"Whoosh—"
A sharp, piercing sound of something tearing through the air suddenly rang out, as if to rip the very fabric of the atmosphere. Immediately following, a dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground echoed. Yoizumi, barely managing to stand, clutched his abdomen tightly, his face contorted in extreme pain. The intense agony was all-pervasive, seemingly eroding every inch of his skin and every nerve.
At this moment, Yoizumi felt as if countless tiny steel needles were hidden within his body, wantonly piercing through his flesh, bringing waves of unbearable stinging pain. Even the slightest breath triggered a tearing agony, making it almost impossible for him to breathe normally.
Gradually, Yoizumi noticed a strange sense of numbness spreading through his body. Could these steel needles also carry poison? As this thought flashed through his mind, his heart sank.
He could have dodged that last attack, but his body couldn't keep up with the movement.
Not far away, Mukago bared her fangs, revealing a mocking smile. Her crimson eyes coldly fixated on Yoizumi, openly displaying her contempt and ridicule for him: "Hmph, looking at you, you must have never eaten a human, have you? Look at the pitifully weak Blood Demon Art on you…" Mukago shook her head as she spoke, clearly dissatisfied with the performance of this demon.
By all accounts, the many poison barbs she had just launched had deeply penetrated Yoizumi's body. Logically, the poison should have rapidly taken effect, causing him to collapse to the ground, completely losing his ability to resist.
However, to her surprise, although Yoizumi's movements had clearly slowed, no other overly severe symptoms appeared. This situation was truly strange, and Mukago couldn't help but frown, pondering the reason.
"Pat-a-pat-a…" A crisp sound came, the crackling of sparks from wood burning in the bonfire. These sparks danced like spirits, scattering around, bringing a faint light and warmth.
However, for Yoizumi, this warmth did not alleviate his current tension.
His back was being seared by the high heat of the bonfire, and large beads of sweat trickled down his forehead. Unbeknownst to him, the area where he had been fighting the demon had already shifted to a more open small square.
According to Komatsuse's running speed, if all went well, it would take about ten minutes for her to retrieve the crucial nichirin blade. However, considering the nichirin blade's considerable weight, Komatsuse might struggle to carry it easily, so it would likely take her around 20 minutes to return here.
Of course, there was another possibility that had to be considered—perhaps Komatsuse, due to her deep fear of demons, would choose to flee the area directly. After all, facing such a terrifying existence, it was only natural to feel fear.
Yoizumi secretly prepared for the worst. If Komatsuse truly failed to return with the nichirin blade on time, then the only thing he could rely on would be the sun high in the sky.
But the demon before him was no ordinary foe; it was the powerful Lower Moon Four. Relying on sunlight alone to completely kill it would clearly not be an easy task.
The simple, brutal methods of the past, where he would continuously strike until the opponent could no longer regenerate, were now ineffective.
Yoizumi knew that he might have to pay a huge price, even going so far as to perish alongside this demon, to achieve ultimate victory.
Thinking of this, Yoizumi gritted his teeth, struggling with all his might to stand up. A firm belief supported him: he absolutely could not fall! Slowly, he extended his scarred and blood-stained hand towards the bonfire behind him.
As soon as he approached, an intensely hot wave of heat rushed over him, as if to swallow him whole. However, Yoizumi showed no sign of retreat, continuing to reach his hand into it. Instantly, the extreme temperature mercilessly scorched his palm, and the pungent smell of burning flesh permeated the air, making him nauseous.
Despite this, Yoizumi seemed to feel no pain, gripping a fiercely burning piece of wood tightly and pulling it from the fire. At this moment, his palm was severely burned, the tender flesh charred black from prolonged exposure to high heat, even emitting wisps of smoke. But his gaze remained as calm as water, directed straight at Mukago not far away, the determination and coldness in his eyes sending shivers down one's spine.
Because Yoizumi knew very well that if this terrifying enemy could not be eliminated quickly, everyone in the village would face the threat of death.
He hadn't known these people for long, but each one was kind-hearted and warm. He absolutely could not stand by and watch them die innocently like this, no matter how terrible the cost, even if it meant exchanging his own life, he must put Mukago to death!
"Oh dear, this guy is really a tough one!" Mukago looked at the stubborn figure before her, who refused to give up easily, and couldn't help but frown, letting out a dissatisfied click of her tongue. For demons like them, conflicts among themselves were truly meaningless.
After all, unless they could use sunlight or the nichirin blade, it was impossible to truly kill each other. Thus, this struggle was nothing more than a futile farce.
Mukago let out a low growl: "Blood Demon Art: Poison Mist!" In an instant, her hands transformed into incredibly sharp blades, gleaming with a chilling light. Following this, her figure flickered, and like a ghost, she silently concealed herself, instantly merging into the dense black mist that permeated the surroundings, vanishing without a trace.
"Hahahaha… The cat and mouse game officially begins now!" Mukago's laughter, tinged with a hint of playfulness and triumph, seemed to echo from all directions simultaneously, reverberating in the silent and eerie atmosphere, sending chills down one's spine.
Consider it a little warm-up before dinner!
You better entertain me!