'Has Shingaku and the others really encountered danger?'
Kawachi heart was filled with anxiety.
He was deeply worried about the safety of his two companions, but the increasingly strong smell of blood also kept him from leaving.
The direction from which the blood scent was coming must have a very powerful Demon.
The blood scent was so thick and fresh, that Demon must be slaughtering humans!
It must be stopped!
Ahead, dense bushes blocked their path.
Without hesitation, Kawachi drew his Nichirin Blade, stepped firmly on the ground, and gripped the hilt horizontally, silently reciting in his heart.
"Wind Breathing, Third Form: Clear Storm Wind Tree!"
A howling whirlwind, wrapped in the light of the blade, instantly shattered the obstructing bushes, revealing the scene behind them to everyone.
"What is that!"
Even though they had mentally prepared themselves, when the hellish scene appeared before their eyes, several Demon Slayer Corps members couldn't help but gasp in shock.
They saw dozens of straight hemp ropes, each skewering a human like a blood gourd.
The ground beneath their feet was completely soaked in crimson blood. By the Shirai well lay several corpses, twisted into the shape of a hemp rope, completely unrecognizable as human.
But what caught the attention of the Demon Slayer Corps members the most was the burly figure sitting by the Shirai well, their back turned to them.
That aura—it was definitely a Demon!
Swish, swish, swish!
All the members drew their Nichirin Blades in unison, their muscles tensed, and they pointed their blades in high alert toward the seated Demon.
The Demon, as if cooperating, turned his head to look at these Demon Slayer swordsmen who had come for him.
There are characters! This Demon eyes have characters!!
Kawachi eyes widened instantly, his right hand gripping the blade so tightly it turned white.
What did he see?
The Demon right eye actually had characters!
What did this mean?
The Demon before them was one of the Twelve Kizuki!
The Twelve Kizuki, the twelve strongest Demons under the command of the Demon King Muzan, each with terrifying strength and countless humans devoured.
They were divided into Upper and Lower Ranks.
In the hundreds of years of the Demon Slayer Corps' history, the strongest swordsmen were called Hashira.
Over the centuries, countless powerful Hashira-level swordsmen had emerged, but not a single Hashira had ever managed to kill an Upper Rank Demon.
The number of Lower Rank Demons killed was also extremely rare and how many Hashira had sacrificed their lives over the centuries?
This was bad.
The Demon right eye was engraved with "Lower Four," clearly indicating he was a Lower Rank Demon, specifically the fourth Lower Rank Demon.
A Demon of this strength could probably only be dealt with by swordsmen of the Kinoe, Kinoto, or Hinoe ranks. But currently, the strongest swordsmen here were only himself and Hatamoto, both of them is Tsuchinoto rank.
Kawachi hand gripping the blade involuntarily began to sweat.
"Demon Slayer Corps? It's been over a decade since I last encountered you. It seems I've been too careless recently, exposing my whereabouts at Shirai Mountain. A place like this, so suitable for brewing tea, is not easy to find. What a pity, and how infuriating. Since that's the case, the last pot of good tea shall be brewed with your blood" the bearded Demon muttered to himself.
"Lower Rank Demon! You're a Lower Rank Demon!"
A nervous voice rang out from behind Kawachi. Demon Slayer Corps member Hatamoto, trembling as he gripped the hilt of his Nichirin Blade, mustered the courage to talk.
Upon hearing this, the Demon gave a sinister smile, revealing his sharp fangs.
"The one who will kill you is me Lower Moon Four—Rokuro!"
Boom!!
As soon as Rokuro finished speaking, several hemp ropes suddenly shot out from the bushes behind him. Bound to the ropes were two swordsmen wearing the Demon Slayer Corps uniform, one of whom had already lost all signs of life.
"Shingaku! Ryuchi!" The Demon Slayer Corps members widened their eyes, immediately recognizing their two companions.
The hemp ropes, stained with the blood of the Demon Slayer Corps members, floated to Rokuro mouth.
he extended his tongue and licked the blood.
"Mmm, as expected of Demon Slayers. The blood of trained individuals is far more delicious than that of mere woodcutters and farmers!" Rokuro said with satisfaction.
"Damn it!!" This scene clearly enraged the other Demon Slayer Corps members.
Kawachi knew very well that their group was no match for this Lower Moon Demon.
The only thing they could do now was to stall this Lower Moon Demon as long as possible and survive until reinforcements from the Demon Slayer Corps arrived!
Just moments ago, he had secretly used his left hand behind his back to send a signal to the Kasugai Crow in the sky, urgently requesting backup!
Coincidentally, Kawachi clearly remembered that before they came to Shirai Mountain for their mission, they had encountered the Flame Hashira on the way.
The Flame Hashira seemed to be on a mission nearby as well. What did this mean?
As long as they were fast enough and held on long enough, perhaps they could survive until the Kasugai Crow brought reinforcements from the Flame Hashira!
Thinking of this, Kawachi heart instantly became resolute and his gaze toward Rokuro now carried a hint of determination and fearlessness.
*****
Closer, much closer!
The powerful aura of the Demon was getting nearer.
Maru-ni, who had recovered from his injuries, was swiftly chasing the lingering scent left on the hemp rope.
Shinichi, carrying the Nichirin Blade wrapped in tattered cloth, closely followed behind Maru-ni.
With a claw, Shinichi tore through the dense vines blocking their path, and his vision suddenly became clear.
But in an instant, Shinichi pupils constricted sharply and he immediately came to a halt.
Following his gaze, he saw a figure lying on the ground not far ahead—or rather, a corpse.
Blood mixed with countless shattered internal organs was splattered on the ground. The entire body, except for the head, was completely mangled, resembling the cause of death of the corpse Shinichi had seen earlier.
The bloodstains at the corners of the mouth had already begun to dry, and the eyes still held the terror and confusion of the moment before death.
The scent of blood at the tip of his nose was still strong. This person had likely been brutally killed just over ten minutes ago.
Shinichi instantly realized the severity of the situation.
But before he could think further, Maru-ni suddenly began howling in a certain direction.
The intense sounds of battle nearby immediately caught his attention. Turning his head for one last look at the tragic corpse, a faint green light flashed in Shinichi eyes and he immediately sprinted toward the source of the battle.
*****
"Strong! Too strong! We're no match for it at all!" a Demon Slayer Corps member shouted in despair.
He had used all his strength to barely slash through the hemp rope attacking him. The moment his Nichirin Blade made contact with the rope, it felt as if he had struck diamond, and the base of his thumb even split open from the impact.
But ropes like these surrounded the Lower Moon Demon in dozens and these ropes seemed to have a life of their own, attacking the Demon Slayer Corps members from all directions.
What was even more terrifying was that the Demon named Rokuro was watching the entire scene without moving an inch, even leisurely fiddling with the tea set in front of him.
In just two minutes, Rokuro had brutally slaughtered two of the five Demon Slayer Corps members. Only Kawachi, a Tsuchinoto rank swordsman and Hatamoto were barely holding on.
Behind Rokuro, two broken bodies of Demon Slayer Corps members were already strung up on the towering ropes like trophies.
Besides Kawachi and Hatamoto, there was also a Tsuchinoe-level swordsman, Kippei, who was wielding his Nichirin Blade.
But for him, everything around him was like hell.
Not to mention the terrifying ropes, just the title of Lower Moon Demon was enough to terrify him.
He had only joined the Demon Slayer Corps a year ago and had no courage to face one of the Twelve Kizuki.
The gruesome corpses of his comrades on the ropes constantly stimulated Kippei nerves.
Clang!!
A swift rope struck his Nichirin Blade and the terrifying force made it impossible for Kippei to hold onto his blade.
The Nichirin Blade was instantly knocked away, and this desperate scene became the final straw that broke the camel back.
Kippei eyes filled with terror, and he instinctively turned and ran.
"I can't win! There's no way I can win! I don't want to die! No!"
But no matter how fast Kippei was, he couldn't outrun Rokuro ropes.
Thud!!
As easily as piercing tofu, the rope instantly pierced through Kippei chest.
"Kippei! Damn it! Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel!"
Seeing another comrade die tragically, Hatamoto body spun rapidly and the Nichirin Blade in his hand seemed to surge with torrential water.
A swift strike immediately severed a rope that was trying to sneak attack.
But what made Hatamoto despair was that after cutting one rope, three or even four more ropes took its place.
The ropes surrounding him and Kawachi were increasing, while their stamina was rapidly depleting.
The Nichirin Blade clashed with dozens of ropes, sparking countless sparks.
Kawachi forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat and his hand holding the Nichirin Blade was completely numb.
Desperately using Wind Breathing had already pushed his body and internal organs to the brink of collapse.
With every breath, his trachea felt as if it were being cut by a knife.
The gap between an ordinary swordsman and one of the Twelve Kizuki was too vast.
Kawachi finally understood why a Demon Slayer Corps member could directly become a Pillar after slaying one of the Twelve Kizuki.
Watching the two Demon Slayer Corps members struggle desperately, Rokuro revealed a cruel smile.
The blood-soaked ground behind him also slowly writhed, occasionally sprouting a swift rope.
"Blood Demon Art: Strangling Demon Ropes!"
Since these two little insects from the Demon Slayer Corps were so interested in cutting ropes, let them cut to their heart content. It could serve as entertainment while he brewed his tea.
After all, for him, eliminating these little insects was just a matter of thought.
At this thought, Rokuro snapped his fingers and a hemp rope coiled and floated from behind, tightly binding a Demon Slayer Corps member who hung his head low.
It was none other than Ryuchi, who had been captured alongside Shingaku.
He had already regained consciousness, but upon waking up he was forced to confront the despairing scene before him—he had been captured by a Lower Moon Demon.