Just as Hatsune was about to gather all his strength to sever the demon father's head, a chilling aura emanated from upstream.
Hatsune couldn't help but shiver, his skin breaking out in goosebumps. He stopped his actions and turned to look in the direction of the aura.
He was certain that this aura belonged to a true member of the Twelve Kizuki.
At that moment, it seemed the Twelve Kizuki was fighting someone. The intensity of the aura suggested that whoever they were fighting was also formidable.
Hatsune looked away and fell into deep thought.
With so many people having died on this mountain, the news had likely already reached headquarters. The person currently battling the Twelve Kizuki could very well be a high-ranking demon slayer sent by headquarters or one of the Hashira.
The thought made Hatsune anxious. Since waking up, he had been constantly thinking about finding his sister.
When Tamayo told him that Akiyama was likely one of the Twelve Kizuki, he felt a glimmer of hope. But the immense power and mystery of the Twelve Kizuki left him even more lost and in pain.
Just when he didn't know what to do, one of the Twelve Kizuki appeared here, as if some mysterious force was guiding him.
The opportunity was right before him, and he didn't want to miss it.
Regardless of whether he had the strength to defeat the Twelve Kizuki, he had to see them. If the Twelve Kizuki escaped or were killed, he would miss this close opportunity.
Hatsune glanced at the demon father, now an ice sculpture, without hesitation. His Nichirin Sword slid into its sheath with a crisp sound, and he turned to run towards the source of the aura.
"Hatsune, where are you going?" Nae asked urgently.
"Stay here and don't follow," Hatsune replied coldly, disappearing into the dark forest.
Nae watched Hatsune disappear, feeling utterly dejected.
She thought Hatsune must hate her, which was why he didn't want to be with her. Feeling wronged, her eyes welled up with tears, and her sword swings became weak.
Inosuke, not understanding the situation, watched the two of them. He thought the white-haired boy had sensed something else and left the scene to the girl. But the girl's weak sword swings were unacceptable.
Suddenly, Inosuke noticed the ice on the river moving. Looking at the demon father, he was shocked to see the big guy waking up.
"Watch out!" Inosuke shouted urgently.
Nae snapped back to reality and looked towards the boar-headed boy on the shore. Before she could hear what he was saying, she felt unsteady underfoot. She turned back in panic to see the demon father, still kneeling in the river, struggling to stand.
The surrounding ice began to crack, making a popping sound.
Nae was terrified and swung her Nichirin Sword at the demon father's neck, but it was clear it was too late. She couldn't sever the demon father's head in one strike when he was still, and now it was even more impossible.
Without any support, Nae had to withdraw her Nichirin Sword and retreat to the shore.
The demon father roared to the sky, letting out an ear-splitting howl, shaking his frozen head, and smashing his white arms onto the ice, as if venting his anger.
The ice shattered into pieces and flowed downstream. The river quickly returned to its previous state.
The demon father turned his frozen head and looked at Nae on the shore, attempting to leap ashore, but he fell into the water.
Nae was surprised to see that the demon father's wounds were concentrated in specific areas, such as his knees, waist, elbows, and wrists.
She couldn't help but be impressed by Hatsune's cleverness again.
Hatsune knew he wasn't a match for the demon father in a direct confrontation, so he used his quick movements to frequently cut these areas.
Once these areas were damaged, the demon father's mobility and attack power were significantly reduced. The cold air freezing the wounds prevented them from healing quickly, aiding in prolonged combat.
"Hey, you idiot, what are you doing? Why aren't you cutting off his head?" Inosuke shouted angrily from across the river.
He had initially thought the white-haired boy would sever the demon father's head in one go, but he didn't expect him to leave suddenly, entrusting such an important task to a seemingly dazed girl.
Now that the demon father had awakened and he was seriously injured, with his strength not even a tenth of usual, did they have to rely on this dazed girl?
He and Tanjiro together couldn't defeat the demon father. What could a girl do alone?
Inosuke's heart, which had just calmed, was once again in his throat.
Hearing the angry shouts, Nae glanced briefly at the boar-headed boy on the opposite shore. Normally, such reproachful words would make her bow her head in shame, but now, she didn't care.
She didn't know when it started, but she realized that aside from Hatsune, other people's comments no longer stirred any emotions in her heart.
The demon father crawled out of the river, stumbling towards Nae.
Nae shook off her messy thoughts. She knew that if she couldn't sever the demon father's head quickly, as time went on, the cold air would dissipate, the demon's healing ability would strengthen, and his combat and defense would return.
At that point, with her and the boar-headed boy's strength, they wouldn't be able to fend off his attacks.
Nae increased the muscle density in her arm to six times its limit. She shook her Nichirin Sword, and the over two-meter-long blade coiled around her feet like a whip.
The demon father's knees and elbows had been cut by Hatsune and covered with ice. His movement and attack speed were greatly reduced.
Nae easily dodged the demon father's attacks, moving to his side, and swung her flexible Nichirin Sword, striking his neck.
There was a deep wound left by Hatsune. If she kept attacking here, it wouldn't take long to cut off his head.
Throughout the ensuing battle, Nae used her incredible jumping ability to dodge the demon father's attacks while continuously cutting his neck with her Nichirin Sword. Soon, the wound was nearly two-thirds severed.
However, bad things began to happen as she had anticipated. Over time, Nae noticed the demon father's speed and strength rapidly recovering, and the wounds on his joints starting to heal.
Fortunately, the cold air around his neck was heavier than the rest of his body, so the wound there hadn't shown signs of healing yet. But Nae knew this wouldn't last long. If she couldn't sever his head quickly, the situation would get worse.
Nae didn't want to wait any longer. Chopping bit by bit wouldn't be fast enough.