Chapter Fifty-Two: The Time of the Executioner Has Come!
Note: I'm trying to speed up chapter production, so no complaining. And yes, I change many things, even the techniques themselves, just to suit me.
Question: Do you hate Akaza or like him? Tell me your opinion in the comments!
Do you like him?
Do you hate him?
Enjoy~~~
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Inside the majestic hall of the Domain Expansion Court, nothing could be heard except the rapid breathing of Akaza. The towering walls and the massive scale hanging above the head of the judge, "Judgeman," created an awe that no Upper Moon had ever experienced before.
"I object!"
Akaza's voice suddenly exploded like a bomb in the silence. He shouted with all his strength, the veins on his face crawling like black lines as they bulged in a terrifying way. He slammed his fist against the wooden stand in front of him, trying to regain his wounded pride in this strange place.
"….."
A complete silence fell for a few seconds. Ren, who was leaning with his back against the prosecution stand, did not move an inch. He slowly opened one eye and looked at Akaza with a gaze that mixed pity and total boredom, as if he were watching a child trying to play a role he clearly did not understand.
"What exactly are you objecting to, Akaza-chan?" Ren said in a dead tone, his voice echoing with obvious boredom throughout the hall. "Are you objecting to the quality of the wood on the stand? Or is the lighting here not suitable for your pale skin tone?"
Akaza froze for a moment, looking as if the search engine in his head had crashed. He stepped back slightly, his shoulders relaxing in an absurd way that did not suit an Upper Moon at all, then scratched the back of his head with an ugly casualness.
"I don't know…" Akaza muttered in a low voice, then sighed as he recalled some scenes from his almost-erased human memories. "I thought this might help… especially since I've seen humans shout like this a lot in those buildings they call courts… isn't this what lawyers do to confuse the opponent?" (Don't think)
Ren sighed deeply and raised a hand to massage his forehead as if suffering from a sudden migraine.
"Akaza…" Ren spoke his name in a terrifyingly calm tone, then lifted his head, his lethal gaze colliding with Akaza's eyes. "You are not in a cheap legal drama from the twenty-first century. You are in my domain, and since you don't have a 'lawyer,' and since your intelligence seems to have evaporated along with your Demon Blood Art… let's move on to the part where you get legally crushed."
Ren pointed his finger toward "Judgeman," who sat in the darkness behind the judge's stand.
"The judge does not like noise in his court. And now… let's see what 'the death penalty' will do to you when we open the file of your murder of a Hashira 1690 years ago."
"Damn you, that was 160 years ago… are you sure you're doing this to judge me, or just to mock me?"
"1690 years? 160 years? Don't be too precise, Akaza-chan. In the end, time is just a number when you're standing in front of death," Ren waved his hand indifferently, driving the demon mad. "Besides, mocking you is my side entertainment. Doesn't the prosecutor have the right to enjoy himself a little while doing his job?"
Suddenly, the atmosphere completely changed.
The sound of Judgeman's gavel echoed through the hall—not once, but three times, shaking the very foundations of the place. The massive judge's voice rose, a voice that was not human but a deep echo emerging from the abyss itself:
"Akaza… Upper Moon Three… charged with the intentional murder of the Wind Hashira… verdict: death!"
(Reminder: this does not refer to Sanemi, but to a Wind Hashira from generations and decades ago, a Wind Hashira of the past.)
At that moment, the hall glowed with a faint golden light. The gavel fell from the judge's hand and transformed midair into particles of pure energy, then gathered at lightning speed into Ren's right hand.
Ren was no longer holding a normal Nichirin sword. Instead, he now held a dagger glowing with pure white light, radiating an aura of "holiness" that made any demon feel the urge to fade away just by looking at it.
Akaza's eyes widened, and a cold shiver stole what remained of his courage. "That weapon… what is this? I feel like my very existence is trembling before it!"
Ren skillfully played with the dagger between his fingers, a cold and terrifying smile forming on his face. "This, Akaza-chan, is not just a sword… it is the 'Executioner's Sword.' The ultimate technique of Judgeman's domain."
Ren took a single step toward Akaza, the light from the weapon reflecting in his crimson eyes. "Its rule is extremely simple and absolute: if this weapon touches you, you will die instantly. There is no regeneration, no Demon Blood Arts, and no exceptions. Just one touch… and you will disappear from this world, leaving not even ashes for the wind to scatter."
Ren let out a low laugh that sent terror into Akaza's heart. "You were always boasting that the strong live and the weak die… tell me now, how does it feel to be the 'weakest' in this hall?"
Ren prepared to lunge, the execution sword leaving a trail of light behind it. "Let's end this court with a single touch… isn't this what you always dreamed of? A fight that ends with one of us dying?"
(Yes, even the techniques and general logic are modified.)
Akaza could not believe what his eyes were seeing. That glowing dagger in Ren's hand was not merely a weapon; it was a "concept" of absolute death. In Hiromi Higuruma's Domain Expansion (Ryoiki Tenkai), power was not measured by muscles, but by the judgment delivered by Judgeman.
"Akaza-chan, why are you trembling?" Ren asked as he advanced with confident steps, playing with the execution sword as if it were a pencil. "Where is your philosophy of strength? Where is your pride, Upper Moon? Or are you discovering now that being a powerless human is… a little embarrassing?"
"Damn you, bastard!" Akaza shouted. He tried to gather his strength, tried to activate his Kekkijutsu (Demon Blood Art), screaming inside his mind with all his might: "Hakai Satsu: Rashin" (Destructive Killing: Compass Needle)!
But… nothing. The snowflake did not appear beneath his feet, and he did not feel that sixth sense that allowed him to read his opponent's "fighting spirit." He was completely "blind" before Ren.
"Oh, are you trying to activate the compass?" Ren laughed mockingly, tilting his head. "Judgeman confiscated your abilities, my dear. You're now just a weak fighter in a legal court. How shameful!"
Akaza burned with rage. Despite losing his techniques, the combat instincts he had honed for centuries had not died. He charged toward Ren at astonishing speed, using his powerful body and the basic movements of Destructive Killing.
"Even without my Demon Blood Art, I'll crush your head!" Akaza shouted as he threw a straight punch toward Ren's face.
Ren, with extreme calm, tilted his head just a few centimeters. The air from the punch brushed his hair, but he did not blink.
"Slow…" Ren muttered. "Even a turtle would've had time to drink a coffee before that punch arrived."
The real fight began. Akaza unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks from his martial arts: "Sokushi" (Leg Kick), "Kamuro" (Crown Kick). His movements were precise and violent, aimed at breaking bones and crushing organs.
But Ren moved like a phantom. He wasn't even using "Zenshu no Kokyu" (Total Concentration Breathing), dodging attacks with dance-like motions, as if mocking every effort the Upper Moon made.
"You know, Akaza," Ren said as he jumped over a spinning kick, "in the world of jujutsu, this sword is called 'Shodokusha no Tsurugi' (Executioner's Sword). It doesn't cut flesh… it cuts existence itself. One touch, and the particles of your body stop functioning. No regeneration, no immortality, no Muzan to save you."
"Stop talking and damn you!" Akaza roared, trying to grab Ren's formal suit to pin him down and smash his head with a headbutt.
But Ren used the momentum, placing his foot behind Akaza's leg, causing the demon to stagger and fall humiliatingly onto the wooden floor of the court.
"Ouch… that hurts, doesn't it?" Ren said, looking down at the fallen Akaza. "Falling from the peak of the 'Upper Moons' to the bottom of the 'defendants' is quite a blow to one's pride."
Akaza stood up quickly, completely blinded by rage. "You're not fighting with honor! Give me back my power and I'll show you who's weak!"
Ren suddenly stopped laughing. The mocking smile vanished from his face, replaced by an icy coldness that froze the air in the domain. His eyes glowed with a terrifying light, and for the first time, Akaza felt fear. It felt as if death itself had taken form within that small body.
"Honor?" Ren spoke the word as if it were poison in his mouth. "You talk about honor while slaughtering defenseless humans and devouring Hashira for centuries?"
Ren began walking slowly, each step cracking the floor of the hall. "Playtime is over, Akaza. I'm starting to get bored, and when I get bored… things become very bloody."
Akaza sensed real danger. He tried to retreat, but found himself trapped within the range of the domain expansion.
"I've explained plenty to you about power, about domains, and about the sword," Ren said in a low, terrifying voice. "But you don't even deserve to know how you'll die."
In the blink of an eye, without any warning, Ren vanished from his spot. It was neither "Hinokami Kagura" (Dance of the Sun God) nor "Kaminari no Kokyu" (Breath of Thunder). It was raw speed mixed with concentrated cursed energy.
Ren appeared directly in front of Akaza. The distance was zero.
Akaza's eyes widened. He tried to raise his arms to defend himself, but time had already run out.
"Farewell… Moon of Misery."
With a simple, professional motion devoid of emotion, Ren plunged the "Executioner's Sword" into Akaza's heart.
No blood spilled. No explosion occurred. Only a white light began seeping from the point of impact, spreading through Akaza's entire body like mold consuming paper.
The body of the Third Upper Moon began to disintegrate into particles of light, his eyes reflecting eternal shock. The trial had ended, the verdict had been delivered… and there was no appeal.
The light of the domain faded, and darkness once again enveloped the place, leaving Ren standing alone amid the drifting ash.
If we reach 100 energy stones, we'll release two more chapters. That is, if we reach them before the end of the day, of course.
By the way, friends... the novel has reached a total of 248 energy stones, but there are novels with 150 or 170 energy stones that are listed in the popular novel rankings, or whatever they're called, and this novel isn't among them... Regarding the ranking The weekly list shows that the novel currently has 42 energy stones, but there are novels with 30-37 stones on the list, and this novel is not one of them.
Can someone explain the reason to me?