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Standing before the massive castle gates, Ren and I remained still for a few seconds. My heart pounded violently in my chest as I controlled my breathing as best I could.
I forced myself to move first and pushed the great doors open.
Ren followed immediately. Slowly, the gates creaked apart.
At that exact moment, a thick metallic stench invaded my nostrils.
I pushed the door a little further, revealing what lay beyond.
Thick black pillars rose all the way to the ceiling of the massive hall, supporting the entire structure of the castle. Attached to them, blazing torches illuminated the chamber with a crimson glow, and then the full scene revealed itself.
My stomach twisted.
A pool of blood covered the entire floor of the hall. Severed limbs and corpses were scattered everywhere. The dead stared upward with eyes wide open, frozen in expressions of absolute terror.
A chill ran down my spine as that sight slowly burned itself into my mind. Then, I raised my gaze.
And I saw…
Seated arrogantly atop a dark throne made of skulls was a humanoid creature with dark skin and demonic horns protruding from its forehead. Just looking at it made my blood run cold.
One leg rested casually against the arm of the throne, while an elbow supported its cheek. Its eyes were closed. The body was humanoid and muscular, with two massive bat-like wings attached to its back. From behind its tailbone, a long black tail swayed lazily through the air.
As if sensing our presence, the creature opened its eyes.
Two deep crimson eyes were revealed, exuding an endless thirst for blood. The demon stared at us — then smiled.
—̴ ̴H̵e̶h̶e̴h̶e̶…̷ ̸w̷h̶a̸t̷ ̸d̴o̶ ̵w̸e̴ ̶h̸a̵v̷e̸ ̸h̶e̷r̴e̵?̸
The voice sounded distorted, like a scratched record, yet heavy, deep, and oppressive. Something unnatural that echoed through every pillar of the hall.
Ba… dump.
Ba… dump.
The sound of a heartbeat echoed beside me.
Ren dropped to his knees, clutching his chest tightly. Even without seeing his face, I could tell cold sweat was running down the back of his neck.
"Ah… of course."
Without breaking rhythm, I lowered one knee to the ground as well, but felt no pain whatsoever. What was happening was a release of demonic pressure.
It hit Ren directly, but had no effect on me. There was a logical explanation for that, something I had only recently discovered… but now wasn't the time.
I knelt beside Ren and murmured quietly,
— Hey… control your breathing. You can't panic right now.
Like a spark of clarity, Ren lifted his gaze to me, his heart still racing.
— You know the demons' weak point?
Ren nodded.
Of course he did. After all, he was the one who had written that concept.
Demons were technically immortal. Any wound, even the loss of limbs, regenerated within seconds. But they possessed a fatal weakness.
A small black orb that concentrated all their demonic energy. The demonic core… If it was destroyed, the demon would die instantly.
But saying it was easy.
When I turned my gaze back to Everblood, I tried using reverse sensitivity to locate the core, just as I did with ordinary monsters.
The problem…
The demon's entire body was a swamp of black energy. Mana was completely dispersed. There was no visible point of failure. It was like trying to see a star in a sky drowned by sunlight.
Impossible…
— The core… — I muttered. — I need you to find it for me and destroy it at the right moment.
— A-are you insane?! — Ren replied, panicked. — How do you expect me to do that?!
— I'll buy time.
I raised my eyes, fixing them on the demon seated upon the throne.
— While I fight him, you analyze.
The idea slowly began to form in Ren's mind.
It still seemed inconceivable that someone could face that thing alone… but he could feel it. My rank was, at the very least, Rank F.
I wouldn't die instantly!
— It seems a few little rats have infiltrated my home… hehehe.
Everblood spoke with genuine amusement, smiling widely as he observed the visitors trembling before his presence. But then… his gaze shifted.
Huh?
…
Whosh.
"T-too fast!"
Just an instant ago, the demon had been resting on the throne. In the next, he was standing right in front of me, so close I could feel the unnatural heat radiating from his body.
His expression was analytical. Curious.
— How curious… It seems my pressure has no effect on you, little rat.
For a few seconds, Everblood circled me like a child inspecting a new toy. One step to the right. Another to the left.
Then he stopped. The smile returned, wider.
— Well… in that case…
His voice distorted, tearing through the air like something broken.
—̵ ̶Y̷o̵̷̶u̷̷̵ ̴̷̵d̷̷̴i̴̷̸e̶̷̴ ̸̷̵h̸̷̶e̸̷̶r̷̷̷e̵̷̷!̵̷̴
PLIM!
The impact was sharp.
Black claws collided with a white blade reflecting the crimson light of the hall. The attack was so fast I barely had time to draw my sword.
— Ohh! You blocked it? How adorable, hehe…
My hands trembled.
Just blocking that blow had taken everything I had. I clenched the katana's hilt until my knuckles turned white. He was on a completely different level. If I didn't weaken him… there would be no victory.
My breathing intensified, a purple aura enveloping my body as every muscle stabilized. I shifted my stance, holding the katana forward like a rapier.
— Ah! Going to attack? How interesting! I wonder if—
— Insect Breathing — Second Form: Hōga no Mai: Hanabiki (Dance of the Bee: True Flutter)
SHWOOOSH!
In the blink of an eye, the tip of my katana was buried in Everblood's right eye.
But he reacted instantly.
Claws came rushing toward me, and to avoid being torn apart, I leapt backward, ripping the blade free from the wound.
— Ah… he… hehehe…
The demonic laughter echoed through the hall.
—̷ ̸H̴̶̷E̸̷̵H̵̷̷E̵̵̶H̶̵̵E̵̸̸H̸̵̶A̵̶̴H̴̴̷A̶̴̶H̵̷̴A̶̸̴H̸̶̷A̵̵̵
When Everblood lifted his face, a chill ran down my spine.
The smile was now grotesque, split ear to ear. One scarlet eye had been completely destroyed, while crimson blood streamed down his dark skin, forming a terrifying expression.
I swallowed.
— How interesting, little boy… hehe. Your speed is impressive.
He surpassed me in almost every aspect. But Insect Breathing existed for this very reason.
Speed.
Even if only for a few moments… I could surpass him in that one category.
—̴ ̸B̵̷̸U̸̷̵T̶̷̶ ̸̷̶H̷̷̵O̸̷̸W̴̷̸ ̸̷̴L̵̷̸O̶̷̷N̴̷̸G̵̷̸?̸̷̷
!!!
A black hand appeared before my eyes.
There was no time to think.
All I managed to do was tilt my head slightly. The attack that would have shredded my neck struck my right cheek instead, tearing through the mask and opening a deep gash.
— Fuck!!!
The pressure was crushing.
Lethal strikes came from every direction. I blocked them at the absolute limit, my blade ricocheting, sparks flying through the air in a brutal chain of dry impacts.
Cuts opened across my body. Chest. Back. Arms. Without realizing it, the floor was already being painted red.
I need space!
Taking advantage of a microscopic opening after an endless barrage, I focused my breathing.
— Insect Breathing — Fourth Form: Gokō no Mai: Hyakusoku Jabara (Dance of the Centipede: Hundred-Leg Zigzag)
I retreated in rapid leaps, moving in a zigzag pattern. Afterimages formed in my wake, made of purple mist that completely confused the target.
— Insect Breathing, huh… Suits you well, little worm, hehehe.
He planted his foot into the ground, preparing to advance again.
But now… it was my turn.
On the final step of the Centipede Dance, I stood just a few meters away, firm and perfectly positioned.
— Insect Breathing — First Form: Chō no Mai: Tawamure (Butterfly Dance: Caprice)
I leapt.
I surged forward in a high-speed thrust. In a single blink, I passed through Everblood. Purple butterflies exploded around me, following the motion and striking the demon with dozens of precise cuts.
I landed without even looking back. Immediately, I adjusted my stance, my breathing uninterrupted. A jet of purple vapor escaped between my teeth as I gathered every last ounce of strength I had left.
— Insect Breathing — Third Form: Seirei no Mai: Fukugan Rokkaku (Dance of the Dragonfly: Compound Eye Hexagon)
FWOOOSH!
Six simultaneous thrusts. So fast they seemed to happen at the same instant. Like stingers. Six holes opened across the demon's body.
But…
Everblood never stopped smiling.
!!!
Suddenly, a black hand closed around my throat and lifted me off the ground. The air was ripped from my lungs as that disturbing, blood-smeared smile filled my vision.
—̵̸̸ ̷G̶̴̶o̶̷̷t̸̷̸ ̸̷̸y̵̷̶o̵̷̴u̴̷̴…̸̴̴
With his other hand, Everblood prepared a strike.
A single blow. One that would undoubtedly split me in half.
"I-I'm going to die…!"
My life flashed before my eyes.
Time slowed to a near standstill. Every stretched second, every trivial memory, every mistake, every choice… all of it felt small and distant.
I thought I was ready… I thought I could simply push through everything.
But there I was.
Just as the blow was about to fall...
A white flash exploded across the hall.
The demonic arm gripping my neck was severed in a clean strike. I was thrown to the ground.
Click!
The metallic sound of a sword being sheathed echoed through the hall. Ren Dover stood beside me, posture firm, expression serious.
— Are you okay?
Before collapsing completely, I rolled and repositioned myself with a backward leap, stopping at his side. My wounds bled endlessly, the pain excruciating.
— I am… thanks for that!
But then, the air grew heavy.
For the first time, Everblood's smile vanished. He glared at us with pure hatred… especially at Ren.
— Hey, hey, hey… little rat… did I call you here?
Vhwooosh.
Everblood vanished.
!!!
I tried to react, raising my sword to block, but… the attack wasn't aimed at me!
POW!
The dry impact echoed through the hall.
Turning my head, I saw Ren being struck by a direct punch to the stomach. The sound of breaking bones was unmistakable.
PLOOFT!
His body flew several meters before violently colliding with one of the pillars, kicking up a cloud of dust.
— Damn it…!
I clenched my teeth.
There was nothing I could do for Ren now, except hope he was still alive. Everblood smiled again, satisfied.
— Such a shame, hehehe… It's his own fault for interfering.
Now, his eyes were locked onto me. Sadistic. Amused.
— You know… you're actually quite interesting, little worm.
The demon's body was riddled with punctures and cuts. His right eye destroyed. His left arm torn off.
— Your insect attacks live up to their name… Irritating and numerous like ant bites… but weak, hehehe.
Then a black aura engulfed his body. The wounds began to close. In the blink of an eye, the arm was restored. The eye intact. The skin smooth, as if it had never been touched.
— Flesh wounds are no problem for a demon, hehe… Meanwhile, your fragile little body won't stop bleeding.
He had waited on purpose.
Waited only to crush the last spark of hope.
— But killing me is very easy… You just need to destroy this right here, hehehe.
Then Everblood stuck out his tongue.
At its tip, a small black orb pulsed slowly. The demonic core. He swallowed it back and pointed at his own neck, rigid as steel.
A provocation.
An absurdly close objective… and seemingly unreachable.
At least, that's what he thought.
Because even injured and gasping for air, I began to laugh.
— Hm? — he tilted his head. — Have you completely lost your mind, hehehe?
Still laughing, I calmly returned Snow Maiden to her sheath. I slowly twisted the hilt, producing a sound like an internal mechanism locking into place.
— You know… in one thing, you're right. An insect's bite may not be strong.
I drew the blade again. But now, a liquid dripped along the white steel. Viscous. Thick. Purple.
— But poison… does real damage!
Ba… dump.
A sharp pain pierced the demon's chest.
Everblood suddenly doubled over, dropping to his knees and vomiting a mixture of blood stained purple onto the floor.
—̷ ̴W̴̷̷H̴̷̵A̷̷̴T̷̷̵ ̶̷̸D̷̷̴I̷̷̴D̴̷̵ ̶̷̷Y̶̷̵O̷̷̷U̸̷̸ ̷̷̴D̵̷̶O̴̷̷?̷!̸̷̷
When he lifted his face, he was unrecognizable. His skin seemed to melt.
Purple veins spread outward from the eye I had pierced, branching like living roots. The wounds reopened, now infected, pulsing with that unnatural color.
He spat and vomited uncontrollably, as if his own organs were dissolving from the inside.
Basilisk venom.
My black-market acquisition. Who would've thought something like that would become the key piece.
The reason the strikes of Insect Breathing felt weak and superficial was simple.
They needed to be.
Numerous, precise attacks, cutting exactly where it hurt, nerves, joints, vital points. Every wound was an open door for the poison to spread faster through the enemy's body.
That was the true strength of insects.
And judging by his condition… my plan had worked.
Everblood's body trembled, regeneration failing, arrogance shattering into violent convulsions.
Now… it was time to finish this.
I slid the katana back into its sheath.
Then, I changed everything.
Stance. Breathing. Intent.
Long seconds passed, dangerous seconds, as the demon writhed on the ground, venom eating him from within. My muscles screamed in protest.
Completely switching the body's reinforcement pattern mid-combat was suicide. The internal shock could paralyze any user for fatal moments. That was why I had never used two different Breathing Styles in a single fight.
In a real battle… it meant certain death.
But the poison bought me time.
I clenched my teeth.
A breath of flame escaped between them, illuminating the hall like the omen of an impending inferno. Heat exploded around me.
A vortex of fire spread beneath my feet, scorching the ground, cracking stone under my force. The temperature skyrocketed, the air trembling, suffocating.
The ultimate form of Flame Breathing. An attack meant to reduce everything to nothing.
— Flame Breathing — Ninth Form: Rengoku (Purgatory).
VHWOOOOOOSH!
I charged.
My body became a flaming blur. In less than half a second, I crossed the entire hall, blade engulfed in a colossal inferno. The impact unleashed a firestorm that swallowed everything.
Pillars shattering. Stone melting. Flames dancing like a living tempest. For a few seconds… nothing could be seen but fire.
Then, the chaos ceased.
—̶ ̵H̵̷̴e̵̷̸…̴̸̷ ̷H̵̴̵e̸̶̴h̸̸̵e̴̴̸…̶ ̶H̵̸̸A̷̵̸H̸̷̴A̴̸̸H̵̷̵A̷̵̴H̶̷̶A̶̸̷H̶̷̶A̶̷̵!̶
But it wasn't enough…
Suddenly, my feet left the ground. Claws tightened around my throat.
Everblood lifted me like a broken toy, laughing hysterically. His body was in ruins, half charred, half melted by poison, purple veins pulsing beneath blackened skin. A hellish visage, impossible to call human.
—̸ ̷S̷̷̷O̶̷̵ ̵̷̷S̶̷̴T̸̷̶U̸̷̸P̷̷̵I̴̷̸D̸̷̵,̴ ̷̷̸L̴̷̷I̷̷̶T̷̷̵T̵̷̷L̴̷̴E̶̷̸ ̵̷̶R̵̷̴A̴̷̴T̶̷̴…̵̷̷ ̵̷̵Y̸̷̵O̶̷̶U̷̷̶ ̵̷̵R̴̷̷E̸̷̶A̷̷̸L̵̷̷L̵̷̵Y̴̷̸ ̸̷̸T̵̷̸H̷̷̴O̶̷̸U̵̷̵G̷̷̸H̴̷̴T̷̷̵ ̴̷̸Y̴̷̵O̵̷̵U̵̷̵ ̸̷̵C̸̷̷O̷̷̸U̵̷̵L̵̷̶D̵̷̴ ̷̷̷K̶̷̸I̸̷̴L̸̷̷L̵̷̴ ̴̷̸M̶̷̴E̵̷̸?̵
The pressure increased.
The claws slowly pierced my flesh, hot blood streaming down my neck as the air escaped my lungs.
—̸ ̴L̵̷̵A̴̷̵S̷̷̵T̶̷̵ ̶̷̵W̵̷̸O̴̷̵R̸̷̵D̶̷̸S̵̷̴?̴
My vision darkened.
But… I smiled.
With my last strength, stuttering, I spat out my words:
— G-go… t-to hell.
Then—
A white glow exploded behind the demon. Time froze for a single second.
Click.
The sound of a sword returning to its sheath echoed through the hall.
A white line crossed the air, straight across the demon's neck. Everblood's head flew free. Along with it, a small black orb, split perfectly in half.
— W̷H̷… W̴H̷A̷T̷…?
The voice came out distorted, filled with hatred and disbelief, as body and head slowly crumbled into ash. Bloodshot eyes still tried to glare at us.
—̴ ̶W̸̷̶O̸̷̴R̵̷̶M̷̷̴S̴̷̶…̵̷̸ ̸̷̶I̷̷̴ ̵̷̴S̸̷̵W̶̷̵E̶̷̴A̵̷̸R̵̷̸ ̵̷̵I̶̷̷'̷̷̴L̶̷̶L̷̷̶ ̷̷̶K̴̷̵I̷̷̵L̸̷̸L̴̷̷—̵
I interrupted.
I stepped down hard on what remained of his head, crushing it against the floor. A comforting calm spread through the hall, ending the chaos that had ruled moments before.
— If you're going to die… then die quietly.
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