When Horitake spotted the ornate pot at the courtyard gate, a wave of relief washed over him.
So, it was him—Yushiguro, Upper Rank Five of the Twelve Kizuki.
Not a big deal.
It wasn't that Horitake underestimated Yushiguro. The demon's performance was just… underwhelming for his rank.
In the original story, Yushiguro, despite his Upper Rank Five title and self-proclaimed artistry, was fiercely loyal to Muzan but lacked substance.
Truth be told, his combat prowess was questionable.
In the manga, he was defeated single-handedly by Muichiro Tokito, a Hashira with his Mark awakened. That alone spoke volumes about Yushiguro's true strength.
Sure, he was Upper Rank Five, but Horitake reckoned that Upper Rank Six—Daki and Gyutaro combined—outclassed him.
If Tamayo's crisis was just this one demon, it was manageable.
For now, Horitake held back, remaining still on the third-floor balcony.
Like a genie from a lamp, Yushiguro slithered out of his pot, his grotesque form hovering above it.
His mismatched eyes—one above, one below—scanned left and right, then he let out a perverse giggle.
"Hee hee hee… I knew something was off about this place. I was right—it's here. Who'd have thought Tamayo's Blood Demon Art creates illusions?"
Horitake, cloaking his presence in the balcony's shadows, went unnoticed by Yushiguro.
The demon dragged his pot across the courtyard, chuckling disturbingly. "Tamayo, oh Tamayo… where are you? In this house… or somewhere else? Hee hee hee…"
His twisted, perverse laughter sent a shiver of discomfort through Horitake.
As expected of the creepiest Upper Rank. Horitake had faced plenty of demons, but Yushiguro was the first to make his stomach churn.
After circling the courtyard, Yushiguro seemed to sense the basement below, his grin widening. "Hee hee hee… down there, huh? I'm coming for you…"
Why hadn't Tamayo, in the basement, noticed anything?
Several reasons.
First, Tamayo had altered her body with drugs, transforming into a demon who survived on minimal blood. While this was a boon, it weakened her, leaving her strength barely at the level of a Lower Rank, if that.
Second, Yushiguro was a master of stealth. His perverse nature craved the shock and despair of catching Tamayo off guard, so he slipped in without disturbing her Blood Demon Art barrier.
Now, giggling, he approached the estate's entrance, eager to trap Tamayo and Yushiro in the basement for a grand "surprise."
Horitake, on the balcony, had seen enough. Before Yushiguro reached the door, he called out, "Sneaking into a lady's home at night without so much as a greeting, trying to barge in? A bit rude, don't you think? A bit… perverse, Yushiguro?"
Startled, Yushiguro recoiled a dozen meters, his wary eyes darting to the balcony.
He hadn't sensed anyone else here!
Someone who could evade his perception—could it be a master?
Horitake stepped from the shadows, standing tall on the balcony, his expression cold.
"Demon Slayer Corps?" Yushiguro's eyes caught the kanji on Horitake's uniform, marking him as a Kinoe-rank swordsman. He relaxed, his tone dripping with perverse arrogance.
As an Upper Rank, he didn't even fear Hashira, let alone a mere Kinoe.
"Hee hee hee… you startled me. Just a Kinoe from the Demon Slayer Corps, daring to stand in my way? Fancy being turned into an art piece in my pot?"
"You really look down on Kinoe, don't you?" Horitake replied.
"Obviously," Yushiguro sneered.
Horitake chuckled, a spark of mischief in his eyes. "Yushiguro, haven't you heard? In the navy, the strongest aren't admirals or fleet admirals, but vice admirals. In Konoha, it's not the jonin or Hokage, but the genin. By that logic, the strongest in the Demon Slayer Corps… might not be a Hashira."
Yushiguro's warped mind short-circuited. What is this guy babbling about? I don't get it!
Grinning, Horitake ignored whether Yushiguro understood. With a swift motion, he drew the Blade of Weiguang.
The moment Weiguang slid from its scabbard, Yushiguro's smug expression faltered. The blade's aura was a palpable threat to demons.
Simultaneously, Tamayo and Yushiro in the basement sensed the disturbance, snapping out of their research.
"Lady Tamayo!" Yushiro exclaimed.
"Yushiro, we have an uninvited guest!" Tamayo replied.
"I'll protect you, Lady Tamayo!"
"Don't rush. Let's go see what's happening."
Horitake, Weiguang in hand, didn't hesitate. Thunder Breathing surged, purple lightning crackling around him. In a flash, he dove from the balcony, charging Yushiguro in the courtyard.
"That speed… it's fast!" Yushiguro gasped.
Sensing the threat, he shed his genie-like form, morphing into a serpentine, fish-like monstrosity. His webbed claws shot up to block.
Clang!
Weiguang, wreathed in purple lightning, clashed with Yushiguro's claws, sparking brilliantly and ringing with a deafening boom.
Tamayo and Yushiro, climbing the stairs, felt the tremor, exchanging glances.
"Two forces are fighting," Tamayo assessed calmly.
Yushiro, sensing the battle's intensity, knew he was outmatched but stood resolutely before her. "Lady Tamayo, stay cautious!"
They continued upward carefully.
In the courtyard, Horitake and Yushiguro were locked in a struggle.
Horitake, lightning crackling, gripped Weiguang and pressed forward. Yushiguro, shrouded in swirling air, pushed back with his claws.
Purple lightning clashed with white gusts, churning the courtyard's air into a turbulent storm.
As Tamayo and Yushiro emerged from the basement, they beheld the staggering scene.
Yushiro, with some experience, braved the howling winds to analyze the fight. "It's the Demon Slayer Corps… and Yushiguro, Upper Rank Five!"
Tamayo stared, incredulous. "Yushiguro?! Someone's holding their own against him? Is that a Hashira?"
Horitake, still locked in combat, noticed Tamayo's arrival. Without breaking his stance, he called out, "Miss Tamayo, please maintain your Blood Demon Art barrier to keep this hidden. I'll keep the fight in the courtyard!"
"Yushiguro, it's rare to face an Upper Rank. Let's have a proper battle!" Horitake's voice brimmed with excitement as he pressed forward.
"You brat! I'll turn you into an art piece!" Yushiguro roared, enraged at being underestimated.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderbolt One Hundred Eight Flashes!"
Horitake drew back, unleashing a relentless barrage of Thunderbolt One Hundred Eight Flashes, striking Yushiguro with an impenetrable storm of slashes.
Yushiguro countered, his claws weaving thousands of dizzying strikes.
The two clashed head-on, countless lightning-charged slashes meeting a whirlwind of claw swipes in a cacophony of sparks and booms.
Each second, their attacks collided countless times, a blur of blade and claw, punctuated by explosive clashes.
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