Kamanue closed in, his fists raining down as violently as a storm, pressing forward without pause and giving Kiyokawa Izumi no time to catch his breath.
The air whistled as it was torn apart; their figures flickered frantically within a narrow space, colliding and then separating in an instant.
His fighting style lacked rhythm but was incredibly violent, relying purely on inhuman strength to suppress Kiyokawa Izumi.
Close-quarters combat with a demon was undoubtedly intense and brutal, like walking on a strand of hair; one wrong move would lead to an irreversible end.
Kamanue's right fist clenched tightly as if wreathed in scorching flames, compressing and heating the distorted air in front of him.
A wave of heat surged forward with the wind of his punch, searing any exposed skin.
Kiyokawa Izumi instinctively tilted his head; the left side of his face turned as crimson as a cooked shrimp, and intense pain followed, yet his movements remained completely unaffected.
'Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!'
Silently, the bluish blade traced a perfect arc through the air.
The moment Kamanue's right fist was about to touch his chest, half of the demon's arm was severed, the cut incredibly smooth.
Scalding blood splattered everywhere, soaking the uniform on his chest with the demon's blood.
Without a moment to breathe, Kamanue ignored his severed right arm; his assault didn't stop as his left hand shifted from a fist to a palm, slashing down diagonally like a sharp blade.
The pitch-black tomoe spun rapidly in his pupils; as Kiyokawa Izumi sidestepped, the nichirin blade in his hand was already thrust out silently.
At this distance, the demon's left hand would at most tear Kiyokawa Izumi's clothes.
While the latter could seize this rare opportunity to sever its neck!
'No retreat?'
Kamanue, with his body lowered, had no defense?
How could that be?
The neck was definitely his weak point!
Kiyokawa Izumi's pupils constricted slightly; seeing that the demon seemed about to open its mouth, he decisively withdrew the nichirin blade before it could strike.
His legs suddenly exerted force, and he quickly widened the distance.
Scorching flames erupted where he had just been standing.
'Kamanue!'
Silently pondering the name, Kiyokawa Izumi was lost in thought.
'Kama, meaning a cooking vessel.'
'Nue, a composite monster from mythology, formed from a monkey's head, tiger's claws, and a snake's body.'
Kiyokawa Izumi had been guessing what kind of Blood Demon Art this one possessed.
He had originally thought it might be focused on physical enhancement.
He hadn't expected it to be related to fire and high temperatures!
Lightly touching the burned half of his face, Kiyokawa Izumi's expression didn't change at all.
What a loathsome demon!
Jealous of my handsome face, trying to disfigure me?
'Describing him as a Lower Moon candidate is quite apt... Neither his speed nor his strength is something I can rival.'
'An unknown Blood Demon Art, likely leaning towards fire, steam, or high heat?'
'Troublesome! Close combat even affects my breathing!'
Kiyokawa Izumi's throat felt slightly uncomfortable, clearly from inhaling too much hot air just now.
'Close combat?'
Without giving him much time to adjust, Kamanue's figure pressed in again.
Since his right arm hadn't fully recovered yet, he used his left fist this time.
Having not yet come up with a countermeasure, Kiyokawa Izumi was naturally unwilling to face him head-on, so he retreated repeatedly.
A punch of immense power struck a tree trunk; the waist-thick tree was blasted apart, the edges of the break faintly blackened, seemingly a mark left by high temperatures.
'Close combat is possible, but I must seize the right opportunity!'
Kiyokawa Izumi made a judgment in his mind.
With such a dangerous Blood Demon Art, sustained close combat would not only drain his stamina significantly but also wear him down with area-of-effect attacks.
Visible flames and fists could be easily dodged, but the extreme heat waves were not so simple to avoid.
Even with decent swordsmanship, he couldn't help but fall into a bitter struggle at this moment.
Water Breathing's explosiveness isn't enough!
Not fast enough!
Yet he just couldn't master Sun Breathing.
Even though he had memorized all the movements, he simply couldn't perform them.
He didn't dare to stake everything on an attempt right now, clearly afraid of injuring himself.
This feeling was like—to use an inappropriate analogy—knowing the process of giving birth but lacking the Innate conditions to do so because of one's gender.
"Blood Demon Art: Scorched Earth Stomp!"
Seemingly tired of the cat-and-mouse game, Kamanue leaped high into the air and brought his foot down heavily with terrifying force.
A dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground followed; within a radius of nearly two meters centered on him, the dry soil instantly cracked, and a scorching airwave spread across the ground as billowing heat rose.
Having long noticed something was wrong, Kiyokawa Izumi naturally retreated instead of advancing.
His body moved as naturally as flowing water; in just a few steps, he had leaped onto a tree branch behind him.
"Using a Blood Demon Art with this body is really a bit unfamiliar..."
Slowly looking up at the overlooking Kiyokawa Izumi, his body began to swell rapidly at that moment, growing larger at a visible rate.
190 Energy Stones - Bonus Chapter