The demon Gyutaro, whose legs had been severed, had leapt backward and realized that his legs had yet to regenerate.
Gyutaru's suspicion deepened. "There's definitely something smeared on it!"
The next moment, Giyu Tomioka leapt into the air, descending from above with a surging blue water dragon.
"Tenth Form: Constant Flux!!"
Yet Gyutaro lived up to his reputation as Upper Rank Six—he twisted his body to the side, avoiding the blade from hitting his neck, and instead took the slash to the torso.
Just then, Gyutaro's legs regenerated.
Tengen Uzui reacted immediately. When Giyu cut Gyutaro's body, Uzui rushed in without hesitation.
What he didn't expect was how quickly Gyutaro had already decomposed the poison.
"Tch, this poison really is strong!"
"Blood Demon Art: Circular Slashes—Flying Blood Sickles!!"
This time, Uzui stood in front of Giyu to shield him.
"Sound Breathing, Fourth Form: Constant Resounding Slashes!"
Clang—clang—clang—clang—!
Sickle met blade in a wild series of collisions that nullified one another blow for blow.
In the end, Uzui blocked every last arc of blood. But when the smoke and dust cleared—Gyutaro had vanished.
A flicker in the corner of his eye caught Uzui's attention—he turned instantly toward the rooftop where his wife stood.
"Hina—!"
"Master Tengen, don't worry about me! Focus on defeating the demon!"
Hinatsuru misunderstood what Uzui meant.
She didn't notice the hand slipping toward her from the side—until it clamped over her mouth.
Gyutaro leaned in from the shadows, his single exposed eye gleaming coldly.
"You're pretty bold, aren't you?"
"You told him not to worry? Then I'll take care of you."
"Hinatsuru!!" Uzui's pupils contracted with horror. He prepared to lunge forward—
—but a belt whip lashed across and blocked his path.
"Damn it…!"
He glanced back—Giyu was in no better condition, and perhaps even worse off.
Right then, Giyu was struggling. The belts hadn't aimed for Uzui first—but him.
In the beginning, he could've sliced through them with ease.
But after hours of intense battle and the accumulation of Gyutaro's poison, even ordinary movements felt labored. Slashing through these belts drained what little stamina he had left.
And Giyu needed to conserve energy—for the moment when everything would come to a head.
At that crucial instant, Tanjiro Kamado arrived.
Out of sheer urgency, he used Water Breathing and Hinokami Kagura simultaneously, managing to cut through the belts and save Hinatsuru.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Tanjiro gasped, the dual techniques burning his lungs.
Gyutaro's severed hand regenerated rapidly, but he was momentarily surprised by Tanjiro's speed.
Still, it didn't matter.
With a burst of speed, Gyutaro reappeared before Tanjiro and brought his sickle crashing down!
Thanks to his harsh training and sheer resolve, Tanjiro managed to block the initial attack.
And that was enough.
From behind—Uzui's blade was already slicing toward Gyutaro's neck, not even twenty centimeters away.
"Tanjiro Kamado! Thanks!!"
At the same time, Giyu slashed through the pink belts, one after another.
He wanted to go help Tanjiro and Uzui—but couldn't.
If Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira didn't hold their line, then no one else would.
Tanjiro had left the other front, leaving only the two of them to face Daki.
Zenitsu had used his lightning burst once and was still bleeding from his legs.
Just minutes earlier, Giyu had glanced at their side of the fight—and the sight had terrified him.
Zenitsu and Inosuke had narrowly avoided losing their legs several times.
"Leave this to me and Inosuke!" Zenitsu said in his sleep-talking state, his tone filled with unshakable resolve.
***
Meanwhile, even though Uzui was fast and Tanjiro had acted too, Gyutaro was even faster.
He instantly shifted his position and brought up his sickles to block both of their attacks—one from each side.
Gyutaro sneered.
"You think you can cut off my head? That's hilarious."
Tanjiro pulled hard, but his corroded blade wouldn't budge from Gyutaro's neck.
At that moment, Uzui reached with his second blade and thrust it toward the back of Gyutaro's neck.
But the scene that followed made Uzui's veins pop with fury.
He had predicted Gyutaro might bite the blade with his teeth—that's why he had aimed for the back.
Yet somehow, Gyutaro twisted his head a full 180 degrees and caught the blade in his jaws!
Blood spurted from Gyutaro's shoulder.
Uzui instantly shifted his weight and shouted,
"Kamado! Hold still!!"
Hinatsuru quickly wrapped her arms around Tanjiro's back-mounted box.
The next second, Uzui surged with strength and forced Gyutaro—who was preparing to release a circular blood whirlwind—off the rooftop!
"Uzui-sensei—!"
Before Tanjiro could finish speaking, a spinning slash shot back upward.
Bang—!
Just as Tanjiro prepared to leap down to assist, Giyu placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Switch out."
Without another word, Giyu leapt down toward the clashing figures of Uzui and Gyutaro.
Landing precisely, Giyu intercepted Gyutaro with a swift strike, forcing him back.
"Tengen, how much longer until the score's complete?"
"Almost there! Just a little more time!"
Uzui prepared to move in again, but Giyu cut in.
"Let me lead. Focus on finishing your score. Once it's done, we strike together."
Right then, Gyutaro hurled his spinning sickles again.
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
A single blade of water crashed against the incoming scythes—knocking them aside!
Gyutaro vaulted high, caught the sickles mid-air, and slashed downward!
Giyu and Uzui reacted instantly, dodging to avoid the devastating arc.
Boom!
Dust and debris scattered.
Giyu leaned forward, gripping his hilt as Gyutaro re-emerged from the haze.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
Man and demon clashed repeatedly. Their exchanges grew more savage with each move.
Bang—bang—bang—!!
"Hahahaha! BLOOD-SPATTERED SCYTHES—SPIN!!"
Faced with endless blades of blood and flailing belts, Giyu steadied himself.
"Water Breathing: Eleventh Form — Dead Clam."
***
Elsewhere on the rooftop, Tanjiro was briefly dazed.
But the belts flying toward him snapped him out of it.
"Watch out, Santaro!!"
Inosuke backpedaled furiously, hacking at the incoming belts.
***
Im so disappointed with this fight…🥴