"Wait, what? No, I'm not—" Tengen cut himself off as he leapt backward, leaving the two girls suspended midair. In the blink of an eye, Ali appeared in his place, his arm extended with black markings swirling lazily around his hand, a product of his breathing style. The sight caused Tengen to stop in his tracks, a look of shock crossing his face.
Ali caught the two girls effortlessly, gently placing them down on the ground. Tsuyuri and the other two girls rushed behind him, seeking refuge from the Sound Hashira's grasp.
"You girls head back inside," Ali said, his eyes still fixed on Tengen. Without a second thought, the girls nodded and hurriedly retreated into the Butterfly Mansion. Ali watched them disappear into the building before walking over to his spear, which lay discarded on the ground. As he picked it up and slung it over his shoulder, Tengen remained frozen, silently watching Ali's every move.
Ali finally turned his attention back to Tengen, his spear resting casually on his shoulder as he slowly walked toward him. Tengen's grip on his twin swords tightened as he prepared himself for a potential confrontation.
"What brings you here at this ungodly hour, Tengen?" Ali's voice was calm, yet carried an underlying menace. "You better have a good reason for interrupting my training, or there will be consequences."
Tengen swallowed hard before responding, "I've got a mission, and I needed the girls' help. I swear that's all!"
Ali's black eyes scrutinised Tengen's expression for a moment, assessing whether his words were truthful. After a tense silence, Ali gave a short nod. "Fine. Go inside and ask for their help properly. But remember, I'm training. No more interruptions," he said, his tone cold as he turned his back to the Sound Hashira.
As Ali made his way back to his room, he muttered loudly enough for Tengen to hear, "Fucking Idiots shouting at the crack of dawn... I need my own place."
Just as Ali entered his room and closed the door, the other entrance to the garden swung open, and the trio—Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke—emerged, making their way toward Tengen, who was still standing in the garden, somewhat shell-shocked by the brief encounter with Ali.
Meanwhile, far from the Butterfly Mansion, deep in a forest near a quiet town, five shimmering blue lights flickered into existence. Within moments, the lights solidified into human forms. The group consisted of five individuals, each of them striking in appearance.
At the forefront stood a pale-skinned man dressed in a pristine black suit, a white briefcase in his hand and shaded glasses resting on his nose. Beside him were two black twins, a boy and a girl, their faces partially hidden beneath the hoods of their matching black sweatshirts. Small packs hung from their waists. Next to them was a blonde woman with an ethereal beauty, dressed in gleaming white armour with a massive white sword strapped to her back. Her appearance was almost otherworldly, as though she were an angel descended from heaven. Finally, behind them all, loomed a massive man, easily seven feet tall, his wild beard and hair giving him a feral look. Dressed in a simple blue T-shirt and torn jeans, he carried no weapons—he didn't need them.
The giant crouched down, gathering power in his legs before launching himself high into the air, surveying the surrounding area before crashing back to the ground with a thunderous impact.
"There's a town to the east, about half a kilometre away," the giant man rumbled, his voice as deep as the earth itself.
The man in the suit adjusted his glasses, nodded, and gave a simple command: "Let's go."
Without another word, the five of them began walking toward the town. As they approached the outskirts, the man in the suit raised his hand, signalling the group to stop.
"I don't want to draw unnecessary attention," he said in a low voice. His gaze shifted to the twins. "You two, find someone isolated. Bring them to us. We need information."
The twins nodded and vanished into the shadows, moving silently through the town like spectres. It took them half an hour to locate a man walking alone in a secluded alley. They struck quickly, knocking him unconscious with a well-placed blow to the back of the head. The boy hefted the limp body onto his shoulder, and the twins returned to the group, laying their unconscious captive at the suited man's feet.
The man in the suit crouched down and slapped the local hard across the face, jolting him awake. Panic filled the man's eyes, but it was quickly extinguished by the cold stare of his captor.
"What town is this? Where are we?" the suited man asked, his voice like ice. The interrogation was quick and efficient. Once the local provided all the information they needed, the suited man stood up and smashed the butt of his briefcase into the man's head, knocking him out once more.
The suited man turned to the seven-foot giant. "Zach, head to the Entertainment District and make contact with Muzan. You know how to lure the demons in. The rest of us will infiltrate the Demon Slayer Corps from here."
Zach grinned, showing his sharp canines, before turning and sprinting toward the Entertainment District. His speed increased exponentially as he dropped onto all fours, his powerful limbs propelling him faster than any normal human could ever hope to run.
Back at the Butterfly Mansion, Ali remained oblivious to the approaching threat. He sat cross-legged in his room, the swirling black markings of his breathing style encircling him like a storm. The wooden floor beneath him had been shredded, the raw power of his training tearing apart the room itself. Ali inhaled deeply, drawing in energy, and the markings surged inward, crawling up his body until every inch of his flesh was covered in metallic black lines.
However, the strain was too much. Blood trickled from his nose and ears, and the markings vanished, leaving behind raw, burnt flesh where his skin had been. Ali sat there, motionless, as his body began to heal, regenerating the damage within minutes.
A wicked smile spread across his face as he stood. 'That's it. Once I master this, nothing in this world can stop me. And as for those outside this world... we'll see.' The thought filled him with a dark satisfaction as he looked forward to the chaos he would unleash.
As night fell across Japan, a stark contrast emerged between the quiet Butterfly Mansion and the bustling Entertainment District, where worldly pleasures masked the lurking dangers. In a lavish room within the district, Zach sat waiting, twirling a cup of tea in his massive hand. The door slid open, and in stepped Warabihime, the most coveted courtesan in the district, draped in a beautiful black kimono.
"I hear you have some interesting information, outsider," Warabihime said, her voice dripping with malice.
Zach smirked, standing up to his full height, towering over her. Without saying a word, he removed his shirt, revealing a body built like a beast, muscles rippling beneath a coat of thick hair. His confidence only grew as he dropped his jeans, leaving him standing in nothing but his boxers. The bulge in his boxers left little to the imagination.
"If you want the information," Zach growled, his grin exposing his elongated canines, "you'll have to pay. And I only accept one form of payment." He took a step toward Warabihime, the room growing tense as their eyes locked.
Please donate some of your power stones, it would help my ff massively.
Five extra chapters on patreon.com/Rondo312