Chapter 41 Two Missions
The moon was bright, the stars were sparse, and the sky was cloudless.
Aoki sat on the roof, elbows resting on his knees, chin in his hand, and a gourd of ghost wine in his other hand.
*Chum-chum-chum*.
He gulped down a large mouthful of ghost wine and let out a satisfied sigh.
"According to the pattern, the ghosts should be making their move again today. I wonder if they'll come here?"
Aoki raised his gourd, about to take another sip, when suddenly he stopped.
Below, on the street,
a figure was running at breakneck speed, far exceeding the speed of any human.
"They've really come!"
Aoki's spirits lifted. He put away his gourd and sat up straight.
"Such a strong aura, it really could be a Lower Moon!"
He couldn't be sure because, essentially, "Lower Moon" was just an identity, not entirely equivalent to strength.
Some ghosts weren't Lower Moons, but their strength wasn't much weaker.
About half a month ago, he hunted a ghost whose strength was only slightly weaker than Rui, yet it gave him a full 400 experience points.
Aoki stood up.
Regardless of whether the ghost below was a Lower Moon Three, he wasn't going to let it go.
Just as he was about to make his move, Aoki suddenly stopped and turned to look behind him.
There was another demon!
He had short, peach-pink hair, pale skin, and his entire body was covered in dark blue tattoos representing sinners. He had a pair of golden pupils, each marked with "Upper Moon" and "Three."
"Akaza?!"
Aoki was stunned.
Wasn't the man-eating demon Lower Moon Three?
How did it become Upper Moon Three?
Damn it, could the information be any more accurate?!
This one-word difference could be fatal!
Quickly, he realized.
It wasn't Lower Moon becoming Upper Moon, but Lower Moon becoming Upper Moon plus Lower Moon!
[Ding! Mission received: The End of the Upper Moons.]
[The End of the Upper Moons]
The Twelve Demon Moons are Muzan Kibutsuji's direct subordinates, and the Upper Moons are Muzan Kibutsuji's absolute trump card.
Mission Requirements: Kill three Upper Moon demons.
Mission Rewards: 2500 experience points, 3 skill points, Bat Wings.
[Ding! Mission received: Hunter and Prey.]
[Hunter and Prey]
When you're preparing to hunt, you suddenly find yourself someone else's target. Who is the hunter, and who is the prey?
Mission Requirements: Complete the hunt under Akaza's high interference.
Mission Rewards: 400 experience points, 1 skill point.
A series of system notifications left Aoki somewhat overwhelmed.
But he didn't have time to investigate further.
Because Akaza suddenly disappeared from his sight.
Without hesitation, Aoki punched the air in front of him.
Akaza's figure suddenly appeared, meeting his punch with a swipe.
Boom!
The two fists collided violently.
Akaza swayed, while Aoki staggered back several steps, almost falling off the roof.
At this moment, Lower Moon Three, Byakuya, noticed the commotion, stopped, and stared in astonishment at the roof.
"Your fighting spirit is strong!" Akaza's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Why is Upper Moon Three with Lower Moon Three?"
Aoki looked at the words in his eyes: "Could this be a trap set for me?"
"That's right, Lord Muzan guessed that you were hunting Lower Moons and specifically devised this plan against you."
Akaza didn't hide anything; in his eyes, Aoki was already a dead man.
"As expected, being seen eating people was intentional."
Aoki shook his head secretly, thought for a moment, and then asked, "There must be more than one group like this, right?"
Akaza didn't seem to be in a hurry to act: "Lower Moon One and Lower Moon Two also have Upper Moons following them."
Aoki asked, "Doma and Kokushibo?"
"It seems you know a lot about us Upper Moons!"
Akaza didn't answer directly, but his meaning was clear.
"I didn't expect Muzan Kibutsuji to value me so much,"
Aoki exclaimed.
All three Upper Moons were mobilized.
Even the Pillars wouldn't receive this treatment.
In this world, the only ones with more influence than him were probably the Ubuyashiki family, the leaders of the Demon Slayer Corps.
"Activate the technique!"
Akaza bent his knees, assuming a horse stance, and a twelve-pointed snowflake array appeared beneath his feet, his eyes filled with excitement: "Come on! Let's fight!"
Aoki felt a pang of regret.
What a pity.
If he had already mastered "Transparent World," he could have kept Akaza here today!
Against others, "Transparent World" was just a powerful cheat, but against Akaza, it was a deadly technique.
"Let's make a deal, can I kill the Lower Moon Three first?" Aoki asked.
"If you can defeat me, you can kill as many as you want!"
Akaza suddenly appeared in front of Aoki, unleashing a torrent of attacks like a waterfall.
"Destruction Kill, Chaotic Style!"
"Aoki Style, Death's Decree!"
Aoki lowered his waist and raised his fist to meet the attack.
Boom!
The air exploded, and a powerful shockwave swept in all directions, even tearing off the roof.
Aoki retreated continuously.
Akaza's eyes burned with fighting spirit as he relentlessly pursued: "Destruction Kill, Kick Style, Flying Star Thousand Wheels."
His feet were entwined with chaotic currents as he kicked out continuously, the trajectories unpredictable, like wandering meteors.
Aoki continued to respond with "Death's Decree."
Death's Decree was both an offensive technique and a defensive skill.
However, it could only defend against fist and foot attacks, so it wasn't demonstrated in his previous fight with Rui.
Thump thump thump!
Aoki retreated continuously, barely managing to resist.
"You are indeed very strong!"
Akaza's expression grew increasingly excited, unleashing eight attacks in an instant: "Destruction Kill, Demon Core Eightfold Core."
Thump!
Wounds exploded all over Aoki's body as he was sent flying.
Akaza unleashed a punch from afar: "Destruction Kill, Void Style!"
Six shockwaves crashed down, sending Aoki slamming to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth, multiple bones shattering from his body.
"As expected of Upper Moon Three,"
Aoki murmured, wiping the blood from his mouth.
All of Akaza's attacks were extremely powerful, fast, and precise.
Ignoring all other factors, in terms of combat technique alone, Akaza completely overwhelmed him.
After perfecting his own combat system, Aoki had consistently held the upper hand against other demons in terms of fighting skills.
Today, he felt suppressed once again.
Of course,
he knew that Akaza's "Compass" was also a crucial factor.
The "Compass" was essentially a degraded version of the "Transparent World," allowing him to sense his opponent's movements through changes in their fighting spirit.
Just then, Aoki's expression changed, and disregarding his image, he rolled away on the spot.
Boom!
Akaza descended from the sky, shattering the floor, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
"Destruction Kill, Shattering Style, Myriad Leaf Flash Willow."
Boom!
Like an earthquake, cracks rapidly spread in all directions, and two houses collapsed with a crash.
However, Aoki had chosen a deserted area, uninhabited, so there was no need to worry about accidentally injuring others.
Bang!
The terrifying impact sent Aoki flying, a huge wound appearing on his waist, almost tearing his body in two.
But the next moment, Aoki's figure vanished silently, reappearing on the rooftop next to him.
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(End of Chapter)