Demon slayer: Breath Of The Eclipse

Chapter Eighteen:A Forged Bond

Shinobu and Giyu had finally reached Mount NATAGUMO. Upon arriving the two Hashira come across the corpses of dozens of slaughtered Demon Slayers. Shinobu asked Giyu if he was acquainted with any of the fallen slayers but Giyu remained quiet for he believed that they were no survivors. Shinobu mentioned that they were advised that several Mizunoto had joined the battle, but they were probably dead now....that's what Shinobu believed. As they traveled Shinobu tried to comment on the full moon's appearance but Giyu ignored her....that annoyed Shinobu,she said that they should get along since they are on a mission together, but Giyu retorted that he is only here to kill demons. Shinobu ribbed Giyu for acting so callously but she nonetheless agreed with him, and decided that they should split up, with Shinobu branching away to begin investigating from the west, while Giyu continues forward.

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Father of the Spider Family emerged from the forest to kill the intruders of the mountain. He attempted to punch Inosuke but Tanjiro interfered with Moon Breathing Third Form: Loathsome Moon Chains. He amputated Father's arms with two large crescent slashes, Father cryed out in pain but he soon regenerated his arms and prepared to retaliate. Father yelled at the Demon Slayers to stay away from his family and Nezuko was sent flying into the air as Father tried to crush Tanjiro with his massive arms but Tanjiro was able to parry the attack, he then detected the opening thread and he quickly decapitated the demon. Inosuke tried to challenge Tanjiro again....he said that defeating Father makes Tanjiro the strongest one here and if he defeated Tanjiro then Inosuke will become the strongest, which Tanjiro thought was dumb.

'You can't even say my name right' said Tanjiro as he declined Inosuke's challenge, he also informed Inosuke that Father was not a member of the Twelve Kizuke as he did not have any rank engraved on his eye.....so they still have to find the Twelve Kizuke member who's present on the mountain...they also worried about Nezuko and Zenitsu, they had to find them soon.

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Back with Zenitsu

Zenitsu was still lying atop the suspended house....his condition was deteriorating as he continued his attempts to slow down the poison. As he struggled to breathe, he became unable to feel his arms and legs as they have withered away, while down below, the transformed Demon Slayers look up at the house, worried for their saviour's safety. Zenitsu apologized to Nezuko as he was slowly losing the battle against the poison, but then he remembered his sensi's words!.

'Don't give up! ' Zenitsu heard his master's voice inside his head....that gave Zenitsu hope to continue and then something entered his field of vision, it was the Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho......Shinobu landed down beside Zenitsu and asked the Demon Slayer if he was ok.

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Back with Tanjiro Nezuko and Inosuke

After being hurled a great distance into the forest, Nezuko used Water Breathing Second Form:Water Wheel to slow down her momentum, allowing her to hit the ground without severely injuring herself but she still slammed into a tree nonetheless. As Nezuko collected herself, she heard a cry of pain and quickly walked towards it, the voice begging someone to 'Please stop!' . She crouched nearby and watched the situation. Daughter appeared on the ground and she was bleeding heavily and crying, her face slashed by the web in Rui's hands. Rui looked to his side and asked why Nezuko was watching.....his debacle with Daughter wasn't a show!. Nezuko asked if the two were allies.....Rui stated that their bond is closer than just allies.....that they were family. Rui claimed that he and Daughter have a powerful bond and that their situation is just between them and told Nezuko to not interfere 'Or I'll carve you up' but Nezuko saw right threw him....the demon was wrong.....a bond is precious whether it's between allies or family....retorting the demon's claim that a bond between allies is flimsy...Nezuko said that those who share a strong bond have trust in each other...yet all Nezuko could sense between the demon and his sister is terror,hatred and repulsion...she could see it in the demon girl's eyes. She flatly called their bond forged, surprising Daughter and angering Rui.

At that moment an other Demon Slayer appeard. He saw Rui and determined that the child-like demon was going to be an easy kill, seeing him as an easy way to climb the ranks and get better pay. The foolish Demon Slayer charged at Rui but the demon flung a web at him, eviscerating the Demon Slayer's body instantly. As Nezuko was trying to comprehend the sudden and gruesome death before her, Rui turned to Nezuko and asked what she just said.

Nezuko felt the fearsome intimidation the demon was giving off....she apologized to her brother Tanjiro and her friend Inosuke and promised that she will aid them after her new battle.

Rui demands that Nezuko repeat her statement......undaunted, Nezuko told the demon that she will say it over and over again!....calling their bond forged.

Nezuko then attacked Rui but she was forced back by the demon's numerous threads, several of which had managed to slice Nezuko's face. Rui declared his intentions to torture her slowly, he was going to offer Nezuko an instant death if she took back what she said...but...then....he saw something that he couldn't believe....the girl had healed her sliced up face!.....could she be one of Kokushibo's children?!.

Nezuko vehemently refused and bluntly stated that Rui is the only one not making any sense, to Rui's silent fury, and Daughter watched in shock as the Demon Slayer challenged Rui.

Elsewhere Inosuke was running around the forest in search of Zenitsu Tanjiro trusted him with this task and he wasn't going to fail,he will show that Tanjiro who is boss!, . Inosuke was able to pinpoint Zenitsu's exact location with the seventh form of Beast Breathing: Spatial Awareness. Inosuke was heading towards Zenitsu's location when all of a sudden a strange Demon Slayer wearing a mismatched haori appeared, Inosuke could sense that he was a powerful swordsman and tried to challenge him but the man in the mismatched haori ended tying Inosuke on a tree.....the man said that Inosuke shouldn't enter battle if he isn't even aware of the state of his own body.

Elsewhere an epic clash between between Nezuko and Rui was taking place. As Nezuko dodged the threads coming towards her, she sensed that the forest was clearing allowing her to sense the threads once again. Rui was impressed his opponent was smarter than he thought and she isn't afraid but that was irrelevant to him, Nezuko ran towards her opponent leaping into the air while Rui launched a thread at her and Nezuko responded with Water Breathing First Form: Water Surface Slash. As her sword made contact, the threads sliced the steel and continued it's way towards Nezuko.

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Author's Note : thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter, and don't forget to leave a comment i really enjoy hearing your thoughts on the story.