Muzan and the Upper Ranks stood in place, watching helplessly as that surging and terrifying torrent of flame bore down on them.
Before the flames had even truly drawn close, they had already felt the scorching heat.
Waves of searing air rolled forward and washed over them, burning their skin with a stinging pain.
Muzan's expression turned extremely ugly in an instant, and he let out a hysterical roar.
"This is impossible... this is nothing like Breathing at all!"
In order to survive, Muzan swiftly activated his Blood Demon Art.
Yet reality dealt him a heavy blow, as his proud Blood Demon Art proved as fragile as paper before Garp's flames.
The moment those black lights made contact with the flames, they were swallowed up in an instant and vanished without a trace.
Fortunately, Garp did not seem to intend to end this game so quickly.
The corner of his mouth curved slightly upward, and he then lightly waved his hand, stopping the Flame Breathing.
The roaring flames extinguished in an instant, and Garp stood with his arms folded across his chest, unmoving, his eyes fixed hard on Muzan.
Muzan's nerves, already taut with fear, were completely ignited by Garp's contemptuous gaze in that moment.
He went completely berserk, letting out a deafening roar and launching a frenzied attack on Garp with total disregard for everything else.
His body became a black afterimage.
Upon seeing this, several of the Upper Ranks felt a chill in their hearts, a flash of fear crossing their eyes.
Knowing full well how powerful Garp was, they thought only of preserving their lives, and without hesitation turned and fled.
However, Kokushibo and Akaza did not retreat.
They exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, a flash of resolve crossing their eyes, and then their figures blurred as they charged toward Garp.
Kokushibo's hands moved with sweeping force, unleashing his fierce Blood Demon Art, sending wave after wave of sword energy flying toward Garp, cutting deep gashes into the ground wherever it passed.
Akaza leapt high into the air, legs carrying a crushing weight, and cleaved downward toward the top of Garp's head.
Their attacks appeared ferocious, yet were incapable of posing the slightest threat to Garp.
Garp stood in place with an unchanged expression, and even had the leisure to pick his nose.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Muzan's fists, claws, and blood blades struck Garp repeatedly, yet Garp did not so much as furrow his brow.
His body seemed forged from steel, and Muzan's attacks had not managed to tear even his clothing.
"Is that all the strength you have?" Garp picked at his nose, flicked away the result, and spoke with a trace of disdain.
"You, the progenitor of demons, are far too weak."
Muzan's expression became extremely ugly.
"Impossible... this is impossible!" Muzan roared, launching attacks frantically as he tried to find Garp's weakness.
Yet no matter how he attacked, Garp remained completely unmoved, not even shifting his footing by half a step.
At the same time, Kokushibo and Akaza launched their attacks on Garp simultaneously.
"Moon Breathing, First Form!"
"Destructive Death, Annihilation Type!"
Yet Kokushibo's sword light and Akaza's fist wind both collapsed in an instant before Garp's body, shattering into countless fragments that scattered into the air.
Both attacks had likewise failed to graze even the hem of Garp's clothing.
"This... how can this be!" Kokushibo's eyes went wide, his heart filled with despair.
"Our attacks... are completely ineffective!" Akaza gritted his teeth, cold sweat seeping from his forehead.
Garp looked at the two of them and shook his head.
"You little demons are still too green. Attacks of this level aren't even enough to tickle me."
With that, he casually waved his hand, and an invisible force instantly sent Kokushibo and Akaza hurtling away.
Their bodies flew backward like snapped kites and crashed heavily into the ground, spraying great quantities of blood from their mouths.
Upon seeing this, the fear in Muzan's heart grew ever stronger.
What he faced was not an ordinary human being, but a monster that far surpassed anything he could have imagined.
'No... I cannot die here. I am the progenitor of demons. I am immortal and undying!'
After realizing the vast gap in power between himself and Garp, only one thought remained in Muzan's heart: escape.
He fled toward the distance, moving so fast that a distorted trail was left in the air behind him.
Yet Garp only gave a cold laugh, and in an instant his figure appeared before Muzan like a specter.
"Trying to run?" Garp grinned, baring a row of gleaming white teeth.
"The game isn't over yet. Don't be in such a rush to leave."
Muzan, who had been so arrogant and domineering before, now found his body trembling involuntarily.
He stared in terror at Garp, who stood before him powerful as a demon god, and asked with a tremor in his voice, "You... just who are you?"
In all his long years, he had never once encountered an opponent who filled him with such fear.
Garp let out a hearty laugh, stepped forward, and casually clapped Muzan on the shoulder.
"Me? Just an old man who likes to fight," he said in a light and easy tone, yet the words left Muzan feeling even more hopeless.
The moment the words left his mouth, Garp's eyes turned sharp as a hawk's in an instant, and his right fist pulled back hard, coiling with power.
Just as he was about to throw the punch that would change the course of the battle, Roy's voice suddenly rang out.
"Wait, Garp! Don't kill him yet."
"I still want to bring him back for Orochimaru to study. Who knows, something useful might come of it."
Garp paused slightly, then understood Roy's intention.
He gave a small nod and reined in the power in his fist.
There was a dull, thunderous "bang," and Muzan's body was pressed directly into a pulp and collapsed to the ground.
Yet he did not die, as Garp had skillfully employed Armament Haki to suppress Muzan's life force to an extremely low level, leaving him unable to move and unable to die.
As for the remaining Upper Ranks who had tried to flee, they too could not escape Garp's attack.
Garp locked onto their positions, stood in place, bent his legs slightly, raised his right fist high, and then drove it violently in the direction where the Upper Ranks were.
"Fist Bone Impact!"
Garp let out a great shout, and a visible shockwave of air shot toward the Upper Ranks at tremendous speed.
Wherever it passed, the ground was torn open into a deep gash, and the surrounding trees were snapped apart at their trunks one after another.
The Upper Ranks had no time to react before they were struck by this tremendous force and were instantly reduced to a mist of blood that scattered into the air.
Upon seeing this, the members of the Demon Slayer Corps fell into a daze.
They stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what was unfolding before them.
For a thousand years, demons had been the nightmare they could never escape, and countless predecessors had paid with their lives in the struggle against demons.
And now, the curse that had tormented them for a thousand years had been brought to an easy end under just a few of Garp's punches.
After a long while, the members of the Demon Slayer Corps finally came back to their senses.
They looked at one another, tears of excitement shimmering in their eyes, and then broke into a thunderous cheer, celebrating this hard-won victory.