Pfft!
With that slight tearing sound, at the cost of skin and muscle on one side of his neck being torn, Rengoku narrowly avoided Ubume's claws, at least preserving the blood vessels beneath his skin!
Fresh blood spilled down, soaking one side of his clothes.
Hastily using Breathing techniques to stop the bleeding, Rengoku—who had brushed past death—displayed an unprecedentedly grave expression. He once again rapidly retreated to create distance.
"What's wrong, little owl? Didn't you say before that you would definitely kill both of us? Why are you running now? Hurry up and come kill me!"
Giving him absolutely no chance to catch his breath, chasing after the retreating Rengoku and pressing forward, Ubume laughed wildly and continuously launched attacks on him!
"I must admit, I misjudged the situation just now."
While retreating to maintain distance and calmly blocking Ubume's offensive, Rengoku replied in a deep voice.
Enmu's Blood Demon Art was truly too troublesome to deal with, and Ubume wasn't a demon who could be one-shotted by him.
These two demons—one responsible for frontal containment, one responsible for side support—cooperating together had nearly suppressed him to the point of being unable to breathe.
In the wound at his neck, pain continued to stimulate his brain's nerves. Rengoku didn't even dare get too close to Ubume.
Otherwise, even just a moment of unconsciousness would be enough for this demon to tear apart his neck!
Without a doubt, he had been forced into a desperate situation.
Though he appeared to still be holding on, as long as he showed the slightest opening, these two demons would immediately transform that opening into a fatal killing blow!
If there were no other helpers, he probably...
"Demon Slayer, do you think you'll be fine if you don't look at me?"
Just as Rengoku was working hard to think of countermeasures, beside his ear, Enmu's smiling whisper once again rang out.
"Blood Demon Art: Forced Unconscious Sleep Whisper."
[Damn it!]
His pupils contracting sharply, only now did Rengoku suddenly remember—besides eyes, Enmu could also directly plunge people into unconsciousness using his mouth!
What a joke!
How is your Blood Demon Art this broken?!
Exerting all his strength to sweep out one blade and force back Ubume, Rengoku retreated with full power, then rolled his eyes back and uncontrollably fell into unconsciousness.
[Wake up!]
When he opened his eyes again, Ubume had already charged before him. Those sharp claws once again clawed toward his vulnerable neck.
And this time, Rengoku—whose body was unbalanced in mid-air—didn't even have the opportunity to adjust his posture to evade.
He couldn't dodge.
[Am I... going to die?]
Time suddenly became infinitely slow at this moment.
Rengoku lowered his head looking at Ubume laughing wildly before him, looking at her claws that were just a tiny bit away from touching his neck again...
His mind couldn't help but grow somewhat dazed.
At this moment, he suddenly recalled his deceased mother, recalled his decadent father.
If he died just like this... would Father feel sad for him?
Rengoku couldn't know this answer.
Immediately after, the figures of the Master and his other companions also flashed through his mind one after another.
As a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, he clearly possessed strength surpassing these two Lower Rank demons before him, yet was about to die so aggrievedly at their hands.
He truly was... unworthy of the name Flame Hashira...
The emotion called despair gushed from his heart, instantly spreading to his four limbs and hundred bones.
No, can't...
Rengoku's eyes once again became firm.
As a Hashira, as long as it wasn't truly that final moment!
Then, no matter what desperate situation he faced, he absolutely must not give up. He must... fight to the end!
Boom!
Just as Rengoku's fighting spirit rekindled, behind him, a thunderous explosion suddenly rang out!
[This sound is...]
Immediately after, a dazzling flash of lightning instantly flickered past in the dark night. With that inconceivable extreme speed, it forcibly intercepted—at the instant Ubume's claws were about to tear apart Rengoku's neck—striking toward her arm!
Pfft!
Fresh blood splattered from the severed opening, the severed arm flying high into the air. Ubume hurriedly retreated, her expression puzzled.
What had just charged past?
Similarly retreating to stabilize his form, Rengoku turned to look.
Not far from the two of them, a barefooted blond youth slowly came to a stop.
"You're... Zenitsu?!"
The one who had come was precisely Zenitsu, who—after defeating Lower Rank Three in the haunted house—had hurriedly rushed to provide support.
But different from the usual Zenitsu, at this moment Zenitsu not only had his eyes closed, but also had a snot bubble under his nose, as if he was sleepwalking.
"Rengoku-senpai! We've come to support you!"
At the same moment, not far behind Rengoku, Tanjiro—who had similarly resolved the enemies on his side—also came running quickly with Genya and several swordsmen.
At this moment in Infinity Mountain Villa, all the Demon Slayers still alive were almost gathering toward this side.
The situation seemed to take a dramatic turn?
"..."
Returning to a slightly earlier time, within the haunted house maze on the eastern side of Infinity Mountain Villa.
The battle here was already nearing its end, but the victor was not the Demon Slayers.
"Still struggling, Demon Slayer?"
In the dark, narrow walkway, Rokuro—who had the appearance of a middle-aged man and was Lower Rank Three—stepped forward and stomped on the back of Genya, who was struggling to rise, forcefully pressing him back to the ground.
Around him, the two squads of swordsmen who had come with Genya previously—a total of eight swordsmen—had all died.
But bizarrely, their dead bodies were floating in mid-air, and even the blood seeping from their bodies was floating weightlessly around them like they were in outer space.
This was Rokuro's Blood Demon Art ability.
Through direct contact with limbs or blood, he could freely change the gravity on his enemies' bodies.
He could make them suddenly become weightless, floating in mid-air unable to move, or make the gravity on their bodies instantly increase, pinning them to the ground unable to move an inch.
Relying on the narrow environment of this haunted house, Rokuro deliberately sold an opening at the start of battle.
By letting these Demon Slayers cut him, taking the opportunity to splash his blood onto their bodies.
Rokuro directly activated his Blood Demon Art, instantly neutralizing these Demon Slayers' combat power, then easily killed them one by one as they were pinned to the ground by powerful gravity, completely unable to move.
"Hahahaha! I never expected that the battle on my side could end so easily!"
Forcefully stomping on Genya's back, Rokuro threw his head back and laughed loudly.
"It's just a pity that not even one Hashira was among you. This won't do...
But it doesn't matter. After dealing with you, I'll go support other demons in other places.
As long as we can kill a Hashira together, I'll have successfully completed that Lady's mission.
Alright, go in peace, litt—what?!"
Just as Rokuro was preparing to finish off Genya, a loud explosion suddenly came from the walkway behind him!
Immediately after, a bolt of thunder and lightning charged straight toward him along this narrow walkway!