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Advance chapter in PATREON
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As the night gradually darkened, Sam and Makomo, who had wandered around the town, found an inn to stay in for the night.
Inside the room...
A lamp flickered dimly.
Makomo sat on the bed nervously, glancing up from time to time.
On the beam of the house, Sam leaned quietly against a pillar, his breath restrained. If you hadn't seen him with your eyes, you might not have known someone was there — he emitted no presence at all.
"Sam, do you think that demon will come tonight?"
Makomo's voice was noticeably uneasy. Although she wasn't afraid of demons, facing one for the first time still left her feeling nervous.
"I don't know," Sam answered simply. He was confident he had drawn the swamp demon's attention, but he couldn't be certain the creature would come.
"Okay..." Makomo muttered.
The night grew darker, and Makomo couldn't hold on any longer. They had walked around town the entire day, and she was exhausted. Now, lying on the soft inn bed, she could barely keep her eyes open.
She glanced at the beam where Sam was and felt slightly embarrassed that there was a man nearby.
"Go to sleep first. I'm here, don't worry."
"Okay."
Makomo nodded, covering herself with the blanket and closing her eyes, her face still warm and flushed.
Sleepiness overtook her, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
...Really falling asleep.
On the beam, Sam watched Makomo fall asleep, still gripping his sword tightly as he kept watch.
The night deepened, and the world grew more silent.
Suddenly, Sam's golden eyes opened, flashing with a sharp glint.
The scent of a demon appeared.
"Looks like that demon couldn't resist the urge for fresh young flesh," he whispered.
In the distance, a black shadow moved stealthily under the moonlight.
"Is this a Blood Demon Art?" Sam murmured as he watched the shadow slip underground, leaving only a dark silhouette on the surface.
Blood Demon Arts — unlike the brute strength and regenerative abilities of ordinary demons, some possessed unique supernatural powers. The stronger the demon, the more complex and dangerous these abilities became.
"Makomo."
Sam called softly.
Makomo, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly turned over like a carp and leaped from the bed as swiftly as a bird.
As she landed, a shadow engulfed the bed where she had just been. The bed was instantly sucked into the ground.
Makomo's fair face turned serious.
Her teacher once taught her that demons vary in strength. Lesser demons rely solely on physical attacks, but those powerful enough to use Blood Demon Arts are far more dangerous.
Clearly, the demon they faced now was one of those.
Moments later, a vicious figure with horned features emerged from a murky swamp beneath the floor.
"It ran away?"
The swamp demon looked at Makomo standing on the beam in surprise. Then his gaze shifted to Sam, who still leaned calmly against the pillar.
In an instant, the demon realized he had been tricked.
His eyes first locked onto Makomo — a delicate and youthful girl, someone sure to be delicious.
But his gaze quickly turned back to Sam.
There was something strange about Sam...
He could faintly sense a demonic presence from him.
"Another demon?"
The swamp demon was uncertain. After all, if Sam was really a demon, why would he be traveling with a human?
At this moment, Sam's ability revealed the demon's details to him:
Name: Kazuma Yaya
Demon Rank: Evolved Demon
Abilities: Immortality (weakened), Burrow, Swamp, Split
Weaknesses: Sunlight, Wisteria, Muzan's Curse, Nichirin Blades
"Makomo, this demon won't be easy to deal with."
Makomo gripped the hilt of her sword, her face full of concern. Demons with Blood Demon Arts were never simple opponents.
"It's fine," Sam replied calmly.
"Damn brat!" The swamp demon sneered. "Male flesh may not be my favorite, but tonight... I'll make an exception."
The swamp demon licked his lips.
"..."
With a cold snort, Sam drew his sword and slashed in one swift motion.
"Boom..."
The ground shook as a large gash appeared where the swamp demon had stood moments before.
"Did it escape underground?"
Sam narrowed his eyes.
Moments later, a shadow flickered across a nearby wall, and the swamp demon reappeared, lunging forward with claws bared.
"Ching!"
A flash of silver — and a severed demon hand fell to the floor.
The shadow retreated quickly.
"Ahhh!"
Sam sneered, gripping his Nichirin Blade tightly. He struck again, aiming at the shadow's movement.
The ground rumbled, followed by a sharp scream.
"Pt...!"
A distance away, the ground split open, and the demon was thrown from his hiding place.
No...
Three demons emerged.
"It split into three?"
Sam's golden eyes narrowed.
"Damn it..." The swamp demon roared angrily.
"This guy... he's no ordinary human. He's too fast... too strong."
"It's over."
Sam's calm voice rang out.
"Damn it!"
The swamp demon let out a final roar as Sam drew his sword once more.
With a single, swift slash, Sam's figure blurred past the demons.
Moments later, three demonic heads hit the ground, rolling in unison.
"Drip...drip..."
Blood flowed down Sam's blade as the demons' bodies began to disintegrate into black smoke, vanishing without a trace.
As the corpses disappeared, a foul stench filled the air.
"Amazing!"
Beside him, Makomo's eyes shone brightly. Ghosts with Blood Demon Arts were powerful, yet Sam had slain this one with ease.
And as the swamp demon faded away, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in Sam's mind:
"Ding! Congratulations, host. You've slain a demon and earned..."