At that moment, footsteps echoed through the chamber as a new demon stepped through the door. Following him were another demon, both of them resembled humans aside from their distinctive demonic traits: tails, pale skin, markings, and demon eyes.
"Oh, you were simply amazing, Flower Hashira, Kanae Kocho! Tsk... I didn't expect Upper Moon Two to be beheaded in a single strike. Did we overestimate him, Toguro?" one of the demons sneered.
Unlike the others, this demon wore a neat, formal suit, appearing almost human except for his deathly pale skin and the two horns protruding from his head. The kanji for "Upper Rank" and the daiji for "Three" were etched into his irises.
And he's the demon who used a gravity-based Blood Demon Art to stop Ryou from finishing off Muzan.
"Forget him," muttered another demon with a jagged tail and cracked, stone-like skin. His fevered gaze locked onto Kanae. "I'm more interested in her. I can't wait to ravage her... to taste her."
The kanji for "Upper Rank" and the daiji for "Five" glowed in his eyes.
Sensing the overwhelming pressure emanating from the two, Kanae's instincts flared. Their presence was only slightly weaker than Doma's. "You two... are Upper Moons?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she noticed the numbers in their eyes.
"Oh my, where are my manners?" the suited demon chuckled. "I'm Upper Moon Three, Raizen. And he's Upper Moon Five, Toguro."
"Raizen, enough chatter. Muzan-sama ordered us to kill the human named Ryou. Let's dispose of her and go after him," Toguro said coldly, suppressing his urge to ravage Kanae.
"Why are you always impatient? Use your brain a little," Raizen replied with a sly smile. "Nakime has already informed me that the human named Ryou is on his way here. And it seems he cares deeply for this girl. If we capture her, we can make him dance to our tune."
Kanae's heart pounded. Not good. They're after Ryou. I can't let them capture me.
But, already exhausted from her battle with Doma, she knew she couldn't withstand another fight against two demons of that level. Before she could try anything, Kanae felt her body bound by an invisible force.
'What?!' Kanae reacted, but she couldn't break free from the demon's grasp. 'What kind of Blood Demon Art is this? I couldn't move!"
"Alright, Toguro, use your Blood Demon Art and attach the Explosive Blood Seeds to her. That human isn't an ordinary demon slayer; his strength is ridiculous." Raizen instructed, recalling Ryou's skill that nearly killed Muzan-sama.
But just as Raizen finished his words, a sharp crack resounded from above. With a violent crash, Ryou's figure burst through the ceiling, fragments of the castle's floor scattering as he landed.
The ground trembled, and the wooden floor shattered under Ryou's landing. His presence radiated an overwhelming aura that even Raizen felt his body go tense.
Upper Moon Five, Toguro, on the other hand, was left breathless, cold sweat dripping down his forehead as he struggled under the suffocating weight of his aura.
Ryou's cold gaze fixed on Raizen, whose Blood Demon Art was still restraining Kanae.
In that instant, Raizen's instincts screamed. Without a moment's hesitation, he instinctively deactivated his Blood Demon Art that was restraining Kanae, retreating a step back.
Ignoring the demons entirely, Ryou walked straight toward Kanae.
"Raizen..." Toguro called, his tone slightly stern.
"I'm sorry. If I had been even a second later, I have no doubt my head would be rolling on the floor by now. He's terrifying… even scarier than Muzan-sama." Raizen shook his head. From his actions, it could be seen that he was a cautious demon, much like Muzan himself.
'How did he get here so quickly, bypassing Nakime's ability?' Raizen's eyes narrowed as he looked at Ryou.
"Are you alright, Kanae?" Ryou asked, his voice filled with concern as he glanced at her condition.
Kanae nodded weakly. "Yes... But they're not ordinary demons. They appear to be newly promoted Upper Moons, and it seems their target is you."
"Yeah," Ryou said and scanned her body using Transparent World. He noticed Doma's Blood Demon Art still lingering within her. Some of her cells had been frozen, and although the damage wasn't life-threatening, it would affect her ability to perform Total Concentration Breathing at full strength.
"Your lungs have been affected by Doma's ice," Ryou said. "You'll need treatment. If you strain yourself too much, the damage might become permanent. Take rest and leave everything to me."
Kanae's eyes blazed with determination as she clenched her fists. "I can still fight!" She wants to stand beside Ryou and fight.
"No need." Ryou stood tall, his gaze shifting back to the two demons. "They are just some small fries!"
The atmosphere grew tense as the two demons felt Ryou's gaze, feeling as if a mountain was pressing down on them. Even as demons, they were suppressed by his strong presence. But his words struck a nerve, igniting their anger.
"You shouldn't have touched my Kanae," Ryou said, his voice cold.
---
Silence ensued, only for a moment, before the two demons sprang into action. Though they were overwhelmed by Ryou's strength, they still took action.
Raizen was the first to move, stretching out both hands, both of which were covered in metallic gloves. With explosive force on his feet, he leaped high and came crashing down, delivering a devastating punch aimed straight at Ryou.
Having already experienced the demon's Blood demon art, Ryou hardened his muscles with Tekkai.
As expected, the demon's punch unleashed a gravitational force that pressed down on him, trying to crush his body. The punch hurtled toward his head with crushing force.
Though his movements felt heavy under the crushing gravity, Ryou's Tekkai and powerful physique allowed him to adapt. He steadied himself and parried the strike with his Nichirin sword.
Bang! A thunderous boom echoed as the clash sent a shockwave rippling through the air. The intense gravitational force pressed down on Ryou's Nichirin blade, causing a faint crack to spread along its edge.
Before Ryou could push him away, countless tiny lights, like glowing fireflies, swarmed in from all directions. Explosive Fire Seeds! Upper Moon Five rushed toward Ryou, activating his blood demon art.
Ryou quickly distanced himself from Upper Moon Three and waved his sword with precise movements, slicing through the glowing fireflies. One of the fireflies that escaped his blade detonated with a loud bang, releasing a wave of scorching flames.
The mini-explosion wasn't even strong enough to graze Ryou's clothes. The flames, however, didn't vanish after the explosion, but they twisted and pursued him, controlled by Upper Moon Five.
With a powerful swing of his sword, Ryou unleashed gusts of wind blades, which sliced through the fire, splitting it into fragments.
As Ryou dealt with the flames, Upper Moon Three suddenly appeared before him. 'Blood Demon Art: Gravity Crush!'
The atmosphere shifted abruptly. A crushing force slammed down, increasing the gravity around Ryou fivefold, trying to pin him to the ground. The sudden pressure caught him off guard for a split second.
Seizing the moment, Upper Moon Three drove his fist into Ryou's chest with full force. The blow sent Ryou flying backward, crashing through the walls of the Infinity Castle as dust and debris exploded into the air.
Despite the powerful blow from Raizen, Ryou rose from the rubble, his body unharmed, except for the damage to his clothes.
'How is this possible? Not even a scratch!' Upper Moon Three frowned, his mind thinking. 'Not only did I increase the gravity around him, but I also lightened the gravity around myself to enhance my strength and used Force. That strike should have destroyed any normal human!'
"He's a human with limited energy. We can win!" Upper Moon Five declared.
Ryou casually dusted off his clothes, his expression unbothered. His gaze fell on his Nichirin sword, noticing a crack from its clash with the Upper Moon Three.
With a quiet sigh, he sheathed the damaged blade. That sword had been with him for a long time, but now it was damaged.
Walking forward, Ryou stretched out his hand, and a new sword appeared in his grip. The blade was a deep, shimmering purple, slightly longer than his Nichirin sword, radiating a fierce, cutting intent while its sharp edge gleamed under the light.
This was Ikazuchi, the sword he got from the system. He had never needed to use it before, because there was no worthy enemy. But now, it was time to show its might.
The battle erupted once more.
With an explosive force, Ryou dashed forward, his figure disappearing from sight in an instant.
'Nature Breathing: Eighth Form—Time Zone.' Ryou didn't even give the demons a chance to activate their Blood Demon Art.
In Time Zone, everything around him seemed to slow down with his speed multiplied exponentially. With a precise swing of his sword, Ikazuchi, which was imbued with Natural energy, it sliced cleanly through Upper Moon Three's neck.
Raizen's eyes widened in shock, his hands instinctively reaching for his throat as blood slowly trickled down. A moment later, his head slid from his neck and fell to the ground.
Ryou didn't stop; his figure became a blur as he decapitated the Upper Moon Five.
'You...' Raizen gasped, his voice filled with disbelief. His head began to disintegrate, his body crumbling to dust. He began to understand, from the start...they never stood a chance. This human is ridiculously strong.
Ryou stood amidst the disintegrating ashes of the four and uttered softly, "Weak! They weren't even as strong as Upper Moon Six. It seems Muzan made them in a hurry."