As night approached, Ren and Kocho Shinobu rushed toward Blackwater Lake together. Under the pale moonlight, they soon saw a shimmering, massive freshwater lake.
Because it was located near the south, the lake surface remained unfrozen even in winter.
From time to time, carp would leap from the water. Under the illumination of the moonlight, Ren could clearly see the glittering scales on the fish.
All in all, Blackwater Lake was indeed an excellent place for fishing. If this were his past life, those obsessed anglers who always came home empty-handed would absolutely flock here.
However, distinct from the fishy smell of scales, Ren also detected a nauseating scent of blood. Clearly, endless killing intent lurked beneath the calm surface of this lake.
"If my prediction is correct, the demon is hiding under the water. As soon as someone approaches Blackwater Lake, the demon rushes out, drags them into the lake, and eats them."
Kocho Shinobu nodded slightly. "I see. It seems we have stepped into the demon's hunting ground. In that case, let's go find it. After we find it and question it about Keiko's brother, we will eliminate it."
Although deep down she felt that Ryoichi had likely already been devoured by the demon, what if? What if Ryoichi was lucky and had escaped the demon's grasp?
Therefore, no matter what, she had to get the answer she wanted from that demon's mouth.
"You're right!"
As he spoke, Ren looked at two small boats docked by the shore. They were likely left by the village fishermen, and now they would serve their purpose perfectly.
The two of them boarded a small boat together and immediately rowed toward the center of Blackwater Lake. For the demon lurking below, the center of the lake was undoubtedly the best hunting ground.
Here, surrounded by water on all sides, once a person fell in, they couldn't swim to shore quickly. It would be like catching a turtle in a jar; there would be no one to hear their pleas for help, no matter how loud they screamed.
To be honest, aside from the nine Hashira, if other members of the Demon Slayer Corps were to fall into the lake, they likely wouldn't be a match for that demon either.
Soon, the two rowed to the center of Blackwater Lake. Ren immediately took out a small knife, cut his own arm, and let fresh blood drip into the water.
Kocho Shinobu was shocked by the sight. "Ren, what are you doing?"
"Do you even need to ask? I'm using my blood to attract that demon, of course. Or did you want to wait here? How long would that take? What if the demon is full from the last two days and doesn't attack us?"
Ren asked with a smile. With the improvement of his physical stats, his blood was quite thick. To a demon, its attraction was no less than that of Marechi blood; it was incredibly fragrant, and he wasn't worried the demon wouldn't take the bait.
"But..."
Kocho Shinobu wanted to say, 'Who stabs themselves before a battle even starts?' But seeing that Ren had already cut his arm, she said no more. Instead, she drew her Nichirin Sword and quietly waited for the enemy to appear.
"Blood! Blood! Such fragrant blood!"
"It's mine, it's all mine!"
"Such sweet blood is worth at least several hundred people. If I drink blood like this, becoming one of the Twelve Kizuki under that Lord isn't impossible!"
"Hahaha, Lord Demon, I've made it!"
"I'm going to become one of the Twelve Kizuki soon! Hahaha!"
A burst of maniacal laughter suddenly erupted from the water. The originally calm lake surface churned up rapid waves, constantly slapping against the wooden boat beneath their feet.
Seeing this, both of them furrowed their brows and exchanged a glance. They knew the demon was about to emerge and immediately prepared for battle.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Suddenly, a crisp sound of breaking water rang out. Six tentacles, resembling those of an octopus, burst violently out of the water. Each tentacle was over ten meters long and secreted a sticky liquid, looking utterly repulsive.
The six tentacles surrounded Ren's small boat completely, then descended from above, attempting to drag him into the water.
Kocho Shinobu shouted, "Ren, be careful! It wants to pull you into the water!"
"Don't worry, it doesn't have the skill."
As he spoke, Ren swung his sword in a sweeping motion. A series of slicing sounds echoed, and in the blink of an eye, the six tentacles were severed by his blade. A shrill voice suddenly rang out from the water.
"Hmm..."
"To be able to cut off my six tentacles with a single strike, you must be from the Demon Slayer Corps, right? And with your skills, you're definitely no small fry within the Corps!"
"You are the demon who harmed over a hundred people in Blackwater Village, right! Tell me! What did you do to Keiko's brother?" Kocho Shinobu roared hysterically at the lake surface.
"Keiko's brother? Who on earth is that?"
"It's the little boy who came to fish on the lake two days ago!"
"Hehehe, so you're talking about that pitiful little brat!"
The demon's shrill laughter came from the water again. "I ate him, you know. Didn't even leave any crumbs. Hehehe!"
"Did you know? Before being eaten by me, that brat was crying and shouting about selling fish to make money to buy medicine for his little sister. He even said he had to reunite with his sister no matter what.
"What a pity. That wish was destined not to come true. How could this great Lord let a cooked duck fly away?
"But the flesh and blood of a child is truly tender and goes down so smoothly! Since no one has come to fish by the lake recently anyway, I'll be benevolent. I'll go to Blackwater Village and eat his sister too, so the siblings can reunite in my stomach.
"Consider it fulfilling that little boy's wish. Hahaha!"
"Bastard! What's so funny! You..."
Tears burst from Kocho Shinobu's eyes as she roared in anger, "What do you think life is?!"
"Do you remember how many slices of bread you have eaten? And to be honest, that brat died without any glory at all! And you two will follow in his footsteps!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As they spoke, the tentacles Ren had severed had already fully regenerated. The demon waved several tentacles again, sweeping toward the two of them separately.
Seeing three tentacles closing in on her, Kocho Shinobu immediately struck, using the Dance of the Mantis to slash at the incoming attacks.
Although her lack of physical strength meant she couldn't sever the oncoming tentacles in a single blow, the potent poison on her blade caused the tentacles to corrode and dissolve.
After severing the last tentacle, Kocho Shinobu roared, "Bastard! I won't let you get away with this! I will definitely sever your neck!"
However, the demon wasn't afraid in the slightest upon hearing this. Instead, it taunted, "Hahaha, if you have the skill, come down here! I'm waiting for you in the lake. Why aren't you coming down yet? Don't tell me you're scared? Hahaha..."
"If I have to go down, I'll go down! Who's afraid of whom!"
Seeing the demon dare to mock Kocho Shinobu like this, Ren couldn't hold back either. He leaped into the water, determined to settle the score with the demon.
"Ren, don't..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Ren had already jumped into the lake and saw the true face of the demon within the water!
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