Chapter 848: Confrontation
Chapter 848: Confrontation
Daki hesitated for a long time but ultimately decided against telling Gyutaro about what had transpired. In her opinion, even if she spoke about it, it probably wouldn't make a difference, and Gyutaro might think that her memory was playing tricks on her.
Moreover, if all of this were true, the ability to turn back time was beyond her comprehension. Perhaps only those gods and buddhas who had never truly manifested in the mortal realm could achieve such a feat.
Daki's thoughts raced as she finally spoke, "... The Demon Slayer Corps has traced me here. A Hashira should be arriving soon."
Hearing Daki's words, Gyutaro heaved a sigh of relief. With a toothy grin, he said, "Rest assured, nothing will happen with me here. If things get out of hand, big brother will take care of it."
"Mhm."
After placating Gyutaro with a few words and lulling him back to sleep, Daki returned to the Kyogoku House, her mind in disarray.
The events that unfolded throughout the night were almost identical to her memories.
And then, until the evening of the next day, everything played out in the same way.
The only difference was that
come evening, Maple Eve did not appear.
"..."
Staring at the window as the sky outside darkened, Daki took a deep breath and slowly sat up.
An entirely unexpected turn of events had left her in a state of confusion for the entire day.
With her thoughts in turmoil,
she stepped out of her room.
She wandered aimlessly through the Kyogoku House.
And then,
a familiar scene unfolded. Tanjiro, disguised as an "ugly woman," appeared, carrying a basin as he ran past her. As he passed, his entire body stiffened momentarily, but then he continued on his way.
Daki's gaze sharpened as she turned to look at Tanjiro's retreating back.
"That kid..."
The last time they had encountered each other, her attention hadn't been fully focused, but this time, it was solely on Tanjiro. She immediately confirmed that he was a member of the Demon Slayer Corps and likely a strong one at that.
Perhaps he had already reached the level of the 'Pillars' she had defeated.
In other words,
this kid was the Hashira sent by the Demon Slayer Corps?
Daki's eyes narrowed, her mind a whirl of thoughts. She couldn't make sense of Maple Eve's behavior, nor did she know how to respond, but when it came to the Demon Slayer Corps, she knew she had to deal with them.
Now that a Hashira had appeared, she decided to take the initiative!
With that thought in mind,
Daki quietly turned and entered a room next to her. She instantly dropped her disguise, transforming into her demon form, and lifting the wooden boards on the roof, she melded into the ceiling. Then, within the attic space, she began to track Tanjiro's whereabouts.
Tanjiro had just rounded the corner, his chest heaving as he carried the wooden basin. A glint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
There was no mistake.
That person was a demon, and at the very least, one of the Lower Moons!
That woman was most likely the demon that Uzui Tengen had been investigating—the one hiding in the Red-Light District!
"Not good, this scent..."
Tanjiro's nose twitched, and his expression changed abruptly as he looked up at the ceiling.
He had been found out!
He had discovered her identity, and she had discovered his!
Without hesitation, Tanjiro sprinted down the corridor. Disguised and without his Nichirin Blade, he knew he couldn't confront a demon, especially one who might be an Upper Moon.
Moreover, there were many people around, and if a fight broke out, the commotion would undoubtedly endanger the civilians.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Tanjiro ran for his life, reaching the edge of the second-floor corridor. Without a moment's hesitation, he crashed through the window and leaped out.
Using his Breath of Water, his speed was now almost too fast for the average person to follow.
Daki, however, was hot on his trail, a fleeting shadow in his wake as she pursued him from behind.
"As I thought..."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
If she had any doubts before, Tanjiro's sudden burst of speed confirmed that he was indeed a Hashira in her eyes, comparable to the seven Pillars she had slain.
This level of opponent was still within her capabilities, and she didn't need to rouse Gyutaro's help.
She just needed to reclaim her full power.
Swish! Swish!!!
As Daki thought, strips of cloth hidden in underground chambers and attics throughout the Red-Light District came to life like snakes, converging from all directions and pouring into Daki's body.
However, by the time he landed, two figures had appeared beside him—Inosuke Hashibira and Zenitsu Agatsuma, who had rushed over upon sensing the disturbance.
"Tanjiro!"
Inosuke wasted no time and immediately tossed Tanjiro his Nichirin Blade.
Tanjiro caught the blade, and his demeanor instantly calmed as he faced Daki, who was surrounded by countless sashes.
"So there are three of you? But the other two don't seem as strong as you."
Daki remained composed in the face of Tanjiro and his companions. She spoke calmly and then asked, "Do you remember if we've met before?"
Tanjiro was taken aback for a moment and replied with confusion, "I don't think I've met you before."
"Oh, I see..."
Daki nodded.
Suddenly, the sashes by her side sprang to life like arrows, shooting towards Tanjiro.
Tanjiro swiftly swung his Nichirin Blade to block them.
Whoosh!
Amidst the gushing water, Tanjiro managed to deflect a portion of the sashes.
Inosuke charged forward, brandishing his Nichirin Blade and shouting, "Don't underestimate me! While I might not be as strong as Tanjiro right now, I will surpass him eventually!"
He continued to rush forward, his eccentric cries scattering some of the incoming sashes.
At the same time, Zenitsu entered a sleeping state, and his auto-battle mode kicked in. He transformed into a golden streak of light and rushed directly toward Daki, appearing behind her and slashing at her head.
The strike was almost perfect, but at the moment of impact, Daki's neck turned into a sash-like form and bent backward, dodging Zenitsu's attack.
"The leader is a Hashira, and the other two also have some skill. This might be a bit troublesome, but it's manageable..."
Such thoughts flashed through Daki's mind.
But the next moment, her gaze froze, and her eyes slowly moved to the right. To her surprise, a fourth person had appeared at her side—Tengen Uzui, holding two swords on his shoulders.
Tengen didn't glance at Daki; instead, he looked at Tanjiro and the others and said, "Thank you. I've rescued the girls, but I couldn't find where the Upper Moon demon is hiding."
Tanjiro and his companions stared at Tengen, dumbfounded.
At that moment, Daki exclaimed, "Another one? There are four of you now. Are you also a Hashira?"
As she spoke, she prepared to manipulate her sashes to continue the attack, but she suddenly paused, feeling dizzy as if her vision was spinning. It was then that she realized her head had been severed from her neck, and she didn't even know when it had happened.
"Huh?"
Was her head chopped off?
When did that happen?
Daki stood there, bewildered.
In the past, she had encountered twenty-two Hashira, defeating seven of them. The other fifteen were handled by Gyutaro, but even among those she couldn't defeat, none were as fast as this. Her head had been taken before she could even react.
"As expected of Mr. Uzui," Tanjiro said, sheathing his Nichirin Blade and letting out a sigh of relief.
Tengen shook his head. "Don't let your guard down. There should be an Upper Moon demon here..."
"...It's me. I'm the Upper Moon. I'm the Sixth Upper Moon!"
Daki, who had been ignored until now, could no longer contain her frustration. She shouted at Tengen, "You! How dare you cut off my head! I won't let this go!"
Tengen glanced at her and said, "How can you be an Upper Moon? You're so weak. Just be quiet and die peacefully."
"I am an Upper Moon! Although I'm only Sixth, I will become even stronger in the future!"
Overcome with shame and anger, Daki burst into tears. "Two Hashira came, and you even took advantage of my distraction to attack from the side. How cruel! So cruel! Ah, ah, ah... Brother!"
(End of Chapter)
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