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Chapter 40

"Tanjiro!"
I shout his name, and he looks at me with panic in his eyes. I turn towards the window it looks like he flew out of, and see the source of my suffocation.

A demon. A woman, with flowing black hair and revealing clothing, beautiful unlike any other woman I'd seen before, a flower on her cheek, yet the sheer evil that drowned the air around her told no lies.

"You're still alive? You're a lot tougher than I expected."
She noticed me, looking down with a cocky smile.

"Is this your friend?"
Observant, her piercing lime-colored eyes stab through me.

"What lovely eyes you have! I don't think you'll mind me plucking them out and eating them, will you?"

I draw my sword, jumping up to the roof where Tanjiro was already back on his feet, ready to fight. He had set down Nezuko, one of the box straps having snapped in two.u
"

You both want to die?"
She laughed, and we take a deep breath.

Water Breathing : Striking Tide - Turbulent!
Taking in all the water in the air that I needed, I launch myself high, Tanjiro charging forward to meet her half-way. The sashes she dons move to her will, reaching to strike the both of us. My sword met it but much to my surprise, it was unbelievably hard! It moved like flowing silk, and looked as thin as silk, but cutting through it felt like cutting a boulder with a knife!

Two pieces fell to the ground, cut by the both of us, and we land safely close together.
She laughed at us, amused.
"You're so cute, but you make me sick. You're like dying rats. I like you."

Suddenly, I felt a ferocious roar beneath, startling me.
Was it Inosuke? Another demon, maybe?

"What was that? What are you doing?"
She spoke to somebody, which confused me. She scoffed.

"Tch. You fools lack any subtlety. Where? Near house Ogimoto, isn't it?"
She listened.
"How many?"

With that, she turned to us once more, a hand on her hip, clearly not too interested in wasting her time on us.
"There's six of you, right? Plus Hinatsuru?"

"We'd never tell you!"
I cut in, determined to be the one to swipe her head off of her body.

She seemed unphased.
"Look here, little ones. You fought with such bravery earlier, and I've taken such a liking to you, so I'm willing to spare your lives if you answer me this-"

She points her sharp finger condescendingly his way.
"Your sword. It is chipped. I assume it was crafted by a lower swordsman."

"No! He's a wonderful blacksmith!"
He intervened.

"Then why is it chipped, you fool?"
She halted to notice yet another sound, clearly annoyed by it.
"And now the shaking's picked up again... You're getting on my nerves, I'll kill you next."

"Grit your teeth and move forward!"
I quickly shake my head.

I take a deep breath, feeling the entirety of my lungs expand, feeling the smallest bubble of oxygen in my blood, the very beating of my heart echo through my body, and I hold my sword tightly.
Water Breathing is weak. It is no longer something my body can work with. What I've trained for will have to do.