Demon Slayer: The Demon Hunter

Word count: 1996

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A lone demon slayer stood, his sword trembling slightly in his grasp. He took a deep breath to steady himself, focusing on his breathing, which helped tense his muscles and invigorate his body.

The phrases "It's okay" and "You can do this" echoed in his mind, desperately trying to soothe his nerves. Just a fleeting image of a certain girl brought him the calm he needed, his gaze sharpening into a determined glare as he surveyed his surroundings.

The carriage's walls and celling had morphed from their usual color into a grotesque shade of red, with fleshy matter clinging to the walls and ceiling, transforming the carriage into a scene straight out of a nightmare. If it weren't for the windows and the sensation of movement, he might have felt as if he were trapped inside a beast.

Typically, such a sight would incite widespread panic, yet the passengers remained in a state of blissful slumber. Perhaps that was for the best, all things considered. He glanced back, his eyes landing on Kyojuro Rengoku, the flame hashira and his senior. His state resembled the other passengers, even clutching someone by the scruff of their neck while deep in sleep.

Shimada Tetsuya could never have predicted how wildly his day would become.

Grotesque appendages morphed out of the fleshy walls, slithering around and going over to the sleeping passengers, some even going as far as to wrap themselves around them. it was clear that the demon that was responsible for this was targeting the passengers.

But That won't come to pass.

Shimada Tetsuya inhaled deeply and surged forward, his katana flowing like an extension of himself, slicing through the tendrils with the grace of a river navigating a funnel. 

He leaped high into the air, executing a flip to sever the tendrils that veered toward him. As he descended, he pivoted and struck down another that attempted to sneak up from behind. Upon landing, he quickly jumped back, narrowly dodging an attack from above.

Tetsuya skillfully ducked and dodged, evading the tendrils that lunged at him. He countered their strikes with precision, moving up, down, left, and right, always ready to meet any incoming attack.

"Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel!" Tetsuya propelled himself off a cart, spinning as he sliced through the tendrils blocking his way. He leaped off the carriage and into the next one, where tendrils had already ensnared the passengers, poised to devour them, but he was determined to protect them.

This challenge would be tough and would likely drain most of his stamina, but Tetsuya refused to back down and let others suffer. He had endured great pain and loss and was resolved to prevent anyone else from facing the same fate.

He quickly prepared to unleash his most powerful technique, one he had only manage to pull off once before. "Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"

He blurred forward, his sword moving with the elegance of water, accompanied by a miniature dragon made of water that flowed alongside it. He saved one person from a crushing blow, another from being torn apart, and a third from being crushed, all while his movements grew faster and more fluid.

Soon, he exited the carriage and moved to the next, rescuing its passengers by slicing through tendrils left and right, clearing a path. He continued this relentless effort into yet another carriage, repeating the process. By the time he finished, he had covered nearly half of the train. Exhausted, he collapsed onto the ground, panting from the exertion.

'Hah... I did it... I really did it,' he gasped, trying to catch his breath, his lungs burning from the exertion and his muscles aching.

Tetsuya felt a wave of satisfaction wash over him. He was relieved to have saved those innocent lives—people who were completely uninvolved in this mess. Even though he had lost his family, he was determined to ensure that these individuals would not suffer the same fate, especially for those still waiting for their loved ones to return home.

As he sat there, the image of a girl flashed through his mind once more. Imada. His childhood friend, and now he could proudly call her his lover. When he returned from the final selection, triumphant yet injured, he had seen the proud look on her gentle face—a sight he longed to see again.

'Imada... I promise I'll make it through this and come visit and spend time with you as soon as I can.' He began to rise, but suddenly something latched onto his leg. With a startled yelp, he was pulled across the ground and left dangling upside down.

"Shit!" he swore, still recovering from his earlier efforts, but he knew he could still manage a technique or two. He attempted to slash at the tentacle, only for it to seize his sword arm, squeezing tightly and forcing him to drop his weapon.

Tetsuya struggled, but he couldn't summon the strength to break free. All he could do was helplessly writhe as the pressure continued to crush him.

'Is this how it ends?' His thoughts were consumed by memories of his lover and the realization that he might never see her again. 'I see now... I'm sorry, Imada. If I uphold my promise to you, then maybe I don't to be by your side.'

He surrendered himself to his death... That wouldn't come.

With a grunt, Tetsuya collapsed onto the ground, astonished to find himself free from the clutches that had held him. 'Huh? I'm still alive?' But answers were about to come his way.

Standing before him was none other than Nezuko. The demon was accompanied by Tanjiro and was apparently a demon who had never consumed a human. Tetsuya had heard rumors of the demon slayer who traveled with his demon sibling, so encountering them on this mission was quite surprising.

He felt conflicted; he had always believed that demons should be eradicated, regardless of their family ties. Yet, that belief had faltered when his life was spared by a demon during the final selection, and now, here he was, saved once more by her.

So the only thing he could do is...

"Thank you for saving me, Nezuko-san!" Tetsuya expressed his appreciation to her. He couldn't help but feel a bit stupid for having surrendered so quickly.

With a fierce shout, Tetsuya leaped to his feet and dashed to Nezuko's side, cutting through the tentacles that were attacking her from behind before joining her in the battle. Nezuko took the lead, her demon strength and resilience allowing her to shrug off the damage.

Before long, they found their rhythm, their teamwork functioning like a well-oiled machine. They covered each other's blind spots, with Nezuko skillfully dodging and striking while redirecting the demon's attacks to give Tetsuya the chance to cut them down, all while he protected her blindspots.

"Nezuko-san, this train is huge; I don't think we can protect everyone by ourselves. We need to get back to Rengoku-sama," he said, slicing through a tendril that threatened her blind spot.

"Mmhmm!" Nezuko grunted in agreement through her bamboo muzzle. The tentacles kept coming, no matter how many they cut or tore apart. It was also quite remarkable how potent this demon's blood demon art was, keeping so many civilians asleep.

So, Tetsuya and Nezuko sprinted toward where the Flame Hashira was, chopping and kicking their way through this hellish nightmare. However, as they ran, numerous hands began to sprout from the walls, blocking their path. Tetsuya decided to take charge in this situation.

"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!" With a powerful sword slash, he cut through the hands that obstructed their way, allowing them to pass. But they were soon halted by a massive wall of flesh that morphed in front of them, stopping them in their tracks.

Behind them, multiple tendrils shot out, and the human-demon duo found themselves cornered, their backs pressed against each other as they prepared for the worst.

Tetsuya was gasping for breath, his body desperately craving a break. The constant running and the Concentrated Breathing technique were wearing him down. If he kept this up, he wouldn't be able to go on much longer. Nezuko, on the other hand, was feeling the effects of her lack of sleep, but she wasn't too concerned; she still had enough energy left to utilize her blood demon art and more.

"Nezuko-san," Tetsuya called out, his voice steady, instantly capturing her attention. "I'm about to use my Water Breathing Tenth Form. It's going to take a lot out of me. When that happens I need you to run and wake up Rengoku-sama, okay?"

Both Tanjiro and Inosuke were still on the roof, yet to make an appearance. Tetsuya could only speculate that they were either quite busy or, in the worst-case scenario, had met their end. He preferred to believe the former, especially since he had heard the sounds of sighing and rumbling above them while they were running.

Nezuko felt a surge of alarm at his words. She wasn't familiar with the "Water Breathing tenth Form," but something deep inside her warned that it could be quite dangerous, especially given the serious tone he used.

"Don't worry, I won't die or anything from it. But from now on, you'll have to keep fighting on your own, okay?" He managed a faint smile. Tetsuya had no intention of dying; that dream he had of Imada was more precious than anything in the world, and that angelic smile she gave him was something he wanted to experience fully.

They just needed to survive this.

Taking a deep breath, Tetsuya filled his burning lungs with air, pushing through the pain as determination shone in his eyes. He took his stance, ready to strike. "Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant—"

But the words caught in his throat as a blur rushed past him. He blinked, and suddenly, a massive fire erupted through the carriage—no, the entire train—lifting it momentarily off the ground and causing him to wobble as it slammed back down.

The flames enveloped him, yet instead of pain, he felt a comforting warmth. He stood in awe as the fleshy wall was torn apart, and even the grotesque decorations were shredded, all while the passengers remained blissfully unaware and asleep.

"I apologize for my negligence. I can't believe all of this was happening while I was dozing," a booming voice echoed beside him. He turned to see the golden eyes of the Hashira.

"R-Rengoku-sama! It's relieving to see you awake, sir!" Tetsuya quickly bowed, expressing his gratitude for the rescue.

"And no need to worry; Nezuko and I took care of the passengers while you were out. Inosuke-san and Tanjiro-san are on the roof," he rambled, Rengoku's gaze shifting from Nezuko to him, nodding in appreciation.

"I understand... That's wonderful news! Shimads-kun, Nezuko-kun, I truly appreciate both of your hard work. If it weren't for you two, many lives would have been lost today." he expressed, bowing in appreciation.

"T-there's no need for that! It's just our duty!" 

"That's great. The Demon Slayer Corps always needs committed fighters like you. And you, Nezuko, despite your circumstances and being a demon, you've shown that you stand with humanity, and for that, I'm thankful to you as well," he said, and she nodded with a smile.

"Anyway," his voice resonated. "I'll handle the rest! You both should take a break while I deal with the demon; it's reign of terror will end now."

But just as he was about to act, a tremendous noise erupted, followed by a loud crash. The carriage lurched forward, almost throwing everyone off balance.

"Hold on tight!" Rengoku yelled, as the demon-slayer duo clung to anything they could for dear life. Then the train collided with something and soared into the air. The last thing Tetsuya saw was the sky and ground swapping places before everything faded to black.

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Taisho-era secrets!

Tetsuya had never encountered the tanjiro gang prior to this mission; this was his first experience with them. Although it was brief, he would confess that it was the most enjoyable time he had spent collaborating with other demon slayers.

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And that's it, Final part of the fight is coming out tomorrow. Man I suck at making promises, huh?

Btw what do you guys think of Shimada Tetsuya? Should I include him more? What do you think of his past and personality?