Crack! Crack!
Silver lightning exploded between heaven and earth.
Aoki, who was running for his life, suddenly stopped. His longbow was instantly drawn taut, and the arrowhead shimmered with a faint blue light under the lightning.
The last arrow, also the last poisoned arrow.
Boom!
The arrow pierced the air.
The two were less than five meters apart, and "Aomura Kazuhiko" had nowhere to dodge.
"Aomura Kazuhiko" didn't dodge either, letting the arrow pierce his head, and rushed to Aoki's side in one breath. With a flick of his arm, he thrust it like a javelin towards Aoki's face.
Fast! Swift! Sharp!
"Die! Die! Just die obediently! Humans are only fit to be food for demons!"
His eyes were filled with bloodlust.
Although his strength was weakened by the poison, he didn't think it mattered.
He had already witnessed firsthand how vulnerable humans were in front of demons.
Seeing the sharp claws rapidly approaching, Aoki's eyes didn't blink, and his body suddenly leaned back.
A gleaming claw grazed his face.
At the same time, he released his longbow and gripped the hilt of his knife.
With a swift movement, the hunting knife was drawn, tracing a graceful arc through the air.
*Thud!
* A spray of blood splattered in the air; "Aomura Kazuhiko's" right arm was severed cleanly below the elbow.
Aoki rolled backward to regain his balance, then, with a light touch of his toes, lunged forward, the hunting knife hurtling towards "Aomura Kazuhiko's" neck like a whirlwind.
The stunned "Aomura Kazuhiko" snapped back to reality, hastily retreating.
But he was too slow; the knife slashed his throat, leaving a deep wound from which blood gushed.
For a human, such an injury would almost certainly be fatal unless immediately taken to a hospital.
But "Aomura Kazuhiko" was a demon; the wound on his neck began to heal at a visible speed, and his severed arm slowly regenerated.
"Ah!"
Aoki's eyes widened in fury, and he chased after "Aomura Kazuhiko" with a relentless, death-defying aura, slashing wildly with his hunting knife.
He couldn't let him recover!
Comparing stamina and recovery with a demon, engaging in a war of attrition, was suicide!
"Aomura Kazuhiko" was suppressed by Aoki's aura, forced to retreat repeatedly, his wounds multiplying and healing at a slower pace.
"How is this possible? How did his strength suddenly increase so much?"
"Aomura Kazuhiko's" face was filled with shock and confusion.
Just now in the house, this guy was clearly weak, seemingly easily crushed with one hand.
What happened in these two minutes?
In a moment of distraction, "Aomura Kazuhiko" was struck again, the blade cleaving him almost completely from his left shoulder to his ribs.
The intense pain contorted his expression, and he abruptly stopped, his regenerated right hand flashing out to strike Aoki's left chest.
So what if his strength had increased?
A fragile human body could never compare to a demon!
He could be injured countless times, but he only needed to seize one opportunity to win the battle.
"Dodge?"
The thought instinctively popped into Aoki's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.
Although he seemed to have the upper hand, it was entirely due to "Blood Boiling."
He could sense that his time was running out.
Once the effects of "Blood Boiling" wore off and he fell into a weakened state, he would be nothing more than meat on a chopping block.
He couldn't delay any longer!
He had to end the battle as soon as possible!
No matter the cost, he would stop at nothing!
A mad glint flashed in Aoki's eyes. Facing "Aomura Kazuhiko's" attack, he merely shifted his body slightly.
Thud!
"Aomura Kazuhiko's" claws pierced Aoki's chest, only inches from his heart.
But his expression changed, and he looked up.
"Die!"
Aoki roared, grabbing "Aomura Kazuhiko's" arm with his left hand and swinging his hunting knife with lightning speed in his right.
Thud!
The massive head flew off.
A ferocious killing intent still lingered on "Aomura Kazuhiko's" face.
Aoki turned, breaking free from "Aomura Kazuhiko's" grasp, and then hurled his hunting knife as a projectile.
*Thud!
Bang!*
The knife pierced "Aomura Kazuhiko's" head from the side, pinning it firmly to a large tree behind him.
"Bastard! How dare you? I'll kill you!"
"Aomura Kazuhiko" wasn't dead, cursing Aoki madly, his headless body raising its arms and lunging at him.
Unfortunately, he had no vision.
Aoki easily dodged, circled behind him, and delivered a powerful kick to his groin.
*Thump! *
The headless body immediately collapsed to its knees. Aoki
kicked him in the back again, knocking him completely to the ground, then picked up a nearby rock and smashed it down.
*Crack.
* The headless body's right knee shattered, and the head pinned to the tree let out a scream.
Without hesitation, Aoki raised his arm again.
Thigh, arm, heart…
again and again…
Suddenly, Aoki swayed, the rock slipping from his hand, his face ashen.
The "Blood Boiling" was over!
His strength drained away like a flood, replaced by a torrent of intense pain.
He groaned, instantly drenched in sweat.
Pain!
It hurt so much!
Aoki looked down.
He didn't know how much blood he'd lost; half his body was stained red.
"I have to deal with this quickly, or I'll bleed to death."
He tore off a piece of cloth and pressed it against the wound.
"Aomura Kazuhiko's" body was mangled beyond recognition, but the muscles still twitched unconsciously.
The head, nailed to the tree, stopped struggling, its eyes closed, seemingly devoid of consciousness.
That's enough.
Without a Nichirin Blade, severing the neck wouldn't kill the demon directly.
But as long as dawn broke, the sunlight would reduce everything to nothing.
Aoki fell silent.
Completely losing himself, having eaten humans, the "Aomura Kazuhiko" of the past was gone forever.
His consciousness wavered, and numerous images flashed before his eyes.
From the moment he was severely wounded, lying motionless in the unfamiliar forest, slowly waiting to die, to the deerskin boots that suddenly appeared in his field of vision.
Scenes flashed before his eyes: his master patiently teaching him archery, trap-making, and how to track prey.
Finally, he saw his master's regretful sigh after being rejected when he suggested a date with Takina yesterday.
Aoki stopped his chaotic thoughts.
"I didn't expect this to be the world of Demon Slayer. Once I'm healed, I'll find the Demon Slayer Corps and try to learn the Breathing Technique!"
"As a demon, to be defeated by an ordinary person!"
A strange voice, filled with anger, suddenly rang out.
Aoki froze, only then noticing.
A black-haired youth had appeared beside the tree where "Aomura Kazuhiko's" head was pinned.
He wore a well-tailored black suit over a spotless white shirt, his face as pale as paper, his crimson eyes devoid of emotion.
He lifted "Aomura Kazuhiko's" head.
"Aomura Kazuhiko" regained consciousness, looking at him in terror: "I'm sorry! Please, please give me another chance!"
The black-haired youth glanced at him indifferently.
Bang!
In utter despair, "Aomura Kazuhiko's" head exploded, blood and flesh splattering everywhere. He
then turned into black smoke along with his body, quickly dissipating into the air.
The black-haired youth turned to look at Aoki.
Aoki felt a chill run through him, and the name automatically surfaced in his mind.
Muzan Kibutsuji!
The first demon, and also the strongest demon!
He was also his master, the one who caused Aomura Kazuhiko to become a demon!
Join p4treon for advanced chapters...
Need support for study...
[email protected]/Horizons685
(End of Chapter)