Mist Breathing, Fifth Form: Sea of Clouds and Haze!
With a graceful sweep of his Nichirin blade, Tokito Muichiro sliced through the air around him. The misty glow that followed his movement cleared a path, cutting down a large number of the grotesque fish monsters.
However, the creatures emerging from Gyokko's pots seemed endless—wave after wave, flooding in without pause.
"This little one... leave him to me."
Gyokko's six bulging eyes locked onto Tokito with a predatory glint. He had already chosen this boy as his prey.
They were all dispatched by Lord Muzan for the same mission, but Gyokko hoped to kill the boy himself. If he succeeded, Muzan-sama might reward him more—perhaps even grant him more of that exquisite blood.
It turned out Hantengu had similar ideas.
Only Kokushibo remained still, making no move.
Of the two Demon Slayers before him, the one resembling a monk radiated the stronger aura.
But Kokushibo, the Upper Rank One, had his pride. A mere Pillar like this wasn't worthy of him raising his sword—at least not yet.
"Wuuu... This is Lord Muzan's order,"
Hantengu muttered, his face a warped mask of terror and delusion, horns protruding from his swollen head, his body hunched like a decrepit beast.
"I've done nothing wrong... It's all your fault... all of you..."
His personality, Cowardice, was riddled with fear and negativity. Yet in his mind, he remained innocent—he had never done anything wrong.
Stone Breathing, Second Form: Upper Smash!
Gyomei Himejima gripped his chain with both hands and hurled his massive flail directly at Hantengu's skull.
"Die."
But the tiny demon didn't dodge. He merely trembled under the descending meteor hammer.
"No... no!"
Blood Demon Art: Emotion Manifestation!
In that instant, Hantengu's fear exploded into a storm of emotions. Four distinct figures erupted from his body, each one representing a core emotion:
Sekido, the Demon of Rage – embodiment of fury.
Karaku, the Demon of Joy – embodiment of pleasure and glee.
Aizetsu, the Demon of Sorrow – embodiment of deep sorrow.
Urogi, the Demon of Delight – embodiment of exhilaration.
The true body, Cowardice, shrank behind them all, a feeble creature with "Upper Rank" in its left eye and "Four" in the right, crouching like a rat behind its manifestations.
"So your ability is to split..."
"Then I just need to kill every single one!"
Gyomei's confidence did not waver, despite the four demons towering before him.
Sekido snarled and glared at the incoming flail.
"What the hell is that thing?!"
He raised a staff topped with rings. Lightning sparked from it as he met the forceful blow head-on.
The collision was deafening.
Gyomei retrieved his flail, testing the waters. From that brief clash, he judged that Sekido wasn't overwhelmingly strong.
"Damn him...!"
Sekido staggered backward. He was clearly overpowered.
"Strong! Fascinating! This is amazing!"
Karaku, the Demon of Joy, laughed heartily from the side, his upper body bare as he watched the exchange like a spectator at a play.
"Stop gawking!"
"Aren't you going to help!?"
Sekido didn't strike again but instead turned on Karaku, infuriated. As the leader among the four, he despised Karaku's laziness. The cheerful demon was more interested in fun than fighting—a constant source of friction between them.
Karaku merely stuck out his tongue and scoffed. He stepped aside for Urogi.
SKREEEEE!
A destructive supersonic screech erupted from Urogi's mouth as he soared into the sky, swooping toward Gyomei like a predatory bird.
The shockwave caused Gyomei's head to reel briefly. His senses spun, and before he could recover, Urogi's talons grazed his shoulder.
Regaining composure, Gyomei stared at the four demons before him.
"All of them... have unique Blood Demon Arts?"
"So unexpected…"
The unknown was always the most terrifying. Two of the four had yet to reveal their powers. Gyomei knew he had to be far more cautious.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Tokito Muichiro was already locked in a fierce clash with Gyokko.
And still, Kokushibo stood idle, not even bothering to unsheathe his sword.
Considering the battlefield, Gyomei realized—he couldn't hold back. He didn't know why the samurai-like demon hadn't joined in, but this might be the only chance they had.
They had to eliminate the enemies one by one!
Stone Breathing, Fourth Form: Volcanic Rock,Rapid Conquests!
Gyomei spun his chain. His axe and flail whirled like twin stars before he charged at the four demons.
Let the battle begin!
….
Atop the Peach Mountain—
Thunder Breathing, Sixth Form: Rumble and Roar!
From Kaigaku's position, lightning bolts exploded outward in all directions. The crackling arcs scorched everything in their path.
Sound Breathing, Fifth Form:Constant Resounding Slashes!
Tengen Uzui's twin Nichirin blades spun at high velocity, detonating with thundering booms in every direction.
Both combatants had changed drastically from when the fight began.
Tengen was now marked by several burns. Even the jewel-encrusted headband on his brow had lost some of its luster.
Yet his face was full of exhilaration.
Kaigaku, on the other hand, showed no wounds—but his shredded Demon Slayer uniform revealed that he had taken serious hits.
"We're almost done here,"
Uzui grinned as he spoke to Kaigaku.
His hand instinctively touched his neck. Though it had regenerated, he couldn't help but shudder at the memory.
Just moments ago… he had been this close to dying.
Why...?
Why aren't you afraid of death?!!
Kaigaku screamed, a mixture of rage and confusion in his voice.
He didn't understand. The man standing before him was already a Pillar. Strong, respected, powerful. Shouldn't he cling to life even more than anyone else?
Why, then, had he just risked being cleaved in half—just to land a blow on Kaigaku's neck?
Seeing the utter bewilderment on Kaigaku's face, Uzui burst into hearty laughter.
Even the burn wounds on his waist seemed to stop aching.
"That's why you're a demon... and I'm a Pillar!"
It struck Kaigaku like thunder. The pride, the conviction in those words.
He stared hard at Uzui—but his feet remained planted.
He didn't move.
Because he didn't want to die.
Score Technique!
Uzui activated his special skill: the ability to "hear" the rhythm of his opponent's attacks, transforming the patterns into musical scores and exposing their habits and weak points.
But it needed time.
He knew full well—this was a gamble. The price might be his life.
Kaigaku, sensing something strange in Uzui's movements, instinctively stepped back.
What is he doing...?
Should I attack... or wait?
Kaigaku's mind was a whirlwind. Though he had gained immense power, his mindset had not grown to match it. He was still shaken—still afraid.
He had just narrowly avoided death. That doubt took root and spread.
And in that moment... Uzui's gamble worked.
Kaigaku didn't dare move.