Shinichi who had activated the Blood Demon Art: Raging Blood, reached an extreme speed, making it impossible for Maru-ni attacks to even graze his clothes.
However, the constant evasion left Shinichi feeling deeply frustrated.
The demon blood within him was boiling and an invisible rage was building up.
The only reason he had endured until now was because he sensed the profound hatred for demons emanating from Shingaku. Perhaps it was their shared loathing for demons that made Shinichi reluctant to strike back at Shingaku.
But everyone has their limits, especially demons. The Demon Slayer Corps member, Ryuchi, who had been kicked away by Shinichi in a fit of anger, was still slumped by the tree, unable to get up.
Finally, in an instant
Clang!!
The black claws and the blue Nichirin Blade clashed countless times, sparking numerous flashes of light.
Ssss!!
The sharp Nichirin Blade pierced through Shinichi palm and scorching blood gushed out from the wound, sizzling as it dripped onto the blade.
Seizing this opportunity, Shinichi firmly grasped Shingaku Nichirin Blade.
Enduring the excruciating pain in his palm and the chilling aura emanating from the Nichirin Blade, Shinichi expression turned ferocious.
He roared at Shingaku
"STOP IT!!"
Seeing the sharp fangs in Shinichi mouth, Shingaku veins bulged on his forehead as he mustered all his strength.
"IN YOUR DREAMS!!"
Ssss!
As the stalemate between the human and the demon continued, Shinichi could feel his boiling blood gradually cooling and the power of the Raging Blood slowly fading.
But he was completely unable to break free from the relentless stubborn Demon Slayer Corps member.
What should he do!?
Wait! Where was Maru-ni?
Why hadn't he heard Maru-ni voice since earlier?
Shingaku was also gritting his teeth, persisting.
He could feel the demon strength waning and the scorching aura around him diminishing.
Just a little longer!
Just a little longer!
Soon, he would...!!
Swish! Swish! Swish!
At that moment, a sudden change occurred.
From the lush forest, several black shadows shot out at an incredible speed, creating a whistling sound in the air.
Simultaneously, Shinichi mind received a frantic warning from Maru-ni.
"Bastard! Let go! It's dangerous!"
Shinichi instinctively shouted at Shingaku, but Shingaku remained unmoved.
"Don't try to trick me! Die...!"
Ssss!!
Before he could finish, Shingaku body suddenly trembled.
The sound of a blade piercing flesh rang out and the hand gripping the Nichirin Blade slowly lost its strength.
His vision began to blur and his Nichirin Blade fell to the ground.
Disappearing, fading, a faint green light flashed in Shinichi eyes.
He seemed to see the vibrant green life force rapidly draining from Shingaku body.
Looking down, he saw a blood-dripping rope protruding from Shingaku chest.
Yes, a rope! A rope had pierced through Shingaku chest.
From that rope, Shinichi sensed an exceptionally terrifying and dense demonic aura.
Powerful!
Extremely powerful!
Far more powerful than any demon Shinichi had encountered before. Compared to the demon manipulating this rope, the strongest demon Shinichi had faced, Karasuma, was not even worth a finger of this demon.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
By the time Shinichi reacted, broke free from the stalemate and rushed behind Shingaku to cut the hemp rope, it was already too late.
Shingaku body was yanked away from Shinichi like a ragdoll and the two exchanged one final glance. In Shingaku eyes, as he teetered on the brink of death, there was still an endless hatred.
He hated Shinichi to his last breath—or rather, he hated the Demon.
"So fast!!"
It wasn't just one hemp rope that appeared out of thin air, but four or five of them.
Besides Shingaku, the injured Demon Slayer Corps member, Ryuchi was also bound by the ropes.
Meanwhile, Shinichi companion, Maru-ni, was lying on the ground, his body mangled and bloody, emitting faint groans.
However, the Demon blood within Maru-ni was rapidly healing his wounds.
"Maru-ni!"
Before Shinichi could react further, the ropes, as if alive, swiftly retracted like serpents into the air.
Shinichi, standing there, seemed to be completely ignored.
"STOP!"
Shinichi roared in anger and alarm, stomping the ground as he prepared to give chase. But misfortune struck—his heart suddenly trembled and his muscles felt as if struck by lightning, going numb.
A sudden wave of exhaustion swept over his entire body.
"Damn it, the time limit for the Raging Blood is up! No! I can't let that guy get away. Those two Demon Slayer Corps members are definitely in danger!"
Forcing himself to suppress the overwhelming fatigue, Shinichi took off in pursuit.
But the next second, he paused, his gaze falling on the Nichirin Blade lying on the ground.
*****
"Kawachi, do you smell that? This scent... it's kind of like barley tea?" Behind Kawachi, Hatamoto sniffed the air suspiciously.
As they got closer to the Shirai ruins, the faint aroma of barley tea in the air grew stronger.
Kawachi gripped the hilt of his Nichirin Blade, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.
Aside from the tea-like scent in the air, the eerily silent environment alone was enough to make Kawachi heart race.
It was at this moment that footsteps echoed behind Kawachi.
His hand on the hilt tightened immediately, but it turned out to be two Corps members who had rushed over from the south after receiving a message from the Kasugai Crow.
Now, four Demon Slayer swordsmen had gathered here.
"Kawachi-senpai, we're not late, are we?"
Kawachi shook his head. Shortly after, another Demon Slayer Corps member arrived, looking anxious.
"Kawachi-senpai, Elder Moriki said he has something important to take care of and told me to come here first. He'll join us later."
As expected, Elder Moriki was occupied with something.
Kawachi had anticipated this, but he also trusted that Elder Moriki skills were formidable, so he wasn't overly worried.
What concerned Kawachi was that there was still no news from the other two members, Shingaku and Ryuchi.
Kawachi gestured to the two members who had come from the direction of Shingaku group, asking if they had any information about them.
"Shingaku and Ryuchi? We didn't encounter them on the way. We came here as soon as we received the Kasugai Crow message" one of the Demon Slayer members replied, shaking his head.
Kawachi brow furrowed.
Logically, Shingaku group should have been the closest to them and the Kasugai Crow would have notified them first.
Yet, everyone else had arrived here, while Shingaku and Ryuchi were still missing.
Could something have happened to them?
Suddenly, an overwhelmingly thick scent of blood assaulted Kawachi nostrils.
Everyone present caught the abrupt stench of blood, and their expressions drastically changed.
Kawachi waved his hand, signaling the others to follow, then took the lead, sprinting in the direction from which the blood scent emanated.
At the same time, the sound of flapping wings echoed from the sky.
"Southwest direction! Southwest direction! Shingaku has encountered a Demon! Shingaku has encountered a Demon!"
It was Shingaku Kasugai crow.
*****
By the Shirai ruins, on a wide open ground, stood numerous slender hemp ropes, as straight as steel rods.
From these dozens of ropes, dark red, viscous liquid dripped continuously—it was blood!
Human blood!
Looking up along the ropes, even the bravest of humans would feel their hearts chill.
Dozens of humans were skewered on the ropes like candied haws, the ropes piercing through their bodies from bottom to top.
Most of them had already lost their lives, with only a few occasionally twitching.
The blood they shed soaked the ground below.
Most of these people wore long or short robes made of coarse cloth, with scattered weapons like axes and hunting knives at their feet.
They seemed to be the reckless young men from Shirai Village who had ventured into Shirai Mountain.
Creak, creak!
Suddenly, the seemingly decayed water-drawing tool well began to turn.
As if in response, one of the standing hemp ropes violently twisted and rapidly extended.
A young man who was still alive and skewered on the rope was twisted and torn apart like a doll.
Crack! Crack!
"AHHHHHHH!!!!"
The young man let out a heart-wrenching scream. His body was brutally twisted and torn apart by the rope, like a piece of twisted hemp.
Blood cascaded down the rope like a waterfall.
A large amount of blood abruptly surged toward a wooden table that had suddenly appeared by the well.
On the table, a dark red teapot emitted an eerie glow.
A hemp rope extended into the pot and blood flowed down the rope into the teapot.
In front of the table, a burly figure sat quietly.
He wore a deep gray robe, with disheveled black hair and a thick black beard covering his chin. Black patterns roamed across his face, and his golden sclera was even more peculiar—his left eye seemed to have something inscribed on it.
Upon closer inspection, it read "Lower Four"!
"Hmph! Disturbing me at such a time? Ruining this pot of fine tea, truly... damnable!"
Crack!
The teacup in his hand was instantly crushed into powder.