"Lower Moon! Two Lower Moon demons!"
Despair filled the hearts of both Demon Slayer Corps members.
The Twelve Demon Moons were powerful beings only Pillars could handle; they were merely two "Shin" rank members.
Why?
Why were Lower Moon demons at Fujikasane Mountain?
And why were they coming together?!
"They're Demon Slayers!"
The female demon, whose eyes bore the mark "Lower Fourth," licked the blood from her fingers, her eyes gleaming with bloodlust. "Before the battle, should we eat someone to replenish our strength?"
The bull-headed demon grumbled, "Just kill them! Don't delay that lord's business!"
"Brainless idiot! Serves you right for being only a bottom-ranked Lower Six!"
the female demon cursed inwardly.
Didn't she see the mountain covered in wisteria?
She only suggested this because she didn't want to climb the mountain.
"Then go ahead and do it!" the female demon said listlessly. Without food, she had no interest in killing.
The bull-headed demon didn't refuse and strode towards the two Demon Slayer Corps members.
But he stopped after taking only two steps, looking up at Mount Fujikasane almost simultaneously with the female demon.
...
Aoki continued down the mountain path.
Although wearing protective gear, he tried his best not to touch the wisteria flowers.
"I'm almost at the foot of the mountain, I need to be careful to avoid the Demon Slayer Corps guards."
Aoki pondered, turning a corner and abruptly stopping.
With his excellent eyesight and powerful dark vision, he had a clear view of the scene below.
He completely ignored the two Demon Slayer Corps members, focusing all his attention on the two demons.
Why were there demons at Mount Fujikasane?
At that moment, the two demons looked up.
Their eyes met.
Aoki's gaze suddenly froze.
"Lower Moon Six and Lower Moon Four?"
Demons don't live in groups.
Unless they have Muzan Kibutsuji's permission.
The fact that Lower Moon Six and Lower Moon Four came to Mount Fujikasane, a forbidden place for demons, without a doubt meant it was Muzan Kibutsuji's order.
As for the purpose,
Aoki felt it was
almost certainly for his own benefit. "Muzan sensed that I'd broken free from his control and regained my freedom?"
That was a bit strange.
In the original story, when Nezuko broke free of the curse, Muzan didn't seem to notice.
However, that wasn't important.
He had completely mastered his bloodline; no matter what happened in the future, Muzan wouldn't be able to sense anything.
The most important thing now was how to deal with these two Lower Moon demons.
[Ding! Quest "Escape from Death" obtained.]
[Escape from Death]
Muzan covets your secret and has dispatched multiple demons to capture you.
Quest Requirements: Evade the enemy's pursuit.
Quest Rewards: Free Skill Points x1, 500 Experience Points, Demon Sake Gourd.
"So skill points are obtained through quests."
Aoki was taken aback.
He had been somewhat puzzled before.
The free skill points required to learn skills had increased.
At this rate, he might not even be able to max out all skills by the time he reached the maximum level.
So, the solution was here.
"One free skill point, 500 experience points, and a mysterious item—the rewards are really generous,"
Aoki murmured.
The richer the reward, the more difficult the mission.
The mission name itself hinted at this: a narrow escape from death.
Looking at the mission description, a thought suddenly popped into Aoki's mind: "Multiple demons? Could it be more than just two Lower Moons?"
Lower Moons are scattered across various locations and couldn't possibly gather in such a short time. The only force stronger than two Lower Moons could be an Upper Moon.
"Damn!
This is truly a case of a lion using its full strength to hunt a rabbit!"
Aoki took a deep breath.
Regardless of whether his guess was right or wrong, what he needed to do was get rid of these two demons as soon as possible.
"Why would someone come down from Mount Fujikasane at this time? Did someone come to deliver a demon? Why didn't we receive any news?"
The two Demon Slayer Corps members were completely confused.
They didn't even consider the possibility of demons.
The wisteria blossoms covering the mountain were more terrifying than a sea of fire for demons.
Unlike Aoki's solemnity and the tension of the two Demon Slayer Corps members, the female demon and the bull-headed demon were very excited.
"Is it him?" the bull-headed demon grumbled.
Reiyuko said, "I don't know, but whether it is or not, let's catch him first!"
Neither demon wanted to climb Mount Fujikasane.
The wisteria blossoms covering the mountain could really kill a demon.
If the target could come to them on its own, that would be even better.
"That's right! Take him down first!"
The Minotaur grinned menacingly, leaping into the air with a ferocious aura that tore through the air as it charged towards Aoki.
Aoki ripped open his protective suit and met the attack head-on.
Thud!
Their fists collided, blood splattering, and the faint sound of bones breaking echoed.
The Minotaur was sent flying backward, while Aoki staggered back three steps.
This exchange was evenly matched.
"13 points of power, and he's already comparable to a Lower Moon."
A thought flashed through Aoki's mind, and the Minotaur charged again.
Their fists collided.
A power far greater than before surged forth.
Boom!
The air exploded, the surging shockwave transforming into a fierce gale, and a sharp blast of sound filled the air.
Aoki's arm instantly shattered into countless fragments of flesh and bone, his body flying out like a tattered sack, landing in the wisteria bushes.
Purple flowers fell like snowflakes, mysterious and beautiful.
But when they landed on him, Aoki felt as if he'd been doused with concentrated sulfuric acid; the places they landed on burned intensely.
His regeneration rate also plummeted.
Without hesitation, Aoki sprang to his feet and ran away without looking back.
For a moment, he thought he could hold his own against a Lower Moon demon.
The harsh reality quickly brought him back to his senses.
"That's his Blood Demon Art, isn't it? Indeed, Blood Demon Art is the core of a demon's fighting power."
At this moment, Aoki was filled with a strong desire for "Space Travel."
The two Demon Slayer Corps members were completely bewildered.
They had been prepared to sacrifice themselves, but they hadn't expected the two Lower Moon demons to chase after the person coming down the mountain.
He didn't even glance at them again.
"Who came down from the mountain? Those two Lower Moon demons seemed to have come specifically for him."
"He doesn't seem to be wearing his uniform, nor is he carrying a Nichirin Blade."
"Could it be... he's a demon?"
The two Demon Slayer Corps members exchanged a look, both filled with disbelief.
"Let's leave here first, then report the information!"
Unable to figure it out, they stopped thinking about it and, supporting each other, hurriedly left.
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(End of Chapter)