To deal with Xiaji, one must hold their breath almost the entire time. For others in the Demon Slayer Corps, this was an impossible feat—who could stop breathing in the middle of a battle?
But as luck would have it, he was the sole exception!
In the instant Ren retreated, more than twenty Berserk Demons descended from the sky, surrounding Xiaji and protecting her in the center.
Seeing this, a cold smile played on Xiaji's lips. "I didn't expect you to be so skilled, but all of this is futile. You are destined to die by my hand!"
"Blood Demon Art: Frenzied Breath!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she parted her vermilion lips and gently exhaled a cloud of blood-red mist.
Wary that the red mist might be highly toxic, Ren quickly retreated further, maintaining a greater distance from Xiaji.
However, something unexpected occurred. After Xiaji exhaled the red mist, the Berserk Demons surrounding her began to greedily inhale it into their bodies, afraid of missing even a single drop, as if it were some rare treasure.
As the Berserk Demons absorbed the red mist, their muscles began to swell violently like inflating balloons. Their claws and teeth became as sharp as blades, and they began to drool ravenously.
The crimson light in their eyes grew more dazzling, and their temperaments became even more deranged!
'This is...'
Seeing the transformation of the Berserk Demons, Ren's expression changed slightly.
'I see. This red mist acts like a stimulant, granting the Berserk Demons greater strength and increased agility!'
At that thought, Ren moved suddenly.
The Berserk Demons only heard a whistling sound in their ears before seeing Ren's towering figure abruptly appear before them.
"What? Such speed—"
Before the Berserk Demon could finish its sentence, a fist the size of a sandbag shot out like a cannonball, slamming heavily into its face with earth-shattering power.
BANG!
In an instant, like a clap of thunder, the Berserk Demon's body flew back over a hundred meters like a broken kite. As for its face, it was punched through by that hard iron fist, leaving a bloody hole. Blood sprayed across the sky.
"What?"
"What a powerful kid!"
"Everyone, attack together!"
"Having absorbed Lady Xiaji's Frenzied Red Mist, our strength is greater than ever. This kid is no match for us..."
Seeing Ren's murderous aura, the group of Berserk Demons swarmed forward, surrounding him and launching a collective assault.
Despite Ren's staggering strength, there wasn't a trace of fear on the faces of the Berserk Demons. Xiaji's red mist had not only reinforced their physical bodies but also erased their fear and panic, making them fearless of death.
At this moment, they were like a pack of zombies—painless and unafraid of dying.
"While your strength is decent, I have no interest in you small fry. I'll settle this in one go."
"Fire Combat Technique: Dragon Dance!"
The Nichirin Greatsword slashed out horizontally, striking brilliant sparks against the invisible air and instantly igniting the dim alleyway.
The flames surged with the blade's edge, tracing the pattern of a fire dragon in the dark night. The whistling sound of the wind was like a dragon's roar, striking terror into the hearts of all who heard it!
In that moment, Ren charged into the circle of Berserk Demons, clashing with those coming head-on.
The scorching sword qi sliced through the air, cutting toward the throats of the Berserk Demons.
In the blink of an eye, five Berserk Demons fell under his Nichirin Greatsword, and that was from just a single strike.
Puff, puff, puff...
For a time, blood splattered and flesh flew as the sound of rhythmic hacking echoed.
Even though the Berserk Demons had become stronger after receiving Xiaji's buff, they were still too weak compared to Ren. As long as they entered his attack range, they were essentially taken out in one strike.
Seconds ticked by, and more and more Berserk Demons died at his hands.
This bloody scene startled Xiaji. She watched with her own eyes as Ren, like a human meat grinder, slaughtered all of her subordinates in less than a minute and began walking slowly toward her.
"It's over..."
Just as Ren prepared to strike and kill Xiaji with one blow, a sudden change occurred.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two violent explosions rang out. A scorching shockwave spread in all directions, lightly tossing his hair.
Ren quickly turned to look. He saw the hotel not far away being instantly engulfed by flames and collapsing. The surroundings had turned into a sea of fire!
Staring at the soaring flames, Ren's eyes widened. "That's the hotel where Mitsuri and the others are staying..."
"Hahahaha! Didn't expect that, did you, brat? While I was stalling you, Lady Daki has already begun her move!"
Xiaji laughed wildly. "I'm afraid your two companions have already been killed by Lady Daki by now! How pitiful. If you hadn't tried to be clever and insisted on following me, with your strength, you might have been able to save your partners. What a shame, hahaha... ugh!"
Suddenly, Xiaji's laughter stopped abruptly. Ren's blade had severed her neck at some unknown moment.
Xiaji only saw the world spinning before her head rolled uncontrollably toward a corner of the street.
After dealing with Xiaji, Ren didn't linger for a second. He immediately activated his Slayer Mark and sped toward the hotel.
'Miss Mitsuri, Tengen, you absolutely must be okay...'
As her head was severed, Xiaji's eyes widened. She could only watch helplessly as her body began to disintegrate, unable to do anything.
At the same time, a flood of familiar memories suddenly surged back like a tide.
'Is this... my memory?'
Xiaji's eyes were wide as she muttered to herself.
In her memories, happy times occupied most of her recollections. Although she had been sold to the Tokito House by her parents at a young age, she wasn't sad because the owner of the Tokito House treated her as his own daughter.
In the Tokito House, although she had to help with chores every day, she was well-fed and clothed. Moreover, because she was very beautiful, many guests liked her.
Because of this, no one bullied her in her daily life, allowing her to spend a happy childhood.
Just a year ago, with her naturally sweet looks, she naturally became the Oiran of the Tokito House. Her exquisite appearance earned her the affection of countless people.
She thought she would be happy for the rest of her life; until one night a month ago, the nightmare suddenly descended!
At that time, the leading Oiran of the Kyogai House paid a sudden visit to the Tokito House. As the Oiran of the Tokito House, she naturally went to greet her, but she didn't expect that the Oiran of the Kyogai House was actually Daki.
To increase the number of Berserk Demons, Daki forcibly poured Muzan's blood into her mouth, turning her into a Berserk Demon against her will.
After turning into a Berserk Demon, she only felt starving. The extreme hunger drove her mad, and she cruelly slaughtered everyone in the Tokito House!
This included the owner of the Tokito House, who had treated her like a daughter, the friends she grew up with, and even several little girls who admired her...
'Manager, everyone, no! Stop it...'
As the memories of the slaughter flooded her mind, tears of sorrow fell from Xiaji's eyes.
'Did I do this? All of this... were my family and friends killed by me? This isn't what I wanted!'
Xiaji screamed hysterically, but her mouth had already disintegrated. Although she was shouting loudly, she couldn't make a single sound.
At this moment, her eyes also burned away, and the last glimmer of light faded from her pupils.
'Am I going to die? After killing so many people, I should be going to Hell.'
"That's not true, Sister Koinatsu!"
Through the haze, Xiaji slowly opened her eyes. What met her gaze were several little girls—the very friends she had in the Tokito House.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]