Why does the world show a health bar? !

### Fear Spreads Through the Heart

Fear gripped the heart of the demon known as "Mother." She had left the house and arrived at the scene, only to be met with a sight that filled her with terror.

She and "Father" had arrived just a little too late. By the time they got there, Rui's older siblings had all been decapitated, leaving nothing but ashes behind.

Her eldest son—at least nominally her eldest—had always preferred to operate on the western side of Natagumo Mountain. There, he had his own wooden house, where he enjoyed turning humans into spiders and watching their terrified expressions. But the moment she arrived, she saw his head fall from the sky, leaving not even a trace of ash.

Was she afraid to fight this incredibly powerful swordsman?

No, it was the fear of what Rui would do to her!

Unlike "Father," who had been completely stripped of his intelligence by Rui, "Mother" still retained some of her wits. She knew her role in this twisted family game. As parents, they were supposed to protect their children. But now, all their children were dead! As a mother, she had completely failed in her duty!

How would Rui see her? How would Rui punish her? Would he make her stand in the sunlight?

The thought of Rui's past actions filled her with dread.

What snapped "Mother" out of her panic was the roar of "Father." The massive demon, with a face completely resembling a spider, bellowed, "You killed my family! I'll kill you!"

The ground shook as the giant spider-like demon charged toward the swordsman, each step leaving small craters in the earth.

If they could kill this swordsman, maybe Rui wouldn't make them stand in the sun.

Blinded by fear, "Mother" joined the battle. She extended her long fingers, manipulating threads with precision.

The larger the body, the greater the strength. Take, for example, Gyomei Himejima, who stood at 2.2 meters tall, representing the pinnacle of human physicality. But this demon before them was even taller than Gyomei, and it was a demon. The strength it possessed was immense.

Li Mo observed the demon. It was about twice the height of a normal person, with bulging muscles and white hair. It looked like a giant, but its face had no features—just a mass of green eyes and a gaping, bloody mouth.

It stank. That was Li Mo's impression.

The whistling sound of a fist brushed past his ear as the demon's massive arm swung by. The punch was fast, but to Li Mo, it was nothing. He easily dodged the attack, and in the next moment, his Nichirin Blade traced a beautiful arc.

The demon's hands were severed, blood dripping to the ground. The severed hands fell with a dull thud.

Next, the head.

"Hmm—?"

As Li Mo raised his Nichirin Blade to strike the spider-faced demon's neck, he felt something—thin threads—approaching him from all sides. He pushed off the ground with his toes, creating distance, and swung his blade, cutting through the threads.

He glanced to the side and saw the female demon, her ten fingers extended like a weaver, manipulating something.

When their eyes met, the demon's expression shifted from panic to determination. Her fingers began to move rapidly, as if controlling something heading toward him.

"Two against one, huh? Fine, I'll get serious."

Li Mo wasn't panicked. From the start, he hadn't used any sword techniques. The demon siblings, though seemingly powerful, were like plants forced to grow too quickly—their combat experience was pitifully lacking. With his "Total Concentration: Constant" and his body's potential fully unlocked, it would be strange if he couldn't kill them in one strike.

The spider father's body was massive, and its regenerative abilities were strong. In the short time Li Mo had retreated, its hands had already regrown.

But it seemed like it wanted to run?

Li Mo noticed its feet. The way it was positioning itself didn't seem like it was preparing to attack him.

Oh, right. Could it be planning to shed its skin and become even stronger?

"Sun Breathing."

Whatever it was planning didn't matter. Li Mo stepped forward, and flames erupted from his Nichirin Blade. In an instant, the night was illuminated by the fiery light. The flames crisscrossed, forming an impenetrable net of attacks.

From the first form, "Dance," to the twelfth form, "Flame Dance," Li Mo executed all twelve forms in rapid succession. The beautiful, almost dance-like movements brought with them the withering of life.

"Seventh one."

As Li Mo swung his blade, he uttered another number. Following it was the sound of a massive body hitting the ground.

"How is this possible?!"

The spider mother's hands froze. She knew how powerful "Father" was. But just now, in an instant, the mighty "Father" had been cut down—his head, limbs, and torso all separated. Each part fell to the ground, slowly disappearing as if consumed by flames.

Suddenly, a strange sense of relief washed over her. Memories of "Father" beating her surfaced. Among demons, as long as you weren't eaten, no matter how badly you were beaten, you wouldn't die. This immortality, which was usually an advantage, sometimes became a curse. When she failed in her role as "Mother," "Father" would punish her, his fists raining down on her body, causing unbearable pain. Yet, because of her immortality, she couldn't die.

That pain was etched into her memory. Now, the abuser was dead. No... the true abuser was still alive. Perhaps it would be better to just die. Continuing to live, waiting for Rui to arrive, would only bring more suffering.

—If I accept death, it will be a relief.

One moment, she held this thought.

The next, her head was severed.

As her head hit the ground, the last thing her eyes saw was the swordsman's back.

That back was so reassuring. After letting go of her role as "Mother," she felt an incredible sense of relief, as if she were floating in the sky.

She was free, even if it meant going to hell.

"There's a Twelve Kizuki here."

"Thank you."

These were her last words.

Li Mo heard these two final statements. The tone carried a sense of liberation and ease. He thought of the eldest sister he had killed earlier. The look in her eyes as she died and the tone of "Mother's" final words were the same.

It seemed that living was more painful than death.

If a human died with such thoughts, would they achieve enlightenment?

Unfortunately—

"Demons are destined to go to hell. I have a question: what did you do to make them think that going to hell was a better option?"

"Oh, by the way, you're too late. I've already killed your entire family."

Li Mo looked up. The one he was speaking to was there.

Under the moonlight, standing on the threads that supported the wooden house, was a small figure. It looked like a teenager, like a child. Its entire body was white, matching the style of the eight demons Li Mo had killed earlier. It wasn't imitating them—it had transformed them to look like this.

White hair, white skin, white clothes. The only non-white parts were on its face. The whites of its eyes were not white but blood-red, while its pupils were white. Red spots were arranged in a specific pattern on its face.

The "Twelve Kizuki" was the collective term for the Upper and Lower Moons. The demon before Li Mo was one of them.

Lower Moon Five.

"My family..." Rui gritted his teeth, rage burning within him. Because of his negligence, his sister, brother, father, and mother had all died before his eyes.

His family had been wiped out in an instant.

"I'll kill you!!!"

"I knew you'd react like this. What can I say? I killed your whole family," Li Mo said with a smile.

The real battle had begun.