The battle wasn't over yet.
Demons still came endlessly.
Shinji's Muramasa was already blood-red from killing, the purple veins on the blade like living blood vessels, madly pulsating.
[Cursed Blade Muramasa's mood is 'Ecstatic'. It indicates: It hasn't eaten this much in a long time.]
This blade's appetite was getting bigger and bigger.
Shinji had no time to complain, because two more yokai were rushing at him.
One was a four-armed ape. Each arm was three times thicker than normal, veins bulging, muscles twisted and knotted.
This was without question, again a [Strength Change].
A pure power-type mutation. The most direct, and also the most troublesome.
Let alone it had four arms. Each arm was essentially one Change.
Five Changes and above.
The other, however, was a humanoid form condensed from a mass of mist. It had no features, only a blurry outline. Its body sometimes solidified, sometimes ethereal.
But it wasn't something that had turned into mist.
Rather, the mist itself had gained consciousness.
It had turned into a mist demon, a mirage yokai.
This was without a doubt an extremely troublesome type of demon.
In this world, this era, all things could become yokai. However, the more rigid the 'dead thing', the harder it was to become a yokai. Types like mist were even harder.
But if they succeeded, upon appearing, they were at least high-tier yokai approaching Six Changes and above.
Because for mist to give birth to a demon, it first needed to experience stages like gaining awareness, being able to move, being able to condense, being able to disperse, and finally, it could completely control itself, transforming into a demon.
And each of these stages was one Change.
One solid, one ethereal.
Shinji thought.
This combination was pretty disgusting.
Just as the thought settled.
That four-armed ape struck first, its four fists slamming down simultaneously.
Shinji didn't meet it head-on. He used Phantom Step to flash to one side.
But as soon as he steadied himself, that mass of mist had already drifted over.
A black hand extended from the mist, reaching straight for his chest.
"Thud!"
Shinji was sent flying by the palm, crashing through two pillars.
This was the troublesome part of the mist demon. It solidified when attacking, ethereal when attacked.
Unless he could seize the opportunity the moment it solidified, he fundamentally couldn't hurt it.
"Cough…"
Shinji climbed out of the rubble, the corner of his mouth trickling black blood.
That palm strike was no light matter.
But his eyes lit up.
Because he saw it.
Through the blood mist scattered across the battlefield, he saw the pattern of when that mass of mist solidified.
Before each attack, its 'core' would solidify first.
That core was in its chest, only the size of a fist. The time it was solidified was about half a second.
Half a second.
Enough.
Shinji tightened his grip on Muramasa again and charged towards that mass of mist.
The four-armed ape blocked his path, its four fists slamming down again.
This time, Shinji didn't dodge.
He raised his blade to block.
"Clang——!"
A huge force came, and his arms trembled.
But he held.
Just then, the mist drifted out from behind the ape, that hand reaching again for the back of his heart.
Shinji didn't turn around.
He just sidestepped, exactly clearing the line of fire behind him.
"Twang!"
A purification arrow whistled in.
That mass of mist tried to etherealize, but the arrow came too fast.
It only had time to solidify its core to prepare the attack and then the arrow embedded itself in that core.
Spiritual power exploded.
The mist dissipated.
Then,
Shinji pressed the advantage, his blade slicing upward. In the moment the four-armed ape was stunned, one stroke severed one of its arms.
The ape screamed and retreated.
But with only three arms left, it was no longer a threat.
Shinji pursued. Three strokes.
All four limbs severed.
Final stroke, decapitation.
[Cursed Blade Muramasa: Affection +4] [Current Affection: 93] [It conveys a message to you: 'Almost there. Almost full.']
Shinji looked at the panel, his mind stirring.
Only 7 points short of the max value.
He looked around. Eight yokai left.
Enough.
He charged towards the next yokai.
The following battle was almost a one-sided massacre.
Shinji and Kikyō's already extremely tacit cooperation became even more seamless.
The Muramasa's affection in his hand rose continuously.
99…
"Last one."
Shinji looked at the trembling horned serpent yokai before him.
Only a Five Changes demon. It was already scared out of its wits. It wanted to run but couldn't move.
Shinji raised his blade.
One stroke fell.
The head rolled.
[Cursed Blade Muramasa: Affection +1] [Current Affection: 100 (Max)] [Congratulations, you have unlocked all bonds of 'Cursed Blade Muramasa'.] [Unlocked Special Ability (3): Bloodthirsty Immortality] [Effect: As long as the blade is stained with fresh blood, your injuries will continuously recover. The more blood, the faster the recovery.] [Muramasa conveys its final bond message to you: 'I am very satisfied. Being held by you is my honour. Now, let my abilities integrate into your form.' (After integration, basic bonuses and dialogue functions are retained, but no further special talents)]
Shinji, having somewhat expected this, looked down at the Muramasa in his hand.
That black katana was glowing.
Purple light overflowed from the blade, climbing along his arm, seeping into his skin.
It didn't hurt.
Instead, there was a strange sense of comfort.
Like… coming home.
[Cursed Blade Muramasa's abilities are being integrated into the host's body...] ['Bloodthirsty Immortality' has been bound.] ['Blood Resonance' has been bound.] ['Bloodthirsty Frenzy' has been bound.]
His blood, which had stopped flowing after his death, started moving again along with his heartbeat. For a demon warrior like Shinji, this so-called demonization, this change, was essentially making his dead body gradually move and regain vitality step by step.
From now on, even without holding the blade, Shinji could use the abilities of 'blood'.
He looked at the prompt on the panel.
He could also feel his own progress.
He had completed the Sixth Change of the Body Transformation stage, the Blood Change.
From now on, he could use blood as eyes to resonate with it, could stir the blood within his body to enter a frenzy state without side effects, and moreover fight bathed in blood, absorb the blood of the battlefield, endlessly recover himself.
Six Changes.
Body Transformation complete.
He had finally achieved the first major stage of yokai evolution, reaching the pinnacle of Body Transformation.
He had obtained the permanent abilities from Muramasa.
This wave was a huge gain.
He opened his other hand.
Invisible blood mist rose from his palm.
"…Not bad."
He clenched that blood mist, then let it dissipate.
Light footsteps sounded behind him.
Kikyō walked over.
Her complexion was a bit pale; her spiritual power consumption was not light.
But her gaze fell on Shinji's hand, and her brow furrowed slightly.
"You… got stronger?"
"Mm."
Shinji replied briefly.
"I got stronger."
Kikyō was silent for a moment.
But she didn't press further.
She just turned and looked at the Shikon Jewel floating in mid-air.
That bead was still emitting a jet-black glow.
The Corrupted Spirit was still restless.
"It's not over yet."
She said.
She said: "Tonight is still long."
Shinji tightened his grip on the cursed blade Muramasa again. Although this blade's abilities had been integrated into his body, its inherent sharpness, and the ease of use brought by max affection, were still indispensable weapons for him at present.
He replied:
"I know."