapter 101: Upper Rank Four — Hantengu!
"Caw! Caw! The short-lived ghost is going to die! The short-lived ghost is going to die!"
Without warning, Murata's Kasugai Crow burst into the air, frantically beating its wings.
Its eyes were filled with terror as it screamed at the top of its lungs.
"CAAAAW—!"
A black shadow suddenly appeared beside Murata.
Slash!
With a single swipe of razor-sharp claws, it tore the crow apart.
Almost at the same instant, Ren grabbed Murata and rolled away, widening the distance between them.
Only then did he finally see the newcomer.
The demon wore a dark crimson robe. Two twisted horns protruded from its head, and the kanji "Cowardice" (怯) was carved across its tongue.
It clutched its head with both hands, its back hunched as it trembled pitifully.
"So... so scary..."
Upper Rank Four—
Hantengu.
Ren's expression grew even grimmer.
He hadn't expected the Butterfly Mansion to attract two Upper Ranks in a single night.
Even worse...
Murata's Kasugai Crow had just been killed.
There was no longer any way to send word outside.
---
"Hehehe..."
"What magnificent blood..."
"I've lived for centuries, yet this is the first time I've sensed blood surging with such intensity."
Gyokko's mouths stretched into grotesque smiles.
Whether he was praising Ren or mocking him was impossible to tell.
Meanwhile, Hantengu shuffled toward Ren, trembling with every step.
"Aaaah..."
"Do I really have to get close to him?"
"He's terrifying..."
Murata's entire body froze.
This was his first time facing two Upper Rank demons.
And there were only two Demon Slayers here.
Him...
And Ren.
Then Ren's calm voice broke the silence.
"Murata."
"Your breathing is uneven."
Murata blinked.
Strangely...
The moment he heard those words, his panic eased.
Ren turned slightly and smiled.
"Don't worry."
"As long as I'm here..."
"No one is dying tonight."
"...Okay."
Murata nodded through tear-filled eyes, believing Ren was simply trying to comfort him.
Ren turned back toward the demons.
His expression became completely emotionless.
"Thanks for the compliment."
"It's also my first time seeing such an ugly demon."
"Your artistic taste is truly awful."
"And your vase..."
"It looks a little asymmetrical, doesn't it?"
"...What did you say?!"
Gyokko's eyes instantly became bloodshot.
It felt as though someone had stabbed straight through his heart.
Someone...
Had dared insult his art.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
"Blood Demon Art—Thousand Needle Fish Kill!"
"Stay behind me."
Ren stepped in front of Murata.
His right hand gripped the Nichirin Blade as he lowered his center of gravity into a charging stance.
"Total Concentration."
The blade vibrated.
Fresh oxygen flooded his lungs.
Scorching breath escaped between his lips.
A brilliant flash of steel erupted.
With a sharp metallic hum, blazing heat burst forward, accompanied by visible flames.
"Dragon Breathing—Second Form: Scorching Breath!"
A blazing slash swept across the battlefield.
Every poisonous fish needle that entered its path melted instantly.
But Ren wasn't finished.
He tightened his grip on the sword.
His feet dug deeply into the earth.
The blade rotated from a vertical position into a horizontal sweep.
It began spinning rapidly.
"Dragon Breathing—Fifth Form: Rising Winds, Gathering Clouds!"
Mist exploded outward.
Centered on Ren, dense white fog instantly swallowed the battlefield.
Viewed from afar, it looked like a cloud had descended onto the ground itself.
"...Interesting."
Gyokko smiled instead of attacking.
"This human can perform swordsmanship like this without relying solely on his blade?"
Even Hantengu merely watched.
To the two Upper Ranks...
This was entertainment.
---
Several days earlier...
Ren's appearance had already begun altering the world's original course.
By pure coincidence, Gyokko happened to hear rumors about him while amusing himself.
Finding the story entertaining, Gyokko reported it to Muzan.
After learning that the Demon Slayer Corps' logistics base might have been exposed, Muzan immediately issued new orders.
Following Murata's trail...
Gyokko and Hantengu eventually arrived at the Butterfly Mansion.
---
Back in the present...
The battlefield had disappeared beneath thick fog.
Gyokko rested his chin on one tiny hand, becoming even more intrigued.
Though furious...
He was genuinely curious.
How exactly was this young Demon Slayer planning to hurt him?
After living for hundreds of years...
He had never witnessed such an unusual Breathing Style.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A sonic blast echoed through the mist.
Gyokko and Hantengu immediately looked around.
Nothing attacked.
Moments later...
A strange sound echoed from within the fog.
Flap... flap... flap...
Like enormous wings beating through the night.
Gyokko suddenly looked upward.
Under the moonlit sky...
A figure was dancing through the air.
---
"What is going on?"
"Why hasn't Ren sent us any news?"
Outside the Blood Demon Art's domain, at the Butterfly Mansion—
Kanao had just met Kanao... no, Aoi.
Kanae? No.
Kanao's voice was filled with anxiety.
Aoi wiped the sweat from her forehead, her face pale.
"I couldn't find Master Ren..."
"But..."
"I think I sensed demons."
"...Demons?"
Kanao's eyes widened.
Why would demons appear at the Butterfly Mansion?
This place was hidden deep in the mountains.
Because of the relocation, Lady Shinobu had also gone out.
Right now...
Kanao could only pray that the intruders weren't among the truly powerful demons.
Otherwise...
Tonight would become a disaster.
"Kanao Sister!"
"There's something disgusting over here!"
"It's a huge fish!"
"And it's carrying an ugly jar on its back!"
"HELP!"
The frightened voices of Kiyo, Sumi, and Naho suddenly rang out from outside.
Kanao instantly grabbed her Nichirin Blade and rushed out.
Under the pale moonlight, she saw the three girls running desperately toward her.
Behind them chased a pack of grotesque monsters.
Four-legged.
Fish-headed.
Each carried an enormous twisted jar strapped to its back.
From every angle...
The jars looked strangely asymmetrical.
"Get behind me!"
Kanao moved with incredible speed.
In the blink of an eye, she appeared before the three girls.
The air shifted.
Her graceful arms flowed like flower petals.
"Flower Breathing—Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo!"
With civilians nearby, Kanao deliberately avoided using the devastating Final Form: Equinoctial Vermilion Eye, fearing collateral damage.
The Fourth Form was more than enough.
Petals flashed.
One elegant strike after another.
Every fish-headed monster was cut down where it stood.
Not a single one escaped.
"Kanao Sister!"
"What... what's that?!"
Kiyo pointed toward the edge of the courtyard.
Kanao followed her finger.
She remembered that place.
It was where Ren practiced his swordsmanship every day.
The closest clearing to his room.
Suddenly—
The night air rippled.
It was as though someone had lifted one corner of the darkness itself.
Then...
A blood-soaked figure staggered out from within.