Chapter 88: The Enigma of the So-called Mist God

As Jon breached the threshold of the village, an oppressive aura of sin hung heavy in the air, a palpable tension that seemed to seep into his very bones. Hostile glances, like invisible arrows, pierced him from every direction.

Curious eyes of passersby bore into him, their gazes filled with a strange mix of fear and intrigue. Children, their faces pressed against the glass of their homes, watched him with wide-eyed wonder, only to be yanked away by their mothers who hastily shuttered the windows.

Jon attempted to engage a villager in conversation, but the man recoiled as if Jon were a harbinger of plague, leaving him standing alone in the middle of the street.

His senses, honed to a razor's edge, picked up the hushed whispers that fluttered through the air like frightened birds.

"Isn't he supposed to be eaten by the Mist God's apostle?!"

"Will this provoke the wrath of the Mist God?!"

"Did Shota and Kyoko guide him here directly?!"

"Shouldn't the apostle have devoured him by now?! What do we do?! Do we attack him?!"

"I don't know, nothing like this has ever happened before!"

Piecing together the fragments of their conversation, Jon began to grasp the gravity of the situation. The village was under the thrall of a demon, that sat comfortably in its lair, using blood demon art to spawn monstrous entities that preyed on outsiders.

The demon's cunning was evident in its choice of a superstitious village as its hunting ground, masquerading as a deity through its blood demon art. The villagers, in their fear and reverence, dared not approach Jon. To them, he was a sacrificial lamb who had defied the will of their god, a transgression that would surely invite divine retribution.

"But if no one guides me to this so-called god, how am I supposed to find him?" Jon mused aloud. His "Sin String" spell could only provide a general location of the target, the accuracy of which was determined by the magnitude of the target's sin. The demon's aura of sin was so potent that it blanketed the entire village, making it impossible for Jon to pinpoint its exact location.

"However, if the villagers won't lead the way, I'll make them!" Jon declared, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

He cleared his throat and bellowed, "What kind of pathetic god is this? Wants to devour me? I'm standing here, in the heart of your village, unscathed! If you're so hungry, why don't you come and eat me and your precious villagers?"

His words sent a wave of terror rippling through the crowd.

'Damn it, you shout if you want to! Are you trying to drag us down with you?' A villager cursed under his breath.

"Hey, I knew you wouldn't dare, not only dare not eat me, but also dare not eat the villagers, I tell you don't let me look down on you..." Jon continued to taunt.

"Enough, young man, please stop!" An elderly man stepped forward, his voice trembling, "Please, no more disrespect towards the Mist God, or we'll all suffer for it!"

"None of my business." Jon retorted: "Unless you tell me where to find that so-called filthy god, I will keep shouting!"

The old man sighed, a look of resignation in his eyes, and pointed towards a distant structure, "We've never seen the true face of the Mist God. We worship at the Mist God Shrine, and the offerings are personally delivered to the Mist God by the priests inside. If you want to know who has seen the Mist God, you can only ask the priests inside!"

"Thank you, old man!" Jon said, clapping a hand on the man's shoulder, "What you don't know is that your action has personally sent your filthy god to his doom!"

With that, he strode towards the Mist God Shrine, leaving the old man standing in stunned silence.

***

The village was small, and Jon soon found himself standing before the imposing structure of the Mist God Shrine.

As he approached, the shrine's doors creaked open, revealing a young girl dressed in the attire of a shrine maiden, her face obscured by a ceremonial mask.

"Jotaro Kujo, the Mist Goddess has been expecting you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Jotaro Kujo? And not a Got but Goddess? Then it's a she." Jon echoed, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. He had used that alias when speaking to Mitsuri, which meant the demon had been eavesdropping on their conversation.

"This must be the ability of this demon's blood demon art," Jon thought to himself.

He turned to the shrine maiden, "Yes, it's me. Now, lead me to your so-called goddess."

The shrine maiden nodded, stepping aside to allow Jon to enter the shrine. As he stepped inside, the scent of blood, thick and cloying, filled his nostrils. The dimly lit interior, adorned with strange talismans and offerings, created an atmosphere of dread.

The shrine maiden led Jon to the innermost chamber of the shrine. She pushed open the door, stepped aside, and said, "I'm sorry," her voice filled with a strange mix of fear and resignation.

Jon entered the room, the door closing behind him with a resounding thud.

"Hehehehehe...!"

A chilling laugh echoed through the room.

"A swordsman from the Demon Slayer Corps, it seems you've finally noticed me!"

Jon cut her off, "What an ugly laugh. I've heard scarier sounds from a five-year-old."

"Tsk! You human trash!" The voice spat.

A cloud of fog materialized in the room, coalescing into a human form. A petite girl with white hair and horns on her forehead stood before him. Her eyes were a startling shade of red, her pupils marked with numbers, and symmetrical red lines adorned her face.

The girl giggled, "The Swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps, let me introduce myself, I am one of the Twelve Demon Moons, Lower Moon Four, Mukago!"

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