"What a powerful and suppressive attack."
Facing the overwhelming Blood Demon Art, Ryuya silently praised Zohakuten's strength.
However, defeating Hantengu did not actually require defeating Zohakuten.
To kill Hantengu, one only needed to restrain Zohakuten while another struck down the true body—the weakest and least offensive form.
There was no need to confront Zohakuten head-on.
Although Ryuya was alone, with the Transparent World, bypassing Zohakuten to take Hantengu's life would have been effortless.
But this was a Blood Battle for Replacement.
And it was his final battle against Hantengu.
If he avoided the challenge and struck only at the weakness, wouldn't that be too boring?
No.
He would crush Zohakuten directly—then step over his corpse and take Hantengu's pathetic life.
Ryuya swung his blade in a smooth arc, "Moon Breathing, Tenth Form: Piercing Slash – Waning Moon!"
Countless dark purple crescent blades, interwoven with faint blue smaller crescents, surged forward like twin chariot wheels.
They rolled across the floor with unstoppable force.
Hurricane spheres shattered.
Sharp thorns were obliterated.
Nothing slowed their advance.
Ryuya followed behind them, advancing unimpeded.
He moved again.
His blade struck downward as his voice rang coldly, "Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow – Solitary Moon!"
At once, countless crescent blades rained from the sky like falling meteors.
Zohakuten's space to maneuver shrank instantly.
He reacted quickly, dodging at high speed—but the attack was too vast, too sudden.
His body was slashed in multiple places.
The wooden dragon at his side had its head severed by the descending crescents.
Yet in the next instant, it regenerated.
Ryuya leapt into the air.
His blade tore through the void, dark purple light splitting space as it descended toward Zohakuten's neck.
Zohakuten's pupils contracted.
He gripped his drumsticks tightly and struck the Thunder God taiko drums behind him again and again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The drums thundered through the Infinity Castle.
Like war drums on an ancient battlefield, their rhythm surged through Zohakuten, amplifying his battle intent.
Countless wooden dragons erupted from the ground before him.
But he didn't stop.
He pounded the drums furiously.
More and more wooden dragons burst forth, intertwining into an impenetrable wall.
They layered upon each other, forming a massive defensive barrier.
And still it wasn't enough.
The writhing wooden dragons extended outward, coiling toward Ryuya. They twisted around his limbs, binding him tightly, restricting his movements and preventing him from swinging his blade.
But how could that stop him?
Ryuya's lips curled into a cold smile.
The demon eyes embedded in his blade emitted a sinister purple glow.
Crescent blades erupted outward, severing the wooden restraints instantly.
Facing the endless sea of wooden dragons, Ryuya began to rotate his blade continuously.
His voice resounded, "Moon Breathing, Fourteenth Form: Violent Transformation – Heavenly Palace Slender Moon!"
A torrent of crescent blades exploded outward.
Like a relentless flood, they surged forward, shredding the wooden dragon sea layer by layer.
The dragons were crushed like dry weeds.
They stood no chance.
"It's terrifying—it's terrifying!!"
Hantengu cowered in a distant corner, too frightened to breathe.
When the sky filled with splintered wood and purple light finally settled—
Ryuya burst through the debris.
His blade flashed.
It struck directly toward Zohakuten's neck.
Zohakuten froze.
He hadn't even realized why his defense had failed.
In the next instant, his head separated from his body.
Ryuya's voice followed, calm and merciless, "Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon – Evening Palace."
Zohakuten's head spun through the air.
Only then did he understand.
The drum skins of his Thunder God taiko drums had shattered under his own excessive force, causing his defensive technique to collapse.
With unwillingness filling his heart, his head slammed heavily onto the floor.
Ryuya did not pause.
Zohakuten would regenerate soon.
And even if this blade were a true Nichirin Blade, decapitation alone would not kill him.
Because Zohakuten was not the main body.
The only way to end this—
Ryuya's gaze locked onto the mouse-sized Hantengu hiding in the corner.
In an instant, he closed the distance.
His blade struck Hantengu's neck with a metallic clang.
Like solid rock, the Upper Rank demon's neck was astonishingly hard.
Just as Ryuya prepared to apply more force—
A massive demon appeared before Hantengu.
Ugly and grotesque, with a large bump on its head, nearly identical to Hantengu except for one detail—
The character for "Hatred" was carved into its tongue.
Ryuya remained unfazed.
Another split form—Hatred—created solely to protect the main body.
The demon lashed out with savage claws.
Ryuya's blade swept horizontally.
With a clean arc, a crescent slash severed both fingers and head in one motion.
The Hatred demon fell instantly.
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
With his protector slain, Hantengu covered his face, sobbing as he scurried around like a frightened rat.
Ryuya stood still.
He allowed Hantengu to move.
Then—
In a single decisive motion, he hurled his blade.
The weapon pierced through Hantengu's chest and abdomen with a sharp crack.
It pinned him to the floor, dragging a streak of blood behind.
Ryuya walked forward calmly.
He glanced upward at Muzan.
"Father, it's over!"
Muzan snapped back to awareness.
His face lit up with satisfaction as he clapped.
"Good, good! Ryuya, you did very well!!"
"Brother Ryuya is amazing!"
Daki's face flushed bright red, her eyes practically sparkling with hearts.
He was incredible in every way~
"Fantastic!"
Gyokko was overjoyed.
With Young Master Ryuya ascending to Upper Rank Four, he no longer needed to live in constant fear.
After all, during a Blood Battle for Replacement, higher-ranked demons could not proactively challenge those ranked below them.
As long as he avoided courting death, survival would not be an issue.
"Impressive. Truly impressive."
Akaza gave genuine praise.
However, he felt this rank did not reflect Ryuya's true strength.
With such power, taking the position of Upper Rank Two would be more than enough.
…Hm?
Doma glanced at Akaza.
Although he couldn't hear his thoughts, Akaza's expression clearly looked as though he wished someone dead.
The smile on Doma's face stiffened slightly.
He tilted his head and asked lightly, "Akaza-dono, you weren't speaking ill of me, were you?"
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Demon Slayer: Son of Muzan (Completed) is now on Patreon!
🔥 I also have an Additional 18+ fanfics now available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1.Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
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