Muzan: My daughter can't be that weak!

Yukina had just recovered from the sudden attack and shout, her heart still pounding.

This was the first time she had encountered a human who could recognize her at a glance, and she couldn't help but feel a little flustered. She gripped Muzan's hand even tighter and subconsciously asked in her mind:

"Dad, can you beat him?"

Hearing the obviously uneasy question, Muzan remembered how long he had endured in that noisy and boring rakugo shop.

Now, blocked by this ignorant ant, a wicked thought of mockery suddenly popped into his head.

"We can't beat him; he'll kill us both."

Xue Nai's face turned pale instantly, and her eyes were filled with terror.

Can't beat them?

Will I be killed?

She was filled with regret now. If she hadn't insisted on going to listen to that rakugo performance, her father wouldn't have gone in with her, they wouldn't have left the main street, and they wouldn't have walked into this alley and encountered that terrifying older brother...

It's all my fault, it's all because I was too playful...

She bit her lower lip, her small hands were icy cold, and she was almost crying. Her body involuntarily shrank behind Muzan, only daring to show half of her face.

The ghost was hiding behind the seemingly frail young lady, the two of them very close.

Hagiwara was hesitant to act rashly, fearing that his fierce swordplay might accidentally injure a human.

He had no choice but to block the middle of the alley with his sword, trying to persuade them with words, his voice urgent:

"Miss, please believe me, she really is a ghost! A wicked ghost that eats and harms people! Please leave her side immediately and come this way!"

Although he didn't understand why the ghost didn't make a move, he knew that no ghost is immune to eating people.

Muzan sensed the child's uncontrollable trembling and fear behind him, and his wicked sense of pleasure was satisfied.

He raised his eyes, looking coldly at the swordsman blocking his way, his tone indifferent.

"Oh. Are you done?"

He slightly raised his chin, gesturing for the other person to move aside, "Could you please move aside?"

too weak.

He was too lazy to even lift a finger.

A swordsman of this caliber doesn't even deserve to be asked to take things even slightly seriously.

Seeing the young lady's indifferent reaction, Hagiwara became even more anxious.

In his countless missions to slay demons, he has seen too many humans who, because they were bewitched by demons or simply did not believe in their existence, ultimately met a tragic end.

He didn't blame the young lady for her stubbornness; after all, unless one saw it with their own eyes, it would be difficult for ordinary people to accept such a fact that overturns their understanding.

We must ensure the safety of ordinary people first before slaying the evil spirits!

He took a deep breath.

"Well... I'm sorry to offend you!"

Before he finished speaking, his aura suddenly surged, and the faint image of clear water flowed around him.

He decided to eliminate the hiding ghost as quickly as possible without harming the young lady.

I will explain and apologize to her afterward.

Muzan's patience finally ran out at this moment.

He had originally planned to leave this clueless swordsman to the useless Jade Pot to practice on.

But right now, all he wanted was to get rid of this noisy and annoying trouble immediately, and then leave with the frightened little fool.

Don't be too scared.

He was stupid to begin with.

However, in the split second before Hagiwara's sword strike was about to be unleashed...

Yukina, emboldened by some unknown source, suddenly released her grip on Muzan and, with all her might, shoved him towards the alley wall.

"Dad, hurry up—!"

She cried out, her small body facing the impending blow.

She closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling violently.

All of this happened so fast that even Muzan was momentarily stunned by this completely unexpected action.

This... idiot!

A curse flashed through my mind.

He reacted almost the instant Xue Nai pushed him away. His long arm reached out with a speed too fast for the naked eye to see, grabbed Xue Nai, and pulled her back sharply.

"laugh--!"

The sharp, water-colored blade had already fallen.

Although Muzan's speed was unbelievably fast, that slash was, after all, a full-force attack, with an astonishing range and speed.

Yukina was pulled back sharply, avoiding the fatal slash, but the strand of her slightly curled black hair that was lifted by the movement was not completely evaded.

Several strands of hair were neatly cut off and scattered lightly on the cold bluestone ground.

Hagiwara's pupils suddenly contracted.

What did he see?!

At the critical moment, that young lady displayed a terrifying speed that was beyond human capabilities.

And that ghost called her "Dad"!

A misjudgment! A huge mistake!

The real demon we need to deal with is this "lady"!

A tremendous sense of horror and a deadly sense of crisis washed over him.

Hagiwara's fighting instincts kicked in, and without a second thought, he abruptly and forcefully interrupted his subsequent sword strikes.

He stomped his foot and retreated rapidly, trying to create distance and readjust his posture to deal with this completely unexpected enemy.

However, it was too late.

Almost the instant the thought of retreating crossed his mind, the figure vanished from its original spot like a ghost.

A murderous intent enveloped the entire space where he was located.

The opponent is too fast.

Hagiwara's thoughts were compressed to the extreme on the edge of life and death.

There was no time for fear, no time for regret, and not even time to think about unfulfilled responsibilities and concerns.

The moment he sensed that murderous intent, he knew he was going to die.

There was no chance of luck, no possibility of escape whatsoever.

The opponent's strength far exceeded his expectations.

At least we need to find out her true colors...

This was his last remaining obsession.

He forcefully reversed his slightly unsteady center of gravity caused by the rapid retreat, pouring all his energy and spirit into the Nichirin Blade in his hand. The clear, illusory image of flowing water rapidly swirled on the blade, attempting to unleash a final, all-out attack at the last moment.

However, he couldn't even fully lift the knife.

In the field of vision, the figure of the "lady" was still blurred in the same place, but several scarlet whips had already burst out from behind her.

"Water Breathing"

Hagiwara only uttered half of the name of his breathing technique.

puff!

The piercing sound rang out almost simultaneously.

The long whip pierced through his arms, shoulders, chest, and legs, pinning him to the cold wall behind him.

Muzan then turned around, his gaze falling on the still-shaken figure behind him.

He walked over in a few steps, without bending down, but simply stretched out his arms and roughly picked up Xue Nai.

Yukina instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in the crook of his neck.

Muzan lowered his eyes.

He wondered how she would react.

She belatedly felt wronged, then raised her tear-streaked face and questioned, "Why did Daddy lie to me?"

Or, in the worst-case scenario, she might develop unnecessary and foolish sympathy for witnessing a living, breathing human being impaled and nailed to death before her very eyes.

They felt that the human had died too tragically, and even felt fear or blame towards him.

If it's the latter, then he really needs to consider whether he should open up the little thing's head and clean it properly.