Chapter 64: Oppression!
"No, no, no, no matter what, this is a bit too exaggerated, isn't it? But, given the circumstances, it's not impossible..."
Eriri shook her head, scratching her golden hair in frustration.
"Ah, ah, ah, Chihiro... No, I must question him in person tomorrow, what exactly is he trying to do!"
Finally, she couldn't bear the torment any longer and made a decision.
Unlike other readers, they didn't know the identity of 'Izumi Masamune.' Even if they wanted to complain, they could only vent online, but she knew Izumi Masamune's true identity.
What did this mean?
It meant she could make him compromise!
This was normal, right?
When seeing a frustrating plot appear, many people wished the author would immediately change the story to what they wanted.
The death of the Flame Pillar last time had everyone frantic, including her.
However, she also expected that the outcome this time would be the same as last time. As an excellent creator, he had his own opinions and would not change things arbitrarily.
So, her going there was actually just to get an explanation, and to sound him out to prepare herself mentally...
She continued to turn the page.
Doma's confession in hell slightly changed everyone's mood, but the subsequent plot immediately tightened their hearts again.
If Kocho Shinobu's death just now made people feel sad and regretful, then the appearance of Upper Rank One Kokushibo next made people feel utter oppression and despair.
Upon their first encounter, he exuded a suffocating aura, intimidating without even needing to express anger.
In Muichiro Tokito's eyes, he was on a level completely incomparable to the other Upper Ranks.
And indeed, that was the case.
The combat power of the Upper Ranks was roughly divided into three levels: Upper Four, Upper Five, and Upper Six were one level.
Upper Two and Upper Three were one level.
Upper One was an even higher level.
However, even within the same level, there were differences in strength, just not too far apart.
Here, another piece of information was revealed: Muichiro Tokito was a descendant of Kokushibo.
Of course, although Muichiro Tokito was shaken, he quickly calmed down again.
Even if his body instinctively recoiled from fighting such a powerful enemy, even if the one before him was his so-called ancestor, as long as the opponent was a demon still committing evil, he would draw his sword and charge!
The weak wield their swords against the weaker.
As the strong, one must wield their sword against the stronger!
However, while this was a courageous act, the disparity in strength was an insurmountable wall.
This was not a threshold that could be easily crossed with mere determination.
Those six intimidating eyes seemed to see through the intricacies of all his moves, effortlessly dodging several attacks.
Then, Kokushibo severed his hand with a single strike, and when Muichiro Tokito tried to attack again, he was disarmed and pinned to a pillar.
Genya Shinazugawa, who arrived next, also had his hands cut off, followed immediately by being bisected at the waist.
The gore was extreme.
This scene made readers' scalps tingle, and the sentiment expressed between the lines was: So strong! So strong! Unbelievably strong!
The power of Upper Rank One was beyond doubt!
Think about it, what was Muichiro Tokito's strength?
After activating his Demon Slayer Mark, he single-handedly defeated Upper Rank Five in a fair fight.
Yet, before Kokushibo, he was so easily crushed!
"How are they supposed to fight this?"
Readers began to worry about how the Demon Slayer Corps would manage next.
This power was truly off the charts!
Just as the situation was about to collapse, thankfully, the appearance of Wind Pillar Sanemi Shinazugawa temporarily stabilized the situation.
But it wasn't long before he, too, was defeated in battle, and even his rare blood could not give him the upper hand.
Just as he was about to be killed.
The strongest man in the Demon Slayer Corps, Stone Pillar Gyomei Himejima, finally appeared!
"Until every demon on earth is purged, we of the Demon Slayer Corps shall never perish!"
Gyomei Himejima appeared with a solemn air, standing like a towering wall before Kokushibo.
This powerful declaration finally allowed readers to relax and recover a little from the suffocating atmosphere.
The preceding sequence of events had been so relentless, making them feel like they were holding their breath, a knot in their chests, until the ending finally allowed them to let out a sigh of relief.
If the chapter had ended with the Wind Pillar's defeat or Genya Shinazugawa being bisected, it could have further amplified the oppressive feeling brought by Kokushibo.
But that would have been too much.
If this volume were too depressing, everyone would probably have trouble sleeping after reading it, and they would all be lining up to leave comments under his account at night.
Although, judging by the previous plot, there would be no shortage of comments anyway.
...
"Izumi-sensei, you're truly my favorite author; your light novels always entertain me so much."
Senju Muramasa's eyes lit up when she saw the plot.
Although she had anticipated it while reading, when Izumi Masamune truly wrote such a story, it still excited her.
Firstly, what she liked most about Izumi-sensei was his character development, especially the bond between Tanjiro, Nezuko, and their deceased family, which was the most crucial point for her to resonate with.
Secondly, it was the flashback sequences within.
Memories themselves are an important part of life; each person's story is a different life, and each is a life that can be experienced wholeheartedly.
For those who enjoy reading, this is a very important aspect.
This time, the story of Komaji and Koyuki was one that moved and delighted her greatly.
She believed she would not forget it for a very long time.
Beyond that, it was the boldness of the writing.
Being able to handle things so decisively is actually quite rare.
There's an art to it.
Whether few people die or many die doesn't actually determine the quality of a work; a plot that's cruel for cruelty's sake won't evoke sympathy from readers, and might even make them laugh.
Similarly, if a character who should die doesn't, it can also cause dissatisfaction.
So, this involves the difference in character development and plot richness.
Mentioning characters readers dislike less often, and mentioning characters readers like more often, is a relatively simple approach. Unfortunately, most creators are more willing to stick to their initial plot structure and are unwilling to change it.
However, even though Senju Muramasa gave high praise and viewed it with the eyes of a creator, convincing herself, she still felt a bit of a lump in her chest.
"Izumi-sensei, this feeling of annoyance... I must express it to you."
Senju Muramasa's gaze fell on the desk beside her, a slight smile on her lips.
"From a fan's perspective."