Hunter [53]: Akaza 

The contractors of the demon camp gathered once again, but this time there were nearly half as many people compared to last time. A group of contractors led by Old King and Dragon River had all perished on Mount Natagumo.

Although there were still a few contractors who hadn't encountered the Hashira or Lin Jiu, they didn't hide for long before being discovered by the logistics team. They managed to kill a few logistics members with little combat ability but were eventually slain by the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen.

However, the contractors Old King brought were originally intended to be cannon fodder. Apart from a few contractors like Old King and Dragon River, the remaining contractors were not even considered by Old Wood and the Drunkard.

Old Wood's face was gloomy, and the faces of the four or five contractors with him were equally unpleasant.

"Old Wood, I don't care what you were up to when you disappeared. If we don't join forces now, we'll all die in this world."

The Drunkard, who had half his contractors left, spoke up. The remaining contractors were stronger than the average ones, but they weren't confident in their ability to kill a Hashira on their own.

Even if it was the least powerful, Shinobu Kocho, her unparalleled speed could easily kill any one of them.

"We know that, which is why we hurried back. Do you have any ideas?" Old Wood asked, his tone slightly moderated.

The Drunkard took a swig of Erguotou, his face flushed, and said, "I'm just a rough man; I can't think of any good ideas. That's why I called you over. You're better at scheming and plotting."

Of course, the Drunkard couldn't be as simple as he claimed. Otherwise, he wouldn't be the leader of his group of contractors. But Old Wood could hear the helplessness in the Drunkard's tone.

The leader of the demon camp was unreliable, and it was genuinely difficult for them to kill a Hashira with just their group. Seeking help from Muzan Kibutsuji would likely result in them dying along with the Lower Rank demons.

Muzan Kibutsuji could kill Lower Rank demons at will, let alone these contractors with minimal demon blood.

After all, there's a reason why Hashira stands tall and firm, while the Upper and Lower Ranks are quickly replaced!

"We must rely on those demons to complete our mission easily," Old Wood said firmly.

"We understand that, but the Upper Rank demons have even more peculiar tempers. Seeking Muzan Kibutsuji's help has a high chance of getting us killed." the Drunkard responded bluntly.

Old Wood pondered for a moment, then said, "Actually, we still have quite a few opportunities. Sound Pillar Tengen Uzui nearly died in Yoshiwara. If we exert a bit more effort..."

"That's true. But not all contractors are on the demon camp's side. Don't you think the Demon Slayer Corps contractors wouldn't think of this? If our final mission is to kill a Hashira, then the corresponding mission for the Demon Slayer Corps contractors is clearly to kill an Upper Rank demon!

Tengen Uzui almost died in Yoshiwara, but the two Upper Rank Six demons did. If they're not fools, they'll also find a way to interfere. Don't tell me you think the Twelve Kizuki corresponding to the Hashira should be the Lower Rank demons—that's a joke!"

The Drunkard took another big gulp of alcohol and spoke to everyone straightforwardly. They were here to find a way to complete the mission, not to bicker.

"Then we'll each rely on our abilities. Don't you have confidence, Drunkard?"

Old Wood said calmly.

The Drunkard chuckled, "The Demon Slayer Corps has someone who can force most contractors into the demon camp. How can I be too confident?"

"Let's decide to act in Yoshiwara and hope no one falters at the critical moment."

Old Wood addressed the group. He was still secretly resentful. Before entering this world, he had spent a lot of money to buy a piece of secret information about the Blue Spider Lily that Muzan Kibutsuji had been pursuing.

The information indicated that there were traces of the Blue Spider Lily in the mountains where Tanjiro's family lived. However, the original work didn't describe the exact location of Tanjiro's family. Old Wood had been searching for Tanjiro's home while completing the main missions.

Finally, he had some clues. Seeing the likelihood of a hidden mission ahead, he was forced to give up. If he ignored Mission Three and got executed, there wouldn't be any Blue Spider Lily left, not even his bones!

What troubled these demon camp contractors the most wasn't the Demon Slayer Corps but their unreliable leader, Muzan Kibutsuji! It wasn't just that he was a terrible boss; the key issue was his extreme self-centeredness. He could kill Lower Rank demons at will, and apart from a few Upper Rank demons, the others were just disposable tools in his eyes.

If these contractors with thin demon blood approached him, it would be like lighting a lamp in a toilet!

...

...

"You came."

"I came."

"I knew you would come."

Lin Jiu said, looking at the demon opposite him.

The demon grinned and said, "Of course I came. You knew I would. Otherwise, you wouldn't have killed those worthless Lower Rank demons and then called me out by name."

Lin Jiu smiled faintly, "You shouldn't have come. Coming here means you will die."

The demon burst into laughter.

"I know you killed Doma, that disgusting guy. I can't deny his strength, but I, Akaza, love fighting strong opponents the most."

The demon standing before Lin Jiu was none other than Upper Rank Three, Akaza. Compared to other Upper Rank demons, Akaza was the easiest to find. Lin Jiu had only left messages and taunting words when killing Lower Rank demons recently, which was enough to provoke him.

If it were Gyokko or Hantengu, such lower-ranked demons, upon learning that Lin Jiu was the one who killed Doma, no matter how many taunting messages were left, they would only cower. But Akaza wouldn't; he would challenge the strong who killed Doma.

"Become a demon. I want to see how strong you would be as a demon after killing Doma!"

Akaza looked at Lin Jiu with burning eyes, just like he had treated the strong humans he had encountered before.

Lin Jiu drew his sword, Dawn, and calmly said to Akaza, "You can't imagine the potential within a human body."

"Destructive Death- Compass Needle!"

Akaza took his stance, and the snowflake array unfurled beneath his feet. This setup was akin to Lin Jiu's [Focus Energy], enhancing Akaza's sensory abilities.

What he sensed was his opponent's aura and presence. Every attack from the enemy would cause slight changes in their aura and presence. By capturing these minute changes, Akaza could defend and counterattack at the fastest speed.

But if the opponent had no "aura" or was strong enough to hide it, they couldn't be sensed.

"Hmm?"

Akaza was surprised. He could sense his opponent's presence. He had fought with Hashira from the Demon Slayer Corps before, and by comparison, Lin Jiu's presence was much weaker than that of Hashira.

"Destructive Death: Air Type!"

As a seasoned warrior, Akaza naturally wouldn't think he overestimated his opponent's strength. It could only mean that the opponent was close to achieving the supreme state he desired, making it difficult for him to accurately capture their presence.

Lin Jiu saw Akaza's fist swing through the air toward his direction and decisively ducked to avoid his fist force. He cast a detection spell on Akaza.

[10 mana points consumed, basic detection activated, information obtained as follows.]

Twelve Kizuki, Upper Rank Three: Akaza

Strength: 13

Agility: 11

Stamina: 15

Intelligence: 10

Charisma: 9

Skill 1: Demon Bloodline (Passive). Those with the demon bloodline can regenerate lost limbs and have strong recovery abilities. Only energy attacks or weapons imbued with energy can cause damage (light-based energy attacks are especially effective).

Skill 2: Unarmed Combat Mastery Lv.20.

Skill 3: Destructive Death [Unleashed]

Skill 4: ???

==========

After reading Akaza's information, Lin Jiu's expression became even more serious. Unlike Doma, though most of Akaza's attributes were weaker than Doma's, Akaza followed a martial path. Coupled with the strength contained in a demon's body, Akaza would only be more troublesome than Doma.

Lin Jiu took a deep breath. Akaza only ate people when he reached his limit, relying otherwise on his training. This made his attributes, except for intelligence, significantly lower than Doma's. Moreover, Lin Jiu had deliberately chosen a location, an open field.

In the original Mugen Train arc, the Flame Hashira fought desperately to delay time until dawn, proving that Akaza would still flee. Therefore, Lin Jiu chose a location that could ensure his final victory before Akaza realized the severity of the situation.

If Lin Jiu couldn't kill Akaza, he just needed to drag the time until dawn, and Akaza would have nowhere to escape.

Knowing the characteristics of Akaza's Compass Needle, Lin Jiu kept his breathing steady. Lin Jiu's breathing, aside from its rhythm, was no different from that of an ordinary person. Using the Breathing Technique required large intakes of external oxygen, making the exhaled aura more pronounced. Hence, in Akaza's perception, Lin Jiu's aura was far weaker than the Hashira he had fought before!

Lin Jiu approached Akaza, lowered his body, extended his hand with the sword, and thrust it towards Akaza's throat. Due to the special shape of Lin Jiu's sword, similar to a horizontal blade, slashing and thrusting were the most suitable techniques.