He should have lost such meaningless sensations, fit only for lesser creatures, long ago.
He had no need to evolve nerves that sensed pain to warn him of danger. Nor did he need to fear some fatal mishap because he could not feel it.
His body could regenerate. No matter how badly it was destroyed, it would grow back.
In a sense, losing that sensation meant he had surpassed humanity.
He had always taken great pride in it.
But now... the pain had returned!
Agony shot from his severed arm to his brain, each nerve firing into his cerebral cortex. His scream came not just from pain, but from fear.
"What... happened?"
The question had barely formed before he found his answer. He looked at Tetsu no Sosuke, still sitting there, an infuriating sight. "It was you!"
Tetsu no Sosuke smiled. "My wife is an extraordinary doctor. Her health keeps her from taking part in some important work these days, but even with nothing more than fragmentary records and samples, she can make a drug that would leave a thing like you wishing it were dead. Those throwing knives weren't just a juggling act for you and the Flame Pillar. Simply put, for a short while, you'll lose every trait that makes you a demon. Your vitality, your sense of pain, your limitless stamina, your regeneration... all of it will leave you. You'll become human. Luckily for you, it only lasts a few minutes."
At that, Tetsu no Sosuke laughed. "But how many times do you think the Flame Pillar will kill you in those few minutes?"
"No!"
The Upper Rank Two Demon roared, spun around, and bolted for the exit.
He could never accept that fate.
He would not stay here and wait to be killed.
Kyojuro Rengoku chased