After seeing Sui-Lan retract her presence, Muzan gave a satisfied nod. "First, find a place to hide and gather information on the Librarian. Then we'll decide our next move." With that command, Muzan gestured for Sui-Lan and Kokushibo to follow.
As they moved, Sui-Lan suddenly turned her head, casting a glance in the Librarian's direction. A disdainful sneer touched her lips. As she passed a dark corner, she flicked her wrist, and a large glob of blue, jelly-like substance shot out. The moment it hit the ground, it liquefied and seeped into the earth, disappearing without a trace. The action was so swift that neither Kokushibo nor Muzan noticed. Having done this, Sui-Lan nodded in satisfaction and followed Muzan.
On the other side of town, the bad feeling in the Librarian's heart grew stronger. After explaining the situation to Tamayo, he instructed her to watch over Hakuji and Koyuki. If a crisis arose, she was to take them back to the Soryu Dojo immediately. As for himself, he intended to investigate.
"Be careful," Tamayo said, knowing she couldn't dissuade him. All she could do was wish for his safe return.
With a nod, the Librarian disappeared into the shadows of the buildings with a few leaps.
The closer he got to the source of the feeling, the more clearly he could sense the demonic presence. He even felt that the demon was intentionally revealing its aura for him to detect.
So this is what they call peak confidence, he thought with a cold smile, having already identified his target. Unlike the auras of Muzan and Kokushibo, this fresh presence had to belong to the new Upper Rank Two.
Following the trail, the Librarian eventually arrived at the edge of a forest outside the town. In the distance, the town was a blaze of lights, filled with the sounds of celebration. Here, however, the wind howled through the forest, casting a deathly stillness under the moonlight.
Glancing around, the Librarian noticed the demonic presence had vanished, as if he had been tricked. But he knew better. If the demon had lured him here, it wasn't for nothing. More importantly, this was likely the independent action of Upper Rank Two, not an order from Muzan. If Muzan truly believed one Upper Rank was enough to eliminate him, he would have launched a direct assault instead of infiltrating secretly. This attempt to probe his abilities likely meant that Upper Rank Two herself was not entirely confident.
His fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword, and he lowered his stance, ready to counter at any moment.
Just then, a woman's voice echoed around him. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Librarian. I am Upper Rank Two, Sui-Lan." Her voice was faint, seeming to come from all directions at once, making it impossible to pinpoint her location.
"Sui-Lan, is it? What can I do for you?" Seeing that she wanted to play games, the Librarian went along with it.
"I've heard from my lord that you are the natural enemy of our demon kind. I've come to ask you for a favor." Sui-Lan's voice was soft and alluring, as if she genuinely needed his help.
But in the next second, her tone became agitated. "Please, die right here!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the ground beneath the Librarian's feet began to tremble violently, as if in a major earthquake. Trees toppled, and the earth bulged, as though something was about to burst forth from below.
BOOM!
With a tremendous roar, the ground ten meters in front of the Librarian exploded. Dirt and rock shards shot towards him like bullets.
Faced with such a dense barrage, the Librarian remained calm. He drew his Nichirin Sword and held it before him, swinging it with fluid grace. The crimson blade became a shield in his hands, effortlessly deflecting and slicing through every projectile. Of course, he knew this was just a preliminary attack. The real assault was coming from... below!
The ground beneath him shattered, and a massive, blue figure leaped out, aiming a punch at his chest. The creature looked like a giant version of the jelly-like Sui-Lan.
Reacting instantly, the Librarian bent backward in a move resembling the "iron bridge" technique. The fist, larger than a cooking pot, grazed past his clothes, the force of the impact tearing a gash in the fabric.
Leaping back several steps, the Librarian frowned as he looked at his tattered upper garment. He remembered that Hakuji had bought it for him with money saved from his part-time work, having made a special trip to the next town. The sight of the torn cloth brought back the image of Hakuji's smile as he had handed it to him.
Without a word, he bent down and picked up the torn pieces from the ground. Maybe Tamayo can patch it up. It might still be wearable.
Seeing his actions, the giant blue jelly creature's voice dripped with contempt. "To be distracted by such a trivial matter in the middle of a battle." As it spoke, the giant charged towards him. Each step kicked up a cloud of dust half a meter high. Its massive body, like a heavy tank, created a powerful gust of wind as it rushed him.
"Die!" Clasping its hands together, the giant leaped into the air and brought them crashing down. "You're nothing special!" the giant roared, its blurry face contorted in a sneer of mockery and madness. She could already imagine how her lord would reward her for bringing him the news of the Librarian's demise.
After gathering all the fabric scraps, the Librarian looked up at the dark shadow descending upon him. With a force that seemed capable of crushing anything in the world, the blue jelly giant's fists hammered down towards his head.
Meeting them was a Nichirin Sword radiating an ultimate heat.
Sun Breathing, Seventh Form: Solar Heat Haze
The Librarian thrust his sword upward. Rings of fire instantly erupted from the blade, spreading outwards. The moment the two forces collided, the giant's arrogant expression twisted into one of disbelief.
This is wrong! Impossible! How can this be?
The small sword unleashed an overwhelming heat, engulfing the giant like a cannon blast. A massive fireball erupted on the outskirts of the forest, bright as a small sun, illuminating the area as if it were daytime.
When the fireball dissipated and the blinding light faded, only the Librarian remained standing. The towering giant in the sky had long since vaporized, disappearing into the air.
-------
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