Chapter 91 — The Slaughter of Upper Rank Four!
A deafening explosion shook the earth, leaving behind a massive crater that cracked the ground like shattered glass.
Yukinoshita Akira finally landed, though his expression was grim.
The strength of Hantengu… it far surpassed that of Gyutaro and Daki. Far beyond.
It seemed that Kibutsuji Muzan had infused him with even more blood, amplifying his power to terrifying levels.
"Blood Demon Art: Tree of Endless Karma!"
Thunder rolled across the sky.
Without warning, another wave of attacks came crashing down.
Hantengu gripped his twin taiko sticks tightly and slammed them against the enormous drums on his back.
In an instant, dozens of colossal wooden dragons burst forth, surging from all directions like a living storm of wrath and vengeance.
The dragons twisted and coiled like monstrous serpents, each one charging straight for Yukinoshita Akira.
"If I were Senju Hashirama, I'd have reported you for plagiarism and demanded royalties by now!"
Even amid the chaos, Akira couldn't resist muttering a sarcastic remark.
A faint white breath escaped his lips.
In that moment, Yukinoshita Akira stepped into the Transparent World—the realm of heightened perception where every heartbeat, every breath, every shift of muscle became visible.
At the same time, his body ignited with power as he intensified his Breath of the Sun.
"Sun Breathing: Eleventh Form — Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance!"
A low, draconic roar reverberated through the air.
In the next instant, flames erupted from beneath the earth, setting the air ablaze.
Crackling heat rippled across the battlefield as fiery arcs intertwined and spread like golden wings.
Within mere seconds, every single wooden dragon that had lunged toward him was reduced to ashes.
Sun Breathing, Eleventh Form — Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance.
A relentless chain of slashes, flowing with the grace of a fiery dragon dancing through the heavens.
Each strike carried the brilliance of the sun—swift, overwhelming, and absolute. The burning wounds it left behind scorched demonic flesh, delaying regeneration and searing agony into the soul.
"Impossible!!"
Hantengu's voice cracked in disbelief. He had just watched his Blood Demon Art—his greatest technique—be destroyed before his very eyes.
And worse—he was still in his Zohakuten form, the pinnacle of his rage, the embodiment of hatred itself. His fury spiraled out of control.
"Sun Breathing: Tenth Form — Beneficent Radiance!"
Akira's voice echoed from above.
Descending from the sky like a blazing comet, he swung his Nichirin Blade in a spiraling vertical arc, wrapped in the flames of the midday sun.
"Blood Demon Ar—"
Hantengu tried to counter, but it was already too late.
With his Demon Slayer Mark and Transparent World fully active, Yukinoshita Akira unleashed his power without restraint.
At that level, not even the mightier Upper Ranks could have withstood him.
"Perish."
His voice was cold—merciless.
A wet, slicing sound cut through the storm.
In that fleeting moment, Hantengu attempted to divide himself into countless clones, desperately trying to flee.
Despite his madness and arrogance, deep down he remained a coward—terrified when death stood before him.
"Sun Breathing: Thousand Blade Severance!"
But Yukinoshita Akira would not let him escape.
In less than the blink of an eye, guided by the clarity of the Transparent World—where he could see every cell, every thread of movement—Akira unleashed a torrent of blazing strikes.
Upper Rank Four, Hantengu, never even had a chance.
His body was torn apart—shredded into thousands of pieces before he could even split himself. The fragments of flesh sizzled in the sunlight, burning into ash.
The flames of Akira's Nichirin Blade—imbued with the essence of the sun—devoured every trace of demonic tissue, erasing even the possibility of regeneration.
[Ding]
[You have obtained 5% of the Template inheritance!]
And with that, the life of Upper Rank Four, Hantengu, came to its end.
"Hah… hah…"
Akira panted heavily. Even with all his strength, it had been a long time since he'd unleashed everything without restraint.
But the result was clear—his power was terrifyingly real.
Even though Hantengu had been enhanced by Muzan's blood beyond his canonical self, he was still reduced to dust beneath Akira's blade.
Two battles in one day—Lower Rank Five and Upper Rank Four—had granted him a total increase of 8% inheritance.
From 40%, he was now approaching 50%.
Yet instead of satisfaction, unease crept in.
He knew what this meant.
He was now a target—a direct threat to Kibutsuji Muzan himself.
That cowardly "Boss of Demons" had gone so far as to empower his Twelve Kizuki beyond their limits. That alone was highly unusual.
Because in Muzan's eyes, every demon was nothing more than a disposable tool.
Their sole purpose was to seek the Blue Spider Lily—nothing more, nothing less.
As the progenitor of all demons, Muzan was arrogant beyond measure. He viewed every one of his creations as mere slaves, bound eternally to his will.
Yet for all his arrogance, he was also a coward.
He would never allow any demon to grow too powerful—lest they become a threat to him.
That was why he restricted the growth of the Upper Ranks.
No matter how many centuries they lived, no matter how many thousands of humans they devoured, their power had long stagnated.
Yes, demons became stronger by consuming humans—but there was a hidden rule:
The more Muzan's blood concentrated in their veins, the greater their potential.
And yet, look at the Twelve Kizuki—
Each of them had lived for hundreds of years, devouring countless humans—yet they still fell to mere humans in their teens or twenties.
Setting aside the "plot armor" of protagonists, the truth remained clear: the Upper Ranks had already hit their ceiling.
And the reason was simple—
Kibutsuji Muzan would never allow any demon stronger than himself to exist.
That was why he forbade demons from gathering in large numbers.
Because a lone demon and an organized pack of demons were two very different kinds of threats.
"It seems… peaceful days are over," Akira muttered quietly. "Should I leave the Yukinoshita family for now?"
He wasn't afraid for himself—
but others… were not like him.
Yukinoshita Yukino. Yukinoshita Haruno. Busujima Saeko. Yui Yuigahama.
Without realizing it, he had accumulated far too many "emotional debts" in this world.
Even though some of them had learned basic Breathing Techniques, they were still far from being able to face real demons.
Even a Lower Rank would be more than enough to annihilate them.
Their training had simply been too short.
The faint sound of metal sliding echoed softly.
Akira exhaled deeply as he sheathed his Nichirin Blade.
He stood in silence, lost in thought, unable to decide.
Because in the end, Muzan and his demons still lurked in the shadows—
while he, Yukinoshita Akira, stood exposed beneath the light.
And that… made him vulnerable.
— — —
Meanwhile, in Chiba City…
The sharp sound of breaking porcelain filled the room.
In another corner of the world, Kibutsuji Muzan—disguised as a beautiful woman—crushed a teacup in her delicate hand.
Lower Rank Five and Upper Rank Four… both slain in succession.
Her crimson eyes glowed with fury.
This… was a humiliation she could not forgive.
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