"Go away!"
Giyu looked in the direction Oboro had disappeared, feeling disbelief.
He and Rengoku had somehow survived.
He had thought that they were both dead.
Moreover, the man took a deliberate look before leaving, which made Giyu feel strange.
It seemed as if the man had done it on purpose, causing events to unfold as he wished and resulting in their survival.
They were saved by a demon.
Shi Wei didn't care about anything else. He hurried forward to help the unconscious Tian Shoulang and quickly left. At the same time, he asked the crow to inform the Demon Slayer Corps of the situation here and pass on the message.
The villagers and the subsequent matters between the man and the Upper Five were no longer within his consideration. Rengoku's condition was much more serious than his own and required immediate medical attention.
"Besides,"
On the way, Giyu recalled the conversation between Oboro and the Upper Five, especially the fact that the former called Muzan by his last name, something he had never seen before.
According to his understanding, all demons, because of Muzan's blood, were subject to a kind of "restraint," a curse of sorts. They dared not be disrespectful to Muzan; if they harbored wrong thoughts, they would die even if Muzan wasn't around. This kind of suppression was absolute.
But that man was an outsider.
"He obtained blood by plotting against the Upper Five and became a demon to survive," Giyu muttered, furrowing his brow in confusion. "But how could he be so powerful after just transforming into a demon? Even the upper ranks are afraid of him."
"I feel like I've heard 'black haori' somewhere before."
The Water Pillar carried Rengoku on his back, endured the severe pain from his wounds, and fled from Aobashi Town. He didn't dare gamble that, afterward, the man or an upper-rank demon would return and hunt them down. They should take advantage of the two demons fighting each other and run away first.
"But Upper Five—"
Then, he thought of something else, and his heart tightened. The aura of an Upper Five demon alone was enough to make people feel oppressed. Even if he and Rengoku joined forces, they wouldn't have the upper hand.
At this level, it would probably take four Pillar-level swordsmen to fight. Ironically, they had recently practiced the breathing technique, felt the changes it brought, and thought they finally saw a glimmer of hope to defeat Muzan.
Unexpectedly, reality dealt him and Rengoku a heavy blow.
"Asshole!"
"Damn it!"
"Why are you running?!"
"I'm obviously an upper rank, and he's just a newborn."
On the road leading out of Aobashi Town, Yalingmaru ran as fast as he could. His figure was like a sharp arrow flying above the dust raised by his feet. His extreme speed caused the scenery on both sides to blur into distorted streaks.
He couldn't help but roar and curse. He had already shown his goodwill, but the man didn't appreciate it. Based on his personality, the man didn't know what was good for him, so he should have killed him. Why should he run away?
Among the Twelve Demon Moons, the ranking of the Upper and Lower Moons represented an absolute difference in strength. A person who had just turned into a demon would be terrified and fearful when seeing him, not to mention a lower-ranking demon.
But why was this man so relaxed when facing someone superior? Yet, it was himself who ran away like a stray dog.
If Lord Muzan knew about this, not only would he lose his upper-rank position, he might even be killed. The other upper ranks would even ridicule him. He would be considered to have brought discredit to the Twelve Demon Moons.
It was an instinct—the instinct of fear. He ran because he was afraid. If he had stayed, he would have died.
Gyokko knew the answer, but he was unwilling to accept it.
Thump!
After running for a while, Gyokko slowly slowed down. His feet slipped into two grooves in the mud, and he barely stopped. He lowered his head, lost in thought.
The next second, when he raised his head, his eyes had become cold and ferocious. He turned around slowly.
In the distance, a figure wearing a black haori walked from the end of the road. Despite Gyokko's speed, he couldn't escape the other person.
On both sides of the country road were cultivated fields. The night sky was dotted with stars; there were no clouds or fog blocking the view, and the light was relatively bright.
Holding the cane given to him by the Kamado clan, Oboro looked ahead at the Upper Five, who was standing ready to fight to the death. Oboro whispered, "Not running away anymore?"
"You should be the one running away!"
Gyokko raised the cleaver in his hand. His murderous intent was chilling. "My own flesh and blood is stronger than that. I also have several Blood Arts," he thought. The man just had a stronger "aura," and Oboro was momentarily shocked by his methods.
As long as he remained calm and thought carefully, his chances of winning were greater. Apart from anything else, the man was destined to have a hard time defeating him just because of the speed at which his body healed itself. Demons had different physiques, and he was an upper-rank demon!
"Be careful. Don't let his sudden burst of power shock you like before!" Gyokko made up his mind. Just as a thought flashed through his mind, the man suddenly appeared in front of him as if he had crossed space itself and met his gaze.
"This—"
Gyokko's pupils vibrated.
"Earlier in the shrine, you couldn't react at the speed of an ordinary person. Let alone the fact that my attributes have increased." Oboro's voice was ice-cold and matter-of-fact. "You can't detect it with your naked eyes."
His breathing and the driving force erupting from it were in two different dimensions from the pillar-level swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps.
The biggest difference in his breathing was his frighteningly high body temperature. Even though he was wearing a loose black haori, wisps of heat rose from his clothes like a cloud of mist swirling around him.
As danger approached, Gyokko immediately tried to disintegrate his body, letting the various parts fly away in different directions. But he was too slow.
This time, Oboro stretched out his hand and inserted five fingers into the skull of the Upper Five. As his fingertips continued to pinch, it seemed as if a transformation were taking place in the demon's brain.
Since becoming a demon, Oboro had awakened his Blood Demon Art and integrated it with acupoint-pressing techniques, creating a new method suitable for this world's power system. Even without the "power of the soul," Upper Five had no chance against him.
In terms of skills and ability, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, even if he were reborn, would not be able to compare with Oboro in the slightest. If we're only talking about blade skills, maybe I could win.
Gyokko's expression became dull again, and he drooled from the corners of his mouth as Oboro pulled his hand out of Gyokko's head. Strangely, the flesh on his head was not destroyed.
This time, Gyokko did not lose consciousness. His spirit was still there, able to sense the outside world, but Oboro manipulated his brain, cutting off the connection with his body.
"Let's see if I can turn you into a prop first."
After controlling Gyokko, Oboro placed his palm on the demon's chest and smiled.
"Failed?"
As expected. Although the soulification of abilities is integrated with the system, due to the "capacity" setting, there is a limit to what can be stored. If the weight is too heavy, it cannot be transformed into a soul." Additionally, to ensure the barrier of time and space can be crossed and the soul brought to another world, the itemized resources should be as small as possible. If they are too large, they will definitely be blocked by the barrier." This is why I can bring stones and leaves from the Dark Continent. So, the choice of resources must be carefully considered."
Some items and income systems may cause you to fail when traveling through time.
In the final analysis, however, it all depends on the strength of one's own soul. If one's soul is extremely powerful, one's system and abilities will also benefit and be enhanced. There will be fewer restrictions on the resources one can transform. To descend from a high-level world to a low-level world and ensure success, the soul must be reduced.
"If one climbs back to a high-level world from a low-level world, then by enriching the Supreme Will—"
Listening to the system prompts, Oboro stroked his chin, muttered to himself, and thought. Then, he used Gyokko's cleaver to cut a piece of meat from his body.
Accompanied by the transformation of system capabilities, the next second, a piece of this Upper Five's flesh and blood suddenly turned into a card. Oboro held the card up to his face and looked at it, smiling.
Item: Demon's Flesh and Blood (Source of Pollution)
Level: Bronze
Type: Type: Food and Blood
Function: Function: Can be used to transform race or enhance life energy and level. Warning: This item is defective and has side effects. Use with caution.
The card provided comprehensive information, including that after transforming into a demon, the body would have strong recovery capabilities and improved attributes. Of course, it also pointed out factors such as a fear of sunlight and a need to eat humans.
This was the Nen ability that Oboro had remodeled: the game treasure trove of endless dreamers, its new face. He integrated it into the system.
The reason Oboro constructed this ability was simple. He was going to travel to other worlds and take resources with him. Every world had many valuable things. Even in a world like Demon Slayer.
"It's a pity. After all, it's just an upper rank. Even if it's turned into a tool, it still has an expiration date; it's not permanent. As expected, I still have to find Muzan," Oboro said, his eyes reflecting a cold, calculating light.