"Don't... don't touch him..."
A low, hoarse growl, like that of a wild beast, escaped Sanemi's throat.
No!!
Masachika must not die!!
This nagging, motherly guy, always cleaning up my messes, and who even promised to treat me to hagi mochi after the war—I absolutely cannot die here!!
In that instant, a crazy idea rushed into Sanemi's chaotic mind.
Sanemi's crimson eyes darted around, landing on his own hand that was still gripping the knife.
Without a second thought, he suddenly raised his Nichirin Blade and slashed it viciously at his left wrist!
"Pfft--!"
The sharp blade instantly severed the skin and blood vessels.
A stream of warm, deep red blood, carrying a strange fragrance, gushed out!!
That wasn't ordinary blood.
That's even more precious than the rarest Marechi, exclusively belonging to Sanemi Shinazugawa — the Ultimate Marechi!
If ordinary human blood is as bland as coarse food to evil spirits, then ordinary Marechi is a delicacy.
So, Sanemi Shinazugawa's blood is the legendary nectar that only the gods in heaven can enjoy!!
That aroma, OMG, is richer than the finest vintage wine, more alluring than the most captivating poppy scent, possessing a deadly magic that can intoxicate even the soul!!
Aizetsu, who was about to stab Masachika death with a single spear thrust, froze in mid-air.
His face, which was etched with sorrow, instantly contorted into a bizarre expression.
His nose twitched uncontrollably, his eyes were fixed on the bleeding wound on Sanemi's wrist, and drool dripped down the corner of his mouth o()o.
"What... what is this smell?"
It was as if all his sadness had been drained away, leaving only his most primal, most frantic desires.
"So annoying!! So annoying!! You bunch of lowly trash! Get the hell away from me!!"
With Sekido of his staff, Ji Nu unleashed a violent bolt of lightning that struck Ai Aizetsu, who was closest to him, scorching him to a crisp.
"That blood is mine! Anyone who dares to take it from me, I'll annihilate them completely!!"
"Wow!! This is amazing!! It's the most wonderful scent I've ever smelled!!"
Karaku waved his fan, jumped up excitedly, and his face was filled with undisguised ecstasy and greed.
"Hehe!! Mine! Mine!! This walking bottle of exquisite wine is mine!!"
Urogi let out a piercing shriek, like an out-of-control fighter jet, swooping erratically from mid-air, the gale-force winds from its wings causing the surrounding trees to sway wildly.
Just moments ago, the four demons were getting along well, preparing to join forces to slaughter the three swordsmen. But now, because of the appearance of this Marechi, they instantly turned against each other, went mad, and began fighting amongst themselves.
Sanemi looked at the ridiculous and chaotic scene before him, a ferocious and triumphant laugh spreading across his face.
He staggered to his feet from the mud puddle, deliberately raising his bleeding wrist high, and with all his might, let out a defiant roar.
"Come on! You bunch of scum!"
"Want some? I have plenty!"
"If you're so capable, come and chase me! Haha!!"
After saying that, Sanemi turned around, dragging his badly injured body, and limped away, using all his strength to run deeper into the forest.
With each step he took, the rich aroma acted like an invisible chain, tightly hooking onto the four completely irrational demons behind him.
"Don't run! You damned bottle of wine!"
"Stop! Give me a sip! Just one sip!"
The four demons roared and chased after it, the scene resembling a pack of mad dogs that hadn't eaten for three hundred years chasing a rare bone that could run on its own.
The chaotic battlefield has temporarily returned to a deathly silence.
Dizzy and disoriented from the sound waves, Obanai struggled to her feet.
He shook his still-buzzing head, and two streams of warm blood slid down his ear canals, but he didn't care anymore.
He staggered to Masachika's side, watching in the distance Sanemi dragged a bloody path, drawing the monster away.
Those heterochromatic eyes, one gold and one blue, were filled with unfathomable shock and confusion.
"That white-haired madman... what is he doing? Is this some new suicide attack?"
"Is his head filled with nothing but mochi, not muscles?"
"Cough~ cough cough..."
Masachika coughed violently a few times, spitting out a mouthful of black blood with a burnt smell, his face full of bitterness and helplessness.
"He's not crazy... he's saving us in his own way..."
"Save them? Use your own blood as bait? That's the stupidest, most degrading tactic I've ever seen in my life!!"
Obanai simply couldn't understand it, and her words were filled with contempt for this barbaric act.
"You know absolutely nothing..."
Masachika struggled, offering an explanation in fits and starts.
"Sanemi's blood... is the Marechi of Marechi, an irresistible poison to demons, and also... an elixir for instant ascension to heaven."
"Just the smell is enough to make a ghost drunk, lose its mind, and greatly reduce its strength... but if... if it were to actually drink even a drop..."
A look of extreme fear flashed in Masachika's eyes.
"That ghost will instantly evolve into a monster that none of us can defeat..."
Obanai's pupils suddenly contracted to their maximum size.
He finally understood that Sanemi's seemingly reckless actions just now were driven by a death-defying resolve.
That wasn't him showing off, nor was he going crazy.
That was risking one in ten thousand chance of survival for their companions with their own lives.
"I told him a long time ago... not to bleed out recklessly in battle..."
Masachika's voice was filled with regret and self-blame as he slammed his fist hard on the ground.
"But that bastard... he never listens!"
"He's a complete, hopeless... idiot!!"
Obanai fell silent.
He looked down at the winding, blood-soaked path in the distance, and at the four evil spirits who had already disappeared from sight.
A jumble of emotions churned wildly in his chest.
That was the first time he had felt so clearly the weight of companionship since escaping that dark cage.
"Hateful..."
Obanai bit his lip hard, and the usually clean boy carelessly wiped his face with the back of his muddy hand.
"I owe that idiot such a huge favor... If word gets out, where will I put my face..."
He took a breath, forcefully suppressing the excruciating pain and dizziness churning within him.
Total Concentration - Breathing!
Let your body forget the pain, and let your will surpass its limits!
The next second, Obanai's figure vanished from her spot, transforming into a black and white ghostly shadow that chased after the blood trail without a second thought.
On the other side of the woods, a comical yet deadly chase is unfolding.
Sanemi Shinazugawa felt he was nearing his limit.
The dizziness from excessive blood loss made the world spin before his eyes, and every step he took felt like walking on cotton.
But the commotion behind him made him want to laugh.
Those four arrogant devils were now completely drunk.
Fueled by pent-up Sekido, he ran while simultaneously unleashing his electric powers, only to slip and be struck precisely on the forehead by a bolt of lightning, causing him to convulse and foam at the mouth.
Happy Karaku waved her fan, trying to slow down Sanemi, but she used too much force and ended up hanging on a nearby tree, like a silly kite swaying in the wind.
The flying Urogi was even more absurd; he let out incomprehensible giggles as he flew, then crashed headfirst into a thick tree trunk.
Seeing stars, it fell and landed in a puddle. It flapped its wings but couldn't fly. The whole ghost seemed to split open.
The most tragic one was Aizetsu; he started crying as he ran. o(╥╥)o,
It wasn't because of sadness, but because the smell was so delicious that he was moved to tears. As a result, he slipped, tripped over a vine, and fell face-first into the dirt.
This scene was hardly one of some world-destroying demons; it was clearly just four street thugs who had gotten drunk on fake alcohol.
Sanemi seized the opportunity, made a sudden turn, and rushed into a dead end made of huge rocks.
With his back against the cold rock wall, he had nowhere to retreat.
He gasped for breath, using his Nichirin Blade to support his swaying body, watching the four demons staggering and pulling at each other as they charged in.
Their strength has been weakened to the extreme by their Marechi.
This is an opportunity.
This is also my... last chance!!
Sanemi grinned, revealing a blood-stained, utterly insane smile.
"Come on... you scum..."
"Round two, begin now!!"
[I'm not so busy right now, so I'll resume updating twice a week!]
[The other three chapters will be made up as soon as possible]
[Two chapters still owed] (ง •̀_•́)ง Keep going!