"This brat's Blood Demon Art seems to be for ranged attacks. I can't let him create distance—I need to get in close."
Black Fang's body dropped lower and lower, contorting into a bizarre position that was almost pressed to the ground. Then, with a powerful kick, he launched forward like an arrow, pebbles scattering in his wake.
He shot along the ground, headed straight for Kawanishi.
The moment Black Fang moved, Kawanishi understood his intent. He quickly retreated, maneuvering within the limited space of the bear cave to keep his distance as their battle began in earnest.
With a thought, Kawanishi's massive blazing white wings stretched out behind him, then flapped violently forward.
Dozens of radiant feathers shot out, transforming midair into glowing white energy projectiles—sharp and fierce, brimming with a sunlight-like power that made Black Fang's heart skip.
But even though he was alarmed, Black Fang wasn't afraid.
"Your Blood Demon Art might be flashy, but what's the point if it can't hit me?"
"Even if one does land, you think that's enough to kill me?"
Moving low to the ground, Black Fang twisted his body like a boneless serpent, dodging nearly every radiant feather.
Only one embedded in his shoulder, searing like a hot brand, making him cry out in pain with a twisted expression. But the injury wasn't serious.
The rest of the feathers struck the ground, glowing briefly before vanishing into nothing.
Kawanishi remained silent. Black Fang had correctly guessed his Blood Demon Art's ranged nature from the moment it activated.
And his bizarre, ground-hugging movement style made it even harder for the radiant feathers to be effective. Out of more than sixty feathers, only one had hit—and even then, it missed a vital spot.
Black Fang had lived as a demon for decades. At first, he'd underestimated Kawanishi and easily caught him off guard. From that point on, it had been a one-sided beatdown, dragging Kawanishi across the walls like a rag doll.
Now that he was serious, even a Blood Demon Art that countered demons wasn't enough to relieve the pressure Kawanishi was under.
"Radiant Feathers work well against demons, but the energy cost is massive."
"I'm starving… feels like a swarm of insects gnawing inside my gut…"
Transforming into a demon cost energy. Regenerating injuries drained energy. And using Blood Demon Art was the biggest drain of all.
And Kawanishi… hadn't eaten a single bite of flesh.
When he first awakened his Blood Demon Art, he was too excited to notice. But now that the adrenaline had faded, only deep, marrow-deep exhaustion remained.
That he was holding out this long against Black Fang was sheer force of will.
Kawanishi remembered what Tanjuro had told him before passing away: "Kawanishi, I entrust Tanjiro and the others to you. As the eldest, you must protect them."
That's right. Tanjiro is still alive. I have to take care of him. I can't lose consciousness. I have to fight.
He sucked in a deep breath. "Hinokami Kagura!"
Maybe it was because his body had changed… or maybe it had always been this way.
When Kawanishi used the Hinokami Kagura, his entire body erupted in pain, as if every muscle fiber was tearing apart, as if he'd been thrown into a bonfire.
But in exchange, he gained immense strength and speed, and a surge of fighting spirit.
Maybe the dance awakened some dormant potential in him—though his body clearly couldn't handle it yet.
The blazing wings flared behind him. Though they couldn't lift him into the air, they boosted his speed. Kawanishi launched himself straight at Black Fang.
He leapt, his radiant wings pounding the air above to propel himself downward, channeling force into a crushing axe-kick aimed directly at Black Fang's head.
Close combat didn't scare Kawanishi.
"This has to end quickly."
Black Fang grinned, slamming a hand to the ground and creating a pit beneath himself, using it to flip sideways and narrowly evade the incoming strike.
Boom!
Kawanishi's foot slammed into the ground, cracking it wide open, spiderweb-like fractures spreading over two meters from the point of impact.
Black Fang's blade slashed down toward Kawanishi's right leg. Kawanishi didn't dodge—he extended his fingers, claws shooting out, and slashed toward Black Fang's shoulder.
Rip!
His claws dug in and tore through flesh. Kawanishi ripped Black Fang's left arm clean off.
But at the same time, Black Fang's blade severed Kawanishi's right leg, throwing him off balance. He almost collapsed but caught himself with one wing against the ground.
Without hesitation, Black Fang pulled back and struck again, his blade slashing toward Kawanishi's midsection. Kawanishi caught the blade with one hand, blood pouring out—but his other claw raked toward Black Fang's eye.
Black Fang turned his head—but not fast enough. One of his eyes was pierced.
A battle between demons was as brutal as it was bloody. Limbs flew, flesh tore—and then everything regenerated in moments.
Both wanted the fight to end, and both began trading blow for blow in a desperate gamble. It was only a matter of time before one of them collapsed.
Kawanishi's expression grew darker, his strength starting to waver. He roared, "Damn it! If the radiant feathers didn't drain so much energy, if I hadn't used so many and you hadn't dodged them—I would've already ripped your head off!"
Black Fang laughed wildly. "Brat, you barely awakened your Blood Demon Art and already wasted it like that? You think you're something special?"
"Why won't you eat people, huh? Human meat is delicious. Just smell that corpse in the cave—the aroma is divine."
"You're a demon now, and you still dream of becoming human? There's no going back, hahahaha!"
Kawanishi bared his fangs, bit off a large chunk of flesh from Black Fang's arm, and spat it aside. At the same time, Black Fang's blade sliced open his gut, revealing raw, bloody organs.
Neither felt the pain anymore. They were too focused on mauling each other.
As they fought, Black Fang mocked him between blows. "Stop pretending humans are so noble—and don't act like demons are monsters beneath contempt."
"In the great oceans of nature, tiger sharks mercilessly hunt seals, and seals hunt penguins—ripping their bellies open for fun before eating them alive. And penguins? They do the same to fish."
"Humans are just as cruel—slaughtering prey, gutting it, even grilling it alive over fire."
"Demons are merely humanity's tiger sharks. Eating humans is only natural. Survival of the fittest—that's all it is. Evolution."
"You're a demon now. Follow your instincts. If you don't eat humans, you're nothing but a freak—neither human nor demon. Humans won't accept you. Demons will hunt you. You'll never become human again. Hahaha!"
Black Fang was trying to shake Kawanishi's resolve. In a fight this close, whoever wavered first would lose.
And what he said wasn't random nonsense—it was his own twisted philosophy. That gave it a certain weight.
Kawanishi said nothing.
Black Fang's argument wasn't entirely wrong. But there was one thing he got completely wrong.
(End of Chapter)