Before emerging from the porcelain pot, Gyokko had envisioned the scene that awaited him.
At this hour, the dining hall should have been deserted.
Even if anyone were present, they would merely serve as materials for his grand artistic creations.
But the moment Gyokko's forehead and mouth eyes clearly surveyed his surroundings, he froze in shock.
So many Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen!
And every one of them was poised to attack!
A surge of overwhelming fury flooded Gyokko's heart.
Just Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen! How dare they not flee at the sight of Lord Gyokko? Instead, they dare to retaliate!
Decision made!
I must dismember them all and create a work of art imbued with shattered beauty!
How dare they provoke this great lord? Do they think they're all Pillars?
Several small, slender arms emerged from Gyokko's sides, each bearing a pot adorned with aquatic plant patterns:
Blood Demon Art: Thousand Needle Fish Kill
Instantly, several massive goldfish materialized.
The goldfish opened their mouths and spewed forth a torrent of venomous needles.
Seeing this, Gyokko swelled with pride.
'If we were in an open space, wiping out these demon slayers in one go might have been a challenge.'
'But who could have imagined these fools would gather in such a confined space?'
His Blood Demon Art, Thousand Needle Fish Kill, could instantly seal off the entire room with a barrage of needles.
These fools were about to be turned into pincushions!
Just then, a figure moved first:
*Flame Breathing, Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation*
With Kyojuro at its center, his Nichirin Blade, enveloped in roaring flames, twisted violently, unleashing a swirling vortex of fire.
Gyokko's prized Blood Demon Art, Thousand Needle Fish Kill, was completely neutralized in an instant!
This unexpected turn of events left Gyokko stunned once more.
'It... it was blocked?'
In the next moment, Gyokko saw the words "Demon Slayer" etched onto the blade.
'This man is truly a Pillar!'
Refusing to accept defeat, Gyokko extended his thin, short arms and retrieved a jar adorned with sticky fish patterns.
'Even if there's a Pillar here, so what?'
A single Pillar was no match for him, especially in such a cramped space where saving the others would be impossible.
Besides, the Blood Demon Art he was about to unleash was his trump card: Ten Thousand Gliding Sticky Fish!
Each of these fish possessed razor-sharp teeth, capable of devouring their prey down to the bone.
Even if the Pillar repeated his earlier tactic, attempting to slice through the swarm with his sword techniques, he wouldn't be able to protect the others this time.
After all, these fish would unleash a deadly poison upon being struck!
This poison would be instantly absorbed through the skin upon contact.
But before Gyokko could activate his Blood Demon Art, he felt his arm suddenly lighten.
No!
His arm had been severed!
Gyokko turned in bewilderment, only to find a black-haired swordsman wearing a two-toned haori standing behind him.
*Water Breathing: Third Form - Flowing Dance*
As Gyokko rapidly regenerated his limb, he roared in fury:
"Damn you! How dare you damage my body, a work of art! You—"
Gyokko's words abruptly ceased.
His gaze fell upon the blade of the black-haired swordsman's sword.
Etched upon it were the words "Demon Slayer."
This was another Pillar!
Why were there two Pillars here?!
A chilling premonition surged through Gyokko's mind—
Among the nine people present, how many more Pillars were hiding in plain sight?
No, the question should be: who isn't a Pillar here?
Bang!
In the instant Gyokko's mind wandered, he suddenly felt the entire world darken.
Only when a terrifying, melting pain surged through his body did he realize what had happened.
The world hadn't darkened—most of his head had been smashed to pieces!
Gyokko desperately regenerated his skull, even growing eyes on his shoulders.
Through these new eyes, he saw the culprit: an exceptionally tall figure who had just retracted his meteor hammer.
*Stone Breathing, Second Form: Upper Smash*
Gyokko's shoulder eyes revealed that the other end of the meteor hammer was connected to a battle axe!
This man's appearance and weapon...
Even without seeing the words "Demon Slayer" inscribed on his weapon, Gyokko knew this man was another Pillar!
Three Pillars already—he couldn't afford to linger any longer!
Since becoming a demon, Gyokko had believed he'd long lost the capacity for fear.
Yet now, he tasted terror once more!
He immediately retreated into his porcelain pot, preparing to teleport away.
Gyokko was horrified to discover that half of his body had gone numb!
'When was I poisoned?!'
'Could it have been that melting sensation earlier?'
His head had only half regenerated when the eye near his mouth spotted a petite figure with purple hair.
*Insect Breathing: Dance of the Bee Sting: True Flutter*
'Damn it, even this woman is a Pillar!'
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Gyokko sensed a powerful surge of energy approaching.
Without even finishing his head's regeneration, he conjured a dark, spotted pot directly onto the half-formed skull.
Blood Demon Art: Octopus Pot Hell
In the next instant, massive octopus tentacles erupted from the pot.
These tentacles were incredibly elastic and resilient.
Normally, Gyokko would use them to seize his opponents and crush them utterly.
But now, he chose to wrap the tentacles around himself, hoping to block the incoming attacks.
He had already seen that the white-haired, scarred man was also a Pillar!
*Breath of the Wind, Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash*
A powerful, spiraling wind blade instantly enveloped Gyokko.
His incredibly resilient and elastic octopus tentacles, which had protected him for only a moment, were shredded into pieces by the wind blade, scattering across the ground.
Gyokko was going mad!
This was the fifth Pillar to attack!
When will this end?!
Why have you all gathered at the Swordsmith Village?
And at this exact moment, in the dining hall?!
I'm an Upper Rank Demon!
Am I just going to become your after-dinner entertainment?!
At that moment, Gyokko revealed his true form.
He regrew two arms, a snake-like tail emerged from his back, and his body was covered in scales as hard as diamonds.
With this transformation, he was certain nothing could breach his defenses!
Just then, Muichiro, who hadn't yet made a move, suddenly spoke up:
"What an ugly pot."
"I've been bothered by it since earlier. The pot isn't symmetrical."
"It looks warped."
"Such shoddy craftsmanship."
Hearing these words, Gyokko's composure shattered completely!
His eyes became bloodshot, and the two mouths on his face stuck out their tongues in fury:
"My creations are works of art! How could there possibly be any flaws?!"
"It must be your eyes that are defective!"
"I'll gouge your eyes out right now!"
Before Gyokko could finish speaking, a man in extravagantly ornate attire charged forward:
*Breath of Sound, First Form: Roar!*
With a thunderous explosion, Tengen unleashed his strike.
Yet just as Tengen's blade was about to strike Gyokko, the demon's body twisted violently against the laws of nature, abruptly changing direction.
'Blood Demon Art: Formation Kill: Fish Scales!'
Using the fish scales on his body, Gyokko managed to shift his position at the last moment, narrowly avoiding having his neck severed and leaping upward.
Tengen's strike ultimately only pierced a large hole through Gyokko's chest.
Seizing the opportunity, Gyokko lunged forward, his hand reaching for Tengen's head!
Hand of God!
Tengen snapped his head back, narrowly evading Gyokko's attack.
But the jeweled chain adorning his forehead brushed against Gyokko's outstretched hand, instantly transforming into a living fish!
This was Gyokko's ability.
When he activated his Hand of God technique, anything his hands touched would turn into fish.
Seeing his attack fail, Gyokko didn't hesitate. He immediately leaped back into his pot to teleport away.
He had initially left the pot in the forest out of habit.
Even on his way here, Gyokko had casually left several pots behind.
Originally intended as a means of rapid movement, he never imagined they would prove so useful in this situation.
Now that he had confirmed the location of Swordsmith Village, he had completed the initial task assigned by That Lord.
Though Gyokko still couldn't fathom why the Pillars had gathered here, what did it matter if they outnumbered him?
At worst, he would summon the other Upper Ranks to annihilate these fools, especially that brat who knew nothing of aesthetics!
"That disgusting creature is trying to escape!"
Seeing this, Shinobu immediately shouted a warning.
The others launched their attacks in unison.
However, Gyokko, now revealing his true form under the effects of his Blood Demon Art: Formation Kill - Fish Scales, proved incredibly slippery, dodging a remarkable number of attacks in an impossibly short time.
Gyokko grew smug. "With weapons like yours, you'll never be able to hold me!" he taunted. "Unless your blades can move like snakes or whips..."
*Breath of the Serpent, Fifth Form: Slithering Serpent*
Obanai lunged forward, his Nichirin Blade's strike coiling forward like a serpent!
The pupils of the eyes on Gyokko's forehead and mouth constricted sharply.
'Why is this guy's attack actually moving like a snake?!'
In an instant, Iguro severed both of Gyokko's arms and left deep, bone-revealing wounds across his body.
Agonizing pain surged through Gyokko's nerves like a tidal wave, yet a flicker of satisfaction arose within him.
'These injuries are severe, but my speed hasn't been significantly affected.'
'If only I could escape... no, transfer, I could...'
'Breath of Love, Fifth Form: Swaying Love, Wildclaw'
In an instant, the pink blade unleashed a flurry of slashes that enveloped Gyokko.
When Gyokko saw that his opponent's Nichirin Blade truly moved like a whip, the demon was utterly dumbfounded.
He could accept the previous slashes coiling like a snake.
But how could someone's Nichirin Blade actually move like a whip?!
Seeing every possible escape route around him filled with the opponent's slashes, Gyokko knew that even a single hit would trigger a chain of attacks, inevitably slowing him down.
Gyokko's body suddenly recoiled, and he deliberately retracted the scales below his waist.
*Squelch—*
To Mitsuri's astonishment, Gyokko actually charged into her attack.
In the next moment, Gyokko's snake-like lower body was shredded to pieces by Mitsuri's slashes.
He had actually sacrificed his lower half!
Finally, using a porcelain pot he had prepared beforehand, Gyokko successfully transferred himself away.
"Hah... hah..."
Gyokko materialized in the forest, curled up inside his pot, gasping for breath.
Though his face had long been distorted beyond recognition, his expression now betrayed terror and rage.
"I'm an Upper Rank Demon, yet those Demon Slayers have reduced me to this pathetic state!"
"Those bastards deserve to die! They all deserve to die!"
"Especially that annoying little brat with his nonsensical ramblings and defective eyes—he must die!"
"Right now..."
Gyokko's muttering trailed off.
Having been besieged by so many Pillars, his injuries were severe.
Though his Upper Rank Demon's formidable regenerative abilities had seemingly restored him to near-perfect condition on the surface, a wave of weakness and hunger washed over him.
Driven by this weakness and hunger, his craving for human flesh surged to an unprecedented intensity.
"I want to eat humans so badly... even those tough-skinned Swordsmiths would do..."
"But of course, tender, fair-skinned children would be best..."
Just as this thought surfaced, Gyokko suddenly heard footsteps approaching.
He peered cautiously out of his pot and saw a child wearing a mask painted with thick black eyebrows striding purposefully toward him.
Gyokko's heart leaped with joy at the sight.
A torrent of saliva gushed from the mouth near his eye.
He gently rocked the porcelain pot where he was hiding, creating a subtle disturbance that immediately caught the masked boy's attention.
The boy approached, his voice tinged with surprise. "Why is there a pot here? Who left it?"
Normally, Gyokko would patiently wait until his prey leaned in to peer inside the pot. Then, he would strike, seizing them and dragging them inside to devour.
But hunger gnawed at him now, and Gyokko had no patience for games. He wanted to devour the boy immediately.
He lunged from the pot, reaching for the boy.
Just then, a man's astonished voice rang out from behind the boy: "What a peculiar little thing! It's quite the sight!"
In the next instant, a crimson blade flashed before Gyokko's eyes...