Demon Slayer: The Demon Hunter

Word Count: 1947

<—>

[Name: Fujino Yuki 

Level: 56 (8970/34,500)

Race: human 

Health: 1060/1060 (+7/sec) 

Stamina: 1120/1120 (+7.5/sec) 

STR: 127 

DUR: 98 

END: 106

AGI: 112

INT: 53

CHA: 64

Attributes Points (AP): 33]

'Well, my stats got a nice boost from that quest, but it's nowhere near enough totake down Akaza. I know I can't beat one on one, hell I don't think me and rengoku can take him down...' His eyes quickly flashed between the two, and looked up briefly at the sun.

'There's not much time left until the first light... If I can just hold on a little longer, maybe...'

'System. add 20 points into DUR and 13 to STR.'

[Allocating (AP)… done.

[Name: Fujino Yuki 

Level: 56 (8970/34,500)

Race: human 

Health: 1060/1060 (+7/sec) 

Stamina: 1120/1120 (+7.5/sec) 

STR: 140 

DUR: 118

END: 106

AGI: 112

INT: 53

CHA: 64

Attributes Points (AP): 0]

With the (AP) sorted out, the battle began without delay.

Akaza surged forward, fists clenched and as tough as steel, poised to inflict pain and devastation on the unfortunate target that would face his wrath.

Rengoku dashed ahead, his brilliant black sword shimmering under the moonlight, radiating an intensity that it could ignite into flames with just a spark.

Fujino trailed behind Rengoku, not quite matching his speed and far from Akaza's prowess, barely making it halfway before he opted for a different approach.

"Wind Blade!" Fujino shot his signature move, arcs of wind soaring over Rengoku, who watched in mild surprise as Akaza effortlessly slapped them away, as if they were mere bugs.

Fujino's eye twitched at the scene.

As Akaza and Rengoku clashed in the center, their strikes blurred together in a flurry of attacks. The hardened muscle of the demon met the tough Scarlet Crimson Iron of Rengoku's blade, creating a dazzling shower of sparks.

Rengoku swung his sword sideways, and Akaza dodged, leaning back to deliver a punch aimed at Rengoku, who parried it with his blade. However, Akaza swiftly knocked the sword aside and followed up with a kick that Rengoku barely evaded.

Akaza slammed his fist into the ground, shattering it and kicking up a small storm of dirt before launching debris at Rengoku, who was caught off guard by one of the rocks.

Seizing the moment, Fujino attempted to sneak up on Akaza and launched an attack from behind, but Akaza dodged and retaliated with a punch that Fujino narrowly avoided, resulting in a small cut on his cheek. Just then, he was blindsided by "light" a kick to the stomach.

[-2 HP]

[-80 HP]

'Damn, his awareness is on a whole different level; I don't think I can surprise him with Stealth'. Fujino shook off the pain and pressed forward, launching Wind Blades as he moved to catch Akaza's attention. He kept delivering slash after slash in an attempt to hurt him.

"Blindly attacking me won't work." Akaza mocked, blocking a sword strike and delivering a punch that Fujino narrowly avoided. "I've got the upper hand here, fake demon!" he added with a grin.

"I'm not a fake demon; hell, I'm not even one at all right now, so fucking stop calling me that!" Fujino swung a horizontal slash at Akaza's neck, but Akaza deftly caught the blade with his hand, not a single drop of blood spilled.

"You're pathetic; you can't even land a simple hit. How disgraceful!" Akaza taunted, relishing the anger on Fujino's face. Just as Fujino was about to fire back, Akaza landed a punch to his face, spun around, and delivered a powerful reverse kick that sent him flying.

[-125 HP]

[-300 HP]

[Broken Nose: -5% DUR

Time limit: 30 sec]

Akaza was ready to continue his assault, but Rengoku intervened, "Fire Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!" His sword ignited, finally making contact with flesh and slicing cleanly through Akaza's arm, severing it in two before he leaped back.

"You've managed to wound me, well done! I expected nothing less from you, Kyojuro!" The severed pieces of the hand began to twitch before swiftly healing and rejoining, becoming whole again.

Rengoku frowned; this demon's ability to regenerate was on a completely different level. Beside him, Meanwhile, Fujino was recovering, his Health slowly increasing, but his mood soured further as he realized he hadn't landed a single blow.

"It's a pity that the fake demon next to you can't compare to your strength. Should I take him out so we can continue our fight? I'd prefer not to have any pests distracting us during our battle" Akaza suggested, his wicked smile revealing that he was more than willing to carry out his proposal.

"Hah! Just come here and this 'Pest' will show how it's done." he scoffed. Fujino wasn't scared of him, not one bit.

Rengoku's frown deepened even further.

"I don't get it," he started, catching their attention. "After that clash, how can you belittle someone? You call him weak, yet he stood his ground against an Upper Moon. Your beliefs say that weaklings are worthless, but what I saw from Yuki-san was anything but weakness."

Akaza stared at him, his eyes boring deep into Rengoku's.

"If he were strong, he would have made me bleed, which he didn't," Akaza stated firmly. Sure, the weakling managed to keep up with him somewhat, but the lack of damage was pretty self-explanatory.

"If it weren't for your presence, Kyojuro, he would have been killed. Eeven you know that. So tell me, how can I see him as anything but worthless? He's not even suitable to be my training dummy."

"I see…" Rengoku replied, getting back into a fighting stance. Normally cheerful and energetic, he held no grudges, but the dismissal of someone he now viewed as extraordinary ignited a fire within him.

"So, you still haven't answered my question. Should I?"

Rengoku responded by launching an attack, his blade glowing with flames. "Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!" A tiger of fire materialized, charging toward Akaza with a roar that echoed through the air.

Akaza grinned wildly at the incoming attack. "Disorder! I'll be taking that as a no, Kyojuro!"

And so, the clash of blades, fire and fists resumed.

<—>

The slayer duo, Tanjiro and Inosuke, stood off to the side, completely absorbed in the intense clash before them, captivated by the spectacle unfolding.

"Wow..." Tanjiro whispered, kneeling with the support of his sword, his eyes glued to the battle. The chaos was a blur of blue, fire, and sparks, making it difficult for him to distinguish Rengoku and Akaza, and even Fujino was just a faint figure in the fray.

Inosuke mirrored Tanjiro's state, struggling to grasp the details of the fight. He could barely make out his rival, who was fighting with all his might. The urge to jump into the fray was overwhelming, but he managed to hold himself back, his mind racing with something significant.

"Hey, Inosuke, shouldn't we—" he started to say, but his words trailed off as he noticed two figures in his peripheral vision: a young girl with a bamboo muzzle and a disheveled slayer dressed in a white kimono.

"Shimada-kun, Nezuko! You're alive!" he exclaimed, filled with joy and relief at the sight of his sister and friend. Nezuko immediately rushed into her brother, knocking them both to the ground.

"Mmmm!"

"Owowowo, Nezuko, that hurts! Please stop." For someone so small, she was surprisingly heavy.

"Hmph!" she pinched his cheek hard.

"I wasn't thinking about your weight!" he protested, but her expression made it clear she didn't believe him.

Tetsuya observed the scene with a chuckle. "You two are just the cutest, you know that?" he remarked, grinning.

"Ahh, it's great to see you again, Tetsuya-san," Tanjiro replied after finally breaking free from the cuddle monster.

"Same here! It's such a relief to see you and Inosuke are still in one piece, though I must say, you look pretty rough. Are you okay?" he asked, noticing Tanjiro's condition, which made him chuckle.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a bit worn out, and my lungs feel like they're on fire... but I'll be fine, really," he said, waving his hands dismissively as he noticed Tetsuya's concern.

"I understand... Well, it seems I'm not the only one feeling that way," Tetsuya said, taking a seat beside Tanjiro.

"So, where have you two been? Inosuke and I were worried sick about you," Tanjiro initiated the conversation.

"After the train crash, I blacked out for a bit. When I came to, Nezuko was pulling me out of the wreckage. It was quite a mess, I tell you," he said, his fingers brushing over a cut on his forehead. He was a mess, with bruises and cuts all over, but he would manage.

"After that, Rengoku-sama found us. He made sure we were alright and told us to help evacuate before he took off..." he trailed off, finally paying attention to the fight he had been ignoring.

"So, who was the demon responsible for all this chaos? I stayed back with Nezuko to protect the passengers," he asked Tanjiro.

"It was Lower Moon 1. His name was Enmu."

"I see." From Tetsuya's perspective, it made sense; only a high-ranking demon could create such havoc, so it was clear this whole situation was orchestrated by one of their ranks.

"I'm guessing Rengoku-sama is in that fight... Tanjiro, how bad is it?"

"Upper Moon 3," he replied, his expression unusually grim.

"That's..." Tetsuya's words faltered. He had barely survived an encounter with Lower Moon 1, and now an Upper Moon was involved? He could only be grateful that Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, was there to face the Upper Moon.

"I can see that someone else is in the fight. Who is that?" he asked, noticing a third figure struggling amidst the chaos, clearly having a tough time keeping up with the fast blue blur.

"Oh, that's Fujino. Do you remember him? He's the one who can turn into a demon."

"Hgk!" Tetsuya sputtered, his mind racing back to the final selection when a demon had saved his life. It seemed absurd that a demon would rescue a demon slayer, someone sworn to eliminate them, from one of their own.

But later on, he would hear rumors of a human who could transform into a demon, and it clicked—this was the very person who had come to his aid.

Tetsuya felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards him.

Thanks to him, he had found the courage to confess his feelings to his now partner, Imada.

"Should we step in to help?" he asked. While he doubted his own strength, and he was in a rough shape, he believed that if he, Nezuko, Tanjiro, and Inosuke teamed up, they might make a difference.

Tanjiro glanced at him, sharing the same desire to assist. Witnessing the battle against Enmu and now this situation made him acutely aware of the gaps in their strength compared to others. He couldn't just stand by and watch; he wanted to be useful.

"Instant death."

Tetsuya and Tanjiro turned sharply to Inosuke, who had finally spoken up.

"If we intervene, we would die instantly."

His words hung heavily in the air, casting a dark shadow over the atmosphere. If Inosuke, who was always prideful and eager to fight any demon, was expressing such fear, it was clear they were in over their heads.

Yes, Inosuke was scared, he was trembling.

He hadn't just been watching the fight; he had been itching to jump in and clash with that upper moon, maybe even take down Fujino to assert his dominance. He had been waiting for the perfect moment... and waiting... and waiting...

but it never came.

Inosuke came to the realization that jumping into the battle would only lead to his demise.

With that thought in mind, the group could do nothing but stand by, hoping that the slayers would come out victorious.

<—>

Taisho Era Secrets!

Akaza has only known Fujino for a little less than 10 minutes, but he takes pleasure in belittling him. He finds great joy in watching Fujino's expressions and bouts of anger. He keeps teasing and provoking him throughout their battle., thoroughly enjoying the responses he elicits.

<—>

So sorry for the long wait, but I have had some pretty bad family drama. It isn't over, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to upload again, but hopefully soon.