"Kid, I was going to spare you since we're both monsters… but you just don't know what's good for you. So go on—become fuel for my evolution.
You should feel honored. You'll become a part of my power. The world is on the verge of change, a golden age for monsters. Once I devour you, I'll secure my place in it."
Ren Kuroda staggered out of the rubble, spitting out a mouthful of foul blood as he glared at the Rat Demon King—who had begun speaking in disturbingly fluent human language. A thin, contemptuous smile tugged at Ren's lips.
"A coward like you—picking on the weak, groveling before the strong—really thinks he's going to become a great monster? Sure, survival of the fittest is the iron law among yokai, but you didn't have that attitude a few minutes ago."
It was true that Ren had just slaughtered a swarm of lesser rat yokai. Thanks to the low-grade demon cores he'd absorbed during the fight, his demonic energy hadn't taken much of a hit.His body, however, told a different story. Physically, he was exhausted. He wasn't as strong as the Rat Demon King—nor was his yokai power anywhere near the monster's level.
"So to win… I'll have to rely entirely on skill and battle awareness?"
Ren wiped the blood from his lips and sprinted forward again. His half-demon blood roared to life inside him. Shockingly, he felt no fear—only a blazing desire to fight.
He did have one more trump card, of course:Half-Demon Transformation.
Activating that skill would unleash his demon bloodline completely, erasing the "half" and turning him into a full-blooded demon for a short period. His physical abilities and demonic power would skyrocket in an instant.
But Ren would only use it if he truly had no other choice.
He'd used it once before—and lost consciousness. When he woke up, he'd been lying in a lake of blood surrounded by severed limbs. His enemies had been reduced to unrecognizable, mangled corpses.
Ren still had no idea how he'd killed them.
Worse, after that uncontrolled transformation, he'd been bedridden for three days, his demonic power entirely spent.
In essence… it was a skill that dealt a thousand to the enemy and eight hundred to himself. A last resort—with unknown long-term consequences.
Ren tightened his grip on his demon blade, Oni-Shō, holding it in a classical sword stance. The moment the Rat Demon King lunged, Ren unleashed a violent, crescent-shaped slash.
A strike strong enough to gouge deep trenches into reinforced concrete—
Yet the Rat Demon King casually caught the purple crescent in its teeth.
Crunch.
The blade of demonic energy shattered in its jaws like brittle glass.
Ren clicked his tongue. Fast bastard.He knew he couldn't match its speed. Closing the distance was dangerous—but staying away meant certain defeat.
"I have to get in close. That's the only way."
The Rat Demon King's size gave it ridiculous reach and power. But being gigantic wasn't always an advantage. If Ren could get inside its blind spots, he'd have an opening.
Of course… he'd also seen how easily those monstrous fangs shredded demonic energy.If he got bitten, even a half-demon body wouldn't save him.
Seeing Ren close in instead of fleeing, the Rat Demon King curled its lip into a disturbingly human sneer.
Then it reared up—and slammed both forelimbs into the ground with crushing force.
The impact rattled the earth. A web of cracks tore outward, racing straight toward Ren.
He staggered as the ground quaked, but he recovered immediately. Digging his toes into the concrete, he launched himself upward—straight at the Rat Demon King's face.
CLANG!
Sparks lit the darkness as sword met fang.
Ren's Oni-Shō clashed with the Rat Demon King's razor teeth. Even though the monster could bite through pure demonic energy, Ren's demon-forged blade didn't yield. The two forces collided evenly—brute strength against falling momentum.
The moment Ren's feet brushed the ground—
The Rat Demon King's tail whipped toward him, slicing the air with terrifying force. Even before it connected, the compressed wind stung Ren's cheek like knives.
"The same move won't work twice on— ow— this handsome bastard!"
He twisted midair, flipping gracefully out of the tail's path. Not only did he dodge, he landed directly on the tail and sprinted along it toward the monster's back.
"You little pest! Face me head-on instead of relying on cheap tricks!"
The Rat Demon King roared in pain as Ren disappeared behind it.Despite its overwhelming power, its massive body couldn't bend far enough to reach its own back.
SKREEEEEEEEE!
Another shriek tore through the night—this time unquestionably from the Rat Demon King.
Ren was already atop its back, gripping his sword in a reverse hold and stabbing wildly into its flesh. Blood sprayed in torrents, soaking him from head to toe.
"How's that acupuncture session treating you? Want to try the scraping treatment next?"
Ren's "acupuncture" was just frantic stabbing. His "scraping massage" was nonstop slashing.Given the Rat Demon King's enormous size, his blade looked like nothing more than a glorified toothpick.
But a toothpick used often enough will still kill a giant.
And right now, the Rat Demon King was losing blood at a terrifying rate.
For all its overwhelming strength, demonic power, and sheer bulk—none of it mattered if the enemy was clinging to its back like a parasitic nightmare.
"You damned brat! If you've got guts, get down here and fight me properly! Aren't oni supposed to be proud and fierce? Using cowardly tactics like this—are you really worthy of your demon bloodline!?"
Driven mad with pain, the Rat Demon King thrashed violently, ramming its enormous body into the surrounding buildings. Decayed structures that had survived decades crumbled instantly under its berserk strength.
Ren's blade was lodged deep in the monster's back. Every time the Rat Demon King slammed into a wall, the impact rattled through Ren's entire frame. He was getting battered, bruised, and shaken—
But compared to the Rat Demon King, Ren was far better off.
The monster was losing blood in rivers, staggering from its own recklessness.
And Ren knew it.
If this kept up, he could wear the giant down—and finish this fight.