Time passed, and the night gradually deepened.
Under Cain's lead, the battlefield slowly shifted from the outskirts of Fujikasane Mountain to its summit.
Drawn by the scent of rare blood, demons attacked from every direction, launching relentless assaults toward Cain.
And within this chaotic battlefield, Rengoku Kyojuro stood in place, deep in thought.
Fast!
He was simply too fast!
Staring at the figure that moved like lightning while weaving through the swarm of demons, a bitter smile appeared on Rengoku Kyojuro's face.
Several hours had already passed since the battle began.
During those hours, he had repeatedly swung his blade and attempted to attack.
But every time, what greeted him was exactly the same outcome.
Headless demon corpses.
"I'm definitely going to be laughed at this time."
Thud!
A demon with its limbs severed suddenly fell to the ground in front of Rengoku Kyojuro.
At the same time, Cain's voice came from nearby.
"Here, I'll give you a demon's head."
Rengoku Kyojuro: "..."
Do I only need this single head?
Facing Cain's outrageous action, even the usually optimistic Rengoku Kyojuro was left speechless.
He could not even contribute to the battle, and in the end he was pitied enough to be handed a demon's head like charity.
If his family found out about this, his father would absolutely mock him for having no talent and wasting years practicing Flame Breathing.
"You don't want it?"
Cain's voice sounded beside him.
During the brief moment when Rengoku Kyojuro remained silent, the surrounding demons had already been cleared out.
Cain, holding his Nichirin Blade, silently appeared beside him with an eager expression.
"If you don't want it, I'll just finish it off."
"Go ahead."
Rengoku Kyojuro gave his answer.
The moment his words fell, a sharp tearing sound rang out.
Just like what had happened countless times over the past several hours, the demon's head suddenly rolled onto the ground.
"Alright, next is you."
After reclaiming the demon head he had just offered, Cain turned his gaze toward the forest not far away.
"Stop hiding. I could smell your stench from a mile away."
"Oh? Your nose is quite sharp. It reminds me of a certain detestable fellow."
Heavy footsteps echoed as a massive figure slowly emerged from the forest.
It was a demon nearly three meters tall, its bluish gray skin covered with numerous arms. Only a pair of dull yellow eyes could be seen on its face, making it look eerie and terrifying.
"This is... an aberrant demon?"
Rengoku Kyojuro's expression immediately turned serious.
Compared to ordinary low level demons, aberrant demons were far more powerful.
Judging from the aura of this demon, it had clearly devoured many humans.
"Why would a demon of this level appear inside the Final Selection grounds?"
"Because unlike those idiots, I know how to choose the right moment to strike."
The Hand Demon replied proudly.
The Final Selection was a practical test. People died inside every year.
As long as there were no large scale casualties, the Demon Slayer Corps would treat it as normal and would not investigate too deeply.
After realizing this, the Hand Demon deliberately restrained its appetite and only hunted two or three people each time.
Occasionally, if it had acted too many times in a row, it would hide inside a cave and skip one or two Final Selections to lower suspicion.
Because of this, while the demons on Fujikasane Mountain were replaced again and again, only the Hand Demon survived while eliminating every witness.
"To be honest, I was hesitating whether to attack you or not, since your strength seems quite impressive."
"But since you have already discovered me, there is no turning back now."
A greedy glint appeared in the Hand Demon's eyes.
"As long as I devour a rare blood like you, my power will definitely advance to the next level and become even stronger."
"Then I will find a way to escape this cage and go take revenge on Sakonji Urokodaki!"
"Sakonji Urokodaki?"
After hearing the name he wanted, Cain deliberately showed a hint of confusion.
"If I remember correctly, that is the name of the former Water Hashira. What relationship do you have with him?"
"It's that bastard! The one who captured me and brought me to this mountain!"
Seemingly provoked, the Hand Demon's emotions suddenly became extremely agitated.
"I didn't do anything wrong! I only ate a few people!"
"That damned bastard! That damned Urokodaki actually captured me and imprisoned me here to suffer!"
"But he never expected that I would not only survive but thrive here! And I have eaten all of his disciples!"
"Huh?"
Rengoku Kyojuro, who had been listening carefully the entire time, frowned as his expression grew even more serious.
"How can you recognize Lord Urokodaki's disciples? Have you awakened a Blood Demon Art?"
"Blood Demon Art? Haha! I don't need something like that!"
As if boasting about his achievements, the Hand Demon let out a chilling laugh.
"You probably don't know this, but that bastard Urokodaki gives a mask to every disciple after they finish their training!"
"I could never mistake it! The carving style of those masks is exactly the same as his cursed tengu mask!"
"So you killed everyone who wore a mask like that?"
"That's right! I killed every single one of them. Not a single one survived!"
As the Hand Demon spoke, the arms covering its body began to wriggle wildly, and its aura surged violently.
"You two will not be exceptions! Become part of me!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Violent rumbling erupted as several bluish gray arms burst out of the ground behind Cain and Rengoku Kyojuro and attacked directly.
"Damn it! When did it...!"
Rengoku Kyojuro's pupils shrank as he quickly turned around and slashed toward the arms behind him.
Only now did he finally realize how cunning the Hand Demon truly was.
Revealing those secrets earlier was not simply boasting.
Its real purpose was to distract their attention while secretly burying its arms underground.
"Cain! I'll hold off these arms. Seize the opportunity and..."
Sshhk! Sshhk! Sshhk!
Before he could finish speaking, the familiar tearing sound echoed once again.
In an instant, Cain appeared behind him and sliced apart all the attacking arms.
"Fool! You fell for it!"
Seeing its attack neutralized, the Hand Demon was not alarmed at all and instead burst into mocking laughter.
The next moment, the ground split open again.
Centered on Cain's position, several arms burst out of the ground simultaneously.
Compared to the first wave, these arms were much thicker and stronger, with both power and speed significantly increased.
However...
"Aren't you underestimating me a little too much?"
Cain stepped forward, and the air exploded with a dull boom.
Like a cannonball being fired, the arms blocking his path were instantly torn apart.
The Nichirin Blade carrying the power of the sun descended.
With a dull thud, the Hand Demon's head fell to the ground.
"This farce ends here."
As if he had merely stepped on an ant by the roadside, Cain returned to Rengoku Kyojuro's side without even glancing back after finishing the battle.
"Let's go. We're heading to the next location."
"What that aberrant demon said earlier..."
"It's not too late to report it after we get out."
Cain sheathed his Nichirin Blade, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
"If nothing unexpected happens, we should be able to use this opportunity to meet the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps."
...
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