The bat demon and black dog demon did manage to sense the sharp whoosh of air coming from behind them.
Their minds registered the danger, but their bodies had no time to react!
There was no helping it—the attack from behind was simply too fast, too sudden. They couldn't possibly respond in time!
With a sickening splat, both demons felt two sets of razor-sharp demonic claws seize them by the back of their necks!
Those claws were impossibly sharp! That speed was overwhelming! That strength was devastating!
The two demons had no way to defend themselves, no chance to even react.
In an instant—rip, rip—their necks were torn open by the vicious claws!
And just like that, the bat demon and black dog demon were decapitated!
As blood sprayed and flesh scattered, their two heads flew through the air like a pair of balls, rolling away with a series of dull thuds.
Even as they soared, the expressions of utter terror on both demons' faces were plainly visible!
So who exactly was it that had torn their necks apart in a single instant, separating their heads from their bodies?
None other than Horitake, of course.
The reason the bat demon and black dog demon sensed sharp demonic claws ripping into them was deliberate.
To avoid exposing his identity, Horitake couldn't use Heavenly Thunder Breathing to unleash lightning-enhanced attacks. But don't forget—he had other techniques at his disposal.
Though he hadn't used it in a long while, Horitake was also proficient in Gale Swordsmanship.
Gale Swordsmanship allowed him to harness the power of wind, and naturally, he could do the same with his fingers.
He summoned the wind's force, extending razor-thin blades of air from his fingertips to mimic the effect of sharp demonic claws.
Since the victims—the bat demon and black dog demon—had their backs to Horitake and could only feel the attack, they were completely misled.
Both were convinced that the one tearing into their necks from behind was a demon!
After all, no human could have claws like that!
As their heads flew forward, the black dog demon—slow on the uptake—was simply filled with terror and panic.
But the bat demon's mind raced with thoughts.
What kind of demon could appear behind him and the old dog without either of them noticing, then effortlessly rip their necks open!?
There was no doubt—it had to be an extraordinarily powerful demon!
In this area, aside from the two of them, which demon was that strong?
It could only be Lord Hantengu, the one they'd encountered back in town!
Sure, he and the old dog were good at tracking and searching, but Lord Hantengu was Upper Rank Four—his strength was immeasurable. Sneaking up on them without detection and ambushing them would be child's play for him.
But why would Lord Hantengu want to kill them? Why attack him?
Ever prone to overthinking, the bat demon quickly pieced together a convincing explanation.
What other reason could there be? Lord Hantengu was trying to silence them!
If he and the old dog could find Lord Hantengu once, they could surely find him again. If he truly had deserted, he wouldn't want Muzan to track him down—he had to eliminate them to keep his location secret! He couldn't let them live!
Damn it, how had he only realized something this critical now!?
They were done for—trouble, real danger!
How was he supposed to escape Lord Hantengu's attempt to silence him?
He couldn't think of a way. Hope was faint!
All these frantic thoughts flashed through the bat demon's mind in the brief instant his head was airborne.
Horitake had controlled the force of his strikes perfectly.
Not only did the claws sever their necks, but they also ensured the heads flew forward with their faces oriented ahead the entire time.
This meant that even as their heads sailed through the air, the demons couldn't see what was behind them.
However, once their heads hit the ground and rolled, they would inevitably spot the situation—and realize that the figure standing behind their headless bodies wasn't Hantengu, but Horitake.
Naturally, Horitake couldn't allow himself to be exposed.
Before the heads landed, he grabbed the still-twitching bodies by the shoulders—one in each hand—and leaped away. In a blur of black shadow, he vanished from the spot with blinding speed!
Just as Horitake departed with the bodies, the heads of the black dog demon and bat demon hit the ground, rolling a couple of times before coming to a stop, exactly as Horitake had anticipated.
When the bat demon's head stopped, his face unfortunately pointed away—he couldn't see anything in this direction.
The black dog demon, however, was luckier. When his head halted, his face was angled slightly toward the scene, allowing him a glimpse through the corner of his eye.
But Horitake's speed was simply too great—it was already too late.
Through the edge of his vision, the black dog demon could only vaguely make out a dark shadow carrying their bodies away at high speed.
Over on the other side, the bat demon's head was frantic, mouth agape as he shouted in panic, "Old dog! Old dog! Who was it!? Who ambushed us!? Was it Lord Hantengu!?"
The black dog demon's head replied in equal panic, "I… I don't know. I only caught a faint glimpse of a dark shadow—it took our bodies and left."
"What kind of shadow!?"
"Couldn't see clearly… but the shadow looked hunched over!"
As soon as the black dog demon's head said that, the bat demon's heart sank completely.
He knew Lord Hantengu's appearance—a withered, hunched old demon. That hunched silhouette could only belong to Lord Hantengu!
Despair washed over the bat demon, deepening his hopelessness.
The hunched black shadow the black dog demon had seen was, of course, Horitake.
To fully convince the two demons that he was Hantengu, Horitake had deliberately moderated his speed—just enough for them to catch a vague glimpse without seeing clearly.
And as he fled, he had intentionally stooped and hunched his back, mimicking Hantengu's usual posture.
As expected, it worked perfectly.
Between what the black dog demon had glimpsed and the bat demon's frantic questions and overactive imagination, both demons were now utterly convinced that the one who had ambushed them was Lord Hantengu!
Even the not-so-bright black dog demon understood now why Lord Hantengu wanted them silenced.
Despair filled both their hearts.
The black dog demon's voice trembled, on the verge of tears. "You damn bat, why did Lord Hantengu rip off our heads? Why take our bodies? What's he planning to do?"
The bat demon's tone was lifeless, steeped in utter hopelessness. "What else could it be? He's silencing us, of course!"
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