Chapter 61: Slaying the Hand Demon

Chapter 61: Slaying the Hand Demon

"Ahhh!!!"

Some of the young trainees, unable to handle the intense scene, completely broke down mentally, letting out hysterical screams before fleeing madly down the mountain.

Those with slightly stronger willpower were vomiting heavily, collapsing to the point where they could only lean against the trees to barely support themselves.

Most of them had no real experience fighting demons, so their reactions were not much different from that of ordinary people when faced with such bloody scenes.

This is why so many new recruits die on Fujikasane Mountain every year.

It's not just about lacking strength; an unsteady mind can be just as fatal.

This year's Final Selection felt far more brutal than previous years.

In the past, it was always the humans shedding blood, but this year, most of the demons on Fujikasane Mountain had already perished under Chu Yang's saber.

No demon nearby dared to lurk in the shadows anymore, as they faintly sensed that even in the heat of battle, Chu Yang would glance toward their hiding spots now and then.

"Who knows where that little girl ran off to," Chu Yang exhaled, feeling a bit fatigued. Although none of the demons he'd fought earlier posed a threat, fighting demons for so long had still worn him out.

"Whatever. If I can save her, it's fate. If not, then it's her destiny." Chu Yang strapped his horse-slaying saber back onto his back and glanced at the group of terrified young swordsmen, unable to even stand, before turning and leaving.

He figured that even if these people managed to survive the ordeal on Fujikasane Mountain, many would likely choose to give up and abandon the idea of joining the Demon Slayer Corps.

By now, six hours had passed since nightfall, and in another hour or two, dawn would break.

The murderous aura and the heavy scent of blood surrounding Chu Yang were so intense that no monster or demon dared come near him.

Just as Chu Yang was about to give up searching for Makomo, his nose suddenly caught a strong stench—worse than that of the boy demon he encountered in the temple.

The Hand Demon!

His instincts told him this was the Hand Demon's scent, and he immediately moved toward the source.

The further he walked, the more he saw shattered tree trunks and cracked ground, evidence that a fierce battle had taken place here, with the combatants moving deeper into the forest.

Chu Yang continued forward…

"The number of Urokodaki's disciples I've eaten is already twelve. Little fox, you're about to be the thirteenth. It's been a year since I last devoured one of you."

"Hehehe..."

The Hand Demon let out an eerie laugh, taunting Makomo. "You all love wearing those masks when you come to die. If not for them, I might not have known who you were."

"You think those masks protect you from disaster? Hahaha! How is this any different from Urokodaki personally sending you to your deaths? What a joke!"

Makomo trembled all over. Each word from the Hand Demon pierced her heart like a sharp thorn. Hearing the full account of Sabito's death from the demon's mouth, her spirit began to crumble.

"Shut up! That's not true! Urokodaki-sama gave us these masks to ensure our safe return!"

"I won't allow you to insult Urokodaki-sama like this!"

Tears welled up in Makomo's eyes, and she let out a furious scream!

In her fit of rage, her breathing became erratic.

Her agility, once her greatest asset, slowed, and the advantage she had been holding instantly disappeared.

Her heart was in disarray, and her movements grew increasingly distorted.

Seizing the opportunity, the cunning Hand Demon launched a fatal attack on the confused girl.

Its massive, arm-covered head stretched out, with each arm wielding immense power—hence the name "Hand Demon."

Makomo reacted too slowly.

She tried desperately to escape the encircling arms, but her legs were caught.

"Hahaha!!!"

"I swore to kill all of Urokodaki's disciples, and you're no exception!"

With just a slight exertion, Makomo let out a blood-curdling scream, her legs trapped as if in a vice, nearly being torn off.

"Die, little girl!"

Just as the Hand Demon finished speaking, it heard a sharp whistling sound, as if something heavy was hurtling toward it at high speed.

As the thought crossed its mind, the Hand Demon was gripped with dread.

The next second, an enormous horse-slaying saber flew past, spraying blood in its wake.

Several of the arms wrapped around Makomo were severed in an instant!

"Ahhh!!!"

The indescribable pain sent the Hand Demon into a frenzy. It looked around frantically and roared in rage:

"Who did this? Which damned bastard!!!"

"You're quite the sight," Chu Yang leaped out of the shadows, landing beside the horse-slaying saber and casually kicking away the severed arms.

Picking up the horse-slaying saber and resting it on his shoulder, he smirked, "You look pretty creepy. I'll fix you up so you don't look so ugly."

After mocking the Hand Demon, Chu Yang glanced at the unconscious Makomo. The young girl was in a faint, but her face still showed signs of pain, evidence that she'd been injured when the Hand Demon grabbed her.

"Looks like I was a bit late, but at least her life is saved," Chu Yang said.

"Don't get cocky; you're both going to die!" In the brief time it had taken, the Hand Demon's severed arms had already begun to regenerate. It roared as it charged at Chu Yang, its massive form like a tank.

Boom, boom, boom~~~ The ground trembled.

Chu Yang gripped the horse-slaying saber with both hands, his blood boiling with each breath.

As his blood coursed through his veins, white vapor streamed from his nose and mouth.

With a powerful stomp, the ground cracked beneath his feet, and he shot forward like a cannonball, colliding head-on with the Hand Demon.

The once ferocious Hand Demon couldn't even stand its ground. Losing its balance, it stumbled backward, leaving itself wide open.

Before its arms could even react to protect itself, Chu Yang sliced off its head in one swift motion.

The severed head flew through the air, its eyes locked on Chu Yang, filled with disbelief.

As its life faded into darkness, the Hand Demon's voice was full of regret and resentment, "Impossible… No human could possess such power!"

It had believed its body was as tough as steel, but in front of Chu Yang, it was as fragile as paper.

"Ah," Chu Yang wiped the sweat from his brow. After a whole night of fighting, he was finally starting to feel warmed up.

Having slain the Hand Demon, Chu Yang hoisted the unconscious Makomo over his shoulder. Before leaving, he sensed something watching him from afar.

It must be the spirits of Urokodaki's fallen disciples...

If only he'd arrived a few years earlier, perhaps he could have saved more of the young trainees.

Carrying Makomo, Chu Yang circled Fujikasane Mountain, using his keen sense of awareness to locate two demons that had devoured many of their kind. He swiftly dispatched them.

Although they weren't as powerful as the Hand Demon, they were still far beyond what new recruits could handle.

For the next seven days, Chu Yang continued to hunt down demons that had grown stronger over time. The bloodshed on Fujikasane Mountain was far greater than in previous years.