On the clearing not far from the top of Fujikasane Mountain, almost all the demons on the mountain had gathered.
Leading them were three demons: the Spider Demon, the Bouncing Demon, and the Three-Headed Demon. Compared to the ordinary demons, these three had slightly higher intelligence and unique physical advantages.
Hatsune was holding off the Three-Headed Demon. With no worries about being attacked from behind, the contestants finally overcame their fear and despair. They joined forces to fight the demons, gradually shifting from a losing to a winning position.
Nae still couldn't bring herself to kill. Though she knew they were no longer human and had steeled her heart to decapitate them, her hands still trembled when she was about to strike.
The two demons on the slope, who had been observing the battle, finally moved.
Nae and the other two felt their hearts leap into their throats. According to what Hatsune had said earlier, if the two demons attacked him, they didn't need to interfere. However, if the demons attacked the contestants, they had to intercept.
But could the three of them really hold off two demons?
Moreover, if the two demons targeted Hatsune, he would be fighting three demons alone. Could he really handle that?
Hatsune was the hope of the whole team. If he fell, the entire team would be defeated. Could they really not help him?
Though the three of them had no verbal communication, their thoughts were aligned. None could decide what to do, so they followed Hatsune's instructions for now.
Hatsune must have some confidence if he said that.
This was what the other two thought. Nae knew Hatsune was strong but not so strong that he could single-handedly defeat three demons.
The two demons, still resentful over the injuries Hatsune had inflicted on them, charged from the slope without even glancing at the contestants, heading straight for him.
"Hatsune, be careful! Those two demons are coming for you!"
Hatsune was focused on countering the Three-Headed Demon's attack when he heard Nae's warning. Before her voice faded, the area under his control, "Cold Tide," showed abnormal temperature changes from above and below.
Hatsune sneered. Just as he had guessed, becoming demons had reduced their intelligence while magnifying their personalities, making them vengeful.
He slashed at the Three-Headed Demon's incoming fist. As the Bouncing Demon's feet aimed at the back of his head, he condensed ice at his feet, leaning back at a 45-degree angle to slide backward, creating distance from the Three-Headed Demon.
At that moment, the Spider Demon, having sneaked behind him, lunged at his neck.
The Bouncing Demon and Spider Demon's coordinated attack was seamless.
Hatsune had anticipated this sneaky behavior. He held his blade horizontally in front of his chest. As the two demons approached, he twisted his waist, spinning rapidly, using the strength of his waist to drive his entire body.
His blade slashed across the Spider Demon's abdomen and the Bouncing Demon's calf.
Hatsune, like a small whirlwind of snow, slipped through the gap between the two demons, landing steadily on the ground a few meters away. His white haori fluttered in the wind, the wisteria flowers seemed alive.
The three others watching were stunned. In such a situation, any of them would have been either kicked or bitten to death.
Another baffling point was how Hatsune, even with Nae's timely warning, could precisely judge the attack direction and timing without looking back.
Nonetheless, seeing Hatsune easily escape from danger boosted everyone's morale.
Seeing Hatsune handle the three demons' combined attack, Nae and the other two breathed a sigh of relief and turned to help the other contestants.
With Hatsune holding off the three demons, defeating the ordinary ones was just a matter of time.
The Bouncing Demon, Spider Demon, and Three-Headed Demon stood together.
The Spider Demon's chest wounds emitted cold air, while the Bouncing Demon's calf wound, not as deep due to its denser muscles, healed quickly as the ice melted.
The Three-Headed Demon, with two heads and one face, screamed in anger, its six arms covered in frozen wounds.
Suddenly, it tore off its frozen arms, replacing them with new ones.
Everyone was stunned by the Three-Headed Demon's actions.
Hatsune glanced at the intense battle around him. He decided to take the initiative.
He feared if he couldn't effectively engage the three demons, they would disrupt the contestants, shattering their newfound hope.
"Ice Breathing: Fusion Technique - Phantom: Shattering Shower."
Combining the "Third Form: Shattering Shower" with the "Sixth Form: Phantom," Hatsune unleashed a group attack.
Using "Phantom," he rapidly approached the enemy, creating multiple footholds, each launching "Shattering Shower," turning a single attack into an overwhelming barrage.
Hatsune's figure flickered, appearing around the three demons. Almost simultaneously, every figure slashed, sending dense ice spikes at the central demons.
The sudden appearance of Hatsune's figures startled the demons. Seeing the incoming spikes, they panicked.
The Three-Headed Demon wrapped its body with its six arms to shield itself.
The Spider Demon, trying to escape by burrowing, found the ground also covered in spikes and hid under the Three-Headed Demon.
The Bouncing Demon leaped into the air.
Ice spikes embedded into the Three-Headed Demon's arms, freezing them.
Hatsune had hoped "Phantom: Shattering Shower" would catch the demons off guard, allowing him to follow up with other skills.
But the Three-Headed Demon's defensive maneuver halted his attack, as cutting off easily replaceable arms would be futile.