Chapter 53: Daji's Attack

Facing this overwhelming onslaught, the Abyss Power within Lin Yi's body surged rapidly, a pitch-black, ink-like energy coiling around the blade of the Black and White Rose.

Lin Yi gripped the Black and White Rose tightly, the blade carving a black line through the air.

The moment the blade made contact with the Blood Demon Art attacks, the dark red sorcery melted away like snowflakes under sunlight, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

Watching this from a distance, Byae felt an unprecedented wave of terror surge in his heart.

His previous arrogance was extinguished in a heartbeat, replaced by a fierce desire to survive.

Without a moment's hesitation, Byae abandoned Rokuro beside him and turned to flee.

As a demon, he understood well the wisdom of "preserving the green mountains so one does not worry about firewood"—as long as he could escape, there would always be a chance to rise again in the future.

However, in the heat of battle, exposing one's defenseless back to the enemy was undoubtedly the most fatal oversight.

And at this very moment, Byae was committing such an error; his negligence acted like an open door, providing Lin Yi with a perfect opportunity to strike.

Lin Yi flicked his right hand, throwing the Black and White Rose. The tip of the blade flashed with a cold light, slicing through the night sky like a meteor and precisely piercing through Byae's chest.

Byae lowered his head, his body staggering. He gritted his teeth, attempting to force his trembling body to keep running.

Lin Yi gave him no room to breathe.

He closed the distance instantly and delivered a sudden side kick, landing accurately on Byae's knee.

With a crisp sound of breaking bone, Byae's knee snapped. Losing his support, he crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The moment Byae hit the ground, Lin Yi gripped the hilt with both hands and pulled forcefully; the blade of the Black and White Rose slid out of Byae's body as smoothly as if cutting through tofu.

The blood staining the blade shimmered with an eerie, seductive light under the moonlight.

Byae lay powerless on the ground, his eyes fixed deathly on the blade hovering at his throat; its icy temperature made him tremble uncontrollably.

Lin Yi looked down at Byae expressionlessly. The direction of the Black and White Rose shifted abruptly, ruthlessly slicing across Byae's neck.

Immediately after, a thin line of blood slowly appeared on Byae's neck, widening until it transformed into a fountain of blood that sprayed out, instantly staining the surrounding ground red.

Byae's eyes bulged, his pupils reflecting Lin Yi's indifferent face and the cold glint of the Black and White Rose.

His gaze was filled with resentment and regret, but it was already too late; his life, much like his severed neck, could no longer be reclaimed.

By the time Rokuro regained his senses in the distance, Byae had already become a headless corpse.

【You have killed a member of the Twelve Kizuki—Lower Moon Three: Byae.】

【Byae is a key plot character. Obtained 8.1% of the World Source. Total World Source obtained: 22.1%.】

【Obtained 4,000 Demon Slayer Corps contribution points.】

【Obtained a Green Treasure Chest.】

In less than ten seconds of combat, of the three Lower Moon demons originally on the field, only Lower Moon Two, Rokuro, remained. He stood alone amidst the ruins, facing Lin Yi, who looked like a god of death.

Lin Yi lightly flicked the blood from the blade of the Black and White Rose, his gaze as cold as ice, directed straight at Rokuro.

Under that chilling stare, Rokuro couldn't help but swallow hard.

A powerful urge to survive surged within him, but his reason told him it was utterly futile.

Over the past decade, his hands had been drenched in the blood of Demon Slayer Corps members, forging an irreconcilable enmity with them.

He knew better than anyone that the opponent would never let him go.

However, his survival instinct made him unwilling to simply sit and wait for death.

With bloodshot eyes, Rokuro let out a roar from the depths of his throat, as if trying to release all his fear through that single cry.

He charged at Lin Yi, attempting to find a glimmer of hope.

But every time Lin Yi swung his sword, a piece of Rokuro's flesh was precisely carved away.

Five minutes later, Rokuro's body was hacked into pieces, blood gushing out to stain the surrounding ground red.

【You have killed a member of the Twelve Kizuki—Lower Moon Two: Rokuro.】

【Rokuro is a key plot character. Obtained 7.5% of the World Source. Total World Source obtained: 29.6%.】

【Obtained 4,000 Demon Slayer Corps contribution points.】

【Obtained a Green Treasure Chest.】

After cleaning up the remains of the three demons, Lin Yi and Shinobu Kocho suddenly looked up to see a glamorous woman standing atop a roof.

Her figure was graceful, with several ribbons floating lightly around her. From a distance, she looked like a celestial maiden descended from the heavens, inspiring awe.

But when her eyes met theirs, they sent a chill down their spines.

Her cold gaze revealed nothing but cruelty and slaughter, and her eyes exposed her true identity—Upper Moon Six of the Twelve Kizuki, Daki.

"A bunch of useless trash. No wonder Lord Muzan decided to abolish the Lower Moons; they are truly of no use," Daki said, her tone filled with disdain and disappointment. She stood on the roof, looking down from a height at the dissipating remains of the demons on the ground.

In her eyes, these Lower Moons were not worthy of being called Twelve Kizuki alongside her.

For hundreds of years, the six Upper Moons had maintained an undefeated record; their strength was enough to strike terror into any member of the Demon Slayer Corps.

Even Daki, the lowest-ranked among them, had buried twenty-two Hashira in her wake—a feat sufficient to demonstrate the insurmountable gap in combat power between the Upper and Lower Moons.

After Rokuro had sent word claiming to have found traces of Tamayo, Daki had decided to personally join these three Lower Moons to please Kibutsuji Muzan.

In her view, the strength of an Upper Moon combined with the assistance of three Lower Moons should have been more than enough to capture Tamayo.

However, the development of events had far exceeded her expectations.

She never imagined that Lin Yi and Shinobu Kocho would track down the gathering place of these demons so quickly and wipe out the Lower Moons with such thunderous force.

Gazing at the demon remains that had already lost their life force, an indescribable rage welled up in Daki's heart.

Her plan had been completely disrupted. Now, the only thing she could do was hope to extract Tamayo's whereabouts from Lin Yi and Shinobu.

"Hey, you two!" Daki's tone carried a hint of urgency and threat. "Do you know where that woman Tamayo is? If you confess honestly, I might consider giving you a quick end."

She did not want to get bogged down in a prolonged struggle with Lin Yi and Shinobu; after all, completing Kibutsuji Muzan's mission was what mattered most to her.

As long as she could find Tamayo and bring her back to fulfill her task, everything could still be salvaged.

Otherwise... A sharp killing intent flashed in Daki's eyes. When it came to those who dared to obstruct her plans, she was never merciful.

(End of Chapter)