As Nero and Daki continued to Clash , the nearby residents evacuated their homes to avoid any more deaths. The Kakushi were nearby to aid those caught in the rubble of their battle. Nero landed on the nearby rooftop as Daki landed on another across from him. She looked at her body , and several scars covered her body. She smiled and looked at Nero.
Daki:I don't think I had this much fun fighting a Slayer before .
She slides her fingers across one of the scars , blood on her hands.
Nero(Thought): Her cloth is strong enough to repel my attacks. Guess I gotta do it again.
He grips his sword tightly , Yamato begins to glow brightly . Forcing his devil arm to consume more of the human portion of the arm, Daki noticed this .
Daki: Getting serious now.
She proceeds to lick the blood on her fingers .
Daki: Good!
Nero got into his stance and Daki grabbed hold of her cloth. After a few seconds , both charged in at each other . Nero held Yamato up , while Daki swung her cloth to the side . The cloth began to move away from her, She looked shocked when this happened, As Nero swung his sword down onto her . The tip of the blade managed to hit her on her left shoulder. As Blood gushed out of the fresh wound , she jumped back . Giving both of them some distance, she looked at the wound .
Daki(Thought): To think, a small transformation and he caused this...
Nero used his free hand and grabbed Forced Edge , pulling it out of the sheath. He points it towards her.
Nero: I'm done playing games..
The blade on forced Edge began to glow blue , the blade soon disappeared from his hand. Circling around him were spectral versions of the sword. Daki's eyes widened at what happened .
Daki(Thought): That wasn't Yamato's doing ! It was the other sword , is it the same as Yamato?!
As Daki was thinking about what Nero just did , she didn't realize that Nero began charging in towards her. She used her good arm and swung her arm up , attempting to block the attack. However, to her shock , the spectral blades cut right through her fabric. He swings Yamato down at her , and she attempts to jump back again . When she did , she barely dodged the attack from him . Causing her to crash into the building, as she gets up. To her surprise she finds Nero already in front of her , pointing Yamato at her .
Nero:Are you really an Upper Moon ? You seem weaker than most of the demons I fought. Well Thinking about it won't save you . Time to Die...
Daki(Thought): I-I can't even fathom what just happened ?!
As Nero raised his sword slowly , Several thoughts played through her head.
Daki(Thought): I DON'T WANNA DIE ! I DON'T WANNA DIE ! I DON'T WANNA DIE !
Daki then begins to cry. Nero held Yamato high .
Nero: Crying about it wont save you!
He brings Yamato down , just as he was about to make contact with her . She vanished , Nero was unfazed by what happened, turned slightly to his left. Looking in the corner of the room was Daki and another demon. This demon was male with black dots in some places on his body with a pale greyish complexion , he was holding two Kamas one in each hand.
Nero: This night just keeps getting better , huh?
???: Crying's not gonna help, just like he said . At least attach your own head yourself.
The Grey Demon began helping her put her head back on. As Nero stood there he held his arm out and a spectral version of Forced Edge appeared in his hand , he threw the spectral weapon at the two . The grey demon without even looking , swung his left Kama behind him redirecting the weapon somewhere else.
???: Man , your face got burned? Take care of that thing? You were born with such a cute face, after all.
Nero charges in at the pair . The grey demon looks towards him and in an instant , he cuts Nero on the side of his head . The Demon appearing behind him now , Nero turned over and got a real good look at the demon.A tall man with a black-dotted, pale grayish complexion whose anatomy was somewhat strange in that his upper torso, arms and legs were all extremely muscular where his waist was incredibly skinny, his pelvis jutting out at an unnatural angle.
Nero(Thought): That was close....a second after and I would have been killed.
???: Heh, Not Bad. You stopped my attack there and I struck with the intent to kill too, Nice Man. Niiiice.
Nero looked at the demon , he smiled .
Nero: Seems like Fate has a weird way with things , Mind telling me your name ?
???: Why should I? You're gonna be a dead man anyway...
Nero swung his sword around until he landed it on his shoulder.
Nero: Because , you're the only demon to have kept up with my speed.... Not even that pink haired demon can keep up.
<Somewhere >
Akaza: Achooo!
<Back to the fight>
???: Hehehe Gyutaro , Upper Moon Six .
Nero: I knew it !
He points towards Daki .
Nero: She wasn't an Upper Moon at all !
Hearing more Crying both of them looked towards the corner of the room , Daki crying again.
Daki: I AM AN UPPER MOON! I AM ! I AM! I AM ! SEE LOOK IN MY EYES !
Grabbing Nero by his head and making him stare into her eyes . The words "UPPER " and "SIX" were there.
Nero: Well I'll be damned, you really are . Anyway....
He quickly cuts her hands freeing himself.
Nero: Can we continue fighting ? We only got a few more hours left until sunrise, one of us is gonna have to die .
Gyutaro : Very well...
He instantly vanishes, preparing to swing his kama upwards. Nero leaned back just enough for the Kama to graze his chin.He goes to feel his chin and feels the scratch the Kama has left behind.
Nero(Thought): He's too damn fast , I have to slow him down somehow...
As he lowered his hand , he opened his hand forcing a spectral sword to appear. Once he grasped the sword , he charged in at Gyutaro . Gyutaro charges forward as well. As the two clashed , Daki was pushed back out of the building, crashing into the nearby building.
<Inside Nero's head>
???: Huh , Nero is actually holding his own. His opponent is a lot faster than him. However, that won't stop me....
The figure reached his hand out towards Nero's image and grabbed hold of it . A massive amount of Darkness flowed from the figure onto Nero's image.
???: Let's try again.
<Back in the fight>
As Nero and Gyutaro continued to battle. Nero's uniform is all torn up with several spectral blades surrounding him. While Gyutaro looked at him annoyed.
Nero: You're pissed ? Wanna tal-
He lets Yamato go , dropping it onto the floor. He holds his head in pain, He falls to one knee . Gyutaro looks at him confused about what's going on. He then begins making his way towards.
Nero: N-no.... Stop.....
Gyutaro: Not sure what's going on , but looks like it's the end for you.
He raised his Kama up. Nero continued holding his head in pain. Gyutaro swung his weapon down onto Nero . Time began to slow down around them. As the Kama gets closer and closer to Nero, Nero remains motionless. Daki watched from the rubble of the building she crashed in .
???: Hehe....Too Bad,for you.
Once the point of the Kama only inches away from Nero's head . Both Gyutaro's hands were sliced off, catching him off guard and forcing him to jump back. He began sweating profusely, Daki felt the same.
Gyutaro: What's going on ? Why does it feel like a sinister presence has just appeared!
Daki felt it from the distance she was at. She fell back onto the ground .
Daki:T-This feeling .... Is this the power that Lord Muzan was talking about ?!
Nero stood up, a sinister smile formed on his face.
Nero: To think , two upper moons in a row . The "Demon Lord" must really think he's all stuff. Well Pinky learned and now you're about to learn it, the difference between a Demon and A Devil!
Nero vanished and appeared in front of Gyutaro grabbing hold of his neck. He lifted him up and threw him into a nearby building. Daki sat there in horror as for what's happening to Gyutaro.
Gyutaro: Dammit ! I need to heal ... once I-
Nero(?): You're not healing ! You think you demons would learn by now , You cut by any of my weapons , that healing factor you rely on so much... is useless.
Nero emerged from the building he was in and noticed Daki. Daki tried to crawl back to get away from him , until Nero appeared in front of her.
Nero(?): Now this is a rare opportunity, I don't think the last time I ran into a rare demon like you. I got a question to ask you then....
Nero used Yamato and wrapped his hand around the blade and swiped his hand along the blade causing blood to drip.
Nero(?): I can offer you power , beyond that of a demon. Power that makes that "Demon Lord" power insufficient.. Plus with an added bonus of immunity to sunlight.
Daki was surprised by the offer , as Nero(?) held his arm towards her .As the blood drips from his hand , she looked at it.
Daki(Thoughts): Power that surpasses Lord Muzan's? Immunity to Sunlight? What should I do ?
As she reaches her hand out towards the blood , behind Nero Gyutaro attacks Nero . Stabbing him through the chest. Nero chuckled as he stood up with the Kama in chest still.
Nero(?): Hate to break it to you but attacks like that Won't work!
Nero spins around , slicing Gyutaro's neck off in the process. Daki's eyes widened in shock.
Daki: BROTHER!
As the body falls to the floor , the head rolls in front of her . Nero stood there sheathing Yamato.
Nero(?): Now...your answer ?
As Daki looked at her brother's head, slowly crumbling away. She had fear in her eyes and several thoughts plagued her mind.
Daki(Thought): If I drink the blood I'll live, if I don't drink it , I -
Nero(?): I ha-
Nero drops his sword and grabs his head.
Nero(?): Dammit not again !
Daki looks at him confused . Nero falls over to his side holding head.
Nero(?): You're not Strong Enough!
<Inside Nero's head >
Nero clashes with the figure , in his mindscape consisting of a battlefield covered in blue flames.Nero looked at the figure with hatred, The figure held his hand forward and several black swords appeared flying towards Nero. Nero dodged most of them only for some of them to cut him in some places. The figure charges in at him , gripping his sword in a black flame.
???: Breath of Dark-2nd form: Stinger !
As the figure lunges his sword towards Nero , Nero holds his sword up. Getting ready to block the incoming attack. The figure only inches away from stabbing Nero through the chest smiled, until Nero swung his sword to the side . Redirecting the attack away from him , the figure was caught off guard by this action . As his body moved past Nero's , Nero turned . Raising his sword with both hands and swinging down onto the figure's Neck severing his head.
Nero : This time....stay dead!
As the body falls flat on the battlefield , a voice calls out to him .
???(2): As long as you wield Yamato , you can never escape my grasp....
<Real world>
Nero raised his head and looked at Daki. She was confused by what had happened , still holding the cup full of his blood. She looks at it for a second then drinks the blood. Nero looks at her and then passes out.
< Butterfly estate>
Kanae walks around the estate helping Shinobu in her lab. It's been 1 day since Nero left to help Uzui on his mission. She grew worried that he hadn't returned, Shinobu noticed this .
Shinobu: He'll be fine , Kanae. If anything , Uzui instigated a fight and that they've been at it for awhile.
Kanae: That may be true but . They know the rules , fighting among the Hashira is strictly forbidden.
Shinobu: Tha- (sighs) That is true... well if anything comes up A crow will inform us on what's happened.
<Inside a cave >
Nero sitting against the wall, Yamato was up against him in it's sheath. He begins to stir from his sleep.
Nero: Damn I don't remember what happened ... Where am I ?
???: You're in a cave , near where we fought... I dragged you here after you fell unconscious.
Nero looked toward the back of the cave and found Daki sitting there. She was hiding underneath a torn cloth to block some of the sun's light. Nero looked at her surprised she hadn't killed him . He gets up and looks around for the other demon.
Daki: My brother is dead.... You killed him..
Nero had a shocked look on his face. He placed his hand on the side of his head , seeing if the injuries that Gyutaro inflicted were there. As he felt his hand around the side of his head , he felt nothing .
Nero: What happened exactly ? No , better question: how am I still alive? When I fell unconscious , you had a perfect opportunity to kill me ..
He began to approach her once he was standing in front of her , he kneels down and looks her in the eye, to his shock he didn't see the "UPPER" and "SIX".
Nero: Why didn't you kill me ?
Daki looked in his eyes and noticed the colors in his eyes being red and blue began to mix together .
Daki: You don't remember ?
His eyes widened at what she said.
Nero(thought): He must have taken control again , I have to inform Oyakata-Sama about this... now.
As Nero made his way out of the cave. He felt something wrap around his arm, when he looked he found Daki's cloth wrapped around him. But the cloth was different than before , it was falling apart slowly.
Daki: Don't leave...
Nero: Pardon?
As the cloth unwraps itself around his arm. Daki pulled the torn cloth to the side , revealing the fading mark on the side of her face.
Daki: Don't leave , please....
Nero looked at her confused . He then leaned against the walls of the cave. As she sat there , she thought back to her conversion she had with him.
<Flashback>
Nero(?): I can offer you power , beyond that of a demon. Power that makes that "Demon Lord" power insufficient.. Plus with an added bonus of immunity to sunlight.
Nero(?): Now...your answer ?
<Present>
Daki: I drank your blood , I did feel stronger but....
Nero: I don't understand the situation entirely, care to explain it ?
She nods and begins to explain what happened to them.
Nero: What's your name ?
Daki: Daki ...
Nero approached her again , kneeling down.
Nero: Where did you get the idea of battling me ? I know that we're enemies and all but the only other demon that wanted to fight me head on . Was the pink haired demon..
Daki: That would be Akaza , he's known only for wanting to fight ... among other things. But The reason I wanted to fight you was to prove myself to Lo- I mean Kibustuji , to get more blood from him.
Nero: Don't think I noticed , when we fought you said " Your gonna be mine !" Whats the reason for that ?
Daki blushed when he asked that question and used her cloth to cover her embarrassment.
Nero got up and began making his way towards the exit . Once he was outside , he turned around and looked at her .
Nero : You coming ?
Daki was shocked to hear his question. When she got up , Nero removed his Haori and gave it to her .
Nero: Put this on , since it's broad daylight out , it might attract some unwanted attention..
She grabs his Haori and puts it on . Pulling the hood on his haori to cover her face.
Nero: Before we go . (Reaches for Yamato.) What happened to Uzui and the others ? Depending on your answer ....( Pushes Yamato out slightly.)
Daki: They're safe , After the battle I let go of all the hostages .
Nero stared at her for a second , then let Yamato slide back into the sheath.
Nero: Alright... let's go .
As he begins walking away, Daki followed him .
Nero(Thought): Kanae's gonna kill me for this ....
________________________________________________________________________________
Chapter 28 is done. Everything is Belongs to their Rightful Owners.