Wangmian Fang shrieked, his withered hands suddenly spreading open towards the bottom of the pit.
"I intended to keep this for a long time..."
"But now, as long as I absorb all these reserved food supplies in the pit! My power will soar instantly!"
"When that happens, I will turn you two into the most painful pottery figures! Torturing you daily!!"
As his words fell, a suction force far stronger than before erupted from Wangmian Fang's hands.
All the pottery figures at the bottom of the pit let out painful roars, emitting thick blood-colored streams of air from their bodies. Like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, the energy surged madly towards his body!
Wangmian Fang's body expanded rapidly, his demon aura climbing at an astonishing speed!
Ryosuke and Uzui Tengen's faces changed drastically.
"Not good! Must stop him!"
Ryosuke said urgently.
Once this demon completed the absorption, his strength would likely skyrocket to an extremely terrifying level!
At that time, not only would the two of them be in danger, but those villagers in the pit would also be completely turned into his nutrients, with no possibility of salvation!
Uzui Tengen wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth due to the overloaded strike, gripping his dual swords tightly again.
"Looks like! This lord has to show some even more flamboyant true skills!"
The two exchanged glances and charged simultaneously.
"Thunder Breathing · First Form · Thunderclap and Flash · Sixfold!"
Without holding back in the slightest, Ryosuke turned into a bolt of lightning, slashing fiercely at a speed invisible to the naked eye!
Shing!
Wangmian Fang's arms were severed, and the Blood Demon Art was forcibly interrupted!
"Damned Demon Hunters!"
Wangmian Fang roared with all his might, but Uzui Tengen's slash followed immediately!
Boom!
The clay shield Wangmian Fang hastily condensed was hacked apart by brute force, forcing him back several steps.
Without giving him any chance to breathe, Ryosuke's second slash arrived right after!
Wangmian Fang desperately blocked, his body blasted several meters away by the immense force.
With the Blood Demon Art interrupted, Wangmian Fang's expanded body withered like a leaking balloon, and the power he had just absorbed began to dissipate madly!
In an instant, Ryosuke's third slash swooped down, slicing across his neck!
Shing!
Clean and crisp, without the slightest obstruction.
Wangmian Fang's head flew high, his face frozen with extreme terror and disbelief.
I... died?
By humans... by these two Demon Hunters... beheaded...
[Slayed End-tier Evil Demon, Wangmian Fang. Gained 5 years of lifespan. Current remaining lifespan: 5 years, 294 days.]
The System's notification sounded in Ryosuke's mind.
The headless body stumbled a few steps and fell heavily, then began to dissipate along with the head.
White light appeared before Wangmian Fang's eyes, and countless memories of his life flashed by.
"Clay... how beautiful... smooth... eternal..."
"Why... why did they all laugh at me! Why smash my painstaking work! I just wanted to make the most perfect piece..."
"Those eyes... red... like a god... That Lord gave me power... Yes! Eternity! Sealing life in the most beautiful clay is eternity!"
"That's right! Hahahahaha..."
"Even if I do it a hundred times! A thousand times! I will obtain this power and turn all of you into my collection! Heh heh..."
The flying ash scattered, and the twisted, obsessive whispers faded with the wind.
"Heh..."
Uzui Tengen looked at the dissipating ash, his voice cold and contemptuous.
"Extremely selfish, hopeless scum! Your existence was only to hurt others! Your death is not to be pitied!"
"Indeed."
Ryosuke sheathed his sword, responding in a low voice.
He fully agreed with Uzui Tengen's words.
No matter the past, when one chose to devour others to satisfy selfish desires, only the path of destruction remained.
With Wangmian Fang's death, the surface of all the pottery figures at the bottom of the pit began to crack and peel off, revealing the unconscious villagers inside.
They were extremely weak, their life signs faint, but they survived in the end, no longer having their life force drained by that evil Blood Demon Art.
Ryosuke and Uzui Tengen watched this scene silently, not stepping forward.
The follow-up treatment and cleanup work would be handled by the Kakushi.
The appearance of these two swordsmen, covered in blood and lingering killing aura, would only cause panic.
The two turned tacitly, dragging their exhausted and injured bodies away from this battlefield.
Walking a distance away, Ryosuke recalled the strike Uzui Tengen used to break Wangmian Fang, speaking slowly.
"Hey, Tengen, that hit you used to smash his turtle shell was fierce! And in that instant, your Breathing Style seemed to change completely."
Uzui Tengen rubbed his chin, seeming to savor the feeling of that moment too.
"Mhm! You noticed it too?"
"At that time, this lord felt like something clicked! The flow of breath and power was smoother than ever before, as if they were meant to roar like that! Yes! Roar!"
He got more excited as he spoke, grabbing Ryosuke's arm and dragging him towards the secluded woods.
"Come come come! Ryosuke! Accompany me to find that feeling again! That must be the door to even more flamboyant power!"
What the fxxk—
Ryosuke's face was full of horror, the fear of being dominated by the "Nantong" (gay) meme surging up again.
No!
Two men drilling into the woods... is this right?!
"Tengen, calm down! Calm down!"
Unfortunately, Ryosuke's protests were completely ineffective.
This guy was just too strong!
Uzui Tengen didn't listen either, carrying Ryosuke on his shoulder and running deep into the woods.
Ryosuke lowered his head and sighed.
Family, who understands!
Dodged Shinjuro, couldn't dodge Uzui Tengen!
...
It was three days later when the two returned to Momoyama.
Due to the strength and potential displayed in this mission, Uzui Tengen was recommended by Jigoro and exceptionally became an official member of the Demon Slayer Corps.
In the following days, Uzui Tengen threw himself wholeheartedly into tempering his Breathing Style.
The flash of inspiration from that battle was constantly captured, magnified, and refined by him.
He began to combine it with his own body, guiding his breath to produce special vibrational resonance within.
On the training ground, roaring sounds distinct from Thunder Breathing began to ring out frequently.
Although the system wasn't fully mature yet, the prototype of Sound Breathing was gradually emerging in his hands.
Jigoro watched Uzui Tengen swing his dual swords and nodded slowly.
"Fierce and matchless, sound shaking like thunder. This path suits you very well."
Uzui Tengen didn't reply, continuing his training like a man possessed.
Time slipped away quietly.
The peach blossoms on Momoyama bloomed and withered, repeating the cycle.
Ryosuke calculated on his fingers; it had been almost two years since he came to this world and struggled desperately.
And the training period of that little follower who always chattered behind him was about to expire.
Another year's Final Selection at Mt. Fujikasane was approaching.
"Wow!"
Looking at the bright haori, Rika exclaimed: "Thank you, Grandpa."
Jigoro didn't say much; just like with Ryosuke and Shota back then, he patted Rika's shoulder.
"Girl, come back alive."
"Mhm mhm!"
Rika nodded heavily, then cast a glance at Ryosuke who was meditating.
Ryosuke's hairs stood on end.
Holy crap! Oh no!
Rika leaned in, blinking her eyes at him.
"Hehe~ Ryosuke-geigei (Big Brother)~"