Chapter 293

The Scythe Ghost raised the scythe in its left hand and took the slash head-on without budging an inch.

Seeing this, Shuichi's expression involuntarily hardened.

As expected, it had gotten stronger again!

The next second, the chain wrapped around the tail of the scythe in the Scythe Ghost's other hand writhed like a spirit snake, the sharp spike at its tip darting out like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, and shot toward his brow with tremendous speed and ferocity in Shuichi's sharply contracting pupils.

Just at that moment.

A Nichirin blade swept in horizontally,

Clang!

The blade knocked the chain's spike away, producing a clear, ringing sound.

The tall, thin male squad member arrived in time, swinging his blade to block the strike.

Shuichi took the chance to retreat one step, coming to his side.

"You alright?"

"I'm fine."

The two exchanged a glance, nodded, and then simultaneously launched an attack on the Scythe Ghost before them.

One attacked the left, the other slashed the right.

The Scythe Ghost was caught off guard by the sudden assault.

To resist the fierce attack,

it had no choice but to release its grip on the boy.

The tall, thin male squad member seized the chance, grabbed the boy who was about to hit the ground, and tossed him toward the female squad member: "Yanagida, catch!"

The female squad member hurriedly caught him.

Having seen the boy rescued,

Shuichi and the tall, thin male squad member's attacks grew even fiercer.

The ghost retreated step after step.

The tall, thin male squad member brandished the Nichirin blade in his hand, unleashing a tidal, multi-stage assault on the Scythe Ghost ahead.

The Scythe Ghost swung the scythes in both hands with its long, wiry arms, forming an airtight curtain of sharp blades that blocked his attack.

But its back was completely exposed.

The female squad member seized the moment.

She came behind it and thrust her sword into its back.

Triple Thrust!

Three blooms of blood burst open on its back.

The Scythe Ghost, in pain, couldn't help tilting its head back and letting out a cry, then swung its thick, long arms with a whistling sound of tearing air, lashing out behind it.

The female squad member hurriedly leapt upward, dodging that immensely heavy strike.

The wall behind her, however, was smashed apart by that strike.

"Shuichi, now!"

The tall, thin male squad member hurriedly called out.

At some unknown point, the short-haired male squad member Shuichi had already leaped into midair, his body slightly tilted, the Nichirin blade radiating a fiery glow fully charged.

"This is the final strike!"

"Setting Sun Heaven!"

His fierce blade, wrapped in blazing fire, slashed toward the Scythe Ghost's neck below.

Just as it was about to be split in two from the neck,

the two fleshy tumors growing from the Scythe Ghost's armpits instantly burst open, and from within stretched two bizarre long arms with clearly defined muscles and sinews. Under the shocked gazes of the tall, thin male squad member and the female squad member, one of those long hands slapped the side of the Nichirin blade, and the tremendous monstrous strength sent that Nichirin blade flying away.

"What?!"

Shuichi's expression changed drastically.

And before he could react,

the other bizarre long hand rapidly grew larger before his eyes.

Like a whip, it sent him flying with a single lash, slamming him heavily into the wall and embedding him deep within it.

"Cough!"

Shuichi spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, and the pain of his shattered, broken bones flooded his mind, nearly causing him to pass out on the spot.

He forced himself to hold on with the last shred of strength, raised his eyes to look at the Scythe Ghost ahead—now grown four long arms, dual scythes swinging, radiating an aura completely different from before.

"An Ability... Ghost!"

Blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, consciousness fading, with no strength left to move, he sent one last faint voice toward the tall, thin male squad member and the female squad member in the distance.

"Run, run... run."

"Shuichi!"

The female squad member named Yanagida called out to him with worry and urgency, but received no response.

"It actually completed its evolution..."

The tall, thin male squad member stared at the four-armed Scythe Ghost before him, couldn't help tightening his grip on the Nichirin blade in his hand, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"And it evolved mid-battle—was it deliberately feigning weakness to lure us in?!"

His heart gradually sank.

One must know, an Evolved Ghost and an Ability Ghost that has mastered its powers are on completely different levels of strength...

The three of them alone simply couldn't handle it.

The Scythe Ghost swung its scythes with its front two long arms, while its rear two long arms gripped the long chains at the scythes' tails. Its emerald-green vertical pupils gazed at the two before it, slightly curved, as a strange and rapid burst of laughter simultaneously issued from its mouth.

"Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee… gula…"

The two stared at the ghost before them—the very same ghost that had once fled helplessly from their hands, yet now pressed upon them with overwhelming dread, their hearts sinking into ice.

"W-what do we do now?"

The female team member couldn't help but ask.

"I'll hold it off, you hurry and notify Lady Butterfly Shin."

The tall, thin male team member took a step forward, standing before her.

The female team member could see his hands gripping the Nichirin Blade trembling.

"Go now!"

The tall, thin male team member roared.

The female team member, Ryo, felt her eyes instantly wet.

She knew well—he knew too.

With their strength, facing a supernatural demon alone, survival was impossible.

"None… of you are escaping."

The Scythe demon seemed to sense their intent; two strange, elongated arms sprouting from its armpits shot out instantly, whipping through the air with a howling rush toward them.

The two dodged in time.

The ground beneath them shattered—imagine the power contained within.

A normal human struck by that blow would be ripped apart on the spot.

"Why aren't you running yet? Do you want to die here together?!"

The usually gentle tall, thin male team member snarled furiously at the female team member.

Then—

One long arm whipped toward him with a howl.

It moved swiftly.

The tall, thin male team member couldn't dodge—he gritted his teeth and swung his blade.

The next instant—

The edge of the Nichirin Blade shattered outright.

His entire body crashed through the courtyard wall and flew backward, landing in the dim alley.

The female team member, who had just leapt onto the wall to flee, was struck down moments later by the pursuing arm.

"Hee-hee-hee-hee… gula-la…"

The Scythe demon let out its eerie laugh, stepping from the broken wall into the dim alley, its emerald vertical pupils narrowing into a crooked, smug, and cunning smile as it gazed at the two lying on the ground, blood trickling from their mouths.

"The Demon Slayer Corps… seems no better than this."