"But if this ability is similar to Kamui, it must have the same flaw!"
Since it is a spatial Blood Demon Art, its weakness must be related to time; this intangibility surely cannot be maintained indefinitely.
"And as long as I am fast enough, I can kill him before he even has a chance to activate his Blood Demon Art!"
With that thought, Ren immediately raised his Nichirin Heavy Sword. His legs coiling with power, he lunged forward like a bolt of lightning, swinging his blade with everything he had at Evernight's neck, determined to take his head.
"Thunder Combat Technique: Thunder God Slaying Slash!"
Ren let out a furious roar. Amidst the swing of his blade, the air itself seemed to erupt with the rolling boom of thunder!
"He's so fast, I can't track his movements at all..."
Ren's speed was truly like a flash of lightning. Even as a clone, Evernight found himself unable to keep up with his movements for a moment.
By the time Evernight reacted, the Nichirin Heavy Sword was already bearing down on his neck, the sharp sword qi stinging his face.
"Blood Demon Art: Dark Space!"
Whoosh...
Ren's eyes burned with intensity as he stared at the heavy sword in his hands, hoping this strike would claim Evernight's head!
However, he was still a step too slow. The Nichirin Heavy Sword passed harmlessly through Evernight's body, meeting no resistance.
Seeing this, Evernight sneered. "Heh, it seems your attacks are useless against me?"
"Is that so? Dark Combat Technique: Nightfall Star River!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Ren unleashed his Dark Combat Technique. His heavy sword became a blur as he rained down a barrage of devastating slashes. Each strike was powerful enough to cleave through steel, whistling through the air as they pelted Evernight in rapid succession.
Although Evernight used his spatial Blood Demon Art to avoid the strikes and remain unharmed, the speed of the swings and the sheer destructiveness of the sword qi left him profoundly shaken!
'Is this my original? Is this his true power? Is this guy even human? How can he have such terrifying strength? His attacks are so fast I can barely react...'
While Evernight was lost in his shock, time slowly ticked away.
During this interval, it wasn't that he hadn't considered a counterattack, but he was absolutely certain that if he dared to deactivate his intangibility, he would be hacked into mincemeat in less than a second!
Thus, he could only rely on his spatial ability to keep dodging. However, just as Ren had suspected, his intangibility had a time limit.
As the seconds bled away, he found himself unable to maintain the state any longer.
"Not good, my Blood Demon Art is about to hit its limit. I have to find a way to get out of here!"
His expression tightening with tension, Evernight pushed off the ground and leapt backward, desperately trying to put as much distance as possible between himself and Ren.
But Ren had no intention of letting him escape. He pursued with a lunging step, a cold smirk playing on his lips.
"Heh, your time is running out, so you're trying to run? Do you really think you can escape my grasp?"
"Wind Combat Technique: Whirlwind Dance!"
The moment Ren finished speaking, his Nichirin Heavy Sword swept out with the force of a localized hurricane.
And this time, when the blade collided with Evernight's body, a thunderous bang echoed through the clearing.
Ren's attack had successfully connected.
"What? This is impossible..."
Amidst the deafening boom and a gut-wrenching scream, Evernight was sent flying backward like a cannonball, eventually skidding across the ground and landing face-first in the dirt.
He was in a pitiful state. Both of his arms had been severed, and his body was riddled with deep gashes from the sharp sword qi. Crimson blood sprayed everywhere, staining the ground beneath him.
Yet, he proved himself a true clone of Ren. The moment he was injured, his wounds began to close at a visible rate, and his severed arms started to regrow.
"It took about thirty seconds from the first swing to the moment I hit him. That means this guy's intangibility lasts no longer than half a minute."
"Heh, what a joke. While it's very similar to Kamui, it's far inferior to Obito Uchiha's version. I'll finish him with the next move!"
"Water Combat Technique: Water Tornado!"
Ren charged at Evernight again, his killing intent surging toward the sky. At this moment, he looked like a god of death descended to earth. His bloodthirsty aura left Evernight completely stunned.
For the first time since his creation, the clone felt the cold dread of death.
"Not good!"
"Dark Combat Technique: Blocking the Sun!"
Evernight instantly manifested a bone blade and swung. A sharp, sweeping slash erupted from the ground, looking as if it might tear the earth asunder.
However, his target wasn't Ren. He knew he was no match for him, so he aimed the attack directly at Tanjiro, who was watching from the sidelines.
As expected, Ren's expression shifted drastically when he saw the slash heading for Tanjiro. He immediately redirected his momentum, rushing toward the boy.
With Tanjiro's current strength, if he were hit by that attack, he would be torn to pieces!
Boom!
Ren arrived just in time, using a precise sword technique to block the terrifying slash.
Although the attack wasn't a threat to Ren himself, he had been forced to stop his pursuit.
"Tanjiro, are you all right?"
"I'm okay. Thank you, Ren-aniki," Tanjiro replied, letting out a sigh of relief. He then pointed toward Evernight and shouted, "Look, he's trying to get away!"
"What?"
Ren spun around just in time to see Evernight's body distorting as he began to vanish into a pocket dimension at high speed.
"Hehehe... you truly are my original. To defeat me so easily..."
"But don't get too comfortable! This is only the beginning. From now on, I will hunt down every member of the Demon Slayer Corps!"
"I will make your comrades die one by one by the very techniques you use. You'll be right behind me, forced to watch it all and drown in despair! Hahaha..."
With a final maniacal laugh, Evernight's body vanished completely into the spatial rift.
"This is bad, Ren-aniki. That guy is going to use your identity to kill your friends and frame you for his crimes!"
Tanjiro was quick to grasp Evernight's plan and voiced his warning immediately.
"I know. And he's strong. In a one-on-one fight, I'm afraid the others won't be a match for him..."
Looking at the night sky, Ren clenched his fists. He let out a sharp whistle, and a jet-black Kasugai Crow descended from above, landing on his shoulder.
"Tianyue, I need you to report what just happened to the Master. Ask him to send crows to notify all the Hashira—no, not just the Hashira, but every member of the Corps. They must be wary of an impostor."
"Tell them that if they see anyone who looks like me, they are to move away immediately without trying to confirm my identity!"
"They aren't a match for him. If they run into me, that's fine, but if they encounter that fake, they'll be slaughtered!"
Seeing the grim expression on Ren's face, Tianyue realized the gravity of the situation. The Demon Slayer Corps was now facing a threat that could lead to its total annihilation.
"Understood, Lord Ren. I will deliver the message to the Master at top speed!"