"What?!"
Completely unexpected that Enmu would still have this move, Rengoku was instantly stunned.
At this moment, strange light suddenly emanated from the eyes on Enmu's severed head!
"Take this too! Blood Demon Art: Forced Unconscious Sleep Eyes! Go to sleep for me!"
That's right, this was also one of Enmu's Blood Demon Art abilities. The effect was the same as the previous Forced Sleep Whisper, except one required speaking through a mouth while this one only needed to establish eye contact.
"Ugh!"
Just like before, the instant he made eye contact with Enmu's eyes, Rengoku once again rolled his eyes back, his body uncontrollably collapsing toward the ground.
Finally having felled this owl once more, Enmu didn't dare stay for even a moment. He immediately manipulated his body to reconnect with his head and ran for his life toward the mansion museum on the northern side of the villa.
Within Infinity Mountain Villa at present, besides Upper Rank One and Upper Rank Three, there were four Lower Rank demons besides himself.
Among them, Lower Rank One was in the northern museum, Lower Rank Three was in the haunted house maze on the right, and Lower Rank Four and Lower Rank Six were in the botanical garden on the left.
Question: if he needed to find one of them as reinforcements now, who should he go to?
Without a doubt, it could only be Ubume in the northern museum!
This wasn't only because Ubume was the chief among their Lower Rank demons, possessing the strongest strength among them.
More importantly, as a demon who also possessed mind-type Blood Demon Art, Ubume's frontal combat ability was similarly the strongest among them!
Even when facing a Demon Slayer Hashira, she could still exchange moves with them!
As for the remaining Lower Ranks, they simply weren't worth considering!
If he and Ubume cooperated, even against a Demon Slayer Hashira, they would have considerable chances of winning.
But if it were the other three Lower Ranks, this would be pure suicide.
Enmu truly wanted to live.
"Don't think of escaping!"
Behind him, the roar rang out once again.
This time, the speed at which Rengoku woke up was even faster than before—almost instantaneous!
[Damn it! This owl commits suicide this decisively too?]
Enmu, who had only run out a few steps, was nearly breaking down at this point.
He hurriedly turned wanting to glare at Rengoku with his eyes, but felt that scorching flame aura already pressing against his back.
[Damn it! Too late!]
In this situation, Rengoku must already be on guard. Head separation would be difficult to succeed like before.
And even if he could successfully separate his head again, he probably wouldn't have time to activate his Blood Demon Art at all, and would still die.
Damn it! Was he going to die?
Was this really the end this time?
Would all his previous struggles come to nothing here?
In such desperate circumstances, a trace of despair involuntarily rose in Enmu's heart.
[Enmu, this time I'm really going to die...]
Until, he felt another aura rapidly approaching!
His emotions instantly shifting from worry to joy, the moment he sensed this aura, he shouted loudly:
"Ubume, save me!"
"...What?"
At this critical moment when Rengoku's Nichirin Blade was about to swing down, in the dark night, a figure flashed past, sharp claws tearing straight toward his throat!
If this blade swung down, Rengoku would definitely be able to completely sever the neck of Enmu before him.
But similarly, he would completely miss the timing to defend, and be torn apart by these suddenly attacking claws.
[Chased all this way, and still unable to slay this demon...]
A sigh in his heart, making his decision in an instant, Rengoku spun his blade back at light speed. While forcing back these claws before him, his body rapidly retreated to create distance.
"Such quick reactions~"
Under the moonlight, Rengoku clearly saw the true appearance of this suddenly intervening figure.
This was a young beautiful woman wearing a gorgeous kimono—her voice melodious, her appearance lovely, her demeanor charming. Both her palms were like avian claws, her ten fingers incomparably sharp.
In one of her eyes were engraved the characters "Lower Rank One."
Based on Enmu's earlier address, her name should be Ubume.
"Lower Rank One, worthy of being the demon in this world closest to Upper Rank."
Gazing at Ubume before him, sensing the demonic aura emanating from her body—that was even thicker than Enmu's—Rengoku's expression grew somewhat grave.
"Among all the demons I've seen in the past, your strength is undoubtedly the strongest. However..."
His tone shifting, Rengoku once again assumed his stance, shouting sternly:
"You similarly cannot defeat me! Tonight! I will definitely slay both of you demons together!"
To this pre-battle declaration from Rengoku, Ubume instead couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her mouth, laughing softly.
"Ahaha~ such an arrogant little fellow~ It seems tonight, I may have the fortune of killing two Hashira of your Demon Slayer Corps~
I just don't know how that Lady will reward me after tonight ends..."
Her laughter was pleasant to hear, but the words spilling from her mouth made Rengoku feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Killing two Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps... what did this mean?
Could it be that she had already killed one of their Hashira previously?
Who was it?
Was it Kanae? Or...
Iguro?!
The instant Iguro's name came to mind, Rengoku suddenly recalled a detail he had overlooked earlier.
Ubume... she had come from the direction of the northern museum! Iguro had gone there previously!
That she could come here to support—didn't this mean Iguro had already been...
"Enmu, support me."
Not giving Rengoku any extra time to think, Ubume immediately charged forward, actively launching an attack on him.
[Calm down, focus on the battle first!]
Quickly recovering his senses, just as Rengoku similarly raised his blade preparing to attack, his vision suddenly locked eyes with Enmu standing opposite.
[Damn it!]
Alarm bells ringing in his heart, looking at Enmu's smiling face, Rengoku only felt his brain suddenly go dizzy, his consciousness once again sinking into darkness.
[Wake up! Wake up quickly!]
Completing suicide in the dream without hesitation, when Rengoku opened his eyes again, he saw that Ubume, who had been several meters away before he lost consciousness, had actually charged to right before him?!
Rengoku hastily raised his blade to block. The two exchanged several moves in an instant, and each collision between blade and claws would spark a series of sparks in the dark night!
After exchanging over a dozen moves, Rengoku keenly seized an opening from Ubume, shifting from defense to offense, forcing her back with one blade.
But just as he prepared to press his advantage, his peripheral vision suddenly captured something moving nearby.
He subconsciously glanced over and discovered that it was... Enmu's eyes.
"That's right, Demon Slayer, it's me again."
[Damn it!]
Once again making eye contact with Enmu's smiling eyes, realizing he had fallen for it again, Rengoku hurriedly retreated to create distance.
Then in the next instant, his consciousness once again sank into darkness.
In the next instant, when Rengoku opened his eyes once more, he saw that Ubume, who had been forced back by him previously, had already pounced before him!
Those sharp claws were only inches away from his neck!
The aura of death approached unprecedentedly close. In this instant, Rengoku strained with all his might to lean his neck backward.