"Muzan Kibutsuji!"
Aoki's gaze sharpened. He stopped adding points. "He really came. Too bad."
With Muzan here, he couldn't kill Akaza.
"We meet again!" Muzan's gaze swept the battlefield, stopping on Aoki.
"Sooner than I expected!" Aoki said calmly.
On the surface, there was no hostility between them. They greeted each other like old friends.
"It's a shame I didn't recognize your potential sooner. But I've caught you now."
Muzan slowly extended his hand. "Let me see, what secrets are you hiding?"
Whump!
A whip lashed out at Aoki, easily slicing through the houses like tofu.
But Aoki vanished just before it hit.
Muzan's face changed. He looked up sharply.
Aoki floated in the air, looking down. "Muzan Kibutsuji, thank you for the 'food.' We'll meet again!"
His figure faded as he spoke.
Muzan's face darkened. He looked around quickly.
Nothing, nothing, nowhere!
He'd actually escaped!
He'd come himself, and he couldn't catch him!
"Damn trash!"
Muzan's face twisted. He clenched his fist.
Boom!
A powerful shockwave exploded.
The nearby houses turned to rubble. Akaza flew away, coughing blood.
But that meant nothing to a demon.
Akaza landed, knelt before Muzan. "Muzan-sama, the traitor has a power that lets him cross space instantly!"
Muzan glared. Another shockwave exploded. Akaza flew away again, his injuries worse this time.
"Do I need you to tell me that? Akaza, you need to find a way to counter the traitor!"
Akaza said respectfully, "Muzan-sama, I feel the traitor's power is similar to Nakime's."
"Hmm? Using the Infinity Castle?"
Muzan stared at Akaza for two seconds, then waved his arm. His figure vanished.
Akaza stood, clenched his fist, looked at the sky.
"Traitor, I won't forget this humiliation!"
...
A river flowed, a tree stood on the bank.
Air rippled. Light outlined Aoki's figure.
He landed, sat down hard.
He'd warped dozens of kilometers to escape Muzan, draining his stamina and spirit.
"Muzan Kibutsuji actually came himself. I must be important."
In Muzan's eyes, Pillars were insects. Only the entire Demon Slayer Corps was a threat.
"But I should thank him."
Aoki smiled. He focused, the blue screen of the System floating before him.
He read the System messages carefully.
"Constitution +1" was from Demon Devour.
He hadn't gotten a stat boost in a while. Devouring a Lower Moon had changed that.
Leveled up three times!
He hadn't done that since he was weak.
Many things had come together to make this happen.
It probably wouldn't happen again.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 15]
[Constitution: 14]
[Intelligence: 14]
[Agility: 14]
[Profession: Hunter, Aberrant Demon]
[Free Attribute Points: 6]
[Items: Blood Qi Pills * 3]
[...]
[Aberrant Demon]
Quality: ★★
Level: lv11 (3/1100)
Skills: Demon Blood Ⅳ, Space Warp, Transparent World (Available), Demon Devour
Tasks: Upper Moons' End (0/3)
Free Skill Points: 4
A huge haul.
He'd never had so many stats, so many skill points.
Aoki looked at the screen twice, then added points.
Two to Strength, two to Intelligence, one to Constitution, one to Agility.
Six points, his power surged. It took a while to calm down.
He'd use the skill points to level up Demon Devour.
He didn't need to kill Akaza now. He'd stick to the plan.
A strange feeling washed over him. Aoki held out his hand. "Demon Devour Level 2."
He felt it, his eyes shining.
Demon Devour Level 2 was a transformation.
First, it devoured much faster. It wouldn't be interrupted as easily.
He could grab weaker demons and devour them, without weakening them first.
Second, it devoured all the demon's power, not just the point of contact.
Each devouring would inflict irreversible damage.
It was better than true damage. It was like cutting their life force directly.
He could hurt Upper Moons now. Maybe even Muzan.
Demon Devour Level 2 was better than Transparent World.
From now on, he was the daddy of all demons!
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 17]
[Constitution: 16]
[Intelligence: 17]
[Agility: 16]
[Profession: Hunter, Aberrant Demon]
[Items: Blood Qi Pills * 3]
[...]
[Aberrant Demon]
Quality: ★★
Level: lv11 (3/1100)
Skills: Demon Blood Ⅳ, Space Warp, Transparent World (Available), Demon Devour II
Tasks: Upper Moons' End (0/3)
"Stats almost average 17. Strength is good. I'm not as skilled as Akaza, but I have Demon Devour Level 2. I'd win now!"
Aoki assessed his power, looked at the System again.
"Blood Qi Pills."
A porcelain bottle appeared in his hand. He opened it, a clean scent filling the air.
Aoki swallowed, his eyes changing.
He'd only craved something once since becoming a demon.
Demon brew.
The pills were different.
They were better than sake.
Sake was a bun. These were a feast.
The bottle held three pills, round, a little bigger than soybeans, crimson red.
Aoki studied them.
Blood Qi Pills restored power, like humans needed food, demons needed blood, he needed these pills.
They were good.
He could use them in battle, like a potion.
Or he could eat them like candy.
Aoki stretched, put away the Blood Qi Pills.
This had been a good trip.
He'd set his sights higher now.
---
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