"Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!"
With a relentless series of metallic clangs, Rengoku Mujuro's Nichirin Blade collided with the fish-bone blades summoned by Gyokko. Sparks showered the air like dying stars.
At this point in time, Gyokko's strength was not yet as formidable as it would be in the original timeline, but he was still far beyond what Rengoku Mujuro—who had not yet attained the rank of Hashira—could easily match. Merely blocking that single flurry had drained a significant portion of Rengoku's stamina. Although his blade work remained fierce and peerless, in Gyokko's heart, Rengoku had already been sentenced to death.
"If this is the extent of your power, you won't be taking my head!" Rengoku shouted boldly, though fine beads of sweat had begun to pebble his brow from the strain of the exchange.
Hearing this, Gyokko did not rush to attack. Instead, he slithered back into his porcelain pot. When the pot reappeared, Gyokko was perched atop a nearby tree branch. He tapped his chin with his infant-like fingers, letting out a skin-crawling snicker.
"You humans... you really are quite irritating! I have a personality that absolutely loathes being deceived! How dare you... how dare you lie to me!"
Gyokko's smile vanished instantly. He tilted his head abruptly, and the eyeballs nestled in his mouth sockets fixed a death stare on the two figures slumped over Rengoku's back, their heads hanging low.
"Just how long did you intend to mock me with this pathetic farce?!"
The color drained slightly from Rengoku's face. Having never told a lie since the day he was born, he struggled to maintain a poker face, and his subtle reaction did not escape Gyokko's notice.
"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Rengoku shouted. He knew he had likely been seen through, but if he could stall for even a moment longer, it would give Izumi Kiyowa and Nan Niyi more time to escape. Even a single second was worth fighting for!
Seeing Rengoku refuse to admit the truth, the veins on Gyokko's forehead throbbed. His numerous tiny palms clenched into fists, and several miniature porcelain jars manifested in his hands.
"Then let me personally expose your clumsy trickery. Then, I shall use a jar made from your skull to go and slaughter those two!"
Before the words had even fully left his mouth, two bizarre fish, each about a meter long, shot out from the jars in Gyokko's hands like lightning, darting straight for the "two people" on Rengoku's back.
"Don't touch them!"
Rengoku roared, and though he knew the ruse was up, he continued to play his part to the best of his ability. However, the gap in strength between him and Gyokko was undeniable. Despite his best efforts to intercept, the "passengers" on his back were struck.
A sharp rrip echoed through the forest. But instead of the expected spray of blood and gore, there was only the sound of fabric tearing. Gyokko stared at the clumps of dry straw hanging from the mouths of his giant fish, his expression turning so cold it seemed he might drip venom.
"Unforgivable! Unforgivable! You bastard, you dared to humiliate me like this! You are no longer worthy of becoming one of my artworks! I will flay the skin from your body! Then I'll wrap it around a Nichirin sheath and sell it to some clueless Demon Slayer!"
Rengoku's expression didn't flicker at the threat. He showed no trace of fear, which only served to aggravate Gyokko further. Looking at that owl-like face, Gyokko felt his mood souring. He hated these single-minded idiots; they couldn't appreciate his art, nor did they provide the satisfying thrill of despair when they were cut down.
Looking at the decoys spilling straw everywhere, the veins on Gyokko's head bulged. When Lord Muzan had sent him the telepathic message earlier, Gyokko had prepared himself to be scolded. To his surprise, Lord Muzan hadn't berated him. Instead, he had promised even greater rewards if Gyokko could bring back the head of the black-haired brat.
From Lord Muzan's tone, Gyokko guessed that Akaza had failed. Otherwise, his master wouldn't have gone out of his way to mention it. Furthermore, Lord Muzan had mentioned that the newly promoted Upper Rank Six, Doma, was also heading this way with the same target.
Three Upper Moons deployed simultaneously... this was unprecedented in the history of the Twelve Kizuki. It was clear just how much of a threat that black-haired boy posed to Lord Muzan.
Gyokko had even felt a twinge of joy at Akaza's failure. If he could complete the mission first, he might receive enough blood from Lord Muzan to leapfrog his way to Upper Rank Three and replace Akaza entirely!
He had worked so hard to track the group down based on Akaza's earlier intel, only to find out the brat had already fled?! What if Doma ran into them first? What if that bastard Doma took the boy's head and claimed the reward? That Doma fellow was rumored to be a prodigy; Gyokko had no desire to be demoted to Upper Rank Six by him!
The more he thought about it, the more foul his mood became. He looked at Rengoku Mujuro and, without another word, launched a ferocious assault.
However, just as Gyokko expected Rengoku to engage him head-on, he found that the man was purely focused on defense, constantly retreating toward the houses that reeked of Wisteria.
"You cowardly wretch! Do you even call yourself a Demon Slayer? I've never seen a coward so afraid of death as you!"
Gyokko found Rengoku incredibly annoying. Every time he tried to go for a quick kill, the man would focus entirely on evasion and parrying. But whenever Gyokko tried to ignore him and leave to search for the others, Rengoku would rush forward to intercept him.
He knew this human was stalling for time, allowing the other two to escape further into the night.
Frustrated, Gyokko prepared to shed his skin and enter his "Perfect Form" to end Rengoku in one blow. But just as he began the transformation, a massive pillar of flame erupted in the distant forest!
Along with the fire came the pungent, overwhelming scent of burning Wisteria!
Seeing this, Rengoku Mujuro didn't hesitate. A smile broke across his face, and he immediately dashed into the nearby house where Wisteria incense was already burning thick.
Everything was going exactly as Izumi Kiyowa had predicted. The straw man ruse had been clumsy, but it didn't matter if it was seen through.
The clock rewinds to the moment the dust first kicked up...
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Demon Slayer: Starting by Snatching Daki(103 Chapter- Ongoing)
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