"Have you found him yet?", the oni asked.

"Not yet", the cloaked figure replied.

"It's a pity too. I have so much blood to spare"

He then exhaled. Mist similar to visible breath on a cold winter night expelled from his lungs. Only this one was tinged with the color of blood.

The communication crystal was then tucked into the coat. In the last second before it was covered, a figure could be seen approaching the oni.

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Every Clan made sure to be well-informed about the happenings of the world. They were designated as guardians of the populace and would need to be prepared for disasters caused by demons. As such, they had dedicated and exclusive messengers which were skilled at their work and familiar with the clan members.

This particular messenger was hesitant to relay information as he already knew the reaction it would elicit.

Kamui slammed his fist against the table in frustration. It was the tenth incident since Itsuki escaped. 7 villages and 3 towns had been subjected to a mysterious incident of mass bloodletting. Every resident in the areas were completely drained of blood to the point that the corpses had retained no moisture. Only a Darkblood user could commit this act of heresy and the only suspect on the list was Itsuki.

"My Lord, I heard another village has suffered from the Darkblood", a female clan member said.

"There has but it is not time yet", Kamui responded after calming himself down.

She clenched her fists in anger. She had waited years already and was still unable to avenge her father. Even if she died in the process, she would avenge him. Life had become so miserable after his departure.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8 years had passed since he had first accepted the Holy Supremacy's tutelage. After attaining Soul Imbuement, the progression rate declined but he was still considerably stronger than when he had first began.

Itsuki had already mastered everything that the Holy Supremacy could teach him. The monk had long since left on a personal journey. Throughout these 7 years, he had covertly utilized the Darkblood Aptitude as normally one exchanges their Aptitude for the ability to use the Soul.

Fortunately, the old monk had told this to Itsuki beforehand or he would've readily flaunted his Aptitude. Despite lacking the opportunities to do so, Itsuki still managed to complete the 50th tempering cycle and could sense his blood boiling. It signified the advancement of the Aptitude and once again he surpassed the limits of the human body.

Having dwelled within a room contaminated by the metallic stench of blood, Itsuki immediately went outside to get some fresh air.

The pristine scent of the forest cleansed the stench and he could hear the chirping of birds. Carried away by the wind was a note. It had been delivered a while ago and was the last he had heard from the Holy Supremacy.

|There is nothing left to teach you. With my legacy passed on, I can finally purge the underworld. To you I entrust my legacy and granddaughter|

In one hand, he grasped the gold pendant and in the other, a clump of Soul energy. Inserting the radiant clump into the pendant, the item reacted.

It vibrated violently before rotating at a speed which could burn the holder's hand. After 5 minutes, it reluctantly halted as it indicated a general direction.

Itsuki grinned and then began to complete the last part of the Quest Path.

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"Please don't do this, Holy Supremacy", the priest pleaded.

"He's right. Only death remains in the Fallen Pagoda"

The Holy Supremacy merely ignored the pleas of the other priests. He knew it wasn't because they were concerned about him. They were just terrified of the consequences which would be incurred from unsealing the Fallen Pagoda.

"One must finish what they start"

He then assaulted the sealed entrance with a blinding ray. The priests nearby immediately scattered intending to run back to their safe havens. The monk then calmly walked into the Pagoda. The sealing talismans sizzled as their demise was quite recent.

"You have finally returned. Ready to join your clan in hell?", a gruff and deep voice spoke.

"Interesting... You have the same of a Darkblood on you"

"That does not concern you. You will be my sacrifice"

The monk then began to channel soul energy. Light yellow spheres began to flicker and gather around his palm.

"As if I'll let you"

The demon then rushed forward at a frighteningly fast pace. While in mid motion, the demon lifted his club and swung heavily. The Pagoda trembled as the shockwave resonated throughout the entire building. The wooden interior began to crumble as aging had already caused it to rot.

The monk appeared above the demon and swung a weapon. It instantly severed the horn from the oni's head which sent a wave of pain that caused it to kneel.

"W-what is that?"

The scarlet Uchigatana glistened menacing in the dark and while brandished by someone ready to die for his goals. The monk toyed with the horn which was still stained with blood.

"Just my disciple's gift"

The oni covered the damage horn with his hand. Lifting the club once again, he was thoroughly enraged by the lost of his precious horn. He bellowed a guttural roar and the floor beneath his feet began to crack. Miasma began to envelope him which was rapidly absorbed into his skin.

When the visible miasma faded, a 2-meter oni remained. It then dragged the oversized club with it as it ran at a speed which left after-images.

In less than a second, the club appeared above the monk. As it was about to cave the monk's skull in, the blade contested the blow. The impact caused another shockwave which began to scramble the Pagoda's foundations.

The priests outside continued running as each impact resounded throughout the entire forest. Despite it being night, demons were nowhere to be seen. It could be surmised that they were deterred by the magnitude of the Holy Supremacy's clash.

Each swing of the club was deflected and this increased the Demon General's frustration. It had utterly decimated the monk's Clan a few decades ago but now it couldn't even handle one survivor.

"Wasn't your Clan against weapons?", the oni muttered provokingly.

The monk chuckled before asking, "Oh? And here I thought that our Clan did nothing to you"

A red arc of light suddenly shone across the Pagoda. Both the Fallen Pagoda and the Oni's club began to crumble.

As the ceiling began to litter the floor with debris, the Holy Supremacy thrust the hone into one of the Oni's eyes. It screamed in agony and the absorbed miasma began to release.

"I'm very interested in your hometown", the monk jested as he grasped the Oni's head. A portal apparated which began to drag the two into the depths of hell.

He then tossed the Oni away and took in the breathtaking view. Gorges containing magma were a dime a dozen here. Palaces of obsidian pierced the top of the cavern. In this realm, normal terrain or rocks didn't exist. There were bones, flesh, and a stone which seemed to ooze blood however. Lost souls covered the hellscape and their dead eyes could frighten zombies.

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"It's all your fault. I think I understand why your mother named you Kirei now. You're very alluring to demons, you demon child", the woman screamed before she shoved the girl into the streets.

Dozens of minor demons immediately turned their heads. They then began to inch forward and lost interest in the people who attempted to scavenge for supplies last minute.

The lass sobbed uncontrollably as she ran as far as she could. Her life was undoubtedly over and it would likely be ended by a demon's maw.

A decade had passed since that incident. Life had not gotten any better but the gold pendant which her savior gifted her still comforted her. It was a sliver of hope in an unyielding dark world. It only served as a memento but recently had begun to pulsate as if being beckoned to.

3 months went by since this village had captured her. She thought that she would've been executed but surprisingly they were actually able to use her ability to their benefit. She was given enough food to live but was not allowed to leave her room. Maybe this was for the better as she wouldn't cause the deaths of more innocents.