[Kakunodate, Demon Slayer Outpost, Year 1839, January]
The sudden arrival of the two demons shifted the calculus of the entire night.
Gekido stood at the broken gate, his massive frame blotting out the distant firelight. Janshin hovered just behind him, her eyes darting between Hitoku, Scale's camouflaged presence, and the three slayers.
The air, already thick with wisteria and tension, was about to break. Three factions clashing.
Sozen didn't turn. His aged ears had tracked their approach long before they spoke. Hayate and Sasuke whirled, blades coming up again, their despair palpable.
They were unbelievably powerful, far more than any they had killed before.
"A cyclop," Gekido rumbled, his predatory grin widening. "And not just any. Your power… it's dense. Controlled. You've been feeding well, haven't you? Hiding here while we do the hard work?"
[Gekido – Lv. 38 (↑2) Demon]
[Janshin – Lv. 25 (↑1) Demon]
Immense vitality from Gekido, sharp perception from Janshin. He could tell that they were powerful. Not as much as he was, not as refined as he was, but praiseworthy nevertheless.
Gekido was a classic powerhouse demon, one who had evolved through countless feedings. The stench of blood from his mouth was particularly strong. The fact that he had gained two levels from the attack made both his interests in attacking Kakudonate and in coming to the demon slayer outpost clear.
He sought strength, just like he sought strength.
Demons were driven by instincts. Hitoku was no exception, not to mention regular demons like Gekido.
Judging by his size and level, however, he was likely old. Twenty years old, at the very least. And since he had recruited subordinates, perhaps even older.
"Hard work?" Hitoku's voice was a dry rasp. "You mean making a spectacle. Drawing every slayer for miles to this location. You call that efficiency?"
Gekido's grin expanded: "Smart and strong, huh? Join me. With Janshin's blood art to detect prey and you at my side, we could become stronger together, expand our territory, feed ourselves without a care in the world...We could become Lower Moons in a decade!"
Janshin's whisper was like rustling leaves. "Master, his sword…"
Gekido's eyes snapped to the white nichirin at Hitoku's hip. His expression shifted from interest to incredulous delight: "A demon… with a slayer's blade? Now I've seen everything! It doesn't matter what trick you use. Join me, and I shall make you part of my family...make you grow"
Hitoku smirked. A demon making him an offer. Was he impersonating Muzan?
Yet, it had given away important information.
His blood demon art was probably used to bind other demons in what he called his 'family', possibly strengthening them. This would explain why a relatively powerful demon like Janshin would call him 'Master'.
At the same time, he had revealed that Janshin was no fighter, but possessed a tracking blood demon art.
This made them by default not a threat.
Hitoku was confident in beating most Tsuchinoto and below demon slayers, but he was still wary about demons. Their blood demon arts were unique, often threatening in a way that exceeded the realm of reality.
Infinity castle, flesh manipulation, Koketsu Arrows, Perception Eye...All of it fell under blood magic. If it countered his fighting style, even a Lv. 38 demon like Gekido could be threatening to him.
But now that this veil was lifted, Hitoku's confidence rose.
He seemed too arrogant to plot against him, and while Janshin was reserved, he had also exposed her ability in one sentence.
If Shogi taught him anything, it was that he held a checkmate position against two opponents.
The demon slayers had already given up what he needed: the scroll of the crow breathing style. But it did not mean they no longer had anything to offer.
"Elder Sozen", Hitoku said, his voice dropping, meant only for the old man's keen ears, "A counter offer. A transaction for this night only. You have not yet seen my Crow Forms, but I am sure you are curious. I can tell you they are… competent. But they lack the depth, the intent of a true master. You have a lifetime of that intent in your bones."
Sozen's wrinkled face showed no surprise, only a deep, weary curiosity: "Go on."
"Teach me", Hitoku said, "For the duration of this battle. Show me the core principle your grandsons are too young to grasp. The thing that separates a form from a true technique. In exchange…"
He gestured with his chin toward Gekido and Janshin. "I eliminate this nuisance from your doorstep. I make sure your family, your legacy survive this night"
It was a monstrous bargain. To ask a former Hinoe-level slayer to tutor a demon in the art meant to destroy them. It was blasphemy.
"Time is short, cyclop", Gekido snarled, tired of being ignored, "A pity. You would have made a fine addition to our family, but I have encountered demons like you plenty of times in the past. They either joined my family, or died"
He crouched, the ground cracking under his feet: "Enough talk! Janshin, the slayers are yours! The cyclop and the cripple are MINE!"
"The answer, Elder", Hitoku pressed, his hand resting on the crow-pommel of his sword, "Do we have a contract?"
"Very well," Sozen said, his voice firm. "A lesson for a life. One principle. The heart of the Crow is not in the flock's chaos…"
He took a pained, shuffling step forward, raising his walking staff not as a crutch, but as a blade, or at least mimicking one. "…It is in the singular focus of the strike. Every feint, every flutter, every step of the murder… exists only to deliver one, perfect, unseen peck. You have been practicing five separate forms. You must see them as one flowing motion, with only one true purpose. Not as independent skills, but as components of a wider strategy"
It was not a technique. It was a philosophy. A shift in perception. And for Hitoku, whose entire power was built on perception, it was a key turning in a lock.
[Insight Gained: Principle of the Singular Focus]
[You have received an insight from an [Expert] demon slayer practicing the [Breath of the Crow]. Proficiency is rising slightly...]
Hitoku moved in a flash.
This was not a single form, but the combination of two.
"HAH! DIE TOGETHER!", Janshin shouted like a war cry.
"Second Form: Murder's Fleet-Step!"
"First Form: Sharp Feather Draw!"
A killing move. Murder's Fleet-Step as a mobility boost to close distance. Sharp Feather Draw for a quick unsheathing of the blade and fast contact with the target.
Alone, they could avoid or cut independently of his position.
Together, they provided monstrous killing potential.
A lethal move that the rushing female demon, Janshin, did not see coming.
*SWING*
Her head was cut in one single strike.
[You have killed a Lv. 25 Demon. You have received 75 EXP]
[You have leveled up!]