Lower Moon 2

Shin sighed at his servants' antics. He was just about to call them so they could go home but a bloodied person ran out from behind the trees around them.

They had the appearance of an older man with a stocky build and pale skin that was decorated with black, vein-like patterns down his face, arms, and legs. He had long, dark purple hair left down, and a short jagged beard around his jawline.

The first thing that got Shin's attention was the man's eyes. They were golden with cat-like pupils, the kanji of 2 being etched into the left.

Shin almost couldn't believe what was happening in front of him, there was lower moon two, and to add on to it he was heavily injured. It was as if someone was telling him to just take it.

The kizuki looked at Shin, he was able to see that Shin was a couple of numbers beneath him, five. 

Being desperate to escape and recover he didn't think twice about the number or how he obtained it.

"You, get some food quickly!" The man demanded, his voice was deep and almost domineering but it didn't phase Shin a bit.

The girls stopped what they were doing then looked at the man with an irritated look. They could clearly see the kanji in his eye and it would be a lie to say they weren't feeling pressured.

"Why would I do such a thing?" Shin asked.

The man was taken back by Shin's words, any lower demon would have done what he had ordered without a second thought upon seeing he was a kizuki. 

Being prideful of his position he wouldn't back down. "Do as I say or-"

"Or what? You will kill me?" Shin asked once more.

"I-" he may have been prideful but he wasn't an idiot, Shin was giving off the aura a lower five would, proving that he was among the kizuki. 

The man believed that if they fought he would take more injuries that would only slow him down even further.

What he didn't know was that Shin would have defeated him even with him at his best.

He turned around to the girls seeing Shin wouldn't comply. "You two, get me food or I will tear off your heads!" The man yelled as he brought his arm up to his chest and waved his other arm around.

Before the girls could do or say anything a heavy pressure fell on the surroundings causing the girls to shudder.

"Who said you could order them?" Shin asked, the tone of his voice and his expression were the same as always yet the pressure he was giving off made the demon sweat a bit.

Shin turned to Tsuzu and Susamaru. "You two, take your things and go home." 

The two quickly nodded their heads and left with their belongings hearing him.

The kizuki was outraged witnessing this, he tried to hurry after them but the moment he took a step forward Shin appeared at his side and kicked him back into the woods from where he came.

The demon crashed through two trees before being stopped when hitting a third. 

When the demon looked ahead of him he saw Shin running towards him at speeds he believed shouldn't have been possible for his strength. 

'Damnit!' The demon could only blame himself, his skin began to suddenly harden and look more stone-like as two curved blades grew out of his elbows. 

Even with his skin hardened like stone, there were visible large cracks all over his body proving how injured he was.

When Shin saw this he couldn't help but wonder what had happened to him to cause that much damage, still he didn't let his guard down. The demon in front of him was lower moon two for a reason.

The kizuki stomped his foot on the ground causing a large pillar of earth to rise underneath Shin.

Shin hopped out of the attack then unsheathed Seijakusei. He hurriedly dashed towards the kizuki and swung his sword towards his neck.

The demon brought up his arms to block the incoming attack expecting the sword to break or bounce off of his skin, yet, instead of doing either of those things it cut through his arms cleanly.

The demon began to panic, he hurriedly stomped his foot hard onto the ground, this time the earth under Shin began sliding him back towards a wall of spikes that had formed.

The kizuki knew this wouldn't kill Shin, it was only to hold him off so he could regenerate his arms back.

He didn't want to use his regeneration unless completely necessary since he would starve from it but Shin was forcing him to. After this, he wouldn't be able to regenerate again unless he found food.

The demon's skin began to return to normal, once he grew his arms back it went back to its hardened state. 

Shin had already evaded the attack, when he looked towards the demon he saw him doing some weird dance.

The demon stomped his feet and clapped his hand while swiftly moving around. The earth beneath them began to quake the more intense the dance became.

Spikes shot up from every step he took, when he danced away from them they would retract themselves back into the ground causing Shin to be left slightly confused.

It didn't take long for him to sense something coming towards him from underneath. 

He quickly jumped away, when he did so a spike immediately came up from where he once was allowing Shin to understand what they were for and why the demon was dancing.

When Shin landed again he felt more vibrations coming from beneath him causing him to move away once more.

Another spike shot up, once he hit the ground again he began to elude each one that came after him.

The demon started to dance faster seeing this, he created more spikes and caused those chasing after Shin to speed up.

Shin in return took a breath and dashed towards the demon, he quickly cut off the demon's legs to interrupt his dance then his arms.

The demon tried to defend himself but before the kizuki knew it, Shin's blade was already coming towards his neck threatening to behead him.

He couldn't believe that he had lost. He wanted to live more, even if for a second more. "P-please spare me!"

He knew begging would be meaningless but still, he held some hope that the demon in front of him would show kindness. 

Shin's blade stopped and rested on the demon's neck. "Alright." He simply replied.

The kizuki's eyes widened hearing his words. "Thank you! Thank you so much, I'll never forget your kindness. If there's anything I can do for you, anything at all please tell me!"

Shin didn't hesitate to request what he wanted. "Is that so? I would like you to agree to a blood battle with me. All I want is your position and nothing else."

The demon gritted his teeth but nodded his head. "I accept your challenge to a blood battle and forfeit, you may have my position."

"I accept." Shin gave his sword that was resting on the demon's neck a push, it slowly and cleanly went through his neck.

Shin wasn't going to spare him, he just remembered that even if he defeated him he wouldn't get his position and would only be heavily punished later on.

The demon's head fell from his body looking at Shin with disbelief, his body didn't take long to turn to ash along with it.

As the demon's body was turning to ash Shin took one of the arms he had cutten off and began to eat it.

He sheathed his sword once he finished and waited for something to happen like before upon seeing the demon die.

*Bwum!* 

The sound of a biwa entered his ears as a door appeared and opened beneath him without warning.

Just like before Shin appeared in a random location, but this time he didn't fall over.

"Are you just going to stand there?" A voice full of authority asked.

Hearing that voice Shin turned towards the source and bowed. The presence that would make anyone despair fell on him, still he remained calm since there was no need to panic.

"It's only been a night yet you've already beaten a demon 4 ranks ahead of you, you're moving quite fast aren't you?" He asked.

"Yes, my lord." Shin said.

"Mn, keep up the good work and we might be having a new upper moon soon, don't disappoint me." He said before the sound of flesh writhing entered Shin's ears.

Not a moment later something sharp penetrated his neck and began to pump blood into him. Just like before the lord injected the same amount of blood lower moon 2 had and a bit more.

If Shin managed to survive he was sure he would be able to take lower moon one without much of a problem, or if given the chance be able to harm upper moon six. 'What an interesting one Kokushibo had found.' 

After a bit more time the needle detached from Shin leaving him like a puppet without Its strings. 

"Until next time."

*Bwum!*

The door from earlier appeared and took Shin away. When he appeared on the other side he was able to tell he was close to home.

Even with that information, it took a lot out of him if he tried moving, so he decided to just lay there. The pain he was feeling was indescribable, luckily it only took an hour to process the blood this time.

His eye holding his rank began to feel uncomfortable and sting causing him to let out a sigh. He wiped away the blood running down his cheek remembering the same thing that happened previously as well.

Once he was sure his procedure was done he stood up from his spot, brushed the dirt off of him even though he knew it wouldn't help, and walked home.