The Demon's Menu-Chapter 1152: The Misty Night Hunter (2)

It’s completely identical.

Thinking you’re impervious to fear?

That only holds true when your overwhelming strength faces ordinary people.

When there’s no disparity in power, they’re just like anyone else.

But when their strength is far inferior to their target, what they experience is the same fear that ordinary people feel facing them.

Hunter and prey—it’s never absolute.

From the moment they arrived here, it was all already predetermined.

Spurt!

"Ah!"

Another death wail transmitted through radio static.

The remaining Samurai and Ninja shuddered again.

How many times has this happened?

How many have died?

How many are left?

Shrouded in mist and dense fog, they couldn’t discern how many had fallen or how many remained on their side.

This deepened their fear even further.

"Don’t panic!"

"It’s his trick!"

"Everyone, don’t fall for it!"

The leading Onmyoji shouted loudly in an attempt to rally them.

Jason, who held the radio receiver, heard the call clearly and smirked beneath his mask.

Just as the Onmyoji claimed, he was inducing panic.

Although he never took these Samurai and Ninja seriously—as a direct confrontation would mean easy victory—he hadn’t forgotten about the eleven Onmyoji.

Jason understood very well that these Samurai and Ninja were nothing more than "bait."

Bait to lure him out.

Bait to stall his actions.

The true threat was those eleven Onmyoji.

Standing in the shadows, Jason’s gaze slipped past the remaining Samurai and Ninja and locked onto the eleven Onmyoji. He then deeply inhaled.

The aroma of "food."

Though not overwhelming, it was abundant enough.

Each of them carried items worthy of being called "food," some with one or two, while the leader alone carried four such treasures. freeweɓnovel.cѳm

This left Jason salivating.

He wanted a taste.

Surely, it would be delicious!

The craving in his heart, tangible as steel, glinted through his eyes.

Especially the lead Onmyoji—their hair stood on end instantly.

Danger!

A perception sharper than ordinary senses alerted them to subtle unrest.

Pressure!

An inability to breathe!

The lead Onmyoji looked at his companions, and the ten alongside him turned to meet his gaze.

Eleven pairs of eyes exchanged glances and then nodded sharply.

They knew—they couldn’t wait any longer.

Since the initial bait was ineffective, there was only one option left: brute force.

With no hesitation, the barrier dissolved.

Although they had promised their collaborators, at this critical juncture, the Hanakaiin Family’s Onmyoji could no longer afford such concerns.

Three Onmyoji began chanting simultaneously.

A surge of cold, violent energy immediately erupted.

Then—

Three 3-meter-tall Oni emerged, their skin a deep scarlet, horns protruding from their foreheads, dagger-like fangs gleaming, their hulking frames clad with beast-hide skirts at the waist and wielding Wolf Fang Clubs.

Jason had seen them once before.

The taste remained vivid in his memory.

It was the flavor of spicy duck neck.

And now, there were three more.

Instantly, Jason abandoned his original plan to cut them down directly.

He sheathed his broad-bladed short-handled machete at his side, crouched slightly, and launched like an arrow from a bow.

"Three Oni are enough to keep that guy tied down."

The lead Onmyoji declared confidently.

Unlike humans, these Oni could effortlessly find a person even in thick fog.

Jason, this self-proclaimed Sword Saint, had only blindsided them with tricks and manipulation.

All they needed was to locate him.

Then everything would change.

With this thought, the lead Onmyoji’s confidence grew even stronger.

"Let’s begin the next phase…"

Bam!

Bam-bam!

Before finishing his sentence, a series of muffled impacts cut him off.

The eleven Onmyoji stared ahead in shock.

Their faces were filled with disbelief.

What were they witnessing?

A figure had suddenly burst through the dense fog, colliding full force with one of the Oni. The immense creature toppled backward into the second Oni behind it, which then crashed into the third Oni.

The overwhelming force sent the three Oni rolling wildly like giant gourds.

Bodies tumbling.

Wolf Fang Clubs spinning.

But the hulking figures quickly came to a halt.

Not voluntarily.

But because a hand had grabbed one of their ankles.

The hand, disproportionately small when compared to the ankle it clutched, was possessed of power and tenacity unmatched by the limb it restrained.

Snap!

With a crisp sound, one Oni’s ankle was crushed instantly. Soon, the other two Oni suffered the same fate.

Three ankles, accompanied by three legs, twisted and braided together in Jason’s grip like tangled rope.

Jason held them in one hand, turned, and glanced at the eleven Onmyoji.

"Your turn."

Speaking these words, Jason dragged the three Oni into the mist.

As if nothing had occurred at all.

Yet the Wolf Fang Clubs scattered on the ground told the eleven Onmyoji otherwise—what they’d seen was real.

In just one exchange, three Oni had been felled.

Not only defeated but dragged into the mist.

The entire process lasted no more than two seconds.

They hadn’t even had time to react.

Whoosh!

The night wind blew through, and the eleven Onmyoji shivered involuntarily.

It wasn’t just the chill of the night air.

Their hearts were colder.

The scene they’d just witnessed clearly told them—if Jason wanted to kill them, it would be effortless.

Like that sudden ambush.

If Jason had aimed for them instead of the Oni, what would’ve happened?

Death!

Recalling Jason’s speed during his sudden appearance and the force exhibited upon collision, this answer surfaced unyieldingly in the hearts of the eleven Onmyoji.

Without hesitation, a chorus of chanting emerged.

Defensive arrays appeared one after another.

Layer upon layer stacked on top of one another.

Only when the eleven Onmyoji finally felt secure did they stop.

The lead Onmyoji exhaled quietly.

He wasn’t inexperienced in combat.

Taking advantage of numbers had always ensured easy victories for him.

Often, he didn’t even need to act.

Watching the Samurai and Ninja fight was often enough.

This time, facing the so-called Sword Saint, he recognized it as an entirely different battle, so he had made significant preparations—well-thought and comprehensive.

He’d brought three times the usual manpower.

Including ten other Onmyoji.

He deemed this infallible.

But now, it seemed it was all just his assumption.

Suddenly, the lead Onmyoji began considering retreat.

But...

Thinking of the clan leader.

He immediately dismissed the thought.

He wouldn’t risk living a fate worse than death.

So combat was his only choice.

And victory was imperative.

The lead Onmyoji glanced around at his companions, their fear still lingering in their eyes, then straightened his back and shouted: "We were merely caught off guard just now. Now, with our solid defenses, we’re standing in an impregnable position. No matter how strong he is, he can’t possibly break through the layered defenses of eleven of us in one strike."

"Additionally!"

"We have our advantages too!"

"If regular Oni aren’t enough!"

"Then we’ll summon Greater Oni!"

"Moreover, our Onmyoji arts are the most powerful!"

"As long as we maintain distance, we can exhaust him to death if need be!"

"Don’t forget your past experiences!"

"Now, everyone, muster yourselves!"

The lead Onmyoji roused the others.

Jason heard this.

But he didn’t care.

Flames danced in his hands—the Oni were cooked quickly.

The aroma of spicy duck neck returned once again.

Three spicy duck necks now; the joy was tripled.

90 points of satiation gained.

Jason wiped his mouth and stared at the Greater Oni the Onmyoji had summoned.

Standing 10 meters tall, blackened crimson skin, corded muscles, malevolent expression, and holding a Wolf Fang Club five meters long; every casual swing stirred a bone-chilling gust of wind.

Currently, this Greater Oni was advancing directly toward Jason.

"I wonder what you’ll taste like?"

Jason’s heart swelled with anticipation; he showed no intention of avoiding its oncoming strength, merely standing there awaiting it.

Though Jason’s gaze shifted slightly—

"Finally losing their patience, huh?"