"AAAAAH—!!! BROTHER!!!"
From the distance came Genya's heart-rending scream.
Stimulated by the scent of rare blood, Masasaburō grew even more feral.
Seizing the instant Genya lost focus out of concern for his brother, he lunged forward and sank his teeth into Genya's shoulder—tearing off a huge chunk of flesh!
That scream struck Sanemi's dying consciousness like a bolt of lightning.
His pupils—already unfocused—snapped back into clarity.
He saw his younger brother in the distance, covered in blood.
His only remaining family.
The final line he would protect even if the entire world misunderstood him—
even if he had to turn himself into a villain to do so.
"Genya…"
"No…"
"Absolutely not!!!"
Thump!
Sanemi's heart began pounding wildly.
His body temperature skyrocketed. His blood boiled like molten lava, forcibly evaporating the freezing cold inside him.
A power beyond his limits surged out of his shattered body.
Bzzzzz—!
A green, windmill-like pattern slowly emerged on Sanemi's cheek.
Mark—Awakened!
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!!!"
BOOM!
Sanemi violently tore himself free from Dōma's grip. His Nichirin Blade erupted with an unprecedented storm of wind.
Even if his lungs were frozen.
Even if every breath meant coughing up blood.
To hell with these lungs!
"Wind Breathing—
Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon!!"
The ferocious slash forced Dōma back, even tearing a long gash through his expensive cult leader's robe.
Sanemi, drenched in blood, stood in the middle of the street like a blood-soaked asura.
He planted himself firmly between Genya and the demons, blade pointed at the three Upper Ranks before him.
"If you want to touch my brother…"
Sanemi gasped for air, every word sprayed with blood foam.
"Then you'll have to step over my corpse first!!"
Seeing this—
Dōma froze for a moment. He looked down at the tear in his clothing.
Then he clutched his stomach and burst into even louder, sharper laughter.
"Hahahahaha! Oh my, oh my! How touching!"
He pointed at Sanemi, laughing so hard tears nearly came out.
"Look at you—hahahaha—look at that face of yours."
"Seeing your little brother hurt—does it hurt you too?
Does it make you angry?
Does it make you want to fight with everything you've got?"
The laughter cut off abruptly.
Dōma's face suddenly moved right up to Sanemi's, those rainbow eyes stripped of all mirth.
"Then when you hurt my son—
do you think I didn't feel pain?!!"
"And you dare be angry?!"
RUMBLE—!
Dōma no longer held back.
Behind him, a gigantic bodhisattva figure materialized.
"Blood Demon Art—
Frozen Mist: Sleeping Lotus Bodhisattva!"
At the same time, Gyutaro and Daki—stimulated by the rare blood—also erupted at full power.
"Blood Demon Art—Circular Slashing Rotation!"
"Blood Demon Art—Flying Sash Slash!"
Three Upper Ranks bore down upon the exhausted Sanemi like the collapse of the heavens.
Sanemi fought desperately.
The Mark granted him a brief window of resistance—
But… the gap was far too vast.
Three Upper Ranks.
And one of them—Upper Rank Two—had never even shown his true strength before.
One minute.
Two minutes.
Wounds multiplied across Sanemi's body. His blade slowed.
His consciousness blurred. His vision drowned in red.
"…I can't…"
"I'm really… at my limit…"
Sanemi staggered backward and slammed against a wall, vomiting blood in huge gulps.
He looked at the three insurmountable mountains before him, despair filling his heart.
Behind him, Genya was still screaming.
In front of him were three demons intent on tearing him apart.
With great difficulty, Sanemi lifted his head and looked toward the pitch-black night sky.
In his bloodshot eyes lingered the last shred of hope.
"The Kasugai Crow…"
"It should've already flown out of Yoshiwara, right?"
"Master… the other Hashira… please hurry…"
"Just hold on a little longer…"
And then—
"Are you looking for this?"
A voice—so familiar it pierced straight to the bone—suddenly rang out from a nearby rooftop.
Sanemi snapped his head around.
All the demons looked up at once.
On the high ridge, bathed in moonlight, stood four figures.
At the center was a少年 smiling faintly down at Sanemi.
That exquisitely beautiful face carried a smile five parts similar to Dōma's.
Hashibira Inosuke.
On his left stood Tanjirō, his expression complicated.
On his right was Zenitsu, eyes cold and unreadable.
And behind them—
A man whose oppressive presence rivaled Dōma's himself.
Upper Rank Three—Akaza.
But what made Sanemi's heart stop dead—
Was the black crow hanging upside-down in Inosuke's hand.
The very Kasugai Crow Sanemi had just sent out for help.
It struggled desperately in Inosuke's grip.
Inosuke looked down at the blood-soaked, stunned Wind Hashira and slowly raised the crow, letting it sway in the moonlight like a trophy.
"Hey, mad dog,"
Inosuke's voice was light and clear.
"Looking for this?"
"What a shame."
He tilted his head, revealing two sharp little fangs, his eyes brimming with mockery.
"Your reinforcements…"
"Unluckily for you—
I happened to see them."
In that instant—
The light in Shinazugawa Sanemi's eyes went completely dark.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read All chapter ahead on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/CanonBreaker