Watching Tanjiro and Yae cause him so much trouble, the Sumo Demon, Tsunanami, finally snapped.
The massive demon roared in fury and leaped high into the air, soaring over ten meters up before plummeting back down like a falling mountain. He aimed his colossal weight directly at the prone forms of Tanjiro and Yae!
Below him, Tanjiro and Yae looked up, their faces turning pale as the shadow of the descending demon grew larger by the second.
Good heavens. Both of them went white as sheets.
Just how much did this guy weigh? It was impossible to tell. Falling from such a height with that kind of mass—the sheer kinetic energy and destructive force behind the impact were beyond imagination!
In the nick of time, Yae had a sudden flash of inspiration. She planted her foot against Tanjiro's side and kicked him with all her might.
As Tanjiro was sent tumbling away, Yae used the recoil to propel herself in the opposite direction, sliding clear of the impact zone.
BOOM!
A deafening roar shook the earth as Tsunanami's "Mount Tai Press" slammed into the ground.
He might have missed his targets, but the impact was nothing short of cataclysmic. A massive plume of dust and debris erupted into the air, completely swallowing the demon. The ground shattered under the terrifying force, and a violent shockwave rippled outward through the clearing!
The shockwave hit the narrowly-escaped Tanjiro and Yae, sending them tumbling even further back through the dirt.
From the sidelines, Horitake watched the spectacle with a look of genuine interest.
"That's quite the ruckus he's making," Horitake mused. "Just how heavy is that fat bastard? A few hundred pounds at least... could he be pushing a thousand? Actually, that seems entirely possible."
Coughing and struggling to their feet, Tanjiro and Yae stared wide-eyed at the site of the impact.
As the dust settled, it revealed a terrifying crater roughly five meters in diameter. Tsunanami was sprawled at the center of the pit.
However, thanks to the incredible amount of blubber acting as a natural shock absorber and cushion, the demon was completely unharmed. The massive man climbed out of the crater as if he had simply tripped on a sidewalk.
Tanjiro and Yae felt a chill of lingering fear run down their spines.
Zenitsu, who had retreated even further than the other two, was practically vibrating with terror. Standing behind Tanjiro and Yae, he stammered, "W-What... what do we do now? How are we supposed to fight a thing like that?"
Tanjiro and Yae shared a look of helpless frustration. They didn't have a solid plan yet.
"We don't have a choice," Tanjiro replied grimly. "We have to improvise. His fat is too thick and dense for us to deal any real damage right now. For now, focus on evasion. We wait for an opening and strike when we can."
Yae gripped her Nichirin Sword, her eyes sharp and alert. "I agree. Focus on dodging. Do not let him touch you. That much mass coupled with his demonic strength is a death sentence."
As they spoke, Tsunanami hauled himself out of the pit.
He dropped into a low sumo stance, his flesh trembling with suppressed rage. With a guttural roar, he charged toward the trio with the momentum of a runaway freight train. His speed was surprisingly high, and every heavy footfall left a deep indentation in the earth.
Tanjiro's eyes widened. "Scatter! Don't let him catch you!"
The three of them blurred into motion, diving out of the way just as the demon roared past.
Tsunanami's charge missed, and he plowed through the treeline, snapping several thick trees like they were mere twigs with a series of thunderous cracks.
He skidded to a halt, the ground churning under his feet as he spun around to resume the hunt.
The three young slayers seemed to share a silent understanding. Instead of staying together, they split up, running in different directions to divide the demon's attention.
Faced with three separate targets, Tsunanami had to choose.
Following the universal logic of "picking the softest fruit," he locked his gaze onto Zenitsu. Roaring, he charged toward the yellow-haired boy, intent on crushing him into a pulp!
Seeing the terrifying beast barreling toward him, Zenitsu nearly burst into tears. He screamed, his legs turning into a blur as he fled for his life, with Tsunanami hot on his heels.
The chase veered into the thick of the forest.
Zenitsu was incredibly nimble. He wove through the trees with practiced ease, his movements fluid and quick—a result of the grueling training he had endured at Peach Mountain.
Tsunanami, however, was far too large to be agile.
He chose a different tactic: total demolition. He charged straight ahead, regardless of the obstacles. Thin trees were snapped, and ancient, thick trunks were simply uprooted and shattered by his bulk. The forest echoed with the sound of a heavy tank crushing everything in its path.
Being chased by such a loud, terrifying force, Zenitsu was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Why me?! Why are you only chasing me?! Is it because I look easy to bully?!"
Tsunanami didn't answer, but in his heart, that was exactly what he was thinking: You look like the easiest one to kill, so you die first!
While Zenitsu was in the middle of his miserable flight, what were the other two doing?
Tanjiro and Yae were loyal to a fault. They weren't about to let their friend be slaughtered. Moreover, Tsunanami's tunnel-vision focus on Zenitsu provided them with the perfect opportunity.
Leaping through the high branches of the trees that were still standing, Tanjiro and Yae caught up to the rampaging demon.
This time, Tanjiro chose to target the "back-heart"—the area of the back directly behind the heart.
From his vantage point, he noticed that while Tsunanami's back was broad and fatty, the protective layer there seemed slightly thinner than the rolls around his neck. If he could penetrate that layer in one go, he might be able to reach the heart!
Even if a demon wouldn't die from a destroyed heart, it would certainly cause massive internal damage and slow him down.
Setting his resolve, Tanjiro struck:
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"
Tanjiro lunged forward, his blade held in a concentrated thrust. Blue water spiraled around the tip of the Nichirin Sword, focusing all his momentum into a single point. It was the fastest and most powerful piercing technique in the Water Breathing style.
Like a ripple spreading across a still pond, Tanjiro's blade suddenly plunged into the center of Tsunanami's back!
Schlick!
The blade tore through the outer adipose tissue and buried itself deep within the demon's torso.
Tanjiro couldn't be certain if he had pierced the heart. The sensation of the blade sinking into the dense fat was muddled, making it hard to feel the internal organs. However, the Nichirin Sword had sunk in almost to the hilt, with only a small portion of the guard remaining visible against the demon's skin.
Feeling the sudden, sharp agony, Tsunanami's rage spiked again.
He twisted his head, catching a glimpse of Tanjiro through the corner of his eye. "You wretched brat! You're asking for death!"
He swung his massive, flabby arms backward, intending to swat Tanjiro off his back.
However, because of the sheer volume of fat on his torso and shoulders, no matter how he twisted his arms or reached back, he couldn't actually reach the spot where Tanjiro was perched!
Still gripping his sword, Tanjiro realized the truth with a surge of hope.
He was standing in the enemy's absolute blind spot—an area the demon's own massive body prevented him from reaching!
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