Chapter 80

Eitai voice wasn't loud when he addressed Shinichi as a Hashira and aside from the Four-Armed Demon, none of the other demons heard it.

To the other demons, it merely seemed like another powerful Demon Slayer had suddenly appeared.

The demons weren't stupid—immediately, over a dozen of them roared and charged at Shinichi.

This sudden shift drastically reduced the pressure on the other Demon Slayers and Shinichi unexpected intervention boosted their morale.

"Great! The Forest Hashira has come to help us! Everyone, fight!" shouted an excited Demon Slayer who had previously worked with Shinichi.

With a burst of energy, he sliced through a demon neck, further inspiring his comrades.

As for Shinichi, gripping his Nichirin Blade, he didn't even spare a glance at the dozen demons rushing toward him.

His sharp, emerald-green eyes, glowing faintly, swept across the shrine surroundings.

These twenty-odd demons meant nothing to him—what truly concerned him was the presence lurking behind them.

Though only for an instant, Shinichi was certain he had sensed a powerful demonic aura, comparable to that of a Lower Moon.

Demons didn't gather without reason and this was undoubtedly connected to that presence.

However, despite hiding for so long, Shinichi had failed to draw out the hidden foe.

With his fellow Demon Slayers in dire straits, he could no longer hold back.

Frustrated by his failure to lure out the mastermind, Shinichi's gaze turned even colder as he regarded the lesser demons.

His right hand gripped the long, dual-colored Nichirin Blade, while his left drew the short Nichirin Blade from his waist.

Crossing the two swords, he bent his knees slightly.

"Forest Breathing, Thirteenth Form: Niten Ichi-ryu—Wolf Spirit!"

Whoosh!

Shinichi's heterochromatic eyes gleamed with a savage light, as if possessed by the spirit of a true wolf.

In the next moment, boundless emerald-green energy surged along the blades of his mismatched swords.

As Shinichi lunged forward, the dazzling light transformed into a roaring, spectral wolf.

The overwhelming pressure made the demons freeze in terror—they had no time to flee before the colossal wolf devoured them!

A brutal rain of foul demon blood splattered everywhere, grotesque limbs flying amid the piercing shrieks of dying demons.

Heads rolled in an instant.

Crack!

With one final slash, Shinichi severed the last demon neck.

From the moment he drew his blades, barely ten seconds had passed—yet over a dozen demons lay annihilated.

Clang!

Forcing the heavily wounded Four-Armed Demon back, Eitai gaped at Shinichi in shock.

Was this the power of a Hashira?

The awe-inspiring scene stunned not only the Demon Slayers but also the remaining demons.

"It's a Hashira! That brat is a Demon Slayer Hashira!" the Four-Armed Demon finally managed to shriek.

The surviving demons paled in horror, their will to fight extinguished by the sight of their comrades reduced to ashes in moments.

If they couldn't win, they had to run!

The quickest-thinking demons turned tail without hesitation.

But could they escape?

Shinichi watched their retreat with icy detachment before leaping into the air—soaring nearly ten meters high.

Vital energy surged within him, a scorching heat escaping from his lips.

"Forest Breathing, Thirteenth Form: Niten Ichi-ryu, Hawk Strike!"

Shinichi eyes instantly sharpened like a hunting falcon's as he soared through the air, gripping his Nichirin Blade tightly with both hands before gathering strength and hurling it forward with tremendous force!

Two razor-sharp Nichirin Blades sliced through the air, emitting piercing whistles that resembled the cry of an eagle.

Thud! Thud!!

The two fleeing Demons had barely registered the shrill sound behind them when their heads were severed in the next instant, their bodies staggering before collapsing lifelessly.

Boom!

Shinichi landed steadily!

Although he had eliminated the two fleeing Demons, three more were still sprinting away.

Yet, Shinichi expression remained unchanged, his composure unshaken.

"Awooo!!!" A mournful wolf howl suddenly echoed through the darkness.

Before the fleeing Demon could comprehend what was happening, a black figure pounced on it like lightning, its sharp fangs crushing the Demon skull in an instant.

The agile black wolf chewed through the Demon head as if cracking a walnut, its crimson eyes locking onto the remaining two Demons.

Blood Demon Art: Shadow Wolf Slayer!

Buzz!

The black, lightning-fast figure suddenly split into two and the fleeing Demons were instantly brought down.

With that, all the escaping Demons had been annihilated!

Shinichi pulled his two Nichirin Blades from the ground and turned to the Demon Slayer Corps members, whose battle was also nearing its end.

"DIIIEEE!!"

Eitai roared, slicing through the neck of the four-armed Demon, which let out a final, resentful wail.

One by one, the Demons were slain.

As Nakai, the youngest member of the Corps, beheaded the last Demon, the battle finally concluded with a resounding victory for the Demon Slayer Corps.

Though everyone bore injuries, the excitement and exhilaration on their faces were unmistakable as they raised their Nichirin Blades in triumph.

Over twenty Demons!

In a single night, they had likely eradicated every significant Demon in Nara Prefecture.

Such an achievement was impossible not to celebrate.

At the same time, the Corps members gazed at Shinichi with reverence and admiration.

Regardless of his age, Shinichi, the newly promoted Forest Hashira, had truly earned their recognition through sheer strength alone.

Eitai approached Shinichi and bowed sincerely. "Shinichi-sama, thank you for your assistance!"

However, Shinichi didn't respond.

Instead, to Eitai astonishment, he suddenly drew his short Nichirin Blade and slashed Eitai arm.

"Forest Breathing, Second Form: Willow of Life!"

Before Eitai could question why, he and the other members were stunned to see ethereal green tendrils sprouting from the wound Shinichi had inflicted.

A warm current surged through Eitai arm, spreading throughout his body.

The injuries sustained during the battle began healing at a visible pace and his exhausted body felt as though it were soaking in a hot spring, fatigue rapidly dissipating.

"This is... What?! Such an incredible technique!" The Corps members were all awestruck by Shinichi display.

Only the member who had previously accompanied Shinichi on a mission wasn't surprised.

Instead, he wore an excited expression and exclaimed.

"This is Shinichi-sama Forest Breathing!"

Truly, it was an immensely powerful and reliable Breathing Style.

Shinichi made a cut on each of the exhausted Demon Slayer Corps members one by one and soon they were all revitalized and full of energy once more.

***

Far beyond the dilapidated shrine, atop a distant towering tree, a figure clung as nimbly as a monkey.

A pair of crimson eyes gleamed with faint regret.

"To think that brat would interfere... But Forest Breathing, huh? Heh, Shunichi, so you had this trick up your sleeve after all?"

A gentle breeze passed by and the figure atop the tree had already vanished without a trace.

[For all of you who might be confused, Shunichi is the ancestor of Moriki family, the one who invented the forest breathing]

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