Zero Yu Zi rolled away, while Tsugikuni Kuuga seized the chance to slash at her neck. But Zero Yu Zi instantly turned into mist, bypassed Tsugikuni Kuuga, and fled toward the town.
Tsugikuni Kuuga naturally could not let her enter the village. In her near-death state, a demon would definitely devour people to replenish her energy. After all, they were not like his boss, who could unleash Blood Demon Arts without limit.
As a cloud of mist floating through the air, Zero Yu Zi's speed naturally increased by more than a little, and she quickly pulled away from Tsugikuni Kuuga.
Zero Yu Zi had already figured out how she would explain things to her boss. Though she had fled, the information about Tsugikuni Kuuga might just earn her forgiveness.
Tsugikuni Kuuga also gave chase at full speed. When he was only a meter away from the cloud of mist, he leaped into the air, greatly shortening the distance.
The instant he descended, he unleashed Sun-Breathing, Tenth Form: Brilliant Grace Light. The spiraling flaming slash cleaved the cloud of mist in two.
But the mist swiftly returned to normal. Tsugikuni Kuuga realized he had been wrong—the mist created by the Blood Demon Art had not been damaged by his sword technique. In other words, he could only cut Zero Yu Zi when she solidified to attack him.
But Zero Yu Zi was now almost certainly not going to attack him. Tsugikuni Kuuga looked up and saw that the town was less than five hundred meters away.
"Ha ha ha, you can't do anything to me now, can you? I may not be able to beat you, but you can't kill me either!" Zero Yu Zi mocked.
"Once I get into town, I'll kill humans immediately. I'll kill them right in front of you!"
"I wonder how wonderful your expression will be then. Hee hee!"
"Tch! You think I have no way to deal with you?"
"Today, you'll neither escape nor kill anyone!"
It was already late at night, so most of the townspeople were asleep. Only a few remained outside, people forced to toil for their survival.
At that moment, someone at the entrance to the town was packing up a stall. Apparently, he had been busy until now and was only preparing to go home. Zero Yu Zi was overjoyed. It seemed she could replenish her energy after all.
The stall owner noticed a cloud of mist drifting toward him but paid it no mind. Yet he never expected a person to emerge from the mist and pounce at him with a vicious expression.
Zero Yu Zi kicked his cart flying. When the stall owner saw that the tool of his trade had been destroyed, he instantly became furious. Just as he was about to argue with Zero Yu Zi, she grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up.
"Y-you, who are you? Why?" the stall owner asked haltingly.
"You don't need to know. But remember this: you're dying because of a worthless fool. Ha ha ha!"
Zero Yu Zi thrust her hand straight toward the stall owner's heart, ready to put on a live heart-ripping show.
Tsugikuni Kuuga saw that he was about to be too late, so he hurled his sword. The blade pierced straight through Zero Yu Zi's heart, and she hesitated for an instant.
But that instant of hesitation bought Tsugikuni Kuuga time. He launched a flying kick at Zero Yu Zi's head while pulling the sword from her body.
But because he was airborne, Zero Yu Zi found an opening. After throwing aside the stall owner, she grabbed Tsugikuni Kuuga's leg with one hand and viciously slammed him into the ground.
Tsugikuni Kuuga spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes rolling back. A sharp crack came from his thigh as well. The moment it broke, he did not even manage to cry out.
Zero Yu Zi planted a foot on Tsugikuni Kuuga's chest, causing him even more pain as several of his ribs broke. He spat out another mouthful of blood.
Zero Yu Zi laughed triumphantly. She had not expected to turn things around so quickly. She truly had to thank the human before her for holding him back.
"You humans are so weak. You're always bound by that pathetic sense of responsibility. That so-called protection only protects a bunch of selfish humans!"
Zero Yu Zi grabbed Tsugikuni Kuuga by the collar and lifted him up. Though his head was buzzing, he still gripped his sword tightly.
Zero Yu Zi raised Tsugikuni Kuuga's head and mocked him with a regretful look.
"Open your eyes and look. That person you saved has already run off who knows where, while you're in my hands!"
"How pathetic. If you hadn't cared about that guy's life, it would be my head you had cut off by now!"
Tsugikuni Kuuga suddenly opened his eyes and swiftly swung his sword at Zero Yu Zi's neck. But his severe injuries still allowed Zero Yu Zi to dodge.
Yet the instant Tsugikuni Kuuga landed, his entire body was in agony. The break in his left leg throbbed with pain every moment.
Still, Tsugikuni Kuuga smiled calmly and said, "You villains always die from talking too much. Looks like that saying isn't without reason. If you'd just hit me once more earlier, it wouldn't have come to this!"
"Tch! What can you even do in that state?" Zero Yu Zi said disdainfully.
"Cut you down. That shouldn't be a problem."
Just then, the stall owner who had fled came running back with an axe. Though his hands and feet were trembling, he still said, "Benefactor, I'm here to help you!"
Though Tsugikuni Kuuga was in great pain, he felt quite relieved inside. He said calmly, "There's nothing you can do here. Leave quickly, or I'll have a harder time."
The stall owner also knew that the monster before him was not something he could handle. Staying would only hold his benefactor back, so he bowed to Tsugikuni Kuuga and ran away.
"My, how touching! I wonder, if I kill that person now, can you still keep up?"
As she spoke, Zero Yu Zi used Blood Demon Art: Mistification. She knew that once she became mist, Tsugikuni Kuuga would be unable to cut her, and she could pass straight through him to kill that foolish human.
Sometimes breaking someone's spirit was more satisfying than killing them. Clearly, Zero Yu Zi wanted to break his spirit before killing the man. In the end, he still would not be able to protect that human.
Tsugikuni Kuuga took a deep breath, and the strength in both his hands steadily increased. Clearly, he believed only that special ability could break Zero Yu Zi's Blood Demon Art.
Sure enough, as Tsugikuni Kuuga's grip tightened, his entire blade turned red. Steam continuously rose from where his hand met the hilt.
Veins crawled all over Tsugikuni Kuuga's body like tiny snakes. Clearly, he was exerting every ounce of strength.
But the strongest blade that burned all things—the Scarlet Blade—had formed as well. This was also Tsugikuni Kuuga's first time using one of those special abilities: the Scarlet Blade, markings, and the Clear World.
At that moment, Zero Yu Zi happened to brush past Tsugikuni Kuuga. He swung his sword down, and the mist formed by the Blood Demon Art instantly burst into flames.
Zero Yu Zi screamed and rolled away. A huge, ferocious scar now stretched across her chest, and the fear engraved into her cells made cold sweat pour down her body.
Before you continue