CHAPTER 49: CHAPTER 49: TWO PATHS

His arms could no longer offer any protection, yet Sosuke had already descended from mid-air.

His breathing remained steady, warm air escaping his mouth.

Sensing this critical moment, the Demon endured its agonizing pain and lunged to seize Sosuke.

Sosuke’s head snapped up!

Sun Breathing—Second Form: Scorching Heaven and Earth!

He stepped forward with his left foot, landing with a thunderous impact. In a single breath, he transitioned from explosive speed to perfect stillness, the shift complete in an instant.

The next moment, the dragging hammer seemed to radiate scorching heat.

He swung it down with sudden force!

This time, the angle was from above. The Demon’s outstretched arm was only halfway extended when Sosuke’s hammer struck with brutal force.

A muffled crash echoed as bones shattered, the Demon nearly flattened against the ground.

Had his sword technique been perfected, he could have seamlessly transformed the hammer into a sword, exploiting the Demon’s crippled arm and its inability to defend itself to sever its head.

But his sword technique remained incomplete. More crucially, the Sword-in-Hammer contained the Sun, not a Nichirin Blade!

Therefore, Sosuke’s breathing abruptly shifted again!

An instant of absolute stillness transformed into explosive speed.

Sun Breathing—First Form: Gale Sun!

The hammer fell like a torrential downpour, relentlessly pounding the Demon’s thick arm, which had already been flattened against the ground.

Blood splattered everywhere as Sosuke roared, his breath erupting in scorching waves, his movements bordering on frenzy.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

It sounded like a mountain collapsing!

The Demon’s arm was nearly pulverized into a bloody pulp. Recovering from the shock, it let out a furious roar and lunged with its remaining arm, aiming straight for Sosuke’s neck.

Though seemingly berserk, Sosuke hadn’t lost his composure.

A glint flashed in his eyes, as if he had been anticipating this move. He whirled around, adjusting his breathing mid-turn.

Sun Breathing—Second Form: Scorching Heaven and Earth!

With a sweeping motion, he struck the Demon’s joint from the side.

Crack!

The crisp sound echoed as the Demon’s thick arm snapped in half.

One arm reduced to bloody mush, the other shattered at the joint.

The battle had turned completely in an instant, leaving the Demon’s defenses wide open!

Shinobu had intended to land a single decisive blow, using the Demon’s weakened state to allow Sosuke to escape.

Slaying Demons and saving others—this was the duty of a Demon Slayer Corps member!

This had nothing to do with anything else. Whether Sosuke was someone she despised, or whether he harbored sinister ambitions toward her elder sister—none of that mattered in this moment.

Facing a demon, their relationship was simply that of a Demon Slayer Corps member and a Swordsmith, or a Demon Slayer Corps member and a swordsman training to join the Corps.

Nothing more!

Therefore, her duty was to protect and save him!

As for sacrificing herself for such a goal, wasn’t that the mindset every member of the Demon Slayer Corps had already prepared for?

Yet Sosuke hadn’t retreated!

And in the blink of an eye, the situation had devolved into this.

How much of this outcome was due to the demon’s poisoning? How much was due to the toxin weakening its strength and defenses? And how much was due to Sosuke’s frenzied, almost demonic assault?!

None of that mattered anymore.

What mattered was that this was their best chance!

Shinobu gritted her teeth and abruptly surged to her feet.

Clutching her Nichirin Blade, she staggered forward, her spirit flagging. The aching cold that gripped her body made her tremble slightly.

But she took a deep breath!

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she surged forward in the next instant.

Her movements were like a butterfly, fluttering and dancing. In a fleeting moment, five precise thrusts struck the Demon’s head.

She flipped backward, her legs buckling as she landed in a half-kneeling position.

Sosuke’s vision blurred, as if a swarm of butterflies had passed before his eyes. The Demon’s next movement froze mid-motion.

Five crimson blossoms bloomed in the air, mingling with the falling rain. The Demon’s head twisted violently, veins bulging and bursting. Its regenerative abilities flickered briefly, twitching once before ceasing entirely.

The Demon’s body crashed to the ground, sending water splashing in all directions.

It was dead...

The neck hadn’t been severed, yet this Demon... was dead!

Sosuke suddenly erupted into a violent cough, forcing himself to suppress it with a deep, ragged breath.

Clutching his Sword-in-Hammer, he strode over to Shinobu, who remained half-kneeling on the ground, unconscious.

"This can’t go on..."

The dead Demon posed no further threat. By contrast, Shinobu’s frail body had clearly deteriorated after such exertion.

He swiftly scooped her up and carried her into the nearby cave.

The fire still burned within the cave; the battle had been brief.

After setting Shinobu down, Sosuke found himself at a loss.

Two paths lay before him.

The first was to carry Shinobu back to the Butterfly mansion that very night.

Once they reached the Butterfly mansion, the children there would undoubtedly be able to handle her illness with ease.

But there was a fatal flaw...

Could Shinobu endure the journey?

The last rain before winter was bone-chilling. Her already weakened body had fallen ill after being caught in the initial downpour. If she were exposed to the rain all night, she might not even make it to the Butterfly mansion alive.

And what if they encountered more demons along the way?

This was entirely beyond his control.

Sosuke’s heart sank. Why did seeking shelter from the rain always lead to demon encounters?

It had happened last time, and now again. The journey here had been so peaceful...

"No!"

Sosuke shook his head. He couldn’t gamble the life of the girl before him on a fleeting chance.

He dared not overestimate Shinobu’s frail constitution, nor underestimate the frequency of demon appearances on a rainy night.

If they encountered another demon, Shinobu would likely perish on the spot.

That left only the second option.

This was a path Sosuke was reluctant to take... He felt that as a future brother-in-law, doing such a thing to his sister-in-law would be highly inappropriate.

"But now, it seems to be the only way to save you."

Sosuke glanced at Shinobu, who had fallen unconscious. Her forehead burned with fever, while her limbs were icy cold.

After a moment of hesitation, he finally made up his mind. "A patient has no gender. Besides, you’ve helped me change my bandages before, so this is just returning the favor."

His words were already becoming incoherent as he stood up and removed his haori.

Having hung here all this time, it had dried completely.

He cast one last look at Shinobu, then closed his eyes and reached out to unfasten her robe.