He's gone!
Kawai Ichiei looked toward the direction where Oboro had vanished, feeling utterly disbelief.
He and Rengoku Tenjuro had somehow survived.
He had been certain they were going to die.
Moreover, that glance the man had given him before leaving felt strangely meaningful...
It was as if everything had unfolded exactly as he intended, allowing them to escape with their lives.
They... had been saved by a demon.
Ichiei didn't dwell on it. He quickly helped the unconscious Tenjuro up and hurried away from the area.
He sent his messenger crow ahead to report the situation to the Corps headquarters.
As for the villagers, and whatever happened between that man and Upper Rank Five... it was no longer his concern.
Tenjuro's condition was critical; he needed medical attention immediately.
"And yet..."
As they fled, Ichiei replayed the conversation in his mind. What struck him most was how Oboro had casually spoken Muzan's name. He had never seen anything like it.
From what he knew, all demons bore a 'restraint' from Muzan's blood—a curse... They dared not show any disrespect. Even a fleeting thought of betrayal would cause them to die instantly, regardless of distance.
That suppression was absolute.
But this man... was an exception.
"He manipulated Upper Rank Five to get his blood and turn... just to survive?"
"But how can someone be that strong immediately after transformation? Enough to make an Upper Rank fear him?"
"Black haori... I feel like I've heard of that somewhere before."
Carrying his friend on his back, ignoring the searing pain in his side, the Water Pillar ran for his life.
He dared not take the risk... What if the man or the demon came back? They would surely be hunted down.
For now, while the two demons were fighting each other, the only option was to run.
"But... an Upper Rank..."
Then, another thought struck him, making his heart sink.
The sheer pressure emanating from that demon was suffocating. Together, they couldn't even land a clean hit.
Realistically, it would probably take at least four Pillars to stand a chance against one.
It was laughable. Recently, after learning those new breathing techniques and feeling their power grow, they had actually begun to believe they might finally have a chance against Muzan.
Reality had just dealt them a crushing blow.
...
"Bastard!"
"Damn it!"
"Why did I run?!"
"I am an Upper Rank! He's nothing but a newborn!"
On the road leading out of Seirin-machi, Michimaru ran at full speed, putting every ounce of strength into his legs.
His figure streaked past like an arrow, kicking up clouds of dust behind him.
His speed was so great that the scenery blurred into streaks of light on either side.
He roared and cursed inwardly.
He had offered friendship! Yet the man refused... With his temper, he should have just killed him! So why was he running?!
Remember, within the Twelve Kizuki, the rank represented an absolute difference in power.
Not to mention a newly turned demon, even Lower Ranks trembled in fear before him.
But why... did this man look at him with such ease... almost as if he were looking down on him?
And here he was, running away like a stray dog.
If Lord Muzan found out about this... he wouldn't just lose his rank, he would be killed.
The other Upper Ranks would mock him relentlessly.
He would be the shame of the Twelve Kizuki.
It was instinct... the instinct of fear. He ran because he was afraid. If he stayed, he would die.
Michimaru knew the answer, but he refused to accept it.
Whoosh!
Finally, after running for what felt like an eternity, Michimaru gradually slowed down. His feet skidded across the earth, carving two deep grooves until he stopped.
He hung his head, lost in thought.
The next moment, he lifted his face, his eyes twisted with rage and cold resolve.
He turned slowly.
In the distance, the figure draped in black haori was walking calmly toward him. Despite Michimaru's incredible speed, he hadn't managed to shake him off.
The road was flanked by rice fields.
Under the clear night sky, with stars shining brightly, visibility was excellent.
Oboro held the walking stick given to him by the Kamado family. Looking at the Upper Rank Five who stood ready to fight to the death, he spoke softly. "Tired of running?"
"It is YOU who should run!"
Michimaru raised his cleaver.
Killing intent surged.
His flesh was harder and stronger, and he possessed multiple Blood Demon Arts...
This man only had 'presence' going for him. He had been stunned earlier by surprise tactics.
Now that he was calm and thinking clearly, the advantage was definitely his.
Above all, his regeneration speed was something the other man could never match.
Demon physiology varied greatly, and he was an Upper Rank!
"Just stay calm. Don't let his intimidation tactics freeze my mind again!" Michimaru steeled himself. But the very next instant, the man seemed to warp space itself, appearing directly in front of him, face to face.
"This...?"
Michimaru's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.
"Back in the shrine, even with human speed, you couldn't react. Now imagine... how much faster I am now that my stats have skyrocketed."
"To your eyes, I might as well be invisible."
Oboro spoke lightly.
The power output generated by his breathing was on an entirely different dimension compared to the Pillars.
The most obvious difference was his body temperature—it was terrifyingly high. Even through his thick haori, waves of heat rose from his body like steam.
Sensing the danger, Michimaru instantly tried to split his body apart, scattering his limbs in different directions to escape.
But he was too slow.
This time, Oboro simply reached out. His five fingers sank directly into Michimaru's skull.
Twisting and pressing as if adjusting a mechanism, he performed a sort of neurological manipulation.
In the short time since becoming a demon, Oboro had already awakened his own Blood Demon Art, merging it with his knowledge of pressure points to create a technique perfectly suited to this world's rules.
Even without using his raw 'soul pressure', this Upper Rank was utterly helpless before him.
In terms of sheer mastery and technique, even if Yoriichi Tsugikuni were reincarnated, he would pale in comparison.
Perhaps with a sword, Yoriichi might have a chance.
Michimaru's face went blank, saliva dripping from his open mouth. Oboro pulled his hand out.
Strangely, there was no wound or damage to the demon's head.
Michimaru hadn't lost consciousness. His mind was clear, he could perceive everything around him... but Oboro had severed the neural pathways, disconnecting his brain from his body. He was completely paralyzed.
"Let's see if I can turn you into an item first..."
Having gained control, Oboro placed his palm against the demon's chest and smiled.
"Failed?"
"As expected... Even though I've integrated my abilities into the system, there is a 'capacity limit'. There's a maximum weight and size I can convert. Objects that are too massive or complex cannot be fully absorbed as part of my soul. To ensure I can bring them across dimensional barriers when I travel, they need to be small and simple. That's why I could bring pebbles and leaves from the Dark Continent... So I have to be very selective about what resources I take."
"Some things, if converted, might destabilize the system and cause my journey to fail..."
"Sigh... Ultimately, it all depends on soul strength. The stronger my soul, the more the system grows and the more I can carry. When descending from a high-level world to a low one, I have to limit my power to arrive safely... But when climbing back up, by enriching my will and understanding..."
Muttering to himself as the system interface processed the data, Oboro stroked his chin in thought.
Then, he picked up Michimaru's own cleaver and sliced off a piece of flesh from the demon's arm.
Instantly, the system activated.
The chunk of Upper Rank flesh transformed into a glowing card.
Oboro held it up to read the details, a smirk forming on his lips.
Item: Demon Flesh (Contaminant)
Rank: Bronze
Type: Food / Bloodline
Effect: Can be used to alter race, or boost life energy and physical attributes.
Warning: This item is imperfect and carries side effects. Use with caution.
The card detailed everything, including the enhanced regeneration and stats gained upon transformation.
Of course, it also clearly listed the weaknesses: vulnerability to sunlight, the need to consume humans, etc.
This... was the new form of his ability from the HxH world, Game Vault of the Infinite Dreamer.
He had perfectly integrated it into this system.
Oboro had created this ability for one simple reason.
Since he was going to travel through different worlds... he might as well take some resources with him.
Every world had things of value.
Even a world like this...
"Shame. Even as an Upper Rank, if turned into an item, it would only have a limited duration of use, not permanent... Seems like I really do have to go find Muzan after all."
Oboro said softly.
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