Chapter 40: Contact!

This eerie mansion in the middle of a dense forest could easily serve as the setting for a supernatural tale. Its remote location meant there was no chance of seeking help from others, and standing here alone would fill anyone with a sense of dread.

"We're here."

Descending the hillside was a breeze for the two of them. One of the training exercises under Urokodaki's guidance involved running down a mountain with a sword, all while avoiding traps along the way. This time, all they had to do was watch out for trees.

As they approached, they could clearly see the Japanese-style mansion with its two-story structure. At the moment, the main gate was tightly shut, but a window on the second floor was open.

"I think we can enter through the second floor," Li Mo suggested, trying to be innovative.

"?" Makomo simply stared at him, as if asking, *Are you serious?*

"Alright, alright, forget I said anything."

Li Mo took the lead, pushing open the front door. Inside, they were greeted by a dimly lit hallway filled with scattered pottery and other household items. The lack of light made the corridor seem long and foreboding. Without hesitation, Li Mo stepped inside, with Makomo following half a step behind. The hallway was wide enough for them to walk side by side.

And then...

*Thud...*

The sound of a drum echoed, and the room instantly transformed. The dark space became brightly lit, with lanterns illuminating the area. The rough walls turned into wooden screens, the earthen floor became tatami mats, and the pottery containers were replaced by long wooden tables.

In the center of the room stood a creature, and Li Mo immediately gripped the hilt of his Nichirin Blade.

It was a towering figure over two meters tall, with drums attached to its shoulders, legs, abdomen, and back. Its eyes were blood-red, with what seemed like crossed-out characters etched into them.

"Lower Six," Makomo said, reading the characters in its eyes.

Lower Six—this was the meaning of those characters. Among demons, the strongest were granted the title of "Kizuki" by the progenitor demon, Muzan Kibutsuji. The Kizuki were divided into Upper and Lower Ranks, each with six members. The Upper Ranks were significantly stronger than the Lower Ranks, and within each rank, the higher the number, the weaker the demon.

Lower Six was the weakest among the Kizuki. And to make matters worse... the number in its eyes had been crossed out.

"Makomo, he must be the former Lower Six!"

Without needing to adjust his breathing, Li Mo's "Total Concentration: Constant" state allowed him to maintain his breathing technique, maximizing his oxygen intake and enhancing his physical capabilities. In an instant, he charged forward.

*Thud!*

"I hate that kind of talk! I will definitely return to the Lower Ranks!"

The room flipped. The tatami mats and ceiling became walls, while the walls became the floor and ceiling. Gravity shifted, causing Li Mo to fall sideways, but he quickly adjusted his stance. He looked at the former Lower Six.

*Thud!*

The demon slapped the drum on its abdomen. A sharp sound echoed, and Li Mo's keen eyes caught the distortion in the air, forming claw-like marks.

Both Li Mo and Makomo dodged the attack, and the spot where the attack landed was left with deep gouges resembling the claw marks of a beast—with only three toes.

"The drum on the right shoulder flips the room to the right, the one in the center creates air claws. So the left shoulder must flip the room to the left. If I remember correctly, the drum on its back is for changing rooms. So, by that logic, the drums on its legs must control forward and backward flips, or up and down?"

Human spatial perception can be simplified into six directions: up, down, left, right, forward, and backward. These are often referred to as the "six harmonies." The demon's six drums seemed to correspond to these six directions. The drum on its abdomen created claw-like slashes, so by symmetry, the drum on its back must be for spatial movement.

This felt familiar. Hadn't this demon crossed paths with Tanjiro? Wait, wasn't this the demon that appeared when the three main protagonists met?

It had been over a year since Li Mo arrived in this world, so it was natural for his memories to blur.

"Hey, what's your name? If you don't answer, I'll just call you 'Hey.'"

"Kyogai."

"Really? You're that straightforward? Someone asks, and you just answer? I've decided. I'll give you a gentle death."

The demon's straightforwardness surprised Li Mo. He hadn't expected a demon to have such a personality. But then again, demons were once humans. If Kyogai had been human, they might have gotten along well.

—How tragic.

Li Mo seemed to understand the feelings of that swordsman from the Warring States period hundreds of years ago.

Pushing off the ground, Li Mo leaped. The "Force Redirection" technique not only allowed him to dissipate force but also gave him complete control over his body. Without mastering his muscles, he wouldn't be able to redirect the impact. The "Breathing Technique" also enhanced his control over muscle groups.

The entire room became Li Mo's springboard!

"Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance."

This was the most basic form, the one Li Mo had practiced the most. He wasn't entirely familiar with this method of exertion, so he opted for the safest approach. Flames erupted from his Nichirin Blade, but these weren't ordinary flames. They burned with an intensity far beyond that of normal fire.

The heat of the sun surpassed that of mere flames!

*His aura has changed! How is this possible? Danger!*

Kyogai watched as Li Mo closed the distance between them. The inverted room seemed like solid ground to Li Mo, who had mastered the technique of exerting force in just a few breaths.

What was even more terrifying was Li Mo's Nichirin Blade. Kyogai felt a deep, primal fear, as if their progenitor himself was trembling in terror!

Instinct drove Kyogai to act. He slapped his drums repeatedly. With each *thud*, the room's orientation shifted again. This time, Kyogai stood in the hallway, appearing above the two.

—Li Mo made a vertical downward movement. Just as his Nichirin Blade was about to strike Kyogai, it instead hit the paper door of the mansion. The fragile door couldn't withstand the force of a human's gravitational potential energy and was destroyed, causing Li Mo to fall through.

But that was all.

Like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, Li Mo used the momentum to leap upward, running along the nearly vertical "wall." The distance between them closed rapidly.

In an instant!

Li Mo was once again in front of Kyogai.

All of this happened in just a few breaths. Makomo was barely managing to stabilize herself and move in the inverted room, while her junior brother had already closed the gap again.

The difference in their strength was glaring.

"Damn it!"

Kyogai slapped his drum again, this time the one on his back. The distance of a single door became an insurmountable gap. The room shifted once more, and Kyogai disappeared from sight.

The battle came to an abrupt halt.

"Let's split up, junior brother," Makomo suggested.

She could see that the demon was terrified of Li Mo and had chosen to flee. Would it continue to run every time it saw him? Demons could afford to wait, but humans had their limits.

"You're going to use yourself as bait?" Li Mo asked Makomo.