A spray of blood erupted!
Immediately followed by a shrill scream!
The illusions disappeared, the trees stopped swaying, blindingly white snow fell in flurries, and the demon crashed heavily to the ground. An arm instantly flew off, rolling to Tanjiro's feet.
[Combat Arts +1]
Tanjiro's pupils suddenly dilated as he stared blankly at the severed arm turning to black smoke, his heart surging like ocean waves!
Excitedly raising his fist, he shouted loudly to Roy: "Well done, Nii-san!"
From perfect stillness to explosive motion and back again, Roy's hoe swing took only the blink of an eye.
This was clearly the simplest possible movement, yet the "substance" contained within made Sato Takeichiro's spine run cold!
"Are you a 'Pillar'?" Sato Takeichiro rolled up from the snowy ground, staring intently at Roy with a grave expression.
The so-called "Pillars" corresponded to "demons" like the Twelve Kizuki. Sato Takeichiro had once been fortunate enough to see Upper Moon One. At that time, he glimpsed from the periphery how that lord could create slashes filled with moon rings with a casual strike.
Reportedly, he had been a Pillar of the Demon Slayer Corps in life.
Later, when he was eating humans at the mountain's base, he was pursued by the Water Pillar. Thanks to the man's old age and declining strength, he barely escaped with his comrades' assistance.
Today, in this godforsaken forest, he unexpectedly encountered a third one!
Unfortunately, Roy wasn't one.
In the Demon Slayer Corps, to become a "Pillar," one had to either defeat one of the Twelve Kizuki or kill fifty demons.
But Roy, knowing the plot, understood clearly that the most important criterion for distinguishing a "Pillar" wasn't these rigid rules, but rather the degree of mastery over breathing techniques.
Just like in the Hunter x Hunter world, the sole condition for determining whether a Nen user was a first-class powerhouse was actually their development and mastery of their own Nen abilities.
If mastery wasn't refined or development direction was wrong, even the most talented person would struggle to become an excellent Nen user.
Like Hanashi Doro, who suffered from lacking proper guidance and mistakenly developed Conjurer-type clones despite being an Enhancer.
So this time entering the dream, besides the goal of mining coal, selling charcoal, and improving the Kamado family's meals, Roy had another mission—finding a master teacher to learn breathing techniques.
Currently, the nearest former Water Pillar "Sakonji Urokodaki," would be an excellent choice.
Roy dragged his hoe, carving a straight thin line in the snow.
He didn't answer Sato Takeichiro's question, instead watching with interest as the demon grew a new arm: "How many more times can your demon blood support your recovery?"
Sato Takeichiro said viciously: "Enough to rip out your heart and liver without any problem!"
Roy nodded: "Good, you must keep your word."
"Today, if you don't rip out my heart and liver, no one leaves."
Sato Takeichiro & Tanjiro: "?"
Both were confused.
The latter didn't know what his big brother was thinking—why not attack again while the opponent's arm hadn't fully recovered?
The former instantly raised his guard, then—
Quickly bent down, grabbed a handful of snow from the ground, and threw it at Roy. Using the flying snow to block his vision, Sato Takeichiro used his greatest speed in life and turned to run!
That monster... I have to get away! Tree after tree swayed as he stepped on them, each leap carrying him further from danger. In the blink of an eye, Sato Takeichiro had escaped over a hundred meters!
Tanjiro stared wide-eyed, not yet understanding the situation.
Then he saw his Nii-san's face directly darken!
'My experience pack... my precious experience pack...' Roy was furious beyond measure!
Being a demon shouldn't involve such cunning. So awakening "Bullet Kill" Blood Demon Art was just for running away when things looked bad?
Watching the opponent get farther and farther away...
Roy angrily lifted his right foot and kicked hard. A stone "whooshed" after Sato Takeichiro's retreating figure, pursuing like lightning.
But without learning Shu, Roy couldn't yet attach Nen to objects that left his hand to enhance their speed. Combined with the opponent maintaining high vigilance and his awakened Blood Demon Art being well-suited for forest pursuit...
This resulted in the opponent easily dodging his strike with a simple duck.
"This way, there's no choice."
Two hundred meters, three hundred meters—any farther and he'd lose sight of the opponent.
Roy simply rolled up his sleeves.
For the first time, he activated his breathing technique.
At this moment, wind stirred the clouds, and the sun cast a ray of light through a cloud gap, illuminating Roy's handsome face.
The young man raised his hoe like a long sword, positioning his left and right feet in a bow stance, and took a deep breath.
Instantly, his body seemed to have an acceleration button pressed—blood surged, heart rate increased, and even the capillaries on his skin burst out one after another, spreading across his entire body in an instant!
The direct reflection on his status panel was massive change in the column recording Roy's constitution!
Visibly, it leaped from—
[Constitution: 10.051] to [Constitution: 20.102]!
It had literally doubled!
Sun Breathing used aura as fuel.
Roy's pupils seemed to ignite with two divine flames. Seizing this brief enhancement, he thrust forward and charged out!
"Whoosh—" The hoe cut through the cold wind with a sharp whistle!
Tanjiro felt something flash before his eyes. Looking again —
His Big Brother Eiichiro had crossed nearly three hundred meters in one breath, appearing above the demon's head.
Then came a sword technique descending from heaven—
Sun Breathing—Dance!
"Swish—"
A fire-colored ribbon carrying fierce blade light evaporated the wind and snow, forming a circle that enclosed Sato Takeichiro.
Initially, Sato Takeichiro felt nothing. Only when he discovered himself airborne while his lower body remained in place did he suddenly realize—he'd been cut in half at the waist!
He glared with frustrated blood-red eyes, angrily pointing at Roy and shouting: "You still say you're not a 'Pillar'?"
Then his vision went black, and with a "thud," he fell straight into the snow.
Fresh blood like a trickling stream dyed the area red. Painful howls came, though delayed.
A figure in thick cotton socks and wooden clogs, shouldering a hoe, approached unhurriedly. Sato Takeichiro's eyelid twitched. Ignoring the pain, he again consumed demon blood to restore his body...
But this time... it didn't work!
He felt terror, panic, fear, trembling, clearly sensing life force draining from his filthy body.
Unwillingly lifting his head, he questioned Roy: "What kind of technique is this?"
Roy stopped and looked at the snow covering the mountains, sighing softly: "You really don't keep your word, forcing me to use Sun Breathing to kill you."
"Now, are you satisfied?"
Sato Takeichiro's pupils contracted.
He screamed: "Who... who exactly are you?!"
Roy smiled gently, lifted his foot, and stomped his head to pieces: "I don't change my name when walking or sitting—I am Kamado Eiichiro!"