Chapter 277: Priority Target—Head-Hunting Man-Eating Demon Players
"Together?"
Except for Gyomei Himejima, the other Pillars all looked shocked, thinking they had misheard.
Even if Lord Ubuyashiki had suddenly recovered—
He had never trained. His body had always been frail, and he hadn't even mastered any breathing technique. Even a low-level swordsman could likely defeat him with ease.
And yet he asked the strongest swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps—the Pillars—to attack him together.
Was he simply overwhelmed by the joy of his recovery?
At that moment—
Giyu Tomioka, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly drew his blade and launched an attack on the lord in the center of the courtyard.
Though Giyu appeared cold and distant, reserved and expressionless—
In truth, he was simply inarticulate. He deeply cared for others and often tried to comfort and protect them, though he was frequently misunderstood.
If the lord was so overjoyed by his recovery, then Giyu figured he might as well play along to lift his spirits.
He didn't use a breathing technique—just a simple slash.
That way, if anything seemed off, he could pull back in time.
Clang!
The golden demon-hunting blade clashed with the Nichirin Blade.
And then—Giyu was sent flying through the air, crashing into the wooden fence at the edge of the yard before stopping.
"Even if it's to make the lord happy, this is going a bit far, don't you think, Giyu-san?" Mitsuri Kanroji gasped, covering her mouth, cheeks flushing red with embarrassment.
Oh no!
She'd accidentally said what she was thinking out loud—surely both the lord and Giyu would be upset!
The other Pillars wore odd expressions as well—
Who would've thought that the seemingly antisocial and distant Water Pillar had such strength?
"Giyu, if you don't go all out, you'll get hurt," said Ubuyashiki with a helpless shake of the head.
It seemed his reputation as a sickly and weak man had taken too deep a root. Even when he asked for a real fight, they all held back, afraid of injuring him.
The [Demon Hunter] bloodline he acquired—worth 100,000 Reward Points—
Didn't just grant him demon-hunting power. His physical abilities had received an overwhelming boost as well.
Even without prior training, his body was now likely far stronger than Gyomei's in his original state.
"Fellow Pillars, believe in the lord's decision," said Gyomei, palms pressed together. His skin rapidly turned to stone as he wielded his massive axe and flail. "Even if we all go at him together now, we might not be able to win."
He had seen with his own eyes the lord defeat a giant minotaur with a single blow, and he understood the capabilities of players empowered by the Reincarnation Game.
As the strongest among the Nine Pillars—
His refined strength, inborn power, mastery of the Breath of Stone, and extensive combat techniques—
All of it combined only sold for around 10,000 Reward Points in the Reincarnation Game.
Meanwhile, the lord now wielded an item worth ten times that.
So for the Nine Pillars to attack together—it wasn't arrogance on the lord's part. If anything, it was they who needed to worry about being injured.
"I believe," said Shinobu Kocho with a gentle smile.
Her slender fingers brushed across the novice staff at her waist, then wrapped around the hilt of her blade. Drawing the thin blade, she dashed toward the lord.
"Lord Ubuyashiki, is it alright if I use poison?" she asked mid-charge.
"Yes," came the calm reply.
With his confirmation, Shinobu took a deep breath and activated the Breath of the Insect at full power.
She fluttered like a butterfly, arriving beside Ubuyashiki in a blink.
Dance of the Butterfly: Caprice!
"She's going all out? What if she hurts the lord?" Sanemi Shinazugawa shouted in disbelief. He hadn't expected Shinobu to go so far as to use a breathing technique.
Boom!
The next second, the graceful Shinobu—just like Giyu—was sent flying across the yard.
"Come at me, all of you!" Ubuyashiki's expression remained composed. After sending two Pillars flying, he didn't even appear winded.
Although both Shinobu and Giyu had held back, clearly underestimating him, the disparity in strength was still evident.
"Was this not just for show?"
It was one thing if the aloof Giyu had been playing along for fun—
But Shinobu wasn't the type to play games. She had used a full technique. Even if she had held back, a regular person with no training couldn't have blocked it.
Realizing the lord might actually be telling the truth—
Everyone dropped their lighthearted attitudes and followed Gyomei's lead, charging toward him.
"What immense pressure!"
"I didn't hear any breathing technique… Lord Ubuyashiki hasn't learned any. What is this power?"
Blades clashed. Sparks flew.
Ubuyashiki's technique was crude—unrefined, even. He had never experienced true combat before.
Yet with only basic movements, he used sheer speed and power to hold his own against nine elite Pillars.
Thankfully, Gyomei was assisting him.
Using Reward Points earned from hunting monsters, he had upgraded his [Stone Body] to Level 3 and repeatedly shielded the other Pillars from the lord's demon-hunting blade.
This blade, designed to slay evil—
Had no effect when it struck Gyomei, whose body and soul were pure, and who now had reinforced stone skin.
Even so, the pain made Gyomei grit his teeth.
"So this is the difference Reward Points make…" he muttered, taking a deep breath and enduring the sting of the blade's strike across his back.
Twisting his body, he slammed his flail down, pinning the golden blade to the ground.
"Now!"
The others seized the opportunity, their blades poised at Ubuyashiki's neck.
But Ubuyashiki only smiled.
The golden blade in his hand vanished—and in its place around his neck appeared a golden necklace that blocked the cold steel.
"Demon-hunting energy can take any weapon form, and…"
Darkness shattered.
Cracks split across the golden necklace, releasing brilliant light through the gaps, which suddenly exploded outward.
The Pillars had no time to react as golden radiance engulfed them.
They only felt a warm sensation—no actual harm.
"Don't worry. Demon-hunting power only harms evil beings. When its offensive force is restrained, the light itself won't hurt ordinary humans," came Ubuyashiki's calm and gentle voice.
The Pillars were filled with mixed emotions—shock, confusion, awe.
The strongest swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps, combining their might—
Defeated by a man who had spent his life bedridden, and only just escaped the grip of a centuries-old curse.
It felt like a dream.
"This is the power I received from the Reincarnation Game," Ubuyashiki said solemnly. "Do you understand now why I called this emergency [Pillar Meeting]?"
The appearance of the Reincarnation Game meant that the Demon Slayer Corps, who had spent nearly a millennium on the defensive against Muzan Kibutsuji, finally had a chance to fight back.
For years—
They had managed to kill lower demons, but only with heavy losses—several swordsmen were needed to take down a single demon.
When it came to Lower Moons, they could easily massacre dozens of members, requiring a Pillar to behead them.
And the Upper Moons? Not a single one had been defeated in centuries.
Dozens of Pillars had been slaughtered by Upper Moons, often without any intel even making it back.
"I and Gyomei have become players in the Reincarnation Game," Ubuyashiki said. "Just like what we did today—by hunting monsters, we grow stronger."
"The more players we have in the Demon Slayer Corps, the sooner we'll be able to launch a real counteroffensive!"
At his words—
The Pillars dropped to one knee, replying in unison, "Understood!"
A miracle had happened—laid bare before their eyes. No matter how unbelievable it was, they had no choice but to believe.
Ubuyashiki pointed to their Nichirin Blades.
"I've infused them with demon-hunting power. It will help you destroy demons more effectively."
The Pillars looked down.
Fragments from the shattered golden blade had merged with their swords, making golden streams ripple along the surface like flowing water.
This was an application of the Demon Hunter bloodline's power—
Much like a priest sanctifying water, it allowed ordinary humans to temporarily wield power against evil.
Once the demon-hunting power ran out, it would need to be replenished.
"How can we become players?" Shinobu, usually smiling, now frowned slightly. This mysterious, untraceable power—how could it be obtained?
Gyomei, palms together, said, "I believe it's tied to will. My invitation appeared while I was slaying a demon. The intense emotions and determination drew the Reincarnation Game to me."
"Everyone," Ubuyashiki said solemnly, "from now on, while hunting demons, search for those with invitation scrolls. Ask if they're willing to join the Demon Slayer Corps."
"If you find a demon with one—eliminate them immediately. Priority: higher than the Twelve Kizuki!"
From Konohamaru, the little ninja, they had learned—
Not just humans, but even demons could receive invitations.
If a demon became a player, it would pose an unprecedented threat to humanity—and had to be destroyed before it could grow in power.
Arad Continent
A land filled with empty cities: Norsemaar, the Belmar Principality, Pandemonium, Bantu, the Dark Elf Kingdom—
Ruins that once stood as monuments to a glorious civilization, now corrupted and decaying.
"Stop right there!"
In the north of Belmar Principality—
Naruto Uzumaki, engulfed in golden energy, swung a massive golden sword and smashed it down in the center of the battlefield.
Boom!
His golden aura roared like boiling steam, annihilating the ambushing players.
Beside him, Sasuke controlled his cursed flame, eyes narrowed at the display of power Naruto unleashed with reckless abandon—eyes full of envy and jealousy.
"Judging by their appearance, those were Cloud Hidden players," Sasuke said calmly. "And players from the Fire Empire. We're enemies. The last thing they want is for New Konoha's [Clan Territory] to be built."
"I want to charge straight to the Fire Empire's capital and defeat the bastard who ruined our village!"
Naruto clenched his fists.
The Leaf Village, once at the center of the ninja world, had been reduced to a backwater like the Village of Hot Water thanks to Orochimaru.
Thankfully, the villagers there were generous and had offered them land to rebuild.
"The current Orochimaru has already surpassed Terumi Mei of the Hidden Mist. He might be the strongest player in the entire ninja world now," Sasuke said calmly. "Even if all of Konoha's top players united, we still might not beat him."
He looked at his angry friend but held his tongue.
The Village of Hot Water preached peace.
But who really gave up their village for strangers out of kindness?
It was all because of Sarutobi Hiruzen's bloody methods.
Yet Naruto still believed in Sarutobi's noble image.
Unless he saw the truth with his own eyes—he would never accept it.
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