"Are you alright?"
Tomioka swung his blade, severing the Slit-Mouthed Demon's head.
Seeing the Demon begin to crumble into ash, Tomioka turned to Murata.
Caught under Tomioka's intense gaze, Murata instinctively replied, "I'm fine..."
"Huh? I really do seem to be okay."
As he spoke, Murata checked his body.
Apart from a dull ache in his back from being knocked to the ground by the Slit-Mouthed Demon, he appeared to have sustained no other injuries.
Yuki's mind raced at this realization.
When the Kasugai Crow had first mentioned the name "Murata," he hadn't recognized which Demon Slayer Corps swordsman he was dealing with.
But now, the man's distinctive black, center-parted hairstyle and the fact that he had emerged from an encounter with a Demon virtually unscathed finally revealed Murata's identity.
In the original Demon Slayer manga, he seemed to be from the same cohort as Tomioka and Sabito, having participated in the trials on Mount Fujikasane.
He had also fought at Mount Natagumo and even participated in the final battle.
Despite enduring such perilous battles, he had somehow survived until the very end.
As Yuki pondered these facts, he heard Murata urgently say,
"There's another demon here!"
No sooner had the words left his lips than a bone-chilling screech echoed from nearby.
A razor-sharp claw pierced through the wooden wall of the hut beside them, tearing a long gash in its wake.
Seeing this, Murata's face remained pale with shock.
"This clawed demon was the one chasing me at first," he explained. "Just when I managed to put some distance between us, that Slit-Mouthed Demon tackled me to the ground!"
As he spoke, Murata unconsciously glanced at the two figures beside him.
Encountering two demons while on a demon-slaying mission was undoubtedly the height of misfortune.
Yet, encountering the Water Pillar while calling for reinforcements was undeniably fortunate.
And then there was this swordsman in the red haori.
Though he wasn't wearing the Demon Slayer Corps uniform, his association with Tomioka suggested he was a formidable fighter.
Bang! Bang!
The sound of splintering wood echoed as the hut's wall shattered.
Two massive, clawed arms slashed and rammed through the wall, tearing a gaping hole in just a few strikes.
Wood chips and dust gradually settled.
A squat, crab-like demon with disproportionately large arms appeared before the trio.
The demon glanced at the disintegrating corpse of its comrade at their feet, mocking with malicious glee:
"Tsk, you thought you could use your speed to snatch the tastiest bits first, huh?"
"Well, look how that turned out. Got yourself killed."
The demon then turned its malevolent gaze to Murata and his companions, grinning savagely.
"Hey! You black-haired kid with the middle part!"
"Did you lead the Demon Slayer Corps here?"
"This is... perfect!"
"I love capturing you Demon Slayers and devouring you bit by bit while you're still alive."
"You Demon Slayers are all such high-quality food. My current strength is all thanks to the many Demon Slayers I've consumed..."
Before the demon could finish speaking, it suddenly lunged forward.
Blood Demon Art: Piercing Tongue
Despite activating its Blood Demon Art, the demon raised its massive arms in front of its body, assuming a charging stance.
Simultaneously, the demon secretly opened its mouth behind the cover of its arms.
A tongue covered in barbs and fleshy spines shot out from the Demon's mouth, expanding and lunging forward with lightning speed!
This swift attack completely caught Murata off guard.
His eyes widened in terror.
This creature, with its crab-like claws and arms strong enough to shatter walls, had been attacking like a frog, using its tongue!
Murata frantically raised his sword to block.
But just as the tongue was about to strike him, it suddenly arced through the air and redirected its attack toward Tomioka!
Murata's mind went blank. He instinctively cried out:
"Mr Tomioka, watch out!"
Swish!
A flash of steel.
A long section of the tongue fell to the ground, severed.
Murata was awestruck:
'So fast!'
'Is this the power of a Pillar?'
'I didn't even see Mr. Tomioka draw his sword!'
Tomioka's usually impassive face was now etched with fury:
"How many Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen have you slaughtered?"
The Demon seemed utterly unconcerned by the severed portion of its tongue lying on the ground. Instead, it sneered maliciously:
"When I was still human, I worked as an apprentice at the Island Bakery in Nagoya."
"Because of that job, I've lost count of how many loaves of bread I've stolen and eaten."
"Asking me how many Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen I've killed is like asking me..."
"Do you remember how many loaves of bread you've eaten?"
As he spoke, the Demon suddenly lunged forward again!
He spat out his severed tongue like a spear, aiming it directly at Tomioka.
The severed tongue on the ground coiled around Murata like a giant serpent, ensnaring him instantly.
Meanwhile, the Demon charged straight at Yuki.
In his eyes, Murata was as slippery as an eel, making him difficult to capture quickly.
The man wearing the Demon Slayer Corps uniform beneath a two-toned haori was clearly a formidable opponent!
Only the red-haired man, wearing a plain yellow robe under his crimson haori, seemed weak.
His aura was even weaker than Murata's.
Clearly, this guy wasn't even a member of the Demon Slayer Corps!
And he hadn't said a word the entire time—he must be terrified.
From the start, the Demon's true target had been Yuki.
Both the Blood Demon Art he had used earlier and his words had been carefully crafted to lure and paralyze the two Demon Slayers.
The Demon had gone to such lengths to seize Yuki!
If he could capture him, he was certain he could escape!
Yuki couldn't help but show a hint of surprise as the Demon lunged at him.
With the Transparent World active, the Demon's clumsy movements were utterly transparent to his eyes.
Yet until the Demon actually attacked, Yuki hadn't dared to believe that he was truly the target!
As for this Demon, Yuki could only commend his courage.
And against such a valiant warrior, he would naturally give his all!
With that, Yuki drew his blade.
The moment the blade left its sheath, it turned a deep crimson.
Wisps of white mist began to escape from the corners of his mouth.
His heart raced, his body temperature soared, and the Demon Slayer Mark on his forehead spread across his face.
Transparent World, Sun Breathing, Crimson Blade, Demon Slayer Mark.
With all four components of his Demon-slaying arsenal assembled, Yuki demonstrated his utmost respect!