In response to Shinobu's doubt, Horitake replied with absolute confidence.
"Ordinary demons certainly need to breathe. However, there are special cases—demons who have evolved past such mortal requirements. Like this one!"
His tone shifted, becoming sharp and focused. He raised his right hand, channeling the Thunder Breathing style. Within an instant, arcs of violent purple lightning began to crackle and dance across his palm.
With a gaze as steady as a mountain, Horitake didn't waste another word. He slammed the fierce surge of electricity directly into the dark waters of the pool.
Water, nature's perfect conductor, became the medium for his wrath. High-voltage currents tore through the depths, illuminating the basin in a strobing violet glare.
The impact was instantaneous. The once-still, deep pool didn't just stir—it practically erupted.
The surface boiled with agitation. With a chaotic splash, dozens of sea fish, unable to withstand the agonizing stimulation of the current, began leaping wildly out of the water in a desperate, frantic frenzy.
The entire storage area was filled with the sound of thrashing scales and crackling lightning. But the small fish were just a side effect; the real prize had yet to surface.
Horitake let out a cold snort of dissatisfaction and increased the output of the current.
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.
With a massive explosion of water, a figure tore through the surface, propelled by the sheer agony of the electricity. She soared high into the air, a piercing shriek echoing off the basement walls.
Shinobu looked up, her eyes widening as she beheld the creature forced out by the lightning.
"A mermaid!?"
The demon's form was staggering. Her upper half was that of a woman with pale, azure-tinted skin and prominent fangs, while her lower half consisted of a powerful, shimmering fish tail. She looked like a nightmare plucked straight from the legends of the deep.
Despite her monstrous features, the demon possessed a haunting, ethereal beauty that lived up to her namesake.
Seeing her, Horitake finally understood. He realized why this demon had been so elusive, and why the Demon Slayer Corps had failed to track her movements.
She hadn't been traveling by land at all. She was using the waterways.
She likely navigated through the sprawling network of rivers and hidden channels, moving from one location to another to feast, never staying in one place long enough to be caught. Who would have expected a demon to move with such speed and stealth underwater? It was a tactic without precedent.
The mermaid demon, still reeling from the shock of the lightning, glared down at Horitake. She saw his expressionless face and felt a cold spike of terror.
The sheer power of that electricity told her everything she needed to know: she was no match for this Slayer. If she wanted to survive, she had to run. Now.
Grabbing the momentum of her descent, she slammed her massive tail against the surface of the pool. Wham! A colossal wave of water, filled with thrashing fish, surged toward Horitake and Shinobu like a tidal bore.
It was mid-winter, and neither of them relished the idea of being soaked to the bone.
Horitake acted instinctively. He swept his arm around Shinobu's waist, pulling her close as he kicked off the ground, retreating with effortless grace to avoid the deluge.
The mermaid demon seized her chance. Using the recoil of her tail against the water, she launched herself like a carp leaping over a dragon's gate, soaring toward the far side of the room.
But Horitake had no intention of letting her escape.
Even as he retreated, he channeled his purple lightning to his fingertips and flicked his wrist.
Crackle! A brilliant arc of electricity shot through the air, striking the demon squarely in the forehead.
Her body seized up instantly. With a choked cry, she lost her momentum and crashed heavily onto the hard stone floor.
Horitake hadn't killed her for a simple reason: they still hadn't found Senjuro Rengoku. He needed her alive for questioning.
By then, the massive wave had subsided. Horitake released his hold on Shinobu's waist and began to walk toward the fallen demon with the casual gait of a man taking a stroll. Shinobu followed closely at his side.
As they drew near, they saw the demon's state had changed. Deprived of the water and having struck the dry ground, her body began to undergo a grotesque transformation.
Amidst a wet, squelching sound of shifting flesh and bone, her fish tail split down the middle. It morphed into two pale, slender legs. Most peculiar of all, her new feet were equipped with prominent webbing between the toes.
Horitake watched with genuine curiosity. "You're an amphibian? That's impressive. I've never seen a demon quite like you before."
He looked on with interest, but the woman beside him was far from amused. Shinobu let out a sharp huff of disapproval. Reaching out, she clamped her hand over Horitake's eyes, cutting off his view entirely.
The reason was simple. When the demon had a tail, she was a monster. But now that her legs had split, she was entirely exposed, lying pathetically on the ground with a look of "damsel in distress" that could easily stir a man's protective instincts.
Horitake had seen things he definitely shouldn't have.
A rare spark of jealousy flared in Shinobu's chest, prompting her to shield his eyes.
Horitake sighed, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Alright, alright. I won't look. Shinobu-san, you handle the interrogation. I'll just listen."
Shinobu nodded, satisfied with the arrangement.
But just as she stepped forward to question the prone creature, the demon struck.
The "pitiful" girl on the floor suddenly twisted around, her eyes flashing with murderous intent. She took a deep, lung-bursting breath and exhaled a massive cloud of thick, pink mist directly at the two slayers.
Shinobu was caught completely off guard. Before she could retreat, she was engulfed by the rosy haze. Even though she covered her nose and mouth instantly, she still inhaled a significant amount of the sweet-smelling vapor.
Horitake, having turned his back to show his "innocence," didn't see the attack coming. He heard the sudden rush of air and spun around, but he was too late. The pink mist slammed into him, and he, too, breathed in a trace of the toxic cloud.
Both of their hearts skipped a beat. A single thought flashed through their minds:
Dammit! I was too careless!
Using the diversion she had bought with her trick, the demon ignored the lingering numbness in her limbs. She gathered all her strength and leaped upward. With a deafening boom, she smashed through the ceiling and vanished into the night.
The storage area was a basement; its "roof" was merely layers of wooden planks and a thin sheet of iron. To a demon's strength, it was as flimsy as paper.
Horitake's blood boiled with rage. He, the hunter, had been outmaneuvered by his prey.
He moved to give chase immediately, but a small hand gripped his arm, stopping him in his tracks.
"Horitake... wait..."
Shinobu's state was visibly deteriorating. She was half-kneeling on the floor, one hand clutching her chest where her heart was thundering against her ribs. Her breathing was ragged and shallow, and an unnatural, feverish crimson flush had begun to spread across her cheeks.
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