Crack!
The sound of grinding bones echoed as the demon Ginkan slowly twisted its body like a stiff puppet, rising from the ground once more.
Countless fleshy tendrils squirmed within the enormous diagonal gash across its chest.
A fissure split the silver mirror embedded in its right eye socket.
"D-damn you! You wretched human brat! You're not even worth a single silver mirror!" Ginkan roared furiously at the sky.
But Shinichi had already lost all interest in Ginkan. This weak demon couldn't even compare to the likes of the demon Karasuma from before.
Gripping his Nichirin Blade tightly, Shinichi slid his foot back and leaned forward, poised for action.
"Final strike—Forest Breathing, First Form: Iron Birch Slash!"
Boom!
The moment Shinichi took his first step, the ground beneath him cracked instantly. His body shot forward like an emerald lightning bolt, his blade delivering an unstoppable horizontal slash.
Yet faced with this terrifying attack, the demon Ginkan stood its ground without any intention to dodge. Instead, its mouth stretched into a grin that reached its ears, revealing a cruel smile.
Clap!
Suddenly, Ginkan brought its hands together and let out a maddened scream: "Blood Demon Art: Demon Mirror!" Instantly, the air before it rippled.
Crackle, crackle!
Something seemed to be materializing.
In the blink of an eye, a pane of transparent glass appeared before Ginkan.
At the same time, the silver mirror in its left eye emitted a dazzling light that reflected onto the glass—and just like that, a massive silver mirror manifested before the demon.
Shinichi, carrying the overwhelming force of his First Form, arrived before Ginkan in an instant.
The silver mirror clearly reflected his image—his face, his Nichirin Blade, even his First Form: Iron Birch Slash! It was like looking into a mirror.
But suddenly, a faint sense of danger prickled at Shinichi instincts.
Whoosh!
A shocking scene unfolded before his eyes.
The reflection in the silver mirror seemed to step out of the glass—a shadow identical to Shinichi, gripping its Nichirin Blade with an expressionless face, slashing toward him with the same Forest Breathing, First Form!
The abrupt development stunned Shinichi for a split second, but soon his attack clashed with the shadow.
BOOM!!
A terrifying shockwave erupted, shaking the earth beneath them.
The collision of nearly identical forces sent a numbing tremor through Shinichi palm, forcing him back several steps uncontrollably.
By the time he steadied himself and tightened his grip on his blade, the shadow that mirrored him had already vanished.
Only the demon Ginkan remained, clutching the silver mirror as it let out a shrill, deranged laugh.
"Kekeke! Human brat, don't even think of struggling. No matter how strong you are, you can't surpass yourself! Under my Blood Demon Art, you'll eventually die by your own hand!"
Frowning, Shinichi barely had time to question before Ginkan demonstrated its meaning with action.
The demon slammed the silver mirror violently. "Blood Demon Art: Mirror Shadow Kill!!"
The surface of the mirror instantly rippled like water.
Then, three blurred figures emerged from the glass—three expressionless shadows. One was identical to Shinichi, unmistakably the same shadow he had just fought.
The other two wore identical black uniforms, they were the two Demon Slayers who had come here earlier to exterminate the demon.
Three shadows simultaneously unleashed their strongest attacks.
Shinichi shadow declared, "Forest Breathing, First Form: Iron Birch Slash."
The other two shadows of Demon Slayer Corps members also executed the First and Seventh Forms of Water Breathing.
"To think it can mimic techniques? I underestimated this ugly demon. Such a bizarre and formidable Blood Demon Art rivals that of ten Karasuma!" A hint of caution flickered across Shinichi face.
Clang!
The emerald-green Nichirin Blade vibrated, producing a melodious ring.
"Forest Breathing, Sixth Form: Resilient Grass - Hurricane Strike!" A gale erupted from the ground as countless verdant slashes radiated outward in all directions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The three shadows collided with the hurricane of slashes.
After neutralizing some attacks, the three powerful strikes dissipated abruptly and the shadows were effortlessly torn apart.
As the blade stilled and the hurricane ceased, Shinichi heterochromatic eyes locked onto the demon Ginkan. This grotesque creature seemed to have limits—while he couldn't gauge the strength of the two Demon Slayer shadows, his own shadow First Form had less than 30% of his true power.
Just a hollow imitation, then?
Ginkan exaggerated maw twisted into a grin.
Of course they were hollow—but they were hollow in overwhelming numbers!
With a vicious slap to the silver mirror, it roared, "Blood Demon Art: Mirror Shadow Kill - Chain Slaughter!!"
Bzzzt!
The mirror surface rippled like water as dozens—no, hundreds—of indistinct, writhing shadows gradually emerged.
"Tch, this is getting troublesome." Shinichi watched expressionless shadows step out of the mirror one after another.
Though he knew their strength was lacking, the sheer volume made his scalp prickle.
"Attack!!" Ginkan shrieked.
Instantly, dozens of shadows lunged at Shinichi, unleashing a dense barrage of Water Breathing and Forest Breathing slashes.
Facing this inescapable net of attacks, Shinichi forcibly cleared his mind, attuning to the vitality of all things in the air as he channeled Forest Breathing.
At the last possible moment—"Forest Breathing, Fourth Form: Dandelion Dance!"
His body floated like a drifting dandelion seed, weaving through the onslaught with surreal grace.
What appeared to be an inescapable cage of strikes became a leisurely garden stroll as Shinichi dodged effortlessly.
"What!?" Ginkan gaped (had it possessed eyes, they'd have bulged).
How could this human brat evade such an overwhelming assault?
No matter! If dozens of shadows weren't enough, it'd summon a hundred more!
The demon resolved to slaughter this human at any cost.
But just as Ginkan prepared to activate its Blood Demon Art again, a shadow—swift as lightning—shot forth like an arrow loosed from its bow, streaking straight for the demon's face.
Too fast to react, Ginkan was slammed down.
"Awooo!!"
A massive black dog with crimson eyes threw back its head in a savage howl before—CRUNCH!—its razor fangs effortlessly crushed half of Ginkan skull, tearing away the small silver mirror embedded in its right eye socket—now cracked.
"AHHHHH!! MY MIRROR!!" Ginkan let out a heart-wrenching scream.
Suddenly, the surface of the towering silver mirror rippled and a shadow of a Demon Slayer Corps member burst forth, swinging a Nichirin Blade at the black dog.
But in the eyes of the black dog, its speed was far too slow—utterly insignificant!
With just a casual flick of its four paws, the dog effortlessly dodged the shadow's attack.
Clutching its empty right eye socket, Ginkan staggered to its feet and let out a piercing howl at the black dog.
"Give it back!!"
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
One after another, shadows surged out of the silver mirror, charging toward the black dog, with the first one being a shadow of Shinichi.
The black dog bared its fangs.
How dare this thing impersonate its master before it?!
It slightly opened its massive maw toward Ginkan, and in the next moment, endless currents of air began to gather!