As mentioned in the last chapter, here's the next update already! Lots of fighting ahead. I hope you're excited about the result!
Also, thank you all for the support you are giving this story. It means a lot to me! :)
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Laura stood in the clearing the fight had begun what felt like hours ago, smoke emitting from her gun's muzzle, a larger calibre than her other two weapons. The blond girl figured from what she had seen of Susamaru, that the female demon would come chasing after her if she would dash away suddenly without warning She was relieved that her little plot worked as well as it did and that Tanjiro wasn't facing the two demons alone.
Possible what-if scenarios were blasted away the moment Susamaru came roaring around the corner, running straight into Laura's trap. She was already waiting and didn't hesitate to pull the trigger, unleashing a torrent of explosive violent force upon the unprepared demon.
The result was still clouded behind a smokescreen and Laura was not foolish enough to let her guard down just yet. Underestimating a demon could turn against you in a matter of seconds., so she remained where she stood, narrowing her eyes as the wind took away the protective veil.
The smell of blood soon enough become overpowering, the taste of iron lingering heavily on her tongue and the reason became clear once the smoke had vanished entirely. Susamaru kneeled on the floor, her six arms or what remained of them crossed in front of her like a protective shield of meat. Blood poured from the stubs and pooled on the ground, but the head remained intact and unharmed.
'Dammit!' Laura cursed under her breath before joyful laughter filled the air. The Temari Demon rose to her feet, her flesh already regenerating from the wounds inflicted on her.
"You almost got me there, Laura~" She sang before taking a low stance, the temaris strewed across the floor beginning to tingle. "I will pay you back for that tenfold!"
Her weapons returned to her upon her call, the muscles in the demon's arms flexing before she threw the temaris. They shot forward in straight lines, making it easy for Laura to dodge each of them without adding more strain to her rapidly building exhaustion. She had even enough room to fire two times at her opponent, afflicting new harm to the freshly recovered arms of the female demon, much to her dismay.
Beneath the demon's excitement, the blond girl could perceive a flicker of annoyance, most likely stemming from the lack of red arrows that allowed impossible movements against the laws of nature. Enraged, Susamaru looked to her side.
"Yahaba, what are you doing?" She yelled, but her accusation remained unanswered for her partner was not by her side how he was supposed to be. The female demon's eyes widened as she realised that the male demon was nowhere to be found, slowly understanding that she had fallen for a trick.
But her shocked expression only lasted for the fraction of a second before it returned to a face filled with nothing but joy and delight. "So that's why you were running away earlier, huh? HA! Don't think this will change anything"
Laura only smirked at that. "I wouldn't be too sure about that." She answered confidentially, aiming at the demon and unleashing a barrage of bullets. This time Susamaru didn't stand her ground and avoided the attacks of the blond girl. She liked to take a risk but she wasn't a fool either. With the lack of assistance from her companion, she had to change her way of fighting the blond girl and adjust her strategy.
Calling for her temaris, she catapulted them at Laura but delayed each throw ever so slightly. That way, she could keep up a constant attack on the blond girl, pressuring her until one mistake would be her fatal error.
However, Laura not only managed to avoid every temari coming her way, but she also scored several hits on Susamaru. None of them created an opening large enough for her to aim for the demon's head, but she could see how Susamaru began to struggle the more time passed.
Behind them in the house, she saw how Miss Tamayo and Yushiro alongside the other demon girl observed through the holes in the wall. She saw their lips moving, but she was unable to understand a single word due to the ongoing fight with the demon. The worry as they observed the fight, especially on Miss Tamayo's face, was palpable and grew constantly. They could probably see how Tanjiro was fairing as well.
'The sooner I end this, the better.' She thought to herself.
Unfortunately, Susamaru was a strong opponent even without the other demon's aid. Even when she had scored countless hits already, none managed to stagger her enemy enough to buy enough time for a critical hit. She knew that her bullets even though poisonous probably wouldn't be enough to end Susamaru's life. Her master had taught her that the only surefire method to kill a demon was chopping off its head. Laura had the means for the action, but not the opening.
The same could be said about her opponent. Despite being deadly, none of her weapons had found its mark yet and the demon's frustration about the failure was obvious. Suddenly something in the expression of the demon changed and Susamaru smirked again.
Laura narrowed her eyes in suspicion, knowing that something was about to happen. She didn't expect Susamaru to throw one of her temaris leisurely at her though, the tingling ball even lacking the strength to reach her.
The blond girl thought of it as nothing more than a failure, but a sudden voice from inside the house ripped her away from her false assumption.
"Look out, you goddamn idiot! Don't ignore that one, avoid it!" Yushiro bellowed from where he stood near one of the many holes. Laura's eyes snapped back to the temari she had already discarded, witnessing in horror as it suddenly began to spin in her direction.
'A spin ball...'
"I don't need Yahaba's help for this one, albeit I will admit it's a bit tricky to get them right," Susamaru drawled coldly. "It has been fun playing with you, but now it's bye, bye for you, Laura-chan~"
Laura was in no position that would allow her to avoid this unexpected attack and even if she would somehow manage, her opponent was already preparing for her next strike. She was caught like a moth who sought the flame of a candle but ended up in the spider's net.
Her only chance was to deflect the curve ball by kicking it, even if it meant sacrificing her leg in the process. It was her only option so the blond girl took the risk and pulled her leg back, aiming for the tingling ball rushing at her from below.
"Don't!" Yushiro yelled again, surprisingly jumping out of the house and heading towards her. "It's impossible!"
Behind him, Miss Tamayo had pulled back the sleeve of her kimono, scratching her arm open until blood dropped to the ground. However, Laura didn't notice any of that, her eyes foggy as if she was in a drunken daze.
It's impossible.
Yushiro's words echoed in her body, in her heart, in her mind and her very soul. Over and over again did the words repeat like a broken record, bouncing from invisible walls and reaching further and further into the blond girl's innermost core.
It's impossible.
"It's impossible!" A young Laura screamed in frustration as she dropped to the ground gracelessly. She panted heavily, sweat pouring from her chin like salty rain. Her fists were bloody and throbbing from pain, ripped open from the solid wood she was punching over and over again at the behest of her master.
The mighty oak standing tall in front of her cast its shadows over her broken form, seemingly mocking the little girl for her fruitless attempts of felling the ancient tree with her small fists. For hours she had tried to afflict damage to the old bark, but so far she had done nothing more than fuelling her frustration.
"It's impossible," she repeated and looked over her shoulder at the other side of the clearing, bolts of thunder almost shooting out of her crimson eyes at the person she held responsible for her maddening situation.
Leisurely and as calm as one could be, her master sat cross-legged on a large boulder, observing the child he had adopted, smoking his pipe. The rays of the sun from above kissed his wrinkled skin as his own set of reddish eyes looked back into the blazing orbs of Laura, not giving away a single hunch of what was going through his mind as he was confronted with the blond girl's obvious frustration and the resulting rage.
"Say something already!" She yelled, her tiny voice fuming from childish anger. In response the old man merely let out a puff of smoke, not saying a single word as he continued to watch in silence as Laura lost herself deeper and deeper into her emotions.
"That's enough for today," the old man said out of the blue, knowing that she couldn't achieve anything in a state like this. She needed to calm down and get her act together. Otherwise, her training would be stuck at this still-early stage.
"Old fart!" She bellowed suddenly and there was a twitch over his right eye. The girl may be young, but her potty mouth was that of an adult if not even worse. Also, she knew not a single thing about paying respect.
She opened her mouth again, surely about to throw a new insult at her master, but the old man exhaled a sharp breath, the tendrils of smoke escaping his mouth looking more like the windrows of a seething volcano spitting fire.
"Laura," he warned sternly, "don't forget that you asked for this yourself. You wanted me to teach you how to slay demons and that's what I'm doing."
The blond girl's mouth snapped shut immediately, realising that she had pushed her master a little bit too much. Normally, nothing could disturb his calmness or his cool demeanour. Therefore, she knew she had overstepped the line and it was better to back down.
And he was right. She had asked for this by herself, at first because it sounded like a lot of fun, but her master had clobbered that thought out of her right from the beginning. It was not a fun game but a serious matter, one very important to her master. When she had the choice, she still agreed to be trained as a demon slayer because she wanted to make her master proud – not that the old man needed to know about that particular part.
Laura looked at the ground, ashamed and unable to meet her master's eyes anymore. "I'm sorry..." she croaked weekly. A few beats of silence passed by before a loud sigh left the old man's mouth.
"Don't worry, Hawk's Eye. We can continue tomorrow again. Let's call it a day."
Hearing the nickname given to her by her master due to her seemingly good eyesight, she looked back to her master, puffing up her cheeks. "I don't wanna! Hmpf!"
A low grumble of annoyance left the elderly man's lungs. He was too old to deal with a moody brat such as this. From his view, Laura was even worse than other children because she was not only moody but also stubborn, a deadly combination for anyone's nerves, even for his. But he couldn't fool himself. He didn't want the blond girl to be any different.
"Felling this tree with my bare hands is impossible, so give me a hint." She demanded. He eyed her for a few long moments, pondering what to do with her until he yielded and gave in. Maybe it was time to give her a straw, for her sake but mostly for his own.
Rising from the boulder, he levelled her with a neutral expression before he flatly answered her."The reason why you keep failing is simple. It's what you expect and it's what you get."
Laura looked at him with big eyes as round as saucers and he simply looked back at her, sighing again.
"You said it's impossible and that's the very reason why you keep falling. If you expect to fail, why are you surprised it actually happens?"
Laura gasps. "I... uh... didn't mean it like that!"
Crossing his arms in front of his body, her master eyed her with one of his eyebrows raided. "Really? Pray to tell me then, what you meant by impossible?"
The blond girl suddenly found the grass beneath her feet extraordinarily interesting almost as if it was the keeper of all the secrets in this world. Carefully, she glanced at the old man again only to avert her eyes elsewhere when she saw that he was still staring at her.
After the fourth time she gave up., blowing up her arms into the sky in defeat "Fiiiiiiiiiine. I was meaning it like that. So what! I'm standing by what I said! This is impossible!"
"Like hell, you are standing by your words, damn brat," her master grumbled under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. But he wouldn't even try correcting her false claim. It would be utterly pointless. Instead, he took a long calming breath and returned to the matter at hand.
"I already taught you that breathing is the foundation, the most basic ability for every demon slayer. By performing breathing techniques we raise the level of our mortal bodies to that of a demon's. If you master them, nothing will be impossible for you anymore."
"Even if, it's still impossible to fell this tree with bare hands! I bet you can't do it either!" Laura answered cheekily. It made her master's face twitch in annoyance. The old man was well-known to be as calm as an icy mountain by the people who knew about him in his home, but somehow Laura always found her way through his defences and pushed his buttons. And he had enough of it.
"Move aside, Hawk's Eye. I will show how you how it's done."
The blond girl eyed him curiously, clearly doubting that he would be successful where she failed, but she stepped aside nonetheless. Taking her spot, the old man didn't waste any time showing her how false her assumption was. One deep inhale filled his lungs with oxygen, his broad chest expanding with the amount he took in. Then he focused and pumped the air through his veins, sending the new energy source into his right arm. Blood vessels popped across his skin as his muscles bulged before he struck.
Like a steel hammer, his fist crashed against the tree bark and by every common law, his fist should be in shambles, shattered beyond repair. But it was not. He didn't even bleed from torn skin. Instead, wood splintered from the spot of impact and the mighty oak shook from the violent force that had hit its very core. The trunk began to creak, almost sounding like a screech before the tree began to fall. Branches snapped on its descent and the earth beneath Laura's feet trembled when the mighty oak hit the ground at last.
Unclenching his fist, her master turned around, his fading, long black hair kept in a ponytail swaying in the storm born from the tree's death. His crimson eyes stared right into the girl's soul. Laura's mouth was dangling open in utter disbelief at what she had seen just now.
"Do you believe me now, Laura?" He asked with a calm and even voice like he always did when he lectured her. "If you have faith in yourself and your abilities, nothing is impossible."
"Nothing is impossible."
Her master's words from years ago rang inside her mind once more, a memory of the past yet feeling so fresh as if they were spoken only a moment ago.
"Nothing is impossible, right master?"
Laura's spirit returned from the dace that had suddenly overcome the girl, her eyes trained on the deadly projectile spinning in mid-air. The world around her ceased to exist, becoming dull until nothing was left. No sound or smell, not even the wind brushing her skin existed anymore. It was only her and the temari rushing at her.
Just like her master had done back then, she filled her lungs with oxygen, taking in as much as she could and more. She had done the same earlier as well when she pulled Tanjiro away from certain death, but it was a miracle it had worked in the first place. It was instinctual at best, a reaction of her body in the face of a crisis.
But this time was different. Despite the claws of death already clinging to her, her breathing was even and her mind calm like the full moon in the sky. Every fibre of her being was solely focused on her opponent's attack, her every action aiming to deflect the deadly strike.
She felt how energy formed within her, filling her body to the brim. She commanded every ounce of the new power to her right leg just as her master had taught her to. And just like the old man's arm had bulged on that day, so did her leg today, rippling from newfound power, ready for the ultimate wager of life and death. A demon's immortal and enhanced strength versus an ordinary human body.
Laura kicked the temari head-on and immediately gritted her teeth in pain and agony as the tinkling ball gnawed at her flesh. She could hear how the bones in her leg protested under the immense pressure beneath the gale wind originating from the battle of supremacy, but they held firm, refusing to lose that easily.
Mad cackling filled the air as Susamaru watched in awe how Laura tried to avoid the inevitable, singing praises that her leg was not ripped off yet. Tamayo and Yushiro had stopped their movements the moment the blond girl's leg resisted the initial impact, It was something that should be impossible by all means, yet their eyes showed them another reality. The blond girl was too focused to notice any of that, struggling against the ongoing strike of the female demon.
"It's not enough! At this rate, my leg is a goner!" She berated herself, feeling how her leg was giving slowly in more and more.
"Focus as master has taught you! Believe in yourself!"
Laura was nowhere near the level of her master, couldn't even dream about getting close. He was old, but as far as she could understand things back then, he only became stronger by that. If it was him in this battle, he would have swatted away Susamaru's attack like an annoying gnat. She wouldn't exaggerate if she called him a monster capable to inflict fear into even the strongest demon.
But despite his monstrous strength, he had been so kind-hearted beneath his gruff exterior, always taking care of her no matter what. And Laura was proud to be his student and she didn't want to fail him, not now, not ever.
"Calm down! Concentrate! Take control over your breathing and trust in your master's teachings! Nothing is impossible if you get your breathing techniques right!"
Berating herself again, she repeated her master's words like a mantra to herself over and over again. Her eyes fell shut and her breathing became easier despite the circumstances. With each new breath, more air filled her lungs and the more air she got, the calmer her body became.
The world became dull again as she entered another daze, stronger and deeper. Everything became meaningless until she was alone in a realm of black. High above her head shone a bright full moon, bathing the blond in its soft shine, releasing her from all sensations rushing through her veins. The pressure on her right leg vanished as did the pain.
Laura felt like she was alone in this dark place, but she wasn't afraid of the darkness. Instead, it felt inviting, alluring even and she wanted to dive deeper into it, hugging this absolute calmness.
"Master, is this what you call "entering full concentration mode..."? It feels wonderful," Laura whispered to herself as she enjoyed the peace of this place. She wanted to stay here forever, but a small voice in the back of her mind told her she couldn't stay. There were things she had to do and she couldn't agree more.
When she opened her eyes again and stared at Susamaru, the female demon stopped her mad laughing immediately and flinched back. Something had changed about the blond girl and it sent a chill down her spine.
Laura's leg stopped struggling against the temari and she wondered why she had struggled in the first place. All she had to do was to push back. Nothing more and nothing less. And so she did, her leg overpowering the temari and kicking it back at its owner.
Susamaru's eyes widened in shock when her own weapon was suddenly turned against her, moving as fast as if she had thrown it herself with all her might. There was no time to avoid the temari anymore, so she caught it instead. The tinkling ball spinning in her hand tore her skin apart and she was pushed backwards despite her best attempts to stand her ground.
Eventually, the temari had exhausted all its energy and stopped moving, dropping to the floor and leaving a trail of demon blood. Droplets of sweat covered her face as she stared at her opponent, unable to comprehend the implications of what had just happened. Yushiro and Tamayo were in a similar shocked state, for this was an unreal situation. Moments ago, a demon was physically overpowered by a human and none of the demons could understand how this was possible.
"Why do you look so surprised, Susamaru?" Laura suddenly asked, entirely obvious to the fact that she literally did the impossible just now.
"Didn't you know? By using breathing techniques we demon slayers essentially become demons on our own. All you can do, we can as well." To emphasize her point, she stomped on the ground with her right leg, the ground beneath her foot cracking open.
In response, Susamaru hunched over, her face hidden beneath the shadow cast by her shaggy brown hair with orange tips. Small chuckles bubbled from her throat before she entered a fit of pure laughter. Throughout this battle, she had hit several peaks of excitement, but now she was boiling, close to reaching her seething point.
"You..." she drawled "ARE THE BEST PLAYMATE I EVER HAD, LAURA!" The female demon roared in utter bliss. "I've decided! I won't kill you anymore! I don't care what my master will say! You have to become a demon and play with me forever, Laura!"
"Like hell, I will!" The blond girl yelled back, showing no intentions of accepting the ridiculous offer thrown at her out of nowhere.
"Don't be like that! We will have lots of fun together!" Susamaru cackled while she dropped one of her temaris and kicked her weapon instead of throwing it. Laura, unfaced by the sudden shift in Susamaru's fighting style, simply raised her right leg again before she kicked the temari back to its source once more.
The female demon answered by repeating the same motion and in a matter of seconds, the temari was flying back and forth across the yard between the two combatants. It was a crazy method of fighting, not to add the fact that it was a battle between a human and a demon.
Tamayo and Yushiro tried to make any sense of what was happening before their very eyes, but no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't wrap their heads around the situation. Even less because it looked like the demon was struggling more than the human did.
Behind them, Nezuko watched the ongoing battle intensively, her pink eyes fixated on both participants' legs and how they kicked the temari back and forth. The young demon's face was still contorted in pain despite the medicine she received earlier, a painful reminder of her failure. Her missing leg had yet to recover entirely, so for the time being she could only look and think about how she could use her abilities better in the future. The desire to protect others burned brightly within her and nothing could stop this fire, no matter what.
"Stop resisting already and become a demon, Laura!" Susamaru's sudden yell echoed across the battlefield, her voice strained from exhaustion.
"I told you already that I won't become one, Susamaru!" Laura yelled back similarly, frustrated about the demon's constant bribery, ignoring the burning pain in her leg once more as she sent the temari back to its owner. She had lost count of how many times she had done the same thing in the last few minutes, but she knew she wouldn't last much longer through any more of this back and forth. Her limp felt like it was ready to fall off on its own, so she had had to end this battle right now and right here. Her next shot would be her last one.
She dove as deep into the scenery of darkness with a full moon hanging in the sky as she could, seeking the power she needed for the final push, to open the window that would grant her the opening to aim for the female demon's neck. Her muscles flexed to the utmost limit, on the brink of tearing themselves apart. It felt like her leg was on fire, burning from the inside but it was what she had to do to overwhelm her opponent for good.
When Susamaru kicked the temari back at her, Laura was ready and struck with all her might, shooting the temari faster than ever back to its owner. The demon's eyes widened in shock once more at the sudden increase in speed. There was no time to counter this strike. Therefore, acting on pure instinct, the female demon formed a wall of flesh in front of her with her six arms, but to no avail.
Her own weapon broke through her defences and punched a gaping hole into her chest. Only the stonewall behind her managed to stop the temari's charge, but not before the soft fabric had ground stone to dust.
The demon coughed blood, pooling on the ground around her feet as unimaginable pain invaded her body, but it was fine. She could recover from this without a problem, her neck was still unhurt and safe. Her playtime was not over yet. She still could-
Suddenly the heated skin covering her neck was kissed by cold metal. The sensation send a chill down her spine and ripped Susamaru out of her stupor. Looking in front of her, she came face to face with Laura's crimson eyes staring at her. The blond girl had used her last strike to get up close, her guns at point-blank range. However, the muzzles of the weapons were not aimed at the demon's neck. Instead, their sides were pressed against it.
Susamaru grinned. "Looks like you missed your chance, Laura~"
"No," the girl merely answered, pushing two small buttons at the side of her guns. The metallic click echoed around the otherwise dead-silent battlefield before it was replaced by metal scratching on metal. From below each gun's muzzle, a small blade extended, long enough to cut off a demon's head. Susamaru's eyes widened as she found her neck inside the deadly trap, the unique smell of a Nichirin sword invading her nose.
"It has been fun, but... this battle is over!" With a swift cross-slash, Laura cleanly cut off Susamaru's head, the severed body part landing on the floor and rolling across the ground before it stopped. There was no pain visible in the demon's eyes, only confusion. The rest of her body collapsed on the ground and began to disintegrate where Laura's blades had cut through its flesh.
Pushing the buttons again, the blades retracted into their hidden spots. Laura stashed her guns away and looked sorrowfully at Susamaru's head. She could watch as realisation slowly sank into the demon's consciousness, the meaning of what her state meant.
Her orange eyes found Laura's crimson ones and she was surprised by the multitude of emotions swirling behind the slitted pupils. For a few moments, both only looked at each other before Susamaru said something, but her voice was too weak to reach the blond girl's ears. Witnessing the failed attempt, Laura decided she should pay her enemy her respect. It would be rude to not listen to the final words of a living being, no matter what they might be. Curses or praises, Laura would hear all of them to the bitter end.
When she moved her right leg though, a sharp, agonizing pain shot through her entire body and she almost fell, but somebody caught her in time. It was the small demon girl Tanjiro had brought inside the destroyed house earlier. Laura should be worried for all she knew, but the gentle hues surrounding the frame of the demon supporting her told her that there was no need to be concerned about anything.
The girl had to support Laura's side because her right leg was in a very bad condition, diplomatic spoken. Playing football with a demon surely hadn't been one of her brightest ideas, but there was no point to complain. Laura was still alive and defeated her opponent, albeit it left a sour taste on her tongue. Limping, Laura managed to get to Susamaru with Nezuko's help, kneeling in front of the head.
When Susamaru spoke again, Laura could understand every word. "Thank you, for playing with me, Laura. Did you have fun as well?" the demon croaked weakly, her voice calm and even. The blond girl didn't know the female for long, but even then she could say that this tune seemed out of character for Susamaru. Not that she would address the matter.
"Yeah, it was fun playing with you," Laura answered instead.
A beat of silence followed before slitted, orange eyes sought crimson again. "Do you..." Susamaru averted her eyes "If we had met under different circumstances... if I hadn't been a demon... do you think we could have become friends?"
Laura almost gasped from the pure honesty washing over her. There were other emotions surrounding Susamaru right now, traces of fear, sadness and fright But all of them were drowned in the demon's honest question. Laura answered before she realised what she was saying.
"Yes, we would have been friends. I'm certain of that."
"I see..." Susamaru averted her eyes again, smiling softly before looking at something. "Could you play with me again... one more time?
Laura looked to her side and found the object Susamaru was looking at. It was one of her temaris. Without hesitation she grabbed it and began rolling it between her hands in front of Susamaru's integrating head, the tinkling of bells filling the air.
Tears began to form in the corners of Susamaru's eyes as she watched how the ball rolled from side to side, her head almost entirely gone.
"Thank... you," she whispered before her head vanished from the face of the world, leaving behind nothing but her memories and temaris.
Laura watched for a few seconds that felt like hours at the spot where Susamaru's head had laid moments ago before she raised her gaze. Tamayo and Yushiro who had watched the entire time had each a melancholy expression on their face. Within her eyes, Laura could see her own face as well, showing no difference at all. The fight was won, but could this truly be considered a victory? Could taking someone's life ever be considered a victory? She wondered. Her master had taught her many, many things, but not this. What was she supposed to think and feel right now?
A rumble from the other side of the house suddenly echoed.
Tanjiro. He was still fighting
Her inner turmoil could wait for the time being. First, she had to help her partner as soon as possible.
XXX
"Don't!" Tanjiro heard someone yell from the other side of the house, by the sound it had to be Yushiro, but as much as he wished to rush over there, he couldn't unless he wanted to bust the opportunity Laura had created by drawing Susamaru away.
Without the temaris constantly swarming around him, the redhead finally found the opportunity to get in cutting range of the demon he was facing, not that it was suddenly an easy task because even without his ally's help, Yahaba was still a formidable opponent.
Where ringing toys had blocked his path minutes ago, now red arrows replaced them. Yahaba hadn't been serious at all when his companion had been with him, but now that she was gone, the demon showed what he was truly capable of.
However, at the same time, Tanjiro could move more freely than before and he took advantage of his new freedom, charging once more at the male demon, dodging each of the arrows aimed at him. Jump to the side, a twirl around his axis, a leap. He used everything at his disposal to break through Yahaba's defences, getting closer and closer to the Arrow Demon until he could hear him snarl like a beast.
At the same moment, his nose picked up the scent that had evaded his grasp throughout the battle so far, but now it was as clear as it could be to him.
'There it is, the opening thread! I can win this!"
Raising his sword above his head, Tanjiro was ready to behead Yahaba at last, but the male demon was far from being defeated. "Stay away from me you filthy brat!" He yelled disgusted, snapping the eyeballs inside his palms shut. No arrows appeared out of nowhere though. Tanjiro thought the technique had failed, but when he sliced for the demon, he realised Yahaba's plan didn't fail, the opening thread snapping right in front of his eyes.
He was moving backwards even though he was running forwards, courtesy of the red arrow sliding across the ground. Worst was his attack had thrown him off-balance for a moment, time enough for Yahaba to strike again.
A new arrow appeared and pierced straight through Tanjiro's chest, pulling him along. Tanjiro gasped as all the air in his lungs was pushed out of him when he was thrown against the wall of the house, groaning in pain. Yahaba's wave of attacks was far from over though.
When the first arrow had exhausted all of its energy, a second one took over and continued to throw Tanjiro around like a rag doll. There was absolutely nothing he could do, no way to defend against the onslaught washing over his entire body. He was thrown against trees, branches slicing his skin open until he was smashed on the ground with violent force.
The morbid sound of his bones breaking beneath the pressure filled his ears as his entire body was throbbing in pain.
'This hurts. This really hurts!'
Tanjiro wanted to cry, scream how much his body was hurting all over, shed all the tears already forming in his eyes, but he would endure how he always had done. He wouldn't break down now even when his body told him otherwise, he couldn't for Nezuko's sake and for the people who trusted him to win this fight.
Somehow Tanjiro managed to stand up again, his legs shaking. He barely found the strength to lift his katana, but he couldn't falter now, no matter how much his body protested. If he did, disaster would strike mercilessly just like it did on that one day when seven became two.
Pointing the tip of his blade at the demon, he took a recovery breath to fill his body with the energy he had lost, preparing another strike. However, the male demon on the other side of the battlefield took advantage of his still ongoing recovery and send another volley of arrows at him.
Unlike before, these were not racing at Tanjiro in straight lines, but in circular motions, the arrow itself curving and twisting. The redhead had seen this type of arrow before, back then when Laura had entered the fight and injured Susamaru. Tanjiro still remembered how the female demon's arm was mangled before Yahaba tore it off. The thought of what one of these could do to him if any of them were to hit sent a shiver down his spine.
"I can't let any of these hit me!" Tanjiro told himself, jumping sideways to avoid the first arrow. It was far more difficult to avoid these strikes because their area of effect was larger than the other arrows Tanjiro had faced until now. But he managed to avoid each of them gracefully, ignoring the loud noise behind him as wood screeched. One of them must have been hit by the arrow and was suffering the same fate Susamaru's arm had earlier.
Tanjiro continued the deadly dance until suddenly, another arrow appeared from behind one of the circular ones. It was a straight one, but way faster, meaning the prior arrows had merely been a distraction, attempting to hide the demon's true strike from Tanjiro.
His body pulsated in agony at the mere thought of what could happen to him if he should be struck again, so he had to avoid it at all costs. His body was already in bad shape, and Tanjiro had no intention of getting tossed around like a rag doll again.
He leaned back and barely managed to avoid the arrow. It still caught the edge of his beloved checkered haori, so he reluctantly sacrificed it for a greater cause and slipped out of the fabric that reminded him of his home when his world had still been okay.
To find his footing again, Tanjiro performed a somersault on the spot and landed safely on his feet, glaring at the demon. Yahaba seemed annoyed when the throbbing vein on his forehead was anything to go by with.
"Curses! It's time for you to die!" New arrows were aimed at the redhead and he dodged them just like he did before. Sweat was running down his face, droplets spraying across the ground with every movement. Tanjiro gritted his teeth in exhaustion.
'What should I do? I can't continue like this. Staying on the defences will bring me nowhere. I have to fight back. But how? If only I could use... these arrows... against Yahaba...'
Avoiding another arrow, he dismissed the idea immediately. 'No, this won't work. There's no way I possibly could-'
"Tanjiro, water has no set form. Sometimes it is a river, winding its way through the landscape, sometimes it's the rain falling from the skies. No matter the circumstances you will face in battle, Water will always be able to adapt. I know you're a smart boy, so I believe that you will emerge victorious from every struggle in the future."
Urokodaki-san's voice suddenly washed over him and for a moment Tanjiro thought his mentor was right behind him. Maybe he even was, mentally, leading him towards the path that would end this battle. The redhead remembered this memory in particular so vividly, that he could even recall the scent Urokodaki-san gave off as he explained Water Breathing to him for the first time.
Water was indeed free and there was absolutely no reason to despair. He could do this. With new conviction burning within his chest, Tanjiro charged at the demon one more time
'Get closer, deflect the arrows with the first form and avoid the others with the steps of the third technique when you're in range.'
His body followed his every command without fail as he advanced, water emerging from the tip of his blade and dancing around his katana. Suddenly he was able to cut through the arrows like it was nothing. There was no more struggle, only progress as he got closer and closer to a panicked Yahaba.
Urokodaki-san's teachings were incredible and Tanjiro only realised it now, in the heat of the battle. He was glad that he could call the old and kind man his mentor. He couldn't deny the feeling of pride swelling within his chest that he was a student of the Water Breathing Technique.
When he was close enough, Tanjiro stopped cutting the arrows. Instead, he twisted around his own axis, his blade creating a vortex of water streaming around him, manipulating the arrows and drawing them in. They made his katana heavy, so heavy that the earth cracked open when he stomped on the ground. His side protested due to pain, but he would endure it, for he could see the opening thread again.
He jumped, pulling his attack along in a wide arc. Water Breathing, Second Form Improved: Lateral Water Wheel.
With a single strike, Tanjiro cut off Yahaba's head at last, ending this long battle. The moment he performed his technique, all of his exhaustion and pain caught up to him, making it impossible for him to break his fall. The landing was hard and just added more to his agony, but it was worth it because victory was his. Now he had to help-
"HOW DARE YOU TAINT ME WITH SUCH DIRT!" Yahaba screamed in utter wrath even though he was defeated, his body already starting to disintegrate. Tanjiro was too startled to react, so he only watched as the severed head insulted him more. "I won't accept this, you rotten brat! I will never accept this! You will die with me! And when we will see each other in hell again, I will take my revenge on you!"
In the corner of his eyes, Tanjiro saw how the male demon's body twitched, slowly raising his arms. The eyeballs within his palms showed several arrows at once and Tanjiro's instinct roared at him to get away, but his body didn't obey his orders anymore, too exhausted and too beaten up to move anymore. He could only watch in horror as the eyes fell shut a final time, summoning countless arrows within his body.
Tanjiro forgot to breathe, his eyes wide and tainted in pure horror as he was thrown into the void. He found himself in an eerie and dark place. He couldn't see the floor but felt the icy chill embracing his entire body. His hot breath was fogging in front of his mouth as he stared into the void surrounding him.
He smelt it before he saw it, the sinister creature lurking in this place, red gleaming eyes staring at him with murderous intent, the desire to swallow him whole and rip him apart like cattle. From within the darkness, a gargantuan mouth emerged, filled with countless rows of sharp teeth. A deafening roar followed, shaking the very earth beneath Tanjiro's knees. A rotten pungent stench washed over him and he wanted to puke, but he couldn't. His body was overcome by a sense of fear he hadn't experienced before.
He knew what this creature was, for it was the constant companion of every demon slayer in this world. Each of them was always dancing at the edge of the abyss leading to the void and now Tanjiro had taken one wrong step and was falling, straight into the awaiting mouth of the creature that was death.
Tanjiro felt it, how the demon's arrows inside his body began moving, pulling at his flesh, bones and organs alike. At the same time, death pounced at him from the darkness. Pain flooded his entire body, but no scream escaped his mouth. The redhead was already encircled by the claws of death, unable to do anything aside from waiting for the moment his body was torn apart by Yahaba's last attack until suddenly the suffocating feeling vanished altogether.
A moment later Tanjiro began hyperventilating. His breathing was rugged and in disorder. He tried to take in the oxygen he desperately needed but to no avail. His body was in a state of shock, still feeling the chilling touch of death brushing across his skin. He was so lost that he didn't hear the stomp behind him, nor did he hear someone calling his name.
He was lost in the cold darkness, unable to find his way back, still falling into the bottomless abyss where the void waited for him. But suddenly he felt pressure on his chest, a light appearing in the dark place like a lifeline, one he grabbed as tightly as possible when he felt the robe between his fingers. The fabric was surprisingly soft to the touch, almost squishy, and warm.
"Calm down," the light above him said. "Follow me," it coaxed next and without hesitation, he ran after the bright orb vexing like a little moon. The rotten stench in his nose was replaced by the sweet scent of a flower meadow, his nostrils twitching due to the sudden change but he preferred this smell a lot more. It was soothing, calming and comforting, feeling like balsam to his soul. The redhead allowed himself to sink into the sensations swatting away the snarls of death in the background. The deeper he went, the more he could perceive.
"Deep inhale, Tanjiro. Press your chest against my palm while you do it," the light whispered into his ear and he obeyed, doing just as he was told. "Just like that. Perfect," the gentle voice praised.
"Now exhale just as deeply."
Again, Tanjiro followed the soft order, releasing all the air he had taken in. The pressure on his chest increased, aiding him to let all the air out. "You're doing great. Repeat, Tanjiro."
In and out, out and in. Tanjiro didn't know how often the voice encouraged him to repeat the circle, but not a single time doubted he the words whispered to him. He felt how his heart rate slowed down to a normal pace, how his breathing found its rhythm again. Slowly, his senses returned to him.
The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes again was fabric as black as the night itself. It was decorated with innumerable circles, each of them in a different form. Further leaning back, crimson met crimson as Tanjiro stared into Laura's eyes which were so similar to his own, almost like a mirror.
A few seconds of silence passed before Tanjiro spoke again, realising what the presence of his partner must mean.
"Did we..."
His voice suddenly failed him, but even then Laura nodded in confirmation, already knowing what he wanted to ask.
"Yeah, We Won."
XXXXXXXXX
I'm developing a weak spot for young and bratty Laura. It's so much fun writing about her like this because it's a stark contrast to her behaviour now that she's a young teen. Her poor master had to endure quite a lot back then when she was a child. Also, I hope you liked another flashback for these two. I like how their dynamics work. It's pretty fun to write about them, so you can bet that there will be more of these two in the future waiting for you.
In case you think Laura is overpowered, let me assure you she isn't. I used a quote used in the canon story as the foundation and built this change from it. There are other examples of humans able to physically counter demons aside from Laura. For example during the Mugen Train arc when Rengoku caught Akaza's fist barehanded and managed to stop it. Furthermore, Laura will face the consequences of playing football with a demon soon enough, but that's for the future chapters. ^^
The battle is finally over. It took me way longer than I thought it would, but the characters just ran away from me the whole time. But now it's time to move on and get some story done! I hope you're looking forward to it!