"Hrk—"
Enmu's neck was being crushed by the man before him, leaving him only able to gasp out meaningless sounds.
He stared at the crimson-haired swordsman, his face contorted with pain and shock.
How could this guy have fallen under my Blood Demon Art the moment he opened the bento box?
I even saw him and that owl-like swordsman collapse onto the table, fast asleep.
Why?
Why did this guy realize he was trapped in a dream?
Why could he grab my neck even before fully waking up?!
The demon had even called out his name!
At that moment, only one thought remained in Enmu's mind:
What the hell is going on?!
Meanwhile, Yuki tightened his grip.
Recalling the earlier scene, he felt utterly disgusted.
Disguising his own eyes as boiled eggs and placing them in a bento box...
This guy's thought process is just too damn bizarre!
Thankfully, he had immediately set down that bento box and proactively switched to another one.
Otherwise, even eating that bento in his sleep would have made Yuki feel sick!
With this thought, Yuki subconsciously glanced around.
Rengoku Kyojuro was slumped over the table, clearly asleep.
The elderly shopkeeper and her granddaughter were also unconscious.
In the bento box in front of Rengoku Kyojuro, there was also an eyeball disguised as an egg.
Fortunately, Rengoku Kyojuro seemed to have fallen asleep the moment he saw the eyeball, just like Yuki.
The bento box remained untouched, with only the lid opened.
With this realization, Yuki tightened his grip even further.
But in the next moment, he saw the terror on Enmu's face slowly fade, replaced by a sinister smile.
Seeing this, Yuki's heart immediately began to race.
Holy shit, I'm choking him, and this bastard's actually enjoying it...
Suddenly, Enmu raised his arm, revealing the back of his hand.
A mouth had grown on the back of his hand, and it spoke:
"Sleep!"
*Blood Demon Art: Whispers of Forced Hypnotic Sleep*
Feeling the pressure on his neck loosen, Enmu's expression lit up with excitement.
This guy completely exceeded my expectations, managing to break free from the dream and even find me.
But now he's fallen under my Blood Demon Art again, sinking back into a deep slumber.
At this close range, even if he manages to break free again...
Swish!
A blade wreathed in Sun Flame flashed out, instantly severing Enmu's neck!
'Sun Breathing: First Form - Dance'
Enmu's severed head tumbled to the ground, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief as he stared at the figure before him.
W-why?
Didn't this guy fall asleep right in front of me this time? How can he still use his sword techniques?!
Enmu stared at Yuki, whose eyes were slowly opening, his voice filled with disbelief.
"How did you do that?"
Yuki smiled strangely and countered, "Have you ever heard of Cao Cao from the Three Kingdoms?"
Enmu froze.
The Three Kingdoms had been popular in Japan since the Edo Period. During the Meiji Era, countless woodblock prints depicting scenes from the Three Kingdoms flooded the market. Enmu had indeed heard of the Three Kingdoms and knew of Cao Cao.
But why was this man asking him about it now?
Yuki chuckled darkly.
"You ask how I did it?"
"It's simple. Like Cao Cao, I enjoy killing people in their dreams!"
With those words, Yuki released his grip, letting Enmu's headless corpse fall to the ground.
Yet his expression remained tense.
The strike had felt too loose, offering little resistance. Having already slain two Lower Moon Demons, he knew exactly how a Lower Moon Demon's neck should feel.
Especially since Enmu was Lower Moon One!
Even at this point in the timeline, before Enmu had received Muzan's additional blood infusion as in the original story...
But his neck shouldn't have felt so limp and lifeless.
Moreover, his Restoration Rate remained at 51%, meaning he hadn't received the reward for slaying a Demon.
Sure enough, though Enmu's severed head was already dissolving on the ground, a sinister smile lingered on his face:
"I still don't understand how you can kill people in their dreams, but the one you just beheaded wasn't my true body."
"As for where my real body is hiding... heh heh, you'll have to find it yourself!"
Yuki gritted his teeth. Instead of immediately searching for Enmu's location, he first checked on Kyojuro, the elderly shopkeeper, and her granddaughter.
None of them had fully awakened.
Clearly, Enmu's true body wasn't far away, merely concealed in a particularly difficult-to-find location.
It had to be said, Enmu was the most troublesome Demon Yuki had faced since his transmigration.
In terms of raw combat strength, this guy couldn't even compare to Upper Rank One Kokushibo, and might not even measure up to Lower Moon Three or Lower Sixth Rank.
However, Enmu's ability to induce deep sleep and create an additional body to act independently of his true form were undeniably troublesome.
When Yuki first fell into Enmu's dream, he wouldn't have immediately broken free if the dream hadn't mirrored the original plot of the story so perfectly, triggering an overwhelming sense of déjà vu and dissonance.
As for how he managed to strangle Enmu while trapped in the dream and even decapitate him, that was no challenge for Yuki.
After all, in the original work, Kyojuro had precisely gripped Enmu's neck even while trapped in the dream.
Compared to Kyojuro, Yuki's only advantage was his continued ability to use Breathing Technique sword skills.
After all, he was cosplaying as the legendary swordsman, Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
Lost in thought, Yuki retrieved a uniquely shaped dagger from his robes—the one Tamayo had given him.
Earlier, when facing Kyougai, the demon with drums embedded in his body, Yuki had considered using this dagger.
Considering his opponent was merely a former Lower Sixth Rank Demon, Yuki decided against using it.
As for Kokushibo...
Though Kokushibo had become a nearly headless demon, he ultimately denied Yuki the chance to draw his blood.
Now, however, Yuki had thought of another ingenious use for the dagger.
He toyed with the blade, grinning. "You're the one, Chachamaru!"
With that, Yuki hurled the dagger, embedding it into Enmu's headless corpse, which hadn't fully dissipated.
As blood flowed into the hilt, a cat's meow echoed through the air.
True to form, when the second "meow" sounded, Yuki spotted Chachamaru, the cat with the small pack on its back.
Yuki crouched down and stroked Chachamaru's head.
Yet, despite Chachamaru's puzzled gaze, Yuki didn't immediately tuck the blood-filled dagger into the cat's pack. Instead, he pointed toward the headless corpse.
"Sniff out this guy's scent and tell me where he's hiding!"