Demon Slayer : LEveLing uP

Ishida glanced nervously from side to side, feeling a bit uncomfortable standing right between the two demons. These creatures were at a level that he knew he couldn't handle easily right now.

He stayed on high alert, keeping a close watch on both demons. Surprisingly, they weren't moving around much like he had expected. Instead, they stood there with a surprisingly calm demeanor, which only added to his unease.

The female demon on Ishida's left chuckled, "Look, you've made the kid so nervous he can't even talk!" she said. "And his friends are already dead, so let's not scare him even more now!" she added with a casual tone.

Ishida's eyes widened in shock, fear creeping over his face as he looked at the demon. 'Dead?!' he thought to himself, staring at both demons before lowering his gaze to the ground. 'They can't be,' he tried to convince himself. But doubt gnawed at him. Although they were his teammates, he realized he didn't know much about them. He knew Kazuki's rank and that he was decent in a fight, but as for Karin, he knew little. What if a demon like the one he faced earlier attacked them? Could they handle it? Were they strong enough? Or had he made a mistake by not checking on them before venturing further into the forest? Questions swirled in his mind, and fear began to build—not fear of the demons standing before him, but fear for his teammates on their mission. What if they were actually dead? Or was the demon just bluffing now !?

The demon on Ishida's right let out a deep, rumbling laugh, "You accuse me of making the kid nervous, yet you're the one who rattled him with news like that. You're more cruel than I am."

Ishida took a deep breath to steady himself. 'No matter what happened, I can't lose focus on my task now. Plus, I believe they're still alive!' he reassured himself. Gathering his courage, he looked up at the demons and asked in a firm, steady voice, ignoring the comments about Kazuki & Karin, "So, you're the ones living here, responsible for the people disappearing and the slayers going missing too?" He was trying to get a better understanding of what was really happening, showing no trace of fear in his tone.

The only response Ishida received was a loud, mocking laugh from the female demon on his left, soon joined by the one on the right. Their laughter fueled his frustration and anger.

"STOP LAUGHING!" he shouted, his voice echoing with intensity. The demons paused, their eyes now fixed curiously on the small human before them. "Do you think the lives of innocent people, innocent humans who've done nothing wrong, are something to laugh about? They're not!" he declared with conviction.

The female demon sneered at his boldness. "A kid trying to teach us what to do?" she taunted, her voice dripping with mockery.

"You have no idea what you're talking about, kid," the female demon sneered, her voice tinged with anger. "You know nothing about demons or us, yet you make it your mission to take us down every day without understanding why we exist."

Ishida was taken aback by her words, but before he could respond, a sudden bright light erupted from both sides, blinding him. He squinted against the intense flash, struggling to keep his eyes open, but the brilliance overwhelmed his senses, making it nearly impossible for him to see.

A few seconds later, the bright light faded, and Ishida was finally able to open his eyes. He looked around to see where the two demons had been standing just moments ago before the blinding light had appeared, and his face was filled with confusion and questions.

On either side of him stood two beings. The top half of their bodies looked human, except for their deadly, demon-like eyes and some strange facial marks. To his left was a woman where the snake-faced demon had been. She had pale, alabaster skin, silver hair, and red, slit-like eyes. Her skin was decorated with serpent scales and silver tattoos on her shoulders. She wore a silk blouse with silver embroidery, shimmering with scales and featuring an elegant design with an ornate collar.

On the other side of him stood a male figure. He had bronze skin, black hair, and golden eyes. His upper body was adorned with flame patterns, and he wore a leather vest with gold embroidery, flame motifs, a rugged finish, and studded edges.

The only way Ishida could tell they were the same demons from a few moments ago was by their lower bodies. Unlike their human-like upper bodies, their lower halves were still completely snake-like, just as before.

Ishida was surprised and a little shocked, but not as much as he might have been a few months ago. Back then, seeing something like this would have made him faint in an instant. But now, after becoming a demon slayer and witnessing so many strange things, he had a mental note reminding him that nothing is truly unreal.

"You're handling this pretty well, kid. I thought you'd be scared by now, with fear written all over your face. But you seem pretty calm," the female demon remarked.

"You're something special, kid. The issue is, though, you made it into the forest, got past Botan—the first demon—so easily, and ventured this deep. But, unfortunately, your journey ends here," the male demon said in a creepy voice. As they both took an attacking stance, Ishida quickly drew his sword and prepared to fight. With a swift backflip, he created some space between himself and the demons, readying himself to attack or defend better against their moves.

"Taking on a kid two against one seems a bit unfair," the male demon's voice echoed. "Aya, I'll leave him entirely to you. I'm sure you can handle him on your own, right?"

"Of course! A kid like him is no match for me," she replied with a demonic smirk.

"Great, I'll be watching!" he said, and suddenly vanished from sight. In an instant, he reappeared above, his snake-like tail coiling around a tree branch as he settled in to observe the fight.

Ishida stood between the two demons, carefully observing and analyzing everything. "When did he get up there?" he wondered to himself, amazed by the demon's speed as he appeared in the tree so quickly.

"Don't ignore me now," the female demon said. "I'm no less of a threat than he is, and I'm the one you'll have to fight—or be killed by, if I'm being honest." Ishida turned his attention to her, and they faced each other. Meanwhile, the demon above watched with interest and a slight smile. "You're quite an interesting character," he thought, looking at Ishida.

---

"Ouch..."

Kazuki yelled out in pain as the demon's power hurled him into a tree. He hit the ground hard, feeling every bit of the pain. As he lay there, struggling to get back on his feet, vines began to coil around him, making it even harder to move. But before the vines could fully trap him, Karin, who had also been knocked back by the demon, dashed over and sliced through the vines with her sword, freeing him just in time.

"You guys are such fools. Just give up already. You haven't even laid a finger on me, and you can't beat me," the demon taunted, taking a break from its relentless assault. Even the demon was growing weary of their fruitless attempts, as none of their attacks had hit home except for Karin's quick surprise strike at the beginning.

"Are you okay?" Karin asked, kneeling down to help Kazuki get back on his feet.

"Are you sure your plan is working?" Kazuki whispered, barely able to stand with Karin's support. He was exhausted, and Karin wasn't in much better shape, both feeling the weight of their injuries and fatigue.

"It should start working any moment...," she replied, her eyes fixed on the demon. Just then, the demon unexpectedly clutched at the small wound from Karin's initial surprise attack.

"What's happening?!" the demon exclaimed, clutching its side where the wound was. Confusion quickly turned to panic as it doubled over, blood dripping from its mouth and staining the ground. Its eyes widened in shock, and it stumbled backward, clearly affected by something unseen.

"...Now!" Karin finished her sentence, leaving both Kazuki and the demon puzzled, wondering what exactly Karin had done.

Do you have any idea what Karin actually did? Share your thoughts in the comments below!