"Of course! There's no way anything could happen to Yohan!"
"Yohan is insanely strong!" Mitsuri Kanroji lifted her chin proudly, like a little swan basking in admiration, when she heard Yushiro's amazement at Yohan's power.
To Mitsuri, compliments directed at her made her happy—but praise for Yohan? That brought her even more joy. After all, her entire heart was already bound tightly to him.
"There might still be hope…"
Tamayo, like Yushiro, was stunned by what she'd just witnessed—Yohan not only withstanding that brutal attack unscathed, but nearly taking out Susamaru in the process. Yet, having lived for centuries, Tamayo had once seen a warrior nearly destroy Muzan Kibutsuji with a single strike. So she wasn't as outwardly shocked as Yushiro—she didn't gape or cry out in disbelief.
But still… the hope she thought long dead had begun to flicker back to life.
Because in Yohan, she saw a chance to win.
"Damn it!"
"What the hell are you, human?!"
Susamaru's half-destroyed body was rapidly regenerating thanks to her demonic healing. But her expression had lost its playful, mocking edge. There were no more cackles, no more singsong chants of "come play with me."
She had realized something firsthand:
This man standing before her—he absolutely had the power to kill her.
"I can't afford even the slightest lapse," Susamaru thought, her gaze sharpened and wary as she locked eyes with Yohan.
"I—"
"I just bought this suit!!"
Yohan was visibly furious as he looked down at his tattered black suit. It had been a custom order—a combat-tailored outfit designed just for him. He had paid a fortune and even had it rushed to completion.
And now? He'd barely worn it for a few days. He hadn't even had the chance to properly show it off—and it was already ruined.
Originally, he had planned to test the defensive strength of his Dark Night Reflection. As an ability with destructive growth properties, it definitely shouldn't have been broken by mere handballs. So he decided to take the attack head-on.
But he had overlooked one thing—Yahaba and his Blood Demon Art: Crimson Cleanse Arrows, which altered the trajectory of moving objects.
Out of reflex, Yohan had raised his shield. Thankfully, he noticed the handball's sudden shift in direction just in time and activated Tekkai—the Iron Body technique.
He knew full well that with his current Sage Body, such a weak attack wouldn't hurt him at all.
But the suit? The suit didn't stand a chance.
"You two—are dead meat!"
Yohan flexed his arms, not just out of combat readiness, but out of sheer rage for his ruined outfit.
In the blink of an eye, he closed the distance to Susamaru. His iron fist shot out straight for her head—a blow meant to end her.
"Ah—!"
Susamaru had been watching him like a hawk. She'd been on full alert, prepared for any sudden moves.
And yet—he was on her before she could even react. His speed was monstrous.
Koketsu Arrows!
Yahaba, who had been watching silently from the sidelines, suddenly activated the arrow sigils hidden in front of Susamaru. He directed the force of his Blood Demon Art at Yohan.
Yohan's fist twisted mid-air under the influence of the arrow markings—aiming straight for his own head.
As if he had foreseen it all, Yohan merely tilted his head slightly—evading the redirected strike with ease.
"Such an annoying Blood Demon Art," he muttered, clearly irritated.
"In that case—let's deal with you first."
He turned his attention toward Yahaba.
This guy was the real problem. With his interference, there was no satisfaction in trading blows—Yohan had to stay constantly on guard, anticipating unnatural shifts and attacks.
"You—!"
Susamaru's voice cracked as she watched Yohan sprint toward Yahaba without even sparing her a backward glance. She felt utterly humiliated.
"AAAHHH!! You'll pay for underestimating me!"
With a scream of fury, all six of her arms extended to their full span, muscles bulging, veins pulsing.
She became like a living artillery cannon—hurling handballs at Yohan in a wild storm of destruction.
"You foolish creature."
Yohan didn't even look back. He kept moving forward, eyes locked on Yahaba, intent on removing the greater threat.
"If you want to take me out first, you'll have to get to me!"
Yahaba activated his Blood Demon Art at full power, blanketing the area around him with invisible arrow sigils. He didn't believe this man could reach him with brute force alone.
Step into my trap, Yahaba thought grimly. Just step in… and it'll all be over.
The moment he had deflected that earlier attack from Yohan, he knew this man would mark him as a priority target.
And that's exactly what he wanted. Because Susamaru's attacks alone weren't nearly enough to break Yohan's defenses.
But if he could lure Yohan into his web of arrow sigils… then he would be the one controlling the battlefield.
From where he stood, hands raised and motionless, he watched Yohan approach—calm, calculating, unshaken.
But Yohan knew exactly what he was up to. In fact, he'd already figured out both of their Blood Demon Arts.
"Invisible arrow sigils, huh?"
"They're only invisible to the naked eye."
Yohan activated the flow of his Sage Body, attuning himself to the natural energy around him. His perception sharpened as he reached out with his senses.
"There it is."
He could feel the presence of countless "threads" surrounding him.
"As I thought—unseen boundaries."
These had to be Yahaba's Koketsu Arrows.
And now… Yohan was ready to strike.