Their speed outstripped normal humans. Some even had freakish, twisted forms, their glowing eyes alone enough to send chills down your spine.
"Quite a turnout!" Azuma Shoyo muttered, eyeing the horde of demons charging from the forest.
Over a hundred strong! Under cover of night, they surged toward the villa district ahead.
If they just wanted Conan, this many demons would be overkill. He's one kid—a shrimp, at that. Why send a hundred?
Clearly, something bigger was at play. Behind this pack, a mastermind had plans. Tonight's target wasn't just Conan—it was every human in the villa district!
"Trying to start a war?" Azuma Shoyo wondered.
As the demons closed in, twin beams of searing scarlet heat vision erupted from his eyes. With a rumbling roar, they scorched the ground black, sweeping over the oncoming horde.
Short, sharp screams rang out below. The blistering heat vision hit, and demon after demon burned to ash in an instant—not a single cell left to regenerate.
Even Muzan Kibutsuji himself, facing this, would get one-shotted! A hundred demons stormed the villa district, only to be reduced to cinders before reaching the gate.
When the last one crumbled to dust, Azuma Shoyo cut the beams, his gaze shifting to the distance. Stronger presences—far beyond those fodder demons—were closing in.
"Still not scared off, huh?" He grinned.
Seconds later, a figure burst into view. Pinkish-red short hair, golden eyes, pale skin etched with deep blue tattoos—a man rocketed out of the forest. He snapped his head up, locking onto Azuma Shoyo midair, his golden eyes blazing with icy intent.
"You the one who took out those rejects?" Akaza's voice was frigid.
"Your name," Azuma Shoyo demanded, peering down.
"Upper Moon Three, Akaza!" The man below barked a laugh, baring jagged teeth in a wide grin. "Human strongman, you've got power. Hope you can last a bit in my hands—otherwise, it's no fun!"
Azuma Shoyo stared, silent, then raised a finger and crooked it at him.
"Tch! Cocky bastard!" Akaza's grin widened.
No waiting for the other Upper Moons—he launched off the ground, a blur streaking toward Azuma Shoyo. "Technique Development: Disorder!"
Blue energy flared. Akaza's high-speed strike rocketed at him.
A dull thud sounded. Azuma Shoyo blocked it with one hand.
"That's it?" he asked, tone flat.
Akaza's eyes narrowed. He sprang back, unleashing another blood demon art midair. "Technique Development: Air Type!" His fists blurred into six rapid strikes.
But a heartbeat later, his expression shifted. Landing, he stared up at his unscathed foe, a flicker of gravity in his eyes.
This human… he's strong!
Akaza's demon blood boiled—he hadn't felt this fired up in ages. "Technique Development: Foot Type - Flash Swarm!"
He leaped, single leg whipping out countless shimmering kicks at Azuma Shoyo.
One hand parried every blow. Azuma Shoyo didn't budge an inch.
"Technique Development: Foot Type - Crown Splitter!" Akaza's fastest kick lashed upward, only for Azuma Shoyo to catch it effortlessly and hurl him away.
A thunderous crash followed. Akaza slammed into the ground, dust billowing. In a crater over ten meters wide, half his body smashed, he clawed up. Flesh visibly knitted back together.
By the time he hopped out, no wounds remained. "If you can take this next one, I'll bow to you!" he roared, glaring up.
He sensed the gap between them, but his regeneration gave him unshakable confidence. Plus, this guy lacked a Nichirin Blade—no Demon Slayer trick to counter him!
"If your 'next one' is still this weak, just die already," Azuma Shoyo said, arms crossed, voice cold.
Akaza's eye twitched. This guy out-posed him—and that ant-staring-down vibe? Infuriating!
"I'll gouge out those eyes and eat 'em later!" Akaza snarled.
Azuma Shoyo smirked. "Hope you can."
The implication? Pure disdain.
Akaza raged. "Technique Development: Demon Core Octuple!"
Roaring, he unleashed a stronger blood demon art, his body blurring into blue light, striking from all angles at Azuma Shoyo in the center.
This time, Azuma Shoyo didn't lift a hand. A flick of his finger froze Akaza midair.
Still as stone!
"I recall you've got a stronger move. Why not use it?" Azuma Shoyo asked.
Akaza's golden eyes bulged, fury and shock mixing. He did have Blue Silver Afterglow—his plan was to chain it after Demon Core if it failed, catch him off guard.
Too bad. No chance now.
"Upper Moon Three, and this is it?" Azuma Shoyo shook his head, disappointed.
He'd let Akaza keep swinging to test an Upper Moon's limits. The result? Weak.
--- Translator Note ---
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