Demon Slayer: The Demon Hunter

Word count: 2602

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A cacophony of metal, flesh, and battle shouts rang out above the train. For anyone in the vicinity, the sudden noise would be freightning, but it was mostly overshadowed by the howling wind.

Inosuke performed acrobatic flips, his unnatural agility allowing him to navigate the air with ease. He swung his twin serrated swords at the tentacles, slicing through them before they could reach him.

Meanwhile, Tanjiro was airborne as well, a surge of water resembling a rushing river surged behind his swing. His sword moved in a graceful, winding motion, and his body flowed like water, cutting down any hand that dared to grab him.

Fujino, on the other hand, used his Wind Blades to cut through any remaining appendages that the slayer duo had missed. He even crushed one that tried to seize him with his Precision Strike.

Overall, the results were swift and decisive; the attacks conjured by Enmu were utterly obliterated, leaving the slayers standing tall alongside the lone appendage still clutching Enmu's head.

"impressive! I must say, your teamwork is quite commendable," Enmu remarked, seemingly indifferent to his defeat.

"No one asked for your opinion, so keep it to yourself," came the rude reply.

"Oh? Still upset? It was just a dream; there's no need for such anger," Enmu said with a smirk.

"Just a dream?" he echoed, disbelief evident in his voice. "You think what you did was normal? Acceptable? Do you have any idea how painful it was to stand there, watching everyone I care about die, then for them all to blame me for their death?"

Enmu remained silent, a smug smile plastered on his face. "So?"

"So? So?! SO?!" Fujino's fury reached its peak. "YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST FUCK WITH MY DREAM AND GET AWAY WITH IT, YOU WORTHLESS SCUM? THAT I'LL LET A LOWLIFE LIKE YOU WALK ALL OVER ME, HUMILIATE ME, HURT ME, AND NOT SUFFER FOR IT?!"

Fujino's rage was palpable; his body trembled with anger, and his face contorted in fury. Inosuke and Tanjiro had to step back, sensing the explosive rage.

"YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A SICK, MASOCHISTIC, SOCIOPATHIC PERVERT. YOU DON'T DESERVE EVEN A HINT OF MERCY. I DON'T CARE HOW STRONG YOU THINK YOU ARE; I WILL MAKE YOU PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID!" He roared, readying his blade.

Fujino unleashed Wind Blade after Wind Blade, pouring every ounce of strength and stamina into his attacks. He didn't care for his exhaustion, to the fact that he was gasping for breath, or that he had drained all his energy. All that mattered was erasing that arrogant grin from Enmu's face.

By the end, Fujino was left breathless, the carriage roof utterly destroyed, leaving a gaping hole that exposed the interior of the train. The flesh that had covered the roof was scraped away, revealing the metallic structure beneath.

He gasped for air, muttering, "Hah…hah… Fuck you," while bent over. Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Inosuke and Tanjiro were right behind him.

Tanjiro looked worried, maybe even frightened? Although he couldn't see Inosuke's expression due to his mask, he sensed a similar feeling from him.

Fujino didn't realize that his outburst added with his transformation had made the slayers forget for a second he was still human inside, and not a fully-fledged demon. Hell, they even thought he had become one with how animalistic his behavior was.

This realization unnerved both of them, even if Inosuke was too proud to admit it.

"Hah… I'm sorry for losing my cool. Let's just keep moving, alright? I'll try not to get riled up," he said, finally catching his breath and ready to continue.

Tanjiro and Inosuke shared a look, and after taking a sniff of the air, Tanjiro nodded. He could sense that Fujino seemed to have calmed down a little and then ran closely behind him.

However, they didn't get very far. Part of the Demonic Assimilation abilities were heightened senses—less than a full-demon, but far superior to any human. He hadn't been using it to its full potential since most demons he faced didn't have any tricks up their sleeves.

Recently, though, he had started to tap into those senses more, picking up on things he wouldn't have noticed before, like faint vibrations or soft sounds. Today would be a perfect example of its usefulness.

As they walked, he felt the flesh of the carriage walls vibrating—specifically the whole structure. Fujino sensed that a massive attack was headed their way, one that could crush them to bits.

"Stop!" he yelled, extending his hand behind him. Tanjiro collided into it, caught off guard, while Inosuke halted right alongside Fujino, likely sensing the impending danger as well.

Just then, two enormous flesh hands burst forth and clapped together, the slayers barely a hair's breadth away from being crushed. If they had moved any closer, they would have been flattened.

"I won't fall for cheap tricks!" Inosuke bellowed, charging at the hands and slicing them down with fierce determination.

"Are you alright?" Fujino asked, noticing the visibly shaken state of his friend.

Tanjiro could only give a weak nod, sweat streaming down his face and his heart racing in his chest. Fujino shot him a worried glance before continuing on. "Take a breather, okay? That wild boar and I will take care of things," he said, joining Inosuke, who was laughing while fighting.

'If he hadn't stopped me... I could have died.' The thought terrified him. All his efforts would have been for nothing due to a careless mistake. He would have failed to avenge his family, and even worse, he would have failed his sister..

'No, stay calm. Remember what Urokodaki-sensei taught you: "If you lose your wits, you lose your future." Fujino and Inosuke are fighting right now; there's no time to be a coward! I have to be useful!' With renewed determination shining in his eyes, Tanjiro leaped into the battle.

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"Wind Blade!" The powerful arc of wind sliced through one of Enmu's attacks, creating an opening for Tanjiro to leap in. "Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!" His blade flowed gracefully like a river, severing multiple tendrils in its path.

"Don't forget about me, demon! I'm right here!" Inosuke shouted from the side, relentlessly slashing and hacking at any attacks that came his way, cutting them down with ease.

Suddenly, a massive hand appeared, soaring high with the intent to crush Inosuke's skull, who was too focused on the tendrils assaulting him. When he finally looked up, he saw the danger approaching.

Before he could react, Fujino rushed in, his left hand balled into a fist. "Precision Strike!" His fist collided with the arm, sending a small shockwave through the air. With his superior strength, Fujino prevailed, shattering the arm and slicing it off at the elbow.

"I didn't ask for your help, Fuji!"

"Could you stop calling me that?"

The battle continued fiercely, with Enmu relentlessly attacking while the slayers skillfully defended against each strike. The intense clash of steel and flesh persisted, and the slayers were gradually edging closer to triumph.

"Guys, I've got it! I know where the demon's weakpoint is!" Inosuke shouted, just after severing a tentacle that lunged for his face.

"You do? Is it in the front?" Tanjiro inquired, using his Third Breathing form: Flowing Dance, to clear his way.

"Yes, right up front! Near the front of the creature."

"It's a train, not an animal! And how can you be so sure?" Fujino said, kicking away a hand that tried to grab his leg. Sure his gut told him that he should to the front, but how can inosuke be confident about it?

"It's because of my seventh form. I can detect the demon's weak points with it. Fuji!"

"Stop calling me that—You know what, I'm done. Go to hell, you annoying pig."

"What did you just call me?! Do you want to die?!"

"Guys, can we please concentrate?" Tanjiro sighed, caught between his two fiery companions.

With that, the demon slayers pressed on, steadily advancing toward the front. Enmu continued to unleash a barrage of attacks, increasing in number rather than effectiveness, which Fujino interpreted as a sign of the demon's growing desperation.

"Hey, do you see this? That asshole is getting desperate," Fujino remarked, feeling the thrill of nearing victory as he took the lead, cutting through everything in his path.

"Hey, you might be my rival, but that doesn't make me your sidekick! I'll be the one at the front!"

"Can you stop arguing over nothing?! No one cares who's in front or back, Pig!"

Before Inosuke could respond, a piercing scream echoed around them. The trio exchanged glances, and upon realizing none of them were the source, they concluded that the scream came from the demon itself.

This was evident as all of the demon's attacks retracted back into its flesh, as if they had never existed. This left them all stunned yet more determined to continue the fight.

Fujino chuckled, "See? That pussy got nothing on us three," he said, brushing off Tanjiro's sputter about the language used.

"I have to agree, that demon gave up once it saw the mighty Inosuke!" 

Rolling his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time, the trio made their way to the locomotive, which, unlike the rest of the train, was still in its original metallic form, free from the grotesque pink.

"There it is," Inosuke declared, pointing with his sword. "I can sense it; the demon is at the heart of this beast."

"For the love of —you know what? I give up," Fujino grumbled.

He leaped onto the roof and pulled back his fist, repeatedly striking the hull until it caved in, creating a large opening. He grabbed the edges and pulled, making it wide enough for them to jump through.

As they entered, they found the interior of the locomotive was just as it should be, except for the fact that the train conductor was wide awake.

"W-who are you? How did you get in here?" he stammered, eyeing them with a mix of fear and suspicion.

Fujino mirrored that suspicion. "I could ask you the same thing. How are you awake? Do you even know what's happening outside?" He brandished his blade at the man.

"I-I don't have to answer you! You shouldn't be here, get out!" the conductor commanded, his voice growing bolder, only to shrink back when he felt the cold, bloody tip of the blade against him.

"You're in cahoots with that demon, aren't you? The one causing all this trouble. You're working with him, right?" Fujino pressed, locking eyes with the man.

The conductor flinched.

It didn't take a genius to see he was lying.

"I see how it is. Once we're done here, you won't be getting off the hook." he said, turning away from the trembling man. As much as he wanted to teach him a lesson, there were more pressing matters at hand. Tanjiro observed this exchange and smiled, relieved that Fujino had chosen not to resort to violence, preferably not at all.

Tanjiro turned to Inosuke and asked, "So, where is it?" Inosuke pointed down at the ground. "The demon's head is right there!" he shouted, lifting his blades and striking the metal floor.

What lay before them was a large bone encased in pink flesh, resembling a spinal column. The slayers exchanged confused glances.

"Uh, who wants to give it a try?" Fujino suggested, but the others just stared at one another in silence.

Suddenly, the hole was swiftly enveloped by flesh, which sprouted numerous hands reaching for Fujino. He ducked and rolled to evade them while the others fought them off. The area began to bubble ominously, as massive flesh overtook the space.

"Shit!" Fujino swore, grabbing the terrified conductor and leaping back. The area transformed into a grotesque bowl of flesh, with thick appendages emerging. Beneath the surface, these appendages were covered in eyes, all bearing the words "Dream."

"Everyone, cover your eyes and don't look at them!" he yelled, but Fujino had taken his own advice too late.

"Eyes of Forced Unconscious Sleep," Enmu's voice echoed. An invisible force struck Fujino as he accidentally glanced at the eyes, overwhelming him and rendering him unconscious.

"Fujino!" Tanjiro cried out in alarm, witnessing his friend fall victim to the blood demon art. However, he too was caught in Enmu's trap. His legs wobbled as he teetered on the brink of collapse, but he managed to snap back to awareness and slashed at the appendage in front of him.

"Fujino, you have to kill yourself to wake up!" he shouted desperately, but there was no response. Tanjiro mentally scolded himself for not warning him sooner.

Sooner or later, Tanjiro and Inosuke found themselves alone, facing Enmu. Their swords were slicing and slashing at the demon's appendages, but it was a tough battle for Tanjiro, who had to keep his eyes closed and rely solely on his sense of smell to navigate the fight. The stench of living flesh was overwhelming, adding to the pain in his already aching lungs and muscles.

Inosuke, however, was in high spirits. "Hahaha! The mask of the mountain god protects me from your tricks, demon!" he shouted, effortlessly cutting through the limbs since he could see them without any consequences.

Tanjiro was beginning to feel overwhelmed; the physical strain was taking its toll. With a yelp, he was smacked away, crashing hard against the fleshy walls surrounding them. 

'Damn, I'm getting overwhelmed, and so is Inosuke. Fujino isn't waking up anytime soon...' But Tanjiro was determined not to give up. He had a plan in mind.

He recalled a memory from his childhood when he, his sister, and their mother watched their father perform the dance of the sun god. After his encounter with Lower Moon 1, he had been searching for ways to grow stronger to face demons of this level. He later realized that the movements his father made could potentially be adapted into a breathing style.

This was just a theory, untested, but if it worked, it could lead them to victory. All he needed was a distraction.

Then, as if commanded from the heavens, it happened. Tanjiro first heard faint noises that gradually grew louder. Even Inosuke paused, noticing the sound. It continued to escalate until, suddenly, fire erupted from the carriages behind them, and the train made a huge leap, followed by a screech from the demon.

That was enough to rouse Fujino, and he was not happy whatsoever.

"YOU BASTARD, YOU DID IT AGAIN!" he roared, his face contorted with rage and... was that embarrassment?

Fujino's outburst was relentless, cutting through everything in his way, which created the perfect chance for Tanjiro.

'I can do this, I can do this. Fujino, Inosuke, Nezuko—they're all counting on me! I can do it!' Tanjiro took a deep breath, filling his protesting lungs with air. Then, he sprinted toward the demon's neck bone and leaped high into the air.

"Hinokami Kagura: Clear Blue Sky!" Tanjiro shouted, as he unleashed a breath of fire, the flames dancing behind his sword, burning bright like the sun. With a graceful twist in the air, mirroring his father's movements, he delivered a mighty slash to the demon's neck, severing its head in one fluid motion.

Everything unfolded in an instant. The aftermath was explosive; a mass of flesh erupted from the severed neck, splattering everything nearby, including the tracks. A piercing shriek rang out from Enmu as the train finally derailed, sending it soaring into the air.

The Dreamweaver had been vanquished.

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Taisho-era secrets!

Tanjiro had seen his father's complete dancing ritual just twice during his childhood, but it had captivated him so deeply that he remembered every detail.

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Alright boys, this chapter has been a blast. I especially enjoyed writing the interactions between the nonsense Fujino and the proud Inosuke. The next chapter should feature our special guest, so stay tuned ;)