Five days later, the trio took a rickshaw to the mountains near the Entertainment District.
According to Ren's own original plan, he intended to charge straight into the district to kill Daki and Gyutaro. As for the Berserk Demons inside, he didn't give them a second thought; he would simply kill them as they came, one by one or in pairs.
Mitsuri agreed with this idea, but Uzui Tengen suggested they calm down and proceed with caution. Considering the experience of nearly being blown up by the Gun & Cannon Berserk Demon during the operation in Kaedehara Town, Ren finally agreed to Uzui Tengen's plan to act prudently.
Ever since Muzan used his blood to create Berserk Demons, the plot he was familiar with had begun to veer off course. Ren himself was unsure if there would be Berserk Demons with extraordinary abilities within the Entertainment District. If they encountered powerful Berserk Demons, he wasn't worried about his own safety—he could easily retreat using Lightning Combat Techniques if he couldn't win—but in that scenario, Mitsuri and Uzui Tengen would be in danger.
After careful consideration, the three decided to survey the situation near the Entertainment District first. According to information sent back by the Kasugai Crows, the number of Berserk Demons inside was staggering, likely no fewer than in Kaedehara Town. They were bound to find some clues.
Sure enough, on the nearby mountain, Mitsuri suddenly pointed ahead, covering her small mouth in surprise.
"Ren, Brother Tengen, look over there!"
"Hmm?"
The two immediately followed Mitsuri's gaze. They saw a pile of white bones carelessly heaped under a lush tree, with traces of blood still remaining on the trunk.
Ren stepped forward, picking up a bone to examine it closely. These were undoubtedly human remains, and the bones were covered in grime, indicating they had been dead for a long time. There were three skulls present, meaning the bones belonged to at least three people, possibly more.
"Look at the teeth marks on this rib..."
Ren held a rib out in front of Mitsuri and Uzui Tengen. Uzui Tengen, being from a shinobi background, was naturally not afraid of a bone. As for Mitsuri, the Love Hashira, although she was only a seventeen-year-old girl, she had seen far too many corpses since joining the Demon Slayer Corps and was likewise unfazed by a mere bone.
"Yeah, judging by this rib, the opponent's teeth are very sharp, enough to bite through bone in one go, yet the teeth themselves are relatively small..." Uzui Tengen speculated, resting his chin in his hand. "It must be the work of demons. If it were black bears or wild boars, their teeth wouldn't be this small. Besides, this is close to the Entertainment District; large wild animals on the mountain should have been hunted to extinction by now. And with several different sets of teeth marks on this pile, the culprits should be a group of Berserk Demons!"
"Yes, Mr. Tengen is right. I think so too. They were probably hunters on the mountain who unfortunately encountered Berserk Demons and were killed. Let's look further ahead."
After burying the remains, the three moved forward. Within just an hour, they saw several more spots with piled remains. The number of deceased definitely exceeded thirty. Some bones even looked fresh, clearly from the recently deceased.
"Ren, Mitsuri, I don't know if you've noticed." Uzui Tengen spoke up suddenly. "The teeth marks on these bones are basically the same. It's clear these people were all killed by the same group of Berserk Demons."
"That's true. If that's the case, we might be facing a group of extremely powerful fellows," Ren nodded. In just an hour, they had seen the remains of over thirty people. Heaven knows how many more bones were buried in these wild mountains. It was possible the enemy had already eaten over a hundred people. Combined with the evolution speed of Berserk Demons, their strength was definitely formidable, perhaps not inferior to a Lower Moon.
Crunch, crunch...
Just then, the three heard the sound of footsteps. Along with them came a horrifying chewing sound, the noise of bones snapping, and the conversation of three Berserk Demons.
"Hehehe, Lady Xiaji is such a good person—no, a good demon! She actually gave us the leftover food for free!"
"Yeah, the only price is helping her dispose of the bones she's finished eating."
"I have to say, compared to that Lady Oiran, Lady Xiaji is so much better. Not only is she gentle toward demons, but she's also very beautiful..."
"Wake up, wake up! Stop daydreaming. Lady Xiaji isn't the kind of female demon a guy like you can get!"
"It's nighttime anyway. Besides, I can't even dream?"
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
As the three Berserk Demons were talking, Ren's group suddenly struck. Seeing the three demons, Uzui Tengen couldn't help but complain.
"What? Just three Berserk Demons? And they look mediocre. How boring!"
"What they're carrying... those are human remains!"
Ren immediately noticed the baskets on the backs of the three demons. Inside were piles of bleached white bones, belonging to what looked like more than five people.
"Hmph, were those people killed by them? Or by this 'Lady Xiaji' they mentioned?"
"Yeah, that's likely it. These three are just lackeys responsible for doing the chores."
As he spoke, Ren suddenly drew the Nichirin Greatsword from his back. His momentum surged instantly, and the three Berserk Demons across from them abruptly sensed a chilling killing intent.
Just as he was about to make a move, Uzui Tengen stopped him and smiled. "Ren, no need to use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. Leave these minor characters to me!"
"That works."
Ren had no objection. He also happened to want to see Uzui Tengen's Sound Breathing—otherwise known as the legendary "Rhythmic Powerful Slashes."
"Brother Tengen, be careful!" Mitsuri reminded him.
"Hehe, don't worry!"
Before his voice had even faded, Uzui Tengen drew the two golden longswords from his back and walked slowly toward the three Berserk Demons.
"Who are you people?"
"Need you even ask? They're definitely those annoying Demon Slayers! You can tell just by the swords in his hands, right?"
"Hehe, you've got quite the sharp eyes!" Uzui Tengen smiled, pointing his twin swords directly at the demons' throats. He said coldly, "Who exactly is this Lady Xiaji you mentioned? Tell me, and I'll give you a quick death!"
"Cut the crap! Today is the day you Demon Slayers die!"
"Exactly! I've been wanting to taste you lot for a long time. I hope the meat isn't too tough!"
"Roar..."
The three Berserk Demons rushed out, charging straight at Uzui Tengen.
"I'm really being looked down upon, aren't I? Sound Breathing, First Form: Roar!"
The muscles in Uzui Tengen's arms bulged as he slashed out violently. A piercing flash of sword light erupted, and the twin blades swept across the necks of the three Berserk Demons, decapitating them completely!
After killing the demons, Uzui Tengen exhaled a soft breath of turbid air.
Ren took all of this in, thinking to himself: He's clearly just catching his breath after a swing, yet he insists on calling it Sound Breathing. Just like me, he's just a combatant who relies on pure, massive strength!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]