Demon Slayer: Guardian of the Forest

"What? What is this? How am I doing this?" Shinichi was just as astonished by his own actions. Dodging so deftly even while poisoned seemed impossible, and yet, the movements came almost reflexively.

Each time Karasuma's black tongue attacked, it was as if Shinichi could sense it beforehand. "If that's the case, then let's try to counterattack!" he muttered, and in a flash, his sharp claws glinted coldly.

Whoosh! Karasuma's black tongue swiped past Shinichi's ear once more. Taking advantage of this moment, Shinichi arched his claws and slashed down hard.

Clang!! As expected, the clash between his claws and the black tongue rang out like metal striking metal.

The battle between the two demons scarred the ground, creating countless cracks and debris. Dust filled the air, and sparks and the sound of clashing steel reverberated without pause.

As time passed, Karasuma's rage intensified, while Shinichi grew increasingly exhausted. He was nearing his limit. Since becoming a demon, Shinichi hadn't eaten any flesh, and had been in a state of constant hunger. The toll of battle was too much—he was reaching his breaking point.

"Damn it!! You arrogant brat!" Karasuma's muscles swelled, and boom! His body shot toward Shinichi like a cannonball. Boom!! Shinichi dodged with ease, but the force of the impact left a crater in the ground beneath his feet.

"Bastard! Bastard! Bastard! You little brat! You've really pissed me off now!" Karasuma suddenly retracted his tongue, his entire lower jaw swelling like a balloon.

Danger! Shinichi's mind screamed a warning, but his starved body couldn't keep up with his instincts. By the time Shinichi tried to move, it was too late.

"Blood Demon Art: Venomous Tongue Dance!" Karasuma roared, opening his massive jaws. Whoosh! A huge mass of black mist erupted, with several long, black tongues writhing like venomous serpents within the cloud.

Slash! Slash! Slash! Shinichi's body was instantly pierced by multiple black tongues. The black mist seeped into his wounds. "Damn!" he hissed as pain flared from the wounds, his skin turning an ugly shade of blue due to the poison.

"Heh heh, arrogant brat. Finally caught you, didn't I? Run again, why don't you?!" The black tongues coiled around Shinichi's body tightly. Weakened, his wounds couldn't heal as quickly, and dark red blood dripped down his battered form. Karasuma dragged Shinichi closer, taunting him.

"Go to hell, monster!" Shinichi spat in Karasuma's face.

"Monster? Heh, calling me a monster? Aren't you one too? Don't think just because you haven't eaten humans yet that you're still one of them! A demon is a demon. You can't fight your own nature. Humans are nothing but food for us.

I really don't understand why that esteemed one turned someone like you into a demon, allowing you to keep this ridiculous empathy for humans. I saw it in your eyes—the pity, the anger—when you looked at those human corpses. Originally, I was planning to let you come to terms with being a demon, but now, I've changed my mind." Karasuma's lips twisted into a cruel smile.

Perhaps earlier, Karasuma had hoped to lead Shinichi down the "path of demons." But after their battle, he regretted it. Shinichi's talent was so great it frightened him. Despite having never eaten human flesh, Shinichi had forced him to use his Blood Demon Art. If Shinichi ever got strong enough by consuming humans, how powerful would he become? Perhaps powerful enough to serve that esteemed one among the Twelve Kizuki!

Whether it was to prevent future vengeance or to eliminate a potential rival, Karasuma had genuinely made up his mind to kill Shinichi.

Shinichi struggled, but Karasuma's black tongues were like steel cables, binding him tightly. Combined with Karasuma's venom, it was difficult for Shinichi to even move a finger.

Perhaps due to Karasuma's toxins, though Shinichi's body was paralyzed, his mind was exceptionally clear. Thoughts raced through his head. "Blood Demon Art… What is it? That bastard called it out clearly. Judging by the name, it must be a special ability only demons can use. But I don't seem to have such an ability… Why? Is it only after reaching a certain level of strength that demons can develop these powers?

But how can I grow stronger? For a demon, does it really mean the only way is… to eat humans?" Shinichi pondered, but he found himself at an impasse. If his assumptions were correct, his only hope was to consume human flesh to grow stronger.

But Karasuma had no intention of giving Shinichi a chance. Shinichi could sense the murderous intent from Karasuma. Yet why hadn't he acted? The answer came from Karasuma himself.

"It's hard for one demon to kill another. Aside from those Demon Slayer swords, the only thing that can do the job is the sun… Heh, the sun, indeed," Karasuma cackled darkly, then used all four limbs to crawl back toward the house. He extended yet another black tongue, wrapping it around a mutilated corpse on the floor. It seemed that the vile demon wasn't done feasting yet.

There were still a few hours before daylight. Karasuma planned to find a spot to deal with his "companion" properly—to watch from a shadowy cave as his prey writhed and burned to ash under the sunlight. The thought alone thrilled him.

Woof! Woof! Suddenly, a bark cut through Karasuma's twisted reverie. Startled, Karasuma found a small Shiba Inu standing in his path, baring its teeth and barking furiously at him.

"Where did this mutt come from?" Karasuma muttered, raising a claw to crush the little dog. Unexpectedly, the Shiba Inu leaped and sank its teeth into Karasuma's long black tongue.

"Owww!! Damn it!" Karasuma screamed in pain, retracting his tongue immediately, thrashing about wildly, trying to shake the dog off.

The little Shiba Inu, Enji, was thrown to the ground, rolling several times before ending up next to Shinichi. Quickly getting back on his feet, Enji barked furiously at Karasuma, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

"How can this be? A dog, hurting me? No… There's something wrong with this dog!" Karasuma scowled at Enji, and soon he noticed something unusual. The Shiba Inu's body was different—its sleek fur covered powerful muscles, its claws and teeth shone with a sharp gleam. Most notably, its eyes glowed red, exuding an aura that felt all too familiar.

"What?! This dog's become a demon?! Has that esteemed one gone mad?" Karasuma cursed in disbelief.

Demonized Enji didn't care what Karasuma was thinking. He only knew that this ugly creature had hurt his master! That was all that mattered! The little Shiba Inu turned, whimpering anxiously at Shinichi's side.

But Shinichi remained unconscious, his body motionless.

"Damn it! I don't care what you are! You're going down with this brat!" Karasuma roared, his massive jaws opening wide, two black tongues shooting forth like spears. Enji bared his teeth, leaping toward Karasuma in a desperate attempt to protect his master.

Enji was brave, but he was far from a match for Karasuma. Even biting down with all his strength on Karasuma's tongue only caused minor pain, not real harm. It wasn't long before Enji was caught by one of the black tongues and his spine was crushed in a vicious snap.

Hearing Enji's pained whimper, Karasuma laughed, his mouth stretching wide. "A dumb beast will always be a dumb beast. Looks like you had some bond with that brat, huh? Well, at least you'll have company on your way to the afterlife…"

Slash!

Karasuma couldn't even finish his taunt before a sudden numbness spread from his tongue. Blood gushed out like a fountain from the severed stump. Thud! The dismembered piece of his black tongue fell to the ground, writhing and twitching.

"Is that… my tongue?" Karasuma's brain stalled, but soon, the sharp pain snapped him back. Yes, that was his tongue.

"Aaaahhh!!! My tongue!!"

Opening his right hand, Shinichi flung away the sticky, stinking blood, his expression cold as he looked at the howling Karasuma.

"You bastard! Do you know how much effort it took to grow my tongue?! Ten years for four tongues! Damn you! I'll kill you!" Karasuma raged. "Blood Demon Art: Venomous Tongue Dance—Full Release!!"

At that moment, Shinichi seemed different. One of his eyes glowed a faint green. As he looked at the oncoming assault, Shinichi made no move to dodge. Instead, he hunched forward, raising both arms, crossing them in front of him, and slightly parted his lips to reveal his sharp fangs. In a soft voice, he murmured, "Blood Demon Art: Blood Burst!"