The Oni attacked the moment he finished regenerating. The air around him started vibrating before the scream even left his mouth.
Naturally, I kicked off to the side instantly.
The ground behind me split with cracks. The wall of a nearby house shattered like it had been hit by an invisible battering ram.
Even dodging, I felt the impact scrape across my back. The vibration traveled through my body, my left ear ringing sharply.
'Can he adjust the direction after firing?'
If it's a continuous attack instead of a single burst, then theoretically he could redirect it however he wants…
'So it's not enough to step out of the line once! I need to keep repositioning…!'
The Oni roared, "Stop running!"
"Stop attacking!"
I tried to close the distance before he activated his Kekkijutsu again, but he opened his mouth without waiting for me to finish my move.
The second wave came in concentrated form, but I took a sharp step, shifting my axis mid-motion.
My thigh and calf muscles screamed in protest, but I pushed through. The attack passed exactly where I would've been if I hadn't moved.
'Is he predicting me…?'
Thinking about it, that wouldn't be hard. Most of my movements are pretty linear…
But thanks to my superior speed, I got close enough to feel the air being sucked into his chest.
I brought the Nichirin down in a diagonal slash, the blade sliding across his shoulder and spraying blood.
He screamed, activating his Kekkijutsu wildly.
The explosion blasted me backward, sending me rolling twice across the ground before I stabilized.
'The damage was weak…?' I thought, noticing how little pain I actually felt. 'Does he need distance to maximize the power of his attacks…?'
If that's the case, staying close might reduce his raw output!
'But that also means less time to react…'
He didn't give me time to keep analyzing, his chest expanding again. The air around him visibly started to ripple.
The moment it looked like he was about to fire, I stepped sideways and took a second step the instant he opened his mouth.
The invisible wave spread wide this time, destroying everything in its path.
I managed a third burst straight into his blind spot. Even so, the impact clipped my right leg.
I felt the muscle partially tear and nearly lost my balance, but I forced my way into his guard.
The Oni tried to shove me away with his arm, but I slammed my shoulder into his chest and drove my free fist straight into his sternum.
The air burst out of him in a hoarse cough.
"Must be hard to activate your Kekkijutsu when you can't breathe, huh?"
I adjusted my grip on the Nichirin and lunged to slice his neck, but he let out a rough scream.
The wave hit me head-on. I crossed my arms and planted my feet, but the impact tore through my guard and I felt something crack in my left forearm.
The sonic blast shoved me back two meters, dirt ripping up beneath my heel as it dragged across the ground before I finally stabilized.
The Oni laughed. "It's broken, human! It's broken!"
"Yeah," I replied, straightening my stance while my left arm felt half numb.
Besides the forearm, my right leg still ached from the earlier hit, and my left ear was still ringing… so he wasn't completely wrong.
The next attack came at a higher pitch. My hearing cut out for a second and my head spun.
He saw me stumble, and his grin widened.
"You can't reach me," he said, his voice making the air vibrate around him. "You shouldn't have told those other toys to run. You're going to die in their place."
"… Please don't jump to conclusions."
I exhaled and inhaled again, doing small hops in place to test my right leg. It hurt, but it wouldn't slow me down.
'Total Concentration, Sword Breathing.'
With that intense burning sensation, I appeared at the Oni's side, the Nichirin rising in a short vertical slash.
The blade cut into part of his neck before he staggered back. His chest tried to inflate again to attack, but I closed the gap between us.
I unleashed my best attack sequence, forcing him backward. The houses around us were already way too damaged for my liking.
I kept pressing, each impact driving him closer to the edge of the clearing.
He tried to create distance by retreating with long steps, so I used a short burst of footwork and my shoulder to launch him backward. Exactly where he wanted to go… but it also bought me time.
He crashed through a wooden fence, splintering it apart and rolling down the path that led into the forest.
The Oni got up already activating his Kekkijutsu furiously. The wave swept away thin trees nearby.
I kept moving, constantly shifting my position.
When the Oni finally stopped activating his Kekkijutsu, I accelerated again, avoiding a straight approach. This time, I chose to pass by him and twist my body.
The Nichirin traced a clean arc, using the rotation. The blade severed the Oni's arms and cut halfway through his neck, losing momentum at the end.
He tried to inflate his chest again, but I kicked his stomach, forcing the air out in a broken sound.
"Sword Breathing, Third Form."
I adjusted my grip and focused all my strength into a single release.
"Serious Cut."
I swung the blade along the same weakened line, and this time the head separated from the body, tumbling and rolling across the ground, leaving a trail of blood.
The body took two uncoordinated steps before collapsing, beginning to dissolve into ash.
I exhaled all the remaining air in my lungs, and during that moment, the Oni kept staring at me until he disappeared.
'Did he get a flashback too…?' I wondered briefly, then pushed the thought aside and opened my Employee Profile.
–––
[Total Concentration Breathing <23/100>
Type: Technique
*Involves inhaling the maximum possible amount of oxygen through specific patterns to drastically increase blood flow and muscular strength.]
–––
[Sword Breathing <8/100>
Type: Technique
*A Breathing Style created by a beginner that prioritizes direct cutting power, rapid forward movement, and continuous rhythm.]
–––
It had increased again, but there was still a long road ahead…
I was still staring at the screen and thinking about how to improve my skills when I felt someone's gaze fixed on me.
"How strange…" a soft female voice echoed behind me. "I was certain I would arrive in time."
I turned around and found a short girl standing on what was left of the broken fence. Her light haori, patterned like butterfly wings, fluttered gently. Her hair was tied back with a butterfly-shaped accessory.
She looked at the spot where the Oni had turned to ash, then at me and the Nichirin in my hand.
"You were quick," she commented, smiling. "I didn't even take that long to find you two… and you solved the problem before I could."
I had no trouble recognizing her. Kocho Shinobu, the Insect Hashira.
I sheathed the Nichirin as she tilted her head slightly, her smile never fading.
"That Oni had been tracked by the organization for months. He'd been attacking smaller villages, slaughtering three of them in the last two months."
'So that guy really was causing trouble if they sent a Hashira after him…'
Looks like those three just had the bad luck of crossing paths with him.
Her smile grew just a little thinner.
"I was looking forward to meeting him."
"Sorry," I replied, suppressing the chill that crawled up my spine. "He wasn't very cooperative."
For a second, I imagined the Oni being captured alive by her…
I think the Oni would actually be relieved to know that losing to me meant he avoided ending up in Shinobu-san's hands.
She let out a soft laugh. "I figured."
Her eyes traveled over my body, analyzing me.
"Why aren't you wearing the organization's uniform?"
"Ah… I'm not part of any organization."
"Hm?" She widened her eyes slightly and stepped closer. "Then… who are you?"
"Hayato Misogi. Nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you. I'm the Insect Hashira, Kocho Shinobu~!" she said, her sing-song tone clashing beautifully with the destroyed scenery around us.
"Hayato-san… do you know what the Demon Slayer Corps is?"
"I've heard of it," I replied.
"That's good~! But tell me, where did that sword you were using come from?"
I glanced at the Nichirin. "It was loaned to me by one of your guys."
She smiled again. "Then shall we return it?"
I nodded, walking back toward the village side by side with her. Shinobu-san moved with light steps, while I tried my best not to limp.
The fatigue and strain in my leg muscles were starting to catch up with me.
When we arrived, more people dressed in black were already moving around.
The Kakushi, the support unit.
Off to one side, the three men from before were receiving treatment.
One was lying down with his chest wrapped in bandages, another was sitting with difficulty breathing, and the third had his ears covered with makeshift bandages.
I approached the one who had lent me the sword and crouched down.
"Thanks for the loan," I said, holding out the Nichirin.
He looked at me and took the blade with trembling hands.
"You—" he murmured, "you did it?"
"Yes, your sword was very helpful!"
He closed his eyes for a second. "Thank you— thank you so much!!"
I kept smiling as tears ran down his face. Seems like this whole thing was pretty damn traumatic for him.
"Hayato-san," Shinobu-san called softly.
"Shinobu-san?" I replied, turning my gaze back to her.
"Have you received any formal training?" she asked, leaning a little closer.
"No, ma'am."
"Oh my~" her smile stretched, but her eyes sharpened. "It seems Hayato-san is a natural talent!"
She took a small step forward, almost invading my personal space. "But that's a bit of a problem."
I tilted my head, waiting for her to continue.
"I can imagine you're quite strong, but if you keep fighting blindly like this, an accident is bound to happen! Some Oni are quite terrifying, you know?"
Yeah, I know very well! Those are exactly the ones I need to find!
'It's not easy being me!'
I scratched the back of my neck and let out a weak laugh. "So what should I do then?"
She placed a finger against her chin, pretending to think.
"Officially join the Demon Slayer Corps, of course~"
Her smile stayed sweet. "I would be very sad if a talent like Hayato-san were wasted!"
She took a few steps around me, as if evaluating me from every angle.
"Has Hayato-san heard of the Final Selection?"
"Actually, I was looking for where the selection takes place…"
"Oh? That's wonderful!" Shinobu-san smiled. "It happens every year on Mount Fujikasane."
'Fujikasane… that's not a place I recognize…'
Probably another fictional location that only exists in the Demon Slayer universe.
"And when does it happen?"
"In a few weeks, if I'm not mistaken~"
'Still got plenty of time… I can grind a lot more before that!'
Shinobu-san continued, not bothered by my silence.
"Normally, candidates train under the guidance of a cultivator…" she looked me up and down again. "Hayato-san seems to enjoy handling things alone… but please remember that not every problem can be crushed with brute force!"
I nodded in agreement. I also wasn't surprised that Shinobu-san figured out my fighting style just from a few visual cues.
"If you're willing, I can recommend Hayato-san for preliminary training under my supervision. Not as an official member yet, of course."
"And if I refuse?" I asked, purely out of curiosity.
Of course I wouldn't refuse. Becoming a Hashira was still one of my missions!
Her smile didn't shift even a millimeter. "Then Hayato-san will continue being an armed civilian wandering around killing Oni."
She tilted her head slightly. "The problem is that this will eventually attract the attention of some very unpleasant Oni… and it will be difficult for us to protect you."
'Muzan, right?' Killing a Lower Moon didn't draw much attention from him in canon… but I'd eventually run into an Upper Moon too.
At that point, I'd need the Demon Slayer Corps!
"That's fair," I replied. "Sign me up, Shinobu-san."
She clasped her hands together, satisfied. "Wonderful~! Now let's do some basic treatment on you before we leave~?"
Her suggestion was perfectly reasonable… but for some reason, another chill crawled up my spine.
"Hmm… Shinobu-san," I muttered, "why does your gaze look kind of scary right now?"
She blinked. "Hayato-san… how could you say that to a delicate woman like me?"
Suddenly the distance between us vanished, and she grabbed my left arm.
"Partial fracture," she said casually, completely unconcerned with the scandalous act of our skin touching. "And here…"
Her other hand moved along my leg. "Muscle tear… your style demands quite a lot from your muscles, doesn't it~?"
She looked up, still smiling. "Hayato-san must have quite an interesting pain tolerance."
Before I could figure out how to respond, I felt a needle press against my skin.
"Wait—"
Shinobu-san ignored me and stuck the needle in.
"…?!" Shinobu-san! Please listen to your patients!
A cold sensation ran through my arm.
"It's just a painkiller with a few extra components," she explained the question on my face, letting out a soft giggle.
"Extra… components?"
"To prevent infection and other complications."
She released my arm.
"Don't worry~ I wouldn't do anything that would harm a future comrade~"
That was not exactly reassuring, Shinobu-san!