Aoi Kazama didn't stop for a single breath, terrified that she'd be even a second too late. Suddenly, a massive explosion thundered from the direction of the Ogimoto House, and she pushed her legs to move even faster.
As she reached the source of the commotion, a familiar silhouette came into view.
It was Tengen-sama!
She watched in shock as Tengen Uzui literally hammered a massive hole into the ground. Is he really that strong?!
At that moment, Aoi's sharp senses picked up the traces of demonic aura rising from beneath the earth. Are Gyutaro and Ume down there?
She followed Tengen and leaped into the abyss. Below, the cavern was a chaotic nightmare of rose-red sashes. They pulsed with an eerie, sickly glow, weaving together into an impenetrable web that filled the air with the thick, cloying scent of blood and demon essence.
The moment Tengen hit the floor, he unleashed several soundwave slashes. The sharp, metallic ring of his blades slicing through the air made the entire cavern tremble. Several of the encroaching sashes were instantly severed, dissolving into wisps of black smoke.
"Tengen-sama!"
"I'm sorry. I'm late," Tengen said, placing his hands on the heads of Suma and Makio. His voice held a trace of rare, quiet guilt.
Stars practically formed in the two women's eyes. "Tengen-sama...!"
Aoi, watching the scene, felt like giving him a thumbs-up. Spoken like a man with three wives!
In all seriousness, though, she knew the real priority was supporting Tanjiro.
"Inosuke! Zenitsu! The demon's main body isn't here! We need to get to Tanjiro, now!" Aoi grabbed them both and bolted for the exit, not giving them a single second to process the situation.
Elsewhere in the District
Daki's attacks were blindingly fast, catching Tanjiro completely off guard.
Tanjiro grit his teeth, swinging his Nichirin Sword to unleash Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide. His blade sliced through layers of sashes, but for every one he cut, a new one lunged forth to take its place. They were endless—a tide that refused to be stemmed.
"Little mouse, is this all you've got?" Daki giggled, her eyes dancing with mockery. With a sharp flick of her wrist, several sashes changed trajectory, coiling toward Tanjiro's ankles.
I can't keep this up. My stamina will bottom out! Tanjiro's brow furrowed, a vein pulsing at his temple. He threw himself into a sideways roll, narrowly avoiding the sashes aimed at his legs.
Compared to Water Breathing, the Hinokami Kagura was far more suited for this fight, but...
To hell with it! Tanjiro tapped the spine of his blade. "Hinokami Kagura: Enbu!"
Vibrant, orange-red flames erupted along the edge of his Nichirin Sword. Tanjiro's silhouette became a blur of crimson lightning as he lunged toward Daki.
Daki's smile faltered. His aura changed. He's faster than before... but still, in my eyes, he's too slow!
She tilted her head with a casual grace, letting Tanjiro's strike pass harmlessly by.
Tanjiro's heart sank as he saw her unscathed. The power of the Hinokami Kagura should have been enough to burn a demon, yet he hadn't landed a single meaningful blow. The strength of this Upper Rank Six was far more troublesome than he had anticipated.
"Why aren't you attacking anymore?" Daki sneered. She raised her arms, and dozens of magenta sashes shot toward Tanjiro like a downpour of needles. "Out of breath already?"
Tanjiro looked at the collapsing buildings around them. He heard the cries of the terrified citizens. The fire in his heart finally boiled over. He stared at Daki, his voice trembling with righteous fury. "The dead cannot be brought back! Humans of flesh and blood cannot compare to demons! Why do you trample on life so carelessly?!"
Daki froze for a split second. That's strange... it's like I've heard those words before...
Suddenly, a memory that didn't belong to her flickered in her mind. A strange man appeared in a vision: "What's so interesting about it? What's so funny? What do you think a life is?"
This isn't my memory. It's a cellular memory... a memory belonging to Muzan-sama...
"You were human once, too!" Tanjiro shouted, every word heavy with conviction. "You must have known pain! You must have cried!"
Daki snapped back, "That was so long ago I don't even remember! Besides, I'm a demon now!"
Before she could finish, another image of a smiling face flashed through her mind. It was so fast she couldn't even grasp it.
" Who was that?!" Daki scratched at her hair irritably. That blurred smile had vanished, but it left an inexplicable surge of rage in its wake.
She glared at Tanjiro with blood-red eyes, snapping her wrists to send her sashes flying like blades. "Stop saying such nonsensical things! Today, all of you die!"
Tanjiro was struck down. The massive impact sent him into a brief unconsciousness. Just as the sashes were about to pierce his chest, Nezuko appeared, intercepting the attack.
Nezuko had transformed. She now stood in an adult form, her body covered in vine-like demon patterns, her eyes burning with an intense bloodlust.
She raised a hand to swat away the encroaching sashes. Where her fingertips brushed the fabric, wisps of red flame ignited.
Daki, seeing Nezuko, recalled the mission Muzan had given her: Kill the demon who has escaped my control.
Her lips curled into a smirk. "I see. You must be the demon he mentioned. I'll be sure to follow my orders and kill you!"
Nezuko lunged with a powerful kick, but Daki blocked it effortlessly. "Is that all you can do? Use your feet?"
A second later, Nezuko was sent flying, buried under the debris of a collapsed house.
"My, my... how weak. You haven't eaten many humans, have you? A wound like that won't heal anytime soon."
But as Daki reveled in her triumph, Nezuko rose from the ruins. The demon marks on her skin grew more pronounced, and the red glow in her eyes threatened to spill over. She didn't speak; she only let out a low, guttural growl.
She hasn't eaten a single person, and yet her regeneration is this fast!
Daki's shock turned into vicious intent. She raised her hands, and dozens of sashes hissed like vipers, aiming for Nezuko's vitals. "You're just clinging to life!"
In the next heartbeat, Nezuko vanished. A massive force slammed into the back of Daki's neck, and she found herself pinned ruthlessly to the ground under Nezuko's foot.
"Gack—!" Daki coughed up a spray of black blood, her eyes bulging. Impossible! Her regeneration speed rivals an Upper Rank... is she actually stronger than me?!
Nezuko ignored her panic. She applied more pressure. The sound of cracking bone echoed through the ruins, and Daki let out a piercing, agonizing scream.
Aoi Kazama sprinted toward the thickest clouds of dust and smoke. "Tanjiro, you better be holding on!"
Inosuke followed closely behind, his dual blades at the ready. Beneath his boar mask, his eyes were wide with anxiety. "Faster! Even faster!"
Zenitsu was being dragged along by Aoi, his eyes squeezed shut as he screamed, his voice breaking from the sheer speed. "I—I don't want to die—!"
"This isn't working. Inosuke, take Zenitsu! I'm going ahead to Tanjiro!"
With that, Aoi's figure vanished.
By the time she arrived, she saw Tanjiro desperately holding onto the berserk Nezuko, trying to stop her from hurting the nearby civilians.
Thank god for the System's Teleportation Charms, she thought. If I'd been any later, I don't even want to know what would have happened.
"Nezuko, wake up!" Tanjiro cried.
"My, my," Daki's voice drifted over, tinged with dark amusement. "You're quite the handful, aren't you? Using a Blood Demon Art like that."