The scream of the blade rang out—
its killing edge already upon the demon!
There was no time left.
No chance to react.
No opportunity to regenerate.
The first streak of afterimage cleaved straight through its head!
The second blur became a whirling meat grinder, tearing through the cramped space at terrifying speed!
Flesh walls, eyeballs, tentacles, floorboards, counters—
everything within sight!
Whether it was the demon's grotesque blood-flesh or the shop's original structure, all of it shattered and exploded beneath the storm of slashes!
Splrch!Squelch!Crash—!!!
Countless sounds overlapped into a symphony of annihilation!
"Damn it! Damn it! You damn Demon Slayer! You're not even a Hashira—how can you be this strong?!"
The demon wailed in agony, hurling curses nonstop.
Moriyama Akira was completely dumbfounded.
I knew you were strong—
but I didn't know you were this insane!
"I don't care for villain death speeches!" Ryōsuke barked. "Die already!!!"
As his figure twisted through the air, the final strike of the triple burst roared down!
"Eat this!"
The last massive chunk of writhing flesh exploded under the violent lightning.
The demon let out one final, tortured scream before turning to ash.
The moment its death vision began to surface, Ryōsuke didn't even glance at it. He turned and walked straight to Moriyama.
"You okay?"
"I… yeah. I'm fine."
Moriyama nodded numbly.
Ryōsuke let out a breath of relief.
Compared to the mental manipulation of Enmu, this demon had been even more troublesome.
The only reason Ryōsuke won was because of the terrain—and Thunder Breathing's overwhelming speed and burst power.
[You have slain a terminal-stage demon: Blood Slurry.
Gained lifespan: 5 years.
Current remaining lifespan: 13 years, 345 days.]
Ten years.
That was enough.
Ryōsuke shouted in triumph inside his head.
[Lifespan sufficient detected.
Spend 10 years of lifespan to heal organ failure: liver?]
Ryōsuke clenched his teeth and nodded.
[10 years of lifespan deducted.
Remaining lifespan: 3 years, 345 days.
Liver failure—healing in progress~ Heehee~]
That damn electronic voice still sounded cheerfully malicious.
"Go screw yourself…" Ryōsuke muttered.
Ten full years.
That was the blood-and-sweat payoff of slaughtering countless small-fry demons!
This damn system was daylight robbery—black-hearted to the extreme!
Then—
A warm current surged through him.
Like sweet spring water after winter, overflowing with vitality, it rushed through his limbs and veins, washing over every exhausted meridian.
Ryōsuke let out a muffled grunt and instinctively straightened his back.
The warmth finally gathered beneath his right ribs—
the place that had once been a constant source of dull pain and decay.
But now—
The heaviness was gone.
It felt like shackles he'd worn for years had been shattered. His body had never felt this light.
Every breath flowed smoothly, no longer sluggish or labored. Power surged through his blood, brimming with unprecedented vitality.
He clenched his fist hard—
crack—his knuckles popped sharply.
Strength.
Pure, overflowing strength.
This feeling…
was damn good.
"R-Ryōsuke-san…?"
Moriyama called out, half shaken, half accusing.
"You… you kicked me in on purpose earlier, didn't you?"
"Obviously," Ryōsuke raised an eyebrow, his tone infuriatingly casual.
"What, you want to wait until that thing turns the whole street into an all-you-can-eat buffet?"
"Someone had to lure it out, make it think the prey took the bait so I could ambush it. Worked pretty well, didn't it?"
He shrugged.
Moriyama choked, staring at the surrounding devastation, his voice filled with lingering fear and grievance.
"B-But you almost got me killed! That thing nearly crushed me into minced meat! I really thought you were—"
"Enough, stop whining."
Ryōsuke cut him off.
"You weren't going to die. Let's find somewhere to clean up—this stench is about to poison my brand-new liver."
Moriyama was rendered speechless by the sheer audacity and could only trail after him dejectedly.
The remaining lights of Yamagata flickered weakly in the night.
The two found a shabby izakaya that was still open. Under the innkeeper's frightened gaze, they asked for hot water and cloths to wipe the filth from their bodies.
Ryōsuke deliberately ordered the cheapest jug of cloudy sake.
When the ceramic bowl was set before him, he stared at the murky liquid for a moment, lost in thought.
In his previous life, he'd been an ignored shut-in corporate drone.
Nine out of ten things in life went wrong. Sometimes he'd buy a few cans of cheap beer, eat delivery food, and numb himself with alcohol under the dim glow of a monitor in a rented room.
No choice—life liked to come at you hard.
If you couldn't fight back, you could only grit your teeth and endure.
Without some unhealthy coping habits, you couldn't survive at all.
But after coming to this world—
From the moment he opened his eyes, death had clung to him like a curse.
This broken body couldn't even breathe without decay creeping in.
Alcohol? Absolutely forbidden. Not even a thought.
But now…
Ryōsuke lifted the bowl and downed a huge gulp.
"Cough—cough—!"
The harsh liquid scorched his throat, making him cough violently.
The brewing methods of this era couldn't compare to modern ones—
rough, crude, and strong as hell.
Moriyama couldn't help laughing.
"Ryōsuke-san, is this your first time drinking?"
Ryōsuke ignored him and took another gulp.
Moriyama poured himself a bowl too, trying to calm his nerves.
After several bowls of strong liquor, his lingering fear and grievance were washed away, replaced by an unstoppable urge to talk.
"Ryōsuke-san, you have no idea!"
He slapped the table, tongue already thick.
"When those tentacles wrapped around me, the strength was insane!"
"My mind went blank—I thought it was over! I haven't even gotten married yet! Haven't taken care of my master in his old age! I really thought you sold me out—I went cold all the way through!"
Ryōsuke didn't reply, just smiled faintly.
Moriyama hiccupped, eyes reddening, voice choking up.
"But then… then you charged in! That lightning—whoosh whoosh! Like chopping melons and vegetables!"
"I knew it! I knew you wouldn't abandon me! Ryōsuke-san! You'd risk your life to protect me, right? I knew it! Waaaah—!"
The more he talked, the more emotional he became, until he actually started wiping away tears.
Alcohol had amplified everything—
turning Ryōsuke's casual "you won't die" into a solemn vow of life and death.
Ryōsuke paused, ceramic bowl still in hand, looking at the man now utterly moved to tears. His mouth twitched.
You're overthinking it. This is purely because your absurd luck buff is so broken that even the King of Hell would shake his head—dying just isn't in the cards for you.
But seeing Moriyama's earnest, foolish face, Ryōsuke swallowed the words.
Whatever.
Let him misunderstand—explaining would be a pain.
Yet to Moriyama, that silence was confirmation.
"Ryōsuke-san! From today on, you're my brother! Through fire and blades, if I even flinch, I'm not human!"
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
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