As it turned out, despite this oni's body not looking particularly robust, it did have strength far beyond an ordinary human's—but that was about it.
It wasn't one of those unassuming types hiding world-shattering power. It was just… unassuming.
Under Shadow Wolf's suppression, the oni couldn't even stand, helplessly left to be torn apart and devoured by Shadow Wolf.
Limbs were ripped off and scattered everywhere, the scene gruesomely bloody. Shadow Wolf's body was once again drenched in blood.
"Blood Demon Art! What are you doing?! Let me go! It hurts!"
The oni's head rolled to the side. Shadow Wolf hadn't bitten it, as Riku still needed to question it.
"What do you know about Blood Demon Arts?"
Riku stabbed his blade into the oni's head, starting his interrogation.
"Stop it!!!"
The oni's face twisted in agony. Being torn apart and devoured by Shadow Wolf, it was clearly experiencing the same pain it had inflicted on the humans it consumed.
It could feel its power draining away. It didn't understand why the guy in front of it dared to do this—it wasn't allowed!
"How dare you?! How dare you?! Give me back my power! Give me back my blood!"
The oni roared, its eyes filled with terror. That power was something it absolutely couldn't afford to lose.
"How dare I?"
Riku frowned. So, essentially, Shadow Wolf's devouring was absorbing the blood of the Demon King, Kibutsuji Muzan, from this oni's body? It wasn't about growing stronger from eating the oni's flesh but from absorbing the Demon King's blood?
Made sense. Oni flesh didn't exactly appeal to him—it was tasteless, like eating himself. Only human flesh made his mouth water.
Feeling the constant feedback of blood energy, Riku figured he'd cracked the code behind why Shadow Wolf devouring oni flesh made him stronger.
And this kind of thing… it seemed oni could do it too, but it was strictly forbidden by the Demon King.
Kamado Tanjirou climbed to his feet, staring at the scene before him, eyes wide and mouth agape.
This was an oni?! Even with its head separated from its body, it could still talk!
Tanjirou clearly didn't know as much about oni as Riku did. For a moment, he was too shocked to speak.
"Nezuko?!"
But shock aside, Tanjirou hadn't forgotten his sister.
He glanced at her. Kamado Nezuko stood at the shrine's entrance, drooling profusely.
The shrine was filled with human corpses, still fresh—likely the oni's latest haul from the roadside.
Even Riku, standing nearby, felt his saliva glands kicking into overdrive, like a feast of delicacies was laid out before him.
"Nezuko! You absolutely can't eat!"
Tanjirou rushed over to pull Nezuko back, his tone deadly serious. This was something she absolutely couldn't do.
Nezuko reluctantly let herself be dragged away, her expression pained. Riku could totally relate to that feeling.
"I really shouldn't have expected anything from weaklings like you."
Swallowing hard, Riku tossed the oni's head to the ground. The blood energy feedback had stopped, and Shadow Wolf ceased devouring the oni's body.
[Constitution +1]
The Limit System popped up a notification. Another point in Constitution acquired.
Riku was a bit puzzled. Why was it always Constitution?
Was it because these two oni were too weak in other stats? Was their strong regeneration the only standout trait?
"How dare you…"
The oni didn't immediately turn to ash. Some remnants of its regenerative power lingered, still trying to repair its body. But without its source, that power quickly fizzled out.
[Ding! Experience +100]
The experience points settled. This oni was indeed a bit stronger than the last one.
"Mr. Riku! Is that oni dead?"
Tanjirou, holding Nezuko's hand, approached Riku, his face a mix of conflicting emotions and burning questions.
"Yeah, completely dead."
Riku nodded, looking at Tanjirou.
But just as he spoke, his expression changed drastically. Shadow Wolf lunged toward him.
Shing!
A blade glinting with blue light slashed across Shadow Wolf's side, leaving a shallow cut on its flank.
Riku rolled across the ground, quickly getting to his feet and staring at the figure that had suddenly appeared.
Shadow Wolf growled low beside him, its flank wound already healing rapidly.
The figure wore a white headscarf and a red tengu mask. Just standing there, they exuded an intense sense of unease.
"Demon Slayer."
Riku immediately realized who this was. The blade in their hand was likely a Nichirin Blade, specifically designed to kill oni.
"Not bad reflexes, Devourer."
The Demon Slayer spoke, their voice that of an old man, though their movements were anything but elderly.
Riku broke out in a cold sweat. He'd only dodged thanks to Shadow Wolf. He'd sensed the danger, but his body couldn't keep up.
No helping it—Riku's fighting style relied mostly on instinct, with no real technique. In his hands, a blade was just a chopping tool.
That's why he was so impressed by Tanjirou's combat talent. He wasn't being humble—he genuinely felt inferior.
No way around it. He'd only been in this world for a few days, with no real chance to learn proper combat skills. He'd been getting by on his inability to die and brute force.
In his spare time, he could only fumble around on his own. Did anyone really expect a guy from a peaceful era to master some ultimate technique in just a few days?
Riku made up his mind. Once he returned to the Cyberpunk world, he'd save up some cash.
Whether it was Brain Dance training or real combat in a boxing ring, he'd need to spend money to train properly—and practice shooting, too.
Looking at the old man, Riku had a gut feeling. That strike hadn't been full force, or Shadow Wolf wouldn't have gotten away with just a shallow cut.
"Please, stop! Don't fight! Mr. Riku isn't a bad person!"
Before Riku could speak, Tanjirou stepped forward, arms spread to block the space between Riku and the old man, frantically explaining.
"…"
Riku stayed silent. This guy, Tanjirou…
"I am Urokodaki Sakonji."
The old man sheathed his blade, refraining from further action. He introduced himself, his gaze shifting to Tanjirou.
"You're the one Tomioka Giyuu sent, correct?"
His nose was sharp, too. He could tell that, aside from himself, Tanjirou was the only normal human present.
Tanjirou froze at the old man's words, clearly not expecting to meet the person he was looking for like this.
"Yes, I'm Kamado Tanjirou. This is my sister, Nezuko. And this is Mr. Riku—he's helped me a lot. He's really not a bad person."
Tanjirou introduced himself politely, continuing to vouch for Riku. He could smell that Riku still hadn't eaten anyone.
(End of Chapter)