I'm being ignored...
Seeing that Natsunishi had no intention of evacuating or even acknowledging her, Kanae's heart felt heavy with a complex mix of emotions.
"The Twelve Kizuki? I could tell you..."
Before the words could even settle, the surrounding wooden hounds pounced in unison.
"...but only after I've devoured you!"
The demon did not risk its own person. The experience of nearly being decapitated just moments ago had made it wary. It would first use its Blood Demon Art's minions to test the waters.
In the next instant, several wooden hounds created by the Blood Demon Art lunged forward, yet Natsunishi showed no sign of assuming a defensive stance.
This swordsman... he hasn't fled or attacked? Is he paralyzed with fear?
Then, the demon discovered with shock that it wasn't that the boy hadn't attacked. It was that his right hand, which had been resting on the hilt...
Had vanished?
The hounds lunging from all sides were still in mid-air.
A flash of sword light flickered.
The heads of all the wooden hounds were severed in the exact same instant.
No! It wasn't that his hand had vanished—it was that the boy's draw speed was simply too fast!
Thunder Breathing.
Sixth Form: Rumble and Flash.
He was so fast that even the light of the slashes failed to leave an afterimage in the demon's eyes. Before the demon could even react, the entirety of its Blood Demon Art hounds had been annihilated.
Watching from the side, Kanae's eyes widened in disbelief. She had always known that Thunder Breathing was renowned for its speed, but the strike of the swordsman before her was arguably too fast... she mused that even her own extraordinary strike from a moment ago paled in comparison to this.
So strong! This was a swordsman of the Hinoe rank, or perhaps even the Kinoto rank!
"Can we talk properly now?" The young swordsman rested his blade on his shoulder and tilted his head toward the demon. "Since you're so weak, stop wasting my time."
Danmu ???
Power Level: 119 (Body: 73, Skill: 29, Mind: 17)
Blood Demon Art: Mimicry Material (Iron)
A month ago, this demon might have forced Natsunishi into a hard-fought battle with the help of its Blood Demon Art. But now? It was nothing more than a stray dog by the roadside. Just an ordinary mob from the previous version that was barely passable.
Physical attacks, no special mechanics, no elemental effects. Furthermore, its numerical stats couldn't keep up with the current version's intensity. Had it not mentioned the "Twelve Kizuki" and piqued Natsunishi's interest, he would have finished it the moment they started.
Facing Natsunishi's attitude of complete disregard, Danmu was silent for a moment. Then, veins bulged across its skin. It roared and lunged at Natsunishi, the metallic luster of its body shimmering repeatedly.
So what if you slash fast? My body is as hard as steel! Being wounded by that woman earlier was just a momentary lapse. I won't hold back now! As long as I push my Blood Demon Art to its limit, the hardness of this body exceeds even your Nichirin Swords!
It lunged at the boy, each step sending clumps of earth flying.
Natsunishi naturally saw through the opponent's plan. Relying on your muscles, are you? But a body built solely on a demon's curse and the balloon-muscles of a Blood Demon Art... how could it ever compare to my tempered swordsmanship?
Thunder Breathing, Second Form: Rice Spirit.
The blade suddenly flared with light as the thunder split into five intersecting arcs of lightning. They slammed directly into the demon's limbs.
In the next second, black blood splattered everywhere. Danmu's limbs were instantly severed, and it fell to the ground in a pathetic heap.
"Wha... What's happening!?" the demon screamed in terror. "My perfect body, comparable to steel—how could it be cut?!"
So it was just turning its body into metal? No wonder there was a slight resistance when the blade struck... the sensation had shifted from cutting through cream to snapping through a crisp, hard wafer.
Natsunishi lightly flicked his Nichirin Sword, shaking off a few drops of foul blood.
"Steel is merely the starting point on the path of a master swordsman," Natsunishi fabricated, stepping leisurely toward his opponent and lifting the demon's chin with the tip of his blade. He felt that this scene required a bit of poetry to be sufficiently elegant.
"As the saying goes, ah... 'Without shadow or form, pure steel is cut like a nail.'"
He had forgotten the first line and the second, but as long as the meaning got across, it was fine. Essentially: my sword can cut steel.
Danmu was in no mood for poetry. It desperately tried to trigger its limb regeneration to crawl back up, but the moment the thin muscle buds sprouted, the sword light fell again. The new limbs were severed once more, leaving no time to recover. More blood spilled out. Agonizing pain washed over its consciousness like a tide, making it nearly impossible to think.
"I ask, you answer."
Who am I... where am I... why is this kid so strong? Danmu stared up at the starlit sky, its consciousness still drifting outside the world.
Seeing the opponent's "tough" demeanor, Natsunishi sighed. "It's quite convenient that you monsters don't feel pain. Keeping your mouth shut is one thing, but refusing to spill a single word even after losing your arms and legs... this grit of yours... you're a real man."
Danmu's eyes flickered slightly, focusing vacantly on Natsunishi's face. What did this kid just say?
"Since you'd rather die than surrender, I won't waste any more time. Don't be a 'red-named' mob in your next life."
Danmu: ???
Wait, when was I being stubborn? When did I refuse to surrender!? Ask me again!
Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and...
Forget it, there's no need to use an ultimate move on a demon with low health. The gathered lightning suddenly dissipated, and Natsunishi raised his Nichirin Sword.
The demon was still struggling to flee, but its speed was far too slow. In Natsunishi's eyes, the world seemed to freeze; the fear on the demon's face and the bewilderment on the girl's face were all captured in his vision.
One step forward. The sword light fell with traces of electricity.
Proficiency +253.
Thunder Breathing LV.3 (620/2000).
Am... Am I going to die?! No! No! No!
The demon's face was first filled with shock, which then continuously transformed into terror and rage. It struggled to rise, but having had its limbs severed by Natsunishi, it could only roll around on the ground as more blood gushed out.
But a demon whose head has been severed is like a fish dropped into the desert. No matter how it struggles, the end is certain. Its body began to crack and drift away... its iron-hard body crumbled inch by inch like a sandcastle in the wind.
I don't want to die, Brother!
Brother?
Like a stone that had been submerged in a deep pond for a long time, the thought suddenly sent ripples through its mind. Some images, buried by bloodstains and time, began to slowly flow into Danmu's fading consciousness... It was as if sealed memories had suddenly been reopened.
It was a warm workshop. Wood shavings flew through the air, carrying the familiar, fresh scent of pine. A younger version of himself was hunched over a workbench, his nose nearly touching the wood as he carved a favorite bird figurine... his older brother leaned against the doorframe, a gentle smile on his face.
"You, if you keep getting that close, you'll ruin your eyes."
As a human, he had been raised by his brother. His elder brother's home was his entire world. He could have lived a peaceful life just like that, carving wood and being cared for by his brother.
Until the day his brother fell gravely ill. Every medicine was declared useless. He knelt by his brother's bed, carving a prayer bird, his tears staining the wood carving dark brown.
"Someone... please save him..."
The shadow descended at that moment. A demon dripped a red, liquid medicine—like hellfire—into his brother's mouth. But it didn't bring a miracle. Instead, it dragged him into an abyss of regret.
His brother mutated in extreme agony and slaughtered every family member present. His wife, his best friend. Danmu tried to stop him but was easily struck down. Immediately after, the Demon King's corrupting blood was forced down his own throat.
"Use this 'talent' well."
His human memories cut off abruptly. What remained were long, twisted years of darkness that caused him to gag just thinking about them. He killed his niece when she returned home. He devoured the master who had taught him how to carve. And many, many innocent people whose names he couldn't even recall...
I really... deserve to go to hell.
Damn it! Damn it! If only I hadn't summoned that demon back then!
Tears of pain and regret welled in his eyes. In the hazy light at the boundary of life and death, Danmu seemed to see a quiet, winding river. On the other side of the shore, red spider lilies swayed gently. Within the shadows of the flowers, he seemed to see his master and his old friends. They said nothing; they only looked at him quietly, eventually shaking their heads and letting out a sigh.
Their silence pierced his fragile heart. The tears broke through the dam.
I'm sorry...
Danmu ??? transformed into Danmu (Akabane Jiro).
"The bird... brought misfortune... I'm sorry..."
Across from his fading vision, the swaying sea of red spider lilies was slowly dissolving, revealing Kochou Kanae standing before his severed head, leaning on her Nichirin Sword. Though she didn't know exactly what he was thinking in his final moments, he was crying. This demon, at the end of its life... appeared so incredibly sad.
Kanae gripped her sword hilt, her heart filled with complicated emotions. She loathed all the crimes he had committed as a demon, yet she could not entirely ignore the overflowing pain and tears shed at the moment of his dissipation.
These demons, before they fell, were perhaps just ordinary people among the masses. They were not born as villains. But once tainted by the Demon King's blood, their wills were twisted, controlled, and corrupted... until they eventually became monsters in the dark. To this day, there had been no exceptions.
She tightened her grip on her Nichirin Sword. Kanae felt an even more intense loathing for that master of demons, the source of all evil, whom she had never met. Finally, she exhaled a long breath and steadied her emotions. She still had to support Mitsujiro's side.
Turning back, the girl bowed to Natsunishi and spoke. "Thank you, Senior, for your help in our moment of peril. However, the current situation is dange—"
She stopped as she saw Natsunishi's expression, which looked like his mind was wandering in the clouds.
Kanae: ?
This Senior... seems to be spacing out?