System: World generated successfully.
Welter's vision cleared. He found himself standing inside a dark cave, positioned just at the edge of a patch of bright sunlight. With his very first movement, the heavy clanking sound of metallic armor echoed through the cavern. He looked down at his arm, then stepped over to a puddle to study his reflection in the water.
"Am I wearing German Rüstung armor? Cool," Welter muttered. He stared closer at his new body. Inside the hollow suit of armor, two glowing blue orbs floated within a thick, swirling mass of black smoke and fog. "Weird. So I'm basically living armor. Wait... if I don't have a mouth, how do I eat? And hold on, I don't want to kill or eat innocent people."
System: You will not feel any guilt or negative emotions from killing innocents. Furthermore, you do not have to consume humans. You only need to kill, and their raw strength will be directly absorbed into you.
Welter stretched, realizing just how massive his new frame was. "System, I'm going to need some tactical data on myself in this form."
System: Commencing biological and tactical brief.
Entity Type: Living Armor Demon
Height: 7 feet / 2.134 meters
Diet: Human consumption is not required. Power and strength are directly absorbed upon the death of a target.
Environmental Protection: The armor provides absolute immunity to the effects of sunlight.
◦ Critical Warning: Keep your visor down at all times. Do not look directly at the sun, or it will blind and burn you.Blood Demon Art: Umbral Forge
You possess absolute control over the dense, foggy smoke dwelling within your chassis. This fog can be manifested into weapons or used to alter the armor's outer aesthetic to any style at will. Different weapon types trigger unique supernatural effects:
▪ Bladed Weapons (Swords): Slicing the air tears open a dimensional portal, deploying 6-foot-tall (1.8288 meters) automated living armors equipped with swords, shields, and various armaments.Blunt Weapons (Maces/Malls): Striking the ground fractures the earth, causing skeletal warriors to claw their way out of the fissures.Polearms (Spears): Capable of discharging a concentrated, high-velocity beam of energy from the tip. Additionally, it can summon a mount—either a skeletal steed or a living horse. Both variants are identically named Esroh.Shields: Possess infinite durability. Successfully blocking an attack completely negates the kinetic force of the blow, ensuring you feel absolutely no impact.
Welter was thoroughly surprised. "That's completely OP right from the start. And wait... why is the horse's name just 'horse' spelled backward?"
System: You are notably slower than standard demons. However, you more than compensate for this with unmatched physical strength and durability. Your mobility remains highly flexible, as the armor functions intrinsically as your skin and flesh.
Welter tested his movements with a fake stretch. Using his shifting fog, he altered the exterior design of his suit, seamlessly blending a traditional Japanese samurai aesthetic into the heavy German plate.
The moment he stepped out of the cave's entrance, he accidentally looked straight at the sun.
"Ahhhh! My fucking eyes!" he roared, instantly dropping to his knees and slamming his armored gauntlets over his viewing slit.
Once his senses recovered and the blinding pain finally subsided, Welter made sure to keep his head tilted downward. He surveyed his surroundings. He was standing high up on a mountain slopes, looking out over a vast, dense forest that carpeted the valley below. In the far distance, he could spot a small, quiet village.
He began his trek down the steep mountain path toward the settlement. Along the way, he channeled the fog to forge a long sword and a heavy spear. Using the spear's attribute, he summoned Esroh—the skeletal horse variant—which manifested with a surprisingly comfortable saddle. He climbed onto the mount, unmade the spear back into raw smoke, and rode toward the town.
As he arrived, the villagers immediately spotted the towering, armored figure and the massive long sword strapped to his back. Welter dismounted and pulled the blade from his back. In a fraction of a second, he delivered two rapid slashes into the air on either side of him. The blades tore open two shimmering portals. Instantly, squads of automated living armors armed with short swords poured out and began raiding the town.
A few Demon Slayers happened to be stationed in the village. They immediately stepped up, aggressively cutting through his vanguard of living armors to reach the source.
The Demon Slayers advanced with total confidence, assuming he was just a standard demon who looked intimidating but would ultimately pose no real threat. One slayer rushed forward blindly, but Welter casually blocked the strike, reached out, and grabbed the man directly by the throat.
"Give me a fight worth my time," Welter rumbled through his armor. He slammed the Demon Slayer violently into the dirt, forcing the remaining swordsmen to realize how serious the situation was.
Welter advanced. He stepped into a swinging blade, using the precise momentum of his armor to parry and send the slayer's sword flying into the dirt. Following through with the motion, he twisted his massive torso and delivered a clean, sweeping horizontal slash, completely severing the Demon Slayer's legs from his torso.
The two remaining slayers stared in absolute horror. Terrified, their survival instincts took over, forcing them to turn and sprint away as fast and as far as their legs could carry them.
Welter watched them flee before turning his attention back to the village, which was now filled with smoke and flames. Curious, he used his sword to cut a fresh portal into the air. He poked his armored head through the tear, discovering that the rift connected directly to the vast, empty interior of an ancient castle.
"Oh shit. System, could I use this pocket dimension as a storage unit and a base of operations?"
System: While that is not the intended function of the ability... yes, you can.
Welter ordered his automated soldiers to begin hauling everything of value from the village straight into the portal. Once the area was picked clean, he dismissed the constructs, standing alone in the quiet street.
Out of nowhere, a figure seemed to float gracefully down from above. Shinobu Kocho delivered a lightning-fast, precise jab directly at Welter's chest. However, her needle-like stinger sword bounced harmlessly off his heavy plating with a sharp dink sound.
Shinobu flipped backward, landing a safe distance away. "You're a durable one," she noted, her voice calm.
Moments later, two Kakushi support units ran out from the woodline, stopping abruptly near the perimeter.
"Jeez, look at the firepower that's needed for me," Welter grumbled, gripping his long sword tightly. "A Hashira and two wannabes."
He lunged forward, swinging his massive blade in a horizontal arc to take off Shinobu's head, but she was entirely too quick, dodging the strike effortlessly.
"Insect," Welter growled, already thoroughly annoyed by her speed.
The Insect Hashira began running rapid circles around him, her eyes scanning for any potential gap or seam in his defense. However, the armor was completely airtight, offering no openings whatsoever except for the narrow, reinforced viewing slit.
Out of the corner of her eye, Shinobu noticed something unexpected: none of the civilians in the village had actually been targeted or killed. She slowly lowered her weapon, her expression shifting as she spoke in a light, slightly creepy tone.
"Demon, I see you haven't harmed a single civilian, but you did execute a member of the Corps. Normally, that demands immediate punishment. However, I have a proposition for you. You agree to assist me with my plan, and this incident is completely forgotten. Or, we can attempt to finish you right here."
Welter was entirely unimpressed, though his lack of a face made it impossible to show his expression. "Fine. I prefer to keep my freedom anyway, so I might as well help kill Muzan."
Shinobu walked closer, casually sheathing her sword. "My, my. Tell me, how exactly are you able to walk beneath the sun?"
Welter pointed a heavy gauntlet at his arm. "My armor completely protects me from the rays... But why are you trusting me so easily?"
Shinobu looked up at him, her wide, insect-like eyes unblinking. "For one, I am at least three times faster than you. And more importantly, you clearly despise Muzan."
Welter stared down at her, highly suspicious of how strangely out of character she was acting.