Bab 67: Hunter [67]: Decisive Blow
"Damn it, that's Upper Moon One, Kokushibou! The strongest Upper Moon, the twin brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the Demon Slayer's pinnacle! How can a Contractor go toe-to-toe with a boss like that?!"
The Contractors lurking in the village, naturally observing the battle, were gripped by fear as they witnessed Lin Jie holding his own against Kokushibou.
Old Wood's face darkened, while Drunkard beside him cursed under his breath, "It must be a high-level Contractor who entered this world, damn it!"
"This makes no sense. According to the faction balance mechanism, with that guy's strength, there shouldn't be any other Contractors in the Demon Slayer Corps faction."
Old Wood pointed out a crucial detail.
The Drunkard's eyes lit up, "You mean he found a way to deceive Paradise's judgment system? I'm reporting him!"
Old Wood watched as Drunkard hastily attempted to report the situation to Paradise, only to return unsuccessful. He shook his head. Though normally calm and somewhat clever, Drunkard was panicking.
A moment's thought would reveal that accusing Lin Jie of cheating the system wouldn't benefit them. Did he unite the other Demon Slayer Corps Contractors? No! Did he gain any advantage by relying on them? No!
Based on their investigation, they hadn't even met after the Demon Slayer Corps selection! How did Old Wood know this? Because one of their own had been killed by Lin Jie.
The Demon Slayer Corps faction didn't return unscathed either. After Lin Jie killed one on the spot, two out of the four Contractors in their faction perished. This meant that besides Lin Jie, only two others had returned alive.
Lin Jie had awakened his Class Template only recently, gaining the strength to fight Kokushibou. If he possessed such power before entering this world, he would have been the sole Contractor in the Demon Slayer Corps faction.
"Green Vine!"
Old Wood abruptly raised his wooden staff, activating a skill. A vine erupted from the ground, forming a green wall in front of him.
"Oji-san, your Blood Demon Art is quite interesting~"
A figure, intercepted mid-air by the vine, flipped and landed a short distance away.
"Insect Hashira!"
Old Wood's composure crumbled, replaced by panic.
Nearby, several of their companions lay dead, clutching their throats. Shinobu Kocho's blinding speed had pierced their throats, the wisteria poison halting their demonic regeneration. The outcome of a vital point strike was obvious.
"Run… Damn it!"
Old Wood glanced back to see Drunkard sprinting away, cursing under his breath.
It was too late for him to flee. Shinobu had already bypassed the vine wall and was charging towards him. Running now would be suicide!
"Bind!"
The top of Old Wood's staff split open, revealing a gem that emitted a green glow. The vines forming the wall dispersed instantly, lashing out at Shinobu like vipers.
"Insect Breathing, Centipede Dance: Hundred-Legged Zigzag!"
Facing the onslaught of vines, Shinobu weaved and bobbed, effortlessly evading them.
"Insect Breathing, Bee Sting: True Flutter!"
Exploiting an opening, Shinobu thrust her blade toward Old Wood. The tip of the sword filled his vision, inescapable. This was the move that even Doma, Upper Moon Two, couldn't dodge.
"Crushing Fist!"
At the critical moment, a figure appeared beside Old Wood. His glowing right fist slammed into the ground, the erupting rock halting Shinobu's attack.
"Hahaha, Old Wood, did you think I, Drunkard, would abandon a comrade so easily?!"
Drunkard chuckled.
Instead of gratitude, Old Wood felt the urge to punch him.
"Don't just stand there! I know you're a mage with tricks up your sleeve, so use them!"
Drunkard urged, noticing Giyu Tomioka approaching from the direction he had been fleeing.
"It's just the two of us now?"
Old Wood sighed, seeing Giyu.
"Yep!"
Drunkard had bumped into Giyu slaying one of their companions during his escape attempt.
"Farewell!"
With a grim expression, Old Wood took out an item. As it shattered, he vanished, returning to Paradise.
"You bastard!"
It was a Main Mission Failure Exemption item. Drunkard cursed.
"Ara… Where did the Oji-san go? Do you know?"
Shinobu asked the remaining Contractor, a forced smile on her face.
"Lady Kocho, I swear I've never eaten a human!"
Drunkard's words were true. Most of them only underwent minimal demonification to fulfill the faction requirement. They didn't want to become these creatures!
"That's certainly commendable! It's a shame, though. According to Red, you can't be spared! Now, tell me, who would you believe, a demon or one of your own?"
Shinobu's smile didn't waver.
"Red? You… Argh!"
Before he could finish, his head went flying.
"No need to waste words on them."
Giyu Tomioka said from behind.
"I agree with Tomioka!"
Kyojuro Rengoku nodded.
"You've been observing for a while now, haven't you, Rengoku-san?" Shinobu remarked. Rengoku chuckled awkwardly, wishing he had stayed quiet.
The three of them rushed towards the only battle still raging. Compared to these Lower Moon-level demons, they were more concerned about Lin Jie's fight against Kokushibou.
"I hope Red-san is alright."
Shinobu said, worry lacing her voice as she observed the chaotic battle.
The fully transformed Kokushibou swung his demon blade with reckless abandon, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. Countless Blood Demon Arts sliced through the air like a raging storm. In the heart of this tempest, Lin Jie stood firm, a lone boat braving the fury of the sea.
"He's tempering himself," Giyu Tomioka stated.
At this point, Lin Jie was covered in wounds both big and small, though he had managed to avoid any fatal blows.
"You use me as a whetstone?! Die!"
Kokushibou roared, raising his demon blade for a final strike. Several massive, intricately patterned blades descended from the sky, threatening to shatter the earth, accompanied by a barrage of circular moon blades.
"You call yourself a swordsman, yet you're so impure."
Lin Jie flashed his sword before Kokushibou's eyes, forcing him to confront his reflection.
"I… have I become this hideous?"
Killing Kokushibou outright was not an option, but disrupting his focus was well within Lin Jie's capabilities. The momentary distraction caused by his reflection was all Lin Jie needed.
With a flash of light, [Dawn] severed Kokushibou's head. However, consumed by the desire to kill Lin Jie, Kokushibou didn't die instantly. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Jie swiftly sliced the demon's body into several pieces.
Kokushibou's fragmented body desperately tried to regenerate, but the separation of his soul, severed by Soul Power, made it impossible.
Lin Jie took this chance to collect Kokushibou's blood, extracting it from the severed torso.
"So you fear aging as well, collecting demon blood as a precaution. Wouldn't it be easier to just submit to Muzan-sama?"
Kokushibou taunted, his severed head still capable of speech. He had used his remaining moments to transmit the image of the Spider Lily to Muzan Kibutsuji.
"I have no interest in creatures that cower in the dark. Disgusting, like rats in the night," Lin Jie replied flatly.
Kokushibou saw no flicker of deception in his eyes. He was telling the truth.
"Brother… so that's how you saw it too…"
With his blood loss reaching a critical point and regeneration impossible, Kokushibou finally succumbed to death, his body turning to ash.
A blue treasure chest materialized before Lin Jie's eyes, emanating a soft glow.
[You have slain Upper Moon One: Kokushibou, the Traitor]
[Kokushibou is Upper Moon One, a crucial plot character and the twin brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni. You have obtained 7% World Source, bringing your total to 36%.]
[Obtained Treasure Chest (Blue)]
[Your Soul Condensation talent has activated… It has reached its limit in this world and cannot absorb more Soul Power.]
[Obtained 700 Demon Slayer Corps Contribution Points. Current total: 2970.]
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As expected of the twin brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the pinnacle of strength and Upper Moon One, the rewards were substantial. Lin Jie decided against opening the chest immediately. His luck with treasure chests had been abysmal ever since he received the [Fighting Demon] equipment. It was better to save it for after his return.
His Soul Condensation talent had reached its limit in this world, unable to absorb any more Soul Power. Lin Jie could sense Kokushibou's soul power dissipating into the air and couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.
Just then, the crimson ф symbol on the back of his hand lit up. The Reincarnation Disc materialized in his hand, drawing in the scattered soul power.
As he looked at the Reincarnation Disc, a realization dawned on him. The reason he had awakened his Class Template in the first place was that his capacity for Soul Power had reached its initial limit. To fully awaken it, he needed the Reincarnation Disc to absorb enough Soul Power, achieving a synchronization between them.
This was not something that could be rushed. He couldn't just go around indiscriminately killing for souls. Putting aside the moral implications, even the souls of ordinary people wouldn't be enough. He had a feeling that only by absorbing the soul of Muzan Kibutsuji, the thousand-year-old demon, would he come close to fulfilling the requirement.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone