"My Lord?!"
Seeing the figure whose upper body was shrouded in shadow, Kyogai's body shuddered. Instinctively, he dropped to his knees before Luochuan. His prostrate form trembled violently—how could Lord Muzan be here?
He was so close. Just a little more. If he could just eat that "Marechi" child, he could return to the ranks of the Twelve Kizuki. He could regain Lord Muzan's blood and recognition...
In another part of the room, Tanjiro, who was still adjusting to the shifting layout and looking for an opening, froze in bewilderment. What's happening? Is that demon... afraid? Such a thick scent of terror...
Tanjiro had smelled many scents of fear and dread, but none were as potent as what was radiating from Kyogai right now. What could possibly terrify a demon this much? Was there another, even more powerful demon in this room? Tanjiro's expression turned grim. He was already struggling against this one; if a stronger one appeared, he might not make it out alive.
Tanjiro twitched his nose, trying to catch the scent of another demon. But as he sniffed, he blinked in confusion. Wait... isn't this Mr. Luochuan's scent?
The object of this demon's terror was Mr. Luochuan? Tanjiro sniffed again, unable to believe it. The scent coming from the direction the demon was bowing was unmistakably Luochuan's. Is Mr. Luochuan really this strong? Strong enough to make such a powerful demon grovel in fear?
Luochuan walked slowly toward Kyogai. Even he hadn't expected such a massive reaction. When the Gluttonous Demon saw his face, it at least managed to react, but Kyogai didn't even dare to look up. Just how much did these demons fear Muzan?
As Luochuan's footsteps drew nearer, Kyogai's trembling intensified, and he pressed his forehead harder against the floor.
"Would you like to be my friend?"
A voice significantly more youthful than the Lord Muzan in his memory reached his ears. The terrified Kyogai froze. This... this isn't Lord Muzan's voice!
Kyogai snapped his head up and stared at the unfamiliar face before him. His expression shifted instantly from terror to rage. He reached out and struck the drum on his chest. Three claw-like shockwaves tore through the floorboards, surging toward Luochuan.
"Mr. Luochuan, watch out! He—"
Seeing Kyogai hit the chest drum, Tanjiro instinctively tried to warn him. He had spent a long time figuring out the patterns of which drum did what. He assumed Luochuan, facing this demon for the first time, would be caught off guard.
But before Tanjiro could finish his sentence, Luochuan vanished from his spot. In the next second, the Drum Demon was sent flying like a cannonball.
Tanjiro's eyes widened. So strong... truly powerful. He's on a completely different level... Tanjiro could barely handle the demon's barrage, let alone land a clean hit. But in front of Luochuan, this Drum Demon was like a toy.
"Now, are you willing to be my friend?"
Kyogai lay on the ground, staring in horror at the figure standing over his chest. How can this human be so fast? To Tanjiro, it looked like Luochuan had moved through the shockwaves. But only Kyogai knew that this man had reached him before the shockwaves had even fully formed. Despite the short distance, that terrifying speed left him stunned.
"Pig assault! Pig assault!"
As Luochuan waited for Kyogai's response, a shout echoed from the corridor to his right. A massive hole burst through the sliding door. Inosuke stood in the passageway, huffing and puffing as he looked around. Seeing Kyogai under Luochuan's feet, he immediately found his target. He lowered his body and charged at Luochuan.
Luochuan didn't even turn his head. He simply extended his right hand toward Inosuke.
"Stop messing around. We're talking."
The charging Inosuke didn't understand what Luochuan meant. Suddenly, he felt a heavy impact slam into his left side. He reacted instantly, trying to twist his body to dodge, but another surge of pressure hit him. The force sent Inosuke flying straight into the wall. After the collision, the pressure didn't vanish.
Luochuan's Koketsu Arrows pinned Inosuke firmly against the wall. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't drop to the floor. Finally, Inosuke's gaze fell on Luochuan.
It's him?! He created this impact? Beneath his boar mask, Inosuke's eyes were full of shock. What a bizarre attack. I didn't even sense any killing intent, and now I'm trapped...
On the other side, Kyogai's mind was a complete blank. This man... this man just used a Blood Demon Art?! How was that possible? Had he seen it wrong? How could a human use a Blood Demon Art?! But the bloody aura swirling around the man was real. This person was definitely using a demon's power!
Is he... a being as terrifying as Upper Moon One, Kokushibo? In Kyogai's memory, only Kokushibo could use a Breathing Style and a Blood Demon Art simultaneously. But even Kokushibo had a clear demonic scent. What was this person?
"Returning to our topic: are you willing to be my friend?"
Hearing the question again, Kyogai swallowed hard. "I... I am willing."
Ding!
[Successfully added Former Lower Moon Six, Kyogai, as a friend!]
[Intimacy: Acquaintance. Random reward obtained.]
[Gained Skill: Demon Drums (Modified)]
[Fuse now? No.]
"Not bad. At least I got something out of it." Luochuan clapped his hands and stepped off Kyogai.
The Demon Drums were presumably the drums grown on Kyogai's body. Based on his experience with the Koketsu Arrow, fusing this probably wouldn't make drums grow out of his skin, but would grant him the ability through some other means.
Seeing Luochuan move away, Kyogai—relieved to have survived—tried to sit up. But he discovered to his horror that he had lost control of his body. At some unknown point, his head had already been severed from his shoulders.
Seeing this, Inosuke, who was still trying to struggle, went still. When? He had been watching Luochuan the entire time. When did he draw his sword?!
Inosuke stared blankly at Luochuan's silhouette, not even noticing when the pressure pinning him to the wall vanished. Years of survival in the mountains told him that this man, who had neutralized him with a casual wave of his hand, was dangerous—extremely dangerous