Chapter 11: Lower Moon Four!
『ＲＹＯＮ 』
Enjoy~~~
Three days had passed since Ren Yukihara left Mount Sagiri, and every minute he spent was drenched in the blood of demons. This wasn't an adventure; it was an organized "hunting trip." Thanks to his inhuman strength and hellish training, any mission of the Mizunoto rank had turned into a mere morning warm-up.
On the third evening, Ren stood on the roof of an abandoned building in a small town, having just returned from decapitating a medium-level demon that had been hiding in a cellar.
His Nichirin sword reflected the moonlight with its deep crimson-red color, gleaming like blood in the darkness. The blade was devoid of any bloodstains, showing only a faint zigzag pattern beneath the surface that looked like lightning but in a glowing green hue.
At that moment, the System screen appeared before him with a brilliant flash:
[Congratulations! You have killed 8 demons of (Low/Medium) level in 72 hours.]
[Ding. Current level increased: 49 → 50!]
[New feature unlocked: "Mini-Map".]
Ren gave a cold, satisfied smile. "Finally, Level 50!" He smiled wider as a wave of relief washed over him.
Ren had been accumulating System Points (SP) to exchange later in the System Shop. Thinking about it, he had already reached Level 50 without using a single point.
In addition to the stat points he earned with each level up—where his stats were randomly boosted and he received extra points to distribute into any attribute he desired, like Strength—he had been saving them until he truly needed them. Moreover, the shop contained incredible items from different worlds.
But what truly caught his eye was the new feature.
"Absolute Target Tracking?" Ren muttered, finishing the "Water Breathing: Second Form - Water Wheel" to sever the head of a demon crawling toward him from the shadows.
[Ability: Mini-Map]
[Description: Allows the user to identify and see the location of any entity or place on the map within a 50-kilometer range, as long as the target type is pre-defined.]
[Tracking Feature Cost: 10 Soul Points (SP) per use.]
Ren felt an overwhelming sense of joy, a feeling he hadn't experienced in a long time. This was exactly the "evolution" he needed.
"This completely changes the game!" Ren thought in awe. "No more chasing ordinary demons in alleys! No more wasting time searching for easy targets. I can now hunt the Moons directly! Hashira, the Hashira rank, I'm coming!"
Ren settled onto his knees and closed his eyes.
"Alright, System, use the feature now. I want to know the location of the nearest 'Lower Moon Demon'."
Instantly, a faint 3D map appeared in his mind. The map outlined his surroundings, and a bright red flash appeared about 40 kilometers to the southeast.
[Target Identified: Lower Moon Four.]
[Location: An abandoned house on the outskirts of "Koyama" town.]
[System Warning: The target carries a high threat level. Please plan your attack.]
Ren chuckled lowly. "Lower Moon Four? What an easy catch! It must be from the days of the Six Moons before Muzan killed them all. I won't waste this opportunity!"
Ren looked up at the narcissistic crow flying lazily above his head.
"Caw! Are you done with your hard work, handsome master? When are we going for tea? Caw!"
"This crow is truly useless, maybe I should get rid of it!" For a moment, Ren actually considered it.
"I'm done," Ren said, sheathing his sword. "And now... we have a very fast trip. Prepare yourself for flight, you ugly narcissist."
....
The next morning, specifically on the outskirts of Koyama, Ren Yukihara stood before a massive, ancient wooden house. The house screamed neglect; its walls were cracked and windows shattered, surrounded by an aura of eerie silence.
The bright sunlight was hitting the house directly, meaning the Lower Moon (if it truly was there) was currently sleeping deep inside.
Ren pointed at the house, addressing the crow who was breathing heavily after the rapid journey (having had to fly at full speed just to keep up with Ren).
"Listen, you narcissistic crow," Ren said in a calm, deadly tone. "The one inside is a Lower Moon. Your only job is to fly to the nearest Corps headquarters and inform them that Mizunoto Ren Yukihara is attacking Lower Moon Four. If you don't want to ruin your beautiful face or die an ugly death... go now."
The crow flinched in fear. "Caw! A Moon... a Lower Moon?! Are you crazy?! Are you sure?! You must run, caw!"
"I am absolutely sure," Ren said with a confident smile. "I have superhuman senses and perception... do you think I was just passing by?"
"Huh?"
"Annoying... anyway, go quickly!"
The crow shrunk back. "Fine... I'll go immediately, try not to die... caw!"
Ren laughed coldly. "Alright, my friend. Now, go."
The crow took off at a frantic speed, screaming as it flew away: "I'll bring reinforcements! Don't die, boy Ren! Caw!"
Ren nodded. He had successfully scared the crow and convinced it to bring support, even if he didn't need it.
Ren unsheathed his crimson-red Nichirin sword and headed toward the main entrance.
...
At that same moment, on the branch of a nearby old oak tree, sat a girl named Akemi. She was delicate and beautiful, wearing simple village clothes, watching Ren with great curiosity.
"What a beautiful boy," Akemi thought, her eyes fixed on the white fox mask tied to Ren's waist and his gleaming red blade.
Ren had caught the attention of all the villagers since his arrival due to his handsome appearance and confident stride. When she saw the talking crow following him, she was certain he was one of those "Demon Slayers" her grandfather used to talk about.
"Is this the demon house?" Akemi whispered to herself. "That's why no one who enters ever returns! This boy... will he die too?"
When she heard the crow screaming about a "Demon," panic and anxiety flooded her. The crow had gone to get reinforcements, but Ren had already entered the house.
"Maybe the crow didn't realize the boy went inside!"
As pity and fear battled within her for this brave and beautiful youth who had thrown himself into the jaws of death, she heard a deafening sound from inside the house.
A strange, terrifying scream, more like a wail than a shout.
The scream was followed by a massive explosion that shook the ground beneath her.
BOOM!
The front wall of the house shattered completely, wood and stone exploding in every direction. In the middle of the rising dust cloud, a massive flying body appeared, crashing into the ground outside the house—directly under the sunlight.
The body was a massive demon, its torso half-shattered, hands trying to cover its head. Its body began to ignite and evaporate the moment it touched the sun, screaming in unspeakable agony, its wails cutting through the silence of the town.
"What... is... this... strength?!" the demon screamed in absolute rage and terror as it turned to ash.
In the massive gap created by the explosion in the house wall, Ren Yukihara appeared.
He stood in the shattered doorway with a lazy, bored expression on his face, as if he had just finished a routine chore. He rested his crimson sword on his shoulder with obvious boredom.
Ren had just used his incredible superhuman physical strength, enhanced by "Water Breathing" for flexibility and "Thunder Breathing" to generate massive explosive power in his muscles. The result was a blow so devastating that Lower Moon Four, who was trying to use his Blood Demon Art—which consisted of ultrasonic sound waves—couldn't even stop the attack.
The strike was so direct and powerful that it tore the demon's body from the inside out and threw him out of the house straight into the sun, eliminating him instantly.
Ren's ears hurt slightly from the Lower Moon's sonic wave, but his body, supported by breathing and Stamina (128), absorbed the shock easily.
"What an early end," Ren muttered with annoyance. "He didn't even get to use his second combat form."
Akemi stood on the tree branch, mesmerized and terrified at the same time. Her eyes widened so much they almost popped. This child she thought would die had destroyed the house and killed the demon with a single strike that threw him into the sun!
Ren looked at the Lower Moon that had turned to ash before him, then gave a calm, satisfied smile.
[Congratulations! You have killed Lower Moon Four.]
[The Host's level has risen to 53!]
"Oh great... three whole levels from one demon," Ren smiled as he felt the power increasing in his body.
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End of Chapter 11. More comments mean more chapters, tell me your thoughts in the comments!