Su Chen hadn't expected this. Just as he was about to strike, the demon vanished.
He narrowed his eyes, quickly spotting something unusual. Where the demon had stood, a patch of shimmering bubbles, like a murky swamp, now pulsed on the ground.
"A Blood Demon Art?" Su Chen murmured. This was the first time he'd faced a demon using one. The ability seemed to be a hiding technique, sinking the demon into the earth like a swamp.
Without hesitation, Su Chen plunged his arm straight into the swampy portal. Ten seconds later, he pulled his arm back out. He held a grotesque demon head in his hand, which he tossed onto the ground in disgust.
The demon's expression was one of pure shock, its last thought a familiar one: "How is this possible?!"
But its only answer was Su Chen's sword. The Nichirin Blade stabbed down, piercing straight through its head to pin it to the ground.
"Tell me, where is Shinobu Kocho?" Su Chen's voice was cold, echoing in the dying demon's ear.
The demon squirmed in fear, its throat struggling to form words. "Shinobu... Kocho... who is that?"
Swish! Su Chen sliced the head, and it began to disintegrate into dust. He shook his head in disappointment. "It seems I can't get anything out of it."
After wiping his Nichirin Blade clean, Su Chen continued forward. Any demon he met was cut down with a single stroke. Unless they had a tricky Blood Demon Art, no demon could even withstand a second strike. This made Su Chen realize just how strong he had become; his power was terrifying against these rank-and-file demons.
Just like that, Su Chen cut a path straight from the foot of the mountain toward the summit.
But as he walked, he started to feel that something was wrong. The path ahead looked familiar. He specifically recognized a haystack that still had the sword marks from a demon he'd just fought.
Damn it! Didn't I just walk this path? Did I get lost?
Su Chen closed his eyes.
Bullet Time, activate!
A sharp sense of clarity flooded his mind. In his eyes, the surrounding scenery slowed to a crawl. The rushing wind in the air went silent. The birds flapping in the forest froze, their wings unmoving. The fish in the river were frozen at the exact moment they leaped from the water. The entire mountain forest was eerily silent.
Everything seemed to be paused, and in this moment, Su Chen was the master of this domain.
Su Chen focused his attention. Gradually, a new detail appeared before his eyes: a wisp of aura. It was a faint, crimson blood mist, thick and dense.
He didn't know exactly what it was, but he was sure this was what was interfering with his sense of direction. But since he could see it, he had nothing to worry about.
He mentally "pushed aside" the blood mist, which was like a red veil over his vision. The scene before him finally began to change. The ground, which had seemed flat, began to ascend. The sounds of the forest gradually returned. Finally, Su Chen walked out of the "red mist" and started heading toward the mountain peak again.
'Bullet Time' deactivate.
Instantly, all the sounds of the forest rushed back in. Su Chen closed his eyes, carefully sensing his surroundings. The "sound" of a demon was different from that of an animal. After a moment of simple distinction, he easily found his targets.
Su Chen continued his ascent, cutting through the demons as if he were slicing vegetables. Over time, the number of demons he encountered began to decrease.
He might not have known it, but he had already killed almost half of the demons on Autumn Mountain. Now, the weaker demons fled as if they had seen a ghost the moment they spotted him. The masked swordsman's appearance meant it was time to run.
Su Chen easily reached the summit. An abandoned wooden hut stood before him. He could hear whispering sounds coming from inside.
"Don't worry, Lord Lower Rank. My Blood Demon Art is confusing their sense of direction. They're still just circling the mountainside! I've also gathered over a hundred demons below, so no Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen will ever make it up here!" The voice sounded timid, with a clear hint of flattery.
Su Chen understood immediately. This was why he hadn't found Shinobu Kocho on the way up. She was trapped by this illusion. Combined with what the old man at the foot of the mountain had said, it was very likely Shinobu was trapped here, probably weakened by her injuries.
At that moment, another, hoarse voice echoed from inside the room. "Well done. I'll report this to Muzan-sama when I return. You can go."
"Eh, thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"
The sounds subsided. Immediately, footsteps approached the door where Su Chen was hiding. He pressed himself against the wall, waiting.
The footsteps grew closer, and soon a grotesque demon head peeked out from the doorway. It still had a relieved smile on its face, as if it had just escaped death.
That smile didn't last long.
The next moment, a Nichirin Blade—its tsuba patterned like a flower—sliced clean through its neck.
The demon hadn't even reacted. Before it died, it saw Su Chen, and its eyes widened in shock. The demon racked its brain but couldn't figure out how Su Chen had slipped past its defenses. To cut off my head so silently... he must be a Hashira!
Unfortunately, its mouth had already dissipated, and it couldn't make a sound. The demons inside the house were completely unaware of what had just happened outside. And so, the demon died with a resentful gaze.
"That should lift his Blood Demon Art, right?" Su Chen thought.
He then glanced inside the house and found that it wasn't just one demon.
Some were stuck to the walls, some hung from the ceiling, and some were even buried in the ground. One, whose head had been blown off, was still standing precariously. There were over a dozen of them, large and small, all with bizarre shapes. It was possible that each one possessed a Blood Demon Art.
And standing in their midst was the one the demon had just spoken to—likely the Lower Rank Moon.
This demon was much taller and larger than the others, with a long beard, appearing like a middle-aged man. Su Chen focused on its eyes. With his maxed-out observational skills, he saw the engraving clearly.
Written in its irises were the kanji for "Lower Rank" and "Two."
This was a genuine member of the Twelve Kizuki.
Su Chen couldn't help but let out a surprised "Eh." Isn't this Lower Rank Two, Rokuro?
Su Chen was surprised. He remembered hearing that after Lower Rank Five, Rui, was slain on Mount Natagumo, Muzan had become enraged and purged the rest of the Lower Ranks. It seemed he had arrived on this mountain earlier than that event.
This was perfect, though. Su Chen wanted to test his strength and see the results of his training. Rokuro would make an excellent opponent.
However, the scene inside the hut made Su Chen click his tongue in annoyance.