Seeing what happened, Tanjiro rushed forward to help.
He had barely taken two steps when a black vortex suddenly spread across the ground beneath him. A demon burst out and slammed him flat onto his back.
Aoyama, still holding the girl, leapt forward and delivered a vicious kick to the demon pinning Tanjiro down.
The demon was sent skidding across the ground before its body sank back into the swirling darkness.
Tanjiro scrambled up, shooting his senior brother a grateful look.
"Stay steady. Don't panic. Protect those two. Leave the rest to me."
Aoyama pushed the girl toward Tanjiro and stepped forward alone, placing himself in front of the three of them.
These Swamp Demons weren't powerful.
What made them troublesome was their cowardice—they never fought head-on. They attacked from ambush, and the moment they were at a disadvantage, they slipped back into the swamp to hide.
"Senior Brother… these must be the Blood Demon Art users Urokodaki-sensei mentioned, right?" Tanjiro asked, eyes scanning the surroundings.
"They are. Swamp Demons," Aoyama replied casually. "Low-tier ones."
Two heads emerged ahead of them.
Another surfaced from the wall beside them.
Tanjiro's eyes widened.
Three.
Senior Brother had been right.
Not one demon—
Three.
The three swamp demons bared their teeth, grinding them together with a shrill, grating sound that made one's skin crawl.
Aoyama inhaled sharply.
Total Concentration.
Water Breathing.
First Form—Water Surface Slash.
His blade flashed toward their heads—
But just before contact, the demons sank back into the swamp below.
The black vortex lingered on the ground.
Without hesitation, Aoyama jumped straight in.
If they loved hiding down there so much—
Then they could die down there.
"Senior Brother!!!" Tanjiro shouted.
Kazui and the girl both went pale.
One demon surfaced briefly, chuckling mockingly.
They were used to dragging humans down.
This was the first time someone had jumped in willingly.
Wasn't that suicide?
Kazui, summoning rare courage, shouted at the demon.
"Give me back Riko!"
The demon stopped laughing.
"Riko?"
It pulled open its chest area.
Inside, neatly arranged—
Belongings of sixteen-year-old girls.
Right in the center lay a pink ribbon.
Kazui recognized it instantly.
"That's hers!"
The demon grinned.
"See? Anyone whose belongings are here has already been eaten. Sixteen-year-old girls are perfect. Tender skin. Best flavor. Heh heh."
Tanjiro's blood boiled.
But he remembered Aoyama's words.
Stay steady.
He forced himself to calm down.
Meanwhile, beneath the swamp—
Aoyama allowed his body to fall freely.
Those two cowardly demons were likely hiding at the bottom.
"He came down!"
"Let him die!"
Their cackling echoed.
Aoyama sneered.
Their death was imminent—and they didn't even know it.
A dark figure lunged at his back.
As expected.
They only dared to ambush.
Total Concentration.
Light Breathing.
First Form—Flash.
Slash—
His blade carved cleanly through the demon.
Arms and legs were severed instantly.
"Ah… missed the head. How careless."
His tone was regretful.
But it was deliberate.
Letting them die too quickly would be too merciful.
The second swamp demon roared and charged, fangs bared, intent on tearing him apart.
Aoyama's eyes narrowed.
Total Concentration.
Light Breathing.
Third Form—Dance of Light.
His blade shimmered faintly.
His footwork turned fluid, deceptive—like a dancer gliding through air.
The demon lunged once—
Missed.
Lunged again—
Missed again.
"Damn it!"
"No," Aoyama's voice came from behind it. "Damn you."
The demon twisted its head one hundred and eighty degrees—
A flash of steel.
Its head slid from its neck.
The first demon, limbless and panicking, tried to flee.
"Don't rush. You're next."
Total Concentration.
Light Breathing.
First Form—Flash.
An S-shaped arc of light sliced through it.
Its head split in two.
Both demons began disintegrating into ash.
Aoyama immediately shot upward.
The swamp entrance was already closing as their bodies vanished.
"Ha—!"
He burst out just in time, landing firmly on solid ground.
Tanjiro was locked in battle with the last remaining swamp demon.
Nezuko stood with arms spread wide, shielding Kazui and the girl.
But—
Three bloody scratches streaked across her forehead.
They were still bleeding.
Aoyama's expression darkened instantly.
It had dared—
To hurt Nezuko.
That alone sealed its fate.
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