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Kaigaku's luck was worse than anyone else's; as soon as he entered the deep mountains, he was immediately targeted by three demons.
Fighting one against three, he was almost beaten like a dog.
"Wait, honored sirs," Kaigaku dropped his nichirin blade, knelt on the ground, and spoke rapidly, "I know the location of those newcomers, please spare my life, I'm on your side!"
Hearing this, the demons exchanged glances; although they desperately wanted to eat this human right now, they understood the difference between a full meal and constant full meals.
The Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection required surviving for seven days, and those new swordsmen weren't fools; in this great escape, they would do their best to hide themselves.
Their active time was only at night, so finding those new swordsmen wasn't easy either.
Kaigaku forced a smile; it was his second time, so he was used to it anyway.
"Oh, right, there's a woman this time too!" Kaigaku remembered something and shouted.
"A woman!"
Hearing that word, the demons' eyes glowed green.
Soft-skinned women were different from those rough men; they were rich in nutrients, worth ten times more!
Seeing that he had successfully piqued the demons' interest, a sinister and vicious smile appeared on Kaigaku's face; that bastard dared to make him lose face in front of everyone.
He had to make him pay the price!
With Kaigaku as their guide, the demons easily found the hiding places of the new swordsmen.
Screams constantly echoed through Purple Wisteria Mountain.
The number of demons gathered around Kaigaku also gradually increased, reaching a formidable dozen or so.
"You actually dared to collude with demons! Don't think the Demon Slayer Corps will let you off!" A boy, scared to the point of paralysis, sat on the ground, crawling backward with his hands.
Kaigaku scoffed, "You'll all be dead, who'll know I did this?"
"Have you seen Kamihara Tetsuya?" The boy's eyes flickered, and he pointed in a direction, "I just saw Kamihara Tetsuya teaching that girl how to slay demons over there. I don't want to die—"
Having obtained the information, the boy lost his usefulness, and a group of demons pounced on him, gnawing him clean alive.
A chill ran down Kaigaku's spine; once he lost his usefulness, he would be the next to die. He had to hold out until the sun came out to save his life.
For that, he needed to expose more people to the demons.
…
Eyes glowing green, like will-o'-the-wisps, swayed in mid-air, and the figures of more than a dozen demons emerged from the forest, completely surrounding Kanzaki Aoi.
A strongly built demon used its large hand to pierce through the boy's chest.
"Look what good you've done! Living human flesh is not the same as dead!"
"Shut up! This dead one is for you all, I want that girl!"
"Bastard, do you want to monopolize her!"
…
More than a dozen demons tore the boy into pieces, opening their gaping mouths and swallowing him.
Seeing this bloody scene, Kanzaki Aoi felt a strong surge of nausea, her small face devoid of color, a hint of despair surfacing—it was actually more than a dozen demons!
In a flash, they devoured the boy, and the demons' greedy eyes turned to Kanzaki Aoi.
The demons watched each other warily.
This young girl was already a trapped animal; they needed to be wary of their own kind snatching her.
"Attack!"
This silent balance didn't last long; soon, a demon couldn't hold back and charged forward.
All the demons rushed forward simultaneously; if they were a step too slow, they might not even get a drop of soup.
Tears welled in Kanzaki Aoi's eyes, "Tetsuya-sensei!"
"First Form: Unknowing Fire!"
A steady, powerful voice rang out, and a figure engulfed in raging flames descended from the sky.
A flaming blade light severed the head of the demon closest to Kanzaki Aoi.
Whoosh!
Then, Kamihara Tetsuya swiftly moved among the demons, swinging his nichirin blade, and the sharp blade light landed on the demons' necks, easily severing them.
In an instant, four or five heads flew into the air.
Their eyes were blank, wondering what had happened? Until they saw that flame-like figure, like a grim reaper, frantically harvesting the demons' heads.
Clang!
The demons' heads fell like raindrops, accompanied by unwilling roars, their voices gradually turning to despair, and along with their bodies, they vanished into thin air.
"Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!"
"Third Form: Fiery Universal Phenomena!"
"Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!"
…
Kamihara Tetsuya charged into the demon horde, harvesting their heads like cutting melons and vegetables.
"This guy isn't one of the newcomers—"
A demon said in horror; this fierce swinging speed could only belong to an elite swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps. Its words were not yet finished when a nichirin blade pierced its neck.
Kamihara Tetsuya lightly sliced, and another head flew up, falling to the ground.
Soul Manipulation - Reaper!
While slaying the demons, Kamihara Tetsuya didn't forget to harvest their souls. There was no need to consider the Blood Demon Art of these small fry; they were purely for backup energy.
"Bastard, don't be so arrogant!"
The demon that had killed the boy roared, raising its hands and smashing them down fiercely.
It was one of the three demons that had initially threatened Kaigaku. Having consumed the flesh of seven or eight new swordsmen, not only was its long-term depletion replenished, but its strength also advanced, comparable to a demon that had eaten forty or fifty people.
Bang!
Kamihara Tetsuya's body recoiled, and the demon's fist heavily slammed into the ground, causing the earth to shake with a roar.
A triumphant smile appeared on this demon's face; all the other demons were easily killed by its opponent, only it could force Kamihara Tetsuya back, this was the difference.
However, its triumph didn't last long.
"Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"
Kamihara Tetsuya raised his nichirin blade and thrust forward. The flames he unleashed were like a fiery tiger opening its gaping mouth, and the blade light directly pierced through this demon's neck.
Whoosh!
Kamihara Tetsuya pressed down with both hands, and the blade light continued to deepen, separating the demon's head from its body.
"Monster!" This demon murmured, its body and head dissipating as if incinerated by the flames.
"Run quickly!"
Seeing that the strongest demon among them had been slain by Kamihara Tetsuya, the remaining demons scattered in terror, fleeing the scene.
Kamihara Tetsuya didn't count precisely, but conservatively estimated, he must have killed about ten demons.
To prevent being ambushed, Kamihara Tetsuya did not pursue, but returned to Kanzaki Aoi's side.
Kamihara Tetsuya asked, "Are you alright?"
"Tetsuya-sensei!" Kanzaki Aoi was in tears; when she was surrounded by more than a dozen demons, she thought she was certainly going to die, and her heart had already felt despair.
Kamihara Tetsuya's eyes gleamed with cold light.
He didn't care about the previous minor dispute, but Kaigaku actually dared to collude with demons to deal with him; this was something he could not tolerate.
Ding!
Death-Seeking Quest has been issued!
Quest Name: Deter the Demon Slayer Corps!
Quest Content: In the name of demons, disrupt the Demon Slayer Corps' Final Selection. No time limit. The longer you persist, the richer the rewards!
Reward: Draw a special ability!
…