How many years has it been? Three hundred? Four hundred? Muzan could no longer remember how many hundreds of years it had been. In all those centuries, besides that one man, no human had ever made him bleed, not even the strongest human swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, those titled Pillars.
But now! Now! This lowliest beggar among humans! This vile creature, worse than an insect, had actually made him bleed? How was this possible?
Boom! Crack! Thud! The grotesque thorny whip instantly erupted, countless sharp blades springing from it, whiz! whiz! whiz! The countless blades instantly pierced and tore Shinichi's body.
"Damn it!!" Muzan, enveloped by intense shame, roared furiously, the thorny whip, covered in countless blades, thrashing wildly.
Rumble! Rumble! Rumble! The entire dilapidated temple was almost instantly razed to the ground. Clatter! A thin hand, clutching a rusty, ordinary dagger, fell to the ground.
Muzan stared at the dagger that had cut his cheek, his face expressionless. Although the insignificant wound healed in 0.0001 seconds, bleeding was still bleeding, even if it was just a tiny drop.
"Humans!" He murmured, and Muzan's disgust for humanity deepened once more. In the next instant, Muzan's figure had vanished as if he had never been there, leaving only a flattened, dilapidated temple.
Moonlight poured down. After an unknown amount of time, beneath the ruins of countless bricks, tiles, and rubble, a blurred mass of flesh suddenly began to slowly squirm.
Veins grew out at an extremely slow pace, along with pale white bone fragments and crimson muscles, bit by bit, slowly, slowly emerging.
The stench of blood and flesh from beneath the ruined temple attracted countless flies, their buzzing wings a constant sound.
Buzz! A fly fortunately landed on a small piece of minced meat, its slender proboscis greedily licking the flesh.
Bang!! Rubble flew as a pale hand suddenly reached out from the ruins, with sharp, darkened fingernails, twisted veins bulging on the back of the hand, and raised muscles.
The next second, boom! The ruins of the dilapidated temple exploded, and amidst the swirling dust, a ferocious roar echoed in the night, "Roar!!!"
Through the pervasive dust, a pair of crimson eyes could be vaguely seen. As the dust gradually cleared, a figure, bent at the waist, half-knelt on the ground. Its clothes were tattered, almost reduced to strips of cloth.
Its chest heaved violently, and a beast-like growl emanated from its throat. Its once pitch-black eyes had now turned a crimson red, bloodshot, completely devoid of reason. Thick veins bulged on the skin exposed to the air, and sharp black claws grew from its fingers, which were unconsciously curled into a claw shape. Its slightly agape mouth revealed gleaming, sharp fangs. This appearance was exactly like the monster Junbo had once spoken of—a Demon!
The face of this "Demon" was unusually young. If Muzan were still here, he would be astonished to discover that the human who had made him bleed earlier was actually not dead!?
But at this moment, Shinichi had no idea that he had become the legendary monster. Now, his mind was empty of any thoughts, filled only with wildly rampant, brutal killing intent, and a craving for human flesh from the depths of his soul. He, or rather, it, was a newborn demon!
The newborn demon twitched its nose, turning its stiff head. It seemed to have caught the scent of blood in the air. Swish! In an instant, the demon's body vanished from its spot like lightning.
"Flesh! Blood! Hungry! Blood!" A hoarse, stammering voice came from the demon's mouth. Its seemingly slender arms frantically dug through the ruins. Whether it was hard bricks or thick wood, they crumbled like tofu dregs before its black, sharp claws.
Finally! After some digging, a bloody human limb appeared before the demon. The strong, bloody smell made the demon's throat convulse, and the bloodshot veins in its eyes grew denser. Without any hesitation, the demon picked up the limb, opened its mouth wide, and was about to take a large bite.
"Woof! Woof!" A sudden sound from behind attracted the demon's attention. Its fierce eyes turned backward, only to see the small black Shiba Inu, Enni, barking confusedly at the demon from within the ruins. The face was still that of its familiar owner, but the terrifying aura emanating from its owner made the little Shiba Inu tuck its tail in fear. It could only bark at its owner, hoping its owner would come over and pick it up as usual, but the strong smell of blood all around seemed to destine this to be impossible.
Indeed, the next second, the demon rushed to the little Shiba Inu, grabbing its neck. The sharp black claws easily pierced the Shiba Inu's fur. The intense pain and the terrifying presence of its owner made the little Shiba Inu whimper pitifully, its four short legs flailing uselessly in the air.
Just as the demon was about to crush the Shiba Inu that had interrupted its meal, a flicker of clarity suddenly appeared in its bloodshot crimson eyes. "No! No! I can't!" An inexplicable sense of resistance surged in its heart, making the demon incredibly irritable. It was hungry! It wanted to eat human flesh! Crushing this damned beast would allow it to enjoy the delicious human flesh. "Roar! Kill! Kill! Kill!" A terrifying roar erupted from the demon's mouth, but its sharp black claws simply could not exert any force.
Thud! The little Shiba Inu's body fell to the ground, and the demon also convulsed and fell. Its sharp black claws actually tore at its own flesh, and soon its body was a bloody mess from the claws. Yet, strangely, the grotesque wounds made by the black claws simultaneously wriggled with granulation tissue, slowly self-repairing.
"Blood! Flesh! Want! No! Don't eat! Eat! ... Roar! Eat! No!"
Two frantic thoughts were fiercely battling in the demon's brain: one was the brutal, murderous instinct from the depths of its soul and bloodline, and the other was its last shred of reason.
"Woof woof!" The small black Shiba Inu, ignoring its own bleeding neck, rushed to its owner's side when it saw him fall to the ground, struggling and convulsing. Looking at its owner's face, which was covered in bulging purplish-blue veins, the little Shiba Inu extended its small tongue and anxiously licked its owner's face, seemingly hoping to alleviate its owner's pain.
As the demon struggled violently, half a dorayaki cake suddenly rolled out from its already tattered clothes. The sweet-smelling dorayaki stopped right beside the demon's head. Suddenly, the demon's body stiffened.
Staring at the half dorayaki, the demon desperately widened its eyes, the corners even cracking and seeping traces of blood. The madness of the monster in its pupils was constantly fading, replaced by a painful clarity.
"Ah!!!" What came out of its mouth again was no longer a beast-like roar, but a human's scream. The "demon" reverted to Shinichi. It, once again, became him!
.....
Staggering, enduring the knife-like, burning hunger in his abdomen, Shinichi, who had become a demon, laboriously dug through the ruins. The bloody, mangled bodies beneath the rubble exuded an extreme temptation for him. If Shinichi hadn't desperately suppressed it, driven by the demon's instinct, he would have long since pounced and started tearing at them.
After an unknown amount of digging, finally, Shinichi saw the child he was looking for. But with just one glance, Shinichi closed his eyes, and crimson tears of blood streamed down his cheeks. "Junbo..." The small black Shiba Inu, Enni, also let out a mournful whimper as it looked at the broken, small body in the ruins.