In the long evolutionary process, I knew some sufficiently powerful demons could overcome their weaknesses.
Like wisteria poison. Also like the neck weakness.
Aside from the sun being their only mortal enemy, they'd work hard to overcome other weaknesses through evolution.
So what was this demon's situation?
Didn't matter. After I dismantled him into parts, I'd naturally know.
I felt my blood vessels seemingly throbbing. Cold fury calmly flowed through my mind.
Since Muzan sent so many demons to set this trap, of course I had to make them all stay.
I put away the Nichirin Sword. Adjusted my stance.
Upper Rank Four's expression slightly changed. That face filled with fury seemed to rapidly flash with a trace of fear—as if an illusion from my blinking.
He didn't charge over. Instead twisted his head and lunged toward the forest, as if to grab something from there.
I leaped into the air. Chased faster than him. Viciously stabbed my hand into his head. Violently injected my blood.
Bang! Bang!
Continuous gunshots suddenly rang from the forest. Bullets pierced my arm, face, eye socket. Deeply embedded in flesh.
Then expelled from my body due to high-speed regeneration.
Several humans holding firearms stood in the forest. Watched me with some terror. But still under their captain's lead, continuously shot at me.
Though it couldn't cause much damage, it was indeed annoying. Would also slow me down.
I violently lifted Upper Rank Four's head. Circled behind a boulder.
While he still struggled in my hands. Four limbs involuntarily twitching.
The moment my blood surged into his body, Muzan's demon blood immediately rioted too. Did everything possible to resist. Fight me.
Upper Rank Four, used as our battlefield, naturally wouldn't feel too good either. My blood and Muzan's competed for dominance inside him.
Upper Rank Four also tried hard to control his own body. But was suppressed by both our bloods.
In the end, of course I won—continuously injecting blood.
I devoured Muzan's blood. Through the invisible connection, felt the rage and unwillingness transmitted from afar. Smiled lightly.
Taking this opportunity, I began reading Upper Rank Four's memories.
Skipping unimportant fragments, I rapidly reviewed once. Confirmed Muzan wasn't here. Still hid in his most secure hiding place.
At least the intelligence Tengen gathered wasn't wrong. This was indeed his base for cultivating demons... Besides here, there should be several other locations. Specific locations unknown.
He didn't tell the Upper Rank demons these things. Just after the last summons, ordered them to wait in that Infinity Castle.
Not until tonight when Muzan's command suddenly came did he arrive on this island to face enemies.
This guy was actually a clone. His main body still hid on this island—at a diagonal position from here.
This demon's strength wasn't weak. Plus the main body could hide. If ordinary demon hunters or even Hashira came, they'd suffer greatly.
But I didn't need to catch it. Clone and main body were still one entity.
Upper Rank Four sensed what I was about to do. Suddenly his body began shrinking again. Slowly became a child's appearance. Cried loudly: "Please don't hurt me... I'm innocent... I was clearly just defeating bad people..."
His transformed child appearance was delicate and cute. Cried sincerely. Very easy to move people.
I stepped back. Then viciously stomped down. Pressed his spine. Ground him into the dirt.
"You're truly disgusting. Simply on par with Doma."
I commanded the blood in his body to activate. Following the connection between main body and clone, to catch that hiding guy. Tear his body into fragments.
Upper Rank Four struggled repeatedly. Sometimes became an old man. Sometimes became a youth. Continuously cursed, cried, begged... But ultimately couldn't resist the erosion. Turned to ash and disappeared.
After resolving this, I ignored those hired humans. Ran back to the cliff top.
Probably when Upper Rank Four disappeared, Muzan transmitted orders to Akaza.
The moment I climbed up, I saw his fleeing back.
With Gyutaro's help, Obanai's condition looked okay. Though he'd also bled quite a bit. Looked quite miserable.
But just listening to his relatively steady breathing, you'd know—Akaza still held back. The wounds he caused all seemed serious but didn't threaten life.
I was about to check his injuries. But Obanai pointed at Akaza's back and shouted: "No need to worry about me! Please chase after him quickly!"
As his words fell, Akaza had already disappeared. Most likely that Nakime's Blood Demon Art took him away.
I naturally withdrew my gaze. Watched Gyutaro crouch down to treat Obanai's fractured left arm. Then quickly bandaged his bleeding wounds.
"You two return to base first. I'll go check on Tengen's side."
After giving instructions, I rapidly ran toward the island center.
Along the way, sometimes encountered swordsmen fighting demons. Casually beheaded the demons with one strike. Continued forward.
When I reached the island center—don't know if Muzan ordered the Upper Ranks to retreat—the battle here had also concluded.
But they looked quite battered too.
Shinazugawa had several more wounds on his body. Tengen's hair was also scattered. The kunai stuck in him nearly turned him into a porcupine. Covered in blood.
Sabito held a broken sword. Half-knelt on the ground. Head slightly lowered.
Behind him were about ten humans. All huddled together with frightened faces.
Only Ume was nowhere to be seen.
Seeing Shinazugawa and Tengen both walking toward Sabito, I also hurried over. Only then discovered he had a wound over his right eye. Don't know if the eye was injured.
"We took down Upper Rank Five." Shinazugawa said. "The other demon escaped."
I gave Sabito emergency treatment. Carried him on my back, planning to quickly return to base. Find Tamayo to treat his wound.
"Where's Ume?"
Tengen nonchalantly said while covered in kunai: "A distress flare was fired from shore. That girl runs fast, so we had her go back to rescue those two demon doctors."
I felt slightly reassured. Tamayo and Yushiro were also demons. Not so easy to die. Could definitely hold out until Ume arrived.
Though many problems still needed handling, right now most important was treating Sabito's wound.
Tengen said he was also poisoned. So now he'd fallen into semi-consciousness.
I brought him back to the shore base. Saw Ume and the other two standing there.
But the ship we originally rode was ablaze with raging fire. Emitted explosion after explosion.
Reinforcements would arrive after daybreak. Without this ship, we could only wait until dawn.
My heart was anxious. But I had no solutions. Could only wait until daybreak to learn the situation of those left behind.
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