After several failed offensives, the demons still hadn't managed to break through the formation. Instead, they were left covered in wounds. Although their injuries regenerated quickly, the pain was still very real.
Because of this, many of the demons had become more cautious. They no longer charged recklessly like they had at the beginning. Instead, they learned to evade the Nichirin Blades by weaving left and right.
One blue-skinned demon with sharp fangs approached the battle formation on all fours, clawing rapidly through the muddy ground.
Unlike the other demons that attacked head-on, it advanced in a zigzag pattern, making it impossible for the defending swordsmen to predict where it would strike next.
Furthermore, because it crawled low to the ground, the Demon Slayers were forced to lower their stances to engage it.
Compared to the demons that attacked upright, dealing with a creature moving this way was far more exhausting.
The demon suddenly lunged toward one of the swordsmen.
The slayer hurriedly swung his Nichirin Blade downward, but the demon's attack had only been a feint. Twisting its body, it abruptly changed direction and sprang at the swordsman to his left instead.
The unexpected maneuver caught both of them off guard.
Panicking, the second swordsman wildly swung his blade in defense. But how could such a rushed and uncoordinated defense possibly stop the demon's assault?
Driven back by the attack, the swordsman retreated instinctively while desperately trying to parry. At that exact moment, another demon on the opposite side was forced back in the same way.
In an instant, the two demons converged.
One attacked low on all fours while the other struck from above.
Though the demons had only been pushed together by chance, their attacks complemented each other perfectly.
Meanwhile, the swordsmen on both sides fell into complete panic. They wanted to swing their blades, but feared injuring their comrades. Their hesitation tore open a gap in the defensive perimeter.
Everyone in the formation was connected like links in a chain, mechanically following Kimura's commands. Once one section collapsed, it inevitably dragged the others down with it.
Just like that, the defensive circle everyone had believed to be impregnable was suddenly breached by only two demons.
The abrupt turn of events filled everyone inside and outside the formation with terror.
If they failed to seal the opening immediately, everyone knew exactly what would happen next.
The Demon Slayers on the outer ring rushed forward to plug the gap, while those inside the circle did the same. The once orderly formation teetered on the verge of complete collapse.
The surrounding demons seized the opportunity at once, howling as they launched a ferocious assault.
The already fragile defense crumbled further under the pressure, leaving everyone anxious and desperate. In such a state of panic, merely surviving was already a miracle.
Sure enough, screams soon erupted from within the ranks.
Two swordsmen were knocked to the ground, and the surrounding demons immediately swarmed over them.
The shrill cries pierced everyone's ears like needles, shattering the group's already fragile morale.
Have you ever heard the scream of someone facing death?
It does not sound like something from the human world.
It sounds like something dragged straight out of hell itself.
The sound alone was enough to make one's scalp go numb and their soul tremble.
Kimura was momentarily stunned by the sudden disaster, but he quickly forced himself to calm down.
He knew that if the chaos continued unchecked, the entire group would fall apart instantly.
And once that happened, without coordinated commands or formation support, no one would survive alone against the demons.
Taking a deep breath, Kimura shouted:
"Hold your positions! Do not panic!"
"The outer ring will return to defending against the surrounding demons! The inner members will seal the gap! The rest, rescue the wounded immediately!"
His voice cut through the panic like a blade.
The terrified group finally regained some sense of direction.
The Demon Slayers quickly followed Kimura's orders. Those responsible for the outer perimeter returned to their positions and resumed fighting the demons pressing in from all sides.
Meanwhile, the swordsmen inside the formation rushed forward to reinforce the breach.
After issuing his commands, Kimura charged toward the two demons that had broken into the circle.
Joining forces with several nearby slayers, he managed to decapitate one of them, while the other took advantage of the confusion and escaped back into the darkness.
The swordsman who had fallen earlier was already dead.
His dull eyes stared blankly into the night sky, while blood bubbled endlessly from the massive wound in his neck.
Gradually, the stabilized formation managed to halt the demons' advance.
As the first demon retreated, the others also withdrew toward the edge of the forest, partly to regenerate their wounds and partly to wait for another opportunity to attack.
Not far away, three mangled corpses lay scattered across the open field.
One demon crouched atop a body, reaching into its chest cavity to tear out and devour the organs within.
Another demon casually tossed a severed head between its hands like a cat playing with a ball.
Everyone let out a temporary sigh of relief.
Though they had successfully repelled another wave of attacks, everyone understood that the next assault would come soon—and it would likely be even more brutal.
Now that the demons had tasted blood, they had become even more excited.
In contrast, the Demon Slayers looked utterly exhausted, their faces pale with fear and fatigue.
Taking advantage of the brief lull, Kimura ordered the members inside the circle to rotate positions with those guarding the outer ring.
After enduring wave after wave of attacks, anyone would have been exhausted.
Several female slayers tended to the wounded, wrapping bandages around torn flesh while others distributed the food and water they had prepared beforehand.
The atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.
The body of the fallen swordsman still lay nearby, his lifeless eyes wide open as though staring into nothingness.
Many people shared the same thought:
Throw the corpse outside the circle.
It was too horrifying to leave it there.
But no one dared say it aloud.
Everyone knew exactly what would happen if they did—the demons would devour him immediately.
Not only would that disgrace the dead, but it would also betray the sacrifice he had made protecting everyone behind him.
Worse still, it would shatter the unity of the group.
After all, no one knew who would die next.
And if it were them lying there, would they also be discarded as demon food?
Time passed minute by minute.
Judging from the moon's position in the sky, it was already deep into the night.
Yet strangely, the demons still had not launched another attack.
At first, only one demon had been playing with the severed head in the clearing.
But before long, another joined in.
Under the pale moonlight, the two demons looked almost like oversized cats batting around a toy.
Then suddenly—
Both demons froze.
As though sensing something terrifying, they immediately dropped the head and scrambled back into the forest.
Even the other demons lurking nearby retreated deep into the shadows.
Kimura and the others instantly noticed the abnormality.
The same thing had happened before…
Right before that female Demon Slayer had mysteriously disappeared.
Could it be…?