The demon’s heartbeat thundered louder and louder, like a drumbeat or the chest-thumping of a gorilla. Shadows bled into the room, twisting and writhing until towering dark knights emerged, their grotesque forms solidifying. Each knight stood at least ten feet tall, with skull-like faces and monstrous shoulders that loomed over the trio.
The demonic heartbeat resonated within the knights, enhancing their strength and making their attacks twice as lethal.
Musashi stepped forward, his relaxed demeanor unchanged. His calm, tired eyes swept over the knights as if they were beneath his notice.
“You two back me up. I’ll handle this.”
He bit his fingernail, drawing blood that dripped onto the floor. A blue aura flared around him, faint yet suffused with power.
“What the hell can you all even do?”
A dark knight swung its colossal sword at Musashi, but the blade didn’t harm him. Instead, the attack was reflected, a matching gash splitting open the knight’s body.
“Damage reflection? That’s such a cheat, don’t you think?” The demon charged at Musashi with a dagger, aiming to break through the barrier with brute force. But the blade couldn’t touch him. Every attempt was met with slashes carving into the demon’s own body.
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“Musashi! Behind you!”
Musashi felt it before he saw it—a sharp pain as his chest split in two. A dark knight had struck him with a cursed blade: the Malefic Dagger, a weapon capable of bypassing any defense. Blood poured down his legs as his body crumbled to the floor.
“Itto! Heal him!”
“He doesn’t need it,” Itto replied calmly. “The sun isn’t up.”
The demon shifted its focus to Yuki, moving with blinding speed—a blur too fast for her eyes to follow. A dagger struck her chest—or so it seemed. Her body flickered, revealing itself to be a mirage.
The demon staggered, injuries materializing on its body as if invisible fists pummeled him. Each strike was stronger than the last, the force increasing exponentially.
But the demon adapted. Its heartbeat thundered louder, the sound waves expanding outward like a booming speaker, knocking Yuki to the ground and dispelling her illusion.
“I’m gonna kill all of ya!” it roared again, its eyes glowing crimson.
A string of blood shot towards the demon at impossible speed, aimed to pierce it cleanly. But the demon felt the pressure shift in the air and dodged just in time, smirking at Musashi’s unwavering expression.
“Let’s play,” the demon sneered.
Floating threads of blood hovered around Musashi, glinting like crimson razors in the dim light. With a flick of his wrist, they shot forward, slicing through the air toward the demon. Yet, every attack missed its mark as the demon weaved effortlessly through the onslaught, his movements fluid and instinctive.
Dark, winged creatures materialized from the shadows, diving toward Musashi like predatory birds.
Yuki moved to assist, but Itto stopped her with an outstretched hand.
“Don’t interfere. He hates it when people underestimate him.”
Musashi pointed toward the airborne beasts, and his floating blood threads followed. The creatures were torn apart mid-flight, falling in pieces before they could get close.
The demon appeared behind Musashi, its blade slicing down in one clean motion. The cut was deep, splitting Musashi in half from head to crotch. Blood pooled beneath his motionless halves.