Kibutsuji Muzan slowly retracted his elongated arm.
His earlier sneak attack was just a spontaneous move upon seeing Hachiman Hikigaya momentarily stunned.
Hitting him was, of course, good, but missing didn't matter much.
From Hachiman's reaction speed, Muzan had already realized that this mysterious guy who emerged from the black vortex hadn't been hiding his strength during the earlier battles like he thought.
After understanding that Hachiman's strength was only comparable to the Pillars of this world, Muzan shifted most of his attention to Kamado Tanjuro.
After all, Tanjuro currently controlled the "Clear World" ability and had mastered the first twelve forms of the Sun Breathing technique.
Plus, he had the markings on his forehead!
No matter how you look at it, Tanjuro was far more dangerous than Hachiman.
'Maybe I should just retreat?'
Muzan's pink eyes stared at the two men cautiously watching him, his mind in turmoil.
The psychological trauma left by Yoriichi Tsugikuni from a thousand years ago was just too great.
Upon discovering Tanjuro, Muzan immediately rushed over to kill him and his bloodline descendants.
But even though Tanjuro's current body was weak, there was a significant chance they could perish together.
Especially with Hachiman, whose strength equaled a Pillar, helping out, Muzan had even less confidence.
Just as Muzan was about to give up, an invisible anxiety forced him to cancel the thought.
Instinctively, he sensed that if he spared Tanjuro today, the world would truly see another Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
And then he would be chased all across the country again.
He had enough of hiding in the shadows, bitterly waiting him to die from old age!
Thinking this, he suddenly lifted his head; his eyes had turned scarlet from pink.
Baring sharp fangs, Muzan took a deep breath, pushed off the ground with his toes, and launched himself rapidly toward Tanjuro.
Watching Muzan pounce, Tanjuro showed no panic—instead, relief showed in his eyes.
He gripped his katana and faced Muzan head-on.
Clear World activated!
In an instant, Tanjuro felt the entire world slow down.
Muzan's body gradually became transparent in his vision.
His breathing, where he intended to strike next...
Tanjuro understood everything instantly!
The blood flow through his body sped up, every muscle in his arms and legs tensed.
Exhaling a mist, Tanjuro became a flash of light, instantly dashing before Muzan and slashing his sword down!
Hikigaya's eyes widened at the scene.
He hadn't even seen how Tanjuro got there!
"This speed alone isn't enough to kill me..."
But Muzan sneered mockingly at what to Hikigaya seemed unbelievably fast speed.
He lightly dodged Tanjuro's fully committed slash with a slight sidestep.
"You're still far behind Tsugikuni Yoriichi!"
Having dodged the first attack, Muzan's confidence soared.
That damned human from a thousand years ago was long dust.
How could anyone else like him exist in this world?!
Suddenly, his originally slender, pale hands transformed into blue demon claws.
Muzan attacked with a gust of wind toward Tanjuro's face.
"Sun Breathing—Waltz!"
In the dim snowy field, a ray of sunlight appeared on Tanjuro's katana.
Seeing the light, Muzan instinctively narrowed his eyes, his mind flashing back to the image of that invincible man.
But soon, the sunlight dimmed.
Shaking his head, Muzan showed a cruel smile watching Tanjuro struggling to maintain Clear World and wield Sun Breathing.
His arms suddenly began swelling and stretching...
Within seconds, a pair of huge arms appeared, making his formerly slender body look awkward in comparison.
"Hurry and help! The Demon King is planning to exhaust him!"
The system's anxious voice echoed in Hikigaya's mind as he continued to watch passively.
"I know that, but..."
Looking at Tanjuro's family behind him, Hikigaya was conflicted.
He wanted to help and share some pressure with Tanjuro, but if he left, who would protect the family?
What if the Demon King deliberately attacked them, forcing Tanjuro to rescue and leaving him open to a sneak attack?
"But if this goes on, my current host will be worn out alive..."
The system clearly understood Hikigaya's worries.
Yet, there was still over an hour until sunrise, and in Tanjuro's current state, he definitely wouldn't hold out that long.
"I'm thinking of a plan..."
Scratching his head absentmindedly, Hikigaya opened the shop and urgently searched for an item to help them out of this predicament.
Suddenly, Hikigaya's eyes lit up.
Use spiritual power to set up a formation with excellent defensive ability that protects those inside.
Price: 2000 spirit coins
Seeing the price, Hikigaya's heart bled.
He had just defeated two Special Grade demons, two Upper Rank demons, and a bunch of small fry, and barely surpassed 4000 spirit coins.
This spell "Guard" would instantly cost him half his spirit coins...
Though reluctant, Hikigaya didn't hesitate to buy it.
After all, Guard wasn't an item that could be damaged.
As long as he had enough spiritual power, he could cast it multiple times.
With this, he wouldn't have to worry about Komachi's safety when going out at night anymore.
The moment 2000 spirit coins were deducted, the knowledge of Guard flooded into Hikigaya's mind.
He closed his eyes and carefully comprehended the usage method.
After more than ten seconds, Hikigaya suddenly opened his eyes wide and waved his hand in front of Tanjuro's family behind him.
A golden magic formation instantly appeared beneath their feet.
"Don't come out of the formation..."
He reminded them briefly before holding his Demon-Slayer sword and rushing toward the battlefield where Tanjuro and Muzan were fighting.