LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 18: Village hidden in the fog
The soft chime of a bell echoed faintly in my ears, pulling my focus back to the task at hand.
"Caw Caw! Fog-covered village ahead! Danger imminent! CAWW!" Kasai's voice rang in my mind, reminding me why I was here in the first place as he flew upwards, with the bell on his neck producing a faint chime.
I notice the edge of the cliff, stopping just before I could run off. I let out a light pant as my eyes scanned the abandoned village below, its eeriness amplified by the way the fading sunlight touched the crumbling rooftops and worn-down walls.
"Damn," I muttered as I scanned the village "there's seriously no one here huh?"
"Gyomei-Sensei's training may have made me stronger," I muttered to myself, flexing my legs as I stood at the edge of the cliff, "but I'm not jumping down like that again."
...
"Nah, I ain't no pussy"
I leaped down regardless, landing heavily on the dry, cracked ground below. A loud thud echoed through the empty village as I grimaced, the impact sending a jolt through my body and making my backpack shake as sounds of metals being thrown against each other occurred.
"Ah fuck I hope that didn't break anything," I said with a grimace as I adjusted my bag. I frowned as I took a step, making a jolt of pain travel up my leg as I brought down my hand to massage the aching area.
"Shouldn't have jumped off..." I muttered through gritted teeth. The pain was sharp but manageable—just another reminder of how much work I still had to do to master the control Gyomei-Sensei always talked about.
(Flashbackkk~~~)
"Come on" I muttered under the waterfall with my legs shaking as I forced myself into another squat. The boulder on my shoulders felt heavier with every second, and the freezing water slammed into my back like it had something against me. "If I can't do this, I'm gay"
"You've got power," Gyomei's voice from beside as he effortlessly squatted his boulder, which was at least three times larger than mine, and yet, his voice sounded calm and firm like he wasn't even phased. "But your movements are dull, Aoyama Yuito Daichi. Strength without control is wasted."
Hearing my full name threw me off for a moment. My foot slipped slightly on the slick stone beneath me, and the boulder wobbled on my back. "You can just call me Aoyama," I muttered, adjusting my grip and forcing myself upright again.
As the waterfall continued to hammer my back, Gyomei stepped closer, his footsteps silent despite the weight of his massive frame and the massive boulder on his head. "Your stance is wide, Aoyama. Too wide. You're wasting energy stabilizing yourself when it could be used to strike."
I adjusted my feet, gritting my teeth against the strain. The boulder didn't care about form—it just cared about crushing me.
"Ah right," I said as I remembered my question "I wanted to ask Urokodaki-Sensei about this but I kinda forgot. At the final selections, I encountered a group of Slayers that had been killing demons for around 2 years"
"Oh?" Gyomei's voice interested as he went back to his original spot, continuing his squats "Two years is quite a long time for Demon Slayers, they must have been exceptionally powerful I assume?"
"Nah" I gritted my teeth as my back started going numb "They were... average, at best. I saw them fighting off a demon during the trial. Well, I say fighting, but that's being generous, they were completely outmatched."
"Losing to a demon in the final selections despite slaying demons for that long?" Gyomei's voice sounded neutral "That's unexpected. Perhaps I misjudged their strength and their talents..."
"You didn't" I muttered, taking in deep breaths of air as I lifted the boulder again "The demon was just ridiculously strong. it had eaten around 50 humans, had a Blood Demon Art, and been alive for a couple of dozen years"
"Truly?" Gyomei's voice sounded surprised as he stopped mid-squat "Perhaps I need to have a firm talk with the one in charge of scouting the demons for the Final Selections, we cannot have rookie slayers facing such powerful demons"
"Hm" I hummed, as the weight of the boulder seemed to lessen "Though they weren't that strong, their movements were amazing. They somehow jumped away from an attack before the demon even charged one or dodged its strikes with no problem despite that strike being way faster than them. They dodged blows that should've torn them apart, and it wasn't just luck. It was like they knew what was coming before it even happened. Every step, every strike, felt... precise."
"I understand what you wish to inquire about," Gyomei said nodding "That level of instinct and reflex comes from experience. Two years of slaying demons hone the senses to an extraordinary degree. Their sight, hearing, smell, touch—even their awareness of danger—becomes sharper than what most humans can comprehend. Such refined senses allow them to predict movements, sense killing intent, and act accordingly."
I frowned, lowering myself into another squat, my back trembling under the strain. "That's the difference, then. That's why they could move like that, while I... struggled."
"Yes, that is true," Gyomei said, his deep voice steady as always. He nodded thoughtfully, beads clinking softly as he resumed his squats. "But I must say, while their senses are indeed greater than yours, you possess something equally remarkable—your instinct."
I glanced over at him, struggling to keep my balance under the relentless weight of the boulder. "Instinct?"
Gyomei turned his head slightly, as though meeting my gaze despite his blindness. "Yes. Even without refined senses, you react in ways that are not born of logic or calculation but of something deeper—an innate ability to perceive danger. It's raw, unpolished, but extraordinary nonetheless."
Before I could say anything else, a knock at the door cut through the silence, I glanced at Gyomei-sensei, who gave me a small nod, signaling that I could finally drop the boulder. With a relieved sigh, I shifted to the side, letting the massive weight roll off me.
"Fina—Agh!" I started, straightening up, only to freeze as a sharp jolt of pain shot up my spine. I immediately hunched over again, groaning. "Ugh, my back…"
"Hold still, Young Aoyama," Gyomei-sensei said calmly.
"Wh-what are y—GAHK—!"
CRACK.
The clearing echoed with the brutal snap of my spine realigning as Gyomei-sensei mercilessly straightened my posture. My mouth opened in a silent scream, but no sound came out.
"G-gh-ghak…"
"Get over it," he said simply, stepping back as if he hadn't just folded me like an old futon.
Still trembling, I sucked in a shaky breath and forced myself upright. Gyomei-sensei, already dried off and back in his Hashira uniform, gave me a nod of approval. Gritting my teeth, I dragged myself over to my weighted training clothes, slipping them on despite my body's protests.
Straightening as best as I could, I took my place beside Gyomei-sensei. He gave one last nod before stepping forward and opening the door.
"Greetings, Stone Hashira."
I stepped beside Gyomei-Sensei as I looked at the man. The first thing I noticed was the red Tengu mask on his face. He wore a black colored Haori with small white stripes and little stars. He carried a big bag with him, strapped on his shoulders
"Ah greeting Stone Hashira" He bowed to Gyomei as he then turned to me "Ah, you must be Aoyama Yuito Daichi right? I'm your swordsmith Masamori Genzo and I forged your weapons. I must say, this is the first time I've seen a slayer train under two Hashira before, you must be really lucky"
"Yeah" I was not listening to a thing he said, my eyes were completely glued on the bag carrying my Nichrin Sword.
"impatient are we?' He chuckled "Though, can't say I'm not impatient either, I really want to see what color your Nichrin Blade is too, like a deeper shade of blue or a light shade? Maybe it's a shade we've never seen before? Oh, what if it's-"
"Now now" Gyomei said, stopping the swordsmith mid rant "We will see in a few minutes"
"Ah yes yes" He said scathing his neck "Sorry for that"
"It's fine," Gyomei assured him with a slight shake of his head. Then, he turned his gaze to the side. "Wouldn't you agree, Urokodaki-sama?"
"Hm" Urokodaki-Sensei didn't say anything as h just grunt- Wait what?
"Wha-When did you get here?" I said pointing a finger at him "I-Are you a ninja or something?"
"I told you I'd be here to see the color of your Nichrin Sword" Urokodaki-Sensei said as he crossed his arms "And don't point fingers at your elders, it's rude"
...
...
...
"Alright" Masamori said as he sat down. Currently we were in a small room with me, Gyomei-Sensei and Urokodaki-Sensei seated in a line. Masamori sat in front as he fiddled through his bag, before he finally pulled out a long black box.
"Ah here" He said, as he opened the box. Inside the box was a black sheath and a sword wrapped in black cloth. Masamori gently lifted up the sword as he removed the cloth, which revealed a shining silver sword
"Now, for the moment of truth" He muttered as he handed me the sword "Let's see what colour you get"
I slowly took the sword as I held it up. For a few moments, no change in the colour happened, but soon enough, the sword in my hand turned a shade of bright red.
"Ooooohhh!" Masamori practically vibrated with excitement, eyes wide as he leaned in. "A red blade? That's completely unexpected from a water breather! And such a bright shade of red too? I don't think even the Flame Hashira has a sword this red"
"Red?" I muttered as I turned to Urokodaki-Sensei "Is this supposed to happen?"
"Red blades are considered valuable in the Slayer Corps," Urokodaki-Sensei said as he looked at my sword "They're often a sign of good fortune. It's said that the redder the colour of a Slayer's blade is, the more powerful they become"
'That's a different Red Sword you're talking about Sensei'
"A red blade also means you have a greater affinity for Flame Breathing. The current Flame Hashira's blade is bright orange, so it could be possible you possess an even greater affinity for Flame Breathing than him" Gyomei-Sensei said as he clapped his hands "Of course, this is only based on the color of your sword, most of the time the color of the swords mean nothing, but if you want I can ask the Flame Hashira to teach your Flame Breathing"
"No that's fine" I said, carefully sheathing my sword in my new sheath "My schedule's already packed with Martial Arts training, I'll bother with Flame Breathing later"
"Well I'm satisfied" Masamori said as he packed up his bag "Hehe, I can't wait to go back and brag about the colour of your sword to the others, they're surely going to be jealous once they find out I forged a red blade. Ah, with your permission of course Himejima-Sama and Urokodaki-Sama"
"You may leave" They both nodded as Masamori packed up his bag, skipping away with glee.
Just as I exhaled, a loud "CAW CAW!" startled me. My Kasugai Crow swooped into the room, flapping its wings.
"MISSION FOR MIZUNOTO AOYAMA YUITO DAICHI, CAW CAW!"
"Your first mission" Urokodaki-Sensei said as he stood up "I wish you luck for your mission, but I must go to train Tanjiro for now."
"I too wish you luck, Young Aoyama"
"Thank you" I said nodding as I turned to my crow "I won't disappoint you"
(Flashback end~~~)
"CAW CAW" Kasai cried from above me "EVERYONE IN THIS VILLAGE SUDDENLY DISAPPEARED LAST NIGHT. AFTER THAT THE VILLAGE HAS BEEN SHROUDED IN FOG DURING NIGHT. INVESTIGATE THE DISSAPEARANCES CAWWWW"
"Suddenly disappeared huh?" I muttered as I walked over to the village. It was noon at the moment, so there was no fog anywhere.
"Fog that disappears during the day? Blood Demon Arts can't survive sunlight, maybe the fog is some sort of Blood Demon Art?"
I stopped as I reached the village. I scanned the entrance and the village walls as I cautiously made my way inside the village, my eyes darting from one crumbling structure to another.
"Too worn down," I noted, running my fingers over the splintered wood of a house. "Way too worn down for just one night."
*THUD*
I tried to open a door, but the door fell down instead of swinging aside producing a loud noise. I frowned as I bent down to look at the door hinges.
"Why is it so rusted" I muttered, tracing my hand along the worn-down hinges before I wiped them off on my costume "Was it like this before or did this happen overnight?"
I got up as I gripped my Katana. I walked further into the house and stumbled upon the kitchen. There were quite a few dishes placed on the kitchen table covered with lids.
I opened up one of the covered dishes before getting hit with a foul smell, making me cover my nose out of disgust. I looked inside, only to see worms crawling in, what I assumed to be, baked potatoes and chicken
"it's half cooked" I noted as I looked at the pink-green chicken closing the lid "Which means that whatever happened, happened during dinner last night. But it's so strange, why has the food decomposed already? It should be barely rotting even after hours if it was covered with a lid"
I turned over to the counter as I noticed several shiny utensils. I picked up one of the knives, noting its sharpness and its shine. I swung the knife which produced a *whooshing* sound.
"This is a high-quality knife, meaning these guys are at least somewhat rich. If they have the money to buy knives this expensive, they wouldn't have any problem replacing rusty door hinges."
I put the knife back on the counter as I turned around and left the house. I explored the rest of the village, but except for finding rotting food and rusted appliances there was nothing more of value
"Looks like I'll have to wait until night then" I muttered, taking off my backpack as I opened it "Best to prepare myself for the fight till then"
...
...
...
"It's time"
I dusted my hands as I threw away the core of the apple I was eating. The sun was setting and in a few minutes, the last ray of sunlight will disappear.
I got up as I gripped my Katana, mentally counting down the seconds till nightfall.
360
359
358
...
3
2
1
As soon as I finished counting, the sun completely disappeared. Almost immediately, a thick fog rolled into the village, reducing my visibility to almost zero.
Luckily I came prepared
I brought up one of my UV lamps and turned it on. Almost immediately, the fog surrounding me disappeared as soon as the UV rays touched them clearing up a path for me.
"So this is a Blood Demon Art huh?" I muttered as I placed the lamp down.
I unsheathe my Katana as I walked away from the lamp. The Demon wasn't going to attack me when I was in the presence of the lamp, so I had no choice but to lure it out by walking right into its territory.
"Damn, I can't see shit," I said, trying to sway away the fog by waving my hand, but it did nothing.
Suddenly my hair stood on top as I tilted right, barely avoiding a chair being thrown at me. My body as if it possessed a mind of its own, moved and slashed the other pieces of debris being thrown at me.
"Water Breathing: Ninth Form-Splashing Water Flow Turbulent"
Tip-toeing on the ground, I rushed in the direction where the debris was being thrown from. Water Breathing in itself is an adaptable breathing technique, as such, it was no problem to dodge the multiple pieces of furniture being thrown at me.
I suddenly stopped, almost crashing into one of the houses on the way. I swung my sword, lodging it into the walls of the house, as I used it to jump over the house.
Big mistake, because now I was mid-air with no way to dodge as dozens of pieces of furniture hurled towards me.
"Water Breathing: Sixth Form-Whirpool'
They never stood a chance as I easily slashed apart all the incoming furniture into tiny spliners. I landed on the ground with a loud thud and looked up.
It was for a split second, but I saw something disappear as if running away from me.
"Water breathing: Twelth Form- Ascendant Torrent'
I rushed forward at full speed to chase after the demon. Before my eyes could fully adjust to the demon in front, my arms had already swung to try the decapitate the fleeing demon.
The demon ducked, avoiding my initial slash, and quickly rushed into one of the houses. I stopped myself as I turned around and stared at the house the demon hid in. I gripped my sword and swung-
'Water Breathing: First Form-Water Surface Slash"
-Splitting the entire house in half. I jumped through the crumbling house as my eyes immediately zeroed in on the demon.
'Water Breathing: Seventh Form-Drop Ripple Thrust"
*BOOM*
Before either mine or the demon's brain could comprehend the situation, my body had already unleashed the fastest move of Water Breathing, breaking the sound barrier, as it stabbed the demon in the neck in a matter of milliseconds and twisting the blade, decapitating the demon.
I finally landed on the ground as I turned around to stare at the dead demon.
"That was easy huh?"
"Yeah, glad I wasn't that guy"
I didn't hesitate—my sword flashed through the air, aiming for the source. But before the blade could connect, the figure dissolved into mist. My head snapped back toward the demon I had just killed… but its body wasn't disintegrating.
"Yeesh, even I'd die if my head got cut off"
No.
No, no, no—
"So logically, there's no way for a human to survive getting their head cut off is there?"
All sound from the world disappeared as my brain registered the words the demon spoke.
The head—motionless. The eyes—lifeless. No regeneration, no twisted smirk, no mocking laughter. Just silence.
I felt my grip on the sword tremble.
No. No, no, no. This had to be a trick. A Blood Demon Art. Some kind of illusion.
I staggered back, chest tightening.
"How'd you like your first time killing a human? Mine was alright, a few tears some snot coz yknow, I never killed a human before becoming a demon. Good thing is, murder was the hard part, eating that guy up was far easier"
I stood still as I processed the demon's words. I stared at the body, waiting for the weight of my actions to crash down on me. My hands were steady. My breath was even. My heartbeat—calm. Too calm.
I should feel something, shouldn't I? Guilt. Horror. The crushing realization that I had taken a life.
But there was nothing. No sharp pang of regret, no nausea twisting my stomach. Just a quiet, distant understanding that I had killed someone. A human. And I felt… fine.
I tried to picture their life. Their family. Someone waiting for them. Would anyone grieve them? Would anyone curse my name? What if he had a child or a wife? What would I do if they screamed at me for killing their husband?
Still, nothing. Just the quiet acceptance that I had killed, and that was all.
Not regret.
Not sorrow.
Just… acknowledgment.
The demon chuckled behind me. "Ahh, I get it. You're still in shock. Give it a minute, and it'll hit you like a ton of bricks."
"Water Breathing:Fourth Form-Striking Tide"
Before the demon could say anything, I appeared behind him, walking away as I sheathed my sword back in my hilt.
"It's not coming," I said.
As soon as I spoke, the demon behind me got slashed in multiple tiny pieces, with fountains of blood spouting from his body. His arms, legs, spine, neck-all vital areas and joints had been cut in half, as the demon stumbled to the ground.
Only, that didn't work
"Huh," The demon mumbled as it re-assembled its body, all the blood on the ground and his lost limbs magically floating and stitching themselves back. Finally, he held out his hand which caught his head that he put back on "That's never happened before, you some kind of psychopath or something?"
"Wha-"
Before I could complete my sentence the demon burst from the ground with its hand cocked behind its head. My arms moved on their own, slicing apart the incoming demon into multiple pieces as it flew by me harmlessly.
'Damn it, what kinda speed is that?' The Demon grumbled as it re-assembled itself "You a Hashira or something?"
"Nah" I replied as I frowned looking at the demon.
The demon stretched its newly reformed fingers, rolling its shoulders with an exaggerated sigh. "Man, this is annoying," it muttered. "I keep falling apart, and you—" It pointed at me with a lazy flick of the wrist. "You don't even flinch. That's just weird."
I didn't answer, still watching, still analyzing.
The demon loomed over me, its hulking frame blocking out the moonlight. Eight feet of pure muscle, jagged black spikes jutting from its shoulders like armor. Clawed hands flexed, each razor-sharp talon glinting menacingly.
Its face was a twisted blend of beast and nightmare—two massive horns curled back from its skull, and piercing red eyes gleamed with amusement. A thick red tail swept behind it, carving deep lines into the dirt with each lazy sway.
It looked like something straight out of a story meant to scare children.
And yet, I wasn't scared.
It could regenerate instantly. That meant decapitation wouldn't work. That meant—
"You gonna keep staring or actually try to kill me?" the demon sneered.
I exhaled slowly, tightening my grip on my sword. "Fine," I muttered. "I'll just have to figure out what does work."
"That's the spirit" The demon giggled as it launched itself back at me. I prepared myself for a Water Breathing technique as the demon neared me.
Only for me to never use it
*Really loud fucking noise*
"A-"
The Demon didn't utter a single sentence as it vanished from existence along with a majority of the fog surrounding me as I used one of my UV flashbangs. I opened my eyes as I saw the fog swirling back into the vacant space.
"Figures" I muttered as I looked around "You were just an illusion, that's why I couldn't kill you. All I need to do is find your real body"
"Like I'll let you" The Demon reformed back as it charged at me. However this time, instead of unleashing an attack or dodging it I just stood still-
-As the demon passed through me.
"Can't fool me anymore" I said, turning back to the illusion with a smirk "I felt no resistance when I cut you earlier. That's when I realized your body's made of the mist around me. You can't physically harm me"
"Heh" The Demon snorted, which then turned into a burst of full blown laughter "HEHEHEHEHE HAHAHAHAHA"
"DON'T THINK YOU'VE WON YET YOU STUPID CHILD" The Demon roared with a furious expression on its face " I CONTROL ALL THE MIST IN THIS AREA. THIS IS MY DOMAIN"
As soon as he finished saying that, the mist around me stilled and rushed towards me. I dropped to the ground, as a large amount of mist entered my nose and mouth, overloading my stomach and lungs
"I'LL MAKE YOU EXPLODE LIKE A FUCKING BALLOON" The Demon giggled as it watched my body inflate "I ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE WHAT ONE LOOKED LIKE"
"Not...today"
I flicked my wrist, bringing out a remote with a big red button. I pressed the button, which activated all the UV lamps I placed around the area, bathing the area with UV light and disintegrating the mist around me.
*Burp* *snort*
I dropped down, letting out a weird mixture of a burp and a snort as I coughed out decomposing ashes from my lungs and stomach.
"Fuck" I said mid-cough "This shit is dry as hell"
"WHAT DID YOU DO" A voice sounded from all around me "WHAT KIND OF SORECERY IS THIS?"
"Did you think I was just idling around the entire evening?" I said, wiping off saliva from my mouth "I covered the entire village with UV lamps just in case I was hopelessly overpowered."
I got up and cracked my neck "The entire village's surrounded so just tell me where your main body is, I don't want to spend more time on this mission"
"S-SCREW YOU, I AIN'T TELLING YOU SHIT"
"That's fine" I muttered, walking up to a group of houses in front of me "You're hidden in one of these houses to protect yourself from the light aren't you?"
"Water Breathing: First Form- Water Surface Slash"
In one swing, I struck down all the houses in front of me.
"Then, I'll just destroy them all"
"W-WAIT NO"
"Water Breathing: Thirteenth Form- Ascendant Torrent"
I moved at immense speeds as I swung my blade, destroying multiple rows of houses in instants and making a huge cloud of smoke rise up into the air.
I stopped as I heard movement. My eyes immediately darted behind me, where I saw a small demon hide itself with a broken piece of wood against the light.
I blinked as I compared the demon in front of me. The demon in the illusion was jacked, it could put bodybuilders to shame, and it was so tall I had to crank my neck up to see it's head with humongous horns and extremely sharp claws
Compared to that, this thing was barely 3 feet tall, extremely malnourished and his horns were barely sprouting from his head.
"Did you fucking catfish me?"
"You would make a good demon" It mumbled, digging itself deeper into the broken piece of wood. I said nothing as I walked over, and simply removed the broken piece of wood as the light disintegrated the demon instantly.
As soon as the demon died, the surroundings changed as the fog receeded. I could clearly see the destruction of the village I had caused.
I immediately darted back to the spot where I was before. When I arrived, I looked around to spot a dead body.
My eyes finally landed on one. Cleanly decapitated.
"I really did kill a human..." I muttered as I sheathe my Katana "And yet, I feel nothing"
I looked up at the sky, noticing the moon had barely moved. The overall battle didn't take more than a few minutes.
"Mission complete"
And yet, I felt no happiness for completing my mission.