Aoki flew through the night sky like a huge bat.
Suddenly, he stopped and looked down.
A quiet, peaceful village sat by the sea. Lights were on at the pier. A young couple was busy.
Their life was poor, but they were happy.
Aoki quickly scanned the village.
"Gyokko isn't here either!"
This was good news, but also bad.
He had searched the outermost villages in the area.
But he hadn't found Gyokko.
"Did I guess wrong? Or is Gyokko in Shinobu's search area?"
Aoki thought, changed direction, and vanished into the night.
...
In the pitch-black forest, a pot appeared out of nowhere.
Gurgle gurgle.
Black liquid oozed out, forming a twisted monster.
It stared at the village ahead, swaying. "This is the place! I hope the traitor appreciates the art I leave behind! Shoo shoo!"
All the arms on its head spread open, as if to embrace the village.
Then, its expression changed. It looked outside.
"Oh? Someone's here? Another Demon Slayer. Seems stronger than the last one. Looks like I can't start making art yet."
The mouth where its eyes should be twisted into a cruel smile. "But this is good too."
...
Shinobu ran quickly.
Even though she was far away, the hellish scene on the village street and the broken body of the Demon Slayer she didn't know kept flashing in her mind.
Intense anger burned in her chest.
The stronger the demon, the worse the destruction.
Newborn demons could easily kill humans. Stronger demons could kill entire families. Upper Moons could slaughter a village effortlessly.
Shinobu was more grateful than ever for Mr. Aomura.
They hadn't killed an Upper Moon for over a hundred years. Many Pillars had died at the hands of Upper Moons.
The Demon Slayer Corps had tried its best, but the truth was cruel. Upper Moons still committed sins freely.
Now, in less than a year, four Upper Moons had died at Mr. Aomura's hands.
How many people had been saved? How many people wouldn't suffer the tragedy of that village today?
"I must find Gyokko!"
Shinobu looked up.
A village was in sight.
It was one of the suspicious targets Mr. Aomura had chosen.
To her relief, the village was dark. She could only see faint lights and hear occasional dog barks and chicken crows.
No smell of blood.
It meant Gyokko hadn't touched this place yet.
Suddenly, Shinobu's face changed. She twisted, changed direction, and drew her sword.
Pfft!
A bizarre fish with four limbs was pinned to a tree. Its mouth was full of saw-like teeth. A blue pot was embedded in its back.
Shinobu's eyes filled with killing intent. "It's Gyokko! Is he nearby?"
She had gotten detailed information about all the Upper Moons from Mr. Aomura.
Even though it was her first time seeing this monster, its distinct style made her recognize the culprit instantly.
Shinobu pulled back her sword, flicked it, and the blood slid off. The blade was clean.
The spot where the monster was stabbed turned purple and spread quickly. Its body began to rot. In a few seconds, it turned into black water.
She couldn't decapitate demons. That was her weakness. She could only kill them with poison. But sometimes, it was an advantage.
Like now, she could kill an enemy even if she didn't hit a vital spot.
But she didn't relax.
Gyokko's monster had appeared. He was probably nearby.
Whoosh!
A ball of water flew from the side.
Shinobu's expression hardened. She didn't underestimate it and jumped away quickly.
The water hit the ground, sizzling.
"Blood Pot?"
Shinobu turned. A beautiful pot appeared in her sight.
"Upper Moon Five, Gyokko?"
Gurgle gurgle.
Black water oozed from the pot. A twisted monster crawled out.
It was entirely white, with yellow eyes and green lips. Purple fins grew from its head. It only had an upper body, with muscular arms. It had no arms, but several small arms grew from its head.
Its eyes had become two mouths. Its mouths and forehead each had an eye, carved with "Upper Moon" and "Five."
It looked twisted, bizarre, and disgusting.
"You dodged it. Your strength is indeed greater than the previous Demon Slayer, but it's limited!"
Gyokko's two mouths opened and closed. The arms on his head waved. His voice was full of mockery.
"I found you!"
Shinobu's eyes burned with killing intent.
Gyokko twisted his body. Three thick arms grew from his strong body. "You came with the traitor, didn't you? I'll turn you into an artwork and give you to the traitor too!"
Shinobu didn't waste words. She drew her sword. "Bee Sting Dance, True Flutter!"
Pfft!
The sword tip pierced the eye on Gyokko's forehead. Purple poison spread quickly. The surrounding flesh began to rot.
Gyokko's smile froze. He vanished and reappeared dozens of meters away.
"It's an ability similar to Mr. Aomura's!" Shinobu frowned.
"So it's poison. What an inartistic attack! But this is good too!"
Gyokko's eyes were cruel and angry. The rotting flesh on his forehead slowed, then stopped completely. It quickly healed.
"He broke it down so quickly. Just as Mr. Aomura and Sister said, my current poison can't kill an Upper Moon!"
Shinobu gripped her sword hilt.
"I can use poison too!"
One of Gyokko's hands melted, turning into a pot with a pattern of water plants.
Two goldfish crawled out. They opened their mouths.
Pfft pfft pfft!
Sharp needles shot out, covering Shinobu.
Blood Demon Art, Thousand Needles, Fish Kill.
The needles carried a paralyzing poison.
"Centipede Dance, Hundred-Legged Zigzag!"
Shinobu's eyes narrowed. The sand exploded. She shot forward, dodging all the needles.
Thump thump thump!
Sand exploded in various places.
Shinobu flashed back and forth, quickly closing in on Gyokko.
"Blood Demon Art, Octopus Pot Hell!"
Gyokko was annoyed. He extended a hand, and another pot with an octopus pattern appeared.
Whoosh!
A huge purple octopus tentacle shot out of the pot.
Bang!
Shinobu was hit by a tentacle. She flew away, crashing to the ground, a trace of blood at her mouth.
Gyokko looked at Shinobu cruelly. "Let me think, what kind of artwork should I make you? How about cutting off your limbs, stringing them up with a sword, and sticking them on your head?"
Shinobu grabbed something and threw it at Gyokko.
A high-pressure stream of water shot from the pot. The wooden board shattered instantly. Gyokko mocked, "Such a weak counterattack. You're not even as good as that Demon Slayer from before!
Before she died, her struggles and screams inspired me to create that great work. You saw it, didn't you? Wasn't it shocking? Wasn't it..."
He stopped suddenly and looked to the side.
A figure with black hair and golden eyes appeared in the air.
The next moment, Gyokko flew away, his upper body instantly exploding into a bloody mist.
---
Hello there ShixT9 here, caught up already?
Extra Chapters in my patreon right now go check it out.
patreon.com/ShixT9
Don't forget to drop stones and a good review if you like the story so far ^-^