The old woman stared at Luochuan with eyes full of terror. Though she was bewildered as to why a human would want to be "friends" with a demon, she currently lacked any right to disagree. The omnipresent threat of death forced her to nod her head repeatedly like a woodpecker.
The strength of the person before her was simply too terrifying. Even after exhausting all her hidden trump cards, she hadn't been able to withstand the might of a single strike from him.
Ding!
[Successfully added Sound-Eating Demon as a friend.]
[Detected: Intimacy is "Acquaintance." Random reward obtained.]
[Gained Skill: Blood Demon Art—Sound-Eating (Proficient)]
[Would you like to fuse now?]
No. Now that he had obtained what he wanted, there was no longer any need for the old woman to remain among the living.
The man to the side felt his legs go weak. He had watched Luochuan offer friendship to a demon and thought he had jumped from a dragon's den into a tiger's lair—would this young man kill him too?
Just as the thought arose, he saw the old woman's head fall. At the exact moment she finished nodding, her head detached. The man didn't even see how it happened. Did he strike? He looked at Luochuan, his mind in a daze. But wasn't his sword still in its scabbard?
"Luochuan! Wait... for me!" Zenitsu finally caught up. Looking at the ruins and the Sound-Eating Demon crumbling into ash in Luochuan's hands, his voice was dry. Luochuan did all this?! He'd only been gone for a moment—what did he miss? Isn't Luochuan's strength getting a bit ridiculous?
Luochuan glanced at Zenitsu, then sniffed the surrounding air. Confirming there were no other demons, he walked toward him. "Let's go. Mission accomplished."
Zenitsu watched blankly as Luochuan brushed past him. Mission accomplished? I didn't even see what the target looked like... and it's over?
Luochuan was eager to see the effect of his first Blood Demon Art. After returning to the nearest Demon Slayer Corps outpost, he sat on the floor and opened his system panel.
[Would you like to fuse skill: Blood Demon Art—Sound-Eating (Proficient)?]
"Yes."
First, a wave of unfamiliar information flooded his mind regarding the technique. Blood Demon Art: Sound-Eating allowed the user to devour the sounds they could hear to bolster their own abilities. The higher the user's rank and proficiency, the more sound they could consume, resulting in a stronger power boost.
Once the information was digested, a strange ripple seeped into his body. It felt like melting snow in winter, silently nourishing parched earth. Through his Resonant Ears talent, Luochuan felt as though he was entering a mysterious symphony with his surroundings. From the faint chirping of insects to the echoes of the starlit sky, every sound rippled deep within his soul.
Then, he felt a change in his heart. It was no longer just a biological organ, but a metronome for his Blood Demon Art. Every beat absorbed ambient sound waves, converting them into power.
Luochuan looked at his palm; the strength filling his hands was terrifyingly vast. Ordinarily, the feedback from Sound-Eating wouldn't be this great, but because of Resonant Ears, Luochuan could hear sounds humans couldn't. The more he heard, the more power he gained. With these two working in tandem, he felt he could slay even a Tsuchinoto (己) rank demon right now.
He also noted that through the system's empowerment, the requirements for using Blood Demon Arts had been altered. He didn't have to be a demon, and using the skill didn't cause demonization. This meant he didn't need to be overly cautious when revealing these abilities later.
The next morning, the Kasugai Crow shrieked from the sky. "Southwest! Support needed at Mount Aki Town!"
Chirp chirp chirp! Zenitsu's sparrow followed suit.
"What are you even saying...?" Zenitsu stared at the bird. Why did everyone else get talking crows while his only made "chirp" sounds?
That night, Mount Aki Town.
Three Demon Slayers and Zenitsu stood dazed in the middle of the street, looking at the figure standing over the "Power Demon." Their brains felt foggy. Where did this monster come from? Wasn't he a rookie who just passed selection?
How could a rookie kill a near-Ko (庚) rank demon in one blow? This Power Demon had fought them for nearly two days; its strength was immense and its hide so tough that Nichirin Swords only left faint scratches. But when this man arrived, everything changed. The demon couldn't even stand up. He hadn't even drawn his sword from the scabbard.
"This... how are we supposed to 'look after' him?" one slayer stammered to Zenitsu, recalling how Luochuan had smiled and asked for their guidance earlier.
"Er..." Zenitsu was silent. He knew Luochuan was strong, but he didn't expect a demon that three Mizunoto (壬) rank slayers couldn't handle to be so fragile before him.
"Sigh, I guess luck won't stay good forever," Luochuan shook his head, kicking the Power Demon aside. This demon also had a Blood Demon Art, but the random reward was "Medium Aptitude," which was garbage to him.
"Next mission: Tokyo, Asakusa. Demon activity detected. Please investigate!" the crow shouted from his shoulder.
Luochuan froze. Asakusa? That was the very place where Tanjiro would encounter Muzan and Tamayo!
"Zenitsu, hurry up." Luochuan wanted to reach Asakusa before nightfall. He needed to be fully prepared to obtain Muzan's abilities.
Muzan hadn't even struck Tanjiro directly because of the Hanafuda earrings. As long as Luochuan wasn't too excessive, it shouldn't be hard to get Muzan to acknowledge him.
Upon arriving at Asakusa, Luochuan's first task was to investigate the background of "Lady Rei." If he knew her family's social circle, he could pose as one of their associates to get close to Muzan.
"Luochuan, why are we here?" Zenitsu tugged at his ill-fitting clothes. Why had they come here instead of hunting demons? The chaotic noise of the city was making Zenitsu's head ache.