Gluttonous Demon
Race: Demon
Realm: Xin
Comprehension: Medium
Aptitude: Low
Talent: None
Skills: Blood Demon Art, Gluttony (Mastered)
The Gluttonous Demon lumbered forward, each heavy step sending a faint tremor through the floorboards.
Thick saliva dripped from its mouth as its eyes locked onto Raiden, who stood calmly in place. Although this man's blood was not as intoxicating as the rare blood it had sensed earlier, it was still rich enough to satisfy its hunger.
As the distance between them closed, the demon finally made out Raiden's face.
Its leg trembled.
Lord Muzan?
No. That was wrong.
He only resembled Lord Muzan. He was not the true Demon King.
The Gluttonous Demon steadied itself, quickly correcting its mistake. Still, its posture softened unconsciously. The terror of Muzan was carved into every demon's soul. Even a similar presence was enough to make its instincts hesitate.
Then greed surged.
If this human carried an aura so close to Muzan's, would devouring him grant unimaginable power?
The demon's drool spilled faster.
"Would you like to be my friend?" Raiden asked, his gaze steady.
Raiden did not know the exact limits of the Blood Demon Art, Gluttony, but befriending the demon first was the logical choice.
The Gluttonous Demon paused, wiped its mouth, and grinned. "Of course. I would love to."
For prey that was already within reach, such a request meant nothing. It was already imagining the taste of flesh tearing between its teeth.
[Ding]
[Successfully added Gluttonous Demon as a friend.]
[Detected intimacy level, Initial Acquaintance.]
[Reward obtained.]
[Aptitude: Low]
[Fuse now?]
"You bastard."
Raiden's expression darkened.
All that polite conversation, and this was the reward?
The Gluttonous Demon blinked in confusion. Moments ago, the man had looked friendly. Why did he suddenly feel dangerous?
Before it could think further, a sharp metallic sound rang out.
The instant the blade left its sheath, terror surged through the demon's body.
This one is dangerous.
The figure before it vanished.
A calm voice sounded behind it.
"Thunder Breathing First Form, Thunderclap and Flash."
The demon tried to turn its head.
It could not.
Its head slid from its shoulders and rolled across the floor. From the ground, its eyes stared at Raiden standing behind its body, shock frozen across its face.
Only then did it understand.
Raiden had never been wary of it. He had never seen it as a threat.
The demon had not even seen the sword drawn. The gap between them was absolute.
Raiden stepped past the collapsing body, faintly puzzled.
With strength like that, how had this demon ever injured Kyogai?
Then again, Kyogai had already been stripped of his Lower Rank Six title. Compared to someone like Rui, his strength was clearly lacking. Losing Muzan's favor had cost him dearly.
Raiden inhaled again, searching for Kyogai's scent.
Another smell cut through the air.
It was not the rot of a demon, but something wild and feral, like deep forest soil.
"Inosuke."
The moment the name left his mouth, the wall to his left exploded inward.
A figure wearing a boar's head mask charged out, muscles coiled and blades drawn.
Hashibira Inosuke
Race: Human
Realm: Ren
Comprehension: High
Aptitude: High
Talent: None
Skills:
Beast Breathing First Fang, Piercing Strike (Mastered)
Second Fang, Slash (Mastered)
Third Fang, Tusk Tear (Mastered)
Fourth Fang, Shattering Slash (Mastered)
Fifth Fang, Mad Rip (Mastered)
Sixth Fang, Jagged Gnaw (Mastered)
Seventh Fang, Spatial Awareness (Mastered)
Eighth Fang, Explosive Charge (Mastered)
Ninth Fang, Winding Rip (Mastered)
Tenth Fang, Revolving Fangs (Mastered)
Danger Perception (Mastered)
Flexibility (Mastered)
Inosuke glanced at the Gluttonous Demon's corpse, then at Raiden standing nearby.
"Tch. It got stolen."
He shot past Raiden without hesitation and disappeared deeper into the mansion.
Raiden watched him go.
As expected of someone raised in the mountains. Inosuke had not only created Beast Breathing but mastered every form of it. His comprehension rivaled Tanjiro and Zenitsu, though his instincts were far more feral.
Befriending Inosuke would yield far better rewards than dealing with fodder demons.
Still, timing mattered. Strength alone was not enough. It had to be shown at the right moment.
Raiden adjusted his clothes and continued following Kyogai's scent.
Dong.
The familiar drumbeat echoed.
Raiden twisted lightly as the space around him shifted, his body lifting briefly into the air.
Dong.
This time, the rhythm was faster. The intervals between beats shortened.
Has Tanjiro already found Kiyoshi?
That complicated things.
As long as the child held one of Kyogai's drums, the rooms would keep changing whenever danger approached. Even if Raiden could force Kyogai into submission, it meant nothing if he could not reach him.
The scenery shifted again and again.
Then, suddenly, everything stabilized.
The drums still sounded, but the passage no longer warped.
At the center of the corridor stood a towering figure, nearly brushing the ceiling. His body was turned sideways as he struck the drums embedded in his flesh.
Former Lower Rank Six, Drum Demon Kyogai.
Race: Demon
Realm: Geng, Severely Weakened
Comprehension: Medium
Aptitude: Medium
Talent: None
Skills:
Demon Drum (Mastered)
Blood Demon Art, Rapid Drumming (Mastered)
Raiden's lips curled upward.
He had almost lost patience, and Kyogai had delivered himself instead.
Kyogai sensed movement, his drumming faltered, and he turned toward Raiden.
____
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