Chapter 16: While I Wait for My Other Half, What Are You Waiting For?

Unlucky! Just my rotten luck!

For the ever-successful Claw Demon, this time, he had truly kicked a steel plate.

He cursed under his breath as he dodged Makomo's fierce strikes.

Under Zhou Yi's guidance, Makomo had recently mastered Total Concentration Constant.

In the earlier exchanges, she hadn't even used 60% of her strength. Though she lacked the power to break through the Claw Demon's defense on his left arm, she was no fool.

Why bother breaking through when decapitating the target would suffice?

Makomo's strength lay in her agility and wind-like speed. Every strike she delivered was precise, each aimed squarely at the Demon's neck.

The Claw Demon was forced to shield his head with his hardened left arm, neglecting the rest of his body entirely.

"Damn it! You gifted ones really think you can do whatever you want!" he growled angrily.

"I'm not sure where you got that idea," a faint voice whispered near his right ear.

From the right!

He raised his left arm to block the slash, but the impact from the accelerated strike knocked him back several steps, sparks flying from the collision.

"I've never considered myself gifted," Makomo replied.

She thought briefly of her junior disciple and added,

"At least not compared to him."

This time, her voice came from the left—faster than before!

The Claw Demon ignored his numb arm, using his right hand to brace his left for another block. Even so, the force sent him flying.

"Since he started, my years of hard work were surpassed effortlessly. For him, one day of training equals four years of mine."

"Did I ever complain? No. Instead, I trained even harder and humbly sought his guidance."

"With his help, my progress became even faster."

"I'm grateful to have such a junior disciple."

"And as for you? Someone like you is better off dead."

Makomo delivered these words with a faint tilt of her head, making her seem even more adorable.

By now, the fight had dragged on for quite some time, and dawn was fast approaching.

"Go to hell and repent!"

"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"

When strength falls short, make up for it with speed. When speed isn't enough, rely on rotation to build power!

Every wielder had their unique way of performing this technique.

In Makomo's hands, Constant Flux emphasized the sheer number of rotations to build overwhelming force.

"This... This strike will kill me!"

"Move faster! If I don't move now, I'm dead!"

The Claw Demon's body was paralyzed with fear. He could only scream as Makomo closed in, her blade ready to strike the final blow.

"Give it up! No one can save you now!" Makomo declared, now mere steps away. The Demon's death was certain.

"You're such a disgrace, my other half!"

"I just stepped out for a bit, and you let yourself get cornered like this?"

-----

"You really think you're worthy of becoming a Lower Moon?"

Danger! Makomo! Danger!

A terrifying wave of killing intent surged from nearby.

If she pushed forward, it wouldn't be the Demon's head rolling on the ground—it would be hers.

"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!"

With no choice, Makomo adjusted her form, using the Third Form to create distance. However, the extra force she had poured into Constant Flux backfired, injuring her in the process.

"Cough! Who are you?"

Makomo's throat tightened as blood spilled from her lips, her body wracked with violent coughs.

"Me? I'm the Claw Demon, of course."

"To be precise, I'm the other half of the Claw Demon."

"Didn't you find it strange? Why does he only have claws on his left hand?"

"Because the other half of him is with me!"

A demon with split personalities!

The ClawDemon possessed a rare Blood Demon Art that allowed him to divide into two entities. One half embodied extreme envy, the other extreme violence.

As individual entities, they could act separately. When faced with a formidable foe, they could merge into a single, far stronger demon!

"Hey! You're way too slow!"

"I've been calling you for ages!"

The Claw Demon lying on the ground let out a long sigh of relief. His fear faded, and a smirk returned to his face.

Now that his other half had arrived, danger was a thing of the past.

Once they merged, defeating this little girl would be child's play!

"I got here as fast as I could!"

"I heard there's a Hashira-level fighter on the road, so I went out of my way to avoid him!"

"What's there to complain about? Didn't I still make it here?"

Makomo finally got a clear look at the attacker.

His right arm was covered in sharp claws, almost identical to the one she had just defeated. The only difference was the distribution of claws on his arm. The right arm was stronger than the left, making this claw demon's right side more powerful.

"Hurry, let's merge and deal with her!"

"This girl let the tribute for Master Dōma escape!"

If not for the ambush, this claw demon would have been no match for Makomo. Upon hearing from his other half that this girl had let the tribute escape, the demon stopped laughing. His expression turned grave, as if recalling something terrifying.

"It's getting late! Let's finish her off and find a new tribute!"

"Agreed!"

"Blood Demon Art: Unity!"

The two claw demons fused together in an instant, forming a completely new demon. Both hands bore claws, his skin was just as dark, and most notably, his eyes displayed writing:

On the left was "Lower Moon," and on the right was "Five!"

However, two black lines crossed over the markings, signifying that this fully fused claw demon was a former Lower Moon Five.

"Do you see the symbols in my eyes? They were once a testament to my strength!"

"But someone named Rui took it from me!"

"I despise you talented brats!"

The fully formed claw demon seemed to reject his current state, his fury intensifying when Makomo observed the markings in his eyes.

"Stop wasting time and attack her already!" The demon's tone suddenly shifted, becoming more violent and savage.

"It seems they still retain their individual consciousness," Makomo noted, continuing to gather information on her opponent even now.

"Useless! Just die already!" the claw demon snarled, glaring at the young girl before him.

As a former Lower Moon, how could he possibly lose to her?

"Wait!" Makomo suddenly interrupted the demon's attack, her posture relaxing entirely, as if she had dropped her guard.

"Wait? Trying to stall for time?"

"Haha! I was waiting for my other half to arrive earlier. And what are you waiting for?"

The fused claw demon sneered cruelly, his right hand playing with the blades on his claws, itching for a fight.

"She's obviously waiting for me!"

A male voice rang out from the air. Moments later, a man carrying a long blade appeared by Makomo's side.

Makomo threw herself into his arms as soon as she saw him.

"You're here!"