Slaying the Hand Demon

"AAAAAH!!!"

Some of the boys could not withstand such a horrifying scene. Their minds completely broke down, and they let out hysterical screams before fleeing madly down the mountain.

Those with slightly stronger wills were also vomiting violently until their bodies went limp, barely able to support themselves by pressing their backs against the trees.

Most of them had never actually fought demons before, so when faced with such a bloody scene, their reactions were not much different from those of ordinary people.

That was also why so many newcomers died on Fujikasane Mountain every year.

Besides lacking strength, a mind that was not tough enough was also a fatal weakness.

This year’s Final Selection was far bloodier than usual.

That was because in the past, it had always been the humans who bled. But this year, more than half the demons on Fujikasane Mountain had already died beneath Chu Yang’s blade.

No demon nearby dared remain hidden in the shadows to watch Chu Yang. They vaguely sensed that even amid battle, he could still occasionally glance toward their hiding places.

"I wonder where that little girl ran off to." Chu Yang let out a long breath, feeling somewhat tired. None of those demons had been his match, but cutting down demons for so long was tiring too.

"Forget it. If I can save her, then it’s fate. If I can’t, then perhaps it’s simply her destiny." Chu Yang slung the Horse-Cutting Blade back over his shoulder, glanced at the young swordsmen who were too terrified to stand, then turned and left.

He felt that even if this group managed to walk out of Fujikasane Mountain alive, many of them would likely choose to give up and abandon the idea of joining the Demon Slayer Corps.

Nearly six hours had passed since night fell. At most, another hour or two remained before dawn.

The killing intent and Blood Qi around Chu Yang were so dense they nearly shot into the sky. No monsters or demons dared approach him.

Just as Chu Yang was about to give up looking for Makomo, his nose suddenly caught an extremely pungent stench, even fouler than the young demon he had encountered at the temple that day.

Hand Demon!

Chu Yang’s instincts told him this was the Hand Demon’s scent, so he immediately headed toward its source.

The farther he went, the more broken tree trunks and cracked forest ground he saw. This was clearly a battlefield, and the two sides seemed to have been moving deeper into the forest as they fought.

Chu Yang continued onward…

"I’ve eaten a full twelve of Urokodaki’s disciples, little fox. You’re about to become the thirteenth. It’s only been a year since I ate the last little brat."

"Hehehe…"

The Hand Demon continued to chuckle smugly, provoking Makomo with its words. "You really do love coming here to die wearing those masks. Otherwise, I might not have recognized who you were."

"To you, they’re masks that ward off disaster? Hahaha! How is that any different from Urokodaki killing you himself? How ironic!"

Makomo’s entire body trembled. Every word from the Hand Demon was like a spike driven viciously into her heart. Especially after hearing the full account of Sabito’s death from its mouth, her composure gradually crumbled.

"Shut up! It’s not like you said! Master Urokodaki gave us the Warding Masks so we could return safely!"

"I will never allow you to insult Master Urokodaki like that!"

Tears glistened at the corners of Makomo’s eyes, and she immediately let out an enraged roar!

But because she had lost her composure, her breathing became disordered!

Originally known for her agility, she gradually slowed down, and the advantage she had held was instantly reversed.

Makomo’s mind was in chaos, and her movements became severely distorted.

The cunning Hand Demon seized the opportunity and launched a fatal attack at the confused girl.

The arms wrapped around its head all shot outward toward Makomo. Every one of its arms possessed tremendous strength—that was why it was called the Hand Demon.

By the time Makomo reacted, she was still one step too late.

She desperately tried to escape the encirclement of arms, but the Hand Demon still seized her legs.

"HAHAHA!!!"

"I said I would kill every one of Urokodaki’s disciples, and you’re no exception!"

With only a slight exertion of force from the excited Hand Demon, Makomo immediately let out a chilling scream. Her legs felt as though they had been caught in a pair of iron clamps and were about to be torn apart alive.

"Die, brat!"

The moment the Hand Demon finished speaking, it heard a whistling sound by its ear, as if something heavy were hurtling toward it at high speed.

The instant that thought arose, the Hand Demon was startled.

The next second, an absurdly huge Horse-Cutting Blade flew past its face, spraying blood into the air.

Several arms binding Makomo were severed at the same instant!

"AAAAAH!!!!"

The indescribable agony instantly sent the Hand Demon into a frenzy. It looked around wildly and roared in rage:

"Who was that? Which damned bastard was it?!"

"You really are terrifying." Chu Yang leaped out from the darkness and landed beside the Horse-Cutting Blade, kicking away the arms scattered on the ground.

He picked up the Horse-Cutting Blade and rested it on his shoulder with a smile. "You look pretty horrifying. Let me tidy you up a little so you won’t be quite so ugly."

After mocking the Hand Demon, Chu Yang glanced at Makomo lying on the ground. The little girl had fallen unconscious, but a pained expression still surfaced on her face unconsciously. Clearly, she had been injured when the Hand Demon grabbed her.

Chu Yang sighed. "I came a step too late, but fortunately, she’s still alive."

"Stop talking big! Both of you are going to die!" In just that brief moment, more than half of the Hand Demon’s severed arms had regenerated. It roared and charged at Chu Yang, its enormous body resembling a tank.

Thud, thud, thud~~~

The ground trembled.

Chu Yang gripped the Horse-Cutting Blade tightly with both hands, his blood growing scorching hot with each breath.

As it coursed through his body, streams of white vapor burst from his nose and mouth.

He pushed off fiercely with both feet, cracking the ground beneath him. His entire body shot forward like a cannonball, and he rammed shoulder-first into the Hand Demon.

The Hand Demon, which had been charging so aggressively moments ago, could not even keep its footing after that collision. It lost its balance and fell backward, exposing its entire body to attack.

Before the arms on its body could move to protect it, its head was cut off by Chu Yang’s blade as it staggered.

Its flying head stared fixedly at Chu Yang, its eyes filled with disbelief.

At the moment its life sank completely into darkness, the Hand Demon’s voice was full of regret and unwillingness. "Impossible… Humans cannot possess such strength!"

It had believed its body to be as tough as steel, yet before Chu Yang, it was as flimsy as paper.

"Whew." Chu Yang wiped the sweat from his forehead. After working all night, he finally felt as though he had finished warming up.

After killing the Hand Demon, Chu Yang picked up the unconscious Makomo. Before leaving, he sensed something watching him from somewhere beyond sight.

It was probably those deceased disciples of Sakonji Urokodaki…

Unfortunately, Chu Yang had not arrived a few years earlier. Otherwise, he might have had the chance to save more young people.

Chu Yang carried Makomo around Fujikasane Mountain, used Observation Haki to locate two demons that had devoured large numbers of their own kind, then killed them.

Though they were not as powerful as the Hand Demon, they still exceeded what newcomers could handle.

Over the next seven days, Chu Yang continued killing demons that had grown to a certain level. The smell of blood on Fujikasane Mountain became far thicker than before.