"Shinichi-sama, a direct assault? You... you can't be serious, can you?" Though hardly daring to believe it, Eitai swallowed hard and asked with difficulty.
Shinichi countered, "Do I look like I'm joking?"
"But—"
"Enough. They're just twenty-something low-tier trash Demons. With me here, you can focus on slaying them without worry." Shinichi waved his hand dismissively before hopping off the table and striding toward the shrine where the Demons had gathered.
Stunned by Shinichi words, the Demon slayers exchanged glances but found no grounds for rebuttal.
Gritting their teeth, they tightened their grips on their Nichirin Blades and followed behind Shinichi.
***
"Humans! I smell humans!!"
One Demon suddenly shrieked while pointing outside the shrine.
The other Demons were drawn by its cry and the tense standoff among them instantly dissolved.
Dozens of ravenous, savage eyes turned toward the shrine exterior.
The Four-Armed Demon sniffed vigorously, its eyes brimming with greed.
"It's true! Human scent—and quite a lot of it! Slurp Perfect! Looks like we'll feast tonight!"
However, the Tail Demon beside it hesitated.
"This scent... it's not ordinary humans. More like Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen."
"So what if they're Demon Slayers? I've eaten them before—their flesh is tastier than regular humans! Besides, with dozens of us here, unless we run into a Hashira, a few swordsmen are just an easy meal!" the Four-Armed Demon snarled.
Following a shrill screech from one of the Demons, the horde stampeded out of the shrine, charging madly toward the source of the human scent.
Outside the shrine—
Shing!
Eitai was the first to draw his Nichirin Blade and the other squad members followed suit.
Seven blades gleamed as they pointed toward the shrine.
Every Demon Slayer wore varying degrees of tension on their faces.
Eitai glanced sideways at Shinichi and was stunned to see the young Forest Hashira standing with arms crossed, showing no intention of drawing his sword.
But there was no time to dwell on it—dozens of Demons had already surged out of the shrine, charging at them with frenzied hunger.
The sight of dozens of howling Demons barreling toward them sent even the seasoned veteran Eitai skin crawling.
Normally, Demon Slayers encountered no more than five or six Demons per mission, rarely facing such overwhelming numbers.
As the horde closed in, some members involuntarily took a step back—not out of fear, but simply overwhelmed by the Demons' sheer presence.
"Don't falter! We are Demon Slayer! Everyone—charge!" Eitai roared, raising his Nichirin Blade and meeting the oncoming Demons head-on.
Spurred by his rallying cry, the others brandished their blades and rushed forward.
In an instant, Breathing Techniques and dazzling sword forms flashed brilliantly, the clashing of Nichirin Blades against Demon claws and fangs ringing ceaselessly.
Shinichi remained where he stood, calmly watching as the seven Demon Slayers fought desperately against the Demons.
Unlike the swordsmen who first participated in the Final Selection at Mount Fujikasane, the several swordsmen Shinichi now lead were already quite skilled, proficient in both Breathing techniques and sword skills.
Shinichi also noticed that most of the team members used Water Breathing.
As the most widely practiced and inclusive Breathing style, it was surprising that the position of Water Hashira had remained vacant for so long despite such a large base of practitioners.
It seemed that while Water Breathing was easy to learn, few swordsmen could truly master its essence.
However, although the team members before Shinichi were excellent in strength, the twenty or so Demons they faced were no pushovers either.
Under Shinichi keen observation, nearly every Demon had devoured over ten humans, their strength comparable to the first Demon Shinichi had encountered, Karasuma.
Among them were also aberrant Demons and those with Blood Demon Arts.
In a one-on-one fight, these experienced Demons might not be a match for the Demon Slayers, but the problem was that the Demons had inexplicably gathered together.
This meant a single Demon Slayer might have to face three or even four Demons at once.
Even Eita, the strongest among them and a Kinoe-ranked slayers, was under immense pressure.
Though his strength rivaled five Karasuma, he was now being suppressed by the combined efforts of the Four-Armed Demon and the Tail Demon.
"Damn it! Get away!" Eita roared, slashing apart a punch aimed at his face by the Four-Armed Demon before narrowly dodging a venomous stab from the Tail of the Tail Demon .
His Nichirin Blade glowed with a faint blue light.
Realizing he couldn't continue like this, he knew he had to eliminate one of the two Demons first.
No sooner said than done. Eita launched a frenzied assault on the Four-Armed Demon, determined to slay it first.
"Hehehe! Human, you're panicking. I can smell your fear. Don't worry, you'll soon find yourself in the warmth of my belly" the Four-Armed Demon sneered, its slimy tongue flicking grotesquely.
"Dream on, Demon! Your place is in hell and I'll send you there first!" Eita snarled.
The shadows of his Nichirin Blade clashed repeatedly with the Four-Armed Demon's fists.
Bam! Crack!
Eita pupils constricted sharply—this was bad!
The Four-Armed Demon arms had firmly seized his Nichirin Blade, its hideous face twisting into a chilling grin.
"Got you, hehehe."
Behind Eita, the Tail Demon, which had been lurking like a venomous snake let out a shrill cry.
Its poison-tipped tail shot toward Eita back like lightning.
Damn it!
No time to dodge!
Eita heart sank. He hadn't expected the two Demons to coordinate so well.
Facing imminent death, it would be a lie to say he felt no regret.
From the moment he joined the Demon Slayer Corps, Eita had prepared himself for this.
Yet, the expected death never came.
Instead, a dazzling emerald-green light flashed in his peripheral vision.
"Forest Breathing, Third Form: Thorn Stab!"
Before the Tail Demon could react, a dual-colored Nichirin Blade had already pierced its neck, severing it instantly.
As the Tail Demon head separated from its body, the triumphant smirk from its sneak attack hadn't even faded from its face.
Thud!
The grotesque head of the Demon hit the ground with a dull sound, startling both Eitai and the Four-Armed Demon simultaneously.
The Four-Armed Demon, in particular, widened its eyes in disbelief—just one slash?!
Who was this young brat that had suddenly appeared?
Eitai was equally stunned.
He hadn't expected Shinichi, who had been watching the scene like a spectator moments ago, to act so swiftly—and even save his life.
"Ha...Hashira Shinichi?"
A Hashira?!
This brat in front of him was actually a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps?!
The Four-Armed Demon jaw nearly hit the ground.
But the moment it recalled how the Tail Demon had been decapitated in a single strike, boundless terror instantly engulfed its heart.
How could it possibly face a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps?! The thought of fleeing immediately took hold.
However, before the Four-Armed Demon could even take a step, Shinichi dual-colored Nichirin Blade moved—so fast it was nearly invisible.
Thud! Thud!
Two arms, as hard as steel, were severed in an instant.
Shinichi maintained his sword-drawing stance, tilting his head slightly to glance at Eitai.
"Now it only has two arms left. You should be able to handle it, right?"
Eitai froze for a moment before nodding reflexively.
As for Shinichi, he shifted his gaze once more—this time toward the other Demons still entangled with the Corps members.
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