Oboro's crippled legs were restored to full functionality as flesh and tissue regenerated rapidly.
His emaciated frame didn't change much in size, but the sickly pallor and weakness vanished completely.
His face and limbs began to shift...
Trending towards deformity, with strange organs trying to sprout forth.
But as his own will erupted fiercely, the Muzan cells within his veins withered and died instantly.
Consequently, only black veins appeared briefly on his skin, writhing for a moment before disappearing entirely.
Oboro stood up slowly. Outwardly, he bore no features of a demon.
Even his eyes, the most distinct trait of a demon, remained exactly the same as before.
It was just... his aura had changed completely.
Seeing this, Rengoku and Kawai instantly raised their Nichirin blades, pointing them directly at him.
The man before them... had become a demon.
"Hehehe..."
Oboro wiped the blood from his lips and looked at the two swordsmen—the descendant of the demon-hunting clan with bright hair, and the young Water Pillar. He smiled faintly.
It seemed fitting; those who practiced Water Breathing were usually calm and composed, perfectly matching the nature of the style.
While Flame Breathing was intense, fierce, and full of explosive energy...
Their actions and reactions since bursting in matched their identities perfectly.
He's awake!
Suddenly, Ichiei gripped his hilt tighter. Oboro was standing facing them, meaning his back was turned to Upper Rank Five.
At that moment, the numbers in Upper Rank Five's eyes were fully visible. He had completely broken free from his stupor. Silently, he raised a hand and brought it crashing down toward Oboro's head.
It seemed he intended to smash the newly transformed demon to pieces.
Neither Tenjuro nor Ichiei warned him.
They still didn't understand the relationship between Oboro and Upper Rank Five.
"He is not a Demon Slayer."
"This man... he only wanted my blood!"
The moment Upper Rank Five regained consciousness, he analyzed the situation instantly.
His fading consciousness had caught snippets of their conversation.
He had initially thought Oboro was with these two Pillars.
In truth, if the man had asked him politely, he would have willingly turned him into a demon... after all, Oboro had displayed impressive combat prowess.
But to be used like a tool, to be calculated against like this—filled Michimaru with rage.
He was Upper Rank Five, chosen personally by Lord Muzan!
What did this mere human think he was?!
Most humiliating of all, he couldn't believe he had been instantly "controlled" by this man bare-handed, losing his mind for a moment. This shame was something he had never experienced since becoming a demon. He had to get his revenge!
Staring at Oboro's back so close to him, Michimaru's eyes were bloodshot, fury exploding in his mind.
"DIE!"
Michimaru roared, his massive hand slamming down, aiming to crush Oboro's skull.
The two demons were turning on each other.
"Hmm..."
Oboro remained calm. He glanced back slightly with the corner of his eye.
His black haori flared out.
Then, Tenjuro and Ichiei's pupils shrank to pinpricks. A terrifying pressure erupted, blowing their hair and clothes violently backward. A deafening shockwave made their hearts tremble.
Because one moment Upper Rank Five was behind Oboro, and the next... he was gone.
All that remained was the shattered wooden wall of the shrine and a long, deep groove carved into the ground leading outside.
Clearly, Upper Rank Five had been blasted away before he even knew what hit him.
Was it... a punch?
Neither of them could see clearly.
This was Upper Rank Five! Just his aura alone told them how powerful and durable his flesh was. Yet he had been effortlessly wounded and sent flying by a man who looked physically far smaller.
Hadn't he just become a demon moments ago?
While Tenjuro and Ichiei stood frozen, their minds struggling to process this impossible scene, Oboro moved like a phantom. His feet barely touched the ground as he flashed between the two of them.
So fast!
They couldn't even track his movement...
Cold sweat dripped down Ichiei's face. He tried to lift his sword, but a hand gently rested on the guard. It looked like a light touch, but it weighed as heavy as a mountain, holding the blade firmly in place.
What kind of power was this?
Unprecedented... absolute dominance.
If Oboro's actions earlier had merely seemed strange and bizarre, then this close-up, overwhelming sense of strength was something they couldn't even put into words.
"Be careful... If you don't take this seriously, you will die."
Oboro's soft voice drifted into their ears.
Then, his figure flickered and vanished through the broken wall.
The two Pillars had no time to think about who Oboro was anymore. Their eyes snapped forward to the hole in the wall.
Through the rubble, they saw the figure who had been blasted away, slowly standing up again.
"Forget about him for now!"
Ichiei quickly regained his composure. For whatever reason, Oboro showed no intention of attacking them. If he had wanted to, they would both be dead already.
Right now, their priority was Upper Rank Five.
Saying that, Ichiei charged forward, launching an attack on the demon.
Tenjuro glanced back one last time at the figure standing in the night, then followed suit.
...
"Haa..."
Within the shrine grounds, Oboro stood amidst the unconscious villagers, covered in blood. He felt his new body, a look of satisfaction on his face.
He raised a hand. Suddenly, the bones and muscles expanded, veins bulging, the hand trying to morph into something else.
But his gaze turned cold, and after a few seconds... it reverted back to normal.
"Quite persistent..."
Oboro smirked.
Then, he spoke softly, "Muzan..."
The moment the name left his lips, his eyes instantly turned red. His entire body convulsed uncontrollably, as if about to tear itself apart... but like his hand, the transformation lasted only seconds before subsiding.
The so-called curse was nothing more than the will imposed by Muzan's cells.
The instant he spoke the name, a connection formed. A figure flashed in his mind, trying to assert dominance and intimidation.
However...
...
Meanwhile, in a mansion far away from Edo City.
A man with delicate features and expensive clothing stood by a pond, feeding fish.
His scarlet eyes, reflected in the water, were cold and gloomy.
He was dressed as a Daimyo, a feudal lord—one of his many disguises in this era.
He... was the progenitor of demons, Kibutsuji Muzan.
Recently, he had stopped wandering the land searching for potential followers to expand his ranks.
He had enough numbers...
Creating demons infinitely was not beneficial. If there were too many, they would attract the Shogunate's attention, and secondly, it would be hard to control. If too many "rebels" appeared, they might even unite to overthrow him.
Although unlikely, Muzan refused to tolerate any variables.
The best approach was to keep things stable and within control.
And what was his goal?
To find the Blue Spider Lily, of course!
At that thought, the ceramic container holding fish food in his hand shattered instantly.
No leads. Absolutely nothing...
If only he hadn't killed that doctor so quickly in the past... maybe things would be different.
But it was too late now.
He had created the Twelve Kizuki to improve efficiency, especially since the Demon Slayer Corps was always interfering.
Frankly, Muzan didn't consider the Demon Slayer Corps a real threat; they could only cause limited trouble. What truly angered him was that none of his subordinates were useful... Some had good battle records, yes. But his goal was never to wipe out the Corps or kill Pillars. What he wanted... was to walk freely in the sun.
He wanted eternal life without weakness.
And now, after so many years... no matter how hard he tried, there wasn't even a glimmer of hope.
"Useless trash."
He muttered coldly.
Then, suddenly, his heart skipped a beat.
He felt something.
His brow furrowed, and the next instant... he violently coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Muzan's eyes widened in shock. He covered his mouth and fell to his knees.
The broken pieces of ceramic dropped into the pond.
He stared in disbelief at the water, his head pounding as if splitting apart. "What... was that?!"
A demon had broken free from his control.
Someone had ignored the curse and suppression of his blood.
To ensure absolute control and eliminate any threats, Muzan had designed his cells so that any demon created from his blood would die instantly if they harbored ill will or disobedience. He could sense their thoughts and kill them with a mere thought.
This was his absolute power... biologically, no life in this world should be able to defy him.
Yet... just now, a presence had appeared in his mind.
He couldn't see the face clearly... only a vague figure wearing a black haori...
Their souls and wills had "touched" through the medium of the cells.
Logically, he was the supreme ruler, the one who judges all. But unexpectedly, just a single glance from that blurred figure made his very soul tremble in fear, as if being sliced by a blade.
"Impossible... Has a demon evolved beyond me?!"
Muzan was stunned.
Will is will, flesh is flesh... No matter how strong the will, if the body is made of his cells, they should still be under his command.
This defied everything he understood about biology and evolution.
"That will... What kind of soul is that?!"
...
"Not bad... The soul growth in this world is passive, accumulated over time. It is on a completely different level compared to Nen users who actively temper their minds."
Elsewhere, sensing Muzan frantically cutting off the connection, Oboro chuckled. "In the end, it's just a difference in power systems and growth paths."
People like Yoriichi were born with transcendent souls.
Muzan's reaction proved that deep down, he was indeed a coward.
Tamayo had judged him correctly.
Muzan's control relied mostly on the biological dominance of his cells and genetics, not the strength of his own spirit.
That was the fundamental difference.
"Don't be afraid... It's alright. Your journey... has only just begun."
Oboro said softly, as if speaking to himself, or perhaps to the terrified being far away.
____________________
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