Demon Slayer : LEveLing uP

[Time Remaining : 00:08:27]

Ishida was totally shocked, and his mind buzzed with a million questions. Still, he somehow managed to pull himself together, at least for a moment, as he slowly walked over to the girl.

The place he needed to get to wasn't far away, and he still had a bit more than 8 minutes on the clock. So, taking a little time to chat with her wouldn't be a huge problem.

"What... What are you doing here?!" Ishida asked, feeling completely lost about what he should say or do next. But somehow, he managed to get those words out.

"Where's your family? Where's your mom and dad?!" he asked, hoping for some kind of response from the little girl.

"... They died. They died because of you, and I'm dead too. Because of you..." the girl replied, her voice trembling, almost like she was mumbling through tears.

Those words sent a chill down Ishida's spine, leaving him frozen in place for a few moments. Before he could move closer to the girl, she vanished into thin air.

"Dead?! Wait a minute... I swear I sent them back home. I remember doing it... But..."

He was utterly confused, trying to wrap his head around what was going on. This place was totally different, somewhere the system had taken him for his mission. He was under the impression it was a separate space, away from the real world, according to what the system had told him. So, how did she end up showing up here all of a sudden?!

[Remaining Time : 00:07:56]

Before he could even process everything, a demon suddenly lunged at him with a ferocious attack, its claw extending toward him. Ishida didn't notice it until the very last second. Somehow, he managed to block the attack, not with his sword, but with his bare hand. Then, without warning, another demon launched an attack from behind. Suddenly, Ishida found himself trapped between the two demons. One of his hands was gripping one demon's arm, but the situation was far from under control.

Panic started to bubble up inside Ishida, but he knew he had to act quickly. The demon in front was growling, its sharp claws reaching out for him, while the one behind was ready to leap.

With a sudden burst of energy, Ishida shoved the demon's hand away, making it stumble backward. This brief moment gave him just enough time to regroup. He swiftly turned to face the second demon, which was already coming at him. Ishida dodged, but its claws barely scraped his side, leaving a small cut. He felt the warmth of blood trickling down, but he couldn't afford to let it distract him.

Leaping back to put some space between himself and the two demons, he breathed heavily. With determination, he drew his sword, holding it firmly in front of him, ready to fight back.

As he concentrated on the demons, the girl's words kept replaying in his mind. "Dead? Because of me?" he thought, trying to figure out how she could be in this bizarre place. But now wasn't the moment for answers—he had to stay sharp and fight.

[Level: 17] [Level: 15] {Of The Demons}

[Remaining Time: 00:07:30]

Ishida felt the seconds slipping away as he faced the two demons, their eyes gleaming with a menacing intent. He tried to focus, knowing he needed to finish this battle quickly, but his thoughts kept wandering back to the unsettling words of the little girl.

Trying to concentrate on the fight, Ishida launched his attack, his sword cutting through the air as he unleashed his Moon Breathing technique. "Moon Breathing First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace!" he yelled, sending crescent-shaped slashes toward the demons. But his aim was off, and the demons dodged gracefully, their mocking snarls echoing in his ears.

He tried again, sweeping out more crescent strikes, but once more he missed. His mind was muddled with confusion and guilt, and frustration began to build as he realized the precious seconds slipping away. How could he be so distracted at such a critical moment?

Seeing Ishida distracted, the demons seized the opportunity to attack. One of them lunged at him with its claws, aiming a swift and vicious strike at his chest. Ishida barely managed to sidestep, feeling the rush of air as the claws just missed him.

The second demon attacked from the side, teeth bared, hoping to catch him by surprise. Ishida blocked with his sword, but his movements were sluggish, his mind still spinning from the girl's accusation.

"Why now? Why here?" he asked himself silently, trying to shake off the thoughts and regain his focus. He knew he couldn't keep making mistakes, but the uncertainty weighed heavily on him, clouding his instincts and making it hard to concentrate.

[Time Remaining : 00:07:04]