Moments later...
Rustle, rustle, rustle.
Demons stepped out of the darkness, surrounding Aoki.
"How did you find out?" The long-tongued demon asked, his face grim.
"Your hiding skills are pathetic. I just looked," Aoki said.
He scanned the demons. "So many of you came to see me. What's the occasion?"
The long-tongued demon didn't waste words. "Cut the act. I saw you eat Tei Shinichi. Give us the way to eat demons. Or you'll die here today!"
"I see," Aoki said, understanding. "You're quite ambitious."
He'd been seen because he hadn't tried to hide.
He didn't care if the secret was out.
To be dramatic, he was an enemy of the world.
Demons were his food. The Demon King was his target for revenge. As a demon, he couldn't truly trust humans.
Besides, this was Mt. Fujikasane. A prison. You came in, but you can't leave.
The long-tongued demon sneered at Aoki's calm face. "You think demons can't kill each other. So you're not worried, right?
But there are ways to kill you!
We could tie you up, leave you in the open. What do you think will happen at dawn?"
Aoki glanced at the long-tongued demon.
He recognized him. The demon he'd let go near dawn.
He was the leader of this ambush.
He was good at gathering demons.
Aoki had to admit, this was a problem.
Demons on Mt. Fujikasane were mostly Strength 6 or 7. Strength 8 was rare.
One-on-one, his Strength 12 would crush them.
But with other demons interfering, he couldn't use Demon Devour. He couldn't kill them for good. He'd be dragged into a long fight.
"You all want to know?"
Aoki said, "But what if only one demon can use my way?"
The demons stirred.
"Fools! You can't see through a simple trick!"
The long-tongued demon was angry. He spoke quickly. "That's not your problem. Just tell us how. We'll decide how to share it..."
He stopped. He looked at the enemy who'd appeared in front of him. His mind couldn't process it.
"You're already dividing it up?"
Aoki's eyes were cold. His fist slammed out.
Boom!
The long-tongued demon's head exploded like a tomato. His body fell straight down.
Aoki didn't stop. He turned, lunged at a demon with fangs.
He was tall. The stat boost had made his muscles huge. He charged like a tank, terrifying.
The fanged demon froze, forgetting he was a demon. He stood there, trembling, lost.
The next moment, his head shattered, too.
The other demons reacted.
"Attack together!"
"Don't be afraid! We're demons! We can't die!"
"Kill him!"
"Give us the way to eat demons!"
The demons charged Aoki.
A demon with bone spikes on his elbows was closest. He leaped, fists clenched, slamming down at Aoki's head like hammers.
Aoki didn't turn. His arm swept out.
Thwack! Like a blade. The bone-spiked demon split in two, cut in half at the waist.
This was the power of overwhelming strength!
These demons were like babies to Aoki. A punch, a kick... They couldn't take it.
But he couldn't kill demons fast without Demon Devour.
"Is there a way to stop their regeneration?"
Aoki wondered. He grabbed two demons, used them as weapons, slammed them behind him.
Thump!
Four demons coughed blood, flew back.
Then... a thick arm burst from the ground.
Aoki was caught off guard. He barely tilted his head.
Thump!
His nose broke. He stumbled back.
"Strong!"
Aoki straightened. His face healed. He saw the attacker.
A mountain of flesh, covered in arms. Only a pair of sly, narrow eyes showed.
"The Hand Demon!"
Aoki knew him instantly. "Heh... Perfect. If I can kill them all, I'll finish the Mt. Fujikasane Dungeon today."
The Hand Demon's arrival gave the demons courage. Aoki had scared them, but now...
"Hahaha! Give us the way to eat demons! Or you'll die!"
The long-tongued demon felt both fear and excitement. Good thing the Hand Demon joined. I might not have beaten him alone!
"Does eating demons make you stronger faster than eating humans?"
The Hand Demon's eyes burned. Several hands came together, formed a giant fist. It flew like a rocket.
Aoki snorted. He didn't dodge. He punched.
Boom!
The Hand Demon's arm exploded like a firecracker. Blood and flesh sprayed.
Aoki moved to attack. Four demons charged, blocked him. Before he could break free, the Hand Demon's arm grew back.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
The fight grew fiercer.
Aoki blocked the Hand Demon again. He watched the arm regenerate. He frowned. "If I can't stop their healing... this fight is pointless."
He wouldn't lose. But he couldn't win either.
Fighting would just waste time.
It was a good chance, but if it couldn't be done, he wouldn't force it.
Was there a way to stop demon regeneration?
Of course.
The Bright Red Nichirin Sword. One of the Demon Slayer's three ultimate tools. A divine sword that stopped demon healing.
But he didn't know how to make one.
Any other way?
A thought flashed through Aoki's mind.
A fanged demon charged.
"Let's try it!"
Aoki took the fanged demon's punch. His hand swept out, like a blade.
Thwack!
The fanged demon's face cracked. His head shook.
"Devour!"
Aoki's eyes narrowed. He activated Demon Devour. His hand became a black hole, sucking in flesh.
Thwack!
The fanged demon's head split in two.
Aoki's hand felt like it was surrounded by spinning blades. It tore off flesh. It went right through. Before the fanged demon could struggle, Demon Devour stopped.
But Aoki's sharp eyes saw it.
The fanged demon's head wasn't healing.
A whoosh sounded behind him. Aoki turned, punched. He activated Demon Devour as he hit.
Thump!
Aoki's chest took a blow. The demon's face had a huge gash.
Aoki saw it again. The wound from his punch wasn't healing!
"It wasn't a mistake! This is how you use Demon Devour!"
Aoki's eyes lit up. He looked at the demons.
"You're all going to die today!"
---
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