Demon Slayer: A Different Path

Chapter 10: The Blessing

In the distance, Genya could see a couple of swordsmiths. He cried out for them.

"Wait up! I got an emergency here!"

They stopped as he ran up to them. They gasped once they saw that he was carrying the love hashira.

"That's the love hashira! The one who saved us!"

Genya nodded as he handed her to the swordsmiths. "Please do take care of her."

The swordsmiths nodded quickly as they took hold of her. Mitsuri groaned as she gazed at Genya.

He looked into her eyes and gave a thumbs-up. "Don't worry. We'll make sure your sweat and blood won't be in vain."

Mitsuri nodded gratefully before her eyes slowly closed and then lost her consciousness.

Genya looked back and pulled out his gun. "I need to go now. Take care of her and get outta here. The village isn't exactly safe at the moment."

"Yeah... we noticed..." One of the swordsmiths said.

Genya popped a vein. "You're lucky I'm busy... I would have made sure you tasted hell if I weren't. Smartass."

The swordsmiths shivered at his remarks as Genya ran back to the battle against upper moon 5, Gyokko.

Meanwhile, with Muichiro.

The mist hashira sped through the forest, heading towards a specific destination, which is Kanamori's hut.

'I need to act quick. There's no time. If I'm even a second late, the outcome will be dire.' Muichiro thought.

As he was running, he heard wails of a young boy. He looked to his left to find Kotetsu screaming in terror as a fish demon neared him, attempting to consume the boy.

Muichiro looked at the scene with his usual gaze, but his heart strings were conflicted whether to save the boy or not.

'No. The swordsmith said there were many demons attacking the village, so I must prioritize the village chief's safety.' Muichiro thought before speeding up his pace of movement and passed the unfolding scene, leaving Kotetsu all alone to face the fish demon.

Kotetsu trembled in place. Every inch of his body felt true fear. The fish demon readied its claws and tried to slash at Kotetsu, but the young boy tripped and plummeted, leading for the slash to land on the tree behind him.

The boy held a sword in his small, sweaty hands. He hesitantly pointed it at the demon.

"P-Please... I don't w-wanna die..." Kotetsu whimpered, swinging the sword in the air, an attempt to scare way the attacker, but to no avail.

*SLASH*

Blood sprayed out of the boy's wounded body as his mask started crumbling and falling to the ground. Kotetsu coughed out blood, tears forming in his eyes from the intensity.

Heavy pants escaped his lips while the fish demon neared him. Kotetsu tried to stand up to fight back, but his dignity was thrashed once again when the demon shot another swift attack.

He could no longer scream. He lost the ability to do so. The agony was far too great, and it was as though his pain receptors had been burned to smithereens.

Kotetsu looked back as he lay defeated on the ground. The fish demons hand neared him and took hold of his body. The boy gasped as he felt the demon's cold, rough hand around his stomach. He squirmed in his gasp, attempting to escape his tight grip, but to no result.

Time moved incredibly slow in Kotetsu's point of view. He knew that he was on deaths door. He knew that he was about to be eaten alive by this cruel and mindless fish demon, but it all seemed to take forever until the event unfolded.