Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

Beimingyu Xingming clasped his hands together.

At that moment, the old man raised his head, revealing his cloudy eyes.

It is the fourth of the twelve Ghost Moons, the first quarter moon, and the time of Hantengu.

"How could you bully the weak like this? Is this how someone who is strong should act?"

Half-day Dog tremblingly asked the question:

How could someone do something so cruel?

A gentle breeze blew, landing on the old man's body, causing him to sway as if a gust of wind would blow him over.

For a fleeting moment, Himejima Gyomei felt as if he were committing a sinful act, yet the sensation of his fist clenching and his hand striking the demon's body remained vividly clear.

He was hunting ghosts, not bullying the weak.

Even at this moment, Himejima Gyomei sensed that the demon before him was filled with evil.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha".

With a chant of Buddhist sutra, Beimingyu Xingming launched an attack directly at the ghost before him.

"I'm just a pathetic weakling!"

Half-Heaven Dog trembled and shrank back, crying out, "No...don't bully me!"

"You forced me into this situation!"

"boom!"

The meteor hammer crashed down, instantly smashing the head of the half-heavenly dog ​​to pieces.

However, the Half-Heaven Dog did not die as a result. Instead, it split into four clones around it: 'Accumulated Wrath', 'Cola', 'Empty Joy', and 'Sorrowful Despair'. Each clone exuded an extremely powerful aura, and each one possessed the strength of almost all twelve demon moons.

"call……"

A powerful airflow swept through the air, tearing almost everything in its path. Rocks and trees alike were as fragile as thin paper before this airflow, easily pierced.

However, the clone 'Cola' laughed and waved the palm-leaf fan in its hand, launching an attack on Gyomei Himejima.

A strong gust of air struck Himejima Gyomei's body, cutting like a knife, but it could not tear Himejima Gyomei's body apart.

Himejima Gyomei had already trained his body to its limit. While those air currents could harm him, they could not kill Himejima Gyomei.

"boom……"

'Accumulated anger', 'Empty joy', and 'Despair' all launched their attacks at the same moment.

"Namo Amitabha Buddha..."

As Kyōmei chanted a Buddhist prayer, this was the first time he had faced an Upper Moon demon of the Twelve Demon Moons, far more powerful than the Lower Moon demons he had previously slain.

…………

The demon's claws easily tore the swordsman's body apart, ripped out his burning heart, and then greedily stared ahead.

More ghosts surged toward the wisteria family in front.

It once served as a resting place for the Demon Slayer Corps, but was slaughtered by demons. Most of the swordsmen who protected it are now dead, and the delicious food that these swordsmen protected is right in front of them.

"There are no more swordsmen to protect you."

A demon looked at the trembling women and children, licked its lips, and was about to pounce on these frail women and children.

"Breathing of Thunder - First Form: Thunderclap Flash"

The blade flashed like lightning in the night, easily slicing open the ghost's neck.

Leaning on a cane, with his right leg still a prosthetic, the former "Sound Pillar" Kuwashima Jigoro stepped out. Looking at the demon he had slain, he gave a bitter smile: "I'm getting old after all. I can't compare to my younger self anymore."

Moreover, without the support of his legs, it is no longer possible for him to exert his full strength.

But regardless.

He was once a 'pillar', and although his strength is no longer what it used to be, his experience remains.

Gripping the hilt of his sword, Kuwashima Jigoro looked at the demons attacking the area and gently stroked the blade: "It seems you've all forgotten about this old man."

"boom……"

With a flickering movement, the old man's figure flashed through the demons like lightning, and one demon's head after another crashed to the ground.

To ordinary evil spirits, the old man before them was terrifyingly powerful.

A demon, gripped by fear, tried to turn and run away, but after only two steps, a scarlet blade severed its head.

Unlike the death caused by the Nichirin Blade striking the demon's neck, this death is caused by the demon's own blood and life force being completely absorbed by the blade that strikes the neck.

"pat..."

Footsteps sounded, and a figure appeared.

The night wind blew, causing the newcomer's clothes to flutter, and in the darkness, the newcomer's six eyes were so eerie.

Just by standing there, his aura and sense of oppression could suppress the entire audience.

The strongest of the Twelve Ghost Months.

Upper Moon One: The Demon of the Sword - Kokushibo

He was once a powerful swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps, but he betrayed the Corps and became a powerful demon.

"That's really amazing. Even without legs, he can still move so fast."

Kokushibo stopped and looked at Kuwajima Jigoro, a soft smile appearing on his lips.

"What if I became a ghost?"

Kokushibo extended an invitation: "If you become a demon, not only will your severed legs be restored, but your aging body will also be restored to a youthful state, and you will gain a long lifespan..."

"call……"

Kuwashima Jigoro stopped, panting heavily. His aged body was no longer as strong as it had been in his youth, and his single prosthetic limb was no match for his healthy legs.

"I really miss my young body, I miss the days before my legs were broken."

With a sigh, Kuwashima Jigoro gently stroked the blade: "But I really can't bring myself to become a disgusting creature like a demon!"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Kuwashima Jigoro launched an attack on Kokushibo.

The blade, swift as lightning, slashed through the night sky, only to be instantly and easily blocked by an even faster blade.

The faster blade easily cleaved through the Nichirin Blade, tore through the old man's defenses, and pierced his body.

Kokushibo sheathed his sword and stepped back, his six scarlet eyes staring at the old man.

"Become a ghost? Only by becoming a ghost can you survive."

Kokushibo spoke calmly.

When people face death, they are always filled with fear. When I had a premonition that I was going to die, I was also filled with panic.

Human beings' short lifespan almost means that they have no future.

Kokushibo believed that more people in the Demon Slayer Corps would see this, and that as long as they wholeheartedly accepted becoming a demon, they could liberate themselves from all limitations.

Kuwashima Jigoro felt his life slipping away. Gripping the hilt of his sword, his increasingly weak body was no longer able to stand up, but he still used his Nichirin Blade to support himself against the ground to keep from falling.

"You pathetic ghost, how pitiful you are!"

The old man showed no fear of death, only pity for ghosts.

This brought Kokushibo's mind back to that red moon night, to the seven-story pagoda where he saw his younger brother, who was growing old and frail. He hadn't seen his brother for sixty years since he became a demon. At that time, Yoriichi Tsugikuni had also sighed to him, "You are so pitiful, brother."

"You're ridiculous!"

Kokushibo roared in near rage, then pointed at the swordsmen lying on the ground: "Do you see? How fragile the so-called human body is. You so-called swordsmen who fight against demons are all dying one by one."

"Breathing of Thunder, First Form: Thunderclap Flash"

Kuwashiro's final, desperate counterattack was the answer to Kokushibo.

But soon, the lightning flashing from the Nichirin Blade dissipated, the old man's head crashed to the ground, and then more demons poured out of the darkness, destroying the Wisteria family that the swordsmen had been protecting.

…………

Panting, running.

Unlike other swordsmen who fight to the death against demons to protect others, for Kaigaku, nothing is more important than his own life.

Seeing swordsmen die one after another, Kaigaku had long lost the will to fight. At this moment, he only wanted to escape this dangerous area as soon as possible. As for the people he was supposed to protect, he had long forgotten about them.

The frantic running, so clear in the silent night, yet the danger perceived behind me draws ever closer.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Kaigaku turned around sharply and held his sword in front of him.

Even though there was nothing in front of him, Kaigaku felt a thunderous impact from the blade and an immense force that almost knocked him to the ground.

Struggling to his feet, Kaigaku saw what had just attacked him.

The spider silk was almost transparent.

Seemingly sensing something, Kaigaku raised his head. In the moonlight, a short boy stood barefoot in mid-air, as if floating in the air, looking down at Kaigaku.

The words 'Xia Wu' were etched in the boy's pupils.

It is the fifth of the twelve demon moons, the Spider Demon.

"It's really annoying. If it weren't for you swordsmen, I would be living a peaceful life with my family."

Lei looked at Kaigaku, his fingers moving through the spider silk as he attacked Kaigaku.

Kaigaku's expression changed drastically. He dodged the spider silk attack, gripped the hilt of his sword, and stomped his foot on the ground, launching himself into the air.

"Thunder Breathing. Third Form: Gathering Mosquitoes into Thunder"

The sharp blade fell, but was blocked by extremely fine spider silk.

"How is this possible..."

Kaigaku's eyes were filled with fear. The spider silk was so thin yet so tough that even the Nichirin Blade could not cut it.

Seeing more and more spider silk surging in from all directions, Kaigaku suddenly lunged to the side, narrowly dodging the attack, then got up and continued to flee.

"Want to play games with me again?"

A tired face broke into an excited smile: "Run faster, run even faster, don't let me catch up with you!"