He slowly squatted down, his movements so gentle as if afraid to disturb the lifeless body on the ground. He reached out and carefully closed the wide-open eyes, which seemed to still hold endless fear and unwillingness.
Just a short while ago, that face was beaming with a gentle and kind smile, but now, only a heart-stopping terror remained. This stark contrast sent a chill down the spine of everyone present.
Komatsuse, standing nearby, clutched her clothes tightly, her voice trembling as she softly asked, "Mr. Yoizumi... has a demon really appeared?" Her gaze was filled with dread, fixed on the corpse lying on the ground. She couldn't help but imagine the terrifying scenario: if Mr. Yoizumi hadn't arrived in time that day, would she have met the same end?
Facing Komatsuse's anxious inquiry, Yoizumi remained silent. At this moment, his mind was highly focused, searching for traces of the evil demon.
Everyone present was startled by the sudden turn of events and dared not move.
"Everyone... stay close to me..."
Perhaps Yoizumi's expression was too cold at this moment, for no one defied his command.
"Don't be afraid, Komatsuse, I'll protect you!" Ishii Kawa, though greatly frightened by the sight of the body, still feigned composure, nervously swallowing his saliva.
It's alright, with Mr. Yoizumi here, everyone will be fine!
For a moment, the air was eerily quiet; any rustle of leaves would put everyone present on high alert.
Suddenly, Yoizumi reached out, grabbed Komatsuse's collar, pulled her back, and at the same time, kicked forcefully in that direction.
There was clearly no one there, yet the sound of flesh being struck echoed.
The air blurred for a moment, revealing a figure: pale gray skin, two demonic horns on her forehead, white hair, four deep red marks on her face, and startling crimson whites in her eyes. Most importantly, her pupils bore a kanji character.
Lower Moon Four!
Yoizumi's expression darkened, not expecting to encounter one of the Twelve Kizuki. Could he do it? Protect everyone and kill one of the Twelve Kizuki!
Even if he couldn't, he had to. Now, he had to use every means possible, at all costs, to kill the opponent!
"Mon... monster!"
Someone in the crowd yelled, and everyone, like startled birds, scattered and hid. Komatsuse was forcibly dragged away by Ishii Kawa.
"Mr. Yoizumi, be careful!"
"You can actually find me?" Mukago asked, somewhat surprised.
She possessed the ability to conceal her presence. Aside from Muzan and a few of the Upper Ranks, this was the first time she had been discovered. Was it a coincidence?
She sensed a faint demonic aura from the other party; he was also a demon, so why was he helping humans?
That girl was also a rare blood, an uncommon and great tonic. She licked her dry lips.
"Hey brat, give her to me, and I can let you go."
Yoizumi gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on the sinister figure not far ahead—Lower Moon Four. He knew that facing such a powerful enemy, even the slightest hesitation would lead to utter destruction. So, he took a deep breath, secretly channeled strength into his legs, and shot out like lightning, instantly launching a fierce attack on the opponent.
At this moment, Yoizumi had only one thought: he absolutely could not give this terrifying opponent any chance to breathe; only then could he possibly find that slim chance of survival.
However, just as he was about to engage Lower Moon Four in close combat, he suddenly realized something crucial—his nichirin blade had been left at Komatsuse's house! And now, without his nichirin blade, defeating this ferocious demon was an almost impossible task.
Yoizumi was burning with anxiety, but there was no other option. While maintaining his fierce offensive, giving Lower Moon Four no chance to counterattack, he turned his head and shouted to Komatsuse, who was trembling in fear, "Run, Komatsuse... hurry and get my... blade!"
Hearing Yoizumi's shout, Komatsuse trembled, a flicker of fear and hesitation in her eyes. But it was only for an instant. She gritted her teeth, mustered her courage, and rushed out from her hiding place, sprinting towards her home.
"Hey, Komatsuse!" Ishii Kawa anxiously shouted. Wasn't running now courting death? This was clearly a monster! He gritted his teeth and followed suit.
Mukago, seeing her meal escape, suddenly concealed her presence and rushed towards Komatsuse. The next moment, she was struck by a leg whip, the immense impact sending her flying several meters away.
"Hmph~"
She was just a small demon, how could he discover her?
Watching Komatsuse's retreating figure, Yoizumi breathed a slight sigh of relief. But he dared not relax for a moment, because the Lower Moon Four in front of him was constantly employing various bizarre and tricky moves, attempting to break through his defense.
Time passed, minute by minute, each moment feeling long and agonizing. Yoizumi fought with all his might to fend off wave after wave of Lower Moon Four's attacks. He had sustained multiple injuries, but he stubbornly held his ground, waiting for Komatsuse to return with the nichirin blade.
"You, you're so annoying!" Mukago roared, her face showing irritation.
Blood Demon Art: Poisonous Miasma.
She clasped her hands together, then opened her mouth. In an instant, countless dense, ink-like black mists spewed forth from her mouth, like a bursting dam, quickly spreading and engulfing Yoizumi in the blink of an eye.
This is... poison? Yoizumi's heart tightened. He quickly held his breath, not daring to relax in the slightest, to prevent inhaling even a trace of the poisonous gas. At the same time, his azure eyes began to scan his surroundings warily. However, all he saw was pitch black; the thick black mist, like a heavy curtain, completely obscured his vision, making him feel as if he were in an endless abyss of darkness.
No good! A strong sense of crisis suddenly surged within him. Relying on his keen intuition, Yoizumi sharply dodged sideways, narrowly avoiding Mukago's incredibly sharp hand blade attack. With a 'swish,' a strong gust of wind passed, tearing a long slit in his sleeve, and shredded fabric fluttered away.
Yoizumi looked down at his damaged clothes and couldn't help but frown.
Just then, Mukago unleashed another move.
Blood Demon Art: Needles.
Instantly, the previously calm sky suddenly darkened. Countless slender, sharp, pitch-black steel needles rained down like a torrential storm, densely shooting towards Yoizumi.
Facing this sudden and fierce assault, Yoizumi could only try his best to dodge left and right, his figure appearing disheveled. Although he had tried his utmost, he was still inevitably pricked by the sharp black needles, and his handsome face was marked with varying depths of bloody scratches, a truly shocking sight.
He didn't know how many needles had pierced his body; every movement brought a dense, tingling pain.
Fortunately, the people around him had already managed to escape the scene in time; otherwise, under such fierce attacks, Yoizumi would likely have found it very difficult to guarantee their safety.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but secretly sigh in relief, but then he tightly pursed his lips again, his clothes torn once more.
Kochou Shinobu would be angry, wouldn't she?