A thick stench of blood pierced Renji Haru's nose.
He jolted awake.
His eyes snapped open, not to a white ceiling, but to black tree branches above.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves. All around him was a cold, damp forest.
Renji shivered and sat up with a start.
The icy sensation against his back told him this wasn't a dream.
He looked around.
Not far off lay the ruins of a village.
Collapsed walls, shattered wooden doors, and thin trails of black smoke still curling into the night air.
The smell of blood mixed with the acrid stench of something burnt.
A few twisted corpses were scattered near the wreckage, lying still.
Renji's pupils contracted.
His mind went blank.
Did I transmigrate?
He was an avid anime fan, and that was the first thing that came to mind.
But anime was hot-blooded and heroic… This place felt like hell.
This was reality.
His heart pounded violently. Fear spread through every inch of his body.
He pressed a hand to the ground and forced his trembling legs to stand.
I have to get out of here!
That thought had barely formed when a rank, bloody wind blew across his face.
Renji froze.
His neck turned stiffly, inch by inch.
A dark silhouette was emerging from behind a collapsed building.
It looked vaguely human, but its skin was gray-blue and marked with strange black veins.
Its posture was hunched, but its limbs were thick and powerful. Its nails were black and sharp, like daggers.
But its face was the most terrifying.
Its facial features were grotesquely squeezed together. Its mouth stretched from cheek to cheek, drooling thick saliva from the corners.
A pair of blood-red eyes locked directly onto him.
A demon!
Renji's mind went blank with a loud buzz.
He knew this creature all too well.
It was a demon from Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba!
He had really transmigrated, and not just anywhere, but into a world where humans were literal prey!
"Hrgh…"
The demon let out a low growl, its eyes locked on Renji like a predator spotting its next meal.
To it, this living, breathing human was just a midnight snack.
Run!
Renji's thoughts screamed.
But his legs felt like they were filled with lead, refusing to move.
What could an ordinary person do against a monster like this, other than wait to die?
The next second, the demon lunged.
It dropped low, powerful legs kicking off the ground with such force the earth cracked beneath it.
Whoosh!
A blur of black shot forward, cutting through the air as it pounced on Renji!
Too fast!
All Renji could see was a shadow and the glint of moonlight on razor-sharp black claws.
Those claws were aimed directly at his heart.
This is the end.
The thought of death wrapped around him like a shroud.
Time seemed to slow.
He could even see the sickly stench of blood clinging to the demon's claws.
Then, an overwhelming surge of survival instinct erupted inside him.
I don't want to die!
Just as the claws were about to tear into his skin,
A cold mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[Lethal threat detected. Survival instinct has reached maximum threshold…]
[Conditions met.]
[God-Tier Multiverse Template System , Activating!]
Renji froze.
A system?
[Newbie reward initializing…]
[Congratulations, Host. You have received one free "Perfect Copy" opportunity!]
[Please select any visible target within range to copy.]
The fear that had paralyzed him vanished in an instant.
His mind locked onto the hideous face in front of him without hesitation.
"That one!"
"Copy it!"
He roared internally.
[Command confirmed.]
[Target: Inferior Demon]
[Initiating Perfect Copy…]
[10%... 30%... 70%... 100%!]
[Copy Complete!]
As the system's voice fell,
A massive surge of information, cold and violent, rushed into Renji's body like a tidal wave!
Boom!
It felt like his brain exploded.
His bones cracked and popped.
The muscles beneath his skin tore apart, then reformed in even fiercer patterns!
An overwhelming new strength flooded his entire being.
It all happened in an instant.
To the outside world, not even a second had passed.
The demon was still grinning greedily.
It had already imagined itself ripping this human to pieces.
But then, its grin froze.
The claws that should have pierced the human's chest were caught midair by another hand.
A flicker of surprise passed through its crimson eyes.
It tried to yank its hand back, but the grip holding it was like steel. Unmovable.
Impossible.
How could a mere human have such strength?
The demon looked up, and met Haru's eyes.
Cold. Brutal. And… curious.
Renji lowered his gaze, looking at his own hand gripping the demon's wrist.
His nails had turned sharp and black, just like the demon's.
Power throbbed within his body.
So this… is a demon's power?
The thought flashed through his mind.
Then he lifted his gaze and smiled slightly at the demon.
Crack!
A bone snapped loudly through the quiet woods.
Renji squeezed, and shattered the demon's thick wrist like dry twigs.
"GRAAHHH!"
The demon screamed in agony.
Its eyes were full of terror.
The aura this human gave off… felt more demonic than its own.
Before it could react,
Renji stepped forward.
His left hand, fingers together and transformed into claws, slashed out with greater speed and strength than before.
Shlkk!
His claws pierced straight through the demon's chest.
Putrid blood splattered across Renji's face.
The demon's screams cut off.
It looked down at its chest, utterly disbelieving.
In the next instant, Renji's left hand slashed across its neck.
A head flew into the air, the face still frozen in disbelief.
Its life drained away rapidly.
Renji withdrew his arm as the demon's body collapsed into ash.
He stood there, breathing heavily.
A bloodthirsty urge surged within him, but he forced it down.
The thrill of power and killing made his body tremble.
"System," he murmured silently.
A translucent interface appeared before him, visible only to him.
[Host: Renji Haru]
[Current Template: Inferior Demon (Switchable/Removable)]
[Abilities: Basic Strength Enhancement, Low-Level Regeneration, Claws]
[Bond Points: 0]
[System Note: Templates can be upgraded through fusion or absorption of stronger ones. Bond Points can be earned by altering the storyline, interacting with key characters, or forming emotional connections.]
The interface was simple.
Renji's eyes landed on the words Inferior Demon Template.
Even this weak template had given him the power to reverse-kill a demon.
Then what if… he copied one of the Twelve Kizuki?
Or even the Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji?
Ambition burned quietly in his chest.
But when he saw [Bond Points: 0], he sobered a little.
He understood, right now, he had only just gained the ability to survive.
To grow stronger, he had to take it step by step.
As he pondered,
Footsteps echoed from deeper in the forest.
Rustle…
Rustle…
Slow, deliberate steps crunching over dry leaves, approaching him.
That sound… was human.
Renji's heart leapt into his throat.
Who was it?
A stronger demon?
Or… the Demon Slayer Corps?
He looked down at his still-transformed hands.
In this half-human, half-demon state, if he were discovered…
What would happen to him?
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter