Word count: 1204
<—>
[—>★??
There has been a rise in demon activity at Natagumo Mountain, prompting the Demon Slayer Corps to launch an investigation. head over there and investigate it.]
Fujino's journey took about a day, and by the time he arrived, he had completely lost track of the demon slayer he had been following, so he continued on his own.
There he stood, surrounded by vast fields of crops, gazing up at the towering mountain ahead. The atmosphere was eerie and quiet, and the thought of demons within spooked him a little.
At times like this he often pondered what drove him to hunt demons in the first place; just six months ago, he was a college student struggling to get by. Now, he found himself prowling the night in search of demons.
However, any doubts he had quickly faded when he recalled how close he had come to death during his first week. The fear he experienced then was something he never wanted to relive.
Yet, a small part of him thrived on the adrenaline rush that came with the hunt.
'Alright, lets do this' he said to himself, steeling his resolve as he prepared to venture into the mountain and hunt whatever demons awaited him.
...Until he spotted a body lying on the ground.
'Never mind, I jinxed it, fuck.' Fate does always love to mess with him, doesn't it?
He hurried over to the body, quickly recognizing it as a demon slayer. Placing his fingers on the man's neck, he felt a pulse—he was still alive.
'Observe'
[ —> Demon Slayer (Mizunoto)
Name: Yoneda Yasuhiro (Unconscious)
Level: 23
Health: 138/340
Stamina: 20/200]
Fujino studied the body, noting that the clothes weren't bloodstained, but he did see a gash on the back of his head. This led him to believe that whatever had knocked him out was due to blunt force trauma.
Unless the demon slayers had turned on one another, this indicated that demons were indeed present in the mountain.
"Must've been a strong one, huh? Don't worry, i'll get you out of here." he said.
As soon as he reached to pick it up, the body was unexpectedly slipped from his grasp. It flew away as if propelled by an unseen force, disappearing deep into the mountain, leaving Fujino staring in shock.
"...What The fuck?" he struggled to find the words to explain the bizarre event. After a moment of standing still, he rubbed his head in exasperation.
"This is going to be a long night, isn't it" he muttered to one, as he followed the path deeper into the mountain.
<—>
Fujino had become adept at recognizing the signs that indicated a demon's presence after his hunts. This was a skill that only seasoned demon slayers often possessed.
He felt certain that one was nearby.
As he walked, his hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his eyes scanning the surroundings, but all he encountered was an eerie silence.
Suddenly, he noticed something darting along the path, instantly putting him on high alert as he swiftly drew his katana.
The sound of frantic footsteps grew louder until he spotted a figure—a demon slayer, panic etched across his face.
"Run! They're after me, run!" the slayer yelled as he rushed past a stunned Fujino, who could only watch in silence as the slayer disappeared from view.
Fujino then turned to face the direction from which the slayer had fled, continuing forward but now more on guard than ever.
As he walked, he noticed something white clinging to the trees and branches around him. 'Are those cobwebs?' he inspected the substance that had stuck to his hands.
'Hmm... This looks like some kind of blood demon art.' He brushed the cobweb away, feeling a wave of frustration wash over him, knowing that these demons often caused more trouble than they were worth.
Even if the demon was weaker than him, their blood demon art could make them significantly more dangerous.
He understood that while levels indicate strength, they don't reveal the full capabilities of an enemy.
A lower-level demon could still outsmart him or use their blood demon art to inflict harm, regardless of his higher level.
Fujino was jolted from his thoughts as a shadow fell over him; he leaped just in time as a sword came crashing down, embedding itself in the ground.
He quickly turned to face his assailant, katana drawn, ready to strike down the demon—
"Oi! What the hell, I'm on your side?!" he exclaimed when he realized his attacker was not a demon, but another demon slayer!
His initial anger shifted to confusion as he took in the state of the demon slayer. Blood-soaked clothing and a missing arm, the slayer's eyes held a vacant stare.
The demon slayer didn't respond to his shout and awkwardly pulled the sword from the ground. It then began to stumble toward him in a clumsy, mechanical manner.
Fujino sensed something was deeply off about this slayer. His instincts were screaming something his mind refused to accept.
'Observe'
[ —> Demon Slayer (Mizunoto)
Name: Kagawa Tsutomu (Dead)
Level: 22
Health: 0/300
Stamina: 0/230]
'W-what?!' His gut feeling was confirmed; this demon slayer was indeed dead. But how was it still moving and attacking him? Shouldn't it be dead? Unless...
Zombies exist!
He shook his head, deciding to put those questions aside for now. Demon or human, he had a foe to confront
The lifeless slayer lunged forward, aiming for Fujino's heart, but he blocked the attack with his blade. With a swift motion, he turned the sword and sent it flying from the slayer's grip.
He spun and kicked the slayer on his side, knocking him down.
Fujino gazed at the lifeless body, noticing the threads attached to its back. It didn't take long for him to realize these were the very strings controlling the fallen slayer. With a swift motion, he cut the threads, and the puppet collapsed motionless to the ground.
Now, Fujino couldn't help but feel a bit silly for having thought they were zombies, even for a moment.
'Okay, so someone or something is controlling them. I know that an entire squad of them was sent here. And judging by how scared that slayer was, then I should move before I get swarmed by him.'
As he prepared to leave, a strange sensation crept across his back—a tiny insect was crawling there. The feeling sent a chill down his spine, momentarily startling him.
He reached behind him and grabbed it, discovering it was a tiny white spider.
"Hmm... Never seen a spider like you before. A byproduct of a blood demon art perhaps?" he pondered, observing the spider wriggling in his grasp. While he wasn't an expert on insects, he was certain that a spider like this was a rarity. With a shrug, he decided to crush it.
[5XP]
As he was about to leave, a rustling sound from a nearby bush caught his attention. Suddenly, a slayer charged at him, targeting his head. He swiftly parried the blow with his sword and leaped back just in time to avoid another attacker.
Before he knew it, four puppets had appeared in front of him, while three more closed in from behind. He noticed several spiders beginning to encircle him.
To top it all off, he could hear the giggles of a woman.
"...Shit."
<—>
Taisho-era secrets!
Fujino had a strong fear of spiders from a young age, to the point where he would flee at the sight of one. Following a significant event in his childhood, he made a vow to overcome this fear, and in time, he succeeded in conquering it.
<—>
Sorry for a week hiatus, but university has been a bit hard on me lately with all the ongoing projects and exams I have to do. And going down with the flu ( that I still have as I'm writing this) didn't make things easier.
(25/10/2024) I did some minor rewriting to a couple of the scenes I wasn't satisfied with. I also fixed some minor grammar errors along the way.