𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 || 𝙸.𝙾

Chapter 11

~First mission as a hashira~

In just a few hours, you reached the village, only to be greeted by an unsettling atmosphere. The air was heavy with fear, and the villagers moved cautiously, their eyes darting around as though they were being watched. Their subdued whispers only added to the eerie silence that cloaked the area.

As you ventured deeper into the village, you found yourself in a desolate corner. The stillness there was almost suffocating, yet it carried a faint trace of something sinister..... A demon's presence lingering in the shadows.

Your senses heightened, and your grip on your Nichirin tightened as unease settled over you. The snap of a twig shattered the silence, sending a jolt through your body. You froze, every nerve on edge. Taking a slow, deliberate breath, you steadied yourself, willing your pounding heart to quiet. The oppressive silence returned, pressing down on you, but your resolve remained firm as you prepared for whatever was to come.

"So, you're the one who's come to face me?"

The voice was soft, almost a whisper, but it echoed in your mind, leaving ripples in your thoughts. The figure materialized before you. The demon's appearance shifted like a mirage. One moment, it was a woman draped in flowing robes; the next, it was a twisted, faceless creature, its limbs elongating unnaturally. The air around it shimmered with an eerie glow.

You gripped your sword tightly, but something felt... off. The weight of it seemed wrong, too light, too heavy, you couldn't decide. Your mind buzzed as you tried to focus on the figure in front of you.

"You seem... unsure. How odd," the demon mused, its voice weaving through your thoughts.

"I'm going to kill you"

"How brave, let's see if you can find your way out of this."

Suddenly, everything around you
stopped. The ground beneath you froze in place. The distant sky halted its slow swirl. You blinked, confusion gripping you. Your sword hung in the air as if caught in a photograph, motionless. Your breath caught in your throat, frozen too.

"Time is such a fragile thing, don't you think? So easily manipulated... So easily lost," the demon's voice echoed.

You could still feel your pulse, the rush of blood in your veins, but it was... slowed. You moved your hand, but it felt like you were dragging it through tar. Your mind raced to process the situation. Focus, you thought. Think! Think god dammit! This is just perception. I can't let it control me.

But then it shifted. You were no longer in the stillness. You were suddenly back to where you were, but everything around you moved in fast-forward. The sky above you blurred into streaks of light; the trees warped, bending and twisting as if caught in a violent storm. Your limbs felt sluggish, like you were wading through thick fog while the world spun wildly out of control around you. You felt something hit you, scratching you. However you ignored that pain and tried to focus.

You staggered, nearly losing your footing, your sword trembling in your grip. Your eyes stung as they tried to adjust to the speed of everything. You couldn't focus-couldn't think clearly with the world moving faster than you could process. *"I won't fall for this, its just messing with my mind"* you muttered to yourself, trying to ground yourself in the chaos.

The demon's laugh rang out, low and unnerving. "Oh poor thing, how reckless of you to come here all alone."

"Stop playing around, you piece of shit" you cursed

You swung your sword, desperately, but it felt like the air was thickening, your movements were slower. You could barely catch up with your own thoughts, let alone land a blow on the demon.

In that moment, the world around you fractured again. Everything snapped into stillness. You were back in the void, unable to tell what was real anymore. Your mind teetered between panic and clarity.

"This is where you falter," the demon's voice was a gentle breeze, tugging at the edges of your mind. "You're just another weakling"

Those words hit you hard.

You shook your head violently, trying to clear the fog that clouded your thoughts. Your heart pounded in your chest. The uncertainty was a poison, seeping into every corner of your mind. No. I can't let it control me.

You focused on the sound of your heartbeat, the rhythm grounding you. You refused to let time slip away. Your breath steadied, your grip on your sword tightening. You pushed back the mental fog, trying to fight through the overwhelming pressure on your senses.

You lunged, eyes narrowed, refusing to be trapped by the distortion. This time, you would strike through it all.

The demon's form flickered in and out of existence, a blur of impossible movements. But you felt it. Not in the future, not in the past. Right here. Right now.

In a flash, you slashed, cutting through the illusion. The demon screamed, its form twisting violently, but the distortion began to crack. Using this to your advantage you decided to attack again

"Celestial breathing"
"First form: Starburst strike"

With one final strike, your sword cut through the shimmering air, and in that moment of clarity, you felt the demon's form disintegrate.The void around you trembled, then collapsed.

"I did it..." you said as you collapsed to thr ground on your knees. Your body still felt a bit disoriented but you picked yourself up. You then noticed thay you had a big slash on your shoulder, probably from the demon. But atleast you defeated it

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A/n's note: so sorry for posting late. I'll try to be more regular