> [Gluttonous Demon]
> [Race: Demon]
> [Rank: Shin (辛)]
> [Skills: Blood Demon Art—Voracity (Proficient)...]
>
The Gluttonous Demon approached Luochuan with a heavy tread, each step causing a slight tremor in the floor. As it stared at the unmoving Luochuan, a large puddle of drool dripped from its mouth. Though this person's blood wasn't as enticing as that of a "Marechi," he was still an excellent source of food.
As the distance between them closed, the Gluttonous Demon gradually saw Luochuan's face clearly. In that instant, its calves trembled. Is this... Lord Muzan?!
No... wait, he only looks a bit like Lord Muzan. He isn't the real one.
The demon's mind was clear enough to react quickly, but the way it looked at Luochuan became significantly more cautious. The terror of that Man was carved into their very bones. Even if the figure before it only resembled that Lord in terms of aura, it was enough to make its movements hesitate.
After the initial shock, a deep sense of desire surged in the demon's heart. If he has the same aura as that Lord, would eating him grant even more strength? At that thought, more drool spilled from its mouth.
"Would you like to be my friend?" Luochuan's eyes flickered as he looked at the demon. He didn't know what Blood Demon Art: Voracity did yet, but he'd add him first and ask questions later.
The Gluttonous Demon froze, then wiped its mouth and smiled. "Willingly. I am certainly willing."
To a demon, this was a trivial request from food that was about to enter its stomach. It was already hallucinating about the wonderful taste of this fresh, delicious flesh being chewed in its mouth.
Ding!
[Successfully added Gluttonous Demon as a friend.]
[Intimacy: Acquaintance. Random reward obtained.]
[Gained Aptitude: Inferior]
[Fuse now? No.]
"You mother..." Luochuan's face darkened. He'd communicated politely, and all he got was "Inferior Aptitude"? Had he been giving out too many smiles lately?
The Gluttonous Demon was confused by Luochuan's muttering. What's wrong? He was smiling and asking to be friends just a second ago, why the sudden face-turn? Is my way of making friends wrong?
Schwing!
Before the demon could figure out what the problem was, the crisp sound of a sword being unsheathed made its heart tighten. A sense of crisis from the depths of its body surged up. This kid is dangerous!
Just as the thought arose, the figure before it blurred. In the instant the figure vanished, a calm voice drifted from behind.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash."
The Gluttonous Demon tried to turn its head, but it realized it could no longer control its own neck. Its fat-laden head rolled onto the floor. Looking at Luochuan standing behind its body, its eyes were full of shock. Only now did it understand why the human hadn't moved earlier. It wasn't because he was paralyzed with fear, but because he never viewed the demon as a threat. It hadn't even seen the blade move; the gap between them was vast.
Luochuan walked past the body, looking slightly puzzled. With strength like this, he wondered how these demons had managed to injure Kyogai. Was the former Lower Moon Six really not that strong? Then again, while Kyogai was once a Lower Moon, his combat performance was far inferior to Lower Moon Five, Rui. Being stripped of his number by Muzan must have impacted his strength.
Luochuan sniffed, trying to relocate Kyogai's scent. Just then, a unique smell hit his nose. It wasn't the rot of a demon, but a wild, forest-like scent.
"Inosuke?"
As soon as he spoke, the partition to his left burst open with a bang. Inosuke, wearing his signature boar mask, charged out.
> [Inosuke Hashibira]
> [Race: Human] / [Rank: Mizunoto (壬)]
> [Comprehension: High] / [Aptitude: High]
> [Skills: Beast Breathing (Various Fangs - Proficient/Mastery), Spatial Awareness (Proficient), Explosive Rush (Proficient), Danger Sense (Proficient), Flexibility (Proficient)...]
>
Inosuke looked at the corpse of the Gluttonous Demon, then at Luochuan standing nearby. "Dammit! Someone beat me to it!" he grumbled before vaulting past Luochuan and sprinting deeper into the mansion.
Luochuan watched him leave in silence. As expected of someone who grew up alone in the mountains. Not only had he self-taught Beast Breathing, but he had also trained several forms to proficiency. While his comprehension was "High" like Tanjiro and Zenitsu, there were clearly nuances between them. Befriending Inosuke would yield far higher quality rewards than a Gluttonous Demon. However, now wasn't the best time—he needed the right moment to showcase his strength.
Straightening his clothes, Luochuan continued toward Kyogai's scent.
Dong!
The familiar drum sound echoed. Accustomed to it, Luochuan simply twisted his body mid-air as he was suspended.
Dong!
This drumbeat was different—the intervals were much shorter. Has Tanjiro found Kiyoshi? That made things difficult. The boy, Kiyoshi, was hiding in a room with his sister. Any noise outside would prompt him to hit the drum to shift his location. Even if Luochuan had the power to force Kyogai into friendship, it wouldn't matter if he couldn't pin the demon down.
The environment shifted again and again. Just as Luochuan was becoming numb to it, the scenery finally stabilized. The drum was still sounding, but the layout of the corridor stopped changing. Standing in the middle of the hallway was a figure so tall he nearly touched the ceiling. He was facing away from Luochuan, continuously striking the drums embedded in his body.
> [Former Lower Moon Six, Drum Demon: Kyogai]
> [Race: Demon] / [Rank: Ko (庚) - Damaged]
> [Skills: Demon Drums (Proficient), Blood Demon Art—Rapid Drumming (Proficient)...]
>
Seeing Kyogai, a slight smile played on Luochuan's lips. He had almost given up, but the drumbeats had delivered Kyogai right to him. Sensing movement behind him, Kyogai paused his attack and turned his head to look at Luochuan.