Chapter 7: Resonance with Blood
[Resonance with Blood]
The ability's effect was far more potent than Hikaru had anticipated. It certainly didn't disappoint.
The moment his first strike landed and the first spray of blood arced through the air, his vision fractured, multiplying into countless perspectives that flooded his senses. The new viewpoints came from the blood droplets themselves. Every crimson sphere, no matter how small, had become one of his eyes, granting him an instantaneous, perfect three-hundred-sixty-degree view of the battlefield.
To his back-left, a serpent-bodied demon coiled, muscles tensing for a lunge. Above and to his right, a bird-headed monster dove, its talons extended like daggers. Directly in front, three blue-skinned oni were fanning out, their bone clubs raised to flank and crush him.
He saw it all with crystalline clarity.
'This ability...'
Hikaru had no time for words; his body reacted before his mind could fully process the tactical advantage. He took a sharp step to the left, his torso twisting as he swung the Muramasa in a vicious backhand arc.
Puchi.
The blade sliced precisely into the serpent-demon's vital point, the spot just below its head. The creature's body continued its forward momentum, slithering past him in a dying spasm, but its head was already tumbling to the forest floor.
He didn't need to look back to confirm the kill. The fresh spray of blood from the serpent's neck gave him a new set of eyes, telling him the bird-headed monster was now less than two feet from the crown of his head.
Hikaru leaned forward, dropping his center of gravity as he thrust the tip of his blade straight up toward the sky. In a normal fight, the move would have been suicidal—presenting his back to the enemy, abandoning all defense.
But he could see.
The Muramasa's point punched through the soft tissue under the creature's beak, skewering its brain and bursting out through the top of its skull. The demon's talons scraped harmlessly down his back, tearing away a few splintered plates of his damaged armor. A hair's breadth from drawing his own blood.
With a flick of his wrist, Hikaru sent the bird-demon's corpse flying. It slammed into the three blue-skinned oni, throwing them off balance and breaking their coordinated attack. He seized the opportunity, surging forward into their midst. Three fluid slashes followed in quick succession.
Three heads rolled across the dirt.
[Demon Blade Muramasa: Favorability +1]
[Current Favorability: 31]
'Satisfying.'
For the first time since his rebirth, Hikaru felt a sense of genuine ease in the heart of battle. It wasn't because the enemies were too weak, but because he could perceive everything.
Blood was his scout. As long as it was being spilled, he was the master of this domain. And on this battlefield, blood was the one thing in abundant supply.
"Kill him!" a guttural roar echoed from behind the demon horde. It was the blue-skinned oni chieftain.
Spurred on by the command, more demons surged forward, eagerly filling the gaps left by their fallen comrades. Hikaru didn't stop. He didn't retreat.
He charged directly into the demonic tide.
It was a choice bordering on madness. But [Resonance with Blood] gave him the capital to be mad.
The cold light of his blade flashed. One stroke. Two. Three.
Every glint of steel brought with it a fresh rain of blood, and every crimson shower expanded his vision, making the battlefield even clearer. He moved through the throng of demons like a fish in water, an untouchable phantom of death. No demon could ambush him, because their own blood betrayed their every move before they even made it.
Within thirty breaths, another twelve demons had fallen.
Hikaru's swordsmanship grew faster, his movements more fluid and economical. He began to notice the disparity in his opponents'strength. Some died in a single hit, while others required two. A few could even parry his strikes. There was a clear hierarchy among them.'Where does the difference lie?' he wondered, his mind analyzing even as his body fought.
The answer was in their morphology—the degree of 'mutation' from their original forms. Some were little more than deformed creatures with discolored skin and sharp claws. Others had mutated more thoroughly, sprouting horns, scales, tails, and other unnatural appendages. A select few were a full size larger than their kin, their movements fiercer and more agile.
This was the essence of a demon's power: transformation.
From weak to strong, from mortal to monster. Every physical change was an evolution, and every evolution made them stronger. Over the past three months, Hikaru had gradually pieced together the system governing their growth.
A demon's development was divided into four major stages, known as the 'Four Transformations'.
The first stage was 'Physical Transformation'. This was the most fundamental change, referring to the mutation of the body's structure. Wolves growing horns, snakes sprouting legs, insects developing wings, fish gaining claws—these visible, localized mutations were the hallmarks of this stage. When an ordinary beast or lost soul absorbed enough Yao Qi, it would begin this process. Physical Transformation was further divided into six minor stages, corresponding to the limbs, head, and torso. With each minor transformation, the body gained a new mutated characteristic and its strength increased accordingly.
Once a demon completed all six minor transformations, it could attempt to break through to the next major stage: 'Qualitative Transformation'. This stage involved a complete change, a step beyond localized mutations. It corresponded to alterations in mass and volume. A demon at this level could change its body size, expanding or shrinking, eventually aiming to achieve a 'Perfect Mass' based on its original species.
After Qualitative Transformation came 'Gaseous Transformation'. Hikaru wasn't entirely sure of the specifics, as he had yet to encounter a demon that had reached this level. He only knew from the whispers of lesser demons that such beings were often called 'Generals'or'Great Demons'. The term 'Great Demon'made a certain amount of sense to him; based on his observations, the'Perfect Mass' of the previous stage often allowed a demon to assume a form infinitely closer to a human's. A humanoid shape was a classic trait of powerful demons in countless stories.
The final stage was 'Formalization'. Hikaru speculated that this was based on complete 'Shapeshifting,' allowing a demon to ascend to a higher-level form. It wouldn't be a simple disguise; they would be both demon and their chosen form, perhaps even capable of siring pure, non-demonic offspring. Demons who achieved Formalization were the ones called Demon Kings—beings who could openly establish territories, rule over lands, and build entire kingdoms of their own.
The Four Transformations and their twenty-four substages formed the ladder of demonic power. Though details varied, most demons followed this path.
As for Hikaru himself, he was currently in the initial stage of Physical Transformation. The Fifth Transformation, to be precise. Each one corresponded to a trait granted by a weapon he had 'conquered' by maxing out its favorability.
The First Transformation, from his first katana, was the [Sharp Body Transformation], making his skin as tough as iron.
The Second, from a dagger, was the [Sharp Eye Transformation], greatly enhancing his dynamic vision.
The Third, from a broken bow, was the [Archer Transformation], doubling his upper body strength.
The fourth, from a long spear, was the [Spear-Waist Transformation], giving his core incredible flexibility.
The Fifth, from a shield, was the [Shield Bone Transformation], increasing his bone density and drastically improving his resistance to impact.
Five weapons, five mutations. Once a weapon's favorability was maxed, its ability integrated into his body, completing one 'transformation'. This was the core function of his system. Other demons had to spend ages enduring life-and-death trials to evolve.
He just had to grind favorability. Simple, efficient, and with a clear path forward. More, he could choose his transformations, unlike other demons who relied on random chance.
"Here they come again!"
A massive Centipede Spirit lunged from his flank. Its body was a full two zhang long, its carapace gleaming with a metallic luster under the moonlight. This demon had undergone at least four transformations, making it a standout among its peers.
But that was all it was.
Hikaru sidestepped the creature's headbutt, his blade slashing across its abdomen. The carapace was too hard; the sword skittered off with a screech of metal on chitin, but it drew blood.
Through those fresh droplets, Hikaru saw the joints in the Centipede Spirit's armor. Between the seventh and eighth segments, there was a tiny, almost invisible crack.
He pushed off his feet, his form a blur as he reappeared at the creature's side. The tip of the Muramasa plunged into the hairline fracture.
With a sharp twist of his wrist, the blade bit deep.
The Centipede Spirit let out a wretched shriek that echoed through the woods. Hikaru gave it no chance to struggle. He dragged the blade forward along the crack, disemboweling the giant demon in one smooth, brutal motion. Its internal organs spilled onto the forest floor in a steaming heap.
[Demon Blade Muramasa: Favorability +3]
[Current Favorability: 38]
A demon of four transformations had yielded three favorability points. As he suspected, the higher the quality of the prey, the greater the reward.
Hikaru licked his lips, a predatory glint in his eyes, and continued to push forward.
The demon swarm began to waver. The smugness on the face of the blue-skinned oni leader, who had been hiding in the rear, had vanished completely, replaced by stark terror.
"What is going on?!" it shrieked, its voice cracking. "He's just an Oni Samurai! A low-level undead! How can he be this strong?!"
No one answered. Everyone who could have was already dead.
Hikaru's blade never stopped. One strike, one life. Occasionally, two. But a third was never needed.
[Favorability: 42]
[Favorability: 45]
[Favorability: 48]
The numbers on his internal panel kept climbing. The blade of the Muramasa had shifted from black to a deep, menacing purple. Its hamon writhed like a living thing, and with every kill, the sword let out a low, satisfied hum.
It was happy. Extremely happy.
[Demon Blade Muramasa is ecstatic. It conveys a message to you: Another dozen!]
"Your appetite is getting bigger," Hikaru deadpanned, his hands never ceasing their deadly dance. Another blue-skinned oni fell.
[Favorability: 50]
[Bond Dialogue (3) Unlocked: It tells you that it likes you very much, more than any of its previous masters, because you know how to keep it fed.]
[Special Ability (2) Unlocked: Bloodthirsty Madness]
[Effect: When the blade absorbs enough blood, it can enter a 'Berserk' state. During this state, your power, speed, and reaction time are all increased by 30%. The cost is a brief period of weakness afterward.]
Hikaru's eyes lit up as he read the description of the new ability. A thirty percent increase to all attributes. Though it came with a side effect, this was a life-saving trump card for a critical moment.
"Not bad," he said to the blade in his hand. "Keep up the good work. When I get stronger, I'll find you a truly high-level demon for a main course."
[Demon Blade Muramasa expresses its anticipation.]
Fewer than fifty demons remained on the battlefield. The blue-skinned oni leader finally broke, turning to flee for its life.
"Retreat! Everyone retreat!"
As if granted a grand reprieve, the remaining lesser demons scattered in all directions.
Hikaru did not give chase. He had killed enough. If he pushed himself further, his stamina would be severely depleted, and encountering another demon swarm on the road would be troublesome.
He stood alone amidst the mountain of corpses and the sea of blood, watching the shadows of the fleeing demons disappear into the trees. The moonlight spilled down from above, stretching his own shadow long and thin across the carnage. His damaged armor was stained with blood of every color, and the black tachi in his hand still vibrated gently, as if reminiscing about the feast it had just enjoyed.
One hundred and fifty-three. Hikaru silently tallied his spoils.
Favorability had risen from 28 to 50, a total increase of 22 points. On average, it took seven kills to gain one point. The cost-effectiveness of grinding on small fry was far too low.
He sheathed his blade.
Clack.
The sound of the tsuba clicking into the scabbard echoed in the sudden silence.
'Time to go.'He looked up at the distant mountains. There, a priestess named Kikyo was waiting for him.'No,'he corrected himself with his usual pragmatism.'The Shikon Jewel is waiting to be delivered.'
And incidentally… waiting to have its favorability unlocked.
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