At sunset.
Chu Yang and Kanae Kocho walked side by side as they arrived at a remote town.
The town was called Angie Town, located northeast of the Butterfly Mansion.
Over the past period, five women had gone missing in succession here, ranging in age from fifteen to twenty-five.
According to intelligence from Demon Slayer Corps headquarters, the culprit was very likely a powerful demon proficient in Blood Demon Art. Ordinary swordsmen lacked the ability to handle it, which was why the mission had fallen to Kanae.
In truth, headquarters was well aware of how exhausting it was for Kanae to juggle both the Butterfly Mansion and missions, but there truly hadn't been suitable manpower this time. Moreover, the incidents had occurred precisely within Kanae's jurisdiction.
This also highlighted a certain lag in the Corps' information flow—otherwise, Chu Yang, who had just completed a mission, would have been considered.
Upon entering Angie Town, the two immediately felt its oppressive atmosphere. Though it should have been a time of curling cooking smoke, the entire town was eerily silent.
Rumors of a demon attacking young women at night had already spread everywhere.
"Find an inn to rest, or patrol the area like this?" Chu Yang glanced around as the sky steadily darkened. There wasn't even a place to eat nearby.
"Let's skip resting. If we rest tonight, another girl might end up in danger," Kanae shook her head, then asked curiously, "You hid your weapon outside—what if something unexpected happens?"
Chu Yang shrugged helplessly. "No choice. A blade that big would definitely cause panic if I brought it into town."
Kanae shot him an annoyed look. "Who told you to choose such an exaggerated Nichirin Blade in the first place? Now you know how inconvenient it is to carry."
"It is inconvenient—but cutting demons with it feels amazing!" Chu Yang grinned, miming a swing. "Sometimes I don't even need to aim for the neck—one slash and they're minced!"
Just imagining the scene he described made Kanae feel a little nauseous. She was a technique-oriented swordswoman who emphasized pinpointing weaknesses for a single decisive strike; she simply couldn't understand Chu Yang's violent aesthetics.
Yet looking at the absolute confidence on his face, Kanae couldn't help feeling that this young man might bring unprecedented change to the Demon Slayer Corps.
They walked along the empty street—one speaking animatedly with spirited enthusiasm, the other listening quietly with a smile in her eyes.
"You two are really in the mood," a voice said softly. "Strolling and chatting so casually in a place this quiet—it's enough to make one envious."
"The person Akaza searched for everywhere ends up running into me. I really should thank Nakime."
At the far end of the street stood a figure, a fan covering half his face as cold laughter slipped from his lips.
"Dressed so flashy—looks like a cultist," Chu Yang remarked. Even without any lighting, he clearly saw the man's face—especially the "Two" reflected in his pupils.
Upper Rank Two—Doma.
Kanae halted, her hand instinctively resting on the hilt of her Nichirin Blade. "Is it a demon?"
Chu Yang nodded. "The stench reeks through the whole street. If it's not a demon, what else could it be? He's probably the one behind those missing girls."
"That young man really has no manners," Doma said with feigned hurt. "Calling it a stench is so mean… I bathe in flower petals every day, you know."
"Disgusting," Kanae said flatly, her revulsion undisguised.
"Beautiful girls like you taste the best," Doma smiled, greedily appraising Kanae.
How could Kanae tolerate such provocation?
She drew her Nichirin Blade. In an instant, countless petals scattered, brimming with murderous intent.
"That aura…" Doma's playful smile faded as he fixed his gaze on the beautiful woman. "A Hashira, I presume? My luck really is good."
A flash of steel—petals surged toward Doma, concealing several razor-sharp slashes.
Doma chuckled softly.
He flicked his fan, and countless petals appeared around him as well.
The difference was that these petals were formed of frost—thin as cicada wings, yet incomparably sharp.
White petals and pink petals collided, like winter's stillness crashing against spring's rebirth.
Two opposing forces clashed!
At the intersection of the twin colors—
Kanae's blade struck precisely for Doma's neck!
"Splendid swordsmanship," Doma praised, raising his fan to block. His other frost-covered fan gleamed with icy light as it slashed toward Kanae's wrist.
Kanae retreated instantly after the missed strike, evading the counterattack.
But as she tried to create distance—
It was already too late.
A frost storm erupted between them. Kanae's vision blurred, and when she refocused, Doma was already behind her.
Her back collided straight into his chest.
Doma seized her wrist. The crushing force made her wince; her grip nearly failed.
"The scent on you really makes one drool…" Doma lowered his head, lips closing in on Kanae's face.
Kanae's face went pale.
The next second—
Half of Doma's head exploded!
Blood and gore splattered everywhere, like a watermelon bursting apart.
"Damn, you talk too much," Chu Yang said coldly, gripping the remaining half of Doma's head. "Besides bullying women, do you have any other skills?"
Doma's remaining half-mouth opened in a silent roar.
Impatient, Chu Yang kicked him away.
"Senior, are you okay?" Chu Yang looked down at the shaken Kanae. "That guy's Upper Rank Two—very different from ordinary demons. He's hard to kill."
Without a Nichirin Blade forged from Crimson Scarlet Ore as a weapon, suppressing a demon's regeneration bare-handed was extremely difficult—Chu Yang had just felt that firsthand.
That punch had been meant to blow Doma's head apart, but it had landed slightly off.
Yet even so, half the head had regenerated in a blink.
Kanae nodded. She had also noticed the abnormal numeral in Doma's eyes; her heart grew heavy. This was her first time facing an Upper Rank.
By contrast, Chu Yang had grievously wounded Doma without a weapon—something that left Kanae deeply shocked.
Doma, fully regenerated, stared warily at Chu Yang. With his keen senses, he hadn't detected that punch at all.
"This guy is strange…"
Doma didn't dare underestimate him. His gaze locked onto Chu Yang. Compared to him, the threat Kanae posed was almost negligible.
"So the rumors were true," Doma's eyes glinted red. "Your body really can rival a demon's." He suddenly wanted to know what Chu Yang's flesh would taste like.
"Rival?" Chu Yang sneered. "You monsters really think too highly of yourselves."
As the words fell, white mist blasted from Chu Yang's nostrils. Sun Breathing began to circulate; the mist cycled again and again, transforming into blazing flames.
Kanae, standing aside, was startled. She clearly remembered Chu Yang practiced Stone Breathing—so why did the activation resemble Flame Breathing?
As Sun Breathing stabilized, Chu Yang's body temperature soared. More and more white mist poured from him, flaring into brilliant fire—like an ancient god of flame.
No—like a sun god.
That abnormal, scorching heat made Doma feel as though he were facing the sun itself.
The threat of death became unmistakably clear.
Even from a distance, Doma could feel the crushing pressure radiating from Chu Yang, enough to suffocate.
He had felt this only once before—when Muzan Kibutsuji was enraged.
Chu Yang stepped forward and vanished from Doma's sight.
Sensing danger, Doma instantly unleashed his Blood Demon Art. Ice crystals rapidly condensed, forming two enormous ice maidens that flanked him.
In the next instant, Chu Yang appeared before Doma and threw a punch. Flames surged like a deluge, reflecting off his right fist in dazzling crimson light.
The ice maidens crossed before Doma, exhaling icy fog. The surrounding temperature plunged by dozens of degrees.
But the fog evaporated the moment it touched the flames, and the two ice maidens were smashed apart by the unstoppable punch.
Chu Yang's momentum didn't wane—it grew even more vicious as the blow crashed toward Doma's face.
Knowing that taking the punch head-on would likely shatter him to pieces, Doma could only evade.
For the first time ever, the proud and arrogant Doma chose to retreat in battle against a human.
As much as he hated to admit it, at that moment—
He felt humiliation.
Doma wanted to retreat—but the pressure of Chu Yang's punch crushed down on him, pinning his legs in place. It felt as though he were sinking into a mire, an indescribable oppression twisting his features.
His hair and clothes were thrown into disarray under the pressure, leaving him utterly disheveled.
"Damn it!" Doma gritted his teeth and raised both arms to block, choosing to take it head-on. He refused to believe that Chu Yang could truly beat him to death with nothing but his fists.
But the instant Chu Yang's fist actually made contact with Doma's forearms, Doma's arms abruptly caved in, bones emitting a teeth-grinding crunch.
Once again, Doma had overestimated himself and underestimated Chu Yang. Just as he was about to pay a horrifying price for it, a figure suddenly appeared between them.
The intruder struck Chu Yang's arm from the side, causing most of the force to veer off.
Chu Yang twisted his body in a sweeping arc, swinging his fist like a massive hammer and smashing it straight into the one who had come to Doma's rescue.
The intruder took the punch head-on and was instantly sent flying.
He slammed squarely into Doma, and the two were blasted away together, crashing through multiple buildings in their path.
As the dust settled, Chu Yang finally saw who it was.
Beside Doma stood Akaza. His arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly having taken a tremendous impact, yet his expression was utterly unconcerned—his eyes instead burning with eager excitement.
"At first, I didn't believe a human could possess such a powerful body," Akaza said, trembling with exhilaration. "But after personally experiencing your strength just now, I'm convinced. You should be like us—choose evolution, instead of wasting your talent."
"Sorry," Chu Yang replied calmly, killing intent blazing in his eyes as the flames around him burned ever fiercer. "My greatest hobby happens to be sunbathing."
"Upper Rank Two plus Upper Rank Three… not a bad lineup. If I kill both of you, I wonder whether Muzan will feel any heartache."
Akaza's body cracked and popped as his bones reset. He grinned provocatively."Don't worry. You won't get that chance."
Doma said in a low voice, "You hold him here. I'll go kill that woman, then regroup with you."
Akaza sneered. "Regroup? There's no need! I'll kill him myself."
Hearing that, Doma couldn't be bothered with this brute. His eyes never left Kanae Kocho.
On the other side, Kanae keenly sensed the killing intent. Judging from the situation, she had clearly become Chu Yang's burden, and resolve immediately took shape in her heart.
"No matter which of them comes for me, I'll do everything I can to hold them back," Kanae whispered near Chu Yang's ear. "Focus on fighting. Don't worry about me—whatever you do, don't lose focus."
"There's no need," Chu Yang shook his head. "I'll kill both of them. You just protect yourself."
Kanae stared at him in shock. The absolute confidence radiating from Chu Yang made her feel that he truly could fight two Upper Ranks alone.
At that moment, both Doma and Akaza moved—one charging toward Chu Yang, the other rushing Kanae.
Chu Yang's gaze turned icy as his figure vanished in an instant.
When he reappeared, he stood right between Akaza and Doma!
With one hand pressing down on Doma and the other on Akaza, Chu Yang slammed them both downward with brutal force.
Boom—!!
The ground split apart, tearing open a massive fissure that swallowed both demons whole.
Akaza, who had been talking so boldly just moments ago, was now completely suppressed by an overwhelming force. Unwilling to accept it, he clenched Chu Yang's forearms with both hands, veins bulging as he strained with all his might.
Yet the hand pressing on his head didn't budge in the slightest.
Only then did Akaza truly realize just how vast the gap in strength between them was…
"This is impossible!" Akaza stared at Chu Yang in madness—rage, fear, or sheer overexertion causing his body to tremble violently. "A human absolutely cannot possess this level of power!"
"Is that so?" Chu Yang replied indifferently, increasing the pressure and forcibly driving Akaza's head straight into the ground.
On the other side, Doma struggled as well, attempting to freeze Chu Yang's arm.
But Chu Yang's abnormally high temperature instantly melted the frost.
The searing heat scorched Doma's skin relentlessly, the pain unbearable. A shrill scream tore from his throat.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
In that instant, he was reminded of a horrific punishment from an eastern land—
The brazen bull.
Chu Yang's palm was like a red-hot iron plate, pressed mercilessly against Doma's face. If this continued, Doma felt certain his face would melt away entirely.
"Damn it!"
In all his years, Akaza had never suffered such humiliation.
Pinned to the ground, utterly powerless to fight back.
"If this is all the two of you can do," Chu Yang declared coldly, "then today, the Twelve Kizuki are going to be short two members!"
His domineering proclamation echoed in Kanae's ears, leaving only shock on her face.
"Are Upper Ranks really… this weak?"
The thought crossed her mind—but Doma's terrifying strength earlier instantly dispelled it. Without Chu Yang, she would have been injured long ago.
"It's not that they're weak… it's that he's too strong," Kanae thought, her expression complicated as she watched Chu Yang suppress two Upper Rank demons by himself. His power was so overwhelming that it made her waver.
Could he really not be human…?No—that's impossible. If he were a demon, how could he move under sunlight?
She shook her head fiercely. Normally, she would never let her thoughts wander like this in the middle of battle, but everything before her eyes was simply too unbelievable.
It was clearly night—yet Chu Yang shone like a small sun.
Radiant, blazing, dispelling the surrounding darkness and bringing an overwhelming sense of reassurance.
But to Akaza and Doma, that warmth was pure agony, piercing to the bone. Both of them couldn't help recalling the first time they had ever been exposed to sunlight—
That soul-scorching heat, etched deep into their memories.
Instinct screamed at them: if they continued to be suppressed by the flames radiating from Chu Yang, they would eventually be burned alive.
Their desperation to survive violently stimulated their potential. At the same time, Doma and Akaza erupted with terrifying power, faintly beginning to shake Chu Yang's suppression.
The will to survive—second only to blood itself—was the core force driving demon evolution. A powerful will could help reconstruct damaged bodies, break through limitations, and surpass boundaries.
"Destructive Death: Disorder!"
Akaza spread his fists wide, abandoning pure defense as he launched a ferocious counterattack against Chu Yang. He charged forward with a die-for-damage resolve—even if his head were crushed, he didn't care.
Doma, however, lacked that resolve. The horrifying pressure constantly bearing down on his face left him unwilling to gamble everything. He waited silently, hoping Akaza's outburst would force Chu Yang to reveal an opening.
If he let go and counterattacked like Akaza, his head would be crushed in the very next second.
Akaza's punches moved so fast they were invisible to the naked eye—blurry afterimages like meteors tearing through the night, striking precisely at Chu Yang's chest.
Under normal circumstances, no being—human or demon—could withstand such a barrage head-on.
Yet Chu Yang stood there like an ancient Buddha seated in the mortal world.
Unmoving.
As the storm of blows rained down, only the sound of metal clashing against stone rang out.
Clang, clang, clang—
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Chu Yang's mouth.
With Armament Haki covering only his upper body, the hardness was terrifying. At Akaza's level, breaking through it was utterly impossible—only Muzan himself might stand a chance.
Witnessing all of this, Doma fell into profound shock. Observing the scene from a third-person perspective was deeply horrifying for a demon.
He began to doubt whether he could truly survive an encounter with this man.
Akaza, too, was gripped by despair.
Why could this man endure all of his attacks with nothing but flesh and blood?
Was he truly invulnerable? Did such a being really exist in this world?
Impossible!
Even against Lord Muzan, Akaza was confident he could inflict injuries!
Demons were the greatest form of life—the pinnacle of evolution, the only chosen ones!
Humans were merely discarded insects!
Driven into frenzy, Akaza's eyes burned crimson. His expression grew increasingly feral as his fighting spirit flared like roaring flames, actually managing—if only slightly—to resist the sunlike radiance.
Doma's eyes lit up.
He saw hope of survival.
Finally, he made up his mind to stake everything together with Akaza.
The temperature of the air plummeted. Even the ground behind Doma rapidly froze over with a thick layer of ice.
"You two are really stubborn," Chu Yang said calmly, then shook his head. "Accept your fate quietly and you'd suffer a little less. On second thought… you need to be punished. Otherwise, those innocent lives would have died for nothing."
"Don't speak to me in that condescending tone!" Akaza roared. "Do you think you're Lord Muzan?!"
With a final surge, he forced himself upright under the crushing pressure, gradually matching Chu Yang's presence head-on.
Chu Yang couldn't help but show a look of appreciation. As a warrior, Akaza was nearly perfect—his fighting spirit and will were both top-tier. Among the Twelve Kizuki, only Akaza and the Upper Rank One, Kokushibo, truly deserved to be called strong.
Battered and broken, Doma seized the chance to escape Chu Yang's grasp. He retreated to a safer distance, heart pounding. His earlier thought of teaming up with Akaza faded once more. He wanted to flee—but hesitated, caught in painful indecision.
His injuries showed no signs of recovery. His once-handsome face now hung from his neck like a torn rag.
The sensation was exactly like being severely burned by the sun.
"There's something wrong with this guy's breathing technique…"
Realizing this, an unfamiliar scene suddenly flashed through Doma's mind.
In the vision, a man stood before him—wearing a red haori, red sun earrings hanging from his ears, hair black with red tips. The man stood within darkness, gazing at him with utter indifference.
The fear buried deep within his cells exploded.
Doma suddenly realized—this wasn't his memory.
It was Muzan Kibutsuji's memory!
What kind of man could drive Lord Muzan into absolute despair?
As that question surfaced, Doma instinctively looked at Chu Yang—his face frozen in disbelief.
Isn't it him?
At the same time, Akaza continued his blood-soaked struggle. His blood stained the entire street crimson, while Chu Yang remained spotless—as though he weren't even in a battle.
No matter how many times Chu Yang broke his arms or shattered his legs, Akaza recovered within a few breaths. But realizing that his attacks couldn't even damage the other man's clothing, even Akaza's iron will began to feel drained.
From the sidelines, Kanae noticed the exhaustion flashing across Akaza's face. A rush of catharsis surged through her as she laughed loudly.
"Despairing, aren't you? Finally, it's your turn to feel this despair!"
"But your despair can never compare to what ordinary people feel when they encounter demons—nor to the despair most Demon Slayer Corps members feel when fighting monsters like you!"
"Feel it properly! Carry this despair with you and fall into hell!!!"
Her piercing words ignited Akaza's rage—and rekindled his last shred of courage.
With grim resolve, he unleashed his final, all-out attack.
"Destructive Death: Final Form!"
Akaza's fighting spirit transformed into countless raining needles, falling like a torrential downpour straight toward Chu Yang!
Chu Yang walked forward calmly. With every step he took, the surrounding area was baptized by the storm of needles—stone paving shattered, turning the street into ruins in the blink of an eye.
When Chu Yang finally stood before Akaza, completely unscathed, Doma's psychological defenses collapsed entirely. There was only one thought left in his mind—
Run.
The demon who sat high atop the Upper Rank Two seat finally experienced what it meant to be an ant.
"Akaza, you rest here peacefully," Doma murmured as he prepared to flee. "I'll report your bravery to Lord Muzan Kibutsuji."
Perhaps feeling a trace of guilt, Doma muttered to himself as he left.
But just then, a gust of wind carried petals that drifted down and landed right in front of him.
Doma froze.
He looked up—and saw Kanae Kocho smiling warmly at him, her expression filled with unmistakable mockery.
"I won't let you leave this place," Kanae said firmly, her voice resolute, carrying the hatred she had accumulated toward demons over many years.
Doma was furious—absolutely livid. Since when did just any random person dare to block his path?
He wore a cruel smile as his expression darkened. "Who do you think you are? Just because he can kill us doesn't mean you can."
"It doesn't matter," Kanae replied coldly. "Once he finishes killing that demon, you'll be next. Worst case, I die by your hand—but as long as you don't escape, I don't care."
Doma took a deep breath. This woman had already prepared herself for the worst. That meant there was no way he was leaving easily.
...
Akaza stared blankly at Chu Yang.
Only a single step separated them, yet the man before him felt like a god seated among the clouds—someone one instinctively looked up to.
But Akaza had his own god.
And Chu Yang's existence had violently shaken that faith.
For a warrior, the collapse of belief was far more devastating than bodily injury—it was a wound that could never heal.
"Why… are you this strong?"
Akaza asked the question again, but this time he was questioning the belief he had upheld all his life.
So demons were not the culmination of human evolution after all.
Humans themselves could reach this level of strength…
"Probably because I sunbathe a lot," Chu Yang replied solemnly. "Sunlight helps the body absorb calcium and strengthens the physique."
Inside, Chu Yang was already laughing.
It had been a joke—but Akaza took it seriously and fell into deep doubt.
Am I not strong enough because I never basked in the sun?
So demons being unable to walk in sunlight really is a fatal flaw…
Akaza closed his eyes.
Chu Yang sighed, then punched straight through his neck. A trace of regret flashed in his eyes.
Akaza's human name had once been Hakuji—a good man, once.
As a youth, he stole repeatedly to pay for his father's medicine. Though he walked a crooked path, it had been born of filial devotion.
Believing himself a burden, his father ultimately hanged himself.
With the loss of his only family, Hakuji became extreme and violent. Had he not later met his martial arts master Keizo, he might have fallen completely astray.
That year, Hakuji was fifteen.
He settled at his master's dojo, which had only one student—him. Keizo's wife had recently passed away, leaving behind a sickly daughter, Koyuki. The two depended on each other.
Keizo bore no prejudice toward Hakuji's past crimes and even entrusted his ailing daughter to him, showing complete faith.
Hakuji spent a warm, peaceful period there. During that time, Koyuki fell in love with the boy who looked fierce but was gentle at heart.
Hakuji himself never realized her feelings.
At eighteen, Keizo decided to hand the dojo over to Hakuji and arrange his engagement to Koyuki. Hakuji took her to see fireworks, and the two confessed their feelings.
Overjoyed, Hakuji returned briefly to his hometown to tell his deceased father the good news—
And fate cruelly intervened.
A neighboring dojo had long envied Keizo's large grounds despite having few students. Harboring deep resentment and knowing they were no match for Keizo or Hakuji, they waited.
During Hakuji's absence, they poisoned the well.
Keizo and Koyuki both died.
Hakuji, on the brink of happiness, collapsed.
With his bare hands, he slaughtered sixty-seven members of the rival dojo, wiping out their entire lineage.
After that, he met Muzan—and became Akaza.
Over the long years, Akaza forgot all memory of Hakuji. Only his obsession with strength remained, because deep in his soul he believed—
If only I had been stronger, I could have protected them.
If I had become as strong as this man… my life might have been completely different.
As life faded away, Akaza's image of himself merged with Chu Yang's figure. His severed head hit the ground, a look of relief on his face.
Watching Akaza turn completely to ash, Chu Yang felt a touch of regret.
After becoming a demon, Akaza had never actively hunted ordinary people. Most civilian deaths tied to him were collateral damage from battles.
That did not make him innocent.
Only… his sins were lighter than most demons'. Nothing more.
If fate had been kinder to that young man, his life could have been entirely different.
There was no time to mourn Hakuji's tragic life.
Chu Yang rushed straight toward Doma, who was still fighting Kanae.
Desperate to escape, Doma attacked viciously. Kanae was already wounded in many places, her beautiful haori soaked in blood.
"Get away!!!" Doma screamed as Chu Yang charged at him with terrifying momentum, his face growing ever more distorted.
Even Akaza had been powerless—there was no way an Upper Rank Two like him could last many more exchanges.
Kanae wore a look of exhilaration. The more desperate Doma became, the happier she felt.
Ice erupted outward from Doma, and within the blizzard, a massive Bodhisattva ice statue rose before Chu Yang—hands clasped together, wearing an expression of false compassion.
Chu Yang's lips curled into a disdainful smile.
The Bodhisattva created by Doma was nothing like the one enshrined in the temple where Gyomei Himejima once prayed.
In Chu Yang's eyes, the ice-carved Bodhisattva possessed not the slightest hint of compassion. Its pretentiousness only made it all the more repulsive.
The Bodhisattva raised its hand blade high and brought it down without hesitation, carrying overwhelming force.
Burning with fury, Chu Yang stomped the ground and shot forward like a cannonball. He dodged the hand blade and smashed straight through the Bodhisattva's torso, blasting a massive hole through it.
He landed directly in front of Doma.
The two stood face to face—every flicker of expression laid bare.
Under Doma's horrified gaze, Chu Yang reached out and pressed his hand to the demon's head.
Then, like pulling up a radish—
He yanked it straight off the neck.
Pop—
Only after his head left his body and his vision met Chu Yang's cold, indifferent eyes did Doma belatedly realize one thing—
I'm going to die.
Aside from the progenitor demon Muzan Kibutsuji, every demon he created shared a fatal weakness: once decapitated, there was only one ending—death.
Only an exceptionally powerful will to live could break a demon's limits, allowing them to ignore decapitation and regenerate anew.
Achieving that was known as breaking the limit.
Over all these years, aside from Yoriichi Tsugikuni, no one had ever placed such overwhelming pressure on demons. Naturally, they had never even touched that supreme realm.
Akaza had been utterly conquered by Chu Yang's strength and chose to abandon the will to live—because he knew that no matter how many times he regenerated, he could never defeat this monster of a man.
Doma, on the other hand, had never possessed such unyielding resolve. Gifted with talent and having suffered no true hardship, he was evil by nature, delighting in tormenting the weak.
Doma and Akaza were two completely different lives—there was no comparison between them.
"So… even this guy feels fear," Kanae said softly. Blood loss left her unsteady on her feet, yet she still dragged her exhausted body over to Doma.
After a brief flicker of fear, Doma's expression returned to calm indifference. He looked at Kanae Kocho and said regretfully, "What a pity. I didn't get to walk into the Yellow Springs together with you. That would've been fun."
"That's fine," Kanae replied calmly, a glint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes. "The people you slaughtered will be waiting for you on the road. You'll meet them again soon."
"Accept your punishment properly down there."
Doma chuckled softly, then looked at Chu Yang. "I was really looking forward to the day you'd meet Muzan-sama. Would it be the end of the demon era… or the complete annihilation of the Demon Slayer Corps? What a shame I won't get to see it."
"That has nothing to do with you," Chu Yang said flatly. He tossed Doma's head aside and watched as it burned to ash in the flames of Sun Breathing.
Kanae let out a long breath. Exhaustion surged over her like a tide.
Her body finally gave out, swaying as she collapsed.
Chu Yang reacted instantly, catching her by the shoulders and letting her lean against him.
"Sorry… I didn't help much in that fight. I even ended up troubling you to take care of me," Kanae murmured weakly, eyes half-lidded. If Chu Yang hadn't had sharp hearing, he wouldn't have caught her words at all.
"When I was at the Butterfly Mansion, weren't you always taking care of me too?" Chu Yang said gently. "No need to be so polite."
As he spoke, he slowly channeled Wood Release chakra into her body, restoring her vitality.
The fierce battle had already drawn quite a few onlookers to their windows, but since it was deep night and pitch-dark outside, no one could see much.
Chu Yang's Kasugai Crow had already relayed the information back to headquarters. It wouldn't be long before the support teams arrived.
After a short while, Kanae's complexion improved noticeably. She could barely walk again, so the two left the town under cover of night. If they stayed any longer, the residents would no longer be able to restrain themselves.
Not long after leaving town, they encountered the arriving Kakushi on the road outside. Among them was Kanae's younger sister, Shinobu Kocho.
The moment Shinobu saw Kanae, covered in blood, she couldn't hold back anymore and rushed forward.
The two sisters embraced tightly. Shinobu broke down in sobs—Chu Yang was seeing her cry like this for the first time and couldn't help standing to the side, watching with great interest.
Unfortunately, he didn't get to enjoy it for long before disaster struck him.
"You idiot!" Shinobu snapped angrily. "Why did you follow my sister here in the first place?! It's because of you that Sister Kanae got hurt!"
"If she hadn't been protecting you, how could she have been injured by a demon?!"
Chu Yang clicked his tongue. He actually preferred the Shinobu from a few years later—sharp-tongued and fond of sarcasm, but far cuter than the little girl in front of him.
At least she wouldn't wrongfully accuse people.
Some of the Kakushi stayed behind to care for Kanae, while the rest went to clean up the town.
The violent battle had destroyed quite a bit of public infrastructure.
Yet everyone ignored Chu Yang entirely—because he was spotless from head to toe. Not a drop of blood on him, not even a tear in his clothes. In everyone else's eyes, Kanae had risked her life to protect Chu Yang perfectly.
Kanae tugged at Shinobu's sleeve, pulling the raging girl back to her side. She smiled wryly and said, "Stop embarrassing yourself. If not for Chu Yang, I'd already be dead. He killed two demons by himself—I didn't manage to help at all…"
Her voice wasn't loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears. All movement froze for a moment before people resumed their tasks as if nothing had happened.
Shinobu froze, instinctively thinking she'd misheard—until she met the seriousness in her sister's eyes.
"So… it wasn't him dragging you down and getting you hurt?" Shinobu asked in disbelief.
"To be precise," Kanae said frankly, "I was the one holding him back. We encountered Upper Rank Two and Upper Rank Three of the Twelve Kizuki. I wasn't a match for either of them."
She openly admitted her inferiority.
As a Hashira, saying such words required immense courage.
Silence.
An eerie, suffocating silence fell over the scene.
Chu Yang killing two demons alone and protecting the Flower Hashira was already shocking enough—but what truly stunned everyone was the identity of those demons.
Upper Rank Two.
Upper Rank Three.
These support personnel were already terrified just hearing about the Lower Moons from injured slayers. None of them had ever seen a Demon Slayer survive an encounter with an Upper Rank—because anyone who met one had already died, including past Hashira.
Seeing the shock on everyone's faces, Kanae suddenly realized something and asked Chu Yang in surprise, "What exactly did your Kasugai Crow report to headquarters?"
Chu Yang shrugged. "That you were injured, and they needed to send people quickly to treat you."
"You killed Upper Rank demons—why didn't you report that to the Master?!" Kanae scolded, feeling a bit dizzy. "You're supposed to report the important things!!!"
"I did report the important thing," Chu Yang replied matter-of-factly. "You were hurt. Isn't that important?"
Kanae's scolding cut off abruptly.
She stared at Chu Yang blankly. Then her fair cheeks slowly flushed, the redness spreading from the roots of her ears down her neck.
Shinobu, no longer able to worry about how Chu Yang had killed the Upper Ranks, shifted her gaze back and forth between the two of them with a gossip-hungry look.
Oh ho ho… something's definitely going on between these two.
(End of Chapter)