The moment Tanjiro slipped into the cover of the trees, one of the grotesque arms on the Hand Demon's body suddenly shot out like a spear, stretching unnaturally through the air, aiming straight for his back.
Shin Arashi moved instantly.
Steel rang as he drew his blade and severed the arm with a single precise slash.
"Your opponent is me," Shin said flatly, his tone like cold iron.
"You bastard!" the Hand Demon roared, veins bulging with fury. "You dare talk down to me?! I'll rip that tongue out of your mouth and make you scream before I kill you!"
Then the ground trembled.
"Go to hell!"
Countless arms erupted from the demon's body, lashing out toward Shin from all directions.
Shin launched himself high into the air, just as the first wave of arms slammed into the earth with explosive force. Dust and debris burst skyward as deep craters formed beneath the attack.
But the Hand Demon wasn't done.
Several of the arms adjusted their trajectory mid-air, snaking toward Shin as he rose.
"Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Takitsubo!"
A ripple of power surged.
Shin raised his blade and brought it down with a crushing arc. A towering blue water dragon formed from the slash, rising around him like a guardian spirit. It roared downward, fangs of water aimed at the swarming demon arms.
CRACK! The water dragon surged through the sky and collided with the incoming limbs, tearing them apart mid-flight. Flesh and bone scattered in its wake.
But Shin wasn't finished.
Using the force of his descent, he immediately twisted mid-air—
"Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel!"
His body spun like a cyclone, the blade carving a perfect circle around him. Water trailed in a gleaming arc as his sword slashed again and again, shredding more arms as he landed hard on the ground.
Dust swirled.
Dozens of the demon's limbs lay severed, twitching.
Shin steadied his breathing, eyes locked on his opponent.
He waited—watched—
Then it happened.
The Hand Demon's wounds began to squirm, flesh rippling and ballooning grotesquely as new arms burst forth from the torn stumps.
They were regrowing.
Shin narrowed his eyes.
So… the healing hasn't stopped completely. But something's off.
He watched carefully. Yes—the arms did grow back, but not instantly. It took about three seconds. And more importantly, the process strained the demon—its grotesque face contorting in discomfort with each regeneration.
It's not that my Demon-Slaying Sword has lost its edge, Shin realized. It's that this demon's regeneration has grown unnaturally strong—so strong that even the sword's anti-demon properties are being overwhelmed.
Of course. After devouring more than a dozen demons, the Hand Demon's physical capabilities—its strength, regeneration, and durability—had skyrocketed. Even a Nichirin blade struggled to fully suppress its regenerative core.
But three seconds…
Shin's fingers curled tighter around his sword hilt.
Tanjiro… can you take advantage of three seconds?
The Hand Demon sneered again, a guttural, mocking laugh bubbling from its deformed throat.
"I don't know what magic you used earlier that kept my wounds from healing… but it doesn't work anymore! You're nothing now!"
Shin didn't respond.
Instead, his eyes flashed with calm determination.
And somewhere in the shadows, Tanjiro's grip on his own sword tightened.