While the four Hashira desperately fended off the killing blows, Kyougai, covered in blood and wounds, had already regenerated his body.
Rui stood nearby, wanting to help but feeling completely powerless.
This level of battle was far beyond him.
He had been searching for an opportunity to intervene, but none appeared.
Was his perception lacking?
No. It was the terrifying awareness these Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps had over every crisis.
Though it looked as if the four Hashira were being suppressed by Ryuya, as though it were effortless, it wasn't because they were weak. It was because Ryuya was strong.
"No, I'll die if I intervene…"
Rui swallowed nervously.
At that moment, a terrified cry reached his ears.
"Rui, hurry, save me!!"
Kiyo clutched his head, fleeing in panic.
Rui frowned.
He saw red explosive beads continuously bouncing at Kiyo's feet, detonating one after another.
And what triggered those explosions—
Rui's pupils shrank.
A blaze tore through the night sky, splitting the blood mist. A scorching Nichirin Blade slashed directly toward the back of Kiyo's neck.
"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
"Oh no!!"
No wonder Rengoku Kyojuro had stopped attacking him earlier. He had gone after Kiyo instead.
Rui cursed inwardly. Spider silk surged from his hands, weaving into a shield to guard Kiyo's neck.
But with a sharp whoosh—
The white threads were incinerated instantly, turning to ash. The flames did not weaken in the slightest as they struck Kiyo's neck.
"Ahhh!!"
Kiyo screamed and twisted desperately.
The frantic movement produced an unexpected result.
Though he failed to avoid the blazing slash entirely, he narrowly escaped a fatal strike. Still, half his body was cleaved open, and raging flames scorched his flesh.
His features contorted in agony as he shrieked repeatedly.
"Ahhh!!"
Rui snapped back to his senses, cold sweat running down his back. Spider silk shot from his palms, wrapping around Kiyo's severed body and yanking him away from Rengoku Kyojuro.
But Rengoku's fiery eyes showed no intention of letting them escape.
Flames erupted from his Nichirin Blade, forming a roaring flaming tiger that lunged at Rui and Kiyo.
The tiger was too fast.
Realizing the attack was unavoidable, Rui gritted his teeth. His spider silk shifted direction, dragging Kyougai forward and hurling him straight into the tiger's maw.
Thrown through the air as a shield, Kyougai had no time to react before the flames consumed him entirely. Blood burst outward as he exploded midair, smashing through the roof of a bamboo house. His fate was unknown.
"Run!"
Rui retreated rapidly. His spider silk cocooned Kiyo and dragged him along.
Kiyo was in no condition to fight, and Rui alone was no match for Rengoku Kyojuro.
Knowing his limits, Rui widened the distance between them.
But Rengoku was relentless, pursuing them without hesitation, determined to burn Rui and Kiyo to ash.
"Where's Rokuo?!"
As Rengoku closed in, Rui panicked and even considered abandoning the severely injured Kiyo.
"Rokuo is being entangled by a woman from the Demon Slayer Corps. She's using troublesome Wisteria Poison!"
"Wisteria Poison?"
Rui's brows knitted together.
So Rokuo couldn't help.
What about Enmu?
Why was the leader of the Lower Ranks nowhere to be seen while his subordinates were on the verge of annihilation?
An ominous feeling crept over him.
"Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!"
Rengoku swung his Nichirin Blade upward, flames carving a blazing arc.
In an instant, Rui's entire left arm was severed.
The loss of his arm caused the spider silk to slacken, and Kiyo, wrapped in a cocoon, crashed heavily to the ground.
Seeing the flames intensifying around Rengoku's blade, Rui lost all will to continue fighting.
Clutching his severed arm, he retreated and abandoned Kiyo without hesitation.
"What happened? What's going on?"
Inside the cocoon, Kiyo had no idea he had been discarded.
Moments later, flames incinerated the silk, and light flooded his vision.
But this was not what he wanted to see.
Under Kiyo's desperate gaze, the arm he raised to block the Nichirin Blade was sliced cleanly in half.
Blood rained across his face.
His pupils trembled violently as despair consumed him.
Just as his head was about to be severed, a red fruit shot in from the distance.
Boom!
The fruit exploded on impact, pulp bursting everywhere.
At such close range, Kiyo's body was blown into bloody fragments. Strangely, the pieces wriggled and began to merge, regenerating.
Rengoku Kyojuro was less fortunate.
Though he reacted swiftly and braced his Nichirin Blade horizontally across his chest, blocking much of the blast, the explosion still hurled him backward.
He landed heavily, planting his blade into the ground to steady himself while regulating his breathing.
"You won't escape so easily…"
Rokuo panted. Seeing her explosive fruit save Kiyo from decapitation, relief flashed across her face.
But before she could smile, sharp pain tore through her abdomen.
She dropped to her knees as dark purple bruises spread across her pale face.
"My poison is quite effective, isn't it? Are you satisfied, Miss Demon?"
Shinobu Kocho smiled faintly as she withdrew her slender Nichirin Blade from Rokuo's back.
"Cough… Ugh!"
Rokuo clutched her mouth, vomiting blood as the Wisteria Poison ravaged her insides. She slashed backward with her claws.
"You wretched woman, you've hurt me so badly!!"
"You seem angry, but I'm afraid I can't allow you to have your way."
Shinobu's figure fluttered gracefully, her footwork light and elusive.
"Insect Breathing, Dance of the Butterfly: Caprice!"
Before Rokuo could attack again, the poison corroded her vision. Her eyeballs deteriorated and slipped from their sockets.
Meanwhile, Rengoku Kyojuro had fully stabilized his breathing.
Rolling flames surged around him like molten lava, forming a sea of fire.
His aura climbed to unprecedented heights. As he stepped forward, a blazing dragon's head faintly manifested around him.
In the next instant, Rengoku transformed into a roaring inferno, charging toward Kiyo like a blazing dragon.
He would bring hope to the Demon Slayer Corps.
He would slay evil demons.
He would eliminate the Lower Rank demon and restore the Corps' momentum.
"I am Rengoku Kyojuro! Flame Breathing, Esoteric Art, Ninth Form: Rengoku!!!"
...
Author's Note:
The full completed version of Demon Slayer: Son of Muzan (Completed) is now on Patreon!
🔥 I also have additional 18+ fanfics available for readers who enjoy exclusive mature stories. 😉
1. Dragon Ball: Oolong's Sex Adventure
2. Elements of Lust – ATLA & Korra Mixed Smut
3. Doraemon: Filtering with Nobi Tamako
4. The Naive Me Who Became Someone's Everyday Secret
5. High School DxD: Rias Gremory, the Phenex Bride
6. Versatile Mage: Awakening the Succubus System
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