The heads of the Bat Demon and the Black Dog Demon were torn off, rolling with a gurgle to this spot, while their bodies were dragged away by Horitake.
Because Horitake had been hiding his presence from start to finish, both demons simultaneously believed that the one attacking them was Hantengu himself!
The two demons' heads now lay on the ground, unable to move, helpless and resigned, only able to wait for death.
But at this moment, one more push was needed to make them absolutely certain that their attacker was Hantengu!
This required Shinobu Kocho to step in.
Shinobu found a downwind direction, quickly pulled out the box from her backpack, opened the lid, and revealed the pinned Hantengu inside.
Confirming that the Hantengu inside was down to his last breath, unable to move or make a sound, Shinobu chose a spot, placed the open box there, and swiftly departed.
Why place it there?
Because it was downwind—the breeze could carry Hantengu's scent toward the two demon heads.
And why did Shinobu leave immediately after opening the box?
Of course, to prevent the wind from carrying her own scent along with it, which would give the game away.
As expected, everything unfolded according to Horitake's plan.
Once the box was opened, Hantengu's scent began to drift out. The flowing air formed a gentle breeze, carrying his odor toward them.
The Black Dog Demon's head caught the scent and grew even more despairing, its expression filled with resentment:
"It's over. It's definitely Lord Hantengu! I smell Lord Hantengu's scent—it's drifting from over there!"
If the Black Dog Demon could still use its Blood Demon Art, it might have detected Shinobu's faint scent mixed in with Hantengu's, even if she had withdrawn quickly and her trace was very weak.
Fortunately, with only its head and no body, the Black Dog Demon couldn't activate its art and could only pick up a rough impression.
Hearing this, the Bat Demon over there sank deeper into despair.
Still clinging to a sliver of denial, the Bat Demon tilted its ear, listening for sounds from that direction.
Of course, with no body and only a head, it couldn't hear details clearly—just a vague sense.
The Bat Demon heard ripping sounds from over there.
What kind of ripping?
The tearing of flesh, naturally!
Accompanying those sounds, both the Bat Demon and the Black Dog Demon felt intense pain surging from their bodies!
What was Horitake doing at that moment?
Horitake had dragged their headless bodies far enough away that the heads couldn't see what was happening. The bodies could only thrash blindly in escape.
Without heads, just bodies—Horitake had no reservations.
Still using the profound technique of his Gale Sword Style, he controlled wind blades at his fingertips to mimic demonic claws.
Horitake swung his hands, using these claws to shred and tear the two demons' bodies before him, ripping them into segments!
Limbs torn off, organs gutted, bones crushed, flesh rent asunder.
In short, as brutally as possible.
As the two heads felt wave after wave of agony, Horitake finished his work.
He had torn the Black Dog Demon's and Bat Demon's bodies into various bloody chunks, scattering the dripping fragments far apart to prevent any regeneration.
The two demon heads, sensing the ruin of their bodies, were in excruciating torment, on the verge of death and revival from pain.
Their faces pallid, muscles twitching from extreme suffering, the Bat Demon was the first to break, screaming for mercy at the top of its lungs:
"Lord Hantengu! Lord Hantengu, spare us! We... we were only following Lord Muzan's orders to find you! Please let us go this time!"
The Black Dog Demon echoed frantically, begging loudly:
"Yes, yes, spare us this once! Spare us this once! I and that dead bat swear we'll never trouble you again!"
Hearing the pleas from afar and gazing at the blood-soaked fragments scattered on the ground, Horitake smiled.
Pinching his throat and using subtle electrical control over his vocal cords, he flawlessly imitated Hantengu's voice:
"Don't blame me, you two. Blame your bad luck, blame the fact that you accepted Lord Muzan's command to come after me.
Your Blood Demon Arts are quite special. If you found me once, you'd surely find me again.
The next time you locate me, it probably won't just be you two at my door—Lord Muzan himself might come!
I can't allow that to happen. For my own safety, I have no choice but to silence you both permanently!"
Hearing this emotionless voice, the Black Dog Demon and Bat Demon fell into utter despair.
Unwilling to die so easily, they shouted incessantly, begging loudly for mercy.
Horitake looked up at the sun about to rise, imitating Hantengu's voice one last time as he addressed the demons:
"Enough. Quiet down. Stop struggling.
As fellow demons, I still abide by Lord Muzan's command not to devour you.
So I've chosen this moment specifically to silence you—letting you face the sunlight.
The sun is about to rise. I'll be going now. You two prepare to greet it."
After these final words, Horitake fell silent.
The headless Bat Demon and Black Dog Demon were plunged into complete despair. Sensing the sun's imminent rise, they felt their lives ticking down to zero.
In such hopeless unwillingness, the two inherently malicious demons gave up pleading.
Knowing death was inevitable, filled with resentment and rage, they hurled every vicious curse and insult they could think of at Hantengu.
Horitake stood quietly, unmoved and unangered.
What was there to be angry about from the barking of losers?
Besides, they were cursing Hantengu, not me.
Horitake remained silent, making no sound at all.
The Black Dog Demon and Bat Demon over there assumed the silence meant Hantengu had already left to avoid the approaching daylight!
The two demons seemed to accept their fate. No more begging, no more cursing or raging—they fell into miserable, despairing silence, quietly awaiting death.
The Black Dog Demon, with a sobbing tone, uttered its final words in fear:
"If I'd known it would end like this, I never should have accepted Lord Muzan's mission!"
The Bat Demon's last words were even more poignant:
"If I'd known it would come to this, I never should have become a demon in the first place!"
As their final words faded, the sun rose!
Radiant sunlight bathed the forest, shining upon the heads of the Black Dog Demon and Bat Demon.
The two demons beheld the sunrise of their final moments.
Then, amid endless unwillingness and resentment, their heads turned to ash.
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