"I see in that case there is no time to waste, it will be getting dark soon so I will head into the forest and get rid of the demon in there" I said as I stood up straightening up my box and then placing a hand on my crimson blade hilt.
"You are actually going to try and fight that thing?" Haku whispered, looking to be holding back tears. It was then that I noticed the scratches all over his arms and face as well as the bruising. He had obviously fought very hard to protect his fiancee. I wanted to tell him that there was a chance that she might still be alive but I couldn't bear to give him that hope in case it wasn't true.
"Yes I am, I am going to make sure that they do not bother anyone else. Thank you for your help" I said bowing my head before heading outside and following the potent aura of a demon that seemed to be all over town.
"Do you think he stands a chance, Father?" Haku asked worriedly.
"I do not know my son but he is a Demon Slayer so perhaps he will succeed where we have failed," He answered.
Following the aura to the edge of the forest I took my box off my back and placed it in the bushes so it would be hidden and not give in my way of the fight that I was sure to be in soon enough. I then made sure that both of my swords were easily accessible before heading into the forest just as the sun began to set. Just like the town the forest was covered in the aura of a demon so it was going to be hard to find the demon with just my eyesight so I sharpened all of my senses and began my total concentration breathing. I had been working on doing total concentration breathing all the time, even when I was sleeping but it was a working progress. Stopping in place I heard a crunching noise coming from my left and it was soon followed by a female scream. Quickly I got into the trees before jumping along the branches and soon enough I arrived at a clearing where the demon was eating what looked to me like a human leg but to the side in what looked to be a cage was a girl who was shaking with tears streaming down her face. She didn't look to be hurt and from the aura surrounding her she was human, she must be Haku's fiancee. It was no surprise that the demon hadn't eaten her yet seeing as she was only taken last night and if the demon was hunting every day then it would take him time to eat the people he hunted.
'Total concentration, Water Breathing Second Form: Water Wheel' I thought as I flipped towards the demon slicing straight through its neck as it let out a choked sound of surprise.
"It's going to be okay, don't worry" I assured the girl with a nod since she couldn't see my smile from behind my mask. She just looked terrified and shook her head looking straight back at me.
"Behind you!" She shrieked but her warning was too late as I felt pain rip through me as something did rip through the left side of my stomach. Quickly turning around I stop the second attack with my crimson blade and look to see that there was another demon there, not just any demon but one that was the exact copy of the one that I had just killed.
"What have you done! My other self do not leave me!" The new demon shrieked while watching the first demon disappear into ash.
"YOU! I'll devour you!" The demon roared as he turned towards me before faltering.
"How lucky, you're a Marechi! With the power that you will give me, losing my other self will not worry me seeing as I can just make another one! But what is this terror that I feel, why do you frighten me!" The demon grinned before frowning and I did notice the terror in his aura. That wasn't all that I saw either, there was more than just the two of them. I counted at least another six demons in the shadows all of them had identical auras meaning that they were actually the same demon that had managed to make multiple of himself.
"You are frightened because you know what this blade is capable of, I will take your head, demon" I said, posing myself ready and drawing my short blade. I was already at a disadvantage with my side being injured, it would probably need stitches and I was losing blood fast. What the demons didn't know was that they were at a disadvantage as well since I was bleeding, if they so much as touched my blood it would drive them insane from hunger and want to devour me. The demon shrieked before throwing himself towards me but I dodged the attack before moving out of the way as a third one showed himself.
Chapter 10: Multipule demons
Start from the beginning
