Seeing the long strands of hair hurtling toward him like spiraling spears, Tanjiro recalled the brutal training he had undergone deep in the mountains.
His body swayed sharply from side to side, narrowly dodging the lethal attacks.
At the same time, he forcefully adjusted his breathing. A clear, flowing current seemed to surge along his Nichirin Blade, perfectly forming the foundation of the First Form of Water Breathing.
After evading the long-haired demon's piercing assault, Tanjiro leapt upward, landing atop one of the extended strands of hair. Using it as a foothold, he sprinted forward at full speed.
In the darkness ahead, an opening had appeared.
Tanjiro was confident—if he closed the distance now, he could finish this demon in a single strike with Water Surface Slash.
Unfortunately, while the plan itself was sound, Tanjiro had made a fatal misjudgment.
The demon before him was not an ordinary one.
A demon capable of using Blood Demon Art existed on an entirely different level.
Tanjiro had already reached striking distance, even pinpointing what felt like the demon's weak point. But just as he was about to swing—
The long-haired demon abruptly wrapped its entire body in its hair, instantly severing the opening Tanjiro had sensed.
The water-like blade arc slashed down, severing a large portion of hair—but it failed to reach anything vital.
The attack was blocked.
Tanjiro was left suspended midair.
Before he could react, the long-haired demon launched a ruthless counterattack.
Its hair condensed into a razor-sharp spear, thrusting straight toward Tanjiro's chest.
A suffocating sense of death exploded within him.
Driven purely by instinct, Tanjiro forced his body to move, raising his Nichirin Blade at the very last moment.
Sparks erupted violently.
Although the blade prevented him from being skewered, the sheer force of the impact sent him flying backward.
He smashed into a massive tree, snapping it in half before being hurled through the air, blood spraying from his mouth.
"Not only did you trample my precious hair," the demon snarled, staring at the severed strands, its face contorted with madness,"you even dared to cut it so brutally! I'll drain you dry and make you one of my decorations—hanging forever from my hair!"
Tanjiro staggered as he forced himself upright.
He hadn't expected to encounter such a powerful demon on Mount Fujikasane—especially after cutting through the others so easily.
But now, there was no room for doubt.
He had to believe he could win.
Roaring with fury, the long-haired demon unleashed its Blood Demon Art at full power. Countless strands of hair shot through the air like javelins, blanketing the battlefield.
Tanjiro leaned heavily on his Nichirin Blade for support, watching the storm of hair rain down upon him.
For a split second, he considered using Water Breathing: Third Form — Flowing Dance to evade the attack.
But he immediately discarded the idea.
Flowing Dance was fast—but not fast enough.
The area covered by the attack was simply too wide.
As the hair javelins descended, Tanjiro's vision began to blur.
Time itself seemed to slow.
And then—
A phantom figure appeared before his eyes.
It moved through the storm effortlessly, weaving between the hair javelins with strange, fluid steps—like a gust of wind slipping through a forest.
The figure was unbelievably fast.
Yet to Tanjiro, its movements seemed slowed, replaying again and again before him.
He had seen that figure before.
His body reacted before his mind could.
Desperately, Tanjiro began to imitate the phantom's footwork, chasing the path left behind by the moving air, forcing his legs to follow those impossible steps.
His form blurred into a cascade of afterimages.
His speed surged explosively.
Though he could never catch up to the figure ahead of him, the velocity he achieved far surpassed Flowing Dance.
Outside the storm, the long-haired demon watched in disbelief as Tanjiro slipped through its attacks like a living wind.
Its rage intensified.
Because in Tanjiro's movements, the demon saw another person.
A shadow from its past.
It was because of that person that it—who should have been living in indulgence outside—had been captured and thrown into this forsaken hell.
Though Tanjiro's hair color and appearance were different, the demon now mistook him for that same individual.
And so, all of its resentment was poured onto the boy before it.
By sheer coincidence, Tanjiro had grasped a fragment of Ren Kuroda's essence—swift as the wind.
His speed increased dramatically.
The hair javelins, once overwhelming, could no longer touch him.
Tanjiro could sense it clearly—this speed was nothing compared to what Ren Kuroda himself possessed.
But it was enough.
Enough to seize victory.
Swift like flowing wind.Sharp like cutting water.
With his absolute speed advantage, Tanjiro dodged one attack after another, instantly closing the distance again.
The long-haired demon attempted to repeat its previous defense, wrapping itself in its hair.
But Tanjiro had already discovered the flaw.
The demon's hair was incredibly versatile—both shield and spear—but after every attack, it required time to retract.
In the past, even with Flowing Dance, Tanjiro could never have exploited that delay.
But now—
With even a fragment of wind's swiftness, timing was everything.
"Water Breathing Technique—Seventh Form: Shizuku Ripple Thrust!"
Driven by his explosive speed, Tanjiro thrust his Nichirin Blade forward.
The blade tip rippled like disturbed water, piercing straight through the demon's heart in an instant.
"So… you're that man's disciple…"
As the long-haired demon collapsed, Tanjiro's silhouette seemed to blur.In its fading vision, his back transformed into that of a boy dressed entirely in black.
And the pressure emanating from that image crushed it with despair.
"This is a so-called Blood Demon Art user? Pathetic."
A calm, indifferent voice followed.
"I'm sorry, but you can't die just yet. I'll need you to take the blame for me."
"You've devoured so many people already… consider this your punishment."