Yohan tightened his grip around the Nichirin Blade in his hand.
Grinning, he said, "Rengoku Kyojuro, surprised?"
That's right—the way he had chosen to astonish Rengoku was by catching the blade with his bare hands.
In the world of Demon Slayer, where Breathing Techniques and Blood Demon Arts existed, something like catching a sword barehanded had to be unheard of.
Of course, he hadn't done it without preparation.
The moment he grabbed the blade, he activated Iron Body across his entire arm.
Not to mention, his Senju Bloodline had been continuously evolving. His regeneration abilities were on an entirely different level now.
Even if he did sustain an injury, he would heal in an instant.
And just as he had planned—he had succeeded.
On the other side, Rengoku Kyojuro let out a helpless chuckle.
"Of course," he said, shaking his head.
"You really did shock me."
There was nothing more to say—his sword had been caught, after all.
Now, Rengoku finally understood why Yohan dared to go out and face demons alone.
That bizarre level of defense—this must be what he relied on.
Accepting his loss without hesitation, Rengoku realized that he had underestimated the world.
One must always remain humble and vigilant.
Realizing this, his smile returned.
"In that case, Yohan, go without worry."
"I'll take care of things on this side."
Yohan had already proven his strength—Rengoku Kyojuro had no reason to stop him now.
Just then, the system's voice echoed in Yohan's mind.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host! Mission complete: Astonish Rengoku Kyojuro.]
[Reward: Mastery of Grappling Techniques.]
As a flood of knowledge about grappling techniques poured into his mind, Yohan instantly gained an intuitive understanding of how to exploit joints, pressure points, and weak spots to subdue an opponent with minimal effort.
It felt as if he had trained in this art for years.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself instinctively analyzing Rengoku Kyojuro's joints.
An overwhelming urge rose within him.
He really wanted to test it out on Rengoku.
For some reason, Rengoku suddenly shivered.
Sensing something was off, he subtly put some distance between them.
Quickly, he spoke up, "So, Yohan, it's already late. Are you planning to leave tonight?"
"Yeah, let's get this done as soon as possible."
"Good. Then you'll need a Nichirin Blade, right?"
Every Demon Slayer Corps base had extra Nichirin Blades in stock for emergencies.
Thinking about how he still relied on probability to kill demons, Yohan decided he should take one.
He couldn't afford to rely on waiting until sunrise every time.
Just as he was about to respond—
A sudden, exhilarated voice rang out.
"Haha! Hahahaha!"
"Who would've thought? A small town like this, and I run into not one, but two warriors with Battle Aura!"
"Come on! Let's fight!"
A figure emerged from the shadows in the corner of the courtyard.
The first thing that caught everyone's attention—
Was his golden eyes.
As he stepped forward, he was revealed to be a man covered in countless deep-blue tattoos.
Blood stained his fingertips, proof that he had come with malicious intent.
A demon.
There was no doubt about his identity.
"Haha! Hahahaha!"
"I am Upper Rank Three of the Twelve Kizuki—"
"Akaza!"
His gaze locked onto Yohan and Rengoku.
"Come! Let's fight!"
"Only through battle can you prove that you deserve to live!"
Akaza had already stepped forward, assuming a combat stance.
In an instant, an overwhelming aura erupted from his body.
The very air in the estate grew colder.
"U-U-Upper Rank…!"
The two Demon Slayer intelligence officers, standing at a distance, were already struggling to withstand Akaza's pressure.
Their bodies threatened to collapse under the sheer weight of his presence.
Even Kanroji Mitsuri and Granny Reiko had to lean on each other for support—they weren't faring much better.
Meanwhile, Yohan and Rengoku's expressions turned serious.
One hand gripped the hilt of his sword.
The other clenched his fists.
Rengoku's voice was deep and solemn.
"Yohan, looks like we're fighting side by side today."
"Yeah. Be careful."
"You too."
Akaza's arrival had put them under immense pressure.
Upper Rank Three…
Yohan had considered the possibility that Kibutsuji Muzan might send someone after him.
But he hadn't expected them to send someone this powerful.
"Mitsuri, take everyone and leave. Wait for us outside the estate."
"All Demon Slayer members, evacuate immediately. No one comes back in."
Facing an Upper Rank demon, even they weren't sure if they could guarantee their own safety.
Retreating was the wisest choice for the others.
Kanroji and the rest didn't argue—they knew full well that staying would only be a burden.
Just before leaving, Kanroji turned back and shouted toward the courtyard.
"Yohan! I'll be waiting outside! No matter what—I'll be waiting for you!"
So… please, come back safely.
Though she didn't say it out loud, she believed her thoughts would reach him.
As Yohan and Rengoku kept their gazes locked onto Akaza—
The demon, in turn, looked at them with pure excitement.
"Relax," Akaza said seriously.
"I never kill or eat women."
"Only the strong deserve to fight me."
"You need only focus on battling me."
The fact that some weaklings were leaving was of no concern to him.
To Akaza, only warriors who wielded Battle Aura were worthy of his attention.
But Yohan and Rengoku remained on high alert.
A demon's words meant nothing.
A man-eating demon could never be trusted.
[Ding!]
[New Mission: Battle Against Akaza.]
[Reward: A random gourmet dish.]
Yohan barely spared the mission a thought.
Right now, all that mattered—
Was taking down Akaza.
The moon cast a dim glow over the courtyard.
Only the three of them remained.
The air was thick with tension.
Two powerful forces clashed in an invisible battle of will.
The oppressive pressure filled the entire estate.
Then—
"Now—let us begin!"
Akaza could hardly contain his excitement.
Fight!
Yohan and Rengoku wasted no time.
Destructive Death: Annihilation Type!
Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!
Iron Body: Shatter!
There was no hesitation.
At their level, probing attacks were meaningless.
From the very first strike—
They fought to end it.
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