Chapter 139: The End! Fight to Win!!
"One chance!"
When Zohakuten saw Ren standing motionless, a strange feeling of [Karaku] welled up inside him.
Then he opened his mouth, and a shockwave erupted instantly!
Suma and the other two shouted nervously,
"Dragon Hashira, watch out!"
Makio yelled, "There's an old dog trying to sneak up on you! Dragon Hashira, don't fall for it!"
Hinatsuru pulled out a series of kunai and loaded them into her launcher. The mechanism immediately began clicking.
[...]
Meanwhile—
Zohakuten's attack struck Ren directly.
Yet the attacker himself felt no impact.
The next moment, Zohakuten froze.
He watched as Ren's figure, which had been standing there moments ago, gradually faded away!
Zohakuten rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't seeing things.
He really had disappeared!
"Are you done playing?"
Ren's voice suddenly came from behind him.
Zohakuten was startled.
He immediately summoned his wooden dragons for defense while simultaneously putting as much distance between himself and Ren as possible.
Fortunately, Zohakuten's attack had struck Ren again.
There was no way this sensation could be mistaken.
Zohakuten could clearly feel his wooden dragon biting through Ren's shoulder!
But something even stranger happened.
The shoulder that had been bleeding profusely just a moment ago healed silently in the next.
Zohakuten's pupils contracted.
Suddenly, he understood.
Combined with all the abnormalities he had noticed earlier, he was certain this was beyond what swordsmanship could possibly achieve!
This was Blood Demon Art!
Zohakuten suddenly felt somewhat depressed.
He had been fighting for so long, only to discover that his opponent was actually a demon?!
So all of this fighting had merely been a family quarrel!
Ren had already noticed the changes taking place within his body.
He was also deep in thought, attempting to slowly control this new power.
He shouldn't have become a demon.
Yet he had no idea why he could use powers resembling Blood Demon Art.
For example, the technique he had just used—
Dragon Breath, Ninth Form—Dragon Shadow Doppelgänger.
How could mere swordsmanship possibly produce such an effect?
It should have had a great deal to do with the blood Sanemi had given him.
The next moment, Ren moved.
He tentatively stepped forward while simultaneously attempting to use the sword technique he had just learned.
Immediately afterward, a shadow identical to Ren appeared beside him!
Zohakuten was terrified.
And so, the story returned to where it had begun.
"Don't come any closer!!"
Ren blinked.
Sure enough, he didn't move closer.
It wasn't that he didn't want to.
The blood surging through his body was simply moving too violently, causing his limbs to suddenly go numb...
Neither of them could move.
The battlefield fell into a bizarre stalemate.
Suddenly—
A tremendous crash rang out.
Right beside the Kyogoku House, the Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen, and Gyutaro crashed to the ground at the same time.
By now, Uzui Tengen's flamboyant clothes were covered in dust, and his body was riddled with wounds.
Yet his fighting spirit remained blazing.
"Come on! I've completely analyzed your filthy melody!"
[Humans are still humans. No matter how powerful they become in battle, they're nothing more than insignificant insects.]
Gyutaro sneered.
"What good is being handsome? You're still going to die by my hands today!"
The two stood at complete odds with each other.
A battle against Upper Rank Six was actually radiating an aura comparable to that of Upper Rank One!
Suma cried out in surprise,
"Ah! It's Lord Tengen! Lord Tengen is still alive! That's wonderful!"
A heavy knuckle immediately struck Suma on the head.
Makio said impatiently,
"Suma, do you even hear yourself? Don't say anything right now! I'm afraid you'll ruin Lord Tengen's performance!"
Hinatsuru quietly drew another series of kunai, ready to provide support to either side at any moment.
Although her support might not be of much use...
At this moment, Uzui Tengen was engaged in a fierce battle against Gyutaro!
However, after awakening his Mark, Uzui Tengen had become extraordinarily powerful in battle.
His endurance alone had shocked his opponent more than once.
But this was only the beginning!
At this moment, Uzui Tengen thought that Ren's battle must be even more intense.
After all, fighting an Upper Rank Six was already troublesome enough for him.
And Ren's opponent was two ranks higher!
Moreover, that ugly bastard Gyutaro had praised Hantengu earlier.
Ren's battle certainly couldn't be easy either.
With that thought, Uzui Tengen seized an opportunity to glance toward Ren's direction.
Then he saw Ren standing across from the neighboring building, casually playing with a tiny doll while watching him with a pair of sharp eyes...
Ren wasn't the only one watching him.
Even the tiny Hantengu resting in Ren's palm was staring at Uzui Tengen curiously.
Uzui Tengen: "...?"
Huh?
Something was wrong!
Uzui Tengen looked down at his own disheveled appearance, then at Ren, who was still impeccably dressed.
His own clothes were an absolute mess.
His uniform was disheveled.
He had even been poisoned.
And Ren?
He looked completely relaxed.
His sleeves fluttered gently in the breeze, and his clothes were only slightly dirty.
The contrast was immediately obvious!
[Damn it...]
Uzui Tengen cursed with a smile.
[He isn't even looking at me. And I'm supposed to be the flamboyant one...]
Anyone who knew the situation would think they were fighting a war.
Anyone who didn't would think they had come here for a peaceful negotiation!
However, Uzui Tengen also knew that Ren must have gone through a battle.
After all, he had heard the commotion coming from that direction earlier.
He wasn't going to start an unnecessary conflict with Ren over something so trivial.
At this very moment—
A strange smile appeared on Uzui Tengen's face.
He was the dashing and flamboyant Sound Hashira, naturally possessing an extraordinary sensitivity to sound.
Ever since he had heard the sound of Ren's sword being swung, he had known that the end of the Upper Ranks was approaching!
He clearly remembered the distinctive sound of a decapitating strike produced by Ren's blade just now.
Combined with Ren's current condition, only two words remained in Uzui Tengen's mind.
"It's decided!"
Next came the time to reap the fruits of victory!
At that moment, Uzui Tengen's gaze seemed to freeze.
A steady, powerful heartbeat echoed through the night.
The Sound Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps charged fearlessly toward Gyutaro, ignoring the blood running down his forehead and the poison rapidly spreading through his body.
Facing a sky full of blood sickles, he spoke with a狂 laugh,
"The score has already been decided. Now let's seize the victory!!"
At this moment—
The morale of the Demon Slayer Corps had reached an unprecedented height.
It was on fire!
Even the numbness spreading through Ren's body had noticeably diminished.
He raised his head and looked at Zohakuten.
Zohakuten was also baring his teeth at him.
Then Ren placed his blade against Zohakuten's neck.
The demon immediately fell silent...
Ren sneered.
"Looks like demons are even more afraid of death than we humans are?"
Zohakuten was rendered speechless.
But he didn't dare provoke this lord.
After all, the other party still held his lifeline in his hands...
The two simply stared at each other in silence.
Meanwhile, the battle between Uzui Tengen and Gyutaro had become extraordinarily intense!