How long had it been? Three hundred years? Four hundred? Muzan Kibutsu couldn't remember how many centuries had passed. For ages, except for that one person, no human had ever drawn his blood—not even the toughest swordsmen of the Demon Slayer Corps called the Hashira.
But now! Now! This pathetic human—this awful creature less than a bug—had made him bleed? How could this happen?
Bang! Crack! Splash! The ugly thorn whip lashed out in a flash, and many sharp blades burst from it. Thud! Thud! Thud! The blades stabbed Shinichi's body with cruel aim ripping him to shreds.
"Curse it!" Shame flooded Muzan, and he bellowed in rage as the thorn whip now full of sharp blades thrashed around him.
Crash! Crash! Crash! The whole broken temple fell down in seconds. Snap! A skinny hand holding a rusty plain dagger dropped to the ground.
Muzan glared at the dagger that cut his cheek, his face emotionless. The minor injury healed in 0.0001 seconds, but blood was blood even if it was just a tiny drop.
"Human!" Muzan whispered, his hatred for humanity growing again. In a flash, he disappeared as if he had never been there leaving a temple in ruins.
Moonlight shone down, and time passed. Under the wreckage of countless bricks, tiles, and rubble, a mass of indistinct flesh and blood began to move .
Blood vessels appeared at a snail's pace, while pale bone ends and bright red muscles took shape bit by bit .
The smell of flesh and blood under the crumbled temple drew swarms of flies, their whirring wings making a constant racket.
Buzz! A fly touched down on a tiny scrap of flesh, its thin mouth sucking up the meat.
Bang! Rocks scattered as a white arm shot out from the debris showing sharp black nails, winding blood vessels, and bulging muscles on the hand's back.
In an instant, the temple remains burst apart. A fierce cry cut through the dark night piercing the smoke and debris: "Roar!!!"
The swirling haze parted to reveal two red eyes gleaming with menace. As the smoke thinned, it unveiled a hunched figure half-kneeling on the ground. Its clothes hung in tatters reduced to mere scraps of fabric.
His chest rose and fell as a wild cry burst from his throat. His eyes once dark now glowed red and bloodshot empty of thought. Big blood vessels swelled on his skin, and long black claws grew between his fingers, which bent into hooks. His open mouth showed sharp teeth that shone cold looking like the monster Junbo had talked about—the ghost!
This "ghost" had a face that looked very young. If Muzan were still there, he'd be shocked to find out that the person who had just drawn his blood wasn't dead!
But at that moment, Shinichi had no idea he had changed into a legendary monster. His mind went blank taken over by a basic and cruel desire to kill, and a hunger for human flesh and blood that he couldn't satisfy rose from deep inside him. He was now a new evil ghost!
The new evil ghost smelled the air and moved its stiff head, picking up the scent of blood. Whoosh! In a flash, the ghost's body disappeared from where it was, quick as lightning.
"Blood! Blood! Hungry! Blood!" A hoarse voice croaked from the ghost's mouth as its thin arms started to tear through the debris. Solid bricks and sturdy wood turned to mush when touched by its dark claws.
At last! After some wild searching, a blood-covered human arm showed up in front of the wicked ghost. The strong smell of blood made its throat shake, and its eyes got even redder. The evil ghost didn't wait - it lifted the arm and opened its jaws wide to chomp off a big chunk.
"Ah! Ah!" A sudden noise from behind grabbed the evil ghost's attention. It swiveled its fierce gaze to spot a black Shiba Inu howling at it. The dog recognized its master's face, but the terrifying aura coming from the master made the Shiba Inu cower in fear. It could howl, wishing its master would come to get it as usual, but the strong smell of blood made that seem unlikely.
Just then, the evil ghost attacked the Shiba Inu seizing its neck. Its sharp black claws cut through the dog's fur with ease. The dog yelped in pain and fear for its owner, its little legs kicking as it dangled in the air.
Just as the evil ghost was about to crush the Shiba Inu that stopped its meal, a spark of understanding lit up its red eyes. "No! No! Can't!" A strange feeling pushed back in its chest making the evil ghost angry. It felt so hungry! It wanted human flesh! If it killed this annoying animal, it could enjoy the tasty human meat. "Roar! Kill! Kill! Kill!" A scary scream came from the evil ghost, but its claws couldn't move with any strength.
Plop! The small Shiba Inu dropped to the ground, and the wicked ghost also jerked falling next to it. Its razor-sharp claws ripped into its own skin causing a bloody mess. Still enough, the ugly wounds started to move and heal, with the flesh growing back right in front of the eyes.
"Blood! Flesh and blood! I crave it! No! I won't eat it! Eat it!... Roar! Eat it! No!" Two opposing thoughts fought hard in the evil ghost's mind: the cruel urge to kill from deep within and the last bits of logic still left.
"Ahhh!" The black Shiba Inu rushed to its owner, who lay struggling and twitching on the ground. The dog ignored its own bloody neck. It saw its owner's face marked with purple blood vessels. The Shiba Inu licked Shinichi's face with anxiety, as if it wanted to ease his pain.
During the turmoil, half a dorayaki pancake fell out from the evil ghost's torn clothes. The sweet smell drifted through the air and settled next to the ghost's head. The evil ghost's body became rigid all of a sudden.
The evil ghost fixed its gaze on the half-eaten dorayaki straining its eyes. Blood seeped from the corners of its eyes as its inner madness began to fade giving way to a sharp agonizing awareness.
"Ah!!!" The sound that came from its mouth wasn't a savage roar anymore, but a human scream. The "evil ghost" changed back into Shinichi—he became himself again!
Shinichi back in human form, struggled under a hunger that cut and burned inside him like a knife. He searched the ruins . The bloodied corpses under the wreckage tempted him beyond measure. He had to fight to control his urges as an evil spirit.
He dug for what seemed like forever. At last, Shinichi found the child he sought. But when he saw the small broken body, he shut his eyes. Tears of blood ran down his face. "Junbo..." Enji, the little black Shiba Inu, let out a sad whine as he looked at the fragile form in the rubble.