"Can I kill you or not? We'll only know if we try, won't we?"
Qingshu's veins bulged across his face.
"Blood Demon Art: Ink Rain!"
At his beckoning, the brush from the short table flew into his hand.
He flicked it through the air, tapping repeatedly at empty space.
The next moment, something astonishing happened.
Wherever the brush tip touched, black ink dots formed in midair.
With a sweep of his sleeve, the ink droplets stretched and sharpened, transforming into needle-like projectiles that shot toward Kaigaku like a torrential downpour.
"Blood Demon Art?!" Kaigaku's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Only powerful demons can use Blood Demon Arts!"
This sickly scholar could actually wield one?!
"Damn it! Don't think I'm scared of you!"
He roared and swung his wooden sword, lightning crackling along its length.
"Thunder Breathing: Second Form — Rice Spirit!"
Electric arcs tore through the air as he slashed at the incoming ink rain.
Still unaccustomed to combat, Qingshu didn't press the advantage. Instead of advancing, he merely watched as Kaigaku struggled to fend off the assault.
Ryuya observed silently.
A demon's Blood Demon Art was often tied to their former life—their hobbies, their obsessions. Qingshu had been a scholar, so naturally his power revolved around ink and brushes.
What other interesting applications would this Blood Demon Art reveal?
Ryuya's gaze subtly shifted toward an inconspicuous pot in the corner of the room.
Just as his eyes moved away—
Half a head slowly emerged from the pot.
Had Young Master Ryuya noticed?
Why had he looked over here specifically?
Inside the pot, Gyokko, one of the Twelve Kizuki, narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. It didn't feel like a coincidence.
Meanwhile—
After finally destroying the last of the ink needles, Kaigaku's wooden sword was riddled with holes and splintered from the scraping. His body was covered in shallow cuts.
He was already panting heavily.
Damn it… he was just a scholar. How is he this strong?!
I can't drag this out any longer!
Even if he killed Qingshu now, what good would it do? Ryuya was still there.
His only goal now—
Was survival.
Without hesitation, Kaigaku turned and bolted for the door.
At nearly the same moment, Qingshu dashed forward and flicked his brush through the air. A blade-like streak of ink shot toward the doorway.
Kaigaku didn't even dodge. He let it strike his neck directly.
But unexpectedly—
There was no pain.
No damage.
It simply left a dark ink mark on his skin.
And then he fled into the night.
"Not chasing him?" Ryuya looked at Qingshu, puzzled.
He clearly had the advantage. Why let him go?
"My Lord, he cannot escape."
Qingshu's tone was calm and confident.
He waved his brush again.
"My Lord, please allow me to place a mark on you. I would like to show you something."
"A mark?" Curious, Ryuya extended his arm.
Qingshu lightly drew a thin line of ink across his wrist.
Then, a landscape scroll from the table floated into his hand.
"Blood Demon Art: Landscape Scroll — Teleport."
The moment those words fell—
A black ink circle appeared beneath Ryuya's feet.
His vision blurred.
When clarity returned—
They were no longer inside the dilapidated wooden house.
Instead, they stood within a vast black-and-white world.
Mountains, weeds, houses, trees—even the clouds above—were rendered in varying shades of ink. The entire world resembled a living painting.
One mountain stood incomplete, split down the middle, as though it had only been half-finished—strangely majestic despite its imperfection.
"This is…"
Ryuya's eyes gleamed with genuine astonishment.
This was the very landscape from the scroll Qingshu had been holding.
They were inside the painting.
"My Lord, that half-finished mountain remains incomplete because the scroll itself has not yet been fully painted."
Though unable to read Ryuya's thoughts, Qingshu noticed where he was looking and explained.
"So if you continue painting… the world expands accordingly?"
The faint disappointment in Ryuya's eyes vanished.
"Yes. Anything added to the scroll will manifest here."
"How large can it become? Is it limited to one scroll?"
"No. Once a scroll is filled, another blank scroll may be connected to it. The space will continue expanding."
Infinitely expandable.
Ryuya's interest deepened.
He raised his ink-marked wrist.
"What are the conditions for teleportation? Is it tied to this mark? Is there a distance limit?"
"As long as the ink mark exists, I can pull the marked individual into the landscape scroll—or expel them from it. There is no distance limitation."
"What are the weaknesses? Can the scroll be destroyed?"
Qingshu answered without hesitation.
"The weakness lies in the scroll itself—and in me. To bring someone inside, I must be physically present. And if someone is inside the landscape world, I cannot leave it unless I expel them first.
Additionally, within this world, the scroll cannot be hidden. If it is destroyed, the landscape world collapses, and everyone inside is forcibly expelled."
Clear. Thorough.
In short—
This ability wasn't ideal for dragging enemies in for direct combat.
But as a means of escape?
It was exceptional.
"Excellent." Ryuya smiled faintly.
"Qingshu, your Blood Demon Art is extremely useful."
Like Muzan Kibutsuji's Infinity Castle, controlled by Nakime, this was a rare spatial Blood Demon Art.
Not as vast—but far more flexible.
Though… Qingshu was male.
Nakime was female.
A pity. One less potential application.
"Thank you for the praise, My Lord. Shall I bring Kaigaku inside now?"
Qingshu's confidence was unwavering.
Against someone like Kaigaku, he felt no fear.
Ryuya's lips curved slightly.
"Yes. Do it."
He was looking forward to Kaigaku's expression—
That priceless look of relief turning into despair.
Kaigaku, having narrowly escaped death, was overjoyed.
But fate seemed to favor him even more.
He ran straight into an official member of the Demon Slayer Corps.
The young man had heterochromatic eyes—green on the left, gold on the right.
White bandages wrapped around his lower face and neck, concealing his mouth.
Long black hair flowed behind him, and a black-and-white striped haori draped over his shoulders.
Most striking of all—
A white snake coiled around his neck, flicking its crimson tongue.
Startled and panicked, Kaigaku crashed into him.
The young man's mismatched eyes narrowed in displeasure.
Even so—
When Kaigaku noticed the Nichirin Blade at his waist, relief flooded through him.
He was saved.
Although Ryuya and Qingshu hadn't pursued him yet, he dared not lower his guard.
He knew exactly how terrifying Ryuya was.
If they caught up—
He would be finished.
Good.
Let this Demon Slayer stall them.
He would seize the opportunity to escape.