Boom! Boom! Boom!!!!
"What?!"
The deafening sound caused Tanjirou and the other person to widen their eyes and look over.
Behind the azure fist light, a deep crimson blood moon could be seen approaching with an exaggerated momentum.
Akaza's eyes were wide open, as if he had seen something unbelievable. His ferocious expression turned numb, instantly freezing into a daze.
A blood moon several meters in diameter, like a grinding stone, pressed a ravine into the surface of the earth and rolled toward Akaza.
Wherever it passed, the azure fist light dissolved one after another.
With the rapidly approaching blood moon reflected in his eyes, Akaza had completely lost the desire to fight.
Without a doubt... this was a gap in power.
Just like when he first challenged Kokushibou... no matter how much he wanted to refute it, he couldn't... The blood-red full moon was not hindered by the azure fist light at all, easily grinding over Akaza's body and rolling further away, even crushing the azure light approaching Tanjirou and the other person, until it rolled over the railway and flattened a large section of the forest on the other side.
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
Clouds of dust rose from the ground. An outsider might have thought it was a Ground Dragon turning over.
The fierce wind whipped up by the impact rustled Tanjirou's hair. He stared wide-eyed at the scene, the hairs on his back having stood completely erect without him noticing.
Within his line of sight, the dust slowly dispersed. All that remained of Akaza's body after being crushed by the blood-colored grinding stone was a small severed forearm, which was then scorched away by the rising sunlight.
Turning his head to look, his gaze reached the horizon.
A ravine several Zhang wide stretched out, reaching all the way to the distant forest.
It was impossible to describe this level of power with words.
If the gap between himself and Upper Rank Three was already too large to contend with, then seeing this move from Mizuki was simply incomprehensible.
Was this truly a move that a human could execute?
Although Rengoku Kyojuro's expression didn't change as drastically as Tanjirou's, the shock in his heart was absolutely no less than the other's.
The strength of the Upper Ranks is documented; over hundreds of years, countless Pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps have died at their hands.
They had personally witnessed the immense power of Upper Rank Three, the Fighting Demon.
But today, they had witnessed a whole other level of power.
Watching Akaza's mutilated arm dissolve under the sunlight, Mizuki wiped the blood from her blade and sheathed her sword.
Even Muzan couldn't casually create a powerful Upper Rank.
Being able to intercept and eliminate Muzan's strongest combatants at this point in time adds a margin of victory to the final decisive battle.
Although learning from Akaza that demons other than Muzan could also overcome the weakness of the neck made Mizuki feel a little heavy-hearted.
Kokushibou, who has overcome the neck weakness?
That won't be easy to fight.
It truly won't be easy to fight.
Mizuki let out a long breath and walked toward the two of them: "Are you two alright?"
"N-no, we're fine." Tanjirou snapped out of his shock and swallowed, "Miss Mizuki, what was that just now?"
Mizuki nodded slightly: "That was another application of my Blood Demon Art."
It was indeed a Blood Demon Art.
Because that kind of slash was simply not something a human could execute.
"That was truly incredible..." Tanjirou still hadn't completely recovered from his shock.
Mizuki pursed her lips, about to speak.
Off to the side.
"Waaahhhhh!!!"
"What in the world was that?!"
The boy wearing the Pig Head mask ran over from a distance, circling the ravine on the ground and looking around in shock.
"Eek!" Zenitsu Agatsuma was so terrified by the sight that his hair stood on end.
"No..." Tanjirou sweatdropped, about to explain.
Inosuke hammered his right fist into his left palm, as if suddenly realizing something: "Ah, I know now!"
"You guys must have seen the true Master of the Mountain, right?"
"That guy must have been huge, right?"
Inosuke looked at everyone with an expectant expression.
Tanjirou's mouth twitched slightly. At least he now clearly understood that the train was not the Master of the Mountain.
Tanjirou said seriously: "We just had an encounter with Upper Rank Three."
"What?! An Upper Rank?!" Zenitsu cupped his face with both hands and shrieked in terror, frantically looking around.
He had been thinking that the Twelve Demon Moons were so rare, and they had just run into one, so how could they possibly encounter another one so easily?
And the result?
Now even an Upper Rank has appeared!
Tanjirou felt a headache coming on: "Calm down, Zenitsu, it's daytime now."
"...Oh, right."
"And that guy was already slain by Miss Mizuki."
Zenitsu looked at Mizuki in shock: "What?! Is even Miss Mizuki going to be promoted to a Pillar?"
"Damn it! You guys are all secretly getting ahead!"
Mizuki: "...No, I don't have any interest in becoming a Pillar."
Besides, was this guy serious?
Just moments ago he looked utterly terrified.
"You actually look down on the Pillars?" Inosuke had somehow appeared beside her and was patting her shoulder earnestly: "You really are amazing, woman."
"?
Being praised by a child, she really couldn't bring herself to smile.
Rengoku Kyojuro asked: "Have all the people on the train been rescued?"
Inosuke flexed his biceps: "Yep, this great lord carried them all off the train!"
Tanjirou also realized and quickly asked: "Where is Nezuko?"
Zenitsu adopted a lecherous expression: "As for Nezuko-chan, don't worry, I put her somewhere safe."
Mizuki: Compared to sunlight, this guy seems more dangerous... Subsequent rescue efforts arrived quickly.
The Mugen Train incident involved over two hundred ordinary people, shocking both the Demon Slayer Corps and the authorities.
As everyone returned to the Demon Slayer Corps, a new round of meetings was convened.
The only Pillars present were Kochou Shinobu, who was currently stationed at the Butterfly Mansion, and Tanjirou and Rengoku Kyojuro, who had just returned from their mission.
Most of the other Pillars were currently on assignments.
Seeing Mizuki, Kochou Shinobu quickly walked two steps and sat down beside her, her joyful expression mixed with surprise: "Mizuki, did you return from your mission so quickly this time?"
Mizuki nodded lightly: "Mhm, luckily, I just happened to..."
Mid-sentence, she suddenly remembered what she had seen in her dream, causing her heart to skip a beat.
Kochou Shinobu tilted her head, looking at her with some confusion, "Happened to?"
Mizuki suppressed her emotional fluctuation: "Happened to run into a demon."
Kochou Shinobu smiled: "I see. It's good that everyone is safe."
"Mhm..."
Mizuki turned her back, let out a soft, long breath, and subconsciously clutched her chest.
It's beating so fast... it really is strange... "What's wrong?" Kochou Shinobu leaned forward, looking at her with concern, "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
Mizuki was startled and gave a slight shiver: "N-no, I'm fine."
Kochou Shinobu was surprised by her sudden tremor, feeling that Mizuki was acting a bit strange today.
Mizuki forced a calm smile: "I'm a demon, how could I ever feel unwell?"
"Mhm..."
Something was definitely strange.
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