Chapter 182 - Mercy (1/2)
With the clouds covering the cold moon, a glittering sword immediately slashed the neck of a grotesque demon. The injuries on the demon's body prior to demonification were many, and without any source to supply the energy, the demon could barely register the strike until his head was already rolling on the ground.
”That's the last one...”
Saeko muttered with cold indifference. Brandishing her blade to flick off the filthy blood, she looked at Nik, whose expression was somewhat similar to hers. Emotionless eyes as he gazed at the slowly rotting and decomposing body.
Once again, Nik's mission was completed and he was already on the verge of completing his next one.
[Side Mission— 3
Status: Complete
Climbing the Rank
Description: All you have to do is slay some demons and increase your ranks.
Objective: Slay 8/8 Demons
Rewards: Rank 7, 900 SO]
[Side Mission— 4
Climbing the Rank
Description: All you have to do is slay some demons and increase your ranks.
Objective: Slay 8/15 Demons
Rewards: Rank 6, 1100 SO]
'I never noticed until now... but did killing felt so normal to me?'
Nik thought internally while gazing at his stainless nichirin blade with a dazed expression. He has killed before, that he only understood now. Not the time when he killed those pesky Earthbenders but way before...
'Not to mention that my own mind is screwed with something greater...'
Slowly suppressing his thoughts, Nik took a deep breath to calm himself and spun around while smiling.
”Let's go. The quicker we deal with the situation, the quicker we leave.
So, the duo continued their path and did confront a few demons, but the groups weren't as big as the one encountered at the entrance of the village.
It was only near the center of the village when he felt two outstanding sources of Negative Hamon... close to his last assigned hunt. Just a step below the pillars. Seeing this, Nik immediately came to the conclusion that the two demons might be able to utilise their Blood Arts.
And soon, Nik and Saeko came face-to-face with another wave of assaulters— Two Demons. One male and One Female.
And just from the very first sight, both the demon slayers easily found the difference between them and the previously fallen demons.
One of the demons was a burly man, shirt black hair, dark eyes and a long scar across his neck, still pulsating as if healing continuously. Meanwhile, the other was a beautiful lady in tattered dress with a massive hole showing through the dress, exposing a grotesque wound on her abdomen.
The greatest difference was that, the lady was clearly despairing while the male was filled with vigorous energy and a healthy amount of malice.
”Is it just me...”
Saeko whispered with a frown while Nik nodded.
”Yeah, that woman is still looking beautiful even after that wound.”
Saeko immediately glared sternly and hissed softly.
”It is no time to joke.”
”I am not joking.” Nik whispered in equal seriousness and formed his words slowly. His mind was clear of the discriminative thoughts against the demons. Not to mention, he still wasn't blindly believing that the female demon did not harbor any ill will. Maybe she was just hiding her thoughts with expert acting skills.
It was at this moment, Saeko realised something and her eyes widened.
”You— You are the Takagi Nobles...?”
Her whispers immediately induced a violent reaction from the stoic hulk, making him roar in a bestial manner as his head snapped towards Saeko's direction.
'Oh, well, I get the lady all to myself, then.'
Nik shrugged and pointed his blade towards the woman, who visibly shivered before casting a worried look towards the male demon.
”Dear... let's not—”
The lady opened up only for the hulking demon to snap his head towards her direction and growling softly, making her flinch in fear and worry before she immediately looked towards Saeko, who identified them.
”Please, help us! A demon revived us. She keeps on killing and reviving others to control them!”
'Zombies?'