"I want to stand in the sun with you and drink wisteria tea, Muzan."
Among the fans of Demon Slayer, this sentence could be considered the greatest "kindness" they ever showed toward Kibutsuji Muzan.
Because sunlight—
Was the natural enemy of demons.
Even in the final battle of Demon Slayer, the protagonists' side suffered terrible losses. Many died, many were crippled, and even then they still could not truly defeat Muzan.
His regenerative ability was simply too terrifying.
In the end, they could only drag the battle on until dawn, letting the sunlight burn Muzan to death.
"So every gain must come with a loss…?"
"I finally obtained a healthy body, only to lose the chance to bask in sunlight?"
Mammon lowered his eyelids slightly and murmured emotionlessly.
However, he did not find this unacceptable.
Unlike Muzan's cruel and twisted personality, Mammon's mentality was far more relaxed.
Unable to stand under the sun?
Forced to hide in the shadows for the rest of his life like a clown?
No.
Of course not.
This world contained countless strange lifeforms.
Mammon did not believe he would be unable to solve the problem of returning to sunlight.
Besides possessing the extremely powerful Blood Curse, Muzan also had another terrifying ability—
He could devour the genes of other creatures to perfect himself.
"With my current strength…"
"I should probably count as a B-rank ability user… or perhaps a B-rank disaster?"
Mammon clenched his fist slightly and tilted his head in thought, feeling the immense power flowing within his seemingly thin body.
The current Human Alliance had already established its own power classification system.
From strongest to weakest:
S
A
B
C
D
E
Monsters were classified using the same system.
However, monster rankings also included two special disaster levels.
Creatures capable of destroying an entire city were classified as:
Epic-Level Disasters
Creatures capable of destroying an entire continent were classified as:
Legendary-Level Disasters
Of course, these were only rough estimations.
For example, the giant squid that emerged from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean—
The one classified as an Epic Disaster—
In reality, it was already close to a Legendary Disaster.
The tsunami it created alone could easily submerge a small continent.
If humanity had not relied heavily on nuclear weapons, they would not even have been able to drive it away.
Because Mammon had never directly encountered other ability users, he could not determine his exact level.
However, based purely on destructive capability—
If he unleashed all of his power, destroying an entire village would not be difficult.
According to the Human Alliance's standards:
B-rank ability users could destroy a village.
A-rank ability users could destroy a town.
But this comparison was only approximate.
Ability users possessed all kinds of strange abilities, many of which could not be measured purely by destructive power.
Mammon's abilities—
His Blood Curse and his power to devour creatures and evolve—
Could not be judged using ordinary standards.
Because these were abilities capable of changing the world itself.
The Blood Curse had no clear upper limit.
As Mammon became stronger in the future, the demons created by his blood would become increasingly terrifying.
"There's no point worrying about this now."
Mammon quickly suppressed these thoughts.
It was still too early to think about such things.
For now, he needed to find a short-term goal.
However—
Just as he shifted his gaze toward the distance, Mammon suddenly stopped walking.
A ripple appeared in his crimson eyes.
Ahead stood a dilapidated house.
But in front of it, several people were waiting.
"There he is! Mr. Dai, look—that's the kid!"
The fat man in a black suit noticed Mammon approaching.
His narrow eyes lit up immediately as he spoke excitedly to the middle-aged man beside him.
The man called Mr. Dai wore a grey long coat and gold-rimmed glasses.
His calm and mature demeanor made him look like a successful figure from high society.
Mr. Dai turned around.
However, because it was nighttime and only dim streetlights illuminated the area, he could not see Mammon clearly.
The group of five began walking toward him.
Mammon watched them approach with a calm expression.
He did not know these people.
But he did recognize the fat man in the suit.
Because the man had appeared a few days ago.
And the burning greed in his eyes when he looked at Mammon had left a deep impression.
"Didn't you say this child was seriously ill?"
After approaching, Mr. Dai briefly examined Mammon.
He looked at him as if inspecting merchandise.
Frowning slightly, he spoke.
"Well… that doesn't matter, Mr. Dai."
The fat man quickly forced a smile.
"I already investigated everything."
"This kid has a father who abandoned him. His mother just died yesterday."
"So there won't be any problems."
The fat man was also surprised.
Just a few days ago, Mammon had still been confined to a wheelchair.
How could he suddenly be walking normally?
But that didn't matter.
Mammon tilted his head slightly and stared silently at the fat man.
His crimson pupils glowed like liquid blood.
The pupils had turned vertically like those of a beast.
Thin veins spread across the center of his eyes, giving them an eerie and mysterious appearance in the dim light.
"And Mr. Dai, look—his eyes."
"I wasn't lying to you."
The fat man shivered slightly under Mammon's cold gaze.
Goosebumps rose across his body.
For some reason, the boy's dangerous stare filled him with fear.
Those crimson eyes…
He hadn't noticed it before, but now they were strangely unsettling.
"Yes…"
"Yes! These ruby-red eyes!"
"They're bright and pure like crystal—absolutely beautiful!"
"And those vertical pupils! I've never seen such beautiful eyes!"
"This is truly a miracle of creation!"
Mr. Dai was no longer concerned about the incorrect information.
His previously calm gaze had turned fanatical and almost pathological as he stared at Mammon's eyes.
The fat man bowed and smiled beside him.
But internally he sneered.
What a disgusting pervert.
He actually liked other people's eyes.
"I see."
"So you want my eyes."
By now Mammon fully understood their intentions.
A cold smile slowly spread across his face.
"Eat them."
Before the group could say another word, Mammon spoke calmly.
Almost instantly—
Two scarlet beast-like eyes lit up behind him.
Under the dim yellow streetlight, a creature the size of a wild boar slowly crawled forward.
A Rat Demon.
For trash like these people—
Even speaking to them felt like an insult.