Horitake and Miri chatted as they headed toward the demon hideout.
Just before dawn, they found it in the mountains—a sizable house, its windows and doors boarded shut, the surrounding soil red and sticky.
Seeing the house, they knew it was the demon hideout.
They stood outside, eyeing the ominous structure.
Horitake looked down at the red, sticky soil. He nudged the ground with his toe, uncovering a bone.
Not an animal bone.
They confirmed it instantly.
The soil's red hue came from…
Horitake and Miri exchanged a silent glance, sighing.
Miri moved toward the house, but Horitake stopped her: "Hold off. I'll check for plague leaks first."
His spirit vision could detect plague through red-black ominous auras.
Activating it, he peered into the house with faint clairvoyance.
"Hm? As expected, uncleared plague sources! In the basement! Not just flesh orbs—the entire basement is filled with red-black aura. All plague! Was this Byouyo's testing ground? The basement's sealed tight, no leaks—commendable. They're cautious, likely fearing infection themselves. There's a second floor above…"
"!!!!"
Horitake's aura shifted, instantly alert and serious, as if facing a great enemy!
With spirit vision active, he stared at the second floor, arm outstretched to shield Miri behind him, voice grave: "Miri, back off! As far as you can!"
Miri, startled, had never seen Horitake so tense, making her nervous: "Horitake-bro, is the plague leaking!?"
"No! It's…"
Horitake glanced at the eastern horizon.
The sky was turning pale.
He relaxed slightly. Miri would be safe outside.
He instructed: "Stay put. Don't move."
Miri, confused and tense: "Horitake-bro, what's going on?"
"No worries. Sun's almost up. What could happen?"
"Oh… right. Are you going in?"
Horitake nodded, leaving Miri outside and approaching the house.
At the door, he opened the tightly sealed wood, entering solemnly.
Ignoring the basement, he headed straight for the second floor.
Creaking stairs echoed as he climbed step by step.
Reaching the top, his aura was restrained, solid as a rock, unassailable, immovable.
Though the windows were boarded, a faint light glowed from a tatami room on the second floor.
Horitake approached, opened the door, and stepped inside.
In the room, a figure faced an oil lamp, back to Horitake, sitting on the tatami.
Dressed as a samurai, with long black hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing a purple snake-patterned kimono and black hakama, a katana with an eye-covered hilt at his waist.
From the back alone, Horitake knew who he was.
Tense yet thrilled, Horitake smiled, saying: "A friend from afar—how delightful. Not greeting me, sir, means I'm unwelcome?"
The samurai's voice was steady, somber: "I only welcome those with status or strength."
Horitake smiled: "Then I surely qualify."
"Oh?"
The samurai turned slowly, facing Horitake.
Horitake saw his face—six eyes, flame-like markings on forehead and neck! Upper Moon One, Kokushibo!
Confirming it was him, Horitake grinned, whether from tension or excitement, a genuine smile.
Kokushibo, honed by centuries of swordsmanship, recognized it—a smile of burning battle intent, facing an unbeatable foe!
He didn't dislike it. He wanted to know who this intruder was: "Seeing me, recognizing me, and still smiling? Interesting. Who are you?"
Horitake thought, then answered: "The one your boss most wants dead!"
Kokushibo understood: "You! I heard your Thunder Breathing releases lightning that counters us demons, preventing our healing."
"That's me. My lightning works that way, but…" Horitake, still using spirit vision, observed Kokushibo's terrifying blood and demonic power: "Against the top three Upper Moons, my lightning's less effective. It still hurts greatly, but you can heal, just slowly, like a human."
Kokushibo nodded: "That's remarkable. I didn't expect a force besides sunlight to counter us so well."
"Haha, you demons just haven't been struck by nature's lightning. It's as potent as sunlight—one's instant, the other's constant."
As Horitake scanned Kokushibo with spirit vision, Kokushibo sensed the probing: "Transparent World!? No… another method. Impressive."
Using his Transparent World, Kokushibo examined Horitake's body!
He saw something shocking! Horitake's bones, muscles, organs—far beyond human! And divine purple lightning flowed calmly within him!
Kokushibo thought lightning was wild and uncontrollable, yet Horitake's was tamed, flowing quietly.
What an extraordinary technique!?
Kokushibo regarded him with newfound respect.
He stood slowly, showing deference.
Unhurried, Horitake asked something intriguing: "Why's Kokushibo here?"
Kokushibo didn't mind explaining: "Byouyo, that kid, was turned into a demon by me. I'm his guide. Recently, he eagerly invited me, saying his benefactor should see a grand show and feast. So I came. But it seems the show and feast are off. You've likely dealt with him."
Horitake nodded, understanding the context.
Horitake's eyes met Kokushibo's six, both silent.
Outside, the eastern sky brightened. The sun was near.
Kokushibo sensed it, saying to Horitake: "Looks like we've only time for one move. Wonder if it'll satisfy."
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