Bang bang bang!
Like a typhoon passing through, all the equipment shattered and collapsed.
Muzan Kibutsuji's face was contorted with rage, his powerful aura surging as he uttered, each word distinct: "The defector!"
He died!
He died at the hands of the defector!
After the destruction, Muzan Kibutsuji's aura gradually subsided, and his expression returned to calm.
Based on his memories before his death, he discovered that Rui had been eaten by the defector!
In other words, the defector could not only suppress the regenerative abilities of demons, but also eat demons!
The defector's strength was much greater than before. Could he become stronger by eating demons?
What secrets did he hold?
Could he be a demon capable of overcoming sunlight?
Muzan Kibutsuji wiped his hands and turned to leave.
This was the first time he had encountered such a unique demon.
Let the Upper Moons take action.
The defector must be captured!
...
Aoki was unaware of the scumbag's thoughts, and even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
He walked through the jungle on foot.
Unless under special circumstances, he generally doesn't use "spatial teleportation" to travel.
The consumption is too severe.
Physical strength is manageable, but excessive mental exertion is also a major problem for him.
The characteristic that "the farther the teleportation distance, the greater the consumption" makes "spatial teleportation" unsuitable for travel.
"Without using 'spatial teleportation,' my current strength is barely enough to contend with a Lower Moon. Using 'spatial teleportation,' I have a chance to quickly kill a Lower Moon if I catch them off guard."
Aoki reviewed the battle he had just fought while traveling.
Actually, if he had a Nichirin Blade, his demon-slaying efficiency would increase significantly.
But he wasn't killing demons just for the sake of killing demons.
Especially elite monsters like the Twelve Demon Moons, they don't respawn after death, so even with a Nichirin Blade, he wouldn't use it.
As he continued to review, Aoki discovered more and more problems.
Although he had initially established his own combat system, he still had issues such as insufficient variety of moves, incorrect timing of attacks, and imprecise movements.
Moreover, these problems cannot be solved in a short time.
The only way is to constantly summarize and review in battle, improving oneself little by little.
Combat is an extremely complex matter.
In his previous life, even those arena matches had countless tricks to study; actual combat is even more complex.
Strength is important, but the technique of using strength is equally important.
Back then, facing Lingyu and the Bull-Headed Demon, he was almost powerless against them; now, without a significant increase in strength, he can fight on par with Rui.
This is the power of technique.
The combination of strength and technique equals combat power.
As the first ray of sunlight pierced the darkness, Aoki finished all his reviews.
Unlike other demons who sought shelter in the shadows, he donned a sun hat and continued on his way.
Normal demons don't need to sleep.
He could use the daytime to gather information on demons, allowing him to focus on hunting at night.
However, he was already level 7, and the experience provided by weaker demons was decreasing, making his hunts increasingly difficult.
A few days later, Aoki looked at the city ahead.
"We've arrived!"
Although it was night, the entire street was brightly lit, as bright as day.
This was Asakusa.
Finding the remaining five, or even possibly three, Lower Moons in the vast city of Tokyo was like finding a needle in a haystack.
He hadn't gathered a single clue along the way.
Because Muzan Kibutsuji forbade demons to gather in groups, it was impossible to learn the location of the Twelve Demon Moons from other demons.
After much thought, Aoki focused his attention on Kyōkai.
According to Rui, Rei and the Gyu-no-Ki had been executed by Muzan, and a new Lower Moon Six might have been born.
It was uncertain whether it was Kyōkai.
But this was currently the only information available about the Lower Moons; even a low probability was better than wandering aimlessly like a headless fly.
The good news was that Kyōkai's lair was fixed.
Unfortunately, Aoki didn't know the location of Kyōkai's lair, the Drum House.
The only information he knew was that the drum shop was located in the southeast of Asakusa.
That was why he had come to Asakusa.
"Since I'm in Asakusa, shouldn't I meet Miss Tamayo?"
Aoki strolled through the streets of Asakusa.
Apart from the occasional glance from a passing woman, he didn't cause much of a stir.
In this world, the only people who shared his stance were Tamayo and Yushiro.
They had the same enemy, similar circumstances, and similar identities; they were natural allies.
Unfortunately, Tamayo and Yushiro were completely unaware of his existence.
Yushiro's Blood Demon Art had the effect of invisibility; unless they actively revealed themselves, finding them wouldn't be easy.
"I don't want to run into Muzan Kibutsuji before I find Tamayo!"
Aoki smiled, realizing he had come to a rather secluded street.
Ahead, a noodle cart was parked, and the owner, with a strong-looking hairstyle, sat smoking a pipe.
Noticing his gaze, the owner looked up and asked, "Would you like a bowl of udon noodles?"
Aoki shook his head.
The owner immediately lost interest and continued smoking.
Aoki didn't leave, casually asking, "Boss, Asakusa seems unusually lively today. Is something good happening?"
The boss looked at him like he was an idiot. "Of course, it's because the New Year is almost here!"
"The New Year is almost here?"
Aoki was taken aback.
The boss tapped the handle of his cart with his pipe. "The New Year is in three days! Today is also my last day setting up my stall. If you don't eat here, you'll have to wait until next year."
After saying that, the boss noticed Aoki's lack of reaction and sat back down listlessly.
Aoki, however, didn't notice the boss's reaction at all.
The New Year?
Even though the New Year here wasn't on the same day as in his hometown, it still stirred up some emotions in him.
His past life was gone and could be forgotten.
But in this world, he still had people he cared about.
"I wonder how Takina and his master's wife are doing now?" Aoki looked up at the sky.
A crescent moon hung among the stars.
At this time last year, his injuries hadn't healed, and he could only lie in bed.
But he still clearly remembered the laughter and joy in his room those few days.
...
Bright lights illuminated every corner of the room, and the exquisite furniture was far more comfortable and beautiful than the rough tables on the mountain.
Aomura Takina and Aomura Rie sat facing each other, the table between them laden with delicious food.
They clasped their hands together: "Let's eat!"
Aomura Rie said enthusiastically, "Takia, do you want to go to the temple fair with Mom tomorrow? New Year's is coming soon, and we still have so many things to buy."
"Okay!"
Takina readily agreed.
"The temple fair here is so lively, much more so than back home..."
Aomura Rie said, and Takina occasionally responded, creating a warm atmosphere.
"I saw a shop today that had really good shrimp; we can buy a lot tomorrow to make tempura," Aomura Rie said with a smile.
"Sure, Aoki loves shrimp," Takina said instinctively, her outstretched chopsticks suddenly stopping.
Aomura Rie also fell silent.
The false warmth slowly dissipated.
They had only been forcing smiles; once shattered, the pretense was gone.
The New Year is a festival for family reunion, but with only the two of them, how could they be reunited?
How could they possibly be happy?
Takina put down her chopsticks and looked out the window: "I wonder what Aoki is doing? Why hasn't he come to find us yet?"
A crescent moon hung silently in the sky.
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(End of Chapter)