Chapter 114: Chapter 112: Become a Demon!
[Ding! Side mission updated: Eliminate the Twelve Demon Moons. Current progress: 4/12]
[Ding! Soul Sacrifice Function used successfully. Soul exchange performed, 200 Penalty points acquired.]
[Ding! Your legendary mission has been updated: Judge a thousand sinful souls across all worlds. Current progress: 65/1000.]
The system's chime echoed in Jon's mind, a stark reminder of the grim task at hand. He stood amidst the aftermath of his latest battle, the air still heavy with the scent of demon blood. But Jon's eyes, sharp as hawk's, scanned the shadows. He knew the fight was far from over.
"There's a thicker stench of sins here... another Moon, no doubt," Jon murmured to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. The Lower Moon he had just dispatched was merely a pawn in a much larger game. He could feel the oppressive weight of a more formidable presence, a sinister aura that made the air around him feel like lead.
"Gathering both Upper and Lower Moons, setting up such a grand formation, they must be welcoming me," Jon mused, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He had, after all, captured Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor of demons, alive. It was only natural that the remaining Upper Moons would take notice.
The Upper Moons, especially the likes of Akaza, Doma, and Kokushibo, were not accustomed to the taste of defeat. In their eyes, Muzan's disappearance was a mere fluke, an accident that did not warrant the mobilization of their full might. They were the apex predators, and Jon was but a lone human who had somehow managed to disrupt the natural order.
"Ah~! Did you defeat Rokuro? Impressive, you must be tired~ How about lying down for a little nap?" The sudden intrusion of a light, playful voice cut through Jon's thoughts.
A young man with an unsettlingly handsome face and black medium-length hair materialized beside Jon, his presence as silent as a whisper. Jon did not spare him a glance, his focus unyielding.
"Lower Moon One, Enmu," Jon stated, his voice steady and unimpressed.
Enmu's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he regained his composure, a sly chuckle escaping his lips. "I'm honored that you know my name. You are truly worthy of being the person Akaza-san has his eye on~!"
"Akaza? Is he here now?" Jon's question was sharp, like the edge of a blade, his eyebrow arching ever so slightly.
The sinister presence of an Upper Moon was unmistakable, a palpable evil that seeped into the very air. Yet Jon, well-versed in the lore of demons from the original work, knew that Akaza was an anomaly. Unless driven by hunger, he refrained from consuming humans, which meant his sinful aura was often less pronounced than even a Lower Moon's.
The intense malevolence he sensed could not belong to Akaza alone. The possibility of facing not one, but two Upper Moons was a chilling prospect.
"It's surprising that you even know Akaza-san!" Enmu's laughter was tinged with mockery, his eyes glinting with malice.
"That's perfect, let's use you and the recently deceased Lower Moon as an appetizer!" Jon's sneer was a silent challenge, a provocation that he was ready to back up with steel and fire.
Enmu's hand flew to his face, and when it fell away, it revealed a twisted, maniacal grin. "Such big talk," he hissed. "I wonder what kind of expression someone like you would have when tormented by dreams to the point of collapse! I can't wait to see it, now sleep obediently~"
"Blood Demon Art: Whispers of Forced Unconscious Hypnosis!"
Enmu extended his palm toward Jon, and from it, a grotesque mouth emerged, mirroring Enmu's own sinister smile. "Sleep obediently! Sleep~! Sleep obediently~!" The voice was a siren's call, designed to lull the mind into darkness.
An ordinary person would succumb to such a spell, their consciousness slipping away like sand through fingers. But Jon was no ordinary person. As the Ghost Rider, his mind was a fortress, impervious to such spectral assaults.
'What? It didn't work, you didn't fall asleep?!' Enmu's astonishment was palpable, his confidence wavering at the sight of Jon, still standing, still defiant.
"Sleep now~! Sleep for me~! Sleep obediently~!" Enmu poured more power into his Blood Demon Art, desperation creeping into his voice.
Jon merely shrugged, his voice a low rumble of contempt. "I told you, to me, you're just an appetizer~"
In a swift motion, Jon seized the chains that lay coiled at his side, their links whispering promises of destruction. With a thought, he set them ablaze with hellfire, the flames dancing along the metal with a life of their own.
He swung the fiery chain with a wrathful grace, and it cut through the air, a streak of fire against the dark. It found its mark, cleaving Enmu's waist with a hiss of searing heat. Enmu's scream was cut short as his form disintegrated into ash, the remnants of his existence carried away by the wind.
[Ding! Side mission updated: Eliminate the Twelve Demon Moons. Current progress: 5/12]
[Ding! Soul Sacrifice Function used successfully. Soul exchange performed, 200 Penalty points acquired.]
[Ding! Your legendary mission has been updated: Judge a thousand sinful souls across all worlds. Current progress: 66/1000.]
Jon stood amidst the settling dust, his eyes already searching the darkness for the next threat.
Boom!
The ground shuddered under the impact of a formidable force, a shockwave that sent a cloud of dust into the air. Jon's senses, already heightened from the battle, picked up the disturbance instantly. A figure descended from the sky, landing with such power that the earth itself seemed to cry out in protest, forming a crater where it stood.
Upper Moon Three, Akaza, had arrived.
Jon's expression remained unfazed, a slight smile playing on his lips as he regarded the newcomer. "Perfect timing," he said, his voice steady and confident. "Just finished the appetizer, and here comes the main course!"
The chains in his hand moved with a life of their own, ready to strike.
But Akaza's next words halted Jon's advance. "Don't rush, I'm not here to fight! Let's talk."
Jon's smile broadened, a spark of interest lighting his eyes. "Oh?~ What do you want to talk about?" he inquired, his tone laced with curiosity.
"I despise weak humans, just seeing the weak is enough to make me sick," Akaza declared, his smile faint but unmistakable.
Jon tilted his head, his reply dripping with disdain. "Coincidentally, I also despise weak demons, they don't taste good at all~!"
Akaza studied Jon, his gaze analytical. "With the naked eye, one cannot see your strength. You seem almost no different from an ordinary person," he observed. "But you can kill a Lower Moon in an instant like a Hashira. Obviously, you have mastered some profound combat technique, but your physical body is your weakness."
Akaza's insight was sharp; his past as a combat expert granted him the ability to discern the flaws in Jon's form at a glance.
"In that case, I have a suggestion!" Akaza's smile widened as he made his offer. "Tell us what happened to our Lord, and... we will grant you demon-hood and immortality. How about that?"
Jon's head tilted, his voice tinged with mockery. "Why would I want to become such a weak existence? Huh!"
Akaza's expression faltered, his smile slipping. He had anticipated refusal, but not such blatant scorn. "You say demons are weak? Did you lose your mind?" His voice grew colder, a hint of anger seeping through.
"Demons are indeed weak. Such creatures dominated by hunger, why would you think you're strong?" Jon shrugged nonchalantly. "In my eyes, you're just food~"
Akaza's face contorted with rage. "Tsk!"
"Do you think something happened to your lord, Muzan?" Jon's smile twisted into a crazed grin. "I've trapped him, and the only reason I didn't kill him directly is that if he died, you would die too, and then I'd have no food left! Hahaha~"
"This... impossible!" Akaza's composure cracked, his face a mask of disbelief.
The Upper Moons had convinced themselves that Muzan's misfortune was a mere setback, that no opponent could truly overpower him. They clung to the belief that Muzan's continued existence was proof of their enemy's weakness.
"In that case, let's see if you're really as powerful as you claim, or if it's all just bluster!" Akaza's stance shifted, his aura flaring with the promise of a battle that would test the very limits of their strength.
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