The Butterfly's Embrace | Demon Slayer x Male OC

Chapter 12

Hibiki walked forward, now that he knew where his destination was. He felt bad for knocking Misaki out, but he knew he shouldn't involve her any further for her own sake.

He moved more carefully as he approached the dirt road, scanning his surroundings for any danger.

After following the road for less than an hour, he suddenly heard a strange sound, like something ripping into flesh. He ducked to hide himself and looked toward the direction of the sound.

Peering out, he saw a huge male figure feasting on the dead body of a middle-aged man. Dread filled him as he realized the missing man, Wataru, was already dead.

'I should have arrived earlier,' he told himself, silently unsheathing his sword before blitzing towards the demon, which was occupied with its meal.

He made sure to approach silently and swiftly, but the demon seemed to sense him coming. It turned to face him, growling like an animal. Hibiki got a closer look at its features: a tall demon with full white hair and a thick beard resembling a lion's mane.

It roared, and suddenly, the demon was coated in a thick mist, blocking Hibiki's view. He swung his sword at where the demon stood but hit nothing but air.

Amidst the mist, Hibiki tried to stand back up and move away, but an attack came from the front. He blocked it with his sword, the sharp claws pushing against the blade.

The strength of the attack wasn't overwhelming, but the demon grabbed the sword with its claws, forcing Hibiki to act quickly.

Drawing his second sword, he swiftly cut the demon's hand. "No, you don't," he said, successfully freeing his sword before launching an attack with both blades.

But the demon disappeared with the mist, leaving Hibiki slashing at thin air. "Not this again. What's up with demons and their abilities?" Hibiki muttered, quickly jumping outside the mist to escape a second probable attack.

He landed safely, finally able to see clearly. Keeping his eyes on the mist, he tried to decipher the demon's abilities.

The mist began to shift towards him, increasing in speed. Hibiki readied for an attack, sheathed his second sword, and held his main one with both hands. "It would have been helpful if I knew Wind Breathing," Hibiki thought, smirking at the idea of blowing the mist away.

"First Form: Unknowing Fire," Hibiki announced, dashing towards the mist and unleashing a horizontal strike that momentarily sliced the mist in two. He quickly moved outside from the other side, watching as the mist joined together again.

'So, it has to be a physical attack on its body,' Hibiki thought, devising a new strategy.

He considered slicing the mist at different places, hoping to hit the demon's body, or evading the mist until the demon revealed itself. But as always, the demon had more abilities to showcase.

"Blood Demon Art: Eternal Mist," a voice roared, and a strong wind pushed the mist, suddenly enveloping the entire area.

Cursing under his breath, Hibiki couldn't see what lay ahead. He quickly jumped as high as he could to escape, but the mist reached him even in the air.

As he hung in the air, he heard the demon growl and felt claws dig into his shoulder, ripping brutally as they withdrew, causing significant damage.

Ignoring the pain, Hibiki landed smoothly before making a run for it. He sprinted as fast as he could, but the demon always seemed to reach him.

This time, the attack came from the front, perplexing Hibiki as the demon had been behind him a moment ago.

Managing to evade the attack, Hibiki saw the demon's physical form and swiftly attacked its neck. But as his blade neared its target, the demon seemed to merge with the mist, disappearing.