Chapter 55: Lower Moon 6 — Kamanue!
The faint but nauseating stench of blood lingered in the air. It was subtle—clearly suppressed intentionally so that it wouldn't be easily noticed.
Yet tonight, that wasn't enough to keep a certain "uninvited guest" away.
"Hmph~"
As soon as Yukinoshita Akira stepped into the elevator, a small smirk formed at the corner of his lips.
He had already sensed a tail following him from the moment he entered the building.
Ding—
The elevator reached the sixth floor. Akira stepped out with quiet composure.
But instead of continuing on, he stopped just past the door and leaned casually against the wall. Waiting. Patiently.
Ding—
Moments later, the elevator doors slid open again.
Akira slowed his breathing deliberately, like a hunter waiting for prey to step into his trap.
Tap—
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed across the hallway floor.
"Already gone? But he was just here..."
A voice grumbled in irritation—a voice tinged with disappointment. It belonged to the one who had been tailing Akira.
Akira felt himself sigh internally.
What a letdown.
Too slow. Too unskilled.
Thud—
Without warning, a large hand extended from the shadows and clamped down tightly around the intruder's neck.
With ease, Akira lifted the figure off the ground—one-handed.
The sudden attack caused panic to flash across the woman's face.
"Wait... you're not a demon?!"
Too weak. Especially the neck—far too delicate.
If Akira had added even a little more strength, her neck would've snapped in an instant. There was no way she could've been a demon.
Demon necks were incredibly durable. Once turned, their bodies and skin hardened unnaturally. Especially their necks.
Without enough power to slice through solid stone, decapitating a demon was practically impossible.
But as Akira took a closer look...
He recognized her.
"Hiratsuka-sensei...?"
Three parts surprise. Three parts confusion. Three parts suspicion. And... one part guilt.
He had just nearly killed his own teacher. That... might've been a bit much.
"Ugh... cough! You bastard! Were you trying to kill me?!"
Still gasping, Hiratsuka Shizuka clutched at her bruised neck, coughing violently.
At the same time, shock ran through her. She never would've imagined Akira possessed such monstrous strength—he had lifted her off the ground just by grabbing her throat.
Whoosh—
"Watch out—!"
From the darkness, a hand came flying straight for Akira's chest.
If that strike had landed, it would've torn out his heart.
Shizuka, standing directly in front of him, saw it clearly—a hand reaching from behind Akira's back.
Slash—
A flash of steel. A sharp sound of flesh being torn apart.
Akira yanked Shizuka toward him and leapt away in an instant.
"AAARGH! My hand! How did he notice me?!"
A figure stood where Akira had been just moments ago, shrieking in agony as it clutched the severed stump where its arm had once been.
Akira narrowed his eyes, staring at the creature. He immediately spotted the kanji scrawled across its eyeball:
[Lower Moon - Six]
The demon had jet-black hair that faded to orange at the tips, with streaks of blue carved across his face.
There was no doubt.
It was Kamanue—Lower Moon 6 of the Twelve Kizuki.
Originally a replacement for Kyogai, whose number had been revoked by Muzan, Kamanue had managed to secure a spot among the elite Twelve Kizuki.
But not long after becoming an official demon of Muzan's ranks, he had been transferred to this world alongside Muzan and the others.
For the past three months, Kamanue had kept an extremely low profile. Only after learning the rules of this world did he resume his feeding.
To stay under the radar, he had only acted five times in the past two months.
And he'd been extra cautious not to kill anyone inside his own apartment building. It was the perfect "safe nest."
"This presence... You're with the Demon Slayer Corps, aren't you?"
Kamanue's gaze sharpened, drawn to the Nichirin Blade in Akira's hand.
He had faced them before. Killed a few in the past.
"Lower Moon 6... What a surprise. Looks like I found myself a jackpot."
"The hell's that supposed to mean?! You think you can kill me, you arrogant bastard?!"
"To be honest, for the weakest member of the Twelve Kizuki, you sure talk big."
"Screw you! I'll rip you apart and chew your bones to pieces!"
"If you think you can... then go ahead."
"DIEEEEEEEE!"
Whoosh—
Kamanue dashed forward, faster than the eye could follow.
Even as the weakest among the Twelve, he was still leagues stronger than most demons.
Fuuuh—
"Sun Breathing."
Akira lowered his stance. A thin puff of white breath escaped his lips.
He inhaled a sharp burst of oxygen, triggering a surge in heart rate and blood flow. It was the physiological effect of the Breathing Techniques.
"DIIIIEEE—!"
Kamanue closed the distance in an instant. His clawed hands reached out to tear off Akira's head.
"Look out! Move!!"
Shizuka, who had been thrown aside earlier, shouted in panic as she scrambled to her feet and rushed toward them, her body still unsteady.
Despite her smoking, drinking, and gruff demeanor... Shizuka was a good person. A responsible teacher.
When her student was in danger, she didn't hesitate to throw herself into harm's way.
Because that's what teachers do.
"Flash Cut—!"
Shing—
The Nichirin Blade flashed—unsheathing itself in a blur and slicing forward with terrifying speed.
Kamanue, who had just reached Akira, barely saw the blinding arc of white light.
A moment later, his world flipped upside down.
His vision rotated—and he saw his own body.
Headless.
Wait... he'd been decapitated?
Thud—
His severed head hit the floor with a dull thump, still wearing an expression of disbelief and confusion.
And just like that, it was over.
Lower Moon 6 was far too weak.
Shizuka, who had been rushing in to save Akira, stopped dead in her tracks—frozen.
What kind of student is Yukinoshita Akira...?
Fssshhh—
As expected, when a demon is slain by a Nichirin Blade, their body disintegrates.
Kamanue's corpse and severed head began crumbling into ash, like a fire slowly consuming dry paper.
Ding!
[Template Inheritance Progress increased by 3%!]
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host. You have acquired: Sun Breathing, First Form — Dance!]
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host. You have acquired: Water Breathing!]
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host. You have acquired: Full Set of Water Breathing Sword Techniques!]
A flurry of system notifications echoed inside Akira's mind.
So... he only gained one technique from Sun Breathing, but he unlocked the entire Water Breathing set?
What kind of logic was that?
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