[Resonance with Blood].
The effect of this ability was even more ridiculous than Hikaru had anticipated.
And it certainly didn't disappoint him.
The moment he delivered the first strike and the first drop of blood splashed into the air, countless perspectives suddenly flooded his vision.
Those perspectives came from the blood droplets.
Every drop of blood became his eye.
A full three-hundred-sixty-degree view with no blind spots.
To his back-left, a Snake-bodied Demon was winding up for a dash; above to his right, a Bird-headed Monster dove down with talons extended; directly in front, three Blue-skinned Oni were flanking him with bone clubs.
He saw everything crystal clear.
This thing...
Hikaru didn't waste words; his body reacted before his thoughts.
He stepped to the left and swung the blade behind him.
Puchi.
The blade precisely sliced into the Snake-bodied Demon's vital seven-inch mark. The snake's body continued to lunge forward, but its head was already rolling on the ground.
No need to look back.
Because the splashing blood told him that the Bird-headed Monster had reached within two feet of the top of his head.
Hikaru leaned forward and thrust the tip of his blade toward the sky.
This move would be almost suicidal in a normal fight—back to the enemy, blade pointing up, completely abandoning defense.
But he could see.
The tip of the blade pierced through the Bird-headed Monster's jaw and out through the top of its head.
The demon's talons grazed his back, only tearing a few broken armor plates.
A hair's breadth away.
Hikaru flicked his blade, and the Bird-headed Monster's corpse flew at the three Blue-skinned Oni in front, knocking them off balance.
He took the opportunity to rush in. Three slashes.
Three heads hit the ground.
[demon blade muramasa: Favorability +1]
[Current Favorability: 31]
Satisfying.
For the first time, Hikaru felt a sense of ease in battle.
Not because the enemies were too weak, but because he could see everything.
Blood was his scout.
As long as there was blood on the battlefield, he was the master of this domain.
And on the current battlefield, blood was the one thing that wouldn't be in short supply.
"Kill!"
The Blue-skinned Oni chieftain roared from behind the demon crowd.
More demons surged forward, filling the gaps left by their fallen comrades.
Hikaru didn't stop.
He charged into the demon crowd.
It was a mad choice.
But [Resonance with Blood] gave him the capital to be mad.
Blade light flashed.
One, two, three strokes.
Every flash of the blade brought a rain of blood, and every rain of blood made his vision even broader.
He moved through the demon crowd like a fish in water.
No demon could ambush him.
Because their blood had already betrayed their positions.
Thirty breaths.
Another twelve demons fell.
Hikaru's swordsmanship became faster and his movements more fluid.
The strength of these demons was uneven.
Some died in one hit, some required two, and some could even block his attacks.
There was clearly a hierarchy among them.
Where did the difference lie?
It lay in their morphological differences, in the degree of 'mutation' from their original form before becoming a demon.
Some were just ordinary deformed creatures—discolored skin, sharp claws, nothing more.
Others had clearly mutated more thoroughly, growing horns, scales, tails, and other organs that shouldn't exist.
And a few were a size larger than their kin, their movements more agile and fierce.
This was the essence of a demon.
Transformation.
From weak to strong, from mortal to demon.
Every change was an evolution, and every evolution made the demon stronger.
Hikaru had gradually figured out this system over the past three months.
A demon's growth is divided into four major stages, known as the 'Four Transformations'.
The first stage is called 'Physical Transformation'.
This is the most fundamental change, referring to the mutation of body structure.
Wolves growing horns, snakes growing legs, insects growing wings, fish growing claws.
These visible local mutations are the characteristics of Physical Transformation.
When an ordinary beast or lost soul absorbs enough Demonic Qi, it will begin to undergo Physical Transformation.
Physical Transformation is divided into six minor stages, corresponding to the limits of the limbs, head, and torso that a normal organism can directly control, known as the 'Six Transformations'.
With every transformation completed, the body gains another mutated characteristic, and strength increases accordingly—some are obvious while others are not, even manifesting in muscles and bones where they aren't apparent externally but result in extraordinary strength nonetheless.
A demon that completes all Six Transformations can attempt to break through to the next major stage—'Qualitative Transformation'.
Qualitative Transformation generally corresponds to changes in mass and volume; it is a step further than local changes, involving a holistic transformation.
At this stage, a demon can change its body size.
Expanding or shrinking at will, eventually reaching 'Perfect Mass' based on their original species.
After Qualitative Transformation comes 'Gaseous Transformation'.
Gaseous Transformation is a further evolution beyond Perfect Mass, though Hikaru isn't quite sure of the specifics yet, as none of the demons he has encountered have reached this level.
He only knows that demons of this level seem to be called 'Generals' by some lesser demons, and can also be referred to as 'Great Demons'.
Though he didn't fully understand it, Hikaru found the term Great Demon easy enough to grasp; after all, based on his observations of 'Qualitative Transformation,' its limit of so-called Perfect Mass allowed a demon to choose a form infinitely close to a human's posture.
Being similar to a human—isn't that the basic characteristic of a 'Great Demon' in countless fantasy works?
And the final stage after that is called 'Formalization'.
Hikaru speculated that the foundation of Formalization is complete 'Shapeshifting,' transforming into a higher-level form. It wouldn't be a simple change or just looking the part; one should be both a demon and that form, possessing two bodies to the extent of being able to sire pure, non-demon offspring.
Demons capable of completing Formalization are often called Demon Kings.
They are beings who can openly establish their own territories, rule over a country or land, and build demon kingdoms.
Thus, the Four Transformations and Twenty-Four Stages: Physical Transformation has six, Qualitative Transformation has seven through twelve, Gaseous Transformation thirteen through eighteen... from weak to strong, though details vary, most demons follow this principle. Even if some powerful demons don't show it externally, it's highly likely their internal attributes, like pure values of power and speed, are enhanced.
As for Hikaru himself—
He is currently in the initial stage of Physical Transformation.
The Fifth Transformation.
Only the fifth.
Each transformation corresponds to a trait granted to him by a weapon he has successfully conquered.
The First Transformation was the [Sharp Body Transformation] brought by that first katana, making his skin as tough as iron.
The Second Transformation was the [Sharp Eye Transformation] brought by a dagger, greatly enhancing his dynamic vision.
The Third Transformation was the [Archer Transformation] brought by a broken bow, doubling his upper body strength.
The Fourth Transformation was the [Spear-Waist Transformation] brought by a long spear, making his waist and abdomen incredibly flexible.
The Fifth Transformation was the [Shield Bone Transformation] brought by a shield, increasing his bone density and drastically improving his strike resistance.
Five weapons, five mutations.
Once a weapon's Favorability is maxed out, its ability can be integrated into himself, completing one 'transformation' at the same time.
This is likely the core function of his system.
Other demons who want to evolve must spend ages, undergoing all sorts of trials and tribulations with narrow escapes from death.
He only needs to grind Favorability.
Simple and efficient.
With a clear path to follow.
More importantly, he can autonomously choose what kind of 'transformation' he undergoes.
Unlike other demons who can only rely on luck for random completions.
"Here they come again!"
A massive Centipede Spirit lunged from the side. Its body was a full two zhang long, and the carapace on its back gleamed with a metallic luster.
This Centipede Spirit had at least four transformations.
A standout in the Physical Transformation stage.
But that was all.
Hikaru stepped aside to dodge the Centipede Spirit's headbutt, his blade slicing across its abdomen.
The carapace was too hard; he couldn't cut through it.
But blood splattered out.
Through those droplets of blood, Hikaru saw the joints in the Centipede Spirit's carapace.
Between the seventh and eighth segments, there was a tiny crack.
Exerting force with his feet, he flashed to the Centipede Spirit's side again.
The tip of the blade pierced into the crack.
A twist.
The Centipede Spirit's wretched scream echoed through the woods.
Hikaru gave it no chance to struggle, cutting forward along the crack and directly disemboweling the giant demon.
Internal organs spilled all over the ground.
[demon blade muramasa: Favorability +3]
[Current Favorability: 38]
A demon of four transformations had directly increased Favorability by three points.
As expected, the higher the quality of the prey, the greater the gains.
Hikaru licked his lips and continued to push forward.
The demon swarm began to waver.
The smugness on the face of the Blue-skinned Oni leader hiding in the back had vanished, replaced by terror.
"What's going on?!"
It shrieked.
"He's just an Ghost Samurai! A low-level undead demon! How can he be this strong?!"
No one answered it.
Because everyone who could answer was already dead.
Hikaru's blade never stopped.
One strike, one life.
Occasionally two strikes.
But a third strike was never needed.
[Favorability: 42]
[Favorability: 45]
[Favorability: 48]
The numbers on the panel kept jumping.
The blade of muramasa had turned from black to deep purple, its hamon writhing like a living thing, letting out a satisfied hum with every kill.
It was very happy.
Extremely happy.
[demon blade muramasa is ecstatic. It conveys a message to you: Another dozen!]
"Your appetite is getting bigger and bigger."
Hikaru deadpanned while his hands never stopped moving.
Another Blue-skinned Oni fell.
[Favorability: 50]
[Bond Dialogue (3) Unlocked: It tells you that it likes you very much, more than its previous master, because you know how to keep it fed.]
[Special Ability (2) Unlocked: Bloodthirsty Madness]
[Effect: When the blade absorbs enough blood, it can enter a 'Berserk' state. During its duration, power, speed, and reaction time are all increased by 30%. The cost is falling into a brief state of weakness afterward.]
Hikaru's eyes lit up as he looked at the new ability on the panel.
A 30% increase in all attributes.
Though there was a side effect, this was a life-saving trump card for critical moments.
"Not bad."
He said to the blade in his hand, "Keep working hard. When I get stronger, I'll find you a truly high-level demon as a main course."
[demon blade muramasa expresses anticipation.]
There were fewer than fifty demons left on the battlefield.
The Blue-skinned Oni leader finally broke and turned to run.
"Retreat! Everyone retreat!"
The remaining small fry fled in all directions as if granted a grand reprieve.
Hikaru did not give chase.
He had killed enough.
If he kept killing, his stamina would be severely overextended, and it would be troublesome if he encountered another demon swarm on the way.
He stood amidst the mountain of corpses and sea of blood, watching the receding demon shadows.
The moonlight spilled down, stretching his shadow very long.
His damaged armor was stained with blood of various colors, and the black tachi was still vibrating gently, as if reminiscing about the feast it just had.
One hundred and fifty-three.
Hikaru silently counted his spoils.
Favorability rose from 28 to 50, an increase of 22 points. On average, it took seven kills to gain one point.
As expected, the cost-effectiveness of small fry was too low.
He sheathed his blade.
Clack.
The sound of the scabbard and crossguard clicking together echoed in the silence.
Time to go.
He looked up at the distant mountains.
There, a priestess named Kikyo was waiting for him.
No.
The shikon jewel was waiting to be delivered.
And incidentally... waiting to have its Favorability unlocked.