Chapter 123: Aoki vs Muzan

Chapter 123: Aoki vs Muzan

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"Twist off my head?" Muzan Kibutsuji chuckled, as if he had just heard a joke. "You? A mere rat who only knows how to run away?"

He glanced at Aoki with disdain. "Tamayo and the other Pillars seem to have high hopes for you. Very well, let me personally shatter their expectations."

Aoki wasn't fazed. There was no point in getting angry at someone who was as good as dead. "There's an old saying where I come from: 'When a man has been away for three days, he should be looked at with new eyes.'"

Muzan Kibutsuji replied indifferently, "If you have the ability, show me."

"You will see," Aoki said calmly.

Muzan Kibutsuji fell silent, and after a few seconds, Aoki's expression shifted slightly. He had been waiting for Miss Tamayo's poison to take effect, but what was Muzan Kibutsuji waiting for? Why hadn't he made a move yet?

Suddenly, Aoki's gaze fell on the blue spider lily at his feet, and he understood. As a thoughtful person, he decided to let Muzan Kibutsuji discover the truth on his own. In a flash, Aoki appeared in front of Muzan Kibutsuji and threw a punch.

Muzan Kibutsuji sighed in relief. If the defector stayed next to the blue spider lily, it would complicate matters, especially if it led to the flower's destruction. He had spent a thousand years searching for this small patch; losing even one plant would be a tremendous setback. Fortunately, Aoki didn't destroy it.

In retrospect, this made sense. Aoki was also a demon and had the same desire to overcome the sun. Why would he destroy something so crucial? However, Muzan Kibutsuji still needed to be cautious. If Aoki became desperate, he might just destroy the blue spider lily out of spite.

While Muzan Kibutsuji's thoughts raced, his movements didn't falter. Nearly twenty whips lashed out simultaneously, moving so fast that even afterimages appeared. Aoki's eyes grew cold as his boiling murderous intent was hidden beneath a calm exterior. His fist continued its trajectory forward.

It became clear that Muzan Kibutsuji wasn't adept at combat. Though he wielded nearly twenty whips with ease, his timing and attack methods were amateurish at best. But that was to be expected. In over a thousand years, Muzan Kibutsuji had never faced an opponent of equal strength. Those who couldn't be crushed by him were rare, and those who could stand against him even rarer.

He had never needed any real skill. Relying on basic speed and strength alone, he had easily killed everyone except Yoriichi Tsugikuni. But now, there was a new exception.

Boom!

The force behind Aoki's punch exploded, piercing through layers of air with a sharp, ear-splitting sound.

Aoki Style, Judgment!

The thorn whips and pipe whips shattered into pieces, with their tips breaking apart. Muzan Kibutsuji was sent flying, his expression drastically changing. In a flash, Aoki appeared beside him, silently slashing down with his sword.

Aoki Style, Funeral!

The sword severed Muzan Kibutsuji's left arm completely from his shoulder. A mouth grew from the severed shoulder, generating a powerful suction that quickly pulled the arm back, but it did not regenerate as it had before.

"Is this the power of a defector? How troublesome!" Muzan Kibutsuji muttered, his eyes boiling with murderous intent.

Snap! Snap!

The mouth on his shoulder opened wide, devouring the flesh around the wound. In seconds, it consumed everything, restoring his regeneration ability, and a new arm formed in an instant. Simultaneously, the whips from his upper body lashed out again towards Aoki.

Aoki thought for a moment, then used his space-shifting ability to appear on the opposite side of Muzan Kibutsuji. But as soon as he materialized, Muzan Kibutsuji's pipe whip struck out from below.

"You're learning," Aoki acknowledged, "but it's still not enough!"

He took two steps back, then suddenly reached out and grabbed one of the whips, pulling it with all his strength.

Tear!

The whip was torn straight from Muzan Kibutsuji's back, with flesh and bone still attached to the end. Muzan Kibutsuji grunted in pain as a new whip rapidly grew in its place, while the remaining whips continued to attack Aoki.

This time, Aoki didn't use his space-shifting ability. He weaved through the barrage of whips with precision, closing in on Muzan Kibutsuji. Their eyes met.

Muzan Kibutsuji's pale face couldn't hide his astonishment, and beneath that, there was a hint of panic. The battle was not going the way he had anticipated.

Aoki, however, didn't care about Muzan Kibutsuji's inner turmoil; in fact, it would have pleased him. His fists, elbows, legs, and knees struck with the force of a violent storm.

Aoki Style, Storm!

Bang, bang, bang!

Muzan Kibutsuji attempted to defend himself, but was quickly overwhelmed. Large chunks of flesh and blood exploded from his body as he was forced to retreat, blood spurting from his mouth. Suddenly, he raised his head and let out a silent roar.

Boom!

A powerful shockwave erupted like a falling cannonball. Aoki's blood churned, and he faltered in his movements. Nearby, a demon who had been fighting Giyu Tomioka was shattered to pieces by the shockwave, and Tomioka himself was sent flying, blood pouring from his mouth.

The battlefield fell silent.

The Pillars, who had been keeping an eye on the battle, were momentarily stunned. Muzan Kibutsuji had been hiding such a devastating technique. If he had used it on them earlier, they all would have been gravely injured.

But as they looked at Aoki, who had recovered almost immediately, Muzan Kibutsuji's face darkened. He quickly distanced himself from Aoki.

Crunch!

At the same time, a multitude of mouths grew on Muzan Kibutsuji's body, rapidly devouring the flesh and blood near his wounds. In seconds, his body's regenerative abilities were restored to their original state. Yet, his expression remained grim.

He had confirmed it: Aoki was stronger than him.

How was that possible?

The last time they fought in the Infinity Castle, Aoki had been little more than a rat scurrying before him. Now, only a few months later, his power had surpassed Muzan Kibutsuji's?

No!

It wasn't just a matter of time.

He was the progenitor of demons. Aoki was merely an inferior copy, a product of his own making. Even if there were some mutations, how could Aoki surpass him?

Muzan Kibutsuji's expression twisted with rage.

He had always suspected that Aoki was hiding a secret. Attempts to capture him had failed multiple times, and the threats posed by Aoki had become increasingly serious. Now, today, Aoki had surpassed him in strength.

Phew!

Muzan Kibutsuji spat out a mouthful of blood, and his expression froze.

What's happening?

Why am I vomiting blood?

Anger? Impossible!

I'm not as fragile as a human.

The face of Tamayo suddenly flashed in his mind.

It must have been what she injected into him earlier. Was it poison?

Damn it!

Damn it!

Damn it!

So, they had been prepared for this all along.

The atmosphere grew more ominous.

Since that man's death, Muzan Kibutsuji hadn't felt the threat of death. But now, his body trembled slightly. The uneasy feeling gnawed at him, making him deeply uncomfortable.

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