I'm in an American comic book, and all my teammates are main characters and bosses.

Chapter 17 - We veteran hunters also have plenty of tools~

Looking at the group of demons in front of him, Ron's face was full of a serene and gentle smile.

As he fell to the ground, realizing his head had been crushed, Doma's body began to tremble uncontrollably. In just a moment, the pieces of flesh on the ground reconnected. But before anyone could recover, or even before Doma could catch his breath, cracks began to appear all over his face again.

Then, without Ron even lifting a finger, his head exploded again with a soft "poof".

But then, Douma regained his physical body once more. However, compared to before, Douma now looked extremely disheveled. In fact, he resembled a fragile porcelain doll. Even though his flesh had been glued back together, he dared not move an inch due to the pain, and could only lie on the ground in terror, maintaining the appearance he had just taken when he was healed.

"You find it hard to understand? It's understandable, after all, you don't have that feeling of crossing the world barrier."

Sensing the terror in Doma's eyes, Ron chuckled, "The reason you were able to recover so quickly is because you could continue to repair your bodies using your special secret energy through darkness. Similarly, the reason you fear sunlight is because sunlight has the ability to destroy the structure of this secret energy. And you, and even your masters, haven't fully evolved. While your entire bodies are composed of this special secret energy, you haven't evolved much of the corresponding stable structure."

Arcane power, a force Ron sensed during his travels through various worlds, is found at the deepest levels of existence. Depending on one's mastery of arcane power, it can be released in different forms. Blood Demon Arts is a simple example of its utilization. Unfortunately, as Ron pointed out, this world's understanding of arcane power is quite superficial.

At least, they didn't realize the true source of their power, only believing that their Blood Demon Arts were like this, and thus used them in this way.

Their crude use means they are also exceptionally easy to destroy. And disrupting their self-healing abilities is equally simple...

"It's the same principle as the immune system completely losing its function, except that you have completely lost your resistance to sunlight."

Speaking calmly, Ron also slowly pulled out a meat saw from the system space, his face full of gentleness: "To deal with it, we don't even need to simulate the properties of sunlight. We only need to apply some external force to destroy its self-healing ability through scar hyperplasia."

Unfortunately, before Ron could finish speaking, Kokushibo, realizing something was wrong, coldly said, "Kill him! Attack!"

Before they could finish speaking, Kokushibo struck first. His dark red longsword, crafted from his own flesh and bone, was drawn in an instant, then transformed into a bolt of lightning, accompanied by the whooshing sound of wind, slashing towards Ron's neck. The speed was so fast that not only ordinary people, but even Akaza standing beside Kokushibo, couldn't react in time. A fleeting afterimage was all that could be seen; the next moment, the blade was already near the black-clad man's neck!

But just as the blade was about to touch Ron's neck, suddenly, accompanied by a gunshot, Kokushibo felt as if his blade had struck something. The powerful impact was secondary; what was truly fatal was that the hard object's contact with his blade also jolted his consciousness. It was like being struck head-on by an invisible hammer; in that moment of disorientation, his body lost its balance and he fell backward.

Gunshot—Unfortunately, mercury bullets, made primarily of mercury and Ron's own blood, don't have casings; otherwise, the sound of the casing hitting the ground would have made the scene even more breathtaking.

But it didn't matter, because the instant Kokushibo lost his balance, Ron raised the meat saw in his hand. With the opening and closing of the mechanism, the meat saw, originally in the form of a hand axe, quickly transformed into a broadsword. With a burst of strength in his arm, a whistling sound flashed by, and then, aided by centrifugal force, the bloodstained meat saw turned into a blur as it slashed down from the air, viciously cutting through Kokushibo's shoulder, and then slashing out from under his body!

Then, accompanied by a burst of bloody light, half of its body exploded. Fragments of bone and flesh flew everywhere, instantly staining the passageway of the Infinite City crimson!

Even so, stimulated by the excruciating pain, Kokushibo regained his senses, and his blood-red eyes forcibly narrowed once more. Ignoring his shattered flesh, he gripped the blade with his remaining arm, and with a surge of blood energy, his already incredibly robust body swelled up again. He circulated his breathing technique, and the moment he swung his sword, countless tiny, invisible wind blades seemed to swirl around the longsword, cutting back and forth like the gears of a chainsaw!

Breath of the Moon, First Form: Dark Moon: Night Palace!

Sun Breathing originated from his younger brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the most powerful swordsman in the Demon Slayer universe. Moon Breathing, on the other hand, was created by Kokushibo, or rather, Mitsuki Tsugikuni, based on the original Sun Breathing, and is his own unique breathing technique.

Unlike the fiery Breath of the Sun, the Breath of the Moon unleashes irregular, tiny crescent-shaped blades around each strike, their size and length constantly changing. No matter how tough the flesh, these high-speed wind blades can slice it to shreds in an instant, like a chainsaw!

It appears simple, merely a powerful slash delivered in an instant. But this is the foundation that Kokushibo is most proud of—it doesn't need any fancy embellishments, just sheer power combined with a speed that is even imperceptible to the human eye, forming a slash that has been tempered and refined over a thousand trials!

Feeling the speed of the attack, Ron's eyes showed a hint of surprise. But unfortunately, in the next instant, Ron also dodged to the side, then turned around and slashed at Kokushibo's chest with his sword.

Another burst of blood erupted, and this time, Kokushibo lost all his chances. Not only was his remaining body severed, but even his last remaining arm was slashed to pieces by the flesh-saw blade.

Kokushibo was completely unaware of the pain. He simply stood there, frozen in place, his body barely held together, forcing his head up to look at Ron's chest, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes—was this all?

A faint white stain had appeared on Ron's black hunter's coat, visible on his chest. The stain was so slight that it didn't even need mending; a simple rub would make it disappear.

If it were him...

He had imagined countless times what it would be like if death were to truly befall him. But now, as death actually arrived, Kokushibo unexpectedly discovered that he wasn't as terrified as he had imagined.

As the elder brother of Yoriichi Tsugikuni, the strongest swordsman, Kokushima Tsugikuni initially felt sorry for his younger brother because Yoriichi was always dull and indifferent to worldly affairs.

After witnessing Yoriichi's power, Michikatsu also began to feel jealous. And after learning that those who awaken their Demon Slayer Mark would never live past the age of twenty-five, he chose to cut off his lord's head and swear allegiance to Muzan Kibutsuji.

But now... why, why is it that even though death has truly arrived, I am not as afraid as I imagined?

Instead, it's—doubt?

Ah, ah,

The sparkle in his eyes gradually faded, finally settling on Kokushibo... or rather, on Kokushibo's heart, on doubt and curiosity.

"If it's Yoriichi..."

As the last spark of light faded from his eyes, a hint of surprise appeared in Ron's gaze.

Unlike the experimental destruction of Doma's regenerative abilities, Ron chose a swift and decisive fatal attack against Kokushibo.

I thought the battle would end quickly, but now it seems... things are going beyond my expectations?

In Ron's perception, Kokushibo was indeed powerful, but not particularly troublesome. He could be easily dealt with without even needing to enchant his weapon. And now, with death, Kokushibo's previously lifeless soul had unexpectedly come alive again?

Perhaps this is the unleashed potential? Or is it the power within?

Thinking this, Ron also reached out and pressed his palm down on top of Kokushibo's corpse. A moment later, a drop of blood, almost blackish-red, rose into the air from Kokushibo's body and then disappeared from Ron's palm, being stored in Ron's system space.

The Blood Echoes of Kokushibo has been included.

Echoes of Blood, Bai Qi's skill... Where did this farmer come from? Get out!

Blood Echoes are the primary means by which hunters in Bloodborne grow stronger. Blood is the currency of the soul; killing prey yields corresponding Blood Echoes. Essentially, it represents the power of those of higher status, carried by the blood. Through conversion and absorption, it can be integrated into one's body, becoming one's own power.

Although he had long since left the world of Bloodborne, how to create, or rather how to extract, Blood Echoes was not a difficult problem for Ron.

Its essence is a kind of manipulation of secret energy, a technique to extract the memories, cognition, instincts, and skills of a person from a fresh corpse in a suitable way.

While Kokushibo's various abilities weren't particularly powerful for Ron, they were better than nothing. At least, they could be used to make trades with others—and for some who lacked swordsmanship skills, Kokushibo's Blood Echo was still quite valuable.

After the refining was complete, Ron raised his head again. But at that moment, the other Upper Moon demons pounced on him without hesitation.

After the battle just now, they were certain that Ron was someone that no single demon could defeat—even Kokushibo, the strongest among them, was no match for this guy, let alone them.

Add to that the deaths of Doma and Hantengu… okay, Doma isn't dead yet. But the current Doma is practically no fighting force at all. Forget fighting, even a simple movement will cause his head to explode again because it can't be effectively glued back together!

In this situation, wanting to fight one-on-one would be a fool's idea. Without holding back at all, the surviving Akaza disregarded the opinions of the other Upper Moons, stomped his foot, and his body transformed into a blur as he charged out alongside Gyokukō. His arms, adorned with the deep blue tattoo of the Sinner, clenched tightly, and as he threw a punch, a gust of evil wind arose, aiming a heavy blow at Ron's head!

Her Blood Demon Art is called Destruction Kill, which, when activated, allows her to sense her opponent's fighting spirit like a compass. It also makes her attacks and evasions much faster and more precise, as if she were attracted by a magnet.

Upon activation, a twelve-pointed snowflake pattern appears beneath its feet, known as "Spell Unfolding"—although its effects seem unclear, it can unleash power several times greater than ordinary Blood Demon Art when attacking a single target. A casual punch, enhanced by Blood Demon Art, possesses terrifying destructive power capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

Furthermore, the Destruction Kill technique also has a hidden effect: the stronger the opponent's fighting spirit, the stronger the compass's reaction, and the higher its corresponding strength and accuracy. This means that Akaza's strength fluctuates depending on the opponent's power. Generally speaking, he becomes stronger against weaker opponents and even stronger against stronger ones!

In the past, Akaza would feel exhilarated when facing powerful enemies, because it meant he could advance beyond his current level. But now, even with his Destruction Slash activated, Akaza's eyes were filled with a deathly resolute determination!

I didn't feel it...

It has absolutely no sense of boundaries or limits!

The destruction has been maximized, and the increase in power is even greater than the increase he received when he first awakened and released it to Muzan Kibutsuji after being given permission!

Even so, I still have absolutely no confidence...

Ignoring Akaza who was right in front of him, Ron simply checked the status of the Black Death Blood Echo through the system space. After confirming that there were no abnormalities and it could be used normally, Ron finally turned his gaze to Akaza.

There were no extra movements, but then, with a thud in Ron's throat, the next moment, accompanied by surging air pressure, a deafening scream spread out in all directions.

The attack hit him head-on, and Akaza felt as if he had crashed into a wall. His body was then sent flying uncontrollably, smashing through countless walls of the Infinity Castle before finally coming to a stop!

Ron, meanwhile, calmly put away an object covered in black, tangled fur, resembling a beast's claw—the Beast's Roar.

Found in the Forbidden Forest of Bloodborne, this is one of the forbidden hunting tools crafted by the apostate Iggy. As a medium, it allows one to briefly draw upon the power of undead black beasts. The pressure from the beasts' roars sends surrounding objects flying.

Although it sounds like some kind of ritual magic, the deafening scream is actually the sound produced by the user's own vocal cords. It's hard to imagine whether this is the power of a beast's roar or some latent power within the human body being unleashed.

(End of this chapter)