Kawanishi deliberately absorbed a portion of the black-red ash to recover some of the stamina he had just expended.
But with his demonic body once again saturated, he could no longer take in the rest—so he let it scatter to the wind.
The Heavenward Blade fell again—this time onto his own blackened right arm. Crack. With a sharp sound, Kawanishi's right arm dropped to the ground, blood sizzling as it hit the earth, giving off wisps of black smoke.
After transforming the Heavenward Blade back into its regular Scorching Feather form, Kawanishi felt a dull ache in his wings.
Forming the Heavenward Blade by tightly layering his feathers didn't consume energy, but it did leave him feeling physically exhausted.
He glanced at the serpent demon, whose body was now reduced to scattering ashes, and sighed.
"You look like a snake and thought I wouldn't notice you were poisonous?"
"In your next life, don't come back as an evil demon…"
These grotesque demons usually had powers that matched their appearance.
Focusing his will on the severed arm, Kawanishi gave a soft grunt—and with a fleshy squelch, a new arm sprouted from the stump.
With the serpent demon dealt with, he picked up the Black Cleaver from the ground and walked slowly toward Yushisoke, offering a gentle smile.
However, Yushisoke didn't look relieved to be rescued. His eyes were full of terror—as though he were staring at the most horrifying monster imaginable. His suppressed emotions finally erupted: "S-Stay away from me!!!"
Kawanishi froze, falling silent.
Earlier, he had hidden in the shadows to avoid being seen by the townspeople—because he knew this would happen.
In battle, he had no control over his appearance. He didn't need a mirror to imagine what he looked like now: bulging blue veins across his face, blood-red eyes, mouth twisted by feral fangs...
He looked like a demon. Clearly, unmistakably.
Yushisoke's fear and hatred were etched deep, even though Kawanishi had obviously just saved his life.
From the reflection in Yushisoke's eyes, Kawanishi saw himself—and for a moment, he felt hollow.
"Head east… it's safe there," he said softly, trying to calm his voice as he spoke to the boy.
But Yushisoke only clutched his ears, squeezed his eyes shut, and crouched on the ground, trembling in fear.
The boy's mind had collapsed.
Kawanishi had no choice. He used a quick hand chop to knock Yushisoke unconscious and carried him to a relatively safe and hidden corner to rest.
He couldn't take the boy with him—and in this state, Yushisoke couldn't move or be reasoned with. This was the best he could do.
Two demons still remained…
Kawanishi could sense them not far ahead, hunting humans together with impunity.
Spreading his rust-colored wings, Kawanishi gripped the Black Cleaver tightly and dashed forward at full speed.
Even if it meant facing two demons at once, he would not retreat.
Corpses of men littered the roadside, each one a silent cry of tragedy. Kawanishi felt his grief surge—but it quickly ignited into righteous fury.
The fire within him roared higher, ready to explode from his chest.
...
Duko was an aberrant demon. His entire body shimmered with a cold metallic luster, as if forged from steel. Towering nearly three meters tall, he looked like a living iron giant.
Stretching out his hand, Duko casually crushed an adult's skull, then stuffed it into his mouth and began chewing loudly—like biting into an apple.
Behind him were countless headless corpses, the aftermath of his rampage.
Beside him stood another demon who still mostly resembled a human—Royuna.
Royuna looked like a tall, skinny middle-aged man, but his face was ghostly pale, as if slathered in thick makeup.
He grinned at Duko and said, "Duko, you've really made a mess of this place…"
Duko spat, ejecting a splinter of bone from his mouth.
"He's worse than Akaza, that guy. Just because he's stronger, he won't let us eat women."
"Damn it… I love the tender flesh of young women the most…"
Royuna fanned the flames from the side. "What are you afraid of? Duko, your body's special. If you eat enough humans, I'm sure you'll become even stronger."
"This town massacre is your perfect chance. Just look at all these corpses. See how many you can stuff down—each bite will make you stronger."
"Once you're strong enough, you can challenge Akaza for a Blood Duel. The position of Upper Rank Three could be yours any day now."
If Duko, this hulking demon, actually went to challenge Akaza, he'd be pulverized into dust.
But Royuna, wicked to the core, kept goading him, hoping to witness that brutal beating with glee.
Duko shot Royuna a side glance, then—without warning—thrust out his giant hand and crushed Royuna's head with a loud crack. But he didn't follow up with another attack, allowing Royuna's regeneration to begin.
"You twig-bodied little rat… trying to stir me up?"
"You think I'm stupid?"
"Fighting Akaza would be faster suicide than walking into the sun."
"Try scheming against me again, and I'll tear you to shreds."
Akaza's strength was etched deeply into Duko's memory.
He believed that even if he ate a thousand people, he still couldn't match Akaza.
And realistically, he couldn't even eat a hundred in one sitting—that would burst him.
Royuna chuckled with his half-regenerated head. "After all these years, you're still so violent, Duko."
Their hunting grounds were near each other—neighbors, so to speak.
But friendship among demons was rare. Their usual form of greeting was battle—and neither could ever defeat the other.
This mission had only brought them together under Muzan's command.
Just as Royuna was still regrowing his head, a massive axe came spinning from afar, slashing straight toward him.
Kawanishi had just arrived and witnessed Duko crushing Royuna's head—seeing Royuna in the middle of regenerating was the perfect chance.
Though he hadn't gotten close yet, he was already spinning the Black Cleaver with force, twisting his body to add even more momentum, then hurling it straight at Royuna.
The Black Cleaver spun low across the ground, slicing through the air with a harsh whine. It was incredibly fast—and Royuna's body didn't react quickly.
By the time Royuna realized what was happening, the Black Cleaver had already cleaved into his waist.
The immense force nailed Royuna into the burning wall of a nearby building. Trapped against it, the flames engulfed him, and he let out a scream of agony.
Kawanishi hadn't aimed for a decapitation—not because he didn't want to, but because throwing such a massive axe over distance was nearly impossible to control. A clean hit to the neck was simply too risky.
Especially since a demon's neck was their greatest weakness—they instinctively guarded it.
So instead, he opted to heavily wound Royuna, pinning him down and keeping him out of the fight—for now.
"This time… luck's on my side."
Pinned to the flaming wall, Royuna writhed in pain. Though his body tried to regenerate, the fire scorched him continuously, and the Black Cleaver kept him trapped.
This gave Kawanishi some relief—Royuna wouldn't be a threat for now.
Duko ignored his burning companion. His eyes gleamed with menace as he looked at the figure walking toward him.
"Who are you?" he asked in a deep growl.
Kawanishi grinned, revealing a mouthful of sharp, ivory-white fangs.
"I'm your worst nightmare…"
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(End of Chapter)