The moment she heard the voice, Kanao did not hesitate. She instantly turned around and drew her Nichirin blade!
Not far away, beneath a tree, a man stood quietly.
No… more accurately, a creature that resembled a man.
He wore a black kimono with a haori patterned in purple.
A long sword hung at his waist, and his black hair was tied into a ponytail.
But the most striking feature was his eyes.
On his face were six eyes.
In the middle pair of eyes, characters were written.
Upper Rank.
One.
Seeing those words, Kanao's pupils shrank.
Upper Rank… One!
Aside from Demon King Muzan Kibutsuji, the strongest demon in existence!
Kanao's breathing quickened involuntarily.
Upper Rank One made no move to attack.
He raised his head. Seeing that the sun had already set, he slowly stepped out of the tree's shadow.
"Do not be afraid. I have no intention of killing you."
"I only wish to ask you a question."
"Do you know a man named Xia Feng?"
Kanao took a deep breath, then shook her head.
"I don't know him."
Yet after seeing her reaction, Upper Rank One did not look disappointed.
Instead, he nodded.
"Very good. That confirms that you do know Xia Feng."
"I will give you one chance."
"Tell me where Xia Feng is."
"Otherwise, today will be the day you die."
"You are a talented young warrior. Dying so early would be a waste."
"Be rational. Tell me Xia Feng's location."
His voice was calm and indifferent, yet carried an overwhelming authority that made people instinctively want to obey.
Under his gaze, Kanao slowly calmed herself.
Upper Rank One was indeed a terrifying enemy.
If she had encountered such an opponent alone, her only thought might have been to run.
But right now—
She couldn't run.
She didn't know why this demon was targeting Xia Feng, but it certainly wasn't anything good!
Thinking of that, Kanao gritted her teeth and rushed forward!
Flower Breathing, Fifth Form — Peony of Futility!
Her blade glowed with pink light as it slashed fiercely toward Upper Rank One!
Watching Kanao charge, Kokushibo shook his head slightly with amusement.
To ordinary people, Kanao's attack might have seemed powerful.
But to him—
It was no different from a baby's strike.
He swung his sword.
No breathing technique. Just a casual slash.
Yet Kanao could clearly feel that the sheer power of this strike might even surpass Shinobu's breathing techniques!
Clang!!
Kanao's multi-strike combo barely landed the first hit before the momentum was shattered.
The rest of her techniques couldn't even be executed before she was forced backward!
Kanao's eyes widened in shock.
Her swordsmanship might not rival the veteran elites of the Demon Slayer Corps, but it was at least comparable to B-rank or even A-rank swordsmen.
Yet against Upper Rank One—
She couldn't even complete a single move!
What kind of monster was this?!
Looking at her, Kokushibo spoke calmly.
"The difference between us should be obvious."
"If you are not foolish beyond redemption, stop wasting time and tell me where Xia Feng is."
"Otherwise, my next strike will kill you."
Kanao gripped her sword tightly, her eyes fixed on the demon swordsman.
Yes… what he said was true.
Her swordsmanship was like child's play before him.
But even if she was this weak—
There were things she would never abandon!
She slowly raised her Nichirin blade.
"In my life, there are three people I owe everything to."
"Lady Kanae, who saved me from hell and taught me swordsmanship."
"Lady Shinobu, who treated me as family and made me her successor."
"And…"
"Mr. Xia Feng, who allowed me to move forward with certainty—as a person, and as a girl."
"You want me to reveal Mr. Xia Feng's location?"
"Not in this lifetime."
"And not in the next!"
Kanao took a deep breath, her blood surging through her body.
"Flower Breathing… Final Form—"
Seeing the change in her, Kokushibo paused.
Then he frowned.
This girl…
She was using a secret technique to awaken her enhanced senses!
If she were allowed to complete it, her strength might increase several times over.
If that caused trouble and disrupted Lord Muzan's plan, it would be problematic.
Thinking this, he sighed.
Another promising seedling would have to be cut down.
His wrist moved.
Moon Breathing, Second Form — Pearl Flower Moongazing!
His blade slashed through the air.
Brilliant sword energy condensed from all directions, converging toward Kanao in the center!
A trace of helplessness flashed through Kanao's eyes.
She hadn't expected her opponent to be so powerful that she couldn't even use her ultimate technique…
I'm sorry… Lady Shinobu… Mr. Xia Feng…
She changed her stance, preparing to use Third Form — Shadow Plum as her final defense.
She knew perfectly well—
Shadow Plum was a defensive technique.
But against Kokushibo's attack, it would mean nothing.
Still, at the very end—
She wanted to try.
Just once more!
Kokushibo's eyes showed a hint of admiration.
If time allowed, he might have tried to persuade this girl to become a demon.
What a pity.
Just as he prepared to leave—
A flash of lightning suddenly burst in the distance!
The lightning crossed dozens of meters in an instant, appearing before Kanao!
Water Breathing, Eleventh Form — Dead Calm!
Under Kokushibo's surprised gaze, Xia Feng gritted his teeth and swung his sword!
An invisible domain expanded outward.
Within the domain, ripples of water seemed to flow.
Most of Kokushibo's incoming sword energy was dissolved by this barrier.
But several slashes still broke through!
Seeing them, Xia Feng maintained Dead Calm and stepped directly in front of Kanao.
Kanao cried out,
"Mr. Xia Feng! Don't!!"
Slash!!
The sword wind tore across Xia Feng's body, exploding into a spray of blood!
Kokushibo's expression shifted.
How was that possible?
His sword wind could easily split stone—
Yet this man had blocked it with his body?
What kind of joke was this?
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