“I guess even the world can’t tolerate your presence anymore, so it wants your death through my hand.”

Haruto spoke calmly, the transformation dulling his emotions for the moment.

Grrr!

“We’ll see soon enough who’s going to die—me, or a newborn demon like you!” The demon snarled, its voice dripping with rage. In an instant, it lunged forward with the speed of a cheetah, its sharp claws slashing at Haruto's head.

Demons have never been a group thing and only in special cases more demons stay together where the stronger demon leads the weaker ones. Usually there could only be one demon in a region and though they were of the same kind, this one had already decided to eliminate the smaller, weaker demon standing before it.

In that moment, Haruto’s golden pupils gleamed. With a swift motion, his hand moved to swung the sword with surprising strength. The Nichirin sword seemed to hum with life as it was swung, letting out a sharp, melodic cry.

Whoosh!

The sword slashed through the air, creating a ripple in the still air. As the ripple passed, it collided with an invisible force, bursting out into countless sparks with the sound of metal crashing.

Clang!

The Nichirin sword collided with the demon’s claws. The claws which seems to be the Demon blood art of the demon were as tough as the Nichirin sword itself. In fact, the original owner of this sword, a member of the Demon Slayer Corps, had died facing these very claws.

The two demons were locked in a fierce clash, face to face. If they were human, they would have been breathing each other’s air. It was at this moment that Haruto truly saw the demon’s face.

It had the features of an adult man but its transformation had twisted those features into something terrifying. Its eyes were completely white and mucus dripped from its open mouth. When it opened its mouth, sharp, monstrous teeth glistened in the moonlight.

Haruto stared at it, his eyes calm and focused. He was surprised by how unaffected he felt which seems to be from the transformation. If he had faced this demon before, he wouldn’t have stood a chance. Now, as a demon himself, he could stand his ground with the enhanced strength.

At that exact moment, a screen appeared in his mind, displaying information about the demon in front of him.

Name : Keita Ohno

Abilities : >Immortality (Inferior)

>Demon Claw (Blood demon art)

>Healing

Cons : >Sunlight

>Wisteria

>Curse (from Kibutsuji Muzan)

>Nichirin Blades. ­­

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Haruto’s mind processed the information about the demon in front of him at lightning speed.

Roar!

“Damn brat!” the demon growled, its fury palpable. From the moment it became a demon, its emotions had turned volatile and explosive. Blocking its initial attack with the Nichirin sword had only stoked the fire of its rage.

The demon leaped back, then leaped forward again with more speed and ferocity. Its claws, gleaming under the moonlight, seemed even sharper and colder now, slicing through the air like razors.

The murderous intent of the attack sent a shiver down Haruto’s spine but he quickly steeled himself.

It has more strength than me

Haruto assessed his situation quickly. With his current strength, a direct clash would be suicide. Yet, the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth betrayed his excitement.

If I can’t stop it, I’ll just redirect it.

He bent slightly, gripping his Nichirin sword tightly. Sparks flew as the sword dragged against the ground, marking his charge toward the oncoming demon.

“Stupid brat...” the demon sneered, seeing Haruto’s reckless advance. To the demon, this fledgling demon was either hopelessly naive or already out of his mind.

As they closed in, the demon feinted left, its claw swiping with blistering speed toward Haruto’s right flank. Haruto barely managed to react, pivoting mid-charge and bringing his sword up just in time.

Clang!

The Nichirin sword collided with the demon’s claws, sending a shock wave of force rippling outward. Sparks erupted from the clash, and Haruto’s arm trembled under the pressure.

“Not bad for a newborn,” the demon snarled, pushing harder. “But you’re still nothing!”

The demon’s other claw lashed out toward Haruto’s unguarded side. Haruto twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the swipe, though the razor-sharp claws grazed his shoulder, drawing blood.

Pain flared but he gritted his teeth, refusing to falter. With a swift counter, Haruto slashed horizontally, forcing the demon to leap back to avoid the sword’s deadly edge.

“You’re fast, I’ll give you that,” Haruto said calmly, his voice devoid of fear.

The demon’s eyes narrowed. “Arrogant brat!”

Without warning, the demon launched itself forward again, this time using its legs to deliver a bone-shattering kick. Haruto ducked under the attack, spinning on his heel to slash upward. The sword nicked the demon’s arm, drawing a hiss of pain.

“You bastard!” the demon roared, its pride wounded. It struck with both claws, creating a whirlwind of slashes too fast for the eye to follow.

Haruto’s instincts kicked in, his movements almost automatic. He parried one strike after another, his sword flashing like silver lightning in the moonlight. But he was being pushed to his limit, each block and dodge taking a toll on his stamina.

One claw finally broke through his defense, stabbing into his chest.

“Got you now!” the demon sneered, triumph glowing in its feral eyes.

Haruto gasped as searing pain erupted in his chest. His vision blurred momentarily, but his grip on the Nichirin sword never wavered. So even demons feel pain...

Blood dripped from his wound, pooling on the ground, but Haruto’s golden eyes remained fixed on his opponent.

The demon grinned. “This is the end for you, brat.”

“Not yet,” Haruto whispered, his voice like ice. With a sudden burst of strength, he drove the sword upward in a sweeping arc.

Crack!

The Nichirin sword sliced through the demon’s neck. Its head flew into the air, a look of shock frozen on its face. The power of the sun infused in the sword spread rapidly, consuming the demon’s body.

As the ashes scattered into the night, only the acrid stench of decay remained. Just before completely dissipating a golden light flew from it's body to Haruto. Haruto knelt on the ground, clutching his bleeding chest which was already healing.

“It hurts...” he muttered, his voice strained . “Why do demons still feel pain? This is annoying.”

He chuckled bitterly, his golden pupils glowing faintly in the darkness. So this is the cost of survival..

You got a new Blood demon art :

>Demon claw.

A demon’s hand transforms into sharp, beast-like claws as hard as Nichirin Blades. These claws are deadly, capable of slicing flesh and shattering bones with ease.

A sharp, crisp sound echoed in Haruto’s mind.

At that moment, he felt a shift in his hand, as though his thoughts alone could alter it. Curious, he extended his fingers, and in an instant, his once fair hand transformed, golden hues glinting on newly-formed claws.

This was the ability of the demon he had just killed. The realization dawned on him—by killing demons, he could acquire their Blood Demon Arts, just as the offer had promised.

The thought sent a thrill coursing through him. This power is quite op with this he had taken a major step to survival and changing the fate of this world.