Chapter 130: I'm Scared!
The moment Ren finished speaking, Daki's expression froze.
Then her entire body began trembling uncontrollably.
Her lips quivered.
"W-What do you mean?"
"Nothing."
Ren's gaze was as calm as still water.
"I just think that human desire is sometimes like fire. It draws nourishment from whatever kindling it can find, then spreads without restraint."
"But eventually, the wood slowly turns to charcoal... until all that remains is a pile of ash."
Daki's heart jolted violently at those words.
Ren's face was cold as frost, his expression as tranquil as a still lake. He leisurely took a sip from the tea on the table.
Yet beneath that calm exterior, a storm was brewing.
In a daze, Daki seemed to see a gigantic beast she had never encountered before lurking behind Ren's tranquil figure.
Ren's voice continued to echo in her ears.
"Do you know? Fate is truly strange. People say demons are the enemies of humanity. You were humiliated and driven to death by humans, so I don't blame you for becoming a demon."
"You were given the opportunity to become a demon. I can't blame you for accepting it, either."
"You slaughtered people at will and indulged your desires. I shouldn't be the one to punish you for that."
"But under no circumstances should you have accepted Douma's blood!"
That was also the second reason Ren wanted to kill Daki.
Everything connected to Douma deserved to die!
The number representing her Upper Rank flashed before Daki's eyes.
But it was already too late.
Crack!
Her head was severed cleanly from her body.
Blood sprayed several paces away as the Dragon Hashira unleashed his fury!
Ren's second attack struck Daki's body at astonishing speed.
Unable to resist any longer, Gyutaro finally tore himself free from his sister's body.
"Blood Demon Art: Rampant Arrogance!"
Countless blood sickles whirled through the air.
Yet Ren's blade seemed to have eyes of its own. After slipping through the overwhelming area attack, it still struck precisely toward Gyutaro.
What incredible swordsmanship!
Gyutaro had barely emerged halfway when Ren's blade sliced cleanly through his waist.
But Gyutaro had no time to think.
If he hadn't twisted his body at the last moment, that strike would have killed him outright!
"Blood Demon Art: Flying Blood Sickles!"
The demon who had been severed at the waist let out a shrill scream.
At the critical moment, he immediately unleashed his second Blood Demon Art.
This time, he was smarter.
He retreated while using his Blood Demon Art, barely managing to widen the distance between himself and Ren.
Relying on his powerful regenerative ability, he quickly regenerated his severed body.
Crack—
A new lower half grew from his body.
Gyutaro landed firmly on the ground.
Ren and Gyutaro stared directly at each other.
This was the first time Ren had truly seen Upper Rank Six.
Heavy iron shackles were fastened around the demon's hands, waist, and neck. The restraints distorted Gyutaro's body, making his already terrifying appearance even more grotesque.
Gyutaro was different from Enmu.
Enmu had been outmaneuvered by Ren's scheme. He had even been unable to eat his fill before dying, giving Ren an opportunity to exploit.
But Gyutaro—
Ren was now facing him at the peak of his strength.
The once-clean room had become a complete mess, with Daki's blood splattered everywhere.
Gyutaro stared darkly at Ren.
"Eh? How did you know I was inside her body?"
Gyutaro scratched at his face.
The flesh beneath his fingers immediately became a bloody mess, yet he seemed completely incapable of feeling pain and continued scratching vigorously.
His mind was filled with confusion, but he couldn't figure out how Ren had discovered him.
Ren smiled faintly.
"Because you're too noisy."
The moment he finished speaking, he turned around and severed Daki's newly reattached head once again.
Daki was instantly dumbfounded.
This was the first time she had ever encountered a situation where her brother had emerged, yet her opponent still focused his attacks entirely on her...
A moment later, intense resentment erupted from Daki's boiling emotions.
You bullied me when my brother wasn't here, and you bullied me even after my brother came out! Then what was the point of my brother coming out?! Waaah—!
"Don't bully Ume!"
Seeing his sister clutching her head and crying, Gyutaro immediately became frantic.
He rushed forward with his two enormous sickles.
That was exactly what Ren wanted.
[Bullet Domain—Release!]
[Super Memory State—Release!]
[Total Concentration: Draw!]
"Dragon Breathing, Third Form—A Single Thought, a Hundred Flowers Bloom!"
Whoosh!
Sword light flashed.
Blood bloomed like a storm of sickles.
Ren's blade flashed first, descending before Gyutaro's sickles could reach him.
The sound of metal being cut apart rang through the room.
At the instant their weapons collided, Gyutaro could even see the vibration frequency of the tip of Ren's blade.
Clang—!
The iron shackle around Gyutaro's neck was sliced cleanly apart.
So was his neck.
The force behind that sword was enough to cut through steel!
However, before Gyutaro's head could completely fly away, a sash suddenly struck toward Ren.
Ren instinctively dodged.
But the sash changed direction without hesitation and flew straight toward Gyutaro.
The next instant, it pierced through his head and body.
The moment it penetrated Gyutaro's flesh, it transformed into living flesh itself, connecting his severed head and body together!
A glint flashed through Ren's eyes.
His figure blurred.
He immediately swung his blade again, severing the Upper Rank's head!
But it was already too late.
Gyutaro's head had already healed.
Upper Rank Six's head was firmly reattached to his body.
Ren narrowed his eyes.
Then he casually turned his blade toward Daki beside him and severed her head once again.
Daki: "???"
Ren had underestimated these demonic siblings.
Just now, he had used the strongest single-target attack in his Dragon Breathing arsenal, intending to kill his opponent by surprise.
However, the speed at which the demon siblings could reconnect their heads was simply too fast.
So fast that Ren had only managed to make one move before Daki had already reattached her head—and then reattached Gyutaro's.
At this moment, Gyutaro's heart was also pounding violently.
Although he had been somewhat reckless just now, his strength was still formidable.
He had never expected his opponent to sever his head with a single strike!
If his sister hadn't intervened just now, the battle might already have been over.
Strangely enough, after narrowly escaping death, the first thing Gyutaro thought about wasn't how powerful Ren was.
Instead, he was relieved that he had always let his sister reattach her own head.
Looks like in today's battle, I only need to have Daki keep reattaching her head.
Ren's thoughts happened to coincide with Gyutaro's.
Since they were twin demons, if he couldn't sever both of their heads simultaneously, then all he needed to do was make sure Daki's head remained separated.
Ren struck twice.
Daki's head was sliced into two pieces.
Then he immediately charged toward Gyutaro!
...
At the same time, elsewhere.
Suma, guarding the outskirts of the Entertainment District, clasped her hands together and prayed in terror.
"Lord Dragon Hashira, please protect me... Lord Tengen, please protect me..."
Suma's actions were extraordinarily devout, as though her prayers came straight from the bottom of her heart.
As she spoke, someone suddenly turned into the alley where she was stationed.
Normally, the alley was deserted, and few people ever entered it.
Suma saw the newcomer wearing a red robe and walking with a hunched back.
She assumed it was simply an old man who had taken a wrong turn.
Suma wiped away her tears and stepped forward.
"Old man, you've taken a wrong turn. It's dangerous here."
"Dangerous?!"
The moment the hunched figure heard the word dangerous, it immediately began crying, just like Suma had earlier.
"Ahhh—then can you protect me? I'm scared!"