Akaza, having risen three ranks in quick succession, slowly emerged from the smoke and dust, his excitement fading slightly as he looked at Aoki with a puzzled expression.
"What just happened? Why didn't I sense any movement of your fighting spirit?"
"Actually, I really wanted to continue fighting you," Aoki said regretfully.
Through the battle just now, he had confirmed that he was currently no match for Akaza, but Akaza couldn't kill him either.
This high-intensity, high-pressure battle could help him quickly improve his fighting skills and refine his combat system.
"But," Aoki sighed, "I'm a little worried. Are the other Upper Moons, or even Muzan Kibutsuji, already on their way?"
Akaza clenched his fist, pointing at Aoki: "Unfortunately, this battle isn't something you can simply avoid."
"No, I can decide!"
Aoki's figure suddenly vanished.
Akaza's gaze froze instantly.
It happened again!
He disappeared without a trace of his fighting spirit!
At the end of the street.
Byakuya, who had been watching the spectacle, was stunned by the figure that suddenly appeared before him.
"Aoki Style, Storm!"
Aoki's attack swept in like a fierce storm.
Before Byakuya could react, his body was instantly riddled with fist-sized holes, all four limbs crippled, and his head shattered.
Compared to his fight with Rui, Aoki's strength had increased to another level, and with the element of surprise, he had almost crippled Lower Moon Four in a single encounter.
Akaza spotted Aoki the instant he appeared, summoning his magic needles to gather around him.
"Destruction Slash, Final Form, Blue Silver Chaotic Remnant Light!"
Whoosh!
Missiles rained down, like hundreds of rockets fired simultaneously.
Aoki dared not take the hit head-on, ceasing his finishing blow and flashing away.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Missiles rained down, the earth shattered, and houses collapsed.
The entire street seemed to have been plowed through, the earth shattered, and all the houses reduced to ruins.
A mass of rotten flesh continuously coalesced, solidifying into a human form—it was Byakuya.
Akaza's attack had actually helped him escape the wounds inflicted by "Demon Eater."
However, his face was slightly pale, clearly indicating that this regeneration had taken a considerable toll.
"The traitor's strength is so great! This is completely different from what was promised!"
Byakuya cursed inwardly, no longer caring about anything else, and turned to flee frantically.
He never wanted to experience that scene again.
At that moment, he truly felt the approach of death.
He was only responsible for luring the traitor out; his mission was complete. The rest was the responsibility of Upper Moon Three.
Even if the traitor escaped, that person couldn't blame him.
Watching Byakuya's fleeing figure, Akaza coldly said, "Foolish!"
Didn't he notice that the traitor had directly crossed space to appear?
Wasn't running away just courting death?
Just then,
Akaza's expression hardened, his compass activated, and a powerful aura appeared behind him.
He didn't turn around, but instead kicked out from below, striking backward with a powerful upward kick.
"Destruction Kill, Kick Style, Crown Cut."
His speed was too fast, forcing Aoki to switch from offense to defense.
Bang!
Like a heavy hammer, it struck, a sharp pain shooting through his arm, and Aoki's figure vanished again.
"Where did he go?"
Akaza frowned.
Not being able to sense him meant the defector had left the compass's range.
This sudden loss of the enemy's trail made him extremely uncomfortable.
Suddenly, the compass was triggered again, and Akaza turned around: "Destruction Kill, Kick Style, Flowing Light."
A rapid side kick, like a flash of light, yet it felt like it had hit nothing.
"It's happening again!"
Veins bulged at the corners of Akaza's eyes: "What kind of ability is this? Is it a Blood Demon Art similar to Nakime's?"
It was very rare.
The battle made him feel uneasy.
Akaza suppressed his anger, calmly considering how to counter this ability.
The defector was quite strong; even he couldn't subdue it quickly. Combined with this ability, it was like an unkillable rat.
Over the years, he had encountered opponents he couldn't defeat, but never such a "disgusting" enemy.
After a moment, Akaza suddenly came to his senses.
Why hadn't the defector attacked yet?
Had it given up?
No!
Lower Moon Three!
Akaza's eyes widened, and he quickly ran towards the direction Lower Moon Three had fled.
Halfway there, he suddenly heard a series of muffled collisions, and an ominous premonition arose in his heart.
Turning the corner, Akaza's gaze instantly turned icy cold.
Aoki heard the noise, turned his head, and smiled, "You're too late."
As he spoke, Lower Moon Three was completely swallowed up, and the next moment, system notifications began to flood the screen.
[Killed Lower Moon Three, gained 500 experience points.]
[Constitution +1.]
["Lower Moon's Doomsday" Completed, reward issued.]
["Hunter and Prey" Completed, reward issued.]
[Congratulations on leveling up!]
[Congratulations on leveling up!]
[Congratulations on leveling up!]
A three-level jump?
Aoki was a little confused, quickly calculating in his mind.
He was already close to level 9, plus the 500 experience points from Lower Moon Three, the 1200 from "Lower Moon's Doomsday", and the 400 from "Hunter and Prey". That really was enough to level up three times in a row!
Akaza's face was icy, his golden pupils boiling with anger.
He didn't care about Lower Moon Three's life or death, but killing Lower Moon Three in front of him was tantamount to slapping him in the face.
"Activate the spell!"
A huge twelve-pointed snowflake array appeared, and Akaza charged towards Aoki.
Aoki came to his senses, hesitating slightly.
The situation had changed.
Having leveled up three times, "Hunter and Prey" also rewarded him with one skill point.
This meant he now had four skill points, enough to learn a new skill.
Should he directly learn "Transparent World" and finish off Akaza here?
Akaza's past was incredibly tragic.
If Rui, the Lower Moon Five, was more hateful and laughable than pitiful and pathetic, then Akaza was more pitiful and pathetic than hateful and laughable.
However, Aoki would show absolutely no mercy.
While Akaza's past was tragic, the countless sins he had committed over the centuries still made him worthy of death.
Furthermore, killing Akaza was the best way to free him from his pathetic, laughable, and hateful demonic life.
The problem was, if he used the skill points to learn "Transparent World," he would have to wait until level 2 of "Demon Eater."
The experience requirements for leveling up kept increasing, while the experience gained was decreasing.
Accumulating four more skill points wouldn't be easy.
Aoki hesitated for less than a second before making his decision.
Learn!
How could I not learn?
This is a golden opportunity; if I miss it, who knows when I'll encounter Akaza again.
Killing Akaza will grant a huge amount of experience, plus the benefits of "Upper Moon's Doomsday," even if learning other skills takes a little longer, it's definitely worth it!
Aoki dodged Akaza's attack with a swift movement, about to summon the system.
Suddenly.
A terrifying and oppressive aura appeared, intense malice permeating the air, the world transforming into a scene of utter hell.
A young man wearing a white shirt and black jacket, with crimson eyes and a face as pale as paper, stepped out.
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(End of Chapter)