Kiyokawa Izumi, who had already leaped into mid-air, suddenly exerted force from his waist and legs. His waist twisted at an incredible angle as he gripped the hilt tightly with both hands, swinging from right to left to draw a massive, nearly perfect circular arc.
This move of his could be considered a copy of the protagonist Tanjirou's Water Wheel: Modified.
A smooth cut appeared across the numerous arms covering the Hand Demon's neck.
It seemed that was all there was to it.
"Checkmate!"
Due to inertia, Kiyokawa Izumi inevitably crashed onto the ground.
At this moment, several arms had already grabbed his limbs, and the tearing sensation of being pulled apart had already begun to manifest.
But he didn't panic at all, merely speaking very calmly.
In the next second, the original wound on the Hand Demon's neck rapidly expanded.
Its hideous and ferocious head shifted backward bit by bit.
'What?'
The Hand Demon, already sensing something was wrong, saw its pupils suddenly shrink.
You've got to be kidding me.
How could it die here?
It had eaten so many people and possessed such a powerful Blood Demon Art; how could it be killed by a brat like this?
It refused to accept this!
It was utterly unreconciled!
Sakonji!!
Kiyokawa Izumi truly couldn't have guessed that this demon's hatred for the former Water Hashira far outweighed its resentment toward him.
The arms tearing at his limbs were crumbling and disintegrating at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into ashes like a pile of burning straw.
"Cough, cough—"
Kiyokawa Izumi began to cough violently. When he breathed, his chest felt as if it had been rubbed by coarse sandpaper, and the lower-middle part of his chest was also in extreme pain.
No longer able to maintain his Breathing Technique, he collapsed to the ground.
Obvious soreness radiated from his overexerted limbs, and his breathing rhythm became erratic.
It felt as if something was blocked; he wanted to inhale but couldn't, and when he exhaled, he couldn't clear it out, leaving him stuck in extreme discomfort.
'I won't just die here, will I?'
Kiyokawa Izumi couldn't help but let his thoughts wander.
Although his physical condition was exceptionally poor, his spirit was unusually full.
Having experienced several battles over these past few days and hovered on the edge of life and death, the improvement to his strength was far more useful than tedious training.
Especially after overcoming the strong as the weak and defeating the Hand Demon.
His whole being seemed to have undergone a spiritual sublimation and transformation. In Wisteria Mountain, he could now confidently and calmly face any demon and firmly believe he could win.
Slowly sitting up, Kiyokawa Izumi's coughing continued unabated.
There were traces of blood in the saliva he spat out.
'This should be a normal reaction after using Total Concentration Breathing, right?'
He could only comfort himself this way.
Had this been his previous life, he might already be on his way to the hospital, likely heading straight for the emergency room.
Hiding his weakness, he picked up the broken half of his nichirin blade, slightly moved and stretched his aching arms, and scanned the surroundings with a calm yet confident gaze.
That ever-present feeling of being watched appeared once again.
Some demons seemed to be planning to wait for the snipe and the clam to fight so they could reap the benefits. Although the night hid their figures, the nauseating stench they emitted could not be concealed.
Even though his current physical state was incredibly poor, Kiyokawa Izumi didn't fear the demons hiding in the shadows at all.
Sure enough, a demon silently launched an attack from behind him.
It was even an old acquaintance of his.
The extremely fast, long-haired demon couldn't restrain itself.
It leaped high into the air, its sharp right claws heading straight for the back of Kiyokawa Izumi's head.
It felt that Kiyokawa Izumi must be incredibly weak right now.
This was the perfect opportunity to strike!
The mountains deep at night were quieter than one could imagine. Kiyokawa Izumi wasn't deaf; how could he not hear the rustling sound coming from behind?
He couldn't sense killing intent.
But he could still hear sounds.
Turning slightly, his indifferent gaze met the demon leaping through the air. Without a hint of nervousness or hesitation, his timing was perfect.
When the sharp claws were less than two fists away from his head, he had already swung his blade. Though he struck second, he arrived first, decapitating the demon with absolute precision.
"How can this be..."
The long-haired demon racked its brain but couldn't understand why this bastard's strength had increased so much compared to yesterday.
"After going through life-and-death struggles, if you don't die, there will always be improvement. Is such a concept so hard to understand?"
"Relying on eating people to improve might seem like a shortcut, but it's also a way of imprisoning your own limits and potential."
Kiyokawa Izumi spoke expressionlessly as he looked at the head on the ground.
Is an ordinary person who has survived several death matches still just an ordinary person?
Having experienced having no other choice and having fled out of fear, the experiences of these few short days were incomparable to the twenty-plus years of his previous life.
After saying this, Kiyokawa Izumi stood in place and waited quietly for a moment, but no other demon came.
He was, of course, bluffing.
In his current state, if a handful of demons really showed up, what would he have to fight them with?
But as it happened, the demons really were intimidated.
'Once I pass the Final Selection, I will definitely not join the Demon Slayer Corps!!'
With his eyelids feeling heavy, he decided to think about something to keep himself awake.
'I don't have the strength of Tsugikuni Yoriichi. My future ceiling probably won't even reach the level of the Stone Hashira, Wind Hashira, or Water Hashira.'
'In the fight against Muzan, one more of me doesn't add much, and one less doesn't take away much. It's better to find somewhere else to live my own life.'
Kiyokawa Izumi, who felt like an outsider to this world, thought to himself.