The two wore expressions of terror and despair.
In the next moment, with a loud "boom," a massive hole was smashed through the wooden structure of the house.
A creature that could barely be called human, with an ugly and hideous face, walked in.
Takeshi's pupils constricted.
From within him, Kanae recognized that the creature before them was no lord mountain god.
It was clearly a man-eating Demon!
"Mr. Takeshi, this is bad! It's a Demon!"
"I know! But what should I do?" Takeshi understood what he was facing, but he was just an ordinary person who had transmigrated, and so far, he hadn't awakened any Golden Finger or System.
He had just received the transmigration script, and he was already going to die?
Takeshi was breaking out in a cold sweat; it was already a feat that he could force himself to stay standing.
"Eh? I don't think I've seen you before. Hmm... To think you'd bring an outsider to the town without reporting to me, the lord mountain god!" The Demon's voice was like muffled thunder, and as it spoke, its teeth ground together continuously, making a piercing sound.
"I-I'm sorry, lord mountain god..." The old man fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead pressed tightly against the ground, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, lord mountain god. It's my fault, it's my fault..."
"Humph! Since you have no reverence for the mountain god, you shall become my sacrifice!"
The Demon reached out its hand toward the old man.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on my grandfather!"
The young girl immediately stepped in front of the old man. Even though she was terrified and her body was shaking, she still shielded him.
"Shizuko, no!"
The old man hurriedly grabbed Shizuko's arm. At this moment, he deeply regretted bringing an outsider like Takeshi home, thereby inviting such a disaster.
"Kukeke! In that case, you can both be my sacrifices!"
The Demon let out a terrifying laugh, leaving both the grandfather and granddaughter paralyzed with fear.
Just as the Demon reached out with its massive hand to grab them, Takeshi, fueled by a sudden surge of courage, grabbed Shizuko and yanked her away, narrowly dodging the Demon's strike.
"Eh?"
The Demon looked at Takeshi with a confused expression. "What are you doing, you brat?"
Takeshi reflexively swallowed. His voice trembled as he shouted, "Run! Run!"
As he spoke, he pulled up the girl named Shizuko and the old man.
The old man's legs were weak, and he couldn't stand at all.
"Trying to escape? You dare try to escape from the lord mountain god?" The Demon's face began to twist violently. "Why run? I am the lord mountain god! It's an honor for you to be consumed by me!"
"Run!" Takeshi repeated, gripping the old man's hand even tighter. The old man finally snapped out of it and stood up shakily.
Regardless of everything, Takeshi pulled the two of them and quickly retreated from the room.
"To think... to think you'd try to escape—unforgivable!" the Demon roared. It stomped forward, crushing the tatami and the floorboards beneath into a large hole.
Thump, thump, thump—
Takeshi pulled the grandfather and granddaughter as they fled the house.
The Demon was incredibly obese and didn't look like it could run very fast.
But both Takeshi and Kanae knew better.
Demons are extremely sensitive to the scent of humans, and they possess immense stamina.
Unless Takeshi could lead them on a run all night, they would never lose the Demon or make it until sunrise.
After running for nearly ten minutes, the Demon behind them was still in hot pursuit. Takeshi was out of energy; after all, he hadn't eaten since he transmigrated, only drinking a bit of mountain spring water to stave off hunger.
If they kept running like this, there would only be one outcome. He had to fight back!
Takeshi stopped. Behind him, the grandfather and granddaughter were already exhausted.
"No, it's no use. The lord mountain god won't forgive us..." The old man's eyes were filled with despair.
"Wait for me here!" Takeshi spotted a nearby woodshed. He rushed inside, looked around, and found a rusty Wood-cleaving knife that was barely usable.
"Damn, this is all there is." Takeshi couldn't afford to be picky; at least he had a "weapon" now.
When he came out, the Demon was less than twenty meters away from them.
Takeshi's hand trembled as he gripped the knife.
His instinct was telling him to abandon the two of them and run—
He was just an ordinary person; he had no ability and no obligation to fight.
"If only I were still alive and could use Flower Breathing..." Kanae could only watch in frustration, unable to do anything.
For an ordinary person to slay a Demon, they would need exceptional talent.
After all, the disparity in strength was too great.
Kanae's voice echoed in Takeshi's mind.
Flower Breathing... wait!
He remembered clearly that when his head throbbed with pain after he transmigrated, his mind had been flooded with knowledge about Breathing Techniques and sword techniques.
Breathing... it's like... this—
Takeshi gradually steadied his breathing. In the next moment, he took a deep, sharp breath, and his heart and lungs seemed to surge with activity.
His blood was rapidly flooded with oxygen—
"Eh?!" Kanae exclaimed in surprise. "Is this... a Breathing Technique?"
From within Takeshi, she could feel the change. Although it was only basic breathing, it was already taking shape.
But Breathing Techniques required long-term training to master. From what she knew, Takeshi was just an ordinary person!
"Is this a Breathing Technique?" Takeshi could clearly feel a surge of power throughout his body, followed immediately by intense pain.
His breathing technique was still unrefined.
To have achieved this much was already remarkable.
"Mr. Takeshi, you actually learned a Breathing Technique?"
"It might be hard to believe, but after you entered my body, my mind was filled with knowledge about Breathing Techniques," Takeshi explained.
"I see!" Kanae realized. "In that case, let me teach you how to deal with this Demon!"
As a former Flower Hashira, Kanae had extensive experience in fighting Demons.
Takeshi nodded, the rusty Wood-cleaving knife in his hand, its rough wooden handle rubbing against his palm.
His breathing was sometimes steady, sometimes rapid.
This was due to his lack of proficiency in applying the Breathing Technique.
"Oh? You think you can take on the lord mountain god with a broken knife?" The Demon split its maw wide, almost reaching its ears, as thick saliva dripped from its jagged teeth.
It sneered, its expression full of mockery and contempt.
This wasn't a game or an anime. Facing such a monster, a primal fear like ice water poured down his spine.
"Stay calm, Mr. Takeshi," Kanae's voice rang in his head like a cool spring, trying to still his trembling. "Don't let your breathing falter. Remember the rhythm—inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale... Direct the power to your limbs. A Demon's weakness is its neck."
Kanae spoke faster, her words carrying the calm judgment of a former Hashira. "Judging by its size, its movements are slow and clumsy. Focus on dodging nimbly."
As she spoke, the Demon was already within five meters. It seemed to enjoy its prey's fear and was in no hurry to kill, instead slowly reaching out with an arm as thick as a tree trunk, tipped with sharp, black nails.
"Now! Dodge left!" Kanae barked.
Driven almost entirely by instinct, Takeshi lunged forward and to the left, his body narrowly grazing the massive claw as it passed. A foul-smelling wind stung his cheeks.
"Eh?" The Demon grunted in surprise as its strike missed, its confusion quickly turning to rage. "Damn human!"
It swung its arm in a wide sweep, creating a whistling gale. The range was so vast it almost completely cut off any room to dodge left or right.
"Duck! Roll forward!" Kanae's command arrived almost simultaneously.
Without hesitation, Takeshi dropped to his knees and rolled forward. The Demon's claw swept right over his scalp, the wind shearing off a few strands of hair. He adjusted his stance mid-roll and swung the Wood-cleaving knife upward with all his might, hacking at the Demon's outstretched arm!
Clang!
A piercing sound of metal clashing against metal rang out as sparks flew.
The knife only left a shallow scratch on the Demon's ashen skin, but the recoil split the webbing between Takeshi's thumb and forefinger, sending blood flowing and nearly knocking the knife from his hand.
"Useless! Useless!" the Demon laughed maniacally, not even glancing at the mark on its arm.
Haa... haa... Takeshi panted heavily. He had only just grasped the Breathing Technique, and he was already reaching his limit!
"Watch your rhythm, Mr. Takeshi," Kanae reminded him again.
Takeshi tightened his grip on the knife, cold sweat soaking his tattered T-shirt.
The strain of the Breathing Technique grew heavier, his lungs feeling as though they were on fire. The blood from his hand flowed down the handle, sticky and warm.
Losing his composure, he swung the knife and actually initiated an attack against the Demon.
"Don't!" Kanae warned urgently, but it was too late!
The Demon laughed. "Useless, useless! You're too weak!"
Squeltch—
The sound of a chest being pierced rang out. Takeshi slowly looked down to see the Demon's palm nearly impaling his chest.
The same way to die again... "Cough—" He spat out a mouthful of blood.
It's over. Everything's over—
Or so anyone would think, but—
Although the pain was spreading, Takeshi felt the blood in his body burning, boiling!
His body... was filled with power!
In the next moment, the blood spilling from his chest began to gradually coalesce.
Blood... my blood seems to be able to... Takeshi reached out toward the gathered blood. Driven by his will, the blood suspended in the air transformed into a blade the moment it touched his hand!
Blood... turned into a sword?!