Horitake had been utterly ruthless. He hadn't just beaten Hatred; he had practically dismantled him, leaving the demon crippled beyond recognition.
At this moment, Hatred lay sprawled before Sekido and Karaku. His neck was limp and rubbery, his head lolling uselessly against his shoulder. His face, however, was the most gruesome sight of all—on both his left and right cheeks were distinct, scorched handprints, colored a bruised red and black. The entire demon looked wretched.
Even Sekido and Karaku found it difficult to look directly at him.
Why had Horitake been so heavy-handed this time? And why did he seem to be toying with his enemy?
There was no profound reason. He was simply venting his rage.
They had dared to use Jigoro and Zenitsu to threaten him. Horitake naturally had no intention of showing Hantengu even a sliver of mercy.
In his heart, the decision was already made: Today, every single one of Hantengu's clones will die! I will make them beg for a death that will not come easily!
The handprints on Hatred's face had been delivered by Horitake with the full force of his Thunder Breathing channeled into his palms. As a result, the damage was cauterized and permanent; those marks would never fade, branding his face forever.
However, Hatred's neck, which had been twisted into pulp, was a different story.
He was, after all, a manifestation of Upper Moon Four. His regenerative abilities were formidable, and in mere moments, his neck snapped back into its normal alignment.
Clutching his throat, Hatred scrambled to his feet. He glanced back, his eyes first landing on the complicated expressions of Sekido and Karaku, and then drifting further back to where Jigoro and Zenitsu stood.
Hatred was beside himself with fury. He pointed a trembling finger at Horitake and screamed at his counterparts, "What are you standing there in a daze for? Help me kill Horitake!"
Sekido, ever the embodiment of anger, snapped back, "Kill him? How? The Main Body is still in his hands! How are we supposed to kill him?"
Karaku nodded, a bitter smile on his face. "He's right. That guy is Horitake—the Heavenly Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps. He's terrifyingly strong. Even Akaza wasn't his match. Can we really deal with him?"
Hatred exploded into a string of curses. "You idiots! If that guy dares to use the Main Body to hold us hostage, then we can use that old man and the brat to hold him hostage! Let's see who breaks first!"
realization dawned on Sekido and Karaku. Their eyes snapped toward Jigoro and Zenitsu behind them, and they prepared to charge.
But how could Horitake not be prepared?
Shing!
With a blur of motion, Horitake drew the blade at his waist—Majesty—and hurled it forward!
Majesty surged through the air, flickering with purple lightning. It tore through the space with terrifying speed, arriving in an instant. Before Hatred could even process the threat, the blade sliced clean through half of his palm!
Hatred let out a wretched shriek, startling Sekido and Karaku.
They spun around, but the speed had been so great that their eyes couldn't track it. All they saw was a streak of violet lightning sever Hatred's hand before shooting through the gap between them.
BOOM!
The purple lightning slammed into the ground!
Sekido, Karaku, and the clutching, maimed Hatred finally saw it clearly. What had just flown past wasn't merely a bolt of electricity, but a Nichirin blade wrapped in wreathes of violet thunder.
Majesty stood embedded in the earth, positioned perfectly between Jigoro, Zenitsu, and the three demon clones. It acted as a blockade, a silent sentinel guarding the two humans.
They looked back toward the source.
Horitake, expressionless, was walking slowly toward them, gripping the tiny form of the Coward demon—Hantengu's main body—in his hand.
Hatred clutched his severed palm, which refused to heal or regenerate. Watching Horitake approach step by step, the demon was filled with a mixture of shock and rage. He screamed at Sekido and Karaku, "What are you still waiting for?! Grab the old man and the brat! Now!"
As if waking from a dream, Sekido and Karaku scrambled into action, rushing toward Jigoro and Zenitsu.
Jigoro reacted instantly. He knew this place was no longer safe.
If he and Zenitsu stayed, they would only be a burden to Horitake.
Without a word, Jigoro hauled up Zenitsu, who was still sitting on the ground in a stupor. Using his one good leg, the former Hashira pushed himself to the limit, leaping away from the battlefield with as much speed as he could muster.
However, Jigoro only had one functional leg. Even at his best, he was significantly slower than he had been with his prosthetic. There was a very real chance he wouldn't escape in time.
Sekido and Karaku were closing in fast.
But as they attempted to bypass the sword stuck in the ground, Majesty suddenly erupted with a violent burst of purple lightning. The shockwave slammed into Sekido and Karaku, convulsing their bodies and halting their charge.
Majesty was a spiritual blade; it possessed a will of its own. It could generate electricity, and more importantly, it knew when to release it and when to hold back. This discharge was timed to perfection!
The two demon clones were momentarily paralyzed by the sword's thunder.
Seizing the opportunity, Jigoro hoisted Zenitsu and ran for his life.
"Bastard!"
Sekido roared in fury. He reached down to grab the hilt of Majesty, intending to snap the blade in two.
But Majesty was no ordinary weapon. Before Sekido's fingers could even graze the hilt, the sword unleashed another torrent of lightning, sending Sekido into full-body spasms.
Seeing this, Karaku sucked in a breath of cold air. He ignored the sword, and he ignored Sekido, choosing instead to sprint after the retreating Jigoro.
The sword had stalled them for several seconds. Surely that was enough time for Horitake to catch up?
Horitake's body flickered with arcs of purple electricity. In a split second, he unleashed unparalleled speed. Violet light flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he materialized directly in front of Karaku, blocking his path.
truly, Horitake's speed was enough to scare anyone to death.
Karaku saw only a flash of purple, and suddenly, his enemy was right before his eyes.
The usually carefree demon was terrified. He tried to make a move, but it was already too late.
Horitake launched a high kick, slamming his foot into Karaku's chest!
Karaku was sent flying backward. As he careened through the air, he smashed into Hatred, who had been trying to follow up from behind. The two clones tumbled together into a heap.
The situation had turned completely. Of Hantengu's three clones, Sekido was still twitching from Majesty's paralysis, while Karaku and Hatred were sprawled on the ground in a tangled mess.
All three clones had been successfully blocked.
Horitake turned his head calmly. In the distance, he saw Jigoro, hopping on one leg with Zenitsu in tow, having already put a significant distance between them and the battle. Hantengu's clones would never catch them now.
After running a considerable distance, finally far enough from the battlefield, Jigoro landed. He set down the still-shaken Zenitsu and let out a sigh of relief.
Jigoro turned around, intending to check the status of the battle. To his shock—and a touch of horror—he found that Horitake, wreathed in fading purple sparks, was already standing right in front of him!
Good heavens, what kind of speed is this?
Even in his prime, utilizing the full explosive power of Thunder Breathing, Jigoro knew he could never have matched Horitake's velocity.
With a grin, Horitake extended his hand, offering the tiny Coward demon to Jigoro.
"Stinky old man, I'll let you hold onto Hantengu's main body for now. Don't kill him yet; I still have a use for him. Wait until I've slaughtered all his clones, then I'll come back for you."
"You and Zenitsu just stay here and don't move. It's safer here."
Jigoro looked at the mouse-sized demon in Horitake's hand, hesitating slightly.
Seeing his hesitation, Horitake reassured him, "Don't worry. I've used my thunder to paralyze his central nervous system. Even if he struggles, he won't have any strength. Just grip him tight, old man, and don't let him escape."
As he finished speaking, Horitake casually reached out and dislocated the Coward demon's jaw with a sickening pop, ensuring he couldn't bite or scream.
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