Demon Slayer: Upper 0 seems to be a waste

Chapter 313 An Unfair Battle

It was such an unfair battle.

The severed arm slammed onto the floor with a dull thud. The moment the Blood Demon Art failed, Rinko couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation.

Blood gushed from the severed limb, splattering onto the floor. The newly formed flesh recovered perfectly before the blade swung a second time, catching Giyuu's sword precisely. The broken sword had been discarded by the man, and what he held now was a new sword. He had probably found another sword on the way here and was using it temporarily, but it didn't matter anyway.

"Courage and righteousness."

Rinko's voice was anything but gentle, and her tone was far from calm.

He had never expressed his irritability so clearly before, and he had never felt that the Demon Slayer Corps was actually such an annoying presence to him.

It never ends, it keeps chasing after me, and I can't shake it off.

This would be a good toy to pass the time at other times, but not now. Every second is precious now, and he has neither the time nor the mood to continue playing this game with Giyu.

"Don't get in the way."

A cold glint flashed in the corner of his eye. It was Kyojuro, who had broken free from the Blood Demon Art. The moment his sight returned, he immediately launched another attack. The blade came hurtling towards him from outside his sight. Rinko didn’t need to look specifically to realize that the blade’s ultimate target was not his neck, so there was no need to waste time and effort to intercept it.

It was such an unfair battle.

Giyuu's sword was finally pulled from his hand before it was bent again, and Rinko jumped up instantly as he let go, dodging the second sword that was about to pierce him.

He couldn't help but think that for a second.

But ultimately...

There's no such thing as fairness here.

Tanjiro's movement was completely unexpected. It was amazing enough that he could stand up, but to be able to think and still have the energy to move? Really?

He really aimed to break the other person's bones with that kick. Even if the broken bone didn't pierce through the body on the spot, at least two bones should have been broken.

He was kicked into the wall and lost consciousness, how did he manage to get up again?

When Rinko realized that Tanjiro was moving in the right direction, it was almost natural for his heart to skip a beat.

Like a stone thrown into still water, causing ripples, his heart wavered.

In that instant, all objectives were changed. Compared to continuing to fight to the death with Kyojuro here, Muzan's safety was undoubtedly the highest priority.

Muzan hadn't finished breaking down the poison yet, otherwise he wouldn't have stayed in that cocoon. And before that process, whose end date was unknown, truly ended, Rinko's only command, the sole purpose of all he did, was to protect this place from being discovered by any demon slayer.

If anyone gets close, deal with them; if someone notices, shut them up.

Just like now.

Since someone has discovered it.

Then we should deal with those who discovered this.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

"I'm starting to get tired of this feeling..."

Rinko almost let out a deep sigh.

"Something unexpected is always happening..."

It was so heavy that his entire shoulder slumped down, and his body, which had been fighting the whole time, relaxed in that instant. His tense muscles completely relaxed, and for a second, Kyojuro almost thought that the boy would collapse because of this heavy sigh.

"Something I don't look forward to at all."

but no.

In the very next second.

The words were clearly engraved in its open eyes. It approached without warning, so close that its eyes filled the entire field of vision.

At that moment, Kyojuro felt a chill run down his spine, as if his entire spine had been frozen.

His only reaction was to instinctively pull the knife back in front of him, but he was still a step too slow. His fist slammed down on the blade, and like hitting a train head-on, Kyojuro's body flew out of control in an instant.

“I didn’t mean to kill you, Kyojuro. Really. I like you very much, as a friend.”

Rinko ignored Kyojuro, who was crashing through the wall and whose path might end. Even the lightest blow would break his ribs, and it wouldn't be surprising if he died before he could react. As for his body, Rinko didn't have time to look for it right now.

"Even though I feel that we are not really friends."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

All of this happened so suddenly.

For Giyu, all of this was too strange, too sudden, and without warning.

Just a second ago, I had finally gained a slight advantage and managed to stall this difficult boy a little. But then, after some inexplicable words, the boy suddenly exploded again, and I couldn't catch up at all.

Only when his eyes could see a little clearly did he see the other party suddenly relax, and in the next second he rushed to the front of Purgatory almost leaving a blur. But even if he saw it, it was meaningless. His body could not keep up, he could not catch up with that short distance, could not stop that punch, and could not stop Purgatory from flying out.

Will I die?

do not know.

Are you injured?

Definitely.

But thinking about those things for this second is pointless.

He swung the knife almost entirely on instinct.

Unfortunately, the blade missed its target.

"I already told you, don't get in my way."

All that could be seen in his pupils was the chilling words "Upper Moon Zero," followed by a fist magnified in his eyes.

He had witnessed the power of that punch just a second ago, and this one was aimed directly at his head. If it hit...

Yi Yong desperately twisted his body, tilting his center of gravity to dodge backward, but he couldn't avoid being grazed by a fist and drawing blood. The splattered blood was like tiny fireworks, and cold sweat flowed over the wound with a stinging burning sensation. For a moment, Yi Yong's hand holding the knife was almost numb.

He wasn't even sure if he could catch another punch, but there was no next punch. In the instant he dodged backward, after his center of gravity had completely shifted, he realized that the boy's goal wasn't to kill him, just as Rinko himself had said.

Don't get in the way.

Because the target is not him.

"Tanjiro!"

He spoke the moment he realized what was happening. A roar and an unknown emotion surged within him, allowing him to regain control of his body. By the time he tried to give chase, it was too late; the boy had already passed him and rushed towards Tanjiro.

His breathing was heavy, his lungs were almost painful, and every step he took felt like stretching his muscles and ligaments to their limit. His fingers moved slightly, rubbing the hilt of his knife, searching for the right angle, thinking about which angle was more suitable for swinging the knife, which move would be effective, and how to hinder this guy, hold him back, hold him back, how could he hold him back?

But it was almost there.

It was just a little short.

Giyuu could clearly perceive the fatal gap caused by the lack of speed. If it were Purgatory, he could catch up and cut off Rinko's leg.

But he couldn't do it; the slight difference in speed was magnified infinitely at this moment.

Why can't he do it? Why is it always him who can't do it? Why can't he reach it? Why can't he catch up? Why is he always the one who has to watch others protect him, watch others get hurt in front of him, watch others die in front of him, and yet he can't do anything about it?

Ah, that's so unfair.

Ghosts always gain the upper hand so easily. They don't have to worry about getting hurt, about physical damage, or about blades. They act in the darkness where they have the most advantage.

Just like in this battle, the boy can face them without fear, even if he is cut by a knife, it doesn't matter, the wounds will heal in the next second. He can use his Blood Demon Art at will to restrict them, but they must find a way to deal with it as soon as possible, otherwise they will lose their advantage and may even lose their lives.

He could catch his knife with his hands and ignore Purgatory's attack, because it was meaningless unless it was a neck that was severed.

On the contrary, when a human's bones break, it hurts, makes it difficult to breathe, and makes it impossible to move freely. Everything is affected. When that fist comes at him, he can't do anything except dodge it. If he catches it, he will be knocked away. If he doesn't catch it well, it won't just break his bones. If there is the slightest mistake in the punch aimed at his head, he will die here.

Dying here is not what he is worried about; what he needs to consider is what will happen after he dies. If he dies here now because of this negligence, how much pressure will Tanjiro have to bear? He can't gamble, he dares not gamble.

The Demon Slayer Corps can't afford any more casualties. They haven't even seen Muzan yet, Tanjiro is already seriously injured, and Rengoku's whereabouts are currently unknown. But after that attack, even if he's still alive, it's unlikely he'll be able to continue fighting.

He could die here for someone, but he couldn't just leave all this danger to Tanjiro and let him bear it all alone.

This would not be a wise choice.

but.

Yi Yong gripped the blade tightly, took a heavy and ruthless step, and with a deep breath, hurled the long sword.

The long sword flew straight out with the force of being thrown with all its might.

Just as Yiyong had predicted, the sound of inhaling and footsteps instantly attracted the boy's attention. The boy had already sensed the long sword flying out of his hand, and his slender and agile body lightly leaped up, leaving his original position.

but.

The knife wasn't even aimed in that direction. He knew the boy's reaction would be faster, and that he wasn't fast enough; he wouldn't win in a speed contest.

But that's not what he's comparing; the advantage of Water Breathing isn't speed.

The blade, having slipped from his grasp, flew through the corridor and struck the boy who had leaped high into the air. The boy instantly lost his bearings and was slammed against the side wall by the blade.

The slender body is so agile when dodging, with amazing flexibility and agility. But lightness is an advantage, but also a disadvantage. When the opponent loses his footing and leaves the ground.

Even a blade thrown by a human would be enough to easily pin a boy to the wall.