The air grew colder as the group made their way toward the distant mountains. The path ahead was steep and treacherous, with jagged rocks jutting out like broken teeth along the cliffs. The ominous silence that hung over the village had followed them into the wilderness, pressing down on their shoulders with an invisible weight.
Tanjiro, his senses sharp and alert, led the way, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. Every instinct told him that something dangerous awaited them in the mountains—something powerful and ancient. Whatever had wiped out the village was far more dangerous than the enemies they had faced so far.
Nezuko, walking quietly beside him, hummed softly. Her eyes, usually filled with curiosity, were now focused and serious. She could sense it too—the lurking threat in the mountains, watching their every move.
Gon and Killua, bringing up the rear, were uncharacteristically silent. Both boys had their own reasons for being excited by the danger, but even they could feel the oppressive atmosphere. The closer they got to the mountains, the heavier the air seemed to become.
Gon's usual bright demeanor was tempered by the weight of what they'd seen in the village. "Do you think those shadows are… alive?" he asked quietly, glancing toward Tanjiro.
Tanjiro's brow furrowed. "I'm not sure. Whatever took those people, it didn't leave any trace behind. It's like they vanished into thin air."
Killua, his silver eyes narrowed in concentration, nodded. "Whatever it is, it has to be powerful. That man we found… he was terrified. And whatever he saw, it was enough to kill him." His voice was steady, but there was a hint of unease underneath.
Tanjiro glanced at the mountains towering ahead of them. "We'll find out soon enough."
The First Encounter
As they ascended the mountain, the path grew narrower, and the wind picked up, howling through the cliffs like a distant wail. Dark clouds gathered above, casting long shadows over the jagged rocks, and the forest below seemed to vanish in the mist that curled around the base of the mountain.
Tanjiro stopped suddenly, his senses picking up something unusual. His eyes darted around the area, his hand tightening on his sword.
"Do you hear that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
The group stopped in their tracks, listening intently. At first, there was nothing but the howling wind. But then, faintly, a sound reached their ears—a low, guttural whisper that seemed to come from all around them.
Nezuko's eyes widened, and she took a cautious step closer to her brother, her claws flexing as she prepared for whatever was coming.
Killua tensed, his sharp senses on high alert. "Something's here. And it's close."
Gon's fists glowed faintly with nen as he scanned the area. "I don't see anything, but… I can feel it."
Suddenly, the mist around them thickened, swirling like a living thing. The whispers grew louder, and dark, shifting shapes began to emerge from the fog—shadowy figures with no discernible features, moving silently toward them.
Tanjiro's heart raced. These were the shadows the dying man had warned them about. "Stay close!" he called out, drawing his sword as the shadows closed in.
The shadows didn't make a sound as they moved, their forms shifting and twisting unnaturally as they approached. Their very presence seemed to sap the warmth from the air, leaving the group shivering as the cold pressed in around them.
One of the shadows lashed out, its arm stretching unnaturally as it reached for Tanjiro. He reacted quickly, his sword blazing with the fiery energy of Hinokami Kagura. "Hinokami Kagura, Burning Bones, Summer Sun!" he shouted, his blade cutting through the shadow with a searing strike.
The shadow dissolved instantly, vanishing into the mist with a hiss. But more shadows were already advancing, their movements quick and unpredictable.
Nezuko leaped into action, her claws slashing through one of the shadows as it lunged at Tanjiro. The creature let out a guttural screech as Nezuko's claws tore through it, dissipating into the mist.
Killua activated Godspeed, zipping around the battlefield with lightning-fast precision. "Thunderbolt!" he called out, his claws crackling with electricity as he slashed through the shadows, but they kept reforming, their twisted shapes flickering like dark flames.
"They're not going down easily," Killua growled, dodging another shadow as it lunged for him. "It's like they're not fully physical."
Gon, his fists glowing with nen, charged toward one of the shadows. "Jajanken: Rock!" he shouted, delivering a powerful punch that sent the shadow scattering into the wind. But like the others, it reformed moments later, its shape twisting back into existence.
"They keep coming back," Gon said, his brow furrowing in frustration. "How do we stop them?"
Tanjiro's eyes darted around, searching for a solution. He could feel the darkness surrounding them, suffocating and unrelenting. These creatures weren't like demons—they weren't physical beings. They were something else, something older and far more dangerous.
"We have to find the source!" Tanjiro shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "There's something controlling them. If we can destroy that, we can stop the shadows!"
Nezuko, her eyes blazing with determination, nodded in agreement. She glanced toward the peak of the mountain, where the shadows seemed to be thickest.
Killua, moving with blinding speed, zipped around the battlefield, creating a temporary opening in the swarm of shadows. "There's a clearing up ahead!" he shouted. "We need to move—now!"
The group rushed toward the clearing, fighting off the shadows as they went. The mist continued to swirl around them, but as they neared the top of the mountain, a strange energy filled the air—a heavy, oppressive force that seemed to pull them forward.
The Source of the Shadows
As they reached the clearing, the shadows abruptly stopped, retreating into the mist as if something was holding them back. The group stood at the edge of a large, circular stone platform, etched with ancient symbols that glowed faintly in the dim light.
In the center of the platform stood a massive stone pillar, cracked and weathered with age. Dark energy pulsed from the pillar, sending ripples of cold air through the clearing. The shadows seemed to be drawn to it, swirling around the base of the pillar but unable to come closer.
Tanjiro's eyes narrowed as he stepped toward the pillar, his heart pounding in his chest. "This must be it," he said quietly. "The source of the shadows."
Gon and Killua stood beside him, their eyes fixed on the strange symbols that covered the pillar. "These markings…" Killua muttered, his voice filled with suspicion. "They're similar to the ones we saw in the temple. This pillar must be connected to that place."
Nezuko, her gaze locked onto the pillar, growled softly, her instincts warning her that something was wrong. She moved closer to Tanjiro, her eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.
As the group approached the pillar, the ground beneath them began to tremble. The dark energy around the pillar pulsed stronger, and the air grew thick with tension.
Suddenly, the pillar cracked, and a deep, resonant voice filled the clearing. "You… dare disturb this sacred ground?"
The voice seemed to come from all around them, echoing off the stone walls of the mountain. The shadows that had been swirling around the base of the pillar began to shift, coalescing into a single, massive figure—a towering being of pure darkness, its form barely visible in the swirling mist.
"You will not leave this place," the voice growled, its tone filled with malice. "You are intruders in a world you do not understand."
The shadowy figure loomed over them, its eyes glowing with an unnatural light. The dark energy from the pillar pulsed in time with the figure's movements, as if the two were connected.
Tanjiro's grip tightened on his sword, his fiery energy flaring as he prepared for battle. "We're not leaving until we put an end to this!"
The shadowy figure let out a low, menacing laugh. "You think you can stop me? I have existed for centuries, feeding on the fears of those who dare enter this place. You are nothing but fleeting sparks in the darkness."
Gon clenched his fists, his nen glowing brightly as he faced the shadow. "We'll see about that!"
Killua's eyes sharpened, his body crackling with electricity. "We're not backing down. We've faced worse than you."
Nezuko growled, her claws extending as she prepared to strike. Her eyes blazed with determination, ready to protect her brother and defeat this ancient being.
The shadowy figure raised its arm, and the dark energy from the pillar surged through the clearing, casting long, twisting shadows across the ground. The air around them grew cold, and the shadows seemed to stretch out toward them, ready to consume everything in their path.
Tanjiro took a deep breath, his sword igniting with the flames of Hinokami Kagura. "We'll fight together," he said, his voice filled with resolve. "And we'll defeat this darkness!"
With that, the group charged forward, their attacks aimed at the heart of the shadowy figure. The battle for the mountain—and for the fate of the village—had begun.