Time passed like a tranquil river, without major turbulence. Ansatsu Koroshi lived in the village, training and growing stronger, without needing to worry about food or safety. The villagers were kind and treated him well, bringing him food and supplies once a week.
His focus was on training and seeking information about the Hashira and demon attacks. He spent most of his time training, listening to stories, and learning everything he could about demons and demon slayers.
Over time, his body adapted to the pain of training, and he began to feel stronger and more confident. He helped with the village's manual labor, not only to build strength but also to keep himself busy and focused.
Now, at 10 years old, Ansatsu Koroshi was a lean and agile boy, with compressed muscles and surprising strength. His martial art had taught him to use tension and compression to generate power, instead of relying solely on brute force.
He knew his strength was enough to defeat the village's strongest swordsman, which wasn't a great feat considering the village didn't have a very strong or organized police force. But Ansatsu Koroshi didn't care about that.
His eyes gleamed with a cold intensity, a determination that was both fascinating and terrifying.
Ansatsu Koroshi stood in the forest, the sun gleaming through the trees, as he faced a large black bear towering over four meters tall. The bear roared, baring its sharp teeth, and Ansatsu Koroshi smiled, feeling the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
He had been training for years, and now was the time to put his skills to the test. The bear lunged forward, its claws extended, and Ansatsu Koroshi moved swiftly, dodging the blows and counterattacking with a precise punch to the bear's solar plexus.
The bear roared in pain, but did not retreat. Instead, it lunged at Ansatsu Koroshi, attempting to crush him with its weight. Ansatsu Koroshi dodged at the last moment, using his speed and agility to avoid the attack.
He knew he couldn't fight the bear with brute force, so he used the fist technique he had trained for years. Quick and precise strikes, targeting the bear's pressure points, forced it to retreat.
The bear was furious, but Ansatsu Koroshi remained calm and focused. He knew he only needed to wait for the right moment to deliver the final blow. And then, he saw it – a weak point on the bear's shoulder, where the skin was thinner.
With a swift and precise punch, Ansatsu Koroshi struck the weak point, and the bear fell to the ground, defeated. He took a deep breath, feeling the thrill after a good fight.
After his fight with the beast and killing it, he stopped to rest and cultivate his art. The sun was already setting, with the shadow of night beginning to cover the entire forest. After a few minutes, he realized he was being watched by some kind of animal. The smell of blood coming from this "animal" was fresh.
"A demon, or an animal?" thought Ansatsu Koroshi, waiting to see the observer's next move.
He relaxed, lowered his guard, and waited. A few minutes later, the observer made its move. With a speed superior to any human, the oni attacked him from behind, but Ansatsu Koroshi was prepared. He made a millimetric dodge, avoiding the attack.
"An oni," said Ansatsu Koroshi, his voice low and calm. "And not very intelligent."
The oni paused for a moment, surprised by Ansatsu Koroshi's reaction, but soon recovered and resumed attacking with claw strikes and kicks, pure animal instinct. Ansatsu Koroshi couldn't see the oni's movements, but with pure instinct, he coldly dodged or intercepted each of its blows.
"You're fast," said Ansatsu Koroshi, his expression unchanged. "But it's not fast enough."
The fight between Ansatsu Koroshi and the oni was intense and brutal. The two fighters exchanged blows of punches and fists, with blood and bones breaking with each impact. Ansatsu Koroshi, with his martial arts technique, struck the oni's joint points, attempting to immobilize him.
But the oni was a powerful demon and did not fall easily. He counterattacked forcefully, forcing Ansatsu Koroshi to retreat. The fight continued, with the two fighters exchanging blows and dodges, each trying to find an opening for the final blow.
Ansatsu Koroshi knew he needed to end the fight quickly, before the oni fully recovered. He began to concentrate, preparing for the final blow. With a quick and precise movement, he used the muscle compression technique, multiplying his strength and landing a blow to the oni's chest. The blow was so strong that it pierced the demon's body, but he did not die.
The oni laughed, a guttural and terrifying sound. "You can't kill me," he said. "Only a special sword can kill me, and only with a cut to the neck."
Ansatsu Koroshi smiled, a cold and calculating smile. He knew he had another way to defeat the oni. The sun. He knew it would still be about 8 hours before sunrise, but he wasn't worried. His plan was to continue fighting the oni until sunrise.
The fight continued, with Ansatsu Koroshi using his technique to recover and the oni using his "immortal" body to continue fighting. But over time, the oni began to realize he couldn't defeat Ansatsu Koroshi. He tried to flee, but Ansatsu Koroshi wouldn't let him. He aimed at the oni's legs, causing him to lose the use of his legs.
Despair began to cover the oni's face, fear and terror in his eyes. On the horizon, the first rays of sunlight could be seen. Ansatsu Koroshi, his body scarred and cut, yet still firm, each breath calm and controlled, his gaze imperturbable and cold.
Finally, the oni simply gave up resisting, collapsing to the ground with all its joints dislocated and fist holes in its body. Ansatsu Koroshi watched the sun engulf the oni's body and cause it to spontaneously combust. In the end, nothing remained.
After the fight, Ansatsu Koroshi felt a strange energy pulsing through his body, a supernatural energy he didn't understand, but which was there, present and pulsating. It was as if his own body was absorbing the energy of the defeated oni, becoming stronger and more powerful.
With the adrenaline of the fight still at its peak, Ansatsu Koroshi sat on the ground, trying to process what had happened. The energy in his body was almost palpable, and he could feel his muscles regenerating and strengthening.
After a few minutes, he stood up, feeling stronger and more confident than ever. He knew it was time to rest and recover, as the journey that was about to begin would be long and difficult.
Ansatsu Koroshi returned to his home, a simple and isolated place where he could hide from the world. He didn't like talking to anyone, preferring to remain alone and focused on his training.
He spent the following days resting and training, hunting demons near the village to keep his skills sharp. The supernatural energy in his body continued to grow, and he knew he was preparing for something greater.
At the age of 13, Ansatsu Koroshi knew it was time to leave. He had reached the limits he could achieve in the village and was ready to face the world. He left his home in search of information about demons and demon hunters.
And so began his journey through the world hunting demons and seeking absolute power.