Demon Slayer : Heir to the Moon

[ 3rd POV ]

The world dissolved into a sickening lurch as the ground beneath Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke vanished. They plummeted from the cliff, hitting the uneven terrain below with jarring thuds. The impact rattled their bones, shaking the last vestiges of the demon's insidious illusions from their minds, leaving them groaning and disoriented.

As they scrambled to recover, dusting themselves off, a familiar figure emerged from the lingering wisps of fog. It was Ryo.

Zenitsu, still dazed and trembling, managed a choked question. "Ryo...? Are you... are you okay?" But before the words fully left his lips, the figure lunged. It moved with the chilling speed of Shadow Breathing: Second Form – Ghost Step, its Nichirin blade already flashing towards Zenitsu's throat.

Tanjiro, reacting on pure instinct, shoved Zenitsu violently out of the way, the blade whistling past where his friend's head had been moments before. "What the hell?! Why are you attacking, Ryo?!" Inosuke bellowed, already drawing his twin swords, utterly confused by the sudden aggression from their comrade.

Tanjiro's nose, however, instantly picked up a disturbing truth. The scent was undeniably Ryo's, yet it was utterly lifeless—no warmth, no soul, just the cold, metallic tang of a weapon. "It's not him, Inosuke!" Tanjiro yelled, his voice strained. "It's not even alive... it doesn't have a soul!"

Zenitsu, who had narrowly escaped beheading, collapsed in a heap, knocked out cold by sheer terror, his usual scream caught in his throat. Tanjiro grimaced, yelling at Inosuke, "Get in a stance! We don't know what it's capable of!"

Thus began a desperate battle. Tanjiro and Inosuke found themselves locked in combat with Ryo's eerie doppelganger. Blades clashed, sparks flying in the dim light. The clone parried, dodged, and countered with fluid precision, mimicking Ryo's unique movements and flowing attack style. Tanjiro unleashed Water Breathing: Second Form – Water Wheel, a spinning attack that forced the clone back. Inosuke followed with a wild Beast Breathing: Third Fang – Devour, his dual blades slashing in a chaotic frenzy.

With every clash, every imitated movement, Tanjiro realized something crucial — this fake Ryo, while terrifyingly skilled, wasn't as strong as the real one. There was a distinct lack of raw power, a subtle slowness that betrayed its true nature. Yet, it was still incredibly strong, its attacks hitting with impressive force. Tanjiro knew he couldn't beat it alone. Thankfully, Inosuke was a chaotic whirlwind of blades, though Zenitsu remained frustratingly unconscious.

Tanjiro glanced towards Nezuko's box, a desperate thought flickering. He couldn't risk her. If this clone's blade functioned like a true Nichirin, capable of decapitation, Nezuko would be in mortal danger. For now, it was a brutal two-on-one, Tanjiro and Inosuke barely holding their own, their numbers a distinct advantage.

As the sword clashes continued, a disturbing shift occurred. The air around the Ryo clone seemed to thicken, its movements gaining a sharper edge, its strikes more fluid and precise. Suddenly, it seemed to grow stronger, faster, its presence becoming more menacing.

In a devastating move, the Ryo clone unleashed Shadow Breathing: Fifth Form – Obsidian Rain on Inosuke. Inosuke roared, attempting to block the heavy, slashing attack with his twin blades. But his swords, already less durable due to his habit of chipping them for 'design', shattered under the immense force. The air rang with the sharp crack of Inosuke's swords breaking, metal shards glinting as they scattered, leaving Inosuke disarmed, defenseless.

The Ryo clone, seemingly as clever and ruthless as the original, didn't hesitate. It immediately pressed its advantage, attacking the defenseless Inosuke with Shadow Breathing: Sixth Form – Phantom Strike. Tanjiro, yelling Inosuke's name, barely managed to leap in front of his friend, taking the hit squarely on his back. A searing pain shot through him, and he grunted, stumbling.

Just then, Nezuko burst out of the box. The little demon emerged with an enraged growl, her eyes blazing. Tanjiro, through gritted teeth, desperately yelled at her to stay back from the Ryo clone. But she didn't listen. She charged, throwing a powerful kick that sent the clone skidding back a few feet. Seeing her unwavering resolve, Tanjiro, despite his injury, pushed himself up and joined her, determined to protect Inosuke.

Tanjiro clenched his jaw, frustrated that Zenitsu was still unconscious when they needed him most. A strange detail nagged at him though — throughout this whole ordeal, the fake Ryo hadn't once bothered to attack Zenitsu, despite him being completely defenseless. Perhaps, just like the real Ryo, it doesn't consider Zenitsu a threat?

The fight raged on, Nezuko fearlessly assisting Tanjiro as he relentlessly assaulted the Ryo clone. Inosuke, though disarmed, frantically searched for a way to be useful, looking for rocks or anything he could throw to distract their opponent.

Suddenly, the fake Ryo executed Shadow Breathing: Fourth Form – Crescent Fang, a wide, sweeping attack. Tanjiro, who had been trying to keep his distance, swiftly tried to backpedal and save his head. But the clone wasn't targeting his head. Its blade arced unnaturally low, aiming directly for Tanjiro's leg. It caught him completely off guard, slicing deep. Tanjiro cried out as he stumbled and fell.

In an instant, the fake Ryo used Shadow Breathing: Second Form – Ghost Step to close the distance to Nezuko, its blade arcing for her neck. Tanjiro, screaming her name, desperately tried to push himself up. Even Inosuke charged forward, roaring with primal fury to save her.

But then—

A blinding flash of yellow light. A sonic boom echoed through the mountain, momentarily deafening.

Thunder Breathing: First Form - Thunderclap and Flash!

Sleeping Zenitsu, miraculously, had joined the party. Moving with impossible, almost ethereal speed, he slashed his blade, intercepting the clone's attack and deflecting it away from Nezuko. The sudden, overwhelming speed of Zenitsu's attack caught the clone completely off guard. The imitated Nichirin blade, inherently weaker than a true one, shattered into two pieces.

Now, without a functioning weapon, the clone was vulnerable. Before it could recover, Zenitsu launched himself forward again, unleashing another Thunderclap and Flash. He was immediately followed by Tanjiro, who, despite his bleeding leg, roared and unleashed Hinokami Kagura. The combined assault was overwhelming. The Ryo clone was cut into multiple pieces, its form dissolving into burning ash, finally defeated.

A collective sigh of relief escaped the trio. The job was done, the immediate threat neutralized. Sleeping Zenitsu, once again, had delivered a crucial blow in his unconscious state. However, the true demon was still alive, and they had no idea about the real Ryo's situation or if he was even safe.

The clearing fell silent, the ashes of the Ryo clone drifting like embers in the cold mountain air. Inosuke stood over the scattered shards of his broken swords, his boar mask tilted as he let out a frustrated grunt. "Tch! My blades are toast!" he shouted, kicking a rock into the darkness. "That fake Ryo was tough, but I'd have crushed him anyway!"

Zenitsu stirred, blinking groggily as he sat up, his yellow hair dusted with dirt. "Huh? Did I do something awesome again?" he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "Wait… what happened? I feel like I ran a hundred miles…" He glanced around, confused, then froze as his gaze landed on Tanjiro's blood-soaked leg. "Oh no! Tanjiro, you're hurt! We're gonna die out here, aren't we?!"

"Calm down, Zenitsu," Tanjiro said, his voice steady despite the pain. He leaned on his sword, blood trickling from the gash in his leg, staining the ground red. His back throbbed from the clone's strike, but he forced a tired smile. "You were amazing. You saved Nezuko." He glanced at his sister, who stood nearby, her eyes soft but fierce as she watched over them.

Nezuko stepped closer, gently nudging Tanjiro's shoulder with a quiet hum. He patted her head, grateful she was unharmed. "We're okay," he told her, though his wince betrayed the lie. "But Ryo's still out there. We need to find him—fast."

Inosuke thumped his chest, his voice booming. "That fake wasn't even close to the real Ryo! Let's hunt the demon that made it and smash its head!" He grabbed a jagged piece of the clone's broken blade, twirling it like a makeshift weapon, ready to charge into the fight.

Tanjiro nodded, his eyes scanning the misty peaks. The fog was thinner now, but a chill lingered in the air—a faint, sour scent that set his nose on edge. The real demon was close.

The trio pulled themselves together, battered but unbroken. Tanjiro limped forward, his sword steady in his grip. Zenitsu whined but followed, clutching his blade like a lifeline. Inosuke marched ahead, his makeshift weapon glinting in the moonlight. As they moved deeper into the mountain's shadows, a low, mocking laugh echoed from the cliffs above, cold and sharp like a blade in the dark.

To Be Continued…

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Author : I don't know if you guys will believe me or not. This chapter took me straight 6 hours of writing. It needed so many revisions and rewrites. I hope you will like it.