Chương 31: Breaking the Limit and Taking Akaza's Head

"Do not stop attacking. If we stop now, we will be the ones forced completely onto the defensive." Cael shouted instantly. The second strike of Starburst Stream, advancing horizontal slash, cut into Akaza's shoulder. His arm and the entire shoulder were torn apart. Akaza had not gone all out against either Rengoku or Cael. In his eyes, killing the two of them was not difficult. That arrogance had created this opportunity. If this chance disappeared, Akaza would certainly become furious.

Once he erupted with the power of a true life-and-death battle, he would be like a lion released from a cage.

"Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe!" A blade heavy with flame cut down from above and struck Akaza's neck. But because of Akaza's reflexive reaction, it landed on his other shoulder instead, cutting off the shoulder and arm together. At that same instant, the third strike of Starburst Stream, spinning slash, cut into Akaza's back. It did not split him in two outright, but it tore through all the flesh and even shattered his spine.

With his spine severed, Akaza completely lost the ability to counterattack in an emergency.

"Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!" Rengoku followed Cael's attack without leaving him an opening. A thrust carrying all his strength pierced Akaza's chest, and flame formed into a tiger that bit the demon's severed spine and torso in two. The fourth strike of Starburst Stream. Parallel twin slash. Cael's twin blades cut horizontally through Akaza's lower body, slicing across his waist and thighs and preventing the upper and lower halves from instantly reconnecting.

Now the upper body and lower body had temporarily lost contact.

"Aaaah!" Akaza finally recovered from the blankness in his mind, and endless fear erupted inside him. He had made a mistake. He had actually slipped up for an instant. Bad. Very bad. His body had been torn apart in a single instant. The damage was too large to recover from immediately. His body had lost its balance. Both arms had been cut off. He could not react in time. Akaza's face twisted ferociously.

Reflected in his golden pupils were a flaming blade and a jagged blade, cutting toward his neck from left and right. His neck was going to be cut. Damn it. Damn it. He had been careless. He had been careless. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. If he had gone all out from the beginning, if he had used his strongest techniques from the beginning... Aaah! Clang. Two sharp clangs rang out.

The swords cut into his neck from left and right, crossing in parallel. A head with short pink hair flew from the severed neck, and even the neck itself was split into two pieces. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The world became quiet. Akaza's head watched the spinning world and the broken body parts falling to the ground. His gaze trembled. My neck was cut. Am I dead? Am I going to die? I have not reached the Supreme Territory yet. I have not even used my full power. I still have so many techniques left.

They were not even stronger than me. His head hit the ground and rolled several times like a ball.

"Hah..." Cael and Rengoku dragged in ragged breaths. Blood kept dripping from Rengoku's mouth, forehead, eye, and chest. In the end, his body could no longer withstand the price of such violent movement. He planted his sword on the ground and dropped to one knee.

"We finally succeeded." Rengoku smiled brightly despite his severe injuries.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Cael."

"You took wounds that serious and still unleashed that much power. You definitely have at least two rare Skills. You really are a man whose soul burns to light the way for others." Cael sat on the ground as well, looking at the man who radiated blazing light with admiration.

"I could never shine that brightly."

"I do not understand what you mean by Skills, but you are also strong. In my eyes, you are stronger than I am. I admire you." Rengoku's voice was loud and clear.

"Standing up in time to protect the weak is already bright enough. Thank you. If not for you, I may have died here. You saved my life." Rengoku tried to bow as he spoke, but Cael pressed a hand to his shoulder.

"What can you do with wounds that bad? Thank me after you recover." After saying that, Cael looked toward the distant horizon. A faint light had appeared over the field.

"Dawn is coming. The night is over."

"Yes. I look forward to the brightest moment of sunrise." Rengoku smiled with confidence.

"Mr. Rengoku! And the man with two swords!" Seeing the demon's head cut off, Tanjiro and Inosuke were so happy they almost jumped. They quickly ran toward Cael and Rengoku, who had collapsed from exhaustion. Just as they were about to arrive, Tanjiro suddenly stopped. His expression filled with disbelief as he looked at the demon's body, which had not begun to disappear. His hands covered his mouth as if the words had caught in his throat. Cael and Rengoku's faces tightened too.

They instantly looked toward the demon's severed head.

"How could I die here so easily? I have stronger techniques. I have greater power!"

"I still have to reach the Supreme Territory. I still have to defeat Upper Rank One. How could I die at the hands of fragile humans? How could I?"

"Aaaaaah!" A piercing shockwave of sound erupted from the severed head's mouth. Tanjiro clutched his ears in pain, and Inosuke grabbed his boar-head mask with both hands.

"How is this possible?" Rengoku stared in disbelief at the demon who still had not died even after being beheaded.

"Could it be... No way." Cael's eyes widened in shock.

"Breaking the limit." Ordinary demons died when their necks were severed by a Nichirin Sword. That was the limit of demons. But if a demon possessed an extremely powerful obsession just before death, it might break through that limit, regenerate both head and body, and no longer die even if beheaded again by a Nichirin Sword.

"Hurry. Use the swords to pin down the severed limbs." Cael shouted and stabbed the Nichirin Sword in his hand toward Akaza's head on the ground. Because of the terrifying shockwave of sound, the blade, already cracked from Starburst Stream, instantly shattered halfway.

"You are not regenerating." Cael drove the broken blade through Akaza's head and pinned it to the ground. Flesh buds were already growing from the severed neck, and a pair of small demon hands regenerated in an instant. Cael stepped down hard and held them in place.

"I sincerely invite you to stay and enjoy the sunrise with me. Humor me."

"Get away!" Akaza screamed hysterically. In his eyes, the dawn light at the end of the field reflected endless fear and madness.

"Do not be shy." Cael stomped harder on Akaza's head.

"You are not escaping!" Rengoku roared. Dragging his severely injured body, he gritted his teeth and drove his Nichirin Sword into Akaza's twisting, regenerating upper body. His feet pressed down on the newly regenerated hands with all his strength.

"Beast Breathing, First Fang: Pierce!" Inosuke leapt up with his remaining sword and charged at Akaza's lower body as it tried to regenerate legs. He stabbed it into the ground and desperately stomped down.

"Get away!" Akaza's terrified, furious voice rang out like a trapped beast.

"You are not escaping!" Everyone shouted together.