"The Hellish Swordsmith Village"
"If I destroy this village, the Demon Slayers will suffer a major blow. Once their overall strength is significantly weakened, the day I take Ubuyashiki's head will be near, hee hee hee."
Trapped in the water pot, Muichiro Tokito tried to pierce it with his Nichirin Blade, but found it impossible to break through.
In the mountains far from the Swordsmith Village, a crow flew past, followed by a swiftly moving figure dashing through the forest—Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira.
"Faster! Faster! Everyone in the village is in danger! I never imagined my area of responsibility was so close to the village. This is shocking!"
"Okay, I'll do my best!"
"Village under attack! Demons! Protect the Village Head! Escape with the Hashira's blades! Assist the Village Head in escaping!"
The Swordsmith Village was in ruins. Giant fish demons were everywhere. The Demon Slayer Corps members stationed there for guard duty were quickly eliminated.
The Swordsmith Village was weak, not even comparable to a small Demon Slayer Corps squad. Against an Upper Moon's attack, they were utterly defenseless.
In the Village Head, Tecchin Tecchikawahara house, a fish demon was wreaking havoc. The guards and swordsmiths protecting Kanetane had all been defeated. Besides Tecchin himself, only one person remained conscious, lying beaten on the ground.
"Damn it, I can't let the village's most skilled swordsmith die at the hands of these monsters," the swordsmith thought, looking at the giant fish demon. "But this monster is too large. My attacks don't even scratch it, and it's incredibly fast."
Suddenly, a seemingly frail figure appeared before him—Mitsuri Kanroji.
"Kanroji-sama!" The swordsmith felt a surge of hope, trying to stand.
"Please don't force yourself. Your internal organs might be severely injured," Mitsuri Kanroji cautioned, her back to him.
It's worth noting that Mitsuri Kanroji wielded a unique Nichirin Blade: a flexible, highly resilient whip-like blade.
It was a wavy-bladed sword, forged by the Swordsmith Village's head, Tecchin Tecchikawahara Kanetane.
The scabbard was white, the hilt grey-green with a heart shape, the tsuba pink and clover-like, and the blade itself pink, capable of coiling into the scabbard. Its attack speed even surpassed Tengen Uzui's.
The swordsmith, seeing Mitsuri Kanroji's Nichirin Blade for the first time, was puzzled by its unusual design.
"Aooogh!"
The giant fish demon roared at Mitsuri Kanroji.
Mitsuri Kanroji's eyes narrowed, and she charged.
"Love Breathing, First Form: Shivers of First Love!"
Wielding her blade, Mitsuri Kanroji unleashed whip-like strikes, instantly slicing the giant fish demon to pieces.
If Aoki were present, he would have been shocked by Mitsuri Kanroji's unexpected ferocity.
"I wouldn't fall for someone who hurts others indiscriminately."
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Swordsmith Village, Aoki's attack had reduced a hundred-meter radius to ruins.
Debris flew everywhere. Aoki's unique Mangekyō Sharingan shone amidst the storm, almost menacing.
Sekido, Urogi, Aizetsu, and Karaku, the four forms of Hantengu, were cut to shreds. But after the storm subsided, their bodies began to regenerate at an alarming speed. Even Aoki's strongest attack hadn't killed Hantengu.
"Goodness, that was scary. That guy's strong, but he's going overboard. Look, he turned everything around here into ruins. Compared to us, he's more like a demon," Karaku commented as his body regenerated.
"Shut up! Let's kill him quickly. He must be a Hashira; otherwise, he wouldn't possess such power," Urogi shouted, clutching his staff.
The four forms united their efforts to kill Aoki.
However, Tanjiro suddenly approached Aoki. "Aoki-senpai, I found it."
"The fifth form?"
Aoki's furrowed brow relaxed. "I see. No wonder he's so hard to kill. I thought he was invincible."
"Tanjiro, where's the fifth form?" Aoki asked, tilting his head.
Tanjiro closed his eyes, sniffing the air. He then focused on a corner of the ruins. A head peeked out, then quickly retreated.
"There!"
Sensing the retreating head, Aoki swiftly moved, pinpointing Hantengu's fifth form.
It was a miniature form, identical to Hantengu's original appearance, about the size of a mouse. "Hantengu" was inscribed on its tongue.
Hantengu immediately fled upon seeing Aoki, terrified of being decapitated.
"Hantengu, the fifth form, representing fear… how laughable," Aoki murmured, slowly raising Yōgetsu. He then heard Tanjiro shout.
"Aoki-senpai, watch out!"
As Tanjiro shouted, Aoki felt a chilling presence behind him, instantly activating his Susanoo (third form).
"Bang!"
A powerful blow struck the Susanoo, causing it to tremble, threatening to shatter.
Without hesitation, Aoki swung Yōgetsu behind him.
"Crack!"
Aoki had cleaved the head off a giant wooden dragon, revealing a figure perched atop it—a young demon carrying several thunder drums inscribed with "Zohakuten" and wielding an "S"-shaped drumstick.
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