Demon Slayer : Veil of Duality

The boy is quick, Nagayuki thought to himself, whipping his tendrils through the air.

Each strike carved into the surrounding trees, leaving deep gashes where his appendages made contact.

The fight had only just begun, but Nagayuki was already on the offensive—his tendrils moving so fast that the very snowfall around him seemed to dissolve in the heat of his movement.

Takeshi stayed back, darting between snow-covered trees, his movements so swift that the only way Nagayuki could track him was through the fresh footprints he left behind.

Nagayuki's deep, orange, predatory eyes locked onto the tracks, his head twitching as he watched the boy circle around him like a hawk waiting for its moment.

The sound of Takeshi's footsteps crunching in the snow echoed around him, endlessly, as the boy searched for an opening—an opportunity to behead the demon.

This boy is extremely fast… maybe the fastest brat I've seen on this damn mountain! Nagayuki growled in his mind, his crooked fangs gnashing together in frustration.

Takeshi hid behind a thick tree, the snowfall masking his scent and obscuring him from the demon's sight.

Should I just run for the wisteria trees? I'm sure I can outrun this demon, Takeshi thought, resting his back against the trunk, his breath heavy and labored.

No… I can't run! What would be the point of becoming a Demon Slayer if I can't even defeat this weakling?

How could I face Master Kurokawa after the exam… if I had to tell him I didn't kill a single demon?

Takeshi's resolve burned through the fatigue. He tightened his grip on his sword, the muscles in his arms flexing with determination.

Nagayuki thrashed about, fury rising at the thought of losing his prey.

"Come out, you damn brat!" the demon roared into the forest, veins bulging across his lean, muscular frame.

Fourth Form: Distant Thunder!

Like a flash of lightning, five heavy slashes tore through the air, slicing off the ends of Nagayuki's tendrils—his jagged fingers tumbling into the snow.

The demon recoiled, retracting his tendrils tightly around his body to shield himself, as the sound of Takeshi's crackling breathing echoed all around.

The falling snow blinded Nagayuki. His enhanced vision, useless.

So he adapted.

He closed his eyes, relying solely on sound—listening for the faint crunch of snow underfoot.

Now's my chance! Takeshi thought, his heart pounding. The excitement of ending the fight overwhelmed his caution, and he rushed forward for a reckless, full-force decapitation.

Wh-sh!

A long, vicious appendage cracked through the air and lashed at Takeshi. The demon had perfectly predicted the boy's movement using sound alone.

Gotcha, Nagayuki thought gleefully, as the tendril snapped forward.

The whip-like limb slashed into Takeshi's cheek, its baby-like fingers raking shallow cuts into his skin.

But before it could tear deeper, Takeshi's blade severed the appendage, the tendril going limp before retreating into the snow.

"Ohh… how I've missed the smell of fresh human blood," Nagayuki whispered mockingly into the frozen forest. Takeshi's open wound gave the demon a new advantage—he could now track him by scent.

Takeshi steadied his breathing, resisting panic. This was his first time fighting a real demon—an opponent stronger, tougher, and far more experienced than himself.

This wasn't like sparring with the measly Gekkou. This was battle!

He touched the gash on his cheek. Blood dripped onto the snow, bright red against white.

I need to finish this fast, or more demons might come. Damn it… if only I hadn't rushed in so carelessly! Takeshi gritted his teeth, watching as the demon howled into the forest, its eyes narrowing on his position.

Nagayuki leapt into the air, landing on one of the massive trees surrounding the mountain. The impact shook the branches, causing snow to fall like an avalanche.

Then he paused.

The boy… was running.

"I won't let you get away that easily!" Nagayuki shrieked into the night, springing from tree to tree, following the trail of blood like a starving hound.

The faster the boy ran, the faster Nagayuki chased.

Until… the scent stopped moving.

"Out of stamina already? Typical of a human," Nagayuki mocked, sneering at the tree the scent led to.

Part of a dark blue haori peeked out from behind the trunk, and a faint trail of blood led straight to it.

Nagayuki laughed to himself, hopping down from the trees, savoring the feeling of domination over his prey.

I'll finally get to eat. And maybe… just maybe… if I keep getting stronger, I'll escape this cursed prison and take revenge on that Slayer who captured me!

The thought of that boy made Nagayuki's face twitch, his skin pulsing with veins.

"Die, human! Let me gain the strength to escape this hellhole!" he roared, slashing with all his might.

His tendril carved clean through the massive tree. The trunk creaked, then fell with a thunderous crash, the interior split clean in two.

But something was wrong.

As the snow settled… there was no body.

Only a shredded, bloodied haori.

A decoy!

"Where is the—?!"

Before Nagayuki could comprehend what was happening, it was already too late.

First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!

The sound of cracking thunder exploded through the trees as Takeshi launched forward with all his strength, his blade glowing with speed and power.

A blinding flash.

A clean cut.

Nagayuki barely had time to turn his head—before it was already on the ground.

What… wha—?

He stared in shock, looking at his own body still trying to move.

His effort was useless. His body collapsed with a dull thud, leaving a monstrous imprint in the snow as it began to dissolve into ash.

"No… no, no! This can't be how it ends! I was promised immortality! I was promised—I was promi—!"

Nagayuki's final words shrieked out into the void as Takeshi stood above him, flicking the blood from his sword, his breath misting in the cold air, his broad chest exposed to the frigid wind.

Nagayuki shut his eyes.

lord Kibutsuji… promised me a better life. And I ended up here… imprisoned on a mountain like an animal!

It was laughable.

It would've been laughable… if it weren't true.

His final, putrid orange eye looked up at the boy who had decapitated him—his appearance so uncannily similar to the one who had captured him all those years ago.

And just like that, Nagayuki was gone.

His eye—the last thing to fade—vanished into dust as the memories flickered one final time in his mind.

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Hama took in the overwhelming sweet scent of wisteria that flooded the area, the first light of dawn breaking through the fading night.

It had been seven days since she had last slept— a small inconvenience for her.

Though she had gone a bit long without rest, the real difficulty only really began to set in for her after nine or so days without sleep.

She leaned against a large wisteria tree that filled the open space with shade and offered protection from the pure white snowfall—its beauty hiding a deceitful, deadly cold.

Not so different from Hama herself…

Surrounding her was the ancient memorial shrine, a structure that marked both the beginning and the end of the entrance exam.

It stood as a silent testament to all those who had perished—giving their lives for a chance to become Demon Slayers.

Hama stepped toward the timeworn shrine, her sharpened nails brushing against its cold wooden surface. Its chipped paint shimmered faintly beneath the falling snow.

What truly drew her attention, however, was the simple table that sat in front of the shrine, its presentation far less grand. A thin sheet covered its contents, obscuring whatever lay beneath.

She chose not to touch it—fearful of what repercussions might come from disturbing something sacred.

So, instead, she spent the remainder of her time napping, her striking bright blue eyes—so vivid they matched the hue of her Nichirin blade—occasionally fluttering open.

She wore a traditional light-blue kimono adorned with delicate white wave-like patterns, a rare and curious choice for someone about to face battle.

Her deep black hair was tied into a simple bun, accented by a small white camellia ornament tucked neatly in place.

After what felt like only a moment, more candidates began to arrive. Their clothes were torn, their bodies dirtied and wounded—every one of them battered by the trials they had faced.

All except the ever-pristine Hama.

And as the morning sun fully crested the horizon, its golden light causing the snow to shimmer like powdered crystal, one of the final arriving examinees caught her attention.

He was tall and rather muscular—likely around her age. That, in itself, wasn't unusual among the candidates.

But what truly caught Hama's eye was that his entire upper body was completely exposed to the frigid cold.

His chest and arms were bare—on full display beneath the winter sky.

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"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭

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