With Horitake there to back them up, the tension gripping the three young slayers eased significantly.
Even though they knew their opponent was formidable—perhaps even beyond their current capabilities—Tanjiro and Yae didn't hesitate. Gripping their Nichirin Swords tightly, they charged forward with courage!
Meanwhile, while those two lunged into the fray, Zenitsu remained rooted to the spot, trembling so violently his teeth practically rattled.
Looking at the cowardly Zenitsu, Horitake's expression turned as dark as the bottom of a scorched pot.
"I say, Zenitsu... which do you find more terrifying? That demon over there, or me when I'm angry? Go ahead, take your pick."
The moment those words reached his ears, a violent shiver raced down Zenitsu's spine, his skin breaking out in goosebumps.
Without a second thought, the boy let out a panicked, broken shriek. Holding his sword high, he scrambled forward in a desperate dash.
As he bolted, Horitake's voice trailed after him with a chilling postscript:
"Remember, don't you dare faint. If you pass out, I'll consider it a total loss. And if that happens, I'll show you a personal tour of what true Hell looks like when we get back!"
Zenitsu's terror redoubled. Driven by the reckless resolve of a man with a blade at his throat from both sides, he charged like a headless fly!
The three young slayers converged on the Sumo Demon, Tsunanami!
Watching the trio rush toward him, Tsunanami didn't spare them a shred of respect. To him, they were nothing more than bothersome gnats.
Tanjiro and Yae were impressively fast, their offensive fierce. In the blink of an eye, they closed the distance, flanking Tsunanami. They swung their Nichirin Swords simultaneously, aiming to cleave him from both the left and the right!
Tsunanami merely swung his massive, flabby arms. With two heavy horizontal elbow strikes, he swatted Tanjiro and Yae away as if they were nothing!
Despite his immense girth, his power and speed were no joke.
At their current level, Tanjiro and Yae were completely incapable of matching his raw physical stats.
Before the two could even process what had happened, they were met with a crushing impact. They were sent flying across the clearing, crashing heavily into the dirt several meters away.
With Tanjiro and Yae dealt with, the only one left charging was Zenitsu.
Zenitsu's "attack" was unique, to say the least—he was sprinting forward with his eyes squeezed shut, swinging his blade blindly.
Why were his eyes closed? Pure, unadulterated terror, of course.
Tsunanami found him even easier to deal with. Another casual elbow strike sent Zenitsu spiraling through the air. He hit the ground with a dull thud, groaning in agony.
In the distance, Horitake watched the display and sighed, covering his forehead with his hand. It was almost too painful to watch.
He couldn't take it anymore and shouted out a piece of advice:
"For goodness' sake! Can't you three read the situation? His strength and speed clearly outclass yours. Why are you trying to take him head-on? Use your heads! Use hit-and-run tactics!"
Horitake's guidance acted like a spark of inspiration.
Tanjiro, having just scrambled to his feet, immediately understood. He gripped his sword and sprinted out again, but this time, he didn't charge directly at Tsunanami. Instead, he began circling the demon at high speed, searching for an opening.
The massive Tsunanami watched Tanjiro's rapid movement, momentarily unsure of where the boy would strike, and remained stationary.
Seizing the moment, Yae blurred into motion. Trailing blue sparks of static, she appeared behind Tsunanami's back. Without a word, she unleashed a powerful Thunder Breathing technique, aiming straight for the nape of his neck:
"Thunder Breathing, Third Form: Thunder Swarm!"
Yae unleashed a spinning, ripple-like wave of lightning-fast slashes!
The speed and power behind this strike were immense; Yae was holding nothing back as she aimed for the kill.
However, what happened next was shocking.
Because Tsunanami was a "Sumo Demon," he was unimaginably obese.
How fat was he? He effectively had no visible neck. Below his head was nothing but layers of thick blubber and massive shoulders. His cervical spine was protected by ring after ring of tire-like folds of fat.
For Yae to cut his neck, she first had to cut through those dense layers of flesh.
But as her blade bit into the fat, it ground to a halt. The Nichirin Sword became wedged in the mounds of blubber, unable to penetrate further!
Yae's expression paled instantly.
It was just fat—it should have been easy to slice through! So why was it so resilient? The density was incredible; it felt like trying to cut through reinforced rubber!
Before Yae could react, Tsunanami spun around and threw a back-handed elbow.
Yae barely managed to raise her arms to guard, but the demon's strength was overwhelming. She was sent tumbling backward once again by the force of the blow!
Taking advantage of the distraction, Tanjiro, who had been circling, lunged in from the right. With a look of grim determination, he swung his blade:
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
As the strike went out, the Water Breathing technique manifested, sending layers of blue, crystalline water rippling along the blade. The visual effect was stunning.
Though it was a simple horizontal slash, it was delivered with incredible speed and concentrated power.
Just as Tanjiro's blade was about to connect, Yae, who had just hit the ground, screamed a warning:
"The fat on his neck is too thick! The blade won't go through!"
Unfortunately, the warning came a fraction of a second too late. Tanjiro's strike was already committed.
The result was a mirror of Yae's attempt. Tanjiro's blade sank into the rolls of fat around Tsunanami's neck, only to be caught tight after entering just a few inches. It wouldn't budge an inch further.
Feeling the sickening lack of momentum through the hilt of his sword, cold sweat broke out on Tanjiro's forehead.
Tsunanami looked down at Tanjiro and raised an arm thicker than a human torso. He brought it crashing down like a hammer!
Caught off guard, Tanjiro took the brunt of the blow. BOOM! He was slammed into the earth.
The impact was severe. Tanjiro lay in the dirt, coughing violently, his face contorted in pain.
Immediately after, Tsunanami raised a massive, pillar-like leg, intending to stomp Tanjiro into a pulp!
Given Tsunanami's sheer tonnage and demonic strength, if that foot connected, Tanjiro would be killed or permanently crippled instantly.
Fortunately, Tanjiro's survival instincts kicked in. He performed a desperate roll across the dirt, narrowly evading the stomp!
CRASH!
The ground shook with a deafening roar as the foot missed. The force of the stomp carved a literal crater into the earth, sending cracks spider-webbing outward and kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
Feeling the vibration of the earth and witnessing that terrifying power, Tanjiro's face went white. He scrambled away on all fours, desperate to put distance between himself and the demon before another attack came.
In that opening, Yae—having recovered—charged in once more.
This time, she had learned her lesson. Her target was no longer Tsunanami's neck, but his lower leg.
There was a logical reason for this target.
If one observes the anatomy of the morbidly obese, the thinnest part of their body isn't necessarily the neck—it's often the lower leg. Because the calves must support the vast majority of the body's weight, they are often incredibly dense with muscle and have relatively less fat compared to the torso.
Yae wanted to sever Tsunanami's leg, bringing the mountain of a man crashing to the ground so they could strike at his vitals.
That was her plan, and she executed it with everything she had:
"Thunder Breathing, Fourth Form: Distant Thunder!"
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