CHAPTER 109: CHAPTER 109: THIRD STRIKE

Of course, if crying worked, Lower One would have already been sobbing.

And I guarantee it would have been even more pathetic than Zenitsu’s wailing!

But clearly, crying was useless.

Tengen was right: the Demon Slayer Corps never negotiates with Demons. At this moment, only a death match remained!

Lower One fixed its gaze on the blood-soaked Sosuke.

On one hand, the man was injured. On the other, he seemed to be the weakest of the three.

Though it didn’t know how he’d survived against Lower Third, Sosuke was now its best chance for a breakthrough.

Yet when Lower One looked at Sosuke, it nearly exploded with rage.

He realized that Sosuke wasn’t even looking at him, as if he were merely an insignificant presence—not one of the Twelve Kizuki!

The man’s gaze was fixed on something behind him.

Instinctively, he followed Sosuke’s line of sight and saw the woman he had dragged into the dimension earlier, silently locked in a stare with the young man.

*...So full!*

Why did this strange feeling suddenly arise?

The thought flashed through his mind, but in the next instant, he recognized this as his best opportunity. He immediately lunged forward, bending low.

Extending his right arm, countless arms erupted from his own, piling one atop another. Within moments, a colossal arm composed entirely of limbs had materialized.

With a sudden, sweeping motion, the massive hand lunged toward Tetsu no Sosuke, aiming to seize him.

But in the next instant, his right arm felt inexplicably light. He twisted his head to look—where had his arm gone?

How could such a massive, thick arm just vanish?

"Are you trying to completely ignore me?" Tengen’s voice crackled with fury as his twin blades flashed, lunging straight at Lower One.

Sound Breathing—First Form: Roar!

*BOOM!!!!!*

The downward slash of his blades was accompanied by a deafening explosion. In an instant, Lower One was sent flying backward.

Lower One’s heart froze. He had felt as if he had swallowed something strange, something that had indeed made him overlook Uzui.

Now, after being struck, despair washed over him.

’There’s no escape!’

But when he glanced back, elation surged through him!

By sheer coincidence, another tree stood directly behind him!

If he could just merge with it, he could escape to safety.

Yet before his joy could fully register on his face, he saw a figure that made him grind his teeth in fury:

Sosuke!

Sosuke no longer met Kanae’s gaze. Their brief exchange had confirmed her safety—that was enough.

What burned most vividly in his memory of this demon was the image of its hand touching the tree, the entire creature dissolving into the wood.

This confirmed that the demon possessed a Blood Demon Art related to such abilities.

’He absolutely cannot be allowed near trees! Not even stones!’

The blade light danced as the Third Form, was unleashed once more. Gripping the blade with both hands, he dragged it like a massive hammer, wielding its immense weight as he soared through the air.

The blade traced its distinctive arc, then struck with sudden force.

Lower One’s pupils contracted. Countless arms erupted from his body, forming a massive shield before him.

The blade sliced through the arms in an instant, blood spraying as it plunged deep, cleaving through his chest and abdomen in a single strike.

In the next moment, the entire Demon was sent flying backward as if struck by a hammer, the gaping wound in his chest marking his trajectory.

"Still alive!"

Lower One gritted his teeth. ’This kind of strike can’t kill me! There’s still a chance!’

Even as his body hurtled through the air, he suddenly saw a blizzard of flower petals swirling around him.

Forcing himself to turn his head, he saw the woman, her expression unwavering in its resolve. From below, a strike as beautiful as a blooming flower erupted upward.

*Flower Breathing—Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo*

"Damn it!"

Despair flooded Lower One’s heart in an instant. Was he being driven to his death?

In the nick of time, countless arms erupted from his back, slamming into the ground. Using these arms for leverage, he propelled his body forward with explosive force!

Red Flower Robe’s blade slashed down, and Lower One barely managed to avoid a fatal strike to his neck. However, the two blades still swept across his chest and abdomen.

In an instant, he landed as two half-demons!

His blood-soaked torso lay on the ground, accompanied by Lower One’s furious roar: "I will never forgive you..."

As he spoke, countless arms erupted from his wounds, supporting his severed body as he tried to flee.

But then, the twin blades sliced through the silent air, taking with them a Demon Head that still clung to hope!

"How dare you ignore the magnificent me again?!" Tengen raged.

The Demon Head landed, still frantically looking around. "I’m still alive! I’m not dead yet!"

He struggled to roll across the ground, desperate to survive.

If he hadn’t wanted to live, he would never have become a demon in the first place.

After struggling for what felt like an eternity, the Demon’s head remained stubbornly still. Instead, he watched in horror as his body, supported by countless arms and on the verge of escaping, began to crumble into ash.

He stared blankly, the light in his eyes gradually being swallowed by despair.

Yet, at the very depths of despair, there seemed to be a flicker of liberation.

Every Demon had their own story. Among the Twelve Kizuki, how many would ever bother to understand their past?

Sosuke was no Tanjiro, offering gentle compassion after each kill.

Sosuke reserved his tenderness for Kanae alone. He had no intention of delving into the Demons’ pasts. Instead, he clapped for Tengen, exclaiming, "A magnificent strike, unparalleled!"

Tengen’s face darkened. Recalling the gruesome scene in the cellar, he was so furious he felt like he might ascend to heaven in a rage, smoke practically billowing from his nostrils.

He whipped his head around, glaring fiercely at Sosuke.

But the Flower Pillar had already swooped into Sosuke’s arms like a fledgling returning to its nest. The two locked eyes in a tender gaze, completely oblivious to Tengen’s presence.

’Burp~ I’m so full. What did I just eat?’

Tengen rubbed his stomach. It was completely empty, yet he felt inexplicably full.

"This is outrageous," Jigoro muttered, shaking his head as he watched the couple embrace as if no one else were around. "They should just get married already."

Zenitsu glared with teary eyes. "Damn it, I’m so jealous!"

Kaigaku frowned, his eyes darting between Sosuke and Tengen, who had suddenly appeared with purplish lips. He sensed something ominous was brewing.

But the immediate concern was different.

Were there any more demons lurking nearby?