"Hi~ Jerry~" Tom waved at the little mouse in front of him with a smile. "Come and shake hands."
Tom put his left hand behind his back, extending his right hand to Jerry with an innocent expression. Jerry, unsuspecting, ran up on his short legs to shake hands with Tom.
As soon as Tom grabbed Jerry's hand, his expression turned vicious. He threw Jerry onto the deck twice and then tossed him high into the air. When Jerry was falling, Tom swung his Nichirin Sword like a baseball bat, hitting Jerry out of sight.
"Where did Jerry come from? Demon Slayer! This dream is too low-level; I saw through it immediately!" Tom realized he was in a dream, likely caused by the demon Enmu. He had been on alert ever since learning that Enmu was aboard the cruise ship, but it seemed the demon had struck.
Meanwhile, in the real world, the entire cruise ship had fallen under Enmu's spell. Passengers and crew were trapped in dreams, and the ship's cabins and decks were in chaos. The once-clean cabin interiors were now covered with disgusting flesh and blood. Tentacles extended across the floor and walls, wrapping around the unconscious passengers, attempting to devour them.
Back in the dream, Daki and Gyutaro approached Tom's sleeping body. Daki grabbed Tom by the nape of his neck and lifted him up, smirking. "In the end, you're just a cat. Whether human or beast, none of you are worth anything in front of us demons. Only demons like us are the true advanced beings in this world. We have power and eternal life, while you're nothing."
She paused, holding up a small amount of Muzan Kibutsuji's blood. "Now, I'll give you a chance to change your fate. Become a demon, my pet, and you will witness a broader world."
She injected the blood into Tom, expecting him to transform. Tom, however, was curious. He had read from the system that his body was 100% adaptable to external forces, meaning even if there were side effects from Muzan's blood, they could be eliminated. So, he wasn't worried about becoming a mindless demon or gaining their weaknesses.
After the injection, Tom's appearance didn't change at all.
Daki sniffed, recognizing the scent of demon blood on him. "It seems you've adapted well," she said, pleased. Tom was a strong and cute cat, so having him as her pet would surely elevate her status among the upper demons. With satisfaction, she set him back on the deck.
Tom, however, suddenly turned his back to Daki, cupping his hands as if hiding something. This piqued her curiosity.
"Could it be some strange Blood Demon Art?" Daki mused as she leaned closer to see what Tom was hiding.
Tom, feigning reluctance, clenched his hands even tighter, turning away more dramatically. His actions only made Daki more intrigued. "Hey! You're my pet now! Show me what you're looking at!" she commanded.
Tom pretended to hesitate for a few moments before finally offering his hands to her. Daki leaned in, eager to see, but as soon as she got close, Tom smirked and, instead of showing her anything, punched her in the face, sending her flying into the cabin.
"Hahaha!" Tom laughed loudly, clearly proud of tricking Daki.
Gyutaro, enraged at seeing his sister struck, charged at Tom with murderous intent. Tom met his attack head-on, gripping his Nichirin Sword tightly. The blade sliced through the air, drawing forth a massive, swirling dragon of water.
The dragon, formed from real water unlike the illusionary elements of normal breathing techniques, collided with Gyutaro, sending him crashing into the cabin. Steel beams bent and snapped under the force of the blow.
"Water Breathing! Tenth Form: Flowing Water!" Tom exhaled deeply, pleased with the result. The demon blood Daki had given him didn't turn him into a demon, but it granted him the ability to manipulate water like a Blood Demon Art. Now, paired with his Water Breathing technique, his combat strength had skyrocketed.
"This power... I need to get the Blood Demon Arts of the other Upper Rank demons," Tom thought eagerly, feeling a hunger for more.
Walking to the other side of the deck, Tom looked up to where Tomioka Giyuu was still trapped in Enmu's dream. A small white cloud floated above Giyuu's head, representing the dream he was experiencing.
Tom also had the ability to invade dreams, but he still needed Giyuu's help, so he refrained from playing any pranks. Climbing onto Giyuu's shoulders, Tom waved his paws vigorously to dispel the dream cloud.
Suddenly, Tomioka Giyuu woke up, eyes widening as he took in the chaos around them.
"Are you awake?" Tom asked, sitting atop Giyuu's shoulder.
Giyuu, slightly disoriented, looked at Tom and nodded. "What's going on?"
"Enmu's demon art. We're all caught in a dream, but we've still got work to do. Daki and Gyutaro are here as well, and they're not going down easy," Tom explained, hopping off Giyuu's shoulder.
The two of them turned their attention to the demons who were now regrouping on the other side of the deck, ready for the next battle.
"Let's finish this quickly," Giyuu said, gripping his Nichirin Sword, preparing to unleash the full strength of his Water Breathing techniques.
Together, Tom and Giyuu charged forward, their blades slicing through the air, water swirling and cutting like a tidal wave. They were determined to end this battle and free the passengers from the demonic curse of Enmu's Blood Demon Art.