Encountering Demons! Strength Powerful Enough to Inspire Fear! A Ten-Thousand-Word Short Chapter, Begging for Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets!

The sun was setting.

Chu Yang and Kanae walked side by side as they arrived at a remote little town.

The town was called Anji Town, located northeast of the Butterfly Mansion.

Over the recent period, five women between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five had vanished from the town in succession.

According to information sent by Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, the culprit was very likely a powerful demon proficient in Blood Demon Arts. Ordinary swordsmen would not be capable of handling it, so the mission had fallen to Kanae.

In truth, headquarters also knew that Kanae had a difficult time managing the Butterfly Mansion as well, but there really was no suitable manpower to deal with this incident. Moreover, it had occurred within Kanae’s jurisdiction.

This showed that the Demon Slayer Corps’ transmission of information had a certain delay. That was why they had not considered Chu Yang, who had only just completed a mission.

After the two arrived in Anji Town, they immediately sensed the town’s gloomy atmosphere. It should have been the hour when cooking smoke rose from every household, yet the entire town was terrifyingly quiet.

Rumors that demons attacked young women at night had already spread everywhere.

"Should we find a Minshuku to rest in, or patrol around here?" Chu Yang looked around. The sky was gradually darkening, and there was not even anywhere nearby to eat.

"Forget it. If we rest tonight, another girl might end up in danger. Let’s make a round of the town. Maybe we’ll find something." Kanae shook her head, then asked curiously, "You left your weapon outside. What will you do if something sudden happens?"

Chu Yang shrugged helplessly. "No choice. That sword is so huge that bringing it into town would definitely cause panic."

Kanae shot him an annoyed glare. "Who told you to choose such an exaggerated Nichirin Sword as your weapon? Now you know how inconvenient it is to carry?"

"It really is inconvenient, but it feels amazing when cutting down demons!" Chu Yang made a gesture through the air and said enthusiastically, "Sometimes, I don’t even need to aim for the neck. One slash is enough to turn them into minced meat!"

Just imagining the scene Chu Yang described made Kanae feel a little sick. She was a technique-oriented swordswoman who focused on identifying weaknesses and killing with a single strike. She simply could not understand Chu Yang’s aesthetics of violence.

Yet as she looked at Chu Yang’s face, brimming with absolute confidence, Kanae somehow felt that this big boy before her could bring unprecedented change to the Demon Slayer Corps.

The two walked down the empty street. One spoke animatedly, full of spirit, while the other listened quietly, smiling softly.

"You two are certainly in high spirits. In such a silent place, you still have the leisure to stroll and chat. It truly makes one envious."

"The person Akaza searched for everywhere but failed to find, I happened to run into. I really have Nakime to thank for this."

A figure stood at the end of the street, covering half his face with a fan as a chilling laugh escaped his lips.

"Dressed up all flashy, like some fake mystic." Although there was not the slightest illumination around them, Chu Yang still clearly saw the other party’s face—especially the "Two" reflected in his pupils.

Upper Moon Two—Doma.

Kanae stopped short, her hand instinctively pressing against the hilt of her Nichirin Sword. "A demon?"

Chu Yang nodded. "The stench is drifting through the entire street. If he isn’t a demon, what else could he be? He should be the culprit behind those girls’ disappearances."

"That young man over there really has no manners at all!" Doma said with feigned sorrow. "Calling me smelly is far too cruel… I bathe in flower petals every day."

"Disgusting."

Kanae stared at Doma indifferently, making no attempt to hide her revulsion.

"Beautiful girls like you taste the best." Doma’s lips curved upward as he appraised Kanae with greedy eyes.

How could Kanae tolerate such provocation?

She drew the Nichirin Sword at her waist. In an instant, petals filled the skies, carrying boundless killing intent.

"That presence…" Doma put away his playful smile and stared at the beautiful girl before him. "You must be a Hashira, right? Hehehe, my luck really is excellent."

A flash of sword light swept countless petals toward Doma, concealing several sharp slashes within.

Doma let out a soft chuckle.

Then he waved the fan in his hand, and a mass of petals appeared around him as well.

The only difference was that these petals had condensed from frost. They were thin as cicada wings, yet incomparably sharp.

White petals and pink petals collided, like winter, when all things lay dormant, clashing against spring, when all things revived.

Two entirely different forces battled against each other!

At the point where the two-colored petals met—

Kanae’s Nichirin Sword precisely slashed toward Doma’s neck!

"Splendid swordsmanship." Appreciation flashed through Doma’s eyes. He raised one fan to block the Nichirin Sword, while another fan covered in frost gleamed with a biting chill as it cut toward Kanae’s sword-wielding wrist.

Having failed to land her strike, Kanae immediately retreated and evaded Doma’s attack.

Just as she planned to widen the distance between them—

It was already too late.

A frost storm suddenly erupted between them, blinding Kanae. By the time she recovered, Doma was already standing behind her.

Kanae’s back crashed directly into him.

Doma grabbed Kanae’s wrist. The powerful force made her wince in pain, and she nearly lost her grip on the Nichirin Sword.

"The scent on you really makes my mouth water…" Doma lowered his head, his lips drawing closer and closer to Kanae’s face.

Kanae’s face went pale.

The next second, half of Doma’s head exploded!

Blood and gore splattered across the ground. At a glance, it looked like a watermelon had burst apart.

"You talk too much." Chu Yang coldly grabbed the remaining half of Doma’s head. "Other than bullying women, do you have any other skills?"

Doma’s remaining half-mouth opened, releasing a soundless roar.

Growing impatient, Chu Yang kicked him away.

"Senior, are you alright?" Chu Yang lowered his head to look at the still-shaken Kanae. "That guy is Upper Moon Two. He’s very different from ordinary demons, and he won’t be easy to kill."

Without a Nichirin Sword made from Scarlet Crimson Ore, it was indeed difficult to curb a demon’s regenerative abilities with bare hands. Chu Yang had already felt that just now.

That punch had been aimed at blowing apart Doma’s head, but it had landed slightly off.

Yet in an incredibly short time, the missing half of Doma’s head had already grown back.

Kanae nodded. She had also noticed the unusual number in Doma’s pupils, and her heart suddenly grew heavy. It was her first time fighting an Upper Moon demon.

Meanwhile, Chu Yang had severely injured Doma without even using a weapon, which left Kanae utterly stunned.

Doma’s injuries healed in the blink of an eye. He watched Chu Yang warily. With the sharpness of his five senses, he had not sensed that punch at all.

"This guy is strange…"

Doma did not dare let down his guard. His eyes remained fixed on Chu Yang. Compared to him, the threat Kanae posed was almost negligible.

"So the rumors were true. Your body really can rival that of a demon." A red glint flashed through Doma’s eyes as he suddenly wanted to know what Chu Yang’s flesh would taste like.

"Rival?" Chu Yang sneered disdainfully. "You monsters really think far too highly of yourselves."

As soon as he spoke, two streams of white mist shot from Chu Yang’s nostrils. Sun Breathing began circulating, and the mist turned into blazing flames with every cycle.

Kanae, standing nearby, was equally surprised. She clearly remembered that Chu Yang practiced Stone Breathing, so why did the movement of his breathing resemble Flame Breathing?

As Sun Breathing stabilized, Chu Yang’s body temperature rapidly climbed. More and more white mist rose from his body, flames blazing brilliantly around him like an ancient god of fire.

No, he should be called the Sun God!

That extraordinary scorching heat gave Doma the sensation of facing the sun itself.

The threat of death instantly became incomparably clear.

Even from a distance, Doma could clearly feel the pressure radiating from Chu Yang. It was suffocating.

He had only felt such a sensation when his master, Kibutsuji Muzan, was enraged.

Chu Yang took a step and vanished from Doma’s sight in an instant.

Sensing danger, Doma immediately unleashed a Blood Demon Art. Ice crystals rapidly condensed around him, gathering into two enormous ice sculptures of young women that guarded him on either side.

The next moment, Chu Yang suddenly appeared before Doma and threw a punch. Flames blotted out the sky, reflecting off his right fist as dazzling crimson light bloomed.

The ice sculptures on either side of Doma crossed before him, spewing icy mist that caused the surrounding temperature to plummet by dozens of degrees.

But the mist evaporated the instant it touched the flames. The two ice sculptures standing in Chu Yang’s way were also smashed apart by that unstoppable fist.

The force of Chu Yang’s punch did not diminish. Instead, it grew even fiercer as it struck toward Doma’s face.

Doma knew that if he took that punch head-on, he would likely be smashed to pieces by the boy before him. He could only find a way to avoid it.

For the first time in a battle against a human, the ever-proud Doma chose to retreat.

Though he was unwilling to admit it, Doma truly felt humiliated at that moment.

Doma wanted to retreat, but Chu Yang’s fist pressure pinned him in place, making his legs impossible to move. His whole body seemed trapped in a swamp, and the indescribable oppression twisted his expression.

His hair and clothes were thrown into disarray by the pressure, leaving him in an extremely sorry state.

"Damn it!" Doma gritted his teeth and raised both arms to block, deciding to endure the blow with his body. He did not believe Chu Yang could truly kill him with his fists.

However, the instant Chu Yang’s fist made contact with Doma’s arms, they suddenly caved in, his bones emitting a teeth-grating sound.

Doma had once again overestimated himself and underestimated Chu Yang. Just as he was about to pay an unimaginably terrible price, a figure suddenly appeared between them.

The uninvited guest struck Chu Yang’s arm from the side, causing most of Chu Yang’s strength to hit empty air.

Chu Yang twisted his body in a half-circle, swinging his fist like a massive hammer as he smashed it fiercely toward the one who had rescued Doma.

The uninvited guest took Chu Yang’s punch head-on and was instantly sent flying.

He crashed solidly into Doma, and both were blasted away by Chu Yang’s strike, smashing through numerous buildings along the way.

When the dust settled, Chu Yang finally saw who had arrived.

Beside Doma, Akaza’s arm was twisted grotesquely, clearly having suffered an extremely powerful impact. Yet he himself looked entirely unconcerned, his eyes filled with eager excitement.

"At first, I didn’t believe a human could possess such a powerful body. Then I personally experienced your strength just now." Akaza trembled with excitement. "You should choose evolution like us instead of continuing to waste your talent."

"Sorry, but my greatest hobby is sunbathing." Chu Yang’s expression remained calm, but his eyes were filled with killing intent as the flames around his body burned ever more fiercely.

"Upper Moon Two and Upper Moon Three. Not bad. If I kill you both, I wonder whether Muzan will be heartbroken."

Akaza’s body crackled as his bones returned to their original state. He smiled provocatively.

"Don’t worry. You won’t get the chance."

Doma said quietly, "Hold him off. I’ll kill that woman, then come meet up with you."

Akaza sneered. "Meet up? There’s no need! I’ll kill him myself."

Hearing that, Doma could not be bothered with this brute. His eyes never left Kanae for even a moment.

On the other side, Kanae keenly sensed the killing intent. Judging from the situation, she had undoubtedly become Chu Yang’s burden, and she immediately made up her mind.

"Whichever one of them comes to kill me, I’ll do everything I can to hold them back." Kanae whispered in Chu Yang’s ear, "Focus on fighting. Don’t worry about me, and don’t get distracted."

"There’s no need." Chu Yang shook his head. "I’ll kill both of them. Just protect yourself."

Kanae stared at him in astonishment. The absolute confidence emanating from Chu Yang made her feel that he truly could fight one against two.

At that moment, both Doma and Akaza moved. One charged at Chu Yang, while the other rushed toward Kanae.

Chu Yang’s eyes turned cold, and his figure abruptly vanished.

When he reappeared, he was already standing between Akaza and Doma!

With one hand pressing down on Doma and the other on Akaza, Chu Yang slammed them violently into the ground.

Rumble—!!

The earth cracked open, tearing apart and swallowing the two demons whole.

Akaza, who had been boasting just moments earlier, was completely suppressed by a terrifying force. Unwilling to accept it, he grabbed Chu Yang’s forearm with both hands, veins bulging as he exerted every ounce of strength.

Yet the hand pressing down on his head did not move in the slightest.

Only then did Akaza realize the enormous gap in strength between them…

"This is impossible!" Akaza stared at Chu Yang like a madman. Whether from rage, fear, or overexertion, his body began trembling visibly. "A human cannot possibly possess this level of strength!"

"Is that so?" Chu Yang answered indifferently, increasing the force in his hand and forcibly pressing Akaza’s head into the ground.

Doma was resisting as well. He attempted to freeze Chu Yang’s arm.

But Chu Yang’s abnormally high body temperature melted the frost in an instant.

That heat continuously scorched Doma’s skin. The pain was unbearable, and horrifying screams began pouring from his mouth.

"Aaaahhhhhh!"

At that moment, he suddenly recalled a terrifying punishment from an ancient eastern nation.

The Bronze Pillory!

Chu Yang’s palm was like a red-hot iron block pressed firmly against Doma’s face. If this continued, Doma felt that his face would melt away completely.

"Damn it!"

In all these years, Akaza had never suffered such humiliation.

Pinned to the ground, he could not even fight back.

"If this is all you two can do, then the Twelve Kizuki are destined to lose two members today!"

Chu Yang’s domineering declaration echoed endlessly in Kanae’s ears. Her face held only one expression—shock.

"Are Upper Moons really such weak demons?"

The thought involuntarily surfaced in Kanae’s mind, but Doma’s terrifying strength from earlier immediately dispelled the ridiculous notion. Without Chu Yang, she would have already been injured!

"It’s not that they’re too weak. It’s that he’s too strong…" Kanae watched Chu Yang with a complicated expression. By himself, he had suppressed two Upper Moon demons. Chu Yang’s strength was so overwhelming that it even shook her conviction.

Could this guy really not be human?

"No, if he were truly a demon, how could he move under sunlight?" Kanae desperately shook her head. With her temperament, she ordinarily would never let her thoughts run wild like this on a battlefield, but what she was witnessing was simply too unbelievable.

Though it was the dead of night, Chu Yang shone like a little sun!

He dispelled the darkness around them and brought a reassuring warmth.

Yet to Akaza and Doma, that warmth was piercing agony. Both of them involuntarily recalled the first time sunlight had touched them.

That scorching heat engraved into their souls remained fresh in their memories.

Their instincts told them that if Chu Yang’s flames continued suppressing them like this, they would eventually be burned alive!

Their desire to survive greatly stimulated their potential. Doma and Akaza erupted with tremendous power at the same time, faintly beginning to shake Chu Yang’s hold.

The will to survive was, aside from blood, the core force driving demons to evolve. Powerful will could help them reconstruct injured bodies and break through their flaws and limits.

Destructive Kill: Disorder!

Akaza spread both fists, no longer merely defending as he launched an attack against Chu Yang. He counterattacked with the resolve to trade his life for injury, unwilling to stop even if Chu Yang crushed his head.

But Doma clearly lacked that resolve. The terrifying force constantly pressing against his face made him afraid to gamble everything. He waited silently, hoping Akaza’s outburst would reveal an opening in Chu Yang’s defenses.

If he abandoned defense and counterattacked like Akaza, Chu Yang would crush his head in the next second.

Akaza’s fists were so fast that they could no longer be seen with the naked eye. Blurred fist shadows streaked through the night like meteors, landing precisely against Chu Yang’s chest.

Under normal circumstances, not only humans, but even any demon among the Twelve Kizuki would be unable to withstand such ferocious attacks head-on.

But Chu Yang was like a great Buddha seated motionlessly in the mortal world.

He did not move in the face of the storm-like onslaught.

When the fists landed on him, only the sound of metal and stone clashing rang out again and again.

Clang, clang, clang~~~

A slight smile curled Chu Yang’s lips.

The Armament Haki covering only his upper body was incredibly hard. With Akaza’s strength, there was no way he could break through it. Only if Muzan personally stepped in would there be any hope.

Doma, who had taken in everything before him, was utterly shaken. Watching the scene from a third-person perspective, it was simply too terrifying for a demon.

He had even begun to wonder whether he could truly survive at this man’s hands.

Despair appeared on Akaza’s face as well.

Why could this man withstand all of his attacks with his physical body?

Could he really not be injured? Did such a person truly exist in this world?

Impossible!

Even against Lord Muzan, I’m confident I could injure him!

Demons are the greatest form of life, the highest stage of evolution, and the only chosen ones!

Humans are merely ants destined for elimination!

Akaza’s eyes turned crimson as madness overtook him. His expression became increasingly savage and twisted, and his fighting spirit burned around him like raging flames, actually blocking that sun-like radiance to a certain extent.

A sharp light flashed in Doma’s eyes. He saw hope of survival!

He finally made up his mind to risk his life alongside Akaza.

The air temperature suddenly plummeted, and even the ground behind Doma became coated in a thick layer of frost.

"You two really know how to make trouble. If you obediently accepted your fate, you’d suffer less," Chu Yang said. He felt something was off about that, then shook his head. "No, you need to be punished. Otherwise, those lives that died in vain would be too pitiful."

"Don’t speak to me in that lofty tone. Do you think you’re Lord Muzan?" Akaza erupted completely. He actually withstood the terrifying pressure and slowly rose to his feet, gradually giving off an aura capable of standing against Chu Yang.

Chu Yang could not help showing appreciation. As a warrior, Akaza was nearly perfect. Both his fighting spirit and willpower were exceptional. Among the Twelve Kizuki, only he and the first-ranked Kokushibo could truly be called strong.

The battered Doma took the chance to escape Chu Yang’s clutches. Still shaken, he retreated to a safe distance. His earlier thought of joining Akaza in attacking Chu Yang gradually faded. He wanted to flee, yet hesitated, caught in a dilemma.

At that moment, his injuries showed no signs of recovering. His once handsome face hung from his neck like a tattered rag.

The feeling was exactly like being severely scorched by sunlight!

"There’s something wrong with this guy’s Breathing Technique."

As Doma realized this, a scene he had never seen before suddenly flashed through his mind.

In the image, a man stood before him, wearing a red haori and red sun earrings, with red-and-black hair. The man stood in the darkness, gazing coldly at him!

The fear buried deep within his cells suddenly erupted!

Doma suddenly realized that this was not his memory, but…

Kibutsuji Muzan’s memory!

What kind of man could force Lord Muzan into such desperate straits?

As that question surfaced in his mind, Doma instinctively looked at Chu Yang, his face filled with shock.

Wasn’t the man before him exactly that kind of person?

Meanwhile, Akaza was fighting in a bloody battle. The blood flowing from him dyed the entire street red, while Chu Yang remained spotless, not looking like he was in the midst of a fierce battle at all.

Whether Chu Yang broke his arms or shattered his legs, Akaza could recover in just a few breaths. Yet when he saw that even his attacks could not damage so much as the corner of the other man’s clothing, even Akaza, with his unshakable will, began to feel powerless.

At that moment, Kanae, watching from the side, noticed the exhaustion flash across Akaza’s face. A wave of satisfaction filled her, and she laughed freely. "Desperate, aren’t you? Now it’s finally your monsters’ turn to experience this kind of despair!"

"But your despair can never compare to the despair ordinary people feel when they encounter demons, nor to the despair most Demon Slayer Corps members feel when fighting you!"

"Feel it well! Take that despair with you into hell!!!"

Kanae’s voice was piercing, igniting Akaza’s rage and the last of his courage. Without hesitation, he unleashed his final, all-out attack.

"Destructive Kill: Final Form!"

Akaza’s fighting spirit turned into Compass Needles that filled the sky, descending upon Chu Yang like a torrential downpour!

Chu Yang slowly walked toward Akaza. With every step, the surrounding area was battered by the rain of needles. The paving stones shattered, turning into ruins in the blink of an eye.

When Chu Yang stood before Akaza completely unharmed, Doma’s psychological defenses finally collapsed. Other than running, he could no longer think of anything else.

This demon who sat in the second position among the Upper Moons had finally experienced what it felt like to be an ant.

"Akaza, sleep well here. I’ll report your bravery to Lord Muzan."

Perhaps feeling somewhat guilty, Doma muttered to himself as he left.

But a gust of wind blew a cluster of petals over, and they landed directly before him.

Doma’s expression stiffened.

The moment he looked up, he saw Kanae’s smiling face, filled with mockery.

"I won’t let you leave here." Kanae’s tone was firm and resolute, carrying all the hatred she had accumulated toward demons over the years.

Doma was nearly driven mad with anger. These days, any stray cat or dog dared to stand in his way?

His face darkened as a cruel smile spread across it. "Who do you think you are? He may be able to kill us, but that doesn’t mean you can."

"It’s fine. Once he finishes killing that demon, you’ll be next." Kanae said coldly, "At worst, I’ll die by your hand. As long as you don’t get the chance to escape, I don’t care."

Doma took a deep breath. This woman had already prepared herself for the worst, which meant he definitely would not be able to get away easily.

Akaza stared blankly at Chu Yang. He was only one step away, yet the man before him seemed like a god seated among the clouds, making others instinctively want to look up at him.

But Akaza had a god he believed in, so Chu Yang’s appearance had violently shaken his convictions.

For a warrior, shaken faith was more serious than physical injury. It was a wound that could never heal.

"Why are you so powerful?"

Akaza voiced his question once more, but what he doubted was the conviction he had held firm all his life.

So demons were not the embodiment of human evolution. Humans themselves could become this powerful…

"Maybe because I spend a lot of time in the sun. Sunlight helps the body absorb calcium and strengthens your physique," Chu Yang said solemnly, though he was already laughing inside.

It had only been a joke, but Akaza unexpectedly took it seriously and fell into deep doubt.

Was I not strong enough because I never basked in the sun?

Demons cannot walk under sunlight. That truly is a fatal flaw…

Akaza closed his eyes.

Chu Yang sighed, then smashed the other man’s neck with a single punch, regret flashing in his eyes.

Before becoming a demon, Akaza had been named Hakuji. He had been a decent person. As a boy, he often resorted to theft to pay for medicine for his seriously ill father. Though he had gone down the wrong path, it was understandable. At the very least, he had been a filial son.

Believing himself to be a burden to Hakuji, his father chose to hang himself. After losing his only family, Hakuji became extreme and violent. If he had not later met Master Keizo, who taught him martial arts, he might have truly gone astray.

Hakuji had been fifteen that year.

Hakuji settled down at his master’s dojo, yet he was the only disciple there. Master Keizo’s wife had just passed away, leaving behind an ill daughter. The two depended on each other.

Master Keizo did not develop any prejudice against Hakuji because of his past mistakes. He even entrusted his sick daughter, Koyuki, to Hakuji’s care, fully demonstrating his trust.

Thus, Hakuji spent a peaceful and warm period of his life there. During that time, Koyuki fell in love with the boy who appeared fierce but was actually very gentle.

Hakuji, whose past life had been far from honorable, never realized that Koyuki loved him.

When he was eighteen, Master Keizo intended to hand the dojo over to Hakuji and arranged an engagement between his daughter and Hakuji. Hakuji took Koyuki to watch beautiful fireworks, and the two confessed their feelings to each other.

Overjoyed, Hakuji made a special trip back to his hometown to tell his deceased father the good news of his upcoming marriage. Yet fate played a cruel joke. That brief separation left Hakuji and Koyuki forever separated by life and death.

The neighboring kendo dojo had long envied Master Keizo. Though he had few disciples, he still possessed such a large dojo. The two sides had long harbored grievances, but because they were no match for Master Keizo and Hakuji, they had kept their resentment hidden.

Once Hakuji returned to his hometown, those scum chose to poison the well, killing Master Keizo and Koyuki.

Hakuji, who thought he would finally embrace happiness, broke down. Barehanded, he killed all sixty-seven people in the kendo dojo, wiping out the entire dojo and completely ending its legacy.

After that, he encountered Kibutsuji Muzan and became Akaza.

Over the long years, Akaza forgot all of Hakuji’s memories. Only his obsession with strength remained, because deep in his soul, he had always believed that he had failed to protect his family because he was not strong enough.

"If I had become as strong as this man, my life might have been completely different, right?"

Before his life faded away, the image of himself in Akaza’s mind merged with Chu Yang’s. The head that had fallen to the ground revealed a relieved smile.

Watching Akaza completely turn to ash, Chu Yang felt some regret. After becoming a demon, Akaza had never actively hunted ordinary people. Most civilians who died because of him had been caught in the crossfire of battles.

But that did not mean Akaza was innocent.

His sins were merely lighter than those of other demons, nothing more.

If fate had treated this young man a little better, his life truly could have been very different.

There was no time to lament Hakuji’s tragic life.

Chu Yang charged directly toward Doma, who was fighting Kanae.

Doma, wholly focused on escaping, attacked with extreme viciousness. Kanae had already suffered numerous injuries, and her beautiful haori was covered in blood.

"Get lost!!!" Doma’s expression grew increasingly twisted when he saw Chu Yang charging toward him menacingly.

Even Akaza had been completely unable to fight back. Though he was Upper Moon Two, he might not be able to withstand many more exchanges.

Kanae wore an expression of satisfaction. The more desperate Doma became, the happier she was.

Frost exploded outward from Doma’s body, and amid the ice and snow, an enormous bodhisattva statue stood before Chu Yang. The ice-carved bodhisattva pressed its palms together, wearing an expression of compassion for all living things.

A disdainful smile appeared on Chu Yang’s lips.

Though both were Buddha figures, the bodhisattva created by Doma was completely different from the bodhisattva Gyomei Himejima worshiped in the temple.

In Chu Yang’s eyes, the ice-carved bodhisattva did not possess the slightest trace of compassion. Its false sanctimony only made it more disgusting.

The bodhisattva raised its blade-like hand high, then brought it down without hesitation with overwhelming force.

Filled with fury, Chu Yang stomped the ground and shot forward like a cannonball. Dodging the hand blade, he slammed through the bodhisattva and blasted a huge hole through it.

He landed directly before Doma.

The two stood face-to-face, every detail of the other’s expression visible.

Under Doma’s horrified gaze, Chu Yang reached out and pressed a hand onto his head.

Like pulling up a radish, he yanked it free from Doma’s neck.

Pop~~~

Only after his head left his body and his gaze met Chu Yang’s cold eyes did Doma belatedly realize something—

I’m going to die.

Other than the progenitor demon Kibutsuji Muzan himself, every demon he created had a fatal weakness. Once beheaded, demons had only one fate: death.

Only an immensely powerful will to survive could break through a demon’s limits, allowing one to ignore decapitation and recreate the physical body.

Achieving this was also known as breaking through one’s limits.

For so many years, no one besides Yoriichi Tsugikuni had ever placed such terrifying pressure on demons. Naturally, they had never been able to touch that supreme realm.

Akaza had been convinced by Chu Yang’s power and gave up his chance to survive, because he knew that no matter how many times he regenerated, he could never defeat the monstrous man before him.

Doma, on the other hand, had never possessed such tenacious willpower. He was naturally gifted and had never suffered hardship. He was evil by nature and delighted in bullying the weak.

Doma and Akaza had lived completely different lives. There was no comparison between them.

"So this guy can be afraid too…" Kanae had lost too much blood, and her steps were unsteady, but she still dragged her exhausted body over to stand before Doma.

After a brief flash of fear, Doma’s expression returned to normal. He looked indifferently at Kanae and said regretfully, "What a pity. I couldn’t take you with me to the underworld. It would have been fun."

"It’s fine. The people you slaughtered will all be waiting for you along the way, until they meet you again." Kanae’s tone was calm, but a trace of delight flashed in her eyes. "Accept your punishment properly when you get there!"

Doma chuckled softly and stared at Chu Yang. "I’m really looking forward to the day you meet Lord Muzan. Will the era of demons come to an end, or will the Demon Slayer Corps be completely erased from history? What a pity I won’t get to see it."

"That has nothing to do with you." Chu Yang threw Doma’s head away and watched it burn into ash in the flames of Sun Breathing.

Kanae let out a long breath as wave after wave of exhaustion instantly washed over her.

Her body could no longer hold on, and she swayed before falling.

Chu Yang reacted quickly, catching her by the shoulders and letting her lean against him.

"I’m sorry. I wasn’t much help in that fight, and now I have to trouble you to take care of me." The weakened Kanae narrowed her eyes and muttered softly. If Chu Yang’s hearing had not been so sharp, he would not have heard her at all.

"When I was at the Butterfly Mansion, didn’t you always take care of me too, Senior? Don’t be so polite." As he spoke, Chu Yang slowly sent Wood Release Chakra into Kanae’s body, helping restore her vitality.

The battle had already drawn quite a few people to watch from their windows and doorways. Fortunately, it was the middle of the night, and it was pitch-black outside, so they could not see much.

Chu Yang’s Kasugai Crow had already delivered the information back to headquarters. It would not be long before the support personnel arrived.

A short while later, Kanae’s complexion improved considerably, and she could barely walk. The two left the town under the cover of night. If they stayed any longer, the residents would not be able to restrain themselves.

Not long after leaving the town, they encountered the arriving Kakushi on the road outside. Kanae’s younger sister, Shinobu Kocho, was among them. Upon seeing Kanae covered in blood, she could no longer hold back and rushed forward.

The two sisters embraced, and Shinobu burst into tears. It was the first time Chu Yang had seen her cry so sadly, and he could not help standing nearby and watching with great interest.

Who would have thought that before long, Chu Yang himself would get dragged into it?

"You idiot! Why did you follow Sister Kanae here? It’s because of you that Sister Kanae got hurt!" Shinobu said angrily. "If she hadn’t been protecting you, how could Sister Kanae have been injured by demons?"

Chu Yang clicked his tongue. He preferred the Shinobu from a few years later. Though her tongue was sharp and she loved making sarcastic remarks, she was still cuter than this little girl before him.

At least she would not wrongly accuse people.

Part of the Kakushi remained behind to care for Kanae, while the rest headed into town to handle the aftermath.

The fierce battle had damaged quite a few public facilities.

But everyone overlooked Chu Yang. He was clean from head to toe—not a trace of blood on him, and not even a tear in his clothes. To everyone else, it looked as though Kanae had risked her life to protect Chu Yang well.

Kanae tugged on Shinobu’s clothes and pulled the roaring Shinobu back to her side. With a bitter smile, she said, "Stop embarrassing yourself. If it weren’t for Chu Yang, I would have died long ago. He killed both demons by himself. I wasn’t able to help at all…"

Kanae’s voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone’s ears. Everyone’s movements paused for a moment before returning to normal as they continued with their work.

Shinobu froze as well, instinctively thinking she had misheard, until she saw the serious look in her sister’s eyes.

"Wasn’t it because he held you back that you got hurt?" Shinobu stared at her sister in disbelief.

"To be precise, I was the one holding him back. The demons we encountered were Upper Moon Two and Upper Moon Three. I was no match for either of them." Kanae openly recounted what had happened and frankly admitted that she was not a match for the demons.

As a Hashira, saying something like that required tremendous courage.

Silence!

The scene was frighteningly silent!

The fact that Chu Yang had killed two demons by himself and protected the Flower Hashira was shocking enough, but what was even more shocking was the identities of those two demons!

Upper Moon Two!

Upper Moon Three!

These support personnel found the stories they heard from injured people about Lower Moons frightening enough. They had never seen a Demon Slayer Corps member alive who could recount information about an Upper Moon.

Because everyone who encountered an Upper Moon had died, including Hashira-level swordsmen throughout the generations.

Seeing the horrified expressions around her, Kanae suddenly realized something. She looked at Chu Yang in surprise and asked, "What information did your Kasugai Crow send out?"

Chu Yang shrugged. "I told them you were injured and to send people over quickly to treat you."

"Why didn’t you report to the Master that you killed Upper Moons?!" Kanae was so angry that she felt dizzy. She asked, emphasizing every word, "You need to send the important information first!!!"

"I did choose the important information." Chu Yang said as though it were only natural. "You were injured so badly. Wasn’t that important?"

Kanae’s scolding abruptly stopped. She stared blankly at Chu Yang, then her fair cheeks began to redden, the color spreading from her ears down to her neck.

Shinobu had no time to dwell on how Chu Yang had killed the Upper Moons. Her gaze shifted repeatedly between the two, looking like a bystander eagerly watching drama unfold.

Oh ho ho, there’s something strange going on between these two…