Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Trump card
The wisteria bushes swayed violently, and a figure rushed out.
Aoki looked ghastly, purple spots covered his face, and his flesh seemed to be melting.
"Finally out," he muttered, glancing back, but there was no sign of the enemy. This absence didn't comfort him. He knew they wouldn't give up so easily.
Whoosh!
A faint hiss of air caught his ear. Aoki's expression shifted, and he barely twisted his waist in time.
Tear!
A sharp blade-like force grazed his side, slicing his waist deeply. Blood spurted out. Had he been a moment slower, he would have been bisected.
A slender figure materialized in the air. A female demon with red eyes smiled at Aoki.
"You're so slow. I've been waiting for you forever."
"The Fourth of the Lower Moons? Invisibility?"
Aoki frowned, recognizing her. It was Mukago. She had survived until Tanjiro joined the Demon Slayer Corps but was eventually killed by Muzan himself when he abolished the Lower Moons.
Thud, thud, thud…
A towering figure approached rapidly, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"It's the Bull-headed Demon of the Lower Moon Six. No wonder I didn't hear any movement. He must've stayed outside the wisteria forest."
Aoki's mind raced as his expression turned grim. Mukago had vanished again.
Did she become invisible once more?
The faint sound of rushing air came from behind, and Aoki's arm swept backward.
Whoosh!
His arm sliced through empty space.
Puff.
Pain exploded in his back as sharp claws pierced through his chest. Aoki turned but saw no sign of Mukago.
He steadied his breath.
Their speed and skill were completely overwhelming him.
Thud, thud, thud!
The footsteps grew louder. The bull-headed demon was closing in. Aoki braced himself, crossing his arms defensively across his chest.
Boom! The force of the impact sent shockwaves through his body, causing numerous wounds to burst open. He became a bloody mess in an instant.
Propelled by the impact, Aoki landed some distance away and immediately sprinted.
He couldn't win against these two. Facing them together was certain defeat!
Before he could get far, Mukago reappeared, almost slashing his neck. That brief delay allowed the bull-headed demon to catch up.
Crack!
Aoki's arms shattered into pieces, and he crashed into a tree. Regaining his balance, he quickly dodged to the side.
A claw swiped through the air where he had just stood, embedding itself in the trunk.
"One attacks head-on with strength, the other is fast and invisible, perfect for harassment and ambush. Together, there's no escaping them!"
Aoki took a deep breath, his eyes remaining sharp and clear.
He lost count of how many times his arms were broken or how many holes punctured his body.
He was battered, barely able to fight back.
Yet, Mukago and the bull-headed demon faced a similar dilemma.
They could dominate and injure him, but they couldn't land a decisive blow, only draining his stamina.
Aoki didn't let his guard down.
He couldn't forget his suspicion that an Upper Moon might be coming.
Time was against him.
He needed to break this deadlock.
Mukago was the key.
Aoki's eyes locked onto the fading figure of the red-eyed demon.
Her speed was why he couldn't escape them.
But she was cautious. She never appeared unless she attacked, and she'd disappear right after.
With no opportunities, he had to create one!
Boom!
A powerful punch came at him, distorting the air around it with its sheer force.
Aoki crossed his arms to block.
Bang! His flesh and blood splattered everywhere, turning the ground into a crimson mess.
In the midst of the carnage, a shallow footprint appeared, almost invisible without keen observation.
As an expert hunter, Aoki's keen eyes noticed it instantly.
"Got you at last. It was worth covering the ground in blood!"
Flames ignited in Aoki's eyes.
He had a trump card and had been waiting for this exact moment to use it.
"Blood Boiling," activate!
Boom!
The blood in his body seemed to ignite, seeping out in beads and transforming into a crimson mist that surrounded him.
His body felt like it was on the verge of exploding, teeming with unrestrained power.
Boom!
The ground shattered as Aoki vanished from sight.
Mukago, poised to strike, was caught off guard. In an instant, Aoki was in front of her.
"Exposed? Impossible! He couldn't have seen me. It's just coincidence!" she thought, just as his fist collided with her chest.
Bang! The immense force ripped her skin, crushed her bones, and obliterated her internal organs.
"How did he get so strong?!" Mukago's thoughts raced in terror as she noticed a gaping hole in her chest, almost splitting her in two.
Aoki gripped her neck, lunged forward, and pinned her to the ground.
"Let go of me!" Mukago shrieked, attacking wildly with her claws.
Behind him, the familiar sound of rushing air signaled the bull-headed demon's approach.
Bang, bang, bang!
Aoki's head was punctured several times, and half his chest was shattered.
Yet, the fire in his eyes only burned brighter. He raised his fist.
Boom, boom, boom!
Mukago's body was torn apart within seconds.
Her neck snapped, her arm ripped from the shoulder, and her legs were broken into several pieces.
Boom!
Just as Aoki was about to obliterate Mukago's head, a powerful shockwave blasted him away from behind.
"Dare to ignore me, and you die!" the bull-headed demon roared.
Aoki paid no mind to his words.
"What a pity. Devouring a Lower Moon could have advanced me a level," he mused with some regret, but didn't forget his real mission. Adjusting his stance, he regained his balance and sprinted away without looking back.
He had been using "Demon devouring" during his attacks. Mukago couldn't recover quickly and was incapacitated.
It was time to escape!
The bull-headed demon hesitated, glanced at the struggling Mukago, and gritted his teeth, then chased after Aoki.
The two demons quickly disappeared into the forest.
But Aoki, boosted by his "Blood Boiling," was far faster than usual and soon lost his pursuer.
"Damn it! What are you doing?" the bull-headed demon roared in frustration, smashing a tree with a single punch before turning back.
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### Postscript
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