"Berserk Demon, today is the day you die! Meeting us is the absolute worst luck you've ever had! Everyone, attack together!"
"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!"
"Thunder Breathing, Third Form: Thunder Swarm!"
"Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws-Purifying Wind!"
"Snow Breathing..."
In an instant, the group of Demon Slayer swordsmen drew their blades and leapt forward. Utilizing their respective Breathing Styles, they swung their Nichirin Swords at Evernight, determined to completely slay such a brutal Berserk Demon!
"I should be the one saying those words..."
Watching the flashes of blades coming from all directions, Evernight wore a cold smile and muttered, "Meeting me is truly the worst luck you lot have ever had!"
"Dark Combat Technique: Nocturnal Galaxy!"
As soon as he finished speaking, his bone blade swung out suddenly. The sharp edge sliced through the night sky like a stream of light. In the blink of an eye, dozens of violent strikes swept toward the surrounding Demon Slayers like a raging storm!
Slash! Slash! Slash!
"Ah! Help me..."
"The attacks are too dense, retreat quickly..."
"Why? Why did they make me deal with this Berserk Demon!"
"A monster this strong... only a Hashira could defeat him..."
Suddenly, the sound of blades tearing through flesh echoed continuously, accompanied by the agonizing wails of the Demon Slayers.
In just one encounter, all thirty swordsmen had fallen. Most were shredded by Evernight's dark slashes; only two or three lucky survivors managed to cling to life, though they were missing limbs.
"Oh? There are still some fish that escaped the net?"
Seeing the swordsmen wailing on the ground, a playful smile appeared on Evernight's face as he stepped forward with his bone blade to finish them off.
Hearing the sound of his blade tearing through flesh, Evernight's smile became more twisted, cruel, and hideous, as if he were savoring the ultimate pleasure brought by the slaughter.
Watching his companions die one by one at Evernight's hands, one of the swordsmen actually knelt before him, slamming his head against the ground in a desperate plea.
"L-Lord, I beg you, please spare me..."
"As long as you are willing to let me live, I will do anything you want!"
"I-I'm already a Hinoto-rank swordsman in the Demon Slayer Corps. I know some of their secrets, and I'm willing to tell you everything!"
"I... I can also infiltrate the Corps and act as your spy..."
"In short, I'm still useful to you, so please, spare my life!"
The pleas for mercy reached Evernight's ears, instantly piquing his interest. He looked the man up and down.
It was a black-haired, green-eyed youth with thick eyebrows. He looked relatively strong, wearing the Demon Slayer uniform and a magatama pendant around his neck.
The youth's left arm had already been severed, and blood was gushing out, but he seemed unable to feel the pain. He continued to strike his head against the ground until his forehead bled.
"Kaigaku, you bastard! To beg a Berserk Demon for mercy... You're a disgrace to the Demon Slayers—"
Splat!
Seeing Kaigaku beg Evernight for mercy, another surviving swordsman cursed loudly.
However, before he could finish, a violent slash struck him, instantly slicing him in two. Blood splattered everywhere as internal organs and intestines spilled onto the ground!
Having dealt with that swordsman, Evernight walked over to Kaigaku with the bone blade in hand, a playful smile on his face. "You... your name is Kaigaku, isn't it?"
"Yes, Lord!"
Kaigaku looked up sharply, his voice trembling. His face was filled with terror, but a flicker of hope burned in his eyes. 'Since this Berserk Demon is willing to talk to me, there's still hope—the hope of staying alive! As long as I live, I'll be the one who wins in the end.'
"..."
Evernight's dark purple eyes stared straight at Kaigaku as he formulated his own plan.
'Muzan wants us to wipe out the Demon Slayer Corps. It's time I did some real work! Heh heh heh...'
With that thought, Evernight condensed his blood, gathering power in his throat to manifest his Blood Demon Art.
"Blood Demon Art: Seeds of Darkness!"
As he spoke, Evernight opened his mouth and spat out dozens of dark purple beads. These black seeds were tiny, even smaller than rice grains. In the dark of night, they would be hard to see even with a lamp.
Evernight picked up a Seed of Darkness and held it before Kaigaku, grinning maliciously. "Since you want to live so badly, I'll grant your pathetic wish. Eat this Seed of Darkness, and you will become my eternal slave, serving me from now on!"
With those words, the Seed of Darkness seemed to gain a consciousness of its own, flying into Kaigaku's hand.
Kaigaku stared intensely at the seed, which throbbed like a heart. The dark seed seemed to possess a soul-stealing magic that made him want to swallow it involuntarily.
At that moment, Evernight spoke again. "Of course, if you refuse, you have another choice: death! And it will be a miserable death. I will slice you into thin pieces bit by bit before eating you myself!"
Hearing this, Kaigaku no longer dared to hesitate. He opened his mouth wide and swallowed the Seed of Darkness.
Seeing this, Evernight chuckled. "Very good. Do you see these Seeds of Darkness in my hand? Since you are one of them, I want you to spread these seeds. Just put them in the water or food of the other Demon Slayers."
"If you complete this task, I will grant you my blood and turn you into a Berserk Demon."
"That way, you will gain eternal life. Your missing left arm will grow back, and in the near future, you might even conquer the sun and become a perfect being!"
"!!!"
These words shocked Kaigaku to the core, and he replied with irrepressible joy.
"Yes! P-Please rest assured, I will definitely complete the task and never fail your expectations!"
"Heh, then go. Don't disappoint me."
"Yes, Lord..."
Having said that, Kaigaku hurriedly fled the scene, not daring to stay a second longer.
Evernight then began to feast, devouring the flesh and blood of the fallen Demon Slayers. In an instant, his basic attributes increased significantly once again.
Enjoying the pleasure of increasing his power, Evernight couldn't help but mutter to himself, 'If Kaigaku can complete the task, then the survival of the Demon Slayer Corps rests entirely on a single thought of mine!'
'However... to ensure the plan goes perfectly, I'll provide some cover for him by continuing to draw the Corps' attention. It's just as well; I want to see what kind of power those Hashira have!'
'Especially my original, Ren!'
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]