"Ta–Taisho era…?"
The Hand Demon suddenly grew frantic.
Its enormous body writhed violently, its massive hands clawing at its own arms, tearing bloody gashes into its flesh.
"AHHH!!!"
"The era name… even the era name has changed! It changed again—changed again!"
Aoyama stood calmly to the side.
Clearly, the demon could not accept the fact that it had been imprisoned for so many years.
The ground trembled with each of its jumps.
"The era changed while I was trapped in this place! Unforgivable—unforgivable!"
Its bulging eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Damn Urokodaki! Damn Urokodaki! Damn Urokodaki! DAMN UROKODAKI!"
Aoyama rubbed his buzzing ear and said flatly,
"The one who deserves damnation is you. Don't drag Urokodaki-sensei into it."
The Hand Demon abruptly calmed down, a grotesque smile spreading across its face.
"Hehehe… that's fine. If I can't kill Urokodaki, then none of his little brats will ever return!"
"9… 10… 11… 12… 13…"
"And now you make fourteen, little fox~"
Hearing its cackling laughter and the numbers it counted, Aoyama understood.
It was tallying the disciples of Urokodaki it had devoured.
Including Sabito.
Including Makomo.
The smug delight on the demon's face caused killing intent to thicken in Aoyama's eyes.
"Hehehe… those numbers are the count of Urokodaki's disciples I've eaten."
"I swore long ago to kill every single one of them! Let me think… two stood out especially. One had rare-colored hair…"
"Shut up."
Aoyama slowly raised his head, the air around him turning heavy.
"I said shut up. You have no right to mention them."
This thing—
Deserved death.
"Oh? Don't be so angry. You'll be joining them soon enough. Hehehe…"
The Hand Demon covered its grotesque mouth in mock delight.
Aoyama decided that was enough.
No more time for this monster.
It would pay—now.
"Total Concentration! Water Breathing!"
Multiple massive hands shot toward him at once. The demon was desperate to kill this arrogant boy and vent its hatred for Urokodaki.
Facing the barrage of arms flying toward him, Aoyama remained composed.
In his mind, the counterattack was already formed.
Gripping his Nichirin Blade with both hands, he charged forward.
"Water Breathing! Fourth Form—Striking Tide!"
The Fourth Form unleashed continuous, overlapping slashes—perfect for handling multiple enemies.
In this case, perfect for dealing with countless giant hands.
Slash—slash—slash—
A faint current of energy flowed along the blade's edge. Aoyama deliberately infused it to make his strikes faster and sharper.
Severed hands littered the ground.
He gave the demon no room to breathe.
Rushing toward a nearby tree, he kicked off the trunk and launched himself high into the air, blade raised overhead.
"Total Concentration! Water Breathing! Second Form—Water Wheel!"
Far away, atop a forest boulder, Sabito sat silently while Makomo stood below.
"Aoyama will win… He can defeat it," Makomo said firmly.
Sabito's voice was steady.
"He may lose. He may win. But there is one undeniable fact."
"He is the first person to split the largest, hardest boulder in the shortest time of training."
Makomo nodded heavily.
She believed in him.
He had promised to avenge them—and to return alive.
Back in the clearing—
Aoyama sliced through another massive arm blocking his path.
"This strike—"
"Is for Sabito!"
He landed, only to sense a surge of demonic energy.
He sprang upward instantly, narrowly avoiding a hidden hand erupting from the ground beneath him.
As he descended—
"Water Breathing! First Form—Water Surface Slash!"
The arms erupting from the earth were cleanly severed.
"This strike—"
"Is for Makomo."
For the first time, panic crept into the Hand Demon's expression.
The giant hands it had always relied upon were nothing before this boy.
Worse—
Every attack was being dismantled effortlessly.
Aoyama pressed forward relentlessly, sprinting along the severed arms littering the ground.
His mind was clear.
No distractions.
Only one thought remained—
Kill this monster.
"Total Concentration! Water Breathing! Second Form—Water Wheel!"
Spinning midair, he cut cleanly through the demon's left half.
"This strike—"
"Is for Urokodaki-sensei."
The Hand Demon's confidence shattered.
Though its head remained attached, at this rate, it would undoubtedly die.
No.
It couldn't die like this.
As it scrambled backward in panic, a sharp pain exploded along its right side.
Its other half fell away.
"This strike—"
"Is for the thirteen who died."
The coldness in Aoyama's voice finally instilled true fear.
The giant demon collapsed to its knees.
"Please! Please, sir! Spare me! I'll never kill anyone wearing a fox mask again—never again!"
"You don't have a future."
Aoyama's voice was icy.
In his vision—
That thread appeared again.
Connecting his blade to the demon's neck.
He swung.
The head separated cleanly, rolling across the ground several times.
Its eyes remained wide open.
The massive body crashed down with a thunderous boom.
Silence returned to the forest.