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"Blood Demon Art: Blood Prison Pot!"
A massive glob of water completely enveloped Shinobu's petite body.
"Hehehehe... Unable to breathe underwater, the Demon Slayer Corps' breathing techniques naturally become ineffective. Slowly suffocate to death, make a pained yet beautiful expression, and finally become my work of art!"
Gyokko writhed excitedly nearby.
"Only by tasting ultimate suffering can you, hag, become beautiful."
"..."
Shinobu's entire body was paralyzed by the neurotoxin and unable to struggle; she could only watch helplessly as she was submerged in the water, losing her ability to breathe.
Her vision gradually blurred, her consciousness slowly fading.
"Sister..."
...
On the other side of the Infinity Castle, Kanae, who was running, suddenly stopped and clutched her heart.
"Shinobu!"
Something had happened to Shinobu!
For no reason, her intuition suddenly flashed this message.
Twang!
At that moment, a biwa strum sounded.
Kanae's vision blurred, and she found herself abruptly standing atop a high wooden window.
Around her were various wooden structures constantly shifting. On a platform ahead, a short-haired female demon sat by the wall, cradling a biwa.
Her face had only one large single eye, clearly engraved with the character "Four." Fleshy tendrils growing from her back crawled over the entire wall.
"It's you—the demon manipulating space!" Kanae held her sword in opposition. "Upper Rank Four!"
She suddenly leaped into the air.
"Flower Breathing: Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo!"
Two massive crisscrossing slashes assaulted the female demon.
"Tell me quickly, where is my sister Shinobu!!!"
The female demon remained silent, merely plucking the biwa lightly.
Twang!
The biwa sounded, and the space around Kanae shifted. She suddenly found herself crashing headfirst into a solid wall.
...
"Almost done, almost done!"
Gyokko smiled with a twisted face, looking down to admire the pained expression on Shinobu's face.
"What kind of pot should I make with this new material afterward?" He muttered to himself, planning.
"How about a butterfly pattern? I haven't tried that yet."
His eyes lit up.
"What a great idea—not bad for me, the great artist Lord Gyokko!"
"Love Breathing: Second Form: Love Pangs!"
A pink blade arc emitting a sweet aura flashed by, and the water glob enveloping Shinobu suddenly burst.
At the same time, Shinobu vanished from Gyokko's sight.
"Shinobu! Shinobu!!" Mitsuri appeared on the other side, holding Shinobu.
"Are you okay, Shinobu!!" She shook Shinobu's body vigorously and even reached out to slap her back hard.
"Pfft... Cough cough... Cough cough cough..."
Shinobu was jolted awake by the immense force, spitting out several mouthfuls of water before starting to cough violently.
"S-Sorry... What do I do... What do I do..."
Mitsuri looked at Shinobu's pale face, panicking and spinning in circles while holding her.
"Put... me... down... You... go... demon..." Shinobu said with difficulty.
"Right! Yes! Demon!!" Mitsuri flusteredly set her down nearby and turned to face Gyokko.
"What is it, another hag?" Gyokko said unhappily. "Hag Number Two even saved Hag Number One."
"H-Hag!" Mitsuri's expression was as if struck by lightning.
'So... so mean!!! We're clearly both beautiful girls!!!' Her inner voice screamed loudly.
"But it doesn't matter." Gyokko smiled twistedly. "As long as you undergo transformation by the great artist Lord Gyokko, you'll both become beautiful."
"Huh? What does that mean?" Mitsuri looked at Gyokko in confusion.
"Mitsuri! Don't listen to the demon's nonsense!" Shinobu, who had painfully injected herself with medicine, stood up shakily.
She smiled stiffly: "When you see a demon, there's only one reaction—slash without hesitation."
"Yes!"
Feeling Shinobu's terrifying aura, Mitsuri reflexively drew her ribbon-like flexible Nichirin sword and charged forward.
"Love Breathing: First Form: Shivers of First Love!"
Shinobu, having regulated her breathing, followed closely.
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Butterfly: Caprice!"
...
"..."
Kanae relentlessly tried to attack the biwa-plucking female demon but was thwarted each time at critical moments by the demon's blood demon art shifting positions.
Even when she attempted to leave several times, she was pulled back by the demon's blood demon art.
At this point, the ever-good-tempered Kanae could no longer maintain her usual smile.
She had never hated a demon this much!!
Standing high up, she looked down at the various corridors and rooms below, where all sorts of demons continuously poured out. The Demon Slayer Corps members fought desperately.
People were injured and dying from time to time, yet as a Hashira, she couldn't help at all because she was unable to shake off the enemy before her.
Fortunately, the earlier palpitation in her heart had disappeared, meaning the situation with her sister Shinobu had turned around.
This relieved her somewhat.
"Flower Breathing..."
Hearing the battle cries of the members below, Kanae took a deep breath and raised her Nichirin sword.
At this moment, she decided to use her final trump card.
"...Final Form..."
Her eyes gradually filled with bloodshot veins, becoming increasingly red.
"Equinoctial..."
Boom!!!
Just then, a deafening explosion came from overhead.
Kanae looked up to see a colossal hand shatter the ceiling of the underground castle, then open its five fingers and grasp the biwa-plucking female demon along with the entire platform in its palm with absolute, undeniable force.
"Huh?"
The redness in Kanae's eyes slowly faded, her face blank as she stared at the giant hand descending from the sky.
No exception.
Mitsuri and Shinobu, who had been fighting desperately, were completely overwhelmed by Upper Rank Five, who had suddenly transformed into a fish-man form.
Then, similarly, a giant hand that shattered the ceiling descended at the critical moment, extending a finger to crush Upper Rank Five into a fish patty, then pinching the patty in its hand.
At the same time, the entire underground castle began shaking violently, accompanied by tremendous rumbling as it burst out of the ground.
The Infinity Castle shattered, and pure moonlight sprinkled onto everyone's faces.
However, at this moment, both Demon Slayer Corps members and the demons halted their battles, unanimously looking up in stunned silence at the towering figure that seemed both divine and demonic, piercing the heavens and earth.
"Th-That... what is that..."
Murata, who had earlier given directions to Kanae, craned his neck with his mouth agape, his eyes nearly bulging out.
"Has... has a god descended punishment upon the demons?"
At this time, everyone held their breath in awe. Murata's words rang clear in the silence.
In an instant, all the demons began fleeing in all directions.
"Flower Hashira, Love Hashira, please lead the members to regroup. No need to chase the fleeing demons." Kaito's voice suddenly came from the giant's head.
Then, the winged giant flapped its wings and took flight, before landing beside the Ubuyashiki mansion.
"Mr. Uchiha!!"
Kanae finally reacted.
"It's Mr. Uchiha!!!"
Mitsuri's eyes sparkled like stars. 'Is Mr. Uchiha a god hidden among humans? So... so cool!!!'
"After this, do we need to prepare offerings for Mr. Uchiha?" She suddenly turned to ask Shinobu.
"..." Shinobu was choked by her sudden idea.
She said with difficulty: "I think Mr. Uchiha wouldn't be happy about that."