"Ah!" A piercing scream echoed through the forest.
Clearly, the pure damage attribute of the Counterattack Spiral had taken effect.
Yohan looked at the Lower Moon Three before him, now missing an arm and a leg. A hint of regret flickered in his eyes—if only he had managed to strike the demon's neck just now, the battle would have been over. However, leaving the enemy in such a miserable state was still a victory.
With a smirk, he taunted, "So, do you still think you won't die tnight?"
The demon, Lower Moon Three, glared at Yohan and let out a cold chuckle. "Fool! A demon's power is limitless!"
"Such minor injuries will heal in an instant!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he waited for his body to regenerate, intending to strike terror into his prey by proving demons were unkillable.
Yet, as seconds passed, nothing happened.
The wounds remained. Blood continued to flow, and his severed limbs did not grow back.
"No! No! How can this be?!"
His regeneration had completely stopped.
"It was you! You did something just now, didn't you?!"
"Impossible! You're not a Demon Slayer, and you don't have a Nichirin blade! How did you do this?!"
Gone was the confidence from before. Fear began to creep into the demon's eyes, overtaking even his innate dread of Muzan Kibutsuji.
He had to escape!
If he stayed here, he was going to die!
Panic consumed him, overriding all rational thought. Lower Moon Three swung his mutilated arm, stirring up a cloud of dust before turning to flee.
"Trying to run?" Yohan's voice rang out with amusement. "Didn't I tell you? You're going to die here tonight."
Without hesitation, he pursued the fleeing demon.
The situation had become clear—his Counter Spiral could truly harm demons, just like a Nichirin blade, perhaps even more effectively.
With that knowledge, Yohan couldn't afford to let the demon escape. There were villages nearby, and if the wounded demon fled, who knew how many innocents would suffer?
Missing a leg,the Lower Moon Three had already lost his former speed. With his balance compromised, escape was no longer an option.
Now, the hunter and prey had switched roles.
Yohan channeled his strength, gathering power in his left fist.
A flash of black light streaked through the air.
Boom!
The immense force of the punch sent Lower Moon Three crashing into a large tree. His twisted, broken body lay limp against the trunk, paralyzed and unable to muster strength.
"You…"
Before the demon could finish speaking, another punch slammed into his face.
By the time Mitsuri Kanroji caught up, she was met with a shocking sight.
Yohan sat atop the battered demon, whose body was now motionless, unconscious from sheer pain and exhaustion.
"Yohan! Are you okay?!" Mitsuri's voice trembled with concern. "Did you… did you really kill the demon?!"
Tonight's events had already exceeded her imagination, but the scene before her was the most unbelievable of all.
"Not yet, Mitsuri." Yohan shook his head. "Demons can't be killed through normal means. Only a Nichirin blade to the neck or exposure to sunlight can truly end them."
He knew that the demon was merely unconscious due to his overwhelming injuries. He wasn't dead—yet.
"Then… we need to wait until sunrise?"
"Exactly. But first, Mitsuri, dig a hole. I'll keep watch over him."
Mitsuri quickly understood his plan and immediately started digging.
…
When Lower Moon Three regained consciousness, his world had changed.
He felt… small.
No, something was wrong.
He had been buried alive!
Realizing his predicament, the demon found that only his head protruded from the ground. He could see nothing but dirt surrounding him, and—most terrifying of all—his former prey standing right in front of him.
"Ah, you're awake?" Yohan greeted him with a grin.
A fist came crashing down.
Thud!
"Mitsuri, keep an eye on him for me. I need to recover for a bit," Yohan said, stepping back.
He wasn't actually exhausted, of course—he was just making an excuse.
As someone with the Senju bloodline, his stamina had already fully recovered. But more importantly, his system had just issued a new notification.
[ Ding! ]
[ Congratulations, Host! Quest: First Demon Slayer Battle Complete! ]
[ Reward: Skill—Berserker's Roar ]
[ Effect: When activated, all enemies in the vicinity will be consumed with hatred toward the user, attacking recklessly without regard for their own safety. Simultaneously, the user's defense will be enhanced. ]
Yohan's eyes widened.
A taunt skill?!
A perfect skill!
His heart raced with excitement. At long last, he had a true provocation ability! He no longer had to worry about how to get enemies to attack him—now, they had to attack him!
This was perfect for triggering Counter Spiral!
Taunt, endure, counter, destroy.
A flawless battle sequence. He had finally reached the pinnacle of his aspirations!
However… a thought struck him.
"System, does this really count as a defensive ability?" he asked skeptically.
"Because honestly… this feels more like a way to get myself beaten up on purpose."
Surely the system wasn't deliberately trying to make him take more hits… right?
[ Host, please do not doubt this system's expertise. ]
[ Berserker's Roar may include a taunt effect, but it also provides a significant boost to your defensive capabilities. ]
[ This system has not provided the host with any direct offensive skills. ]
[ Our mission remains unchanged: to cultivate the ultimate defense. ]
[ Host, continue your efforts to achieve the pinnacle of invincibility—where you simply cannot die. ]