Akaza was stunned.
Throughout his long life, the humans he had seen either knelt before him begging for mercy, or desperately fled, and some even offered the lives of their own family and friends, just to survive.
That someone would voluntarily want to become a demon was a novelty to him, who enjoyed engaging in pyramid schemes.
Akaza lifted his chin, "Do you know what it means to become one of us?"
Kamihara Tetsuya's lips curved into a strange arc; the topic had shifted from "Akaza will casually kill him" to "whether to transform him into a demon."
A small change, not easily noticeable.
"I don't know, but I want to become stronger, stronger than you!" Kamihara Tetsuya's tone was firm, and he met Akaza's gaze with serious eyes, completely fearless.
After a long while, Akaza's face showed interest. With such determined eyes, if nothing unexpected happened, he would likely become a strong individual in the future.
He was Akaza!
He loved fighting strong individuals, sought them out relentlessly, and yearned to reach the legendary ultimate domain!
"Then let me see your willpower!"
Akaza extended his hand, making a small cut on his palm, and condensed a drop of unusually vibrant blood.
This drop of blood was the size of an index finger. The moment it appeared, the blood moon in the sky seemed to dim, and the surrounding space subtly fluctuated.
"This is?" Kamihara Tetsuya's expression changed.
Whoosh!
Akaza flicked his finger, and the ruby-like blood shot out, transforming into a streak of blood that cut through the void. Kamihara Tetsuya didn't even react before the drop of blood entered his mouth.
Kamihara Tetsuya hadn't even tasted it when the fresh blood seemed to have a will of its own, sliding down his throat and rapidly merging into his body.
Kamihara Tetsuya trembled, clearly feeling the changes in his body.
His body temperature rose rapidly, his skin was covered by a faint red glow, becoming incredibly hot. Steaming gas emanated from him, and every cell felt like it was about to split apart.
"Roar!"
Kamihara Tetsuya's eyes were bloodshot, looking incredibly ferocious, and a beast-like roar escaped from deep within his throat.
A tyrannical aura occupied his mind, leaving only one thought: to destroy everything around him.
Akaza stood by, watching this scene with great interest. To what extent could the other party go?
Generally speaking, transforming into a demon only required a tiny bit of That Lord's blood. This time, he used over five milliliters of blood, which was enough to make an ordinary demon explode.
[Become my servant!]
Kamihara Tetsuya seemed to hear a faint voice in his ear.
So that's how it was, he understood.
What entered his body was not Akaza's blood, but Kibutsuji Muzan's blood.
Kibutsuji Muzan's suffocating terror and brutality seemed to want to destroy his mind, occupy his body, and turn him into an irrational monster.
"Don't even think about it!"
Kamihara Tetsuya roared. He was the one who voluntarily wanted to become a demon. If he couldn't withstand Kibutsuji Muzan's blood, that would be too ridiculous.
Kamihara Tetsuya gritted his teeth, firmly suppressing Kibutsuji Muzan's evil will.
The bloody light emanating from his body subtly retracted, shrinking back into Kamihara Tetsuya's body.
A hint of surprise flashed across Akaza's face. Based on this alone, the other party had the potential to become an Upper Rank.
More than half an hour later, Kamihara Tetsuya was half-crouching on the ground, his face contorted, fangs and sharp nails growing, his face a bit paler, his eyes as exquisite as two rubies, with a faint bloody glow deep within them.
"Hoo!"
Kamihara Tetsuya gasped for breath. Even without looking, he knew what had happened to him.
It felt as if an endless surge of power was emerging.
Thanks to the demon transformation, the scrapes caused by Akaza's punch earlier recovered at a visible rate. For demons, missing a hand or a foot was a trivial minor injury.
"Close to an ordinary Lower Moon, not bad."
Akaza estimated based on Kamihara Tetsuya's aura.
As a human transformed into a demon, Kamihara Tetsuya's starting point already surpassed ninety percent of demons.
"I'm very much looking forward to the day you challenge me to a Blood Battle for the Ranks." Akaza said with a chuckle.
Kamihara Tetsuya feigned confusion, "Blood Battle for the Ranks?"
Akaza explained, "Battles and slaughter among demons! Only the strongest twelve demons can become That Lord's direct Twelve Kizuki!"
"Don't worry, that day won't be too far off!"
Kamihara Tetsuya didn't forget the system's task. He slowly raised his chin, nose upturned, looking at Akaza with a disdainful gaze, "Because, you're very weak!"
Hearing this, Akaza's expression became somewhat gloomy.
Kamihara Tetsuya thought, 'Sure enough.'
Akaza utterly detested the weak. To Akaza, this remark was as damaging as telling a man, "Puny dog, are you even capable?"
The next moment, Akaza's reaction was beyond Kamihara Tetsuya's expectation; there was no anger as he had imagined.
Akaza sneered, "Then you work hard. But with that mindset, you'll be killed by demon slayers very quickly."
Kamihara Tetsuya frowned, then understood.
Provocation only works on equals.
When a person becomes powerful, even the barking of a stray dog on the roadside can seem somewhat endearing.
Akaza tossed a yellowed blueprint to Kamihara Tetsuya, "This is a blue spider lily. If you find this flower, you must notify me immediately!"
"Alright."
Kamihara Tetsuya took the blueprint, feeling grateful for having paper when going to the toilet, while also mourning for Kibutsuji Muzan. If he had asked humans for help, he might have found it much earlier.
"Goodbye!"
Akaza waved his hand and walked into the distance.
The current Kamihara Tetsuya was too weak to interest him. At least, he needed to get familiar with the demon's power first.
Before long, Akaza's figure disappeared into the night. As he left, the crimson blood moon dissipated, and a bright, clear moon hung in the sky.
"It was an illusion formed by killing intent?"
Kamihara Tetsuya's expression showed some emotion, and he felt a sense of relief. It was truly not easy to have survived today.
Since he was here, he would make the best of it.
His adaptability was strong. Since something like transmigration had happened, becoming a demon seemed to be of no consequence.
Feeling the immense power of his demon physique, with qualitative leaps in strength, speed, and recovery, and the eternal life of a demon, Kamihara Tetsuya's face showed a hint of joy.
Given the nature of the 'Infinite Death-Seeking System' golden finger, in the process of constantly seeking death, he felt he also needed the demon's recovery power to avoid being beaten to death.
There were pros and cons.
He temporarily couldn't be exposed to sunlight.
All demons were transformed by Kibutsuji Muzan's blood, and the moment they became demons, they were also branded with a cruel curse.
They were forbidden to reveal any information about Kibutsuji Muzan, and even speaking his name would result in instant death!
[Provocation successful, death-seeking mission completed. Akaza's rage 32%. Special ability being extracted.]