'Demon Slayer' Slayer

Chapter 5: Kyuuko

Over several nights of exploring my new territory, I found the entrance to the Final Selection grounds. Soon enough, my next meal would come through here. At least, I'm assuming that Final Selection is soon, because why else would they capture me? It better be soon. I'm going to go crazy if I'm trapped in here for long.

I set up a camp within view of the entrance, digging myself a hole to hide in. I was ready. I may have been the only demon on the whole of Mount Fujikasane, but I vowed that no one would survive this year.

After I'd waited in my hole for almost a week, my craving for human flesh growing with each night that passed, I caught sight of activity beyond the entrance. Two identical white-haired girls stood at the red gate, holding lanterns. About twenty humans stood behind them, all with katanas. I crouched at the mouth of my lair, ready to explode forth and kill them all.

When the girls finished giving their spiel, the examinees streamed in through the gate. I leaped forward, releasing a blast of fire that obliterated everything within a ten-meter radius. Some of the examinees had survived, and were now sprinting away at full tilt. That's okay. I have seven nights to kill them, after all. And I took out ten of them in a single attack. They're weak.

One of the examinees actually charged towards me instead of away, his sword unsheathed and an expression of grim determination on his face. I recognized him immediately- it was Tanjiro. Apparently he'd survived the massacre of his family, along with one other. He swung at my neck, and I ducked the blow and punched him in the stomach. He flew up into the air and landed hard a few meters away, spitting out blood.

"We meet again, coal-vendor," I told him. He struggled to his feet, staring at me in disbelief.

"K-Kyuuko? You're a demon..." He raised his sword, gripping it in shaking hands and preparing to attack me. He was too late. I kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying back into a tree.

"Indeed I am! But I'm not the Kyuuko you once knew. That girl is dead. And you're about to join her." I leaped towards Tanjiro, kicking him again. This time, the kick pierced right through him instead of kicking him back. He started coughing up blood, face screwed up in agony. "You're fucked. Do you want me to kill you a little faster?" I took his sword from his hands and pulled my leg back.

Tanjiro slumped to the ground, bleeding profusely. At this rate, he had less than a minute to live. He wouldn't suffer long, so I waited until he was dead to begin devouring him. The examinees I'd burned had given me energy too, but I still preferred eating directly.

With eleven examinees down, I set off into the forest. By referencing my mental picture of the examinees, I could remember that there had been 23. I had twelve left to kill before I would be alone on this mountain.

I found two young humans running along next to each other, and I sliced their heads off with Tanjiro's katana. That was another easy meal for me. After all, Final Selection demons weren't supposed to have blood demon arts. Yet I did, so naturally I was far above the level that they had prepared to face.

Next, I faced a girl with a side ponytail that was held in place by a butterfly hairclip. She put up a little more resistance, managing to dodge a few of my fire blasts. However, it was inevitable that I would defeat her. After a while, she came in for my head, and I engulfed us both in fire. Within seconds, the girl had been burned away to nothing more than ash.

The next three examinees were also easy prey. I had now taken down all but six of the examinees. But the next two would be a little harder. One wore a yellow haori and a terrified expression, while the other had a mohawk and a purple vest. I blasted them with white fire, but both of them dodged.