The air in the Yoshiwara Red-Light District suddenly felt heavy. Both the Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen, and the Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro, froze, their senses screaming that something was wrong. They had moved with extreme caution, their focus sharpened to a razor's edge, yet they had failed to detect anyone nearby. But now, high above them on a rooftop, stood a demon. From the long, sash-like ribbons that flowed from her body, they knew they had found their target.
"Well, it looks like we found the right one this time!" A flashy grin spread across Uzui Tengen's face.
They were deep inside a demon's territory, an illusion that made escape nearly impossible. A powerful enemy stood before them, and there was no path for retreat. For Uzui, this was the perfect stage. The sheer danger of it all ignited the fighting spirit that burned within him.
"I don't think we found her," Tokito Muichiro said, his expression as blank as ever. His voice was calm, but it carried a chilling weight. "It's more like she found us. More importantly..." he continued, his eyes fixed on the demon, "...this one is an Upper Rank of the Twelve Kizuki."
The moment the words "Upper Rank" left Muichiro's lips, the atmosphere changed completely. An immense pressure erupted from his small frame, surging outwards in every direction. It was a power as unmovable as a mountain and as vast as the sea.
"Oh no!"
High above, Daki was stunned by the sudden explosion of power. The ribbons around her body shot out instinctively to defend her.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Her reaction was lightning-fast, her ribbons slicing through the air. But they were no match for the Nichirin sword in Tokito Muichiro's hand.
Buzz!
In that single instant, Daki felt a searing heat rush toward her. It was a terrifying killing intent, aimed directly at her neck. Wherever the blade passed, her Blood Demon Art, the source of her power, melted away like snow in the spring.
"No!"
In a desperate, last-ditch effort, Daki grabbed her own head and tore it from her shoulders. Just as her head came free, the terrifying glow of the Nichirin blade flashed past, slicing through the air where her neck had been and sending her headless body flying.
Bang!
A moment later, Daki's severed head and her body crashed heavily to the ground, separated.
The entire district fell into a dead silence. Even the Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen, who had been preparing to launch his own attack, could only stare in shock.
Among the nine Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, everyone knew that the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, was the strongest. That man, who was always shedding tears and chanting prayers, was more ferocious than any beast when angered. But when it came to raw talent and the sheer ability to learn and adapt, no one came close to the Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro.
What Uzui had never imagined was that Muichiro had already mastered his Demon Slayer Mark to such a terrifying degree. After the battle on the Mugen Train, where they had been forced to kill their former comrades who had turned into demons, all six remaining Hashira had awakened their Marks at nearly the same time. But even though they had awakened them together, a difference in talent was still a difference in talent. While Uzui had been focused on finding his three wives, Muichiro had been pushing his strength to an entirely new level.
Uzui had seen it clearly in that instant. The Nichirin sword in Muichiro's hand had changed. It had turned a brilliant, crimson red. That transformation was the reason his single strike had carried so much power—enough power to completely overwhelm Daki and decapitate her in one clean blow.
Zzz... Zzz...
A sizzling sound broke the silence. Daki, whose head and body lay separated, began to move. With a sudden lurch, countless ribbons shot out from her body, pulling her head back onto her neck and reattaching it. Her eyes, however, were now filled with a deep, furious darkness. She and her brother, Gyutaro, had ruled the Yoshiwara Red-Light District for a hundred years. This was their territory. After Muzan's recent attacks, the Demon Slayer Corps had been on the defensive, always retreating. She thought this fight would be easy, like trapping cornered rats. She never expected her opponent to be so powerful.
"It hurts... It hurts so much..." Daki's voice was a high-pitched shriek that echoed through the empty streets.
Zzz! Zzz! Zzz!
As she screamed, a strange figure began to emerge from her back, radiating a bizarre and unsettling aura. In an instant, a terrifying and unfathomable power washed over Uzui and Muichiro.
"I'll kill you!"
With an enraged roar, the new figure lunged forward, two blood-soaked sickles slicing through the air, dripping with a deadly poison. At the same time, Daki charged again, and from the shadows all around them, dozens of lesser demons burst forth. The two Hashira were completely surrounded.
...
Meanwhile, in another part of the district, the last two Hashira moved as swiftly as the wind. The Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, and the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, were on the move.
For this operation, all six available Hashira had entered Yoshiwara, but they each had different roles. This place was a trap personally set by Muzan Kibutsuji, so a direct confrontation was not their primary goal. The Corps was outnumbered. Their only chance of victory was to use the superior combat strength of the Hashira to their advantage.
The plan was simple. The Insect Hashira, Shinobu Kocho, and the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji, were assigned to support roles. The Sound Hashira, Uzui Tengen, and the Mist Hashira, Tokito Muichiro, were the decoys, meant to draw the enemy's attention. The true core of the operation, the main striking force, consisted of Gyomei, the strongest individual fighter, and Rengoku, who possessed immense explosive power. Together, they were meant to carve a path through the enemy's ranks.
"What's going on?"
The two Hashira, who had been moving at top speed, suddenly stopped. As elite warriors, they both felt the change in the environment instantly. The trap had been sprung. They had been discovered.
Thump... Thump...
A set of footsteps echoed from nearby. A moment later, a man appeared. His body was covered in dark blue lines, and his eyes burned like fire. He was alone, but from the moment he appeared, an invisible pressure filled the air.
"I am Akaza. Upper Rank Three of the Twelve Kizuki," the demon announced, his voice calm and steady. "I have come to send you two Hashira to the afterlife."
As he spoke, he clenched his fists, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Today, either I will kill you, or you will kill me."
"Let's fight!"
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