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"So noisy!"
Obanai drew his Nichirin Blade, aiming directly at Daki's head which had fallen to the ground, and thrust forward like a spirit snake flicking its tongue.
Clang!
The Nichirin Blade was steadily parried.
"No one is allowed to bully my sister, Gyutaro."
An emaciated-looking demon abruptly emerged from Daki's body, its upper half now visible, raising a pair of blood-red bone sickles to block the tip of Obanai's sword.
"Get lost!"
Daki's head screamed, and countless colorful sashes shot out from her body, flailing wildly, forcing back both Obanai, who was close at hand, and Tengen, who was charging forward with his blades raised.
Then, seizing the opportunity, she picked up her head and placed it back on her neck.
"It hurt so much!!" she wailed loudly to the other demon. "Brother! I was just cut!! It really, really hurt!!
Obanai and Tengen agilely retreated together to a position in front of Kaito, holding their blades warily.
"Their auras are connected? No wonder cutting that female demon's head off just now was useless." Obanai said thoughtfully.
"I get it too. It seems we have to cut both these demons' heads off at the same time."
The veins on Tengen's robust arms bulged prominently as he seemingly casually waved his twin swords.
"Hey, Iguro." He turned his head with a smile. "In that case, we just happen to have one each."
Obanai nodded: "Fine. Then I'll handle the male one, you take the female."
"Why?"
Tengen felt somewhat dissatisfied. He thought the correct approach would be for him, tall and mighty, to deal with the male, and the shorter Obanai to deal with the female.
Obanai gave him a strange look, seemingly not understanding why he would ask such a foolish question, and stated matter-of-factly: "You, who have three wives, should have plenty of experience dealing with women."
"Ha?!!"
Tengen felt offended, veins bulging on his forehead too.
He yelled at Obanai: "What kind of nonsense are you spouting!! My wives are all good women, how can they be mentioned in the same breath as these ugly evil demons?!"
"Damn Demon Slayers! Saying I'm ugly again!!!"
Daki's shriek interrupted their conversation.
Her head now fully reattached, she erupted in fury once more. The gorgeous sashes manipulated by her Blood Demon Art shot forth like sharp, flexible swords alternating their paths.
"Protect!"
Paper talismans unfolded, and a barrier constructed of spiritual power firmly protected the three of them. Daki's unleashed Blood Demon Art crashed against the barrier's surface, failing to penetrate.
"This…"
"This is the magic Kocho mentioned? Truly flashy!"
Obanai and Tengen looked curiously at the transparent barrier surrounding them.
"Damn it! Damn it!! I'm not ugly!! I am the most beautiful Oiran in Yoshiwara!!!"
Daki continued her frenzied attacks regardless.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang…
The wildly flailing sashes continuously struck the barrier, emitting a series of collision sounds.
"Hey, calm down a little!"
Gyutaro, who had now fully emerged from Daki's body, reached out to stop her.
Daki shrieked: "Ahhhhh! They not only cut me but also said I'm ugly! Kill them quickly, Brother!!"
"That man…"
Gyutaro's gaze swept past Tengen and Obanai, fixing tightly on Kaito behind them.
"That man? What about him?"
After venting for a while but failing to break the barrier, Daki could only retract all her sashes.
"That man…" Gyutaro's ugly face, covered in dark spots, twisted even more. "Have you forgotten the message Lord Muzan sent? That man… is probably the strange fellow who assisted the Demon Slayer Corps in killing Lord Dōma."
"What?!"
Daki was immediately frightened and hid directly behind him.
"Let's go! Let's get out of here, Brother! That's an opponent even Lord Dōma couldn't defeat!"
"No!" Gyutaro tightened his grip on the two sickles in his hands. "Lord Muzan said he merely used strange magic to catch Lord Dōma off guard."
He raised his hands, crossing them.
"Having received the intelligence, we won't be fooled so easily." He said coldly. "Moreover, Lord Muzan has ordered us to probe that man's capabilities."
"Lord Muzan? Why would he give such an order…"
Daki complained but then suddenly froze, cold sweat streaming down her face, shouting out an apology.
"Sorry, Lord Muzan! We will definitely do our best!!"
"So it seems, Kibutsuji Muzan can indeed communicate with the senses of all demons at any time. That is to say, the methods used in the fight against Dōma are already known to him." Kaito said.
Tengen said irritably: "Correct. Kibutsuji Muzan always gets intel on us, while we remain completely in the dark about him!"
"Star!"
"Life!"
Kaito quickly formed hand seals, casting spells to enhance the two swordsmen.
"Go fight, you two." He suddenly dispelled the barrier while leaping backward. "I wasn't paying much attention that night. Now I'd like to take the opportunity to observe the demons a bit more."
"Ooh!!" Tengen waved his arms. "This feeling…"
He suddenly charged forward with his blade at lightning speed.
"...Is absolutely fantastic!!"
"Serpent Breathing, Third Form: Coil Choke!"
However, Obanai's figure, accompanied by a twisting, snake-like white blade light, instantly shot past him, winding its way toward Gyutaro.
"So sneaky, Iguro!!"
Tengen roared angrily, his body leaping high into the air, raising both swords to slash down at Daki.
"Sound Breathing, First Form: Roar!"
Facing their rapid assault, the two sickles in Gyutaro's hands suddenly flew out, spinning rapidly around the demon siblings. Layer upon layer of tight crimson slashes formed a shield, protecting both demons within.
"Blood Demon Art: Frivolous Parade!!"
"Tch!"
Obanai's serpentine blade ligh winding around the edge of the shield formed by the crimson slashes, producing a series of collision sounds before smoothly disengaging.
Boom!
Tengen's downward-slashing twin swords collided with the crimson slashes; using the recoil, he flipped backward.
Both landed in separate directions, sliding backward a distance upon touching the ground.
Simultaneously, the crimson slashes vanished. Gyutaro spread his arms and caught the returning sickles.
"They're so strong! They got stronger!! I almost got cut again ahhhhh!!"
Daki, hiding behind him, began shouting again.
"It's that man's magic."
Gyutaro glanced warily at Kaito in the distance.
"Be careful, he still has tricks he hasn't used yet!"
"I know, he still has that thing that bursts out sunlight!" Daki began complaining again discontentedly. "So why are we fighting such a difficult battle?!"
"It's Lord Muzan's order!" The male demon glared at her seriously. "Pull yourself together. You know the consequences of defying that Lord."
Daki shuddered involuntarily and said quietly, "Yes, I understand."
"You don't have time to discuss our dear Mr. Onmyōji right now!"
Tengen suddenly threw a handful of small black spheres while charging forward again, his twin swords striking consecutively.
"Sound Breathing, Fourth Form: Constant Resounding Slashes!"
A continuous stream of slashes, accompanied by violent explosions, instantly engulfed both demons.