Chapter 97

Facing the weeping, screaming Demeter, Uzui Tengen suddenly recalled the information Zero had given him about the Upper Rank Demons at his mansion.

And the portrait of the Upper Rank Demon.

Identical to the one before him—that meant there was another demon!

If so, then Demeter’s decapitation without turning to ash made perfect sense.

Seeing this, Uzui Tengen gripped his twin blades and prepared for battle.

“O-Nii-San!”

Suddenly, from the back of Demeter’s headless body, another figure crawled out.

Sensing the powerful demonic aura emanating from that body, Uzui Tengen swung his twin blades forward and charged straight at it!

Ping!

In an instant, blades flashed—a violent metallic clash sent him reeling back.

Uzui Tengen turned his head and finally saw the other figure’s form.

Bare-chested, with short black-and-green hair, hunched and emaciated, covered in black spots across face and body.

In his hands were two bone-shaped sickles, crimson as fresh blood.

Upper Rank Six—Kizuki Taro.

“Just as Zero said! Upper Rank Six is a twin demon—both heads must be severed to kill them!”

Kizuki Taro appeared behind Uzui Tengen, reattaching his sister’s head.

“There, there—don’t cry~ If your head falls off, just put it back on~ Such a pretty little face—keep crying and you’ll ruin it~”

Kizuki Taro spoke with a long, shrill, drawn-out tone.

He caressed Demeter’s small face, his words overflowing with doting affection.

“Waaah… Big brother, I tried so hard… and I did it all alone…!! They all ganged up on me! This is too much!! Waaahhhhh…”

Demeter now sobbed and wailed like a child, complaining to her brother.

“Yes, yes~ Unforgivable~ I won’t let a single one of those who hurt you live~”

Uzui Tengen charged again from behind Kizuki Taro, targeting the demon’s neck!

Bam!

Weapons clashed—and exploded!

Kizuki Taro was faster than Uzui Tengen.

In just a fleeting exchange, Uzui Tengen was already on the defensive!

Pshhh!

A gash opened across Uzui Tengen’s forehead, blood streaming down.

“Is this the power of an Upper Rank Demon?!” Uzui Tengen thought.

“Not bad~ You actually blocked my strike~ I was aiming to kill you then~”

“I envy you~ Such a fine face~ Your skin is so smooth~ No spots, no moles, no scars~ And your build is perfect~”

“I’m nothing like that~ I can’t gain weight, I’m ugly~ So jealous~ So jealous! Can you just die? I wish I could peel you alive and watch you suffer~!!”

Kizuki Taro frantically clawed at his own skin, blood gushing uncontrollably.

“My name is Kizuki Taro—the one who will kill you!!”

In a frenzy, Kizuki Taro hurled his two blood-colored bone sickles, filled with murderous intent, determined to kill Uzui Tengen!

Uzui Tengen pulled several specially made iron balls from his robe and threw them—colliding with Kizuki Taro’s sickles in violent explosions!

Then, from the fire and smoke, he lunged forward, swinging his Nichirin Blade across Kizuki Taro’s neck.

Kizuki Taro retreated, dodging the strike!

But the Nichirin Blade’s reach suddenly extended—still slicing a deep gash across Kizuki Taro’s neck!

Only then did Kizuki Taro notice: the two Nichirin Blades were connected by a chain.

Uzui Tengen held the tip of the second blade with his fingers, extending the attack range.

“What kind of grip is that?!”

Kizuki Taro thought.

Uzui Tengen retracted his blades, and the two stood facing each other in silence.

“So jealous~ So jealous~! You’re actually a decent man~ No wonder you’re popular~”

“Of course—I’m the glorious God of Festivals, a man with three wives!”

Hearing Uzui Tengen had three wives, Kizuki Taro went even wilder, tearing at his own flesh until his face was unrecognizable—his jealousy intensified.

“What nonsense! You have three wives!! I will never forgive you!!”

At that moment, Zero appeared beside them: “Tengen, you’re injured?!”

“Damn it, how the hell do you take off this kimono?!” Zero struggled to remove his kimono, tangled by layers of sashes.

Layer upon layer of clothing, loop after loop of sashes—it was a nightmare to undo.

Furious, Zero ripped his courtesan kimono apart with brute force, shredding the silk.

Revealing skin better than any woman’s, he pulled out his own clothes to change.

Bam!!

An explosion erupted nearby—Zero guessed Kizuki Taro had appeared, quickly dressed himself, grabbed his Nichirin Scythe, and rushed over.

When he arrived, he found Uzui Tengen locked in battle with Kizuki Taro, already wounded.

“Tengen, you’re injured?!”

He also noticed Uzui Tengen’s wounds had turned black and purple—clearly poisoned.

Zero lightly touched his forehead, ignoring Kizuki Taro entirely: “Didn’t I tell you Upper Rank Six’s attacks are toxic? How could you forget?!”

Uzui Tengen waved it off: “What’s this? I’m the glorious God of Festivals—this poison means nothing to me! I’m fine! I could eat a hundred bowls of Tenra Woman or dance for a demon! Hahaha!”

Then he struck a deliberately over-the-top, self-styled elegant pose.

“First, go detoxify. I’ll handle this.”

Without waiting for Uzui Tengen’s consent, Zero grabbed his belt from behind, yanked upward, and hurled him away!

“Waaahhh!! Zero, that move wasn’t glamorous at all…………~”

Ding~

Uzui Tengen was flung into the air, turning into a tiny star before vanishing.

“Alright… now…” Zero turned to Kizuki Taro and Demeter.

“Let’s settle the score from Infinity Castle—I didn’t even get to finish playing last time! You two will do for practice! Hehe…”

A chilling killing intent radiated from him; under the moonlight, his crimson eyes glowed with eerie red light.

Meeting those eyes again, Kizuki Taro and Demeter felt as if standing atop a mountain of corpses and seas of blood—their bodies trembled.

“Big brother, this guy dressed as a woman flirted with me—and even got me aroused… We must kill him! Kill him!! I’ll eat him…”

Pshhh!

Before he finished speaking, Demeter’s head was severed again.

“Annoying chatter,” Zero glared at Demeter impatiently.

“So fast! When did he…?” Kizuki Taro hadn’t even seen how Zero moved!

He only saw Zero casually flick his scythe—and his sister’s head was gone.

Ding!

The Nichirin Scythe spun through the air and returned to Zero’s hand.

“Now… it’s my turn to play! Let me have some fun with you~ Hehehe!!!”

Whoosh!

Zero lunged forward with a burst of leg power, swinging the Nichirin Scythe across Kizuki Taro’s neck.

Kizuki Taro instantly raised his twin blood-colored sickles to block.

Sparks flew as the sickles clashed—but Zero’s strength overwhelmed him.

The bone sickles shattered into four pieces, carving a massive gash across his neck—barely missing decapitation.

Instantly, Zero twisted his body and delivered a spinning kick straight to Kizuki Taro’s head!

Bam!

Before Kizuki Taro could react, he was blasted backward, smashing through multiple walls, his head spinning three hundred sixty degrees.

Zero pressed forward, leaping into the air to launch another attack.

As the Nichirin Scythe descended, Kizuki Taro sensed the overwhelming threat!

If struck, he would be split clean in two!

He reattached his head, regenerated, and roared: “Don’t underestimate me!”

Blood Demon Art: Flying Blood Scythes!

The two severed blood-colored bone sickles regenerated, then unleashed countless thin, crimson slashes—vast in number, laced with deadly poison.

Yet when the crimson slashes struck Zero, they were all blocked by a blue glow.

Kizuki Taro redirected the slashes, aiming them at Zero’s back.

But the blue glow formed a protective shell, like an eggshell, encasing Zero’s body.

The crimson slashes could not penetrate.

“How is this possible?!” Kizuki Taro couldn’t believe what he saw.

In the instant Kizuki Taro hesitated, Zero’s attack struck—swinging the Nichirin Scythe downward.

“Oh no!!!”

Blood Demon Art: Reckless Provocation!

This is Kibutsuji Muzan’s defensive technique: rapidly swinging both scythes in a rapid spinning motion centered on himself, creating a powerful shield of slashes to block Zero’s attacks.

But the attack descending from midair, combined with gravity and Zero’s own strength, was beyond Kibutsuji’s capacity to withstand.

His shoulder was half-sliced open, blood spurting out.

“Don’t you dare bully my brother!”

Daki reattached her head, and the eight sashes behind her shot out simultaneously, ambushing Zero from behind.

Kibutsuji seized this opportunity and swiftly retreated backward.

Zero ignored Daki’s sash attacks and continued charging toward Kibutsuji.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion, accompanied by a slash moving faster than lightning, instantly sent Daki flying into midair.

Thunder Breathing. First Form: Lightning Flash!

Zenitsu, who had been asleep, arrived at this moment and unleashed a powerful burst that seemed to tear the air apart; Daki was launched skyward by this unexpected strike.

As her neck was about to be severed, she immediately transformed her neck into a sash, making it limp and flexible.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t cut it!

“Eeeehahaha! The magnificent mountain king has arrived! Charge straight ahead!”

Beasts’ Breathing. Second Fang: Blade Clash!

Inosuke arrived from another direction, leaping upward, and swung his two swords in a simultaneous chop at the other side of Daki’s sash-neck, creating a tearing force alongside Zenitsu’s attack.

Riiip!

A crack had already appeared on Daki’s sash-neck; if this continued, her head would be severed in mere moments.

Yet Daki spotted another person approaching in the distance and urgently called out to her brother.

“Brother, save me!”

“Aaaaaaaah!!!”

Boom!

Uzui Tengen, who had been thrown, fell from midair.

Like a tree uprooted and planted upside-down, he plunged headfirst into the ground, legs flailing upward!

And he landed right beside Tanjiro and Nezuko.

“Huh?”

Nezuko stared at Uzui Tengen falling from the sky, her eyes turning into little dots, her expression utterly clueless.

She reached out and patted Uzui Tengen, as if asking whether he was alright.

Uzui Tengen braced his hands on the ground beside his head and pulled with all his strength, yanking his head out of the earth.

Plop!

His entire head was covered in dirt, and his mouth was full of soil.

“Spit! Spit! Spit! Zero, you bastard, how ungracefully you threw me out! And now I’m buried headfirst in the ground like this! So ungraceful!”

Uzui Tengen brushed the dirt off his face, but suddenly felt something wrong with his body.

Kibutsuji’s poison had begun to take effect; he immediately tightened his muscles to slow its spread.

“Mr. Uzui, are you alright?” Tanjiro asked anxiously.

“I’m fine—I must hurry to help Zero… Hey, let go of me!”

Nezuko, seeing the poison spreading across Uzui Tengen’s body, grabbed his hand.

Uzui Tengen thought she was trying to stop him.

But the next action revealed he had misunderstood.

Fwoosh!

Nezuko’s Blood Demon Art ignited flames that engulfed Uzui Tengen’s entire body.

Uzui Tengen screamed: “Hey! Hey! Hey! I’m not dead yet! Don’t cremate the magnificent me so ungracefully!”

He tried to slap out the flames, but realized they caused him no harm whatsoever.

On the contrary, the poison in his wounds had been completely purged by the flames.

“Th-this… what’s going on?”

“I think Nezuko is trying to help you—clearing all the poison from your body. Her Blood Demon Art seems capable of suppressing demons and their toxins.”

“So that’s it! Hahaha… How magnificent! I graciously accept you all!”

“Mr. Uzui, I’m going to help them. Please watch over Nezuko for me.”

Without looking back, he left.

Not long after, Uzui Tengen’s three wives arrived.

They had just been helping ordinary civilians evacuate Yoshiwara’s pleasure district, and came to see if they could lend a hand.

“My Lord Tengen!” x3

“You three arrived just in time—take Nezuko and leave this place immediately. I’m going to help Zero!”

He immediately shoved Nezuko into Hinatsuru’s arms and rushed toward Zero.

When he reached the battlefield, he saw Kibutsuji completely on the defensive, with no ability to counterattack—only constantly using defensive Blood Demon Arts to fend off.

Moreover, he could tell Zero was deliberately holding back.

It seemed as if he was venting something.

On Tanjiro’s side, they were also coordinating, fighting Daki together.

Seeing this, Uzui Tengen decided to hold off for now.

He stood atop a nearby rooftop, observing—if Tanjiro and the others couldn’t handle it, he would step in.

Besides, in Uzui Tengen’s eyes, these three were already among the most outstanding members.

What they needed was constant refinement and improvement.

If so, let them decide the outcome of this battle themselves.

…………

Tanjiro, who had arrived together with the others, saw Zero fighting alone against Upper Rank Six, and wanted to assist him.

But he couldn’t intervene in the battle between Upper Rank Six and Zero—the surrounding space was filled with interdimensional rifts.

So he joined Zenitsu and Inosuke’s fight, helping them hold off the female demon.

Hoping to relieve some pressure on Zero.

Water Breathing. Tenth Form: Continuous Flow!

He drew his Nichirin Blade, charged forward, and as his spins increased in speed and number, the power of the strike grew ever stronger.

Sensing the lethal threat of this attack, Daki cried out to her brother: “Brother! Save me!”

Kibutsuji, despite the risk, split half his power to Daki.

After receiving half of Kibutsuji’s perception, a third eye appeared on Daki’s forehead, originating from Kibutsuji.

This enhanced her perception while allowing her brother to interfere with her, through their shared sensory link.

Her sashes multiplied from eight to thirteen, and their power became far greater than before.

She manipulated the thirteen sashes to form a vast net in midair, determined to slice apart all three brats and their Nichirin Blades!

Even so, Zenitsu and Inosuke showed no retreat—they intensified their strength, aiming to sever Daki’s head.

Sun Breathing. Sixth Form: Scorching Bone, Blazing Sun!

At the very moment the sashes were about to strike, Tanjiro forcibly switched from Water Breathing to Sun Breathing, releasing a spinning flame slash that severed every single sash!

The wounds where the sashes were cut emitted a searing heat like the sun—unable to regenerate.

Zenitsu and Inosuke, determined not to waste the opening Tanjiro had given them, intensified their strikes, preparing to sever Daki’s neck!

Thunder Breathing. First Form: Lightning Flash. Divine Speed!

Zenitsu unleashed an unprecedented surge of slashing power and speed, coordinating with Inosuke, and finally severed Daki’s head!

Riiip!

The sash-like neck, though supple, could no longer hold—it was torn apart!

Inosuke caught Daki’s head and shouted: “Head! The demon’s head! I’m taking the demon head and running!”

“Ugly monster, let go of me!” Daki, being carried around by her head, could no longer tolerate it and wrapped her sashes around Inosuke.

But Inosuke paid it no mind—he simply swung his blades twice, cutting all the sashes to pieces.

On the other side, Zero and Kibutsuji’s battle was still ongoing.

Kibutsuji’s rage burned without reason—this guy clearly had the power to kill him, yet deliberately toyed with him.

Zero, too, was indeed feeling this way—after changing back into his clothes, he recalled his behavior and words while dressed as a woman, and broke out in goosebumps.

He never imagined he’d ever do such an embarrassing thing?!

“Zero, Empress?”

“And called myself ‘this palace’?”

If this got out, where would he ever face anyone again?

What would his beloveds think if they found out?

So he deliberately refrained from killing Kibutsuji, instead beating him senseless in hand-to-hand combat, venting his inner frustration!

Punches striking flesh, bones shattering inch by inch!

Combined with his mastery of the human meridian points, every strike landed precisely where it caused Gifu Taro to feel intense pain.

There was even a sensation of powerlessness, like paralysis.

All demons were once human, so their bodily structure was identical to that of humans—he had confirmed this through experiments on demons he had captured in the past.

Gifu Taro, whose face was swollen and bruised from the blows, quickly regenerated—but now he was utterly disheveled, unable to fight back.

And just now, he felt it: his sister had been beheaded!

If this continued, the siblings would die here!

“Damn it! Don’t underestimate me!”

Blood Demon Art…

Boom!

Before Gifu Taro could activate his Blood Demon Art, Zero delivered a single kick that shattered his waist, severing his upper body from his lower body!

“I’ve had my fun. Time to send you to your grave.”

“Goodbye!”

Finally, Zero drew his Sun Wheel Scythe and beheaded Gifu Taro, as the demon stared at him with rage and despair.

Zero’s battle was over. Tanjiro and the others arrived, their eyes filled with admiration.

To slay an Upper Rank Six alone—his strength was truly formidable!

Inosuke, seeing this, tossed the severed head of Daki toward Gifu Taro’s body.

Uzui Tengen leapt down from the rooftop and approached Zero without hesitation. “Zero, that was an absolutely dazzling fight! Hahaha! Again, you alone have slain an Upper Rank demon—counting this one, you’ve now cleanly cut down three Upper Rank demons!”

Zero merely smiled faintly, about to speak—when his [Analytical Glasses] triggered an alarm.

【ALERT! ALERT! DANGER!】

He turned to Gifu Taro’s headless corpse and saw its blood beginning to gather.

He suddenly recalled the intelligence he had gathered about Gifu Taro.

He shouted: “Get out of here!!!”

Uzui Tengen immediately hoisted Shinobu and Tanjiro onto his shoulders, preparing to grab Inosuke too—but it was already too late!

BOOM!

Gifu Taro’s headless body unleashed a reinforced Blood Demon Art, a circular slicing vortex, triggering a massive explosion that engulfed everything around it.

The entire Yoshiwara pleasure district was obliterated by the blast, reduced to ruins!

…………