Bab 102: Chapter 100: House of Demons
The forest was a labyrinth of shadows, each tree a silent sentinel to the passage of Jon. The air was thick with the scent of decay, a pungent reminder of the death that lingered like a shroud over the land. As he emerged from the dark embrace of the woods, Jon's gaze fell upon the grand mansion that loomed before him, its silhouette a stark contrast against the dying light of the day.
"Southeast, it should be here. The scent of sin is heavy," Jon murmured to himself, his voice a low growl that seemed to resonate with the very air around him. The mansion, with its towering spires and ornate windows, was reminiscent of the one Tanjiro had encountered after leaving Tamayo's house in the original plot. Yet, Jon could not shake the feeling that this was not the same place, that the demon within had yet to face the fiery justice of the Ghost Rider.
As he surveyed the mansion, a rustling sound drew his attention. His head snapped to the side, his eyes narrowing as they fell upon a young girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen, her small frame almost swallowed by the underbrush. She was a picture of innocence, her short kimono adorned with plum blossoms, yet her eyes were wide with terror, shimmering with unshed tears as she peered out from behind a tree.
Jon's heart, could not help but soften at the sight. There was something familiar about her, a nagging sense of déjà vu that he couldn't recall. He scoured his memory, trying to connect her to any character from the original story, but the answer eluded him like a wisp of smoke.
"I suggest you stand in the sunlight. That way, you won't be eaten by a demon," Jon called out, his voice firm yet not unkind.
The girl remained silent, her gaze flitting between Jon and the mansion, as if torn between two nightmares.
Understanding dawned on Jon, and he spoke again, his tone gentler this time. "The demon in that mansion has taken your family, hasn't it? Don't worry, I'll blow it up."
He turned toward the mansion, his every step a silent vow of destruction, but the girl's voice, frail as a whisper, halted him in his tracks.
"Please... wait! That demon... it took my mother not long ago. She must still be alive, but if you blow up the mansion..."
Jon paused, the weight of her words anchoring him to the spot. "You're saying there might still be humans inside?"
He sighed, the sound heavy with the burden of his role. "What a hassle!"
As the Ghost Rider, Jon walked a path bordered by the flames of retribution and the ashes of mercy. He could be unorthodox, but never cruel. The duty of the Ghost Rider was to punish the wicked, not to harm the innocent. If the girl's mother was indeed alive, and he was to kill her by mistake, the guilt would be a stain upon his soul, a blemish that the Spirit of Vengeance would never overlook.
"Wait here, and stay in the sunlight." Jon instructed, his voice leaving no room for argument.
The girl nodded, stepping into the sunlight as if it were a sanctuary. She bowed her head, her voice a soft murmur that carried the weight of her gratitude. "Thank... thank you!"
Boom! Boom!
The drumming sound reverberated through the mansion's twisted corridors, a sinister heartbeat that seemed to pulse with the very lifeblood of the House of Demons.
Jon's lips curled into a knowing smile, "So it's you, Kyogai?"
Kyogai, the Drum Demon, once a member of the Twelve Demon Moons, had fallen from grace, but his power remained a formidable force within these cursed walls.
Jon's eagerness to confront Kyogai was palpable, a hunger for justice that matched the demon's hunger for human flesh. As he stepped through the threshold, the stench of blood assaulted his senses, a foul testament to the horrors that had unfolded within. The air was thick with the despair that clung to the dark, damp interior of the mansion.
The House of Demons was aptly named, for Kyogai was not its sole inhabitant. The mansion was a den of demons, a sanctuary for those who had forsaken their humanity for the twisted immortality of demonhood.
Suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind him. Jon's hand instinctively tightened around his chain, his body tensing for the imminent confrontation. But as he spun around, his eyes met not the malevolent gaze of a demon, but the tear-streaked face of the young girl he had instructed to stay outside.
"Didn't I tell you to stay outside?" Jon's voice was stern, a reprimand that echoed in the silence that followed.
The girl, her voice trembling with urgency, replied, "Someone was just thrown out from the inside, and he was... he was..."
"Thrown out?" Jon's frown deepened. It was an unusual act for a demon, who would typically guard their prey with possessive fervor.
"Stay close to me, don't stray even a step, understand?" Jon's command was firm, leaving no room for disobedience.
The girl nodded, her expression grave with the weight of the situation.
Kyogai's Blood Demon Art was a treacherous ability, a distorted echo of Nakime's power. With each beat of his drums, the mansion's layout twisted and turned, a living maze with a mind of its own. Jon knew the dangers of separation; one wrong step could mean a fatal encounter with the unknown.
His mission was clear: find the girl's mother and destroy this den of evil.
Boom!
The drum sounded again, and the world around them shifted with a disorienting lurch. Jon and the girl found themselves in a new room, the sudden change a stark reminder of Kyogai's control over the mansion.
The girl's eyes widened with fear, but Jon's voice was a bastion of calm. "See? If you stray too far from me, you'll be teleported to another room!"
Hiss! Hiss!
In the shadows, a sinister hissing filled the air, and a demon slithered into view.
"Hehehe! Messor is very lucky today! ... children, they taste so good!" The demon's voice was a sickening purr, its eyes fixed on the girl with a hunger that was both primal and perverse.
The girl retreated behind Jon, her protector, her shield against the darkness. Jon sighed helplessly "This minor demon is worth at most thirty or forty penalty points."
With a burst of demonic speed, Messor lunged, but Jon's reflexes were quicker, his grip ironclad as he seized the demon by the throat.
"Well, not today~" Jon's voice was a low growl, his hand yanking Messor's tongue with a brutal tug, tearing it from the demon's maw.
Aaaaaagh!
The demon's agonized howl tore through the silence of the mansion as Jon cast the writhing creature to the ground. The severed tongue in his grasp disintegrated into ash. Jon watched dispassionately as the demon, known as Messor, writhed in the throes of regeneration.
"You filthy human, how dare you tear off this Messor's tongue...!!" Messor's threat was cut short, its voice choked by the sudden eruption of hellfire that consumed its head. Jon stood over the demon, a high-tech gun—a small, seemingly innocuous device—now glowing with the hellfire of the Ghost Rider.
[Ding! Side mission updated, eliminate at least ten ordinary demons, current progress 2/10]
[Ding! Soul Sacrifice function used successfully, soul exchange completed, you got 20 penalty points.]
"Damn it, I overestimated your worth when I said you were worth thirty or forty penalty points!" Jon muttered, his frustration evident. The demon had been weaker than he anticipated, its soul yielding a meager sum in the grand scheme of his mission.
Boom!
The drum sounded once more, the mansion obeying its master's command. The world around them shifted, the walls and floors blurring into new shapes and angles. When the disorientation cleared, Jon and the girl found themselves in a spacious, dimly lit room.
A door creaked open, revealing a corridor that stretched into shadow. The thumping of heavy footsteps approached, each one resonating through the floorboards, a harbinger of the demon's immense size.
And then he appeared, a hulking figure whose very presence seemed to warp the space around him. Six drums were embedded into his flesh, a grotesque fusion of demon and instrument. His mouth was slick with blood, a grim indicator of his recent feast.
Kyogai, the Drum Demon, the master of this twisted domain, stood before them. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of pride and madness as he spoke, his voice a deep rumble that vibrated the air.
"Finally! A special blood... Now, he will take me back to the Twelve Demon Moons again!"
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