As soon as Moon Shadow vanished, Ryou hardened his body with Tekkai. The next moment, a sudden force shot him from behind. A dagger stabbed his back, but it couldn't even pierce his skin.
The combined method of Tekkai and Nature Mode made Ryou's body impervious to such attacks. Of course, with enough force, even his abilities could be overpowered, but there wasn't anyone in this world, not even Muzan, strong enough to break through his Tekkai and Nature Mode.
'What a troublesome ability she has,' Ryou mused. Aside from invisibility, he surmised that her Blood Demon Art was related to shadows. If his guess was correct, she could likely teleport between them the shadows of living.
Without hesitation, Ryou slammed his left elbow backward without holding back his strength. His elbow connected with something unseen, the impact sending Moon Shadow, still invisible, crashing into the wooden wall.
Her invisibility was broken as her body was forced back into view.
'She may be invisible to perception and sight, but her physical form is still vulnerable,' Ryou thought.
Moon Shadow's invisibility was connected to how long she could hold her breath. After becoming a demon, her breath control had increased drastically, but Ryou's punch pulverized her internals into a mess, forcing her out of the invisible state ahead of time.
Thankfully, being a demon now, her damaged organs began to regenerate slowly. It wasn't as fast as beings like Akaza or Kokushibo, likely because she hadn't consumed as many humans as the Upper Moons.
Cyros attacked at the same moment as Moon Shadow stabbed at Ryou's back. His lightsaber blazed red as it cut through the air toward Ryou. This time, Ryou infused his Nichirin sword with Nature Energy before meeting the attack, ensuring it wouldn't be overpowered by the lightsaber's heat.
"Blood Demon Art: Gravity Crush," Cyros muttered under his breath, and the atmosphere shifted abruptly. A crushing force descended on Ryou, increasing the gravity around him fivefold, trying to pin him to the ground. The sudden pressure caught him off guard for a split second.
At that moment, Cyros used the opportunity as his lightsaber descended in a deadly arc, slashing across Ryou's chest. The impact of the attack sent him flying backward, crashing through the walls of the Infinity Castle, dust and debris erupting into the air.
Despite the powerful blow from Cyros, Ryou rose from the rubble, his body unharmed, except for the cut at his chest where his clothes had torn.
Across the battlefield, Cyros, Ignis, Raiden, and Moon Shadow regrouped, their expressions serious.
'How is this possible? Not even a scratch!' Sweat beaded on Cyros's brow, his mind thinking. 'Not only did I increase the gravity around him, but I also lightened the gravity around myself to enhance my strength and used Force. That strike should have destroyed any normal human!'
"His physical strength is stronger than demons. Combined with Tekkai, he's nearly impenetrable." Moon Shadow remarked.
She hadn't turned invisible again due to the cooldown of her skill. It wasn't long, but in a battle like this, it became a serious hindrance.
"He's a human with limited energy. We can win!" Cyros declared.
Kanae looked at them with a serious expression. Their weapons, skills, and even the way they spoke—it all felt strange and out of place to her.
Moreover, each of them possessed the strength of an Upper Moon demon. Seeing their coordination, She felt uneasy and looked at Ryou.
Ryou casually dusted off his clothes, his expression unbothered. His gaze fell on his Nichirin sword, noticing a crack from its clash with the lightsaber.
With a quiet sigh, he sheathed the damaged blade. That sword had been with him for a long time, but now it was damaged.
Walking forward, Ryou stretched out his hand, and a new sword appeared in his grip. The blade was a deep, shimmering purple, slightly longer than his Nichirin sword, radiating a fierce, cutting intent while its sharp edge gleamed under the light.
This was the sword Ikazuchi, that he got from the system. He had never needed to use it before, because there's no worthy enemy. But now, it was time to show its might.
"It seems you won't rest until you kill me," Ryou's voice echoed through the hall. "Since you've given me no choice… so be it."
"Get ready, everyone. Let's fight as we planned," Cyros commanded, gripping his lightsaber.
The battle erupted once more.
With an explosive force, Ryou dashed forward, his figure disappearing from sight in an instant. The four Earth humans quickly activated their abilities and blood demon arts, preparing to face him.
Cyros raised his lightsaber to strike, Moon Shadow prepared to vanish into her invisible state, Ignis released his firefly-like demon insects, and Raiden's body hardened.
But none of them were prepared for what came next.
As Ryou's form reappeared before them, his eyes turned into three-tomoe Sharingan, catching them completely all off guard. Moon Shadow, in the midst of vanishing, froze, her mind clouded in a trance. Ignis, who had been ready to unleash his explosive seeds, turned his attack on Raiden instead, sending his demon fireflies swarming toward him.
'Fuck... Ignis, snap out of it!' Raiden roared, but Ignis remained absentminded, caught in the illusion.
A series of deafening bangs echoed as Ignis's demon fireflies detonated against Raiden's stone-like body, shattering it in multiple places. The blasts left his hardened form riddled with horrifying injuries and punctures.
"...that's Sharingan? How does he possess the Sharingan? No... now's not the time to think!" Before Cyros could even snap out of his thoughts, Ryou was already in front of him.
'Nature Breathing: Eighth Form—Time Zone.' Ryou didn't even give Cyros a chance to activate his gravity-related Blood Demon Art.
In Time Zone, everything around him seemed to slow down with his speed multiplied exponentially. With a precise swing of his sword Ikazuchi that was imbued with Natural energy, it sliced cleanly through Cyros's neck.
A thin red line appeared on Cyros' neck, the blade so sharp it took a moment for the cut to register. Cyros's eyes widened in shock, his hands instinctively reaching for his throat as blood slowly trickled down. A moment later, his head slid from his neck and fell to the ground.
Ryou didn't stop; his figure became a blur as he targeted Moon Shadow, Ignis, and Raiden. None of them stood a chance. Moon Shadow and Ignis remained locked in their trance, completely exposed, while Raiden, already weakened from Ignis's earlier attack, couldn't defend himself.
With blinding speed, Ryou decapitated them all, their heads hitting the floor in near-perfect unison.
'You...' Cyros gasped, his voice filled with disbelief. His head began to disintegrate, his body crumbling to dust. He began to understand, from the start...they never stood a chance. He's ridiculously strong.
Ryou stood amidst the disintegrating ashes of the four, letting out a quiet sigh. "You guys chose this path... this was the only way it could end," he said softly, a trace of slight sorrow in his voice.
They were fellow humans from Earth, but they left him no choice. In a battle of life and death, only one side could survive.
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