Demon Slayer: I am a Demon.

Only after Arakawa Akihiro sheathed his sword did Su Mu realize that the straw doll had been cut in half.

After briefly demonstrating the so-called 'Flying Sword Style' to Su Mu, 'Arakawa Akihiro' turned around and went back into the house. It was late enough, and he needed to rest.

When 'Arakawa Akihiro' returned, Su Mu also came to the straw figure. The cut was smooth and neat, which made him think of 'Arakawa Akihiro's' knife.

As a demon, his physical attributes, strength, eyesight, and perception are undoubtedly far superior to those of humans. In fact, he has already broken the limits of human beings. However, he didn't even see Arakawa Akihiro's slash clearly just now.

He could sense that 'Arakawa Akihiro's' physical abilities were much stronger than those of ordinary people, but far from being able to break the limits of the human body. However, in that instant, even he could not see the speed at which he drew his sword.

With his physical abilities far surpassing those of Arakawa Akihiro, he believed he could also unleash a sword strike that fast. However, that was only based on the oni's formidable physical abilities, while the other relied solely on his frail body to execute the strike. One relied on the body itself, while the other surpassed it; the two were completely incomparable.

If the 'Flying Sword Style' can be so powerful when performed by a human body alone, what kind of power would it have if I were to perform the 'Flying Sword Style' with the powerful body of a demon?

Thinking about all this, he felt a surge of excitement.

…………

After leaving the 'Biku Dojo', Su Mu met up with several merchants in the town. These merchants, who had traveled all over the country, were well-informed and knew a lot.

Although Mount Sagiri is not a very famous mountain range, I still learned its specific address from a merchant. In fact, I not only learned about Mount Sagiri, but also the locations of Mount Fujikasane and Mount Natagumo.

Fujikasane Mountain is the Demon Slayer Corps' testing ground for swordsmen; only by passing the 'Fujikasane Mountain' test can one become a Demon Slayer Corps member.

As for 'Natagumo Mountain', it is now the territory of 'Rui', the 'Lower Moon Sixth Rank' of the Twelve Demon Moons. Merchants say that 'Natagumo Mountain' is very dangerous at night, and several merchants have 'disappeared' when passing through this place.

The so-called 'disappearance' is obviously due to encounters with evil spirits. It is clear that Rui, the 'Lower Moon Sixth Rank' of the Twelve Demon Moons, has not yet been eradicated, otherwise, so many merchants would not still be missing from 'Mount Natagumo'.

This gave Su Mu a clearer understanding of the current stage of the story he was in.

The only pity was that they didn't learn anything about Tanjiro Kamado from the merchants. After all, who would care about a family that sells charcoal deep in the mountains?

Although he was somewhat disappointed not to know Tanjiro Kamado's address, now that he knew the location of Mount Sagiri, finding Tanjiro Kamado's residence would not be difficult for him; he would simply need to search around Mount Sagiri.

I believe it shouldn't take too much time.

However, he needs to be careful during the search, since the Demon Slayer Corps' 'Water Pillar' Sakonji Urokodaki is also living in seclusion in Mount Sagiri. If he discovers this demon, he might have his neck cut off.

…………

After getting the information from the merchants, Su Mu looked up at the sky. It was getting late, and his body was instinctively sending out warning signals—an instinctive fear of sunlight.

Clearly, the demon's instincts were reminding him that he must find a sheltered place from the sun before sunrise.

So Su Mu quickly turned back.

As a ghost, one possesses formidable physical strength and tireless nature, making travel a breeze.

As the sun slowly rose, its rays pierced the darkness and brought light to the earth. Almost all the creatures active in the darkness hid themselves away, and Su Mu also rushed back to the cave when the sun rose.

The cave was damp and dark. Su Mu walked silently forward, encountering skeletons that were like carpets spread on the ground along the way, but he remained silent.

As a former human, he felt uncomfortable seeing his fellow human beings treated like this, but now he was a demon, and for demons, these were just food.

Just like the chicken and duck meat that humans eat, for demons, this is a necessary food, and can even make them more perfect.

However, even knowing all this, he still couldn't get used to it and felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Just as he closed his eyes and prepared to continue walking forward, he suddenly stopped.

Among the skeletons spread out on the floor like a carpet, there was another skeleton still glistening with fresh blood. Of course, this was not what attracted his attention. What caught his eye was the torn clothing next to it, and... a knife.

Although the clothes were torn, it was still possible to vaguely discern that they were the standard uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps.

And that sword... is the Demon Slayer Corps' weapon of choice for Demon Slayers, called the 'Color-Changing Sword', also known as... the Nichirin Blade.

Chapter 12 The Prey

The Nichirin Blade is the exclusive weapon of the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, also known as the "Color-Changing Blade". It is forged from sunlight-absorbing crimson sand iron and crimson ore, and has the special ability to limit the regeneration of demons. It is the only weapon that can damage demons.

It is a sword used to slay evil spirits.

Looking at the knife, Su Mu instinctively felt a sense of disgust, but he still stepped forward and gently took it in his hand.

The blade is inscribed with the four characters 'Destroy Evil Spirits'. The entire blade is brightly colored, with flame patterns on the body and the hilt in the shape of a flame.

Based on Su Mu's understanding of Nichirin Blades, different Demon Slayer Corps members' Nichirin Blades will have different attributes in different colors. For example, the blades with flame patterns and shapes on the tsuba are mostly Demon Slayers who have trained in 'Flame Breathing'.

He gripped the hilt tightly, feeling a burning pain in his palm. At the same time, his body felt a sense of disgust and resistance towards the knife. Clearly, the knife contained something capable of slaying evil spirits.

Despite his disgust, Su Mu still gripped the hilt of the Nichirin Blade tightly. This was because as he conveyed his aversion and resistance to the blade, the demon's instinctive craving for flesh and blood diminished.

In fact, because he had never eaten flesh and blood, his body's instinctive craving for flesh and blood grew stronger day by day.

These days, he has been forcibly suppressing it with his own willpower, but the 'human-craving' thought has grown stronger day by day, putting him under great mental pressure. He has to be on high alert almost all the time. In fact, every time daylight comes, he needs to expose parts of his body to the sun to be injured and melt away. This almost self-harming method is to relieve the ever-growing 'human-craving' desire in his heart.

He felt a slight relief as he held the knife that his body instinctively hated, which lessened his craving for flesh and blood.

These days, he has been worried that before he finds the 'blue spider lily', his will will be destroyed by his 'human-loving' desire, and he will do something that crosses his bottom line, which he will not be able to accept.

Su Mu stood there, gripping his Nichirin Blade, looking at the torn Demon Slayer Corps uniform on the ground and a fresh skeleton still covered in blood. Clearly, this must have been a Demon Slayer Corps member.

However, the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, who were supposed to hunt down demons, have now become the prey of demons, ultimately turning into a chilling skeleton.

He stared at the skeleton for a long time before gripping his Nichirin Blade and walking deeper into the cave.

Before long, Su Mu arrived at a stone chamber in the cave.

Some of the cramped stone chambers were filled with a strong stench of blood. A demon sat there, its狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face showing a hint of weariness, but its scarlet eyes were filled with excitement.

There was a huge stab wound on his chest, through which you could almost see his beating heart. There were also several deep wounds on his arms and thighs that exposed the bone.

Clearly, the demon must have recently engaged in a fierce battle, even having its chest pierced by a knife, but it seemed completely unconcerned about these injuries.

What is almost fatal to humans is nothing to evil spirits.

At this moment, one can see the flesh and blood at the demon's wound constantly writhing, recovering at a speed almost visible to the naked eye.

Such healing power and immortality demonstrate the strength and terror of the evil spirit. Even if its arm is severed or its heart is ruptured, it can heal quickly given a little time.

Aside from having their necks severed by a Nichirin Blade, they are practically immortal.

“You should have agreed to go hunting with me yesterday. If you had, you would have been able to taste that delicious food. The flesh and blood of the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen are completely different from those of ordinary people. Right now, I can feel my blood boiling, and I can feel myself becoming stronger…”

Seeing Su Mu enter, the evil spirit raised its scarlet eyes, with a hint of excitement and a touch of mockery, as if it wanted to see Su Mu regret his actions.

However, the evil spirit did not see what it wanted from Su Mu, which made it feel extremely uncomfortable. At the same time, some fragments of memories of being a human suddenly surfaced in its mind, making the evil spirit feel an inexplicable discomfort and sadness.

Despite possessing a powerful body and becoming more perfect, the demon still felt an unfillable emptiness and an indescribable sadness within, causing it to painfully tug at its hair.

Looking at the demon's current state, Su Mu was already used to it.

These demons possess extraordinary healing abilities, immense strength, and near-immortal bodies. While everything seems to be progressing towards perfection, flaws still exist. Besides fearing sunlight and being unable to control their desire to devour flesh, they also suffer from various mental problems. This applies not only to ordinary demons but also to the Twelve Demon Moons, most of which are related to their past lives as humans.

"Ha...haha, I'm no longer that weak creature I used to be. How come those pathetic memories still keep popping up in my mind?"

The demon wiped away the tears that had inexplicably appeared in its eyes, then suddenly burst into laughter, standing up abruptly: "After devouring the flesh and blood of that Demon Slayer Corps swordsman, I feel even stronger. Perhaps, in the next 'Switching Blood War,' I can become a new Twelve Demon Moon."

"If I could obtain more of the 'adult's' blood, I would become even more perfect."

As he spoke, the demon's face showed longing, as if he could already imagine the arrival of that moment, and he seemed to be in a state of ecstasy.

After a while, the demon finally snapped out of its trance and looked at Su Mu again: "Last time I invited you to hunt with me, but you didn't agree. This time, I'll give you another chance. Cooperate with me, and I'll give you a portion of the flesh and blood of the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen. Believe me, the flesh and blood of those Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen are extremely effective. They can make you even stronger. Once you experience the wonders..."

"No interest."

Su Mu shook his head, looked at the demon whose face was not good, hesitated for a moment before speaking: "I advise you to restrain yourself. Once you are targeted by the Demon Slayer Corps, given the fearless style of the Demon Slayer Corps swordsmen, it won't be long before your neck is cut off by the Nichirin Blade."

Hearing Su Mu's words, the demon couldn't help but think of the Demon Slayer Corps swordsman he had killed yesterday. Even though Su Mu had pierced his abdomen with a claw and was in excruciating pain, the swordsman still attacked it madly, smashing his head and biting with his teeth. Thinking of that crazy spirit, the demon felt a slight chill in its heart.

But immediately, the evil spirit looked at Su Mu and sneered: "Do you think they'll let us go if we don't deal with them?"

Su Mu fell silent for a moment.

"Abandon that identity that once belonged to you as a human as soon as possible, forget everything from your past. Remember, you are already a demon. Even if you never 'devoured' humans, they won't listen to your explanations," the evil spirit sneered.

"If you don't get stronger quickly, if you don't become one of the Twelve Demon Moons, we will eventually be hunted by the Demon Slayer Corps. If your strength stagnates, no matter how much you try to escape, you will not change your status as prey. In fact, you will be killed by those Demon Slayer Corps demon hunters with your Nichirin Blade even sooner than me."

As he spoke, the demon burst into laughter: "Once I have devoured enough flesh and blood, and my strength reaches that of the Twelve Demon Moons, even the 'Pillars' of the Demon Slayer Corps will only become my prey."

Chapter 13 Memories of My Past Life as a Human

"Only by consuming flesh and blood can we continuously grow stronger. You remind me of myself when I first became a demon. I once had the same persistence as you, but I found that such persistence is so laughable in the face of a real appetite. Only when you devour flesh and blood, feel the pleasure in your body's cells, feel yourself growing stronger, and feel yourself constantly moving towards perfection, will you truly understand..."

The demon stared at Su Mu, its eyes bloodshot: "Hunt with me, let's grow stronger and stronger together, and even become the new 'Twelve Demon Moons'."

Su Mu did not answer the demon's question, but instead asked in a low voice, "Do you still remember your memories of being a human?"

The evil spirit was stunned. Unconsciously, it recalled fragments of its past as a human, but upon further reflection, those fragments seemed to gradually become blurred.

Unconsciously, the memories of being human have slowly faded from my mind, leaving only vague fragments of certain 'happy' moments from my time as a human being.

But these things have been gradually lost without us even realizing it.

When I look back, a nameless fear rises in my heart, as if I can no longer face the time when I was a weak human being.

Do you still remember who you used to be?

Su Mu looked at the demon before him: "Or are you still yourself now?"

The demon clutched its head in pain, as if trying to remember something, as if trying to grasp something, but...

You can't grasp anything.

even

I don't want to think back anymore, I don't want to face the person I used to be. All I want to do is keep eating and keep getting stronger.

Although I am on the path to becoming stronger, there are occasional moments when I feel empty inside, as if I have lost something precious. But upon closer inspection, I find that I have not lost anything. However, that empty feeling will always linger in my heart.

"What's the point of looking back? What can we change?"

After a long while, the demon recovered from its dejected mood: "Do you think your current persistence will be of any use?"

"Ah……"

The demon suddenly laughed: "No demon is special. Even the powerful 'Twelve Demon Moons' cannot change that. When we become stronger, we inevitably lose something. Don't you feel the joy of being strong now? A powerful body, unparalleled regenerative ability, and almost inexhaustible life..."

Su Mu didn't speak. For thousands of years, apart from Nezuko becoming a demon, no other demon has ever been considered special.

If nothing unexpected happens, driven by his innate 'feeding' desire as a ghost, he will become like other evil spirits, but he will eventually find a way to deal with it.

Even though I've become a ghost, I'll still live according to my own ideas.

Su Mu said calmly.