The speed was so fast that even though Douma managed to summon ice blocks in front of him in time, he couldn't withstand Mizuki's continuous slashes. He was violently slammed into the nearby wall, leaving a streak of blood as he slid down.
"Cough, cough..."
Douma struggled to get up, waving his iron fan to try and disperse the smoke in front of him.
But just as he waved his hand, a long blade stirred within the dust cloud, piercing straight through his neck and pinning him back against the wall.
This is bad, my head is about to be cut off.
Douma's pupils slightly contracted, as if he could see his own future.
Sure enough, the blade pinning his throat slashed horizontally, and a fresh head leaped high before falling onto the wooden floor and rolling several times.
He is going to die.
Douma knew this fact with absolute certainty.
If he couldn't regrow his head like Lord Akaza, he would die very soon.
What must he do to regrow his head?
He should be able to do it... Mizuki stepped on his head, twisted the blade's tip, and pierced his multicolored eyes, spilling blood.
Douma watched his body gradually disintegrate in front of him.
It's no use... He couldn't overcome the weakness of the neck like Master Muzan and Lord Akaza.
His body began to disintegrate.
Ah—it really won't work, he feels nothing... No frustration over defeat... He has no human emotions.
His mother, who repeatedly stabbed and slashed his lecherous father who preyed on female followers, and when she went insane and poisoned herself... I only hoped they wouldn't dirty the room... All he thought about were things that never involved a moment of sadness or loneliness. Human emotions were ultimately just an irrelevant illusion to him.
Douma looked at Mizuki with his remaining eye. That cold gaze... it was hatred.
To be honest, he didn't know what kind of emotion it was, but he knew it was hatred.
Many of the followers he had eaten had this expression.
It was just that this expression was usually buried by fear.
For some reason, he felt a little uncomfortable... Watching Douma's body gradually disintegrate, Mizuki narrowed her eyes.
Did he fail to achieve Decapitation Regeneration?
She seemed to have misunderstood something.
Strength is not the standard for overcoming the neck's weakness.
She thought it must be... the instinct for survival.
Carefully recalling the scene where Akaza overcame the neck weakness, that guy's face was filled with frustration and rage over the decapitation, which is why he succeeded.
As for Douma, despite having greater strength and talent than Akaza, he lacked the emotions a normal human... or rather, a normal creature should possess, so he failed.
"He's dead..." Kanae murmured to herself.
He just died like that.
Upper Rank Two.
Kochou Shinobu watched Mizuki lift her leg and couldn't help but lick her lips.
Mizuki sometimes... felt quite scary... "Everyone be careful, I'm heading off first." Mizuki didn't exchange many pleasantries. Her gaze lingered on Kochou Shinobu for a moment, and she pointed out a direction for them, "I can feel the movement of battle in that direction."
"Perhaps you should head that way."
She didn't plan to travel with them; she had already wasted a few minutes here and couldn't stay any longer.
This time could actually have been shortened, but unlike Muzan, she can use Blood Food to replenish her stamina.
Every bit of her Blood Demon Art must be used sparingly.
Even during the fight with Douma just now, she only relied on the erosion of blood to gradually restrict Douma's space, and did not launch frequent direct attacks against him.
She has one more difference from Muzan: she is not suited for long Wars of Attrition.
Her body would wear her down; even with a powerful Blood Demon Art, she had to use it frugally and carefully.
Kochou Shinobu nodded, "You too, Mizuki. Be careful."
"I will be." Mizuki glanced at the trembling girl getting up in the corner, then turned and left... Looking in the direction Mizuki had pointed, beyond several tall buildings.
"Charge! Charge!"
"Woo-wah~"
Inosuke tore through the demons like a wolf among sheep; every charge sent a large cluster of ghostly figures flying.
Tanjirou followed behind him reluctantly; it seemed a little too easy.
His expression darkened slightly, wondering how the others were faring.
Since they hadn't encountered an Upper Rank here, others must have.
He hoped they were alright.
Tanjirou sighed again. He had split up with Zenitsu when they descended, and he didn't know how he was doing now.
Originally, he and Inosuke had planned to act with Zenitsu to help him complete his Master's mission: to decapitate the traitor named Kaigaku.
He hadn't expected this... He hoped things were going smoothly for Zenitsu.
Suddenly, he saw Inosuke standing frozen ahead, showing no inclination to move forward.
Tanjirou quickened his pace in confusion, "What's wrong, Inosuke?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he followed Inosuke's gaze and saw the figure standing tall in front of them.
Tanjirou's red eyes suddenly shrank to the size of pinpricks, and his body trembled involuntarily.
That was fear... not the fear of facing a powerful life form, but fear etched into his memory, the fear of almost being wiped out by the opponent.
It was the monster Tanjirou had first encountered, one against whom he was completely powerless to fight back.
That figure was... Upper Rank One—Kokushibou.
They actually ran into him?
And only when it was just him and Inosuke.
A bead of cold sweat trickled down Tanjirou's temple. He took a deep breath.
Calm down. He had already activated That World; he was different from before.
Treat him with caution, just like he treated Young Miss Mizuki.
"Hahaha! Found a big guy!" Inosuke suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. "this great lord is the man who will become the Beast Pillar!"
Saying this, Inosuke charged toward Kokushibou, wielding two strange blades.
"Wait, Inosuke!" Tanjirou's expression drastically changed. He had no time to stop him and could only grit his teeth and follow.
Kokushibou stood calmly in place, "Is he an idiot?"
He thought to himself.
Is this what Mizuki trained?
His brain seems slow; he's comparable to her in that regard.
"Beast Breathing, Second Fang: Slash!"
Inosuke fiercely slashed at Kokushibou.
Kokushibou's figure vanished from the spot, having unknowingly retreated several steps.
"Beast Breathing, Third Fang: Tearing Fangs!"
Inosuke sensed Kokushibou appear in front of him, and with undiminished Aura, he swung his twin blades toward Kokushibou's neck.
However... he missed again.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Inosuke's attack was clearly very fast, yet he couldn't even touch the corner of the opponent's clothes.
"So fast!" Tanjirou's expression was incredibly serious.
Only by mastering the See-Through World could his sight barely keep up with Kokushibou's movements.
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