Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Escape from death
"Lower Moons! Two Lower Moons, Demons!"
Despair filled the two members of the Demon Slayer Corps. The Twelve Demon Moons were formidable foes, opponents that only the Hashira could handle. As "Mizunoto" level members, they were woefully unprepared for such a challenge.
"Why?" one of them murmured, fear evident in his voice. "Why are Lower Moon demons here on Mount fuji?"
"And why are there two of them?" the other echoed, eyes wide with dread.
"It's from the Demon Slayer Squad!" The female demon, her eyes marked with "Lower four," licked the blood from her fingers, a bloodthirsty gleam in her gaze. "Before we fight, do you want to eat someone to replenish your strength?"
The Minotaur demon growled, "Just kill them! We can't waste time!"
"Idiot!" the female demon cursed inwardly. "You deserve to be at the bottom of the Lower Moons!"
Hadn't he noticed the wisteria flowers covering the mountain? She had suggested feeding not out of hunger, but to avoid ascending the mountain.
"Fine, then!" she said, sounding disinterested. Her appetite had waned, and she didn't even feel like killing.
The Minotaur demon grunted and started towards the two Demon Slayer members. But after just a few steps, both demons stopped, their attention snapping towards Mount fuji simultaneously.
…
Aoki followed the mountain path downward, careful not to brush against the wisteria flowers, even through his protective clothing.
"I'm almost at the base of the mountain. I need to stay alert to avoid the Demon Slayer Corps guards," he thought, turning a corner. He stopped abruptly, his sharp eyesight and excellent night vision revealing the scene below in clear detail.
Ignoring the two Demon Slayer members, he focused on the two demons.
"Why are demons here on Mount fuji?" he wondered. Just then, the two demons looked up, their eyes meeting his.
Aoki's gaze hardened. "Lower Rank Six and Lower Rank Four?"
Demons typically did not travel in groups unless they had permission from Muzan Kibutsuji. For two Lower Rank demons to come together to Mount fuji, a place forbidden to demons, it had to be on Muzan's orders.
As for their purpose, Aoki felt a chilling certainty. "It must be because of me," he thought. "Does Muzan suspect that I've broken free from his control?"
It was strange. In the original story, Nezuko had freed herself from Muzan's curse, yet he hadn't seemed to notice.
However, this wasn't important.
Aoki had fully mastered his bloodline, ensuring that Muzan Kibutsuji would never detect him again, no matter what happened in the future.
What mattered now was dealing with these two demons.
*Ding dong! Mission "Escape from Death" acquired.*
**[Escape from Death]**
*Muzan Kibutsuji covets your secrets and has sent many demons to hunt you down.*
**Mission Requirements:** Avoid enemy pursuit.
**Mission Rewards:** 1 free skill point, 500 experience points, Demon Wine Gourd.
"So, skill points can be obtained through missions," Aoki thought, a realization dawning on him.
He had been wondering about this. The number of free skill points needed to learn new skills kept increasing. At this rate, he worried he might never unlock all the skills unless he reached the highest levels. But now, he understood the way forward.
"One free skill point, 500 experience points, and a mysterious item. Those are generous rewards," Aoki murmured to himself.
The greater the reward, the tougher the mission. The name alone, "Escape from Death," suggested extreme danger—a situation where escaping with his life would be a narrow feat.
Aoki studied the mission description, a troubling thought forming in his mind: "Multiple demons? Could there be more than just these two Lower Moons?"
Lower Moon demons were scattered and couldn't gather quickly. The only force more formidable than two Lower Moons was an Upper Moon demon.
"Damn!"
This was like using a lion to catch a rabbit—they were pulling out all the stops.
Aoki took a deep breath. Whether his guess was correct or not, his priority was clear: he needed to deal with these two demons quickly.
As long as he can escape smoothly today, it will be difficult for Kibutsuji Muzan to pursue him again in the future.
…
"Why would anyone come down from Mount Fuji at this hour? Is someone here to exorcise demons? Why didn't we receive any intelligence about this?"
The two members of the Demon Slayer Corps exchanged confused glances.
They never considered that it could be a demon. After all, the mountains covered in wisteria flowers are more terrifying to demons than a sea of fire.
…
Unlike Aoki's solemnity and the nervousness of the two Demon Slayer members, the female demon and the Minotaur demon were visibly excited.
"Is it him?" the Minotaur demon muttered under his breath.
Mukago replied, "I don't know, but it doesn't matter. We should capture him first and figure it out later!"
Neither demon was keen on climbing the mountain. The wisteria-covered slopes were lethal to their kind. But if their target delivered himself into their hands, it would be a great advantage.
"That's right! Capture him first and ask questions later!"
A ferocious grin spread across the Minotaur demon's face. With a burst of violent energy, he lunged at Aoki, tearing through the air.
Aoki stood firm, tearing off his protective clothing and preparing to meet the attack head-on.
Boom!
Their fists collided with explosive force. Blood spurted out, and the faint sound of bones cracking echoed through the air.
The Minotaur demon was sent flying, while Aoki stumbled back three steps.
The blow had been evenly matched. Although Aoki had gained significant strength recently, he struggled to control it fully.
"The power of 13 points is actually comparable to that of a Lower Moon demon."
This thought flashed through Aoki's mind as the Minotaur demon charged again.
Their fists clashed once more, but this time the impact was far greater.
Boom!
The air erupted, sending shockwaves that turned into a fierce gust of wind. The sharp sound of the explosion was deafening.
Aoki's arm shattered into countless fragments of flesh, blood, and bone, and his body was hurled back like a ragdoll, landing in the wisteria bushes.
Purple petals floated down like a mystical, beautiful snow. But for Aoki, they felt like concentrated acid burning his skin wherever they touched.
His body's regeneration slowed dramatically.
Without hesitation, Aoki flipped over and fled, not daring to look back.
For a moment, he had thought he could contend with the Lower Moon demon. Reality, however, quickly set him straight.
Perhaps his raw strength was comparable, but strength was only one part of combat ability.
"Is that his Blood Demon Art? As expected, the Blood Demon Art is the core of a demon's combat power."
Right now, Aoki was filled with a desperate yearning for the "space shuttle" ability.
"500 experience points will be enough to level up again, plus the free skill point reward. After completing this mission, I can learn 'space shuttle'."
It was so close, yet still a future prospect. It certainly wasn't something he could count on for this mission.
…
The two members of the Demon Slayer Corps were dumbfounded.
They had braced themselves for sacrifice, but to their astonishment, the two Lower Moon demons were chasing the man who had come down the mountain, completely ignoring them.
"Who was that coming down the mountain? It looked like those Lower Moon demons were specifically after him."
"He doesn't seem to be wearing a Corps uniform, nor does he have a Nichirin sword."
"Could he be a demon?"
The two Demon Slayer Corps members stared at each other in disbelief.
How had a demon come down from Mount Fuji? What was happening on Mount fuji? And why were the two Lower Moon demons fighting with a demon descending from there?
"Let's get out of here and report this immediately!"
Unable to make sense of the situation, they supported each other and hurried away to deliver their report.
Weekly Power Status
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