The two women stood frozen in the dark storage room, their eyes locked on the six golden orbs glowing in the corner. The air was cold and heavy, so thick with terror they could barely breathe. It was a deep, unnatural chill that seeped into their bones.
"Don't move," Anna whispered, her voice trembling as she stared at the unmoving figure in the shadows. "Just don't move..."
"What is it?" Chloe asked, her whole body shaking violently. This was no slow-moving zombie; this thing was perfectly, predatorily still.
Anna slowly shuffled backward, her hands shaking uncontrollably. Her hip bumped against a small wooden table, and an empty can clattered to the concrete floor.
The sound echoed like a gunshot in the silence.
Out in the hallway, two armed men checking rooms froze at the noise.
"They're in there," one man said with a cruel smile. "Probably hiding like scared little mice."
He kicked the door open, the wood splintering. A flashlight beam cut through the darkness, blinding the two women.
"There you are!" the other man shouted. "Thought you could run from us? This little game is over!"
But as their eyes adjusted, they saw more than just the two terrified women. In the deepest corner stood a tall figure, six golden eyes glowing with an unearthly light.
"What... what in God's name..." the first man stammered, his confidence vanishing.
The second man's hands trembled as he raised his rifle. "It's one of them! Some kind of mutated zombie! Die, you monster!"
Before his finger could touch the trigger, there was a whisper-quiet sound. The man's body separated into three clean pieces that slumped to the floor.
The first man stared in horror at his comrade's remains. "Mark? MARK!" He looked back at the six-eyed figure, then raised his own weapon in a panic. "You bastard!"
He fired wildly. The two women ducked behind boxes as bullets ricocheted around the room, sparking off metal. But none seemed to hit their target. The six-eyed figure simply stood there, his sword moving in blurs too fast to see, deflecting rounds with casual flicks of his wrist.
"It's here! The thing that got Gamma team!" the man screamed, backing away toward the doorway, his rifle now empty. "We need backup! Now!"
Outside, the Squad Leader and his remaining men were finishing off the last zombies when they heard the panicked transmission.
"What's your status? Report!" the Squad Leader shouted into his radio.
The voice that came back was gasping and raw. "It's here! The thing that killed Gamma! It got Mark! Just cut him apart!"
"All units, converge on my position!" the Leader ordered, his face hardening. "We have hostiles inside!"
Four more men arrived within minutes, heavily armed and their faces set in grim lines.
"Stay sharp and watch each other's backs. It's fast." The squad leader told them.
The seven men moved through the building, checking each room methodically until they reached the storage room. They found the dismembered body first.
"Jesus," one soldier muttered, paling. "Look at the cuts. Clean through everything."
"Same as the truck," another said quietly. "Same as Gamma team."
They pushed the door open further, weapons raised. The two women were still huddled behind boxes. And in the corner stood the creature in traditional Japanese clothing, his hand resting on the hilt of a sword that looked disturbingly like it was made of flesh and blood.
"What the hell is that thing?" a soldier asked, his voice unsteady.
"Doesn't matter what it is," the Squad Leader snapped. "It killed our men. Light it up!"
The room erupted in gunfire. Seven automatic weapons roared, the sound deafening in the confined space. Shell casings rained to the floor.
But the creature moved through the bullets. His sword became an impenetrable wall, deflecting every round with sharp pings. He stepped through the storm of lead with impossible grace, each motion efficient and deadly.
"It's not working!" a soldier shouted. "Nothing's hitting it!"
"Grenade! Now!" the Squad Leader ordered.
One soldier pulled a flashbang from his vest and prepared to throw it. But in a blur of motion, the creature's sword moved in a crescent arc. The soldier's arm—still holding the unused grenade—fell to the floor with a wet thud.
The soldier screamed, staring at the stump. "My arm! It took my arm!"
The creature moved through them then, like a dancer amid chaos. His sword wove patterns of destruction, cutting men down. They fell around him, their weapons is useless.
"Fall back! Fall back!" someone yelled, but it was too late.
The Squad Leader fired his last rounds. "Die! Just die!"
The creature finally spoke, his voice deep and echoing, seeming to come from all around them. "Your efforts are meaningless."
With one final, graceful motion, he cut down the last two men. The Squad Leader stared in disbelief, but before he could speak, his weapon was sliced in half, then his body followed.
Silence fell over the room, broken only by the soft drip of blood and the terrified breathing of the two women.
He slowly sheathed his flesh-like katana. He then turned, his six golden eyes looking straight through the two women as if they were merely part of the wall.
As he began walking toward the door, Chloe stumbled in her panic, falling directly into his path. The creature paused. Not out of curiosity, but with the detached annoyance of someone encountering a minor obstruction.
His gaze fell upon her, and the sheer weight of his presence made her feel her soul might crush itself.
"You are beneath my notice."
He stepped around her as one would step around a fallen branch, and continued to the door, vanishing into the darkness of the hallway.
The two women remained frozen for a long moment after he vanished.
"Why..." Anna finally whispered, her voice hoarse, "...why did he leave us alive?"
Chloe, still trembling on the floor, looked at the path of destruction he'd left behind. The dead men carried packs full of supplies, ammunition, and medical kits. The creature was gone, but he had unintentionally left them with everything they needed to survive.
"I don't think he left us alive," Chloe said, her voice a shaky monotone. "I don't think he even considered killing us. We were just… not worth the effort."
---
"What a nuisance."
I stepped over the bodies and found a relatively clean corner to sit. The stench of blood was pervasive. I focused, and the blue system screen appeared in my vision.
[KOKUSHIBO TEMPLATE: 100% SYNCHRONIZATION]
[NEW TEMPLATE DOWNLOADING: 0.2%]
I frowned at the slow progress. "Why does it take so long?" I wondered what new template might come, but the wait was tedious.
Looking out the grimy window, I watched the sky finally begin to darken. "About time." The sunlight limitation was an annoyance. I settled in, waiting patiently until the last light faded and true night fell.
When darkness finally embraced the city, I stepped outside. The night air felt cool and clean after the stuffy interior.
Immediately, a zombie shambled toward me. Without breaking stride, I sliced it in half. "Predictable," I noted, the action requiring no thought.
Then movement further down the street caught my attention. Another zombie, but this one moved differently. It was running, and when a regular zombie got in its way, this new one grabbed it and threw it aside with surprising force.
"This is… unusual," I said, pausing to observe.
The faster zombie charged directly at me. Instead of killing it immediately, I activated my Transparent World ability. Instantly, I could see its biological structure—the enhanced muscle density, the improved neural pathways. This zombie had consumed significantly more human flesh than the others. The more humans it had eaten, the more powerful it had become.
"It seems the principle is the same," I mused, "though the results are far less impressive than demons."
The mutated zombie lunged again. This time, I ended it with a single, precise strike.
As it fell, my system activated.
[MUTATED ZOMBIE ELIMINATED]
[ABSORPTION PROTOCOL AVAILABLE]
[INTEGRATE SPECIMEN TO ACQUIRE MUZAN'S BLOOD]
"Integration?" I said, my voice flat. The concept was clinical, not savage.
I approached the corpse. I place the body on my torso, the flesh of my kimono and skin beneath seemed to ripple, then part like dark water, becoming a pool of swirling shadow.
The moment he made contact, the flesh of Kokushibo's torso softened, turning almost fluid, like the surface of dark water. The body of the dead zombie was drawn in, sinking slowly into him without resistance.
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.1%]
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 0.1%]
Muzan's blood?
I stared at the system. "Only zero point one percent?" I said, unable to hide my disappointment. "That's barely anything."
Still, the discovery was significant. This changed things. This gave me a clear, purposeful path forward.
I looked out at the dark city, my six eyes scanning the ruins. If every mutated zombie could provide even a small amount of Muzan's blood, then I had a new purpose here. A goal worth pursuing.
"Interesting," I said to the night air. "This changes everything."
I started walking through the empty streets. My six eyes scanned everything, and the Transparent World let me see inside the zombies. The normal ones were just rotting bodies with weak muscles and slow movements. I was looking for the ones that were different—the ones with thicker muscles, tougher skin, or weird growths. Those were the ones that had what I needed.
But after a long time of searching, I hadn't found any. I was getting seriously annoyed. I cut down a few normal zombies that got too close, my sword slicing through them easily. The system didn't care. They were worthless.
Finally, I walked into a city park that was full broken equipment. That's where I saw it.
It was a zombie that had been a woman. It was crouched over a dead body, tearing into it. This one was different. I could see its muscles were thicker and tighter than a normal zombie's. Its bones looked denser, and its fingers had grown into long, sharp claws. This was a mutated one.
It noticed me and stood up. It let out a low growl and got on all fours. Then it jumped onto a broken slide and launched itself at me, claws ready to tear me apart.
It was faster than a normal zombie, but to me, it was still slow. My sword was already out. I took one step to the side and swung. The blade cut through its neck cleanly. Its head hit the ground with a wet thud, and its body crumpled.
[MUTATED ZOMBIE ELIMINATED]
[ABSORPTION PROTOCOL AVAILABLE]
I walked over to the body. This was still a weird feeling. The front of my kimono and my skin turned into that swirling black shadow.
The zombie's body started to sink into the shadow. It was dissolving and being pulled in. The flesh and bone unraveled like thread into the darkness. In a few seconds, the whole body was gone. The shadow vanished, and my kimono was normal again.
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.2%]
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 0.3%]
A little more this time. This one had been stronger, so I got a bit more blood. It was still a pathetically small amount, but it was better than nothing.
I kept moving. The night was still young, and I needed to find more. Now that I had a little more blood in me, I felt a bit more determined. This was slow, boring work, but it was the only way forward.
My next stop was a big supermarket with smashed windows. The place was a wreck. As soon as I stepped inside, I heard a deep growl from the back.
This one was huge. A massive zombie, so fat its skin looked like tough leather. It was blocking the way to the back rooms. When it saw me, it charged, knocking over shelves like they were nothing.
I didn't bother moving. When it got close, I used a Moon Breathing form. A crescent-shaped slash cut through the air and took its head off in one clean motion. The big body crashed to the ground.
[MUTATED ZOMBIE ELIMINATED]
[ABSORPTION PROTOCOL AVAILABLE]
I absorbed it the same way.
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.3%]
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 0.6%]
Better. The bigger ones definitely gave more.
I was about to leave when I heard shouting and gunshots from outside. I looked through a broken window. A group of humans, five or six of them, were trapped against a wall. They were fighting a bunch of zombies, and I could see two mutated ones mixed in with the normal ones.
One mutant was skinny and moved really fast. The other had arms that ended in sharp, bone-like blades. The humans were panicking. Their guns weren't doing much to the mutants.
I didn't care about the humans. But I wanted those two mutants.
I walked out of the supermarket. The humans didn't notice me at first. They were too busy screaming and shooting. The fast mutant darted in and killed one of the men. The humans were starting to lose it.
Then one of them saw me. He yelled and pointed his gun at me. "What the hell is that? Another mutated freak!"
I ignored him. I focused on the mutants.
The fast one turned and sprinted at me. It was quick, moving in a zigzag pattern. I waited until it was right in front of me and then swung my sword once. It was cut in half before it could even touch me.
The blade-armed mutant zombie charged next. It swung its sharp arms at my head. I blocked with my sword and then stabbed forward, my blade going straight through its skull. It dropped to the ground, motionless.
[MUTATED ZOMBIE ELIMINATED x2]
[ABSORPTION PROTOCOL AVAILABLE]
The group of survivors didn't wait to see what would happen next. As soon as the six-eyed monster turned its back to them, focused on the dissolving body of the mutated zombies, their leader hissed, "Now! Go!"
They ran. They didn't look back. They scrambled over rubble and dashed down a side alley, their boots pounding on the asphalt. They didn't stop until they were two blocks away, collapsing behind a large dumpster, their chests heaving.
"What... what in the absolute fuck was that?!" one of the women finally choked out, her hands shaking so badly she could barely hold her rifle.
"It was a zombie, had to be," the leader said, but his voice lacked any conviction. "It was all pale and... and those eyes..."
"But it killed the other zombies!" a younger man interjected, his voice high with panic. "I saw it! It cut them down with a sword! Since when do zombies use swords?!"
A heavy silence fell over the group. That was the part that made no sense.
"Maybe it's not a zombie," another woman whispered, her face pale.
The leader shook his head. "But it looked dead. Its skin... and those eyes... no human has eyes like that."
"Then explain the sword!" the young man insisted. "Explain how it moved! The way it cut those mutants apart? That wasn't some mindless monster."
They all fell quiet again, the image of the creature's fluid, deadly motions burned into their minds.
"And then... then it..." the woman trailed off.
"It ate them," the young man finished, his voice hollow. "But not with its mouth. It... it absorbed them. I saw it put the mutated zombies body into its chest and the body just... sank into it. Like it was sucking it in through its skin."
The leader muttered. "A zombie that kills other zombies. A zombie that uses a sword. A zombie that absorbs its prey. It's a nightmare."
"What do we do?" the woman asked.
"We don't fight it," the leader said sharply. "We saw what it did to those mutants. That thing cut them apart like they were nothing. We avoid it. We run."
---
I finished absorbing the second mutant.
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.2%]
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 1.2%]
The progress was slow but steady. I turned, but the humans were gone. I could hear their frantic footsteps fading away. They had run. Their fear was a sharp scent in the air. It mattered little. They were not my prey.
The sky was turning grey. Dawn was coming. I could feel a deep, instinctual warning in my cells.
I needed deep shelter. I moved towards the taller buildings and found an office building with a broken fire escape. I climbed to the twelfth floor and slipped inside through a broken window. I found an interior server room without windows, its thick walls promising absolute darkness. It would suffice.
I sat in the center of the room. With the coming of day, my body entered a state of absolute stillness. I did not move. I was a statue in the dark, conserving my being against the deadly light outside. I could feel it, even through the walls—a presence that meant certain death.
I spent the hours of daylight in this death-like state.
As the last traces of sunlight finally vanished, the death-grip on my body released. I stood, the hunt would resume.
The city at night was my domain. I dropped from the fire escape and landed silently on the pavement. My six eyes began their scan, the Transparent World activating.
I found my first mutant of the night near an old school. It was bigger than the others, with arms that were too long and dragged on the ground. It was digging at the ground like an animal.
It sensed me and stood up, letting out a low growl. It charged, its long arms swinging like clubs.
I didn't move. I let it come. My sword was already in my hand. As it got close, I swung once. The blade cut through both of its arms and then through its neck. The body fell to the ground.
[MUTATED ZOMBIE ELIMINATED]
[ABSORPTION PROTOCOL AVAILABLE]
I absorbed it.
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.3%]
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 1.5%]
I continued through the city. The mutants were rare, but I found them. One was hiding in a dark store, another was on the roof of a car. Each one fell to my sword. Each one was absorbed.
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 1.8%]
The progress was frustratingly slow. I needed to find more. I moved into an area with larger warehouses. The Transparent World showed me more movement here. There were small groups of mutants, two or three together.
I found a pair of them fighting over a dead animal. They were both fast, with sharp teeth. They saw me and attacked together.
I used Moon Breathing, First Form. A crescent of energy cut through both of them at once. They fell, cut in half.
[MUTATED ZOMBIE ELIMINATED x2]
[ABSORPTION PROTOCOL AVAILABLE]
I absorbed them both.
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.2%]
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.2%]
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 2.2%]
I had reached two percent.
As I moved deeper into the warehouse district, I found a larger group. Five mutated zombies were gathered around on something. One was huge, with thick skin. Two were fast runners. The others had claws.
This was a good find.
They all turned to look at me at once. Then they attacked.
The big one charged first. I met its charge and cut upward, my sword slicing through its jaw and into its brain. It fell heavily.
The two fast ones came from the sides. I spun, my sword cutting a wide circle. Both of them were cut down before they could reach me.
The last two with claws leaped at me. I stabbed the other through the chest. I pulled my sword free and beheaded the last one as it landed.
It was over in seconds.
[MUTATED ZOMBIE ELIMINATED x5]
[ABSORPTION PROTOCOL AVAILABLE]
I absorbed all five of them. The big one gave more than the others.
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.4%]
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.2%]
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.2%]
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.2%]
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.2%]
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 3.4%]
Good. This was better. I was making progress.
I continued through the night, finding and eliminating mutants wherever I could. Some were alone, some were in small groups. Each one added a little to my total.
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 4.1%]
The sky was beginning to lighten again. Dawn was approaching. I could feel the warning in my blood. The sun was coming.
I found one last mutant trying to break into a reinforced garage door. It was strong, but slow. One quick slash from my sword ended it. I absorbed it quickly.
[MUZAN'S BLOOD ACQUIRED: 0.3%]
[TOTAL MUZAN'S BLOOD: 4.4%]
The sky was turning grey at the edges. Dawn was coming.
I saw a big apartment building ahead. It looked dark and empty. That was good. I moved quickly toward a broken window on the first floor. I slipped inside without a sound. The place was a wreck. Trash and broken furniture were everywhere.
I had to find a room with no windows. I walked through the big lobby.
Then I heard a sound. A wet, chewing noise. And a soft, weak crying.
It came from an apartment with an open door. I looked inside with my special sight. There was a zombie in there. And a human. The human was almost gone. Its life was flickering out.
I needed to get past this room to find a good place to hide from the sun. So I stepped inside.
A zombie was on the floor, eating a girl. It was a big zombie that used to be a man. He was chewing on her stomach. There was blood all over the carpet. The girl was still alive, but just barely. Her hands were pushing weakly at the zombie's head. Her eyes were open, but they were white and empty. She was blind.
"Please..." she whispered. The word was so faint I almost missed it. "Help..."
She tried to say more, but only a bloody gurgle came out. Her body was shutting down. The will to live was the only thing keeping her conscious.
I stood over her, looking down. This blind girl, being eaten alive in her own home. She had no clue what was happening outside. She probably thought this was just one attacker. She didn't know the whole world was dead. She didn't know about the zombies everywhere.
I felt something then. A weird feeling. It wasn't warm... it was pity.
Blind, confused, and alone.
The zombie finally noticed me. It stopped eating and looked up. Its face was covered in blood. It growled and started to get up to come at me.
I didn't even think. My sword was in my hand. I swung it once. The zombie's head came off and rolled on the floor. The body fell down.
Her breathing was getting weaker. She was almost gone.
I watched her. She was dying. The bites were terrible. She had lost too much blood. In moments, she would be dead. Then she would turn into a zombie. Another mindless thing.
That cold pity feeling came again. Why let her die? She would just become another zombie.
I remembered how demons were made in the stories. With blood.
Maybe I could change her. It might not work. But it was better than nothing.
I knelt down beside her. She was too weak to flinch now. Her breath came in shallow gasps.
I focused on the Muzan's blood in my veins. I made it come forward. I held my palm over her face. Dark blood poured out.
I let my blood drip between her parted lips.
"Drink," I commanded, my voice low and echoing in the quiet room.