Looking at the pile of junk food in his hand, Doma slowly walked in the direction Kojuuro Rengoku had left. "It's the aura of a Star Demon," he thought. "Only those muddle-headed ones would dare to cause a scene in a crowded area."
"Mmm—this kind of uninteresting thing is really annoying."
The crowd ahead had completely dispersed, leaving only collapsed buildings and scattered stalls. Several blood-stained figures lay motionless in the ruins, and a few injured people were sobbing and wailing in pain.
Doma stood behind a corner, quietly peeking out with half his head, observing the situation ahead. "Mmm, another three-star Star Demon."
"This is the second one I've encountered near Edo. Could it just be a coincidence?" Doma pinched his chin in thought. "Or... could it be that Seiran is hiding in this area?" Doma's eyes lit up. He then placed a finger on his temple and closed his eyes to sense carefully. "I can't feel Seiran's aura, but... this Star Demon seems to be more than it appears."
"It seems to be hiding another power inside it. That's not my imagination, right?" Doma tilted his head, pouting as he carefully examined the Star Demon, twisting a strand of his hair with his finger in confusion.
By this time, Kojuuro Rengoku was already locked in a fierce battle with the Star Demon. The demon before him was gaunt and small, but its movements were extremely agile. It held a smooth mirror in its hand, and on its forehead were three conspicuous black cross-star marks. "A demon with a mirror? Mmm, it's another one of these star-marked demons. This isn't the first time I've encountered one!"
Kojuuro Rengoku suddenly lunged in front of the Mirror Demon, but only managed to cut off one of its arms. The Mirror Demon reacted nimbly, leaping back several times to stand on the collapsed ruins, its scarlet eyes glittering with a beast-like light, devoid of any human emotion.
"Stronger than a normal demon, but its mind is chaotic, without reason!"
"I understand! It's a new type of demon!"
"I have to pass this information on to everyone!" Kojuuro Rengoku quickly came to a conclusion, glanced up at the sky, and then froze for a moment. Ah, he suddenly remembered that he had sent his Kasugai Crow to deliver a message tonight!
"No problem! I'll just slay this demon here and deliver the message myself, hahaha!" Kojuuro Rengoku nodded firmly. He saw the Mirror Demon in front of him grin and extend its sharp claws towards the crying and moaning innocent people nearby. "Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
Kojuuro's movement was as swift as a burst of flame. In the blink of an eye, he was in front of the Mirror Demon, the swinging blade seeming to carry a wave of intense heat. The Mirror Demon hurriedly retracted its claws and held up the round mirror in its hand towards Kojuuro.
A dazzling light flashed in Kojuuro Rengoku's face, and he felt a burning sensation on his cheek. Although he had been alert and had turned his face away, he was still affected. His vision went black for a moment, and his head spun. "Mmm, a troublesome Blood Demon Art!"
Kojuuro Rengoku leaped back to avoid the Mirror Demon's attacking claws and shook his dizzy head hard. But it had no effect. The world in his eyes even began to twist and distort, spinning like a kaleidoscope. He calmly and firmly turned his blade and, without hesitation, slashed his own thigh. Aided by the fiery pain of the wound, his mind temporarily cleared. "I have to end this quickly!"
He quickly made a decision, steadily raised his Nichirin Sword, the flame-patterned haori behind him like a dancing flame. "Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!" Kojuuro Rengoku's entire being seemed to transform into a blazing fire tiger, pouncing towards the Mirror Demon with majestic swiftness.
The Mirror Demon bared its sharp fangs and raised the mirror in its hand again. But unexpectedly, the figure charging straight at it suddenly dropped low, avoiding the mirror's light and rushing in front of the Mirror Demon. The blazing tiger instantly became formless. "Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!"
An upward arc-shaped slash, like a scorching ring of fire, nearly split the Mirror Demon's body in two. The mirror held high in its hand also fell. As the Mirror Demon roared, Kojuuro Rengoku slashed horizontally, aiming for the demon's neck.
Just as the blade was about to touch the neck, a hand suddenly reached out from the falling mirror. A long-handled axe instantly grew from its palm and swung down from above! "Such speed! Could it be an Upper Moon?"
Kojuuro Rengoku's pupils contracted. Ambushed at such close range, there was no time to retract his sword to defend, nor could he dodge! The battle-hardened man made the most correct choice. He suddenly twisted his waist and turned his body sideways, avoiding a direct hit to his vitals.
The sharp axe blade flashed by, and a long, diagonal wound appeared on Kojuuro's chest, stretching from his left shoulder to his right waist, instantly gushing blood. "Cough, cough..." Kojuuro took the opportunity to withdraw his sword and leap back, coughing up blood. "Hiss, hiss..." he struggled to adjust his breathing, using Total Concentration: Constant to stop the gushing blood. But the wound was too deep. His ribs were broken, and his lungs were injured, which made breathing especially painful and difficult. He gasped for breath, watching as a figure climbed out of the mirror.
An expressionless face, black, empty eyes, a deathly pale complexion, and three cross-star marks on its cheeks... "There's another demon hiding in the mirror? No, he's much stronger than the Mirror Demon!"
"But there are no characters in his eyes. He's not an Upper Moon?" Kojuuro Rengoku coughed up more blood foam. With such injuries, he would soon lose all his fighting ability. He suddenly understood that his life might end here. But that was fine! This was the resolve he had made the moment he became a Demon Slayer! He glanced at the injured people evacuating around him. No matter what, he had to buy them more time!
"Then..." he raised his Nichirin Sword again.
"Oh my, Mr. Rengoku, you're injured!" a familiar voice came from the side, making him pause. The demon that had climbed out of the mirror also looked over at the sound.
Doma covered his chin with his fan, his splendid rainbow eyes filled with a pool of tears, a piteous expression on his face. "You look badly hurt. That's so worrying."
"Get out of here!" Kojuuro Rengoku roared, feeling a sense of helplessness for the first time. Why did he have to come closer when he knew it was dangerous? And even shout to attract the demon's attention... In this situation, how could he save him?
Doma was stunned for a moment, then showed a moved expression, and continued to say with teary eyes, "Mr. Rengoku is so gentle and cute, still worrying about me at a time like this."
"Your body must be in a lot of pain. I'm so sorry, I didn't react in time." Doma wiped away his tears. The demon from the mirror had appeared too suddenly and was too fast; he really hadn't reacted. "To watch a friend get hurt is such a sad thing..."
As he was speaking, the demon from the mirror raised the long-handled axe in his hand and, with incredible speed, charged at Doma, the axe blade glittering coldly in the moonlight. "Get back!" Kojuuro Rengoku also charged with his sword, but it was too late!
Clang—
The golden fan nimbly blocked the axe blade. Using the force from the axe, Doma leaped lightly onto the eaves of a house behind him. The bright moon behind him silhouetted his figure, his fluttering cloak and clothes like the wings of a butterfly.
"Oh my, interrupting someone while they're talking is a very rude thing to do~" Doma closed the fan in his hand, placed an index finger in front of his lips, and said with a grin.
-------
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