That whining demon was one of the Upper Moons?
Shinobu's eyebrows twitched upon hearing that.
How could she believe such nonsense?
That weak-looking, crouching demon was actually that strong?
Her doubts vanished the moment she saw the severed head and headless body regrow into two separate, fully formed demons.
'W-What!?' Goosebumps erupted across her skin.
Both demons bore the mark of Upper Four in their red and green eyes.
One wore a symmetrical kimono, the other hakama pants.
The angry-looking demon gripped a pewter staff, while the gleeful one held a leaf-shaped hand fan.
"Damn it! That guy's giving me chills… Karaku, run! I'll hold them back!" the angry one shouted.
As long as one survived, the main body could regenerate the lost clones.
"Keke~ With pleasure! So much fun!" The fan-wielding demon, Karaku, grinned and dashed toward the underground hole. "Buy me just a few seconds, Sekido! Keke~!"
As powerful demons, they immediately understood who stood before them. This was likely the same human who had injured Kibutsuji Muzan so badly!
Just being near him made their cells tremble in primal fear. Instinct screamed at them to flee; there was no winning this fight.
Sekido clutched his staff and fixed his gaze on Tanjiro, ignoring the girl completely.
'Curse this! That attack is still burning my flesh! What kind of monster is this human?! My strength is draining just to counter his raging force continuously…!!'
But as he tried to focus, Tanjiro's body vanished from his vision.
"Wh-Where!?" His eyes widened in panic.
Before he could react, Tanjiro was already past him, speeding toward Karaku with indifferent eyes.
Sekido's vision flipped upside down.
"…!"
'I was beheaded…? When!?'
Shinobu arrived beside Sekido's decapitated body and stared blankly.
Was she not needed?
Tanjiro was handling everything alone.
"This is frustrating…"
Feeling angry and left out, she laced her sword with a high dose of poison and stabbed the separated body multiple times, opening several gaping holes.
"Damn you, puny girl!" Sekido's head growled, utterly enraged.
Being cut by Tanjiro's bright red sword again, even his Blood Demon Art failed to function properly.
He had no strength left to activate separation; pain and terror gripped him for the first time in over a century.
"Bwah—!" A mouthful of demon blood vomited from his mouth.
'Poison…! She's a poison user! Shit! Shit!'
He tried to control his headless body, but the blood connection was severed.
'No… No need to panic. Everything's fine. Urami separated just now; I can feel it. He won't be noticed so easily. We can still make it…! So what if I and the others die? As long as Hantengu is safe, it's not a problem.'
Beside him, Shinobu's hand stopped as she noticed Sekido's body rapidly turning to ash.
In just a few seconds, even the head was completely gone.
'Tanjiro defeated him… I only finished it. Ha…'
She released a heavy sigh and ran toward Tanjiro.
Loud explosions of wind echoed from deeper in the forest; she knew exactly where he was fighting.
Shiori followed her from a distance.
....
Tanjiro's extrasensory perception and acute sense of smell locked onto the separated demon the instant it emerged.
It was a tiny creature, almost identical in appearance to the crouching one he had beheaded earlier.
But what truly shocked him was the even smaller demon shivering inside its heart.
The Transparent World revealed it in a single glance.
'What a pathetic coward this demon is…' he thought with disgust. 'Reminds me of Muzan. Disgusting little shits.'
Without hesitation, he changed course and surged toward the smaller one.
The main body was hidden in the heart.
There was no point chasing the gleeful clone.
Once the core died, all clones would perish with it.
With his absurd speed and reflexes, Tanjiro covered half the distance in a heartbeat.
Karaku, terrified, skidded to a halt as it realized the plan had been seen through. It cursed loudly.
"Don't you dare get caught, Urami…!"
Hearing Karaku's shout, Urami gritted its teeth and ran for its life. "Curse you! Curse you! Bullying the weak for fun, you monster!"
Tanjiro ignored its pathetic whining.
The next second, he was already behind the demon.
His bright red Nichirin Sword, wreathed in faint mist, flashed toward the heart where the main body hid.
[Sun Breathing Second Form: Clear Blue Sky]
Urami's demonic senses screamed in danger at the last instant. It instinctively swelled its body to protect itself.
'Hmm?' Tanjiro raised a brow.
The attack that should have pierced the heart failed to reach its target.
But the result was far from disappointing.
The blade still sliced through the half-inflated body, severing its legs from the torso.
Now it could no longer run.
"Ah—! You unjust demon! I did NOTHING wrong! You're the one bullying the weak!! You're in the wrong here!"
Kanae's face twisted in complicated disgust. First, she had been utterly shocked at how Tanjiro toyed with an Upper Rank like a child with a doll. Now, hearing the demon's hypocritical, revolting accusations, she was dumbfounded beyond words. "Such delusional hypocrisy…" she muttered in quiet anger, unlike her usual gentle self.
Tanjiro said nothing.
His Nichirin Sword had already destroyed Urami's regenerative powers.
The severed halves bled continuously, dark blood pooling on the ground.
Hantengu finally emerged from the opened torso, clutching his head while trembling violently. "Spare me, hiek—!"
Half of its power had vanished with Sekido's death. It could no longer unify the four clones to summon Zohakuten. Sekido had been the base. With it gone, the main card was lost.
On the other side, a weakened Karaku was locked in combat with the poison girl.
Either way, it could no longer save the main body even if it returned.
Escape had been its only intention from the start. There was no hope of fighting this monster.
Even its Lord had been reduced to such a miserable state.
And the one responsible was still alive and in perfect condition.
Just thinking about it filled Hantengu with terror.
He had to beg for mercy!
Suddenly, Kanae's worried and urgent voice sounded in Tanjiro's ear. "Tanjiro, defeat him quickly! Shinobu won't last long!"
He was already aware.
His hyper awareness tracked their battle at all times.
He fixed his gaze on the trembling Hantengu and asked in a low, threatening tone, "Do you know where Upper Rank Two resides?"
Hearing the question, Hantengu shrieked and shook its head frantically.
But its vision suddenly flipped to the night sky full of twinkling stars.
"ARGH—! YOU HATEFUL MONSTER…"
Tanjiro had severed its head in an instant.
Feeling utterly betrayed, Hantengu began cursing nonstop.
Urami's torso unleashed a powerful sonic scream in agony. "Aaaa!"
Tanjiro sensed the danger and dodged instantly.
A few seconds later, Hantengu, Urami, and Karaku's body turned to ash one after another.
The battle ended in barely half a minute.
Kanae stared at Tanjiro in blank shock.
Noticing her expression, he glanced at her and spoke casually with a faint smile. "It said Eternal Paradise Faith. We have the location. Aren't you happy?"
"..." When?
"It did? Eh? Why didn't I hear it?" she asked rapidly, bewildered.
He shrugged. "You were busy watching Shinobu, I guess."
"Is… that so." Seeing his serious face, she actually believed him.
Flashing a faint smile, he sheathed his sword and started moving toward Shinobu.
"Hmm, she seems fine. Her breathing is out of control though…" he mumbled, feeling relieved.
He had trusted her strength enough to leave the weakened Karaku to her. Honestly, he could have finished it and still had time to chase Urami, but he deliberately held back to let her experience a meaningful fight.
Otherwise, she might start feeling useless.
Shiori flew to his side from above. "Caw, Excellent job, Tanjiro! You're the only one to kill an Upper Rank now, Caw! Splendid work, Caw!"
He instructed calmly, "Go spread the news to headquarters. And inform Oyakata about Eternal Paradise Faith. It's a clue to Upper Rank Two."
"Caw, Okay!" She flew off instantly.
When Kanae saw him smiling, she couldn't help but ask, "Tanjiro… Are you a battle maniac? The way you're smiling, it looks like you're already looking forward to the next Upper Rank fight."
Letting out a low chuckle, he replied, "Heh, you'd be one too if you were in my position. And yes… I'm looking forward to massacring the demon who killed my Kanae."
"Wh-Who is y-yours…!" she pouted before flying off ahead.
Though a small, hidden smile curved her lips afterward.
Shortly after, they reached the devastated forest.
Shinobu sat on the ground with a pained expression, her left arm dangling limply in the air.
'She's injured…' Tanjiro hurried toward her.