Chapter 11: Confrontation

"A Demon Slayer, huh? What a pity! That attack just now didn't pose a threat to me at all. My wound will heal in no time!" The demon touched its injured neck, speaking with a mocking expression.

Hearing this, Haru wasn't surprised in the slightest. He knew full well about a demon's regeneration. Ordinary weapons couldn't kill them—it had to be something special, like the Nichirin Blade that Giyu Tomioka used.

The Nichirin Blade was the standard weapon for most Demon Slayers, though a few special demon hunters had unique weapons of their own.

However, Haru's Demon-Slaying Blade was a step above the Nichirin Blade. After all, it was a system-given weapon—no matter if it was a free gift, it had to have some special qualities.

"Oh~ is that so?" Haru responded with a look of sudden realization.

Just as the demon basked in its arrogance, preparing to let its wound regenerate, its expression suddenly shifted to shock and fear.

"What's going on? Why isn't my wound healing?"

"Forgot to mention—I have an ability that suppresses regeneration. If you're cut by my blade, even as a demon, your wounds won't heal instantly," Haru said calmly.

"Impossible!" The demon's face twisted in horror. For demons, this was no minor issue—losing too much blood, even if it didn't mean death, would still weaken them significantly.

However, after its initial panic, the demon quickly regained its composure. Though its wound wasn't healing as usual, the current rate of blood loss wasn't enough to be life-threatening.

Soon, it noticed that its wound was beginning to heal—albeit very slowly. Compared to a human, the regeneration speed was still impressive.

Realizing this, the demon's arrogant smirk returned as it taunted Haru, "You almost scared me there! Your blade may suppress regeneration, but that's all it does—suppress. I can feel my wound healing on its own. It just takes a little time."

Haru didn't seem particularly surprised. The Demon-Slaying Blade's ability, just as the demon had said, only acted as a suppression. Against a demon's incredible regeneration, it couldn't completely prevent healing.

"So what? If my blade can wound you, it can kill you too! My demon blade has long been thirsty for blood!" Haru remained calm, his voice ice-cold.

As he spoke, the blood on the blade was instantly absorbed until not a single drop remained.

This was another trait of the Demon-Slaying Blade—it could absorb demon blood. The more blood it consumed, the greater its lethality against demons, enhancing its own abilities. One such enhancement was its ability to suppress regeneration.

Hearing this, the demon, which had been arrogant just moments ago, quickly grew serious. For the first time, it realized that the man before it wasn't easy prey.

Suddenly, the demon's eyes darted around the room before locking onto Tanjiro, who stood at the temple's entrance.

Without hesitation, it changed targets.

Its speed was astonishing. Before Haru could react, the demon had already appeared before Tanjiro, grabbing both him and Nezuko by the throat and lifting them into the air.

The suffocating grip jolted Tanjiro back to his senses—but at this moment, no matter what he did, he was powerless to resist.