Aoki looked at the headless body in his hand, a bright smile on his face.
He had done it!
A whole day of planning had finally paid off.
His original target had been Nakime.
The reasons were simple.
First, Nakime was the weakest.
Her combat ability wasn't great. Muzan had forced her to become an Upper Moon. She was weaker than the other Upper Moons.
Second, Nakime's Blood Demon Art was space-based. Devouring her would strengthen Space Traverse.
But he had changed his target when he saw Kokushibo protecting Nakime.
"Killing Nakime is the only way to escape Infinity Castle" was just Muzan's belief. He didn't need to kill her.
His real target was Akaza.
With the Transparent World, it was easier to defeat Akaza than Gyokko.
He had dragged out the fight, used both Qi and Blood Pills, and secretly targeted Akaza, draining his stamina.
He had also hidden his ability to control his fighting spirit, misleading Akaza and creating a chance for the final blow.
It was complicated because he couldn't devour Akaza in front of Muzan and the other Upper Moons.
He had to take Akaza out of Infinity Castle, to a place where they wouldn't be disturbed.
Space Traverse could take other living things, but it used more energy. The other being couldn't resist.
He had drained Akaza's stamina, broken his head, and broken his joints to make him unable to resist.
The plan had worked.
He had used two Qi and Blood Pills and taken many injuries, but it was worth it.
Pfft!
An arm grew from Akaza's broken shoulder and punched at Aoki.
Aoki let go of Akaza and stepped back.
"He really is an Upper Moon."
He had made the right decision to teleport out of Infinity Castle.
Akaza hadn't lost consciousness. He couldn't resist because his joints were broken. He couldn't move for a while.
Pfft! Pfft!
More arms grew from Akaza's body. He moved his joints, healing his wounds. His head regenerated quickly.
As soon as he had a mouth, Akaza shouted angrily, "Traitor, I won't let you get away with this!"
Aoki said calmly, "You were already low on stamina. You took my attacks. How much fighting power do you have left?"
Akaza's head healed. His voice was full of will. "Even if my stamina is gone, I can beat you! I won't, I won't fall here! I need to get stronger. I can't stop here!"
A strong will and a desire to survive were key to breaking the bloodline limit.
The top three Upper Moons were close to their limit.
Kokushibo had broken through in the original story, but his body had reached its limit under the Red Nichirin Sword's attack. He could regenerate his head, but his body collapsed and he died.
Akaza had almost broken through, but he remembered his human life as he was dying. He realized he wanted to destroy his failure to keep his promises to his father and his lover, and his defilement of his master's Soryu Style, which was meant for defense, not killing.
He killed himself.
"If I had time, I'd like to fight you properly, but I have something more important to do."
Aoki raised his fist.
"Goodbye, Akaza. No, Komaji!"
Akaza stopped moving when he heard that name. His regeneration stopped.
"Komaji? Komaji? Who's Komaji? Why does that name sound so familiar?"
A flash went through his mind. His sealed memories returned. Akaza trembled, feeling sad about his centuries-long pursuit of power and disgusted by his killings. And...
"Mr. Komaji! Mr. Komaji! Mr. Komaji!"
Akaza looked up sharply. A beautiful girl in a kimono stood before him.
He paused, then reached out his hands, trembling.
"Koyuki! Koyuki!"
"Mr. Komaji!" The girl looked eager.
The tattoos on Akaza's face faded. His pink hair and golden eyes turned black and blue. His violent aura disappeared, replaced by intense pain and regret.
He hugged the girl, crying loudly.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I couldn't protect you! I wasn't there when you needed me! I'm sorry!"
...
Aoki pulled back his hand.
"I felt regret and pain. Akaza remembered himself, saw his lover?"
Souls existed in this world.
With strong attachments, souls could last a long time.
They had a chance to meet their loved ones after death.
Aoki quickly forgot about Akaza.
System notifications appeared.
[Strength +1.]
[Free Skill Point +1.]
[Killed Upper Moon Three, gained 1800 experience.]
["Upper Moon's End" completed. Rewards have been sent.]
[Congratulations, you leveled up!]
[Congratulations, you leveled up!]
[Congratulations, you leveled up!]
[Ended a battle, gained 500 experience.]
[Congratulations, you leveled up!]
Aoki was overwhelmed.
He thought leveling up three times at level 8 was amazing. He had done it again at level 15.
Martial Artist had leveled up once too.
[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 21]
[Constitution: 19]
[Intelligence: 20]
[Agility: 19]
[Class: Hunter, Aberrant Demon, Martial Artist]
[Free Stat Points: 6]
[Item: Bat Wings]
...
[Aberrant Demon]
[Quality: ★★]
[Level: lv18 (313/1800)]
[Skills: Demon Blood IV, Space Traverse II, Transparent World, Devour Demon II]
[Mission: None]
[Free Skill Points: 8]
...
[Martial Artist]
[Quality: ☆]
[Level: lv4 (253/400)]
[Skills: Martial Heart, Combat Instinct, Body Control (Not Learned), Unyielding Will (Not Learned)]
[Free Skill Points: 1]
---
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