Item: Flesh and Blood of the Living Will (a derivative born from demon blood and a source of corrupted power).
Grade: Silver
Type: Consumable Blood Enhancement
Function: Capable of racial transformation or life energy amplification.
Warning: This item has severe flaws and binding side effects. The method of consumption (ingestion or blood infusion) determines the corresponding mental corruption.
Oboro studied the card in his palm, his eyes gleaming with newfound understanding. Its silver classification spoke volumes about its true worth, which far exceeded that of the bronze-level card he'd obtained from Gyokko's severed flesh. It represented something far more potent and dangerous.
Its permanence is what makes it truly valuable. Unlike temporary abilities, this card could be carried beyond the boundaries of the Demon Slayer world, a special artifact that transcended dimensional barriers.
"The flesh carries corruption, but the will that taints the very soul," Oboro mused, his lips curving into a predatory smile. "Which means the corresponding Blood Demon Art remains bound to it. In other words, I could create demons in other worlds."
Tonight's battle had yielded unexpected treasures. The demon's flesh disintegrated quickly once its strength faded, leaving Oboro with barely enough time to forge two cards. More importantly, though, he had witnessed the raw power of inherited will firsthand, something that resonated within his own spirit and strengthened his soul through direct experience.
Understanding the concept of will was one thing. Experiencing its true nature was entirely different.
Personal will followed the same principle. You could know the path to strength and understand what true power looked like. But when it came to actual practice, whether you could endure or persevere, that was another matter entirely. Only those with ironclad personal will could push themselves to the summit and continue to grow beyond their limits.
The same logic applied here.
Oboro might have understood what inherited willpower meant in theory, but without experiencing it firsthand, without feeling its weight, he could not truly comprehend it. His method of fulfilling his supreme will involved accumulating insights that allowed his soul to expand and evolve.
"I'll have far more confidence than anticipated when I reach the next world," he thought with quiet satisfaction.
He had to admit that he had initially underestimated the Demon Slayer world. However, the people and lives in this realm had continuously proven to him that, although it might be considered a "lesser" world in terms of raw power, it was not insignificant. It possessed its own unique characteristics and profound depths.
The rebellion organized by the inheritors had crumbled into failure.
Originally, the small group never intended to conquer all of Edo in one sweeping assault, such ambition would have been utterly unrealistic. Their strategy was more calculated: create widespread chaos and break through the defensive lines of the Demon Slayer Corps and government forces. They aimed to eliminate as many high-ranking shogunate officials as possible, crippling the ruling power.
After nearly a decade of continuous warfare, the shogunate was exhausted, with depleted ranks and stretched-thin resources.
However, with the death of several key figures, the remaining forces were unable to maintain their offensive. The surviving members scattered like leaves in a storm, with only a handful managing to escape Edo alive. Far too many had perished in the streets of the capital.
The incident sent shockwaves throughout the country. As with most tragedies, however, time gradually dulled its impact until it faded into memory.
In the years that followed, the surviving inheritors adopted a more cautious approach. They kept their activities completely secret, knowing that, despite the obvious decline of the Edo period, overthrowing the shogunate and reshaping the world was nearly impossible.
This harsh reality forced the other members of their faction to realize that they needed to grow stronger and gather more allies before attempting another uprising.
As for who had killed the inheritors, the rumors varied wildly. Some claimed it was the work of a Demon Slayer Corps Hashira, while others insisted Muzan himself had been involved. Neither theory was ever confirmed, and eventually, the speculation died down without resolution.
Once all the major factions had stabilized their positions, Oboro found that he had little left to occupy his time except to remain in his established location and allow his carefully planted seeds to grow wild over the passing years.
However, as another decade was about to begin, an unexpected visitor arrived:
It was Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the current head of the Ubuyashiki clan.
His time was running short. Due to Muzan's curse, Ubuyashiki family heads rarely lived past thirty. Though he had assumed leadership of the Demon Slayer Corps at a young age, time was precious and limited for someone in his position. He couldn't afford to waste a single moment.
This was the burden carried by most members of the Ubuyashiki lineage.
Now, as he approached the end of his life, he finally mustered the courage to meet the man who had kept the Demon Slayer Corps on edge for years.
In truth, only a select few in the Demon Slayer Corps knew of Oboro's existence. Many of those who knew were already dead, while some elderly veterans had retired to become instructors and mentors.
Giyu, the former Water Hashira, was one of the few survivors still alive. Thanks to his breathing techniques, he had avoided the premature death typically associated with the demon slayer marks.
Rengoku hadn't been as fortunate. Despite learning the deeper aspects of breathing techniques, he lacked Giyu's natural talent. Even after years of fierce battles, he never manifested the marks. Though his combat prowess was exceptional, he eventually fell to an Upper Rank demon.
The three factions, the Inheritors, Muzan's demons, and the Demon Slayer Corps, had grown significantly stronger through constant conflict with each other. The Demon Slayer Corps wasn't the only organization evolving.
When he met with Ubuyashiki Kagaya, the young leader was remarkably polite. The gaze he directed toward Oboro was strangely calm and devoid of anger, hatred, or hostility. Instead, his eyes held a kind of worldly wisdom that seemed impossible for someone not yet thirty.
He came to see Oboro with few words, leaving only a cutting message.
He accused Oboro of treating the human world as his personal playground and using it as a chessboard to satisfy his own selfish desires. He claimed that Oboro derived pleasure from chaos at the cost of countless innocent lives.
In his judgment, people like Oboro were more despicable than Muzan himself and deserved death.
He declared that one day, a descendant of the Demon Slayer Corps would rise up and send Oboro straight to hell.
"Aren't you afraid I'll destroy the Demon Slayer Corps right here, right now?" Oboro asked with genuine curiosity.
"You won't," replied Ubuyashiki Kagaya, shaking his head with absolute certainty. He believed he had seen through Oboro's true nature.
Oboro's entertainment came from endless chaos and conflict. Without opposing factions capable of creating a meaningful struggle, the game would lose its appeal. Kagaya saw Oboro as someone with an extremely rare personality, someone who lacked the seven emotions and six desires that ordinary people normally have. While Oboro's desires might seem few and pure on the surface, they were actually far greater and pursued with terrifying intensity.
He needed to orchestrate the deaths of countless people to achieve the satisfaction and excitement that came with absolute control, a thoroughly perverted mindset.
Without Oboro's hidden manipulation, the world wouldn't have suffered such devastating chaos over the past decade.
Ubuyashiki Kagaya also understood that, without Oboro's intervention, the Demon Slayer Corps would never have survived the shogunate's pressure intact. However, this wasn't out of care for the Corps, but rather to ensure the game retained its most exciting elements.
So he spoke bluntly: Oboro was a monster in human skin, worse than Muzan and more deserving of death.
Because he was already dying, he felt no fear speaking these truths directly to Oboro's face.
After delivering his message, Ubuyashiki Kagaya politely took his leave.
His assessment aligned remarkably well with Oboro's actual methods, though he had completely misunderstood the original motivation behind them.
From Ubuyashiki Kuno to Ubuyashiki Kagaya, two generations of family heads had spent years investigating and had come surprisingly close to uncovering Oboro's true "conspiracy."
But that still wasn't the complete truth.
Nevertheless, their wisdom was remarkable.
Oboro felt no anger toward the accusations, it was inevitable that his actions would be met with resistance and hostility by the native inhabitants of this world. After all, this was their home.
Though Oboro was a dimensional traveler, he felt that the Hunter x Hunter world was more suitable for him, as it carried something of a "hometown" atmosphere.
If some unknown entity suddenly appeared and began disrupting the established balance of the Hunter x Hunter world, attempting to destroy everything and reshape its order, Oboro would also feel anger. He would stand up and fight back.
It was simply human nature.
The era wasn't over yet, but Oboro had already witnessed many fascinating people and events.
He looked forward to seeing what the next era would bring, hopefully something even more dazzling.