All the villagers had been knocked unconscious by Tenjuro and Ichiei.
They simply hadn't had the time to move them to safety.
Over there, the two Pillars were locked in a fierce battle with Upper Rank Five.
Working together, they tried to contain the fight within a certain area, preventing it from spreading toward the villagers, or else countless innocent lives would be lost in the crossfire.
This was the last thing they wanted.
They should have evacuated the villagers first, but they had underestimated the situation and the enemy's rank. Now, they were under immense pressure.
Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Strike of the Tide.
Oboro listened to the sounds of battle and looked back. He saw Ichiei swinging his blade, striking at Michimaru from countless precise angles, dealing rapid successive damage. The majestic sword skill flowed like a tide moving through empty space.
But... it didn't hit the target at all.
In the instant the blade flashed, Michimaru's body split apart, limbs detaching as if he were disassembling himself, perfectly avoiding the trajectory of the attack.
Worse yet, the moment Ichiei landed, the demon's arm shot out like a whip, the cleaver coiling and striking straight for his back.
If not for a streak of fiery light deflecting the blade at the last second, the Water Pillar would have been gravely wounded.
"Get lost, you two trash!"
Michimaru was furious. He didn't even bother looking at the Pillars seriously; his entire focus was on Oboro.
After fighting for such a short time, the two swordsmen were already showing signs of exhaustion, sweat pouring down their faces.
Michimaru could see Oboro clearly. The man was standing not far away, not leaving, just watching.
"Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!"
Paying no heed to the demon's roar, Rengoku Tenjuro remained focused and fearless. After saving his companion, he closed the distance instantly, moving with blinding speed to get behind Upper Rank Five.
He straightened his back, swinging the blade upward in a powerful arc.
A brilliant ring of fire, shaped like a full moon, bloomed violently.
However, despite the force, the blade only penetrated about ten centimeters into the demon's flesh—it couldn't cut through completely.
The resistance from the demon's hard body caused Tenjuro to freeze for a split second. Michimaru seized the chance, landing a heavy kick to his abdomen. Tenjuro spat blood and went flying.
"Hmph... Delusional fools!"
Michimaru sneered as the cuts on his body slowly healed.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Regaining his senses, Ichiei saw the demon about to finish off Tenjuro. He rushed to intervene, hoping to buy his friend time to recover. But before he could get close, he was completely surrounded by the flesh abominations, leaving no gap to escape.
This was incredibly difficult.
Ignoring the demon's regeneration and durability, his Blood Demon Arts alone were almost too much to handle.
First, his arms could extend and retract at will.
Second, his body could split apart and reassemble, making him incredibly hard to hit with slashing attacks.
Third, the mouth on his belly could spew out more monsters made of minced flesh, which seemed capable of multiplying. This meant they had to defend against the main body while constantly watching out for swarms of minions.
Furthermore, Ichiei suspected Michimaru was hiding even more abilities.
He was still holding that balance scale in his hand; it was clearly another weapon.
They had experience, yes, but mostly against low-level demons... Ichiei had killed fifty demons to reach his rank. Tenjuro was one of the few who had killed a member of the Twelve Kizuki, but it had only been a Lower Rank. The difference in power between that and an Upper Rank was like heaven and earth.
Every demon fought differently based on their abilities... Lower ranks relied on tricks and tactics to gain an advantage. Upper Ranks, however, possessed such overwhelming base stats that they could simply crush their opponents with raw power.
Strength, defense, regeneration... they were on an entirely different level.
Ichiei moved and twisted through the air, slicing apart the monsters that came near.
The skin on his hands was split and bleeding from gripping the hilt so hard.
Even just clashing blades with that cleaver sent shockwaves through his arms that he could barely endure.
He couldn't help Tenjuro right now.
Perhaps... both of them were going to die here.
Thinking this, Ichiei glanced briefly through the gaps in the fight.
At the man standing there, smiling calmly, not moving a muscle...
...
Agonizing pain shot through Tenjuro's abdomen, his vision blurring.
He barely managed to steady himself when he heard a sharp sound cutting through the air.
He leaped backward instantly.
BOOM!
A long arm swung the cleaver down where he had stood just a moment ago, carving a deep crater into the ground.
Ignoring the sharpness of the blade, the sheer brute force behind it was terrifying.
Upper Rank Five advanced step by step. His arm seemed to transform into a living serpent, striking and 'biting' at Tenjuro, who was forced to retreat and block frantically.
Compared to the struggling Pillar, Michimaru looked completely relaxed, as if he wasn't even trying.
And indeed, he wasn't.
He was keeping his guard up against the man outside...
Watching while he fought.
Angry as he was, he wasn't stupid.
Compared to these two fragile Pillars, that man posed a far greater threat.
He had been punched away so easily, his belly shattered...
That kind of power was impossible for a 'newborn' demon. And that terrifying pressure that had stolen his consciousness...
Could someone really reach the level of an Upper Rank immediately after turning?
Impossible!
Michimaru's mind was in chaos.
"If I eat these two Pillars, my power should increase temporarily..."
He thought to himself.
"Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"
At that moment, Tenjuro sliced through the extended arm. Instead of retreating, he pressed the attack, planting his feet firmly and gathering all his strength.
With a shout, he thrust forward, unleashing a massive strike that took the shape of a roaring tiger.
"Idiot."
Upper Rank Five looked at the brave but foolish Pillar, who still didn't understand the gap between them, and spat out the word coldly.
Then, a silent streak of light flashed in front of the charging Tenjuro.
Scalding blood sprayed into the air.
Before Tenjuro could even complete his technique, his body collapsed.
As Upper Rank Five, besides his physique and abilities, he possessed a deadly secret... otherwise, he couldn't have killed so many Pillars so easily.
It was his blade. No matter how much force he used, or how fast he struck... he could make it completely silent.
The sounds of clashing metal earlier had merely been for show.
"TENJURO!"
Breaking free from the encirclement of monsters, Ichiei leaped high above the demon's head.
His body spun with the momentum of his strike.
"Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!"
This powerful, heavy blow ultimately missed its mark.
Michimaru below simply split his body apart, scattering into pieces in different directions. Ichiei's strike hit the empty ground.
Simultaneously, the demon's arm holding the knife flashed back... driving the blade deep into Ichiei's side.
Even though Ichiei tightened his muscles using his breathing technique, the damage was severe. He could no longer stand straight.
"The moment you realized I was an Upper Rank, your best move should have been to run... My interest isn't in you. Perhaps... you might have lived."
His scattered body parts fused back together. Michimaru looked at them with cruel amusement. "Tell me, you two... what price do you think your miserable lives are worth?"
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