As theblood-drenched airthickened with Gyutaro’skilling intent, Kanao and Genya found themselvesparalyzed, unable to move under the weight of his oppressive aura. TheUpper Rank Six demongrinned, his grotesque face twisting into something even more nightmarish as he prepared to strike.

"Hehehe... Looks like I’ll be adding two more corpses to my collection!"Gyutaro sneered, hisflesh-sicklesglowing ominously with deadly poison.

Just as helunged forward, acalm yet annoyed voicerang out from behind him.

"Oye! Can younotmurder my Demon Slayers? Kinda rude, don’t you think?"

Gyutaro’sentire body froze.

Hewhipped around, expecting to see another weakling—only to be greeted by thesight of a casually standing Raja, arms folded, eyesglowing with divine energy.

"Huh?!"Gyutaro snarled."How the hell did you get behind me?! I didn’t even sense you!"

Raja justtilted his head, looking bored."Maybe you should get yourdemon Wi-Fi checked. Your detection skills are slower than Zenitsu waking up from a nap."

Before Gyutaro couldregister his anger, Rajavanished—only to reappearbehind Daki.

POOF!

Daki’s eyeswidened in horroras she felt atiny prick on her neck.

*"Wh-what did you—" she slurred, her bodycollapsing like a puppet with cut strings.

Gyutaro’s facecontorted in rage.

"YOU—!"Heexplodedinto motion, his sicklesflashing toward Raja’s throatat lightning speed.

Raja justsighed.

"Ah, great. Here we go."

Gyutarowhippedhis blood sickles toward Raja with blinding speed, his attacks so fast that evenHashira would struggle to follow them.

But Raja?

Heyawned.

Then, in acasual flick of his wrist, he raised hisdivine trident—and suddenly, theentire battlefield trembled.

🔥Sun Fire Thrust (Flame)!

With a singleexplosive motion, Raja’strident ignitedinholy flames, and he thrust it forward with terrifying force.

BOOM!

Apillar of fireerupted from the ground,engulfing Gyutaro’s attackandburning through his sickleslike they were made of paper.

Gyutaro barelydodged, hisregenerating flesh sizzlingfrom the divine heat.

"Tch... What the hell was THAT?!"Gyutaro growled.

"Oh, just a little thing I call’Stop Being Alive: Deluxe Edition.’"Raja smirked."And trust me, there’s more where that came from."

Gyutaroroared, his bodymorphingas his Blood Demon Art surged to new levels.

Flying Blood Sickles!

Astormofrazor-sharp crimson bladesshot toward Raja, each one dripping withlethal poison.

Rajadidn’t move.

Instead, heexhaled.

🌊Dead Calm, Tidal Waves (Water)!

Suddenly,everything went silent.

Theair itself seemed to still, and theworld slowed down. Raja’smovements became effortless, as if he had merged with the flow of battle itself.

Heglided forward, dodging each sicklewith perfect precision, histrident flashing in smooth counterattacksthatneutralizedthe demon’s strikes.

Gyutaro’srage intensified.

"You... YOU’RE MOCKING ME!"

"Oh no,"Raja corrected."I’mhumiliatingyou."

Gyutaro, realizing his usual attacks weren’t enough,shifted gears.

Witha monstrous howl, he summoned ahurricane of rotating slashes, his Blood Demon Art now completely unleashed.

"Let’s see you dodge THIS!"

But Raja?

He justgrinned.

🌬️ Rising Dust Storm (Wind)!

WHOOSH!

Astorm of trident slasheserupted around him, countering Gyutaro’s attackblow for blow.

The demon wasoverwhelmed, his attacks beingtorn apartby the sheerferocityof Raja’s divine strikes.

"YOU CAN’T BE THIS STRONG!"Gyutaro screamed, hisbody regenerating at insane speeds.

"Buddy, I haven’t even broken a sweat."Raja smirked."But let’s change things up, shall we?"

🪨 Stone Skin (Earth)!

Rajaspun his trident, and in an instant, abarrier of unbreakable earthformed around him,blockingGyutaro’sdesperate strikes.

Helunged forward, his tridentcrashing downlike amountain,shatteringGyutaro’s defenses andsending him flying.

Gyutaro, nowdesperate, unleashedeverything he had, using hisRotating Circular Slashesatfull power.

"DIE, YOU BASTARD!"

Rajanodded approvingly."Nice effort. A for enthusiasm."

Then, in ablink, hevanished.

🌫️ Obscuring Clouds (Mist)!

Gyutaropanicked.

"WHERE DID HE—?!"

Rajareappeared directly above him,upside-down, with acocky smirk.

"Hey there."

Before Gyutaro could react—

⚡ Thunderclap and Flash (Thunder)!

BOOM!

Rajablasted forward at lightning speed, slashing Gyutaroacross the chestbefore the demon could even blink.

Adeep gashappeared, and for the first time,Gyutaro’s body failed to regenerate immediately.

"H-how—?!"

"Because I’mawesome,that’s how."Raja winked."Now, let’s wrap this up."

🐍Slithering Serpent (Serpent)!

Raja’s movementsbecame unpredictable, his attackscoming from every angle.

Gyutaro wascompletely overwhelmed, hisbody sliced apartas he tried to keep up.

And finally—

🌸Flower Petals (Flower)!

Aflurry of divine trident thrustsstruckevery weak pointon Gyutaro’s bodysimultaneously, leaving the demoncrippled and gasping for air.

"And now, time for your bedtime shot!"Raja grinned.

POOF!

Atranquilizer needlestabbed into Gyutaro’s neck.

The demon’s eyeswidened in horror.

"YOU... BASTARD..."Gyutaro slurred, hisbody falling limp.

"Shhh... Sleep tight."Raja smirked."I’ll see you in my underground lab."

With that,both Daki and Gyutaro were knocked out cold, and Rajadragged them away like bags of trash.

Kanao and Genya, still standing in the same spot, juststared in disbelief.

"Did... did we even need to be here?"Genya whispered.

Kanao blinked."I think we were just background characters."

And with that, thelegendary smackdown ended, with Gyutaro learning theultimate lesson:

Never mess with Raja.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com