Chapter 47: The Injured Three-Headed Demon
The Bouncing Demon came crashing down from the sky, aiming to smash Yukishiro into the ground.
Yukishiro didn't even glance upward. He lightly tapped his toes against the earth, leapt backward, and evaded the strike with ease. The Demon landed heavily, missing its mark, and with a furious growl, bounded again—this time disappearing into the trees.
After several encounters, Yukishiro had already gauged its strengths and weaknesses.
"The Bouncing Demon isn't particularly powerful," he thought, sliding his blade into a ready stance. "It only relies on leaping high and landing silently.
Dangerous for others, yes, but predictable to me."
Its main technique was simple yet brutal—snatch a victim into the air, then drop them to their death, or use the crushing force of its descent to strike like a hammer. But for Yukishiro, the trick was meaningless.
The moment the Demon entered the area of his cold domain, its presence became obvious, no matter how silent it tried to be.
The same held true for the Spider Demon.
Across the battlefield, the hulking Three-Headed Demon writhed like a grotesque octopus. Its six arms, which had shielded its body moments before, loosened and hung down, still covered in shards of ice.
The frozen cones lodged into its gray flesh made it roar in agony.
Suddenly, the Spider Demon scurried out from between its legs. It cast one nervous glance toward Yukishiro, its many eyes filled with dread, then—seemingly convinced that even the three of them together could not topple him—turned and vanished into the forest.
Yukishiro's expression hardened.
"If I lose sight of them, things get complicated… They'll go after the others."
He raised his voice, his breath frosting in the air.
"Those two Demons retreated into the woods. Stay sharp!"
He tried to pursue, but the Three-Headed Demon blocked his way, six arms lashing down like enormous whips. The battle reset, once again pitting Yukishiro against the massive creature while the other two lurked unseen, waiting to strike.
The Demon's frenzy grew. Its enormous hands swiped again and again, smashing into the frozen ground, while its whip-like arms snapped with terrifying speed. At the same time, the Bouncing Demon occasionally darted out of the shadows, leaping unpredictably from the treeline to strike at him—only to miss, leaving craters in the earth.
The Spider Demon, however, stayed hidden, watching. Its intelligence, though limited, was sharper than the others. It was likely the one who had lured the Three-Headed Demon earlier to disrupt the formation of Kimura's group, turning the hunters into prey.
Yukishiro narrowed his eyes.
"Fine. If those two won't face me directly, then I'll deal with this beast first. Cut off the heads—see if that ends it."
He wasn't entirely convinced that would be the killing blow. His instincts told him the true weakness lay in the ghastly face embedded in its chest. Still, the necks were far easier to reach.
He had to test it.
The Nichirin Blade gleamed in his hands. With a single sweeping slash, he severed one of the outstretched arms, then surged forward, leaping onto the Demon's body. The closer he drew, the more desperate its attacks became.
A massive hand descended like a falling boulder. If it struck, he would be crushed. But Yukishiro dodged cleanly, bounding onto its arm and racing upward. Each step froze the flesh beneath him, forming a path of ice as he ascended toward its neck.
The Three-Headed Demon seemed to sense his aim. Its two heads twisted in terror, emitting garbled shrieks, while its arms tangled above to shield them.
Giant hands flailed, grasping wildly to snatch him midair.
Closer—closer!
Yukishiro sprang upward, both hands gripping the hilt, the Nichirin Blade raised high. His strike was aimed for the left head, its gaping mouth wailing in fear.
But suddenly—two arms whipped across like snakes. One wrapped around his throat from the left, the other from the right, choking tightly.
Yukishiro's eyes widened.
"Tch… I forgot—it still has six arms."
Turning quickly, he saw two more arms mirrored on the right, ready to strangle. His chance to decapitate vanished. He shifted instantly, abandoning the slash and redirecting downward.
"Ice Breathing—Form Four: Icefall!"
The blade shone, white mist and frozen shards whirling as it cleaved downward between the twin heads. Cold power surged, a torrent like a frozen waterfall crashing from the heavens.
The Demon's arms clawed at the descending sword, but their strength faltered. Ice consumed them as the Nichirin Blade's aura froze flesh on contact. Hands cracked apart, shattering into fragments that fell like brittle glass.
The strike landed. The blade bit deep, more than ten centimeters into the thick neck between the heads. It refused to cut further, halted by sinew and bone, but the damage was catastrophic. Frost exploded outward from the wound, racing across the Demon's heads, white crystals blooming over its deathly gray skin.
The Three-Headed Demon screamed, its cry so loud it shook the mountain itself. The sound thundered across the battlefield, rattling the spines of contestants and Demons alike. Snow-white ice flowers blossomed from its torn flesh as its massive body writhed in torment.
"Got you," Yukishiro muttered, wrenching his blade free.
The Demon staggered, shrieking, then—desperate—lurched toward the cluster of contestants.
"Scatter!" Yukishiro shouted, springing clear of its thrashing form.
Kimura and the others echoed the command. The trainees, startled by the roar and the sudden order, immediately disengaged from their fights and retreated, following their leaders away from the charging beast.
The Three-Headed Demon crashed into the spot they had just abandoned. Several lesser Demons, too slow to flee, were crushed underfoot. Its claws snatched one shrieking creature and tore it in half with horrifying ease.
The other Demons froze in place, cowering before the might of their wounded kin.
Then, with another deafening roar, the Three-Headed Demon turned its heads, glaring past the crowd. Its many eyes all locked on a single figure—Yukishiro.
The other Demons followed its gaze. Then, as if compelled by an unseen command, they howled and surged forward together, rushing to overwhelm him.
From the treeline, the Spider Demon and the Bouncing Demon emerged once more. But this time, they did not aim for Yukishiro. Instead, they broke into the open and sprinted toward the scattered contestants.
Yukishiro's heart tightened.
"So that's their plan… distract me while they slaughter the others."
His grip tightened around his blade, cold mist swirling from its edge. He had no choice now—defeat the Three-Headed Demon quickly, or everyone would die.