After some time, the passing of time became dull and monotonous, as if fate was following some twisted pattern. Assuming Sanemi's mind remained mostly intact, it must have been the fifth day of the Final Selection – only two more before he became an official corp member. On the other hand, much could have happened throughout this span, so he stayed vigilant and cautious.
The more time he spent on this cursed mountain, the more confusing and conflicted his mind became. Amongst all this madness, only one piece remained constant; it hardly mattered how many demons he had cut down, as for each of them, there were two more ready and willing to take its place. It seemed like a fight against a rising and endless tide. Perhaps it was the reasoning behind the time restriction. Otherwise, the defeat was inevitable; the only question lingering was, how long would a unit – like him – oppose the odds stacked against it before succumbing to injuries, exhaustion, and sheer number of enemies?
As a stray ray of midday light stirred the teenager out of his dreamless sleep, he felt a cold as-ice shiver running down his spine. He overslept; what was meant to be an hour-long nap was unwittingly extended. Biting hard down his bottom lip, guilt and embarrassment washed over him. It was reckless, to say the least, he thought, spitting on the ground with a mix of saliva and blood to clear his mouth. Nonetheless, as the white-haired boy had no means of interacting with time, he concluded it would be his best option to get going.
Soon enough, Sanemi noticed another densely vegetated area filled with so many dark-barked trees overlapping and seemingly multiplying in his eyes. Considering his experience with demons, he halted, chugging generously from his half-empty beaker. Undoubtedly, the moment he would venture into the twilight zone, these children of the night would take the presented opportunity to surround him and attack. With it on his mind, Sanemi took a few additional moments to relax, mentally preparing for inevitable encounters.
It was but a matter of time before Sanemi's overwhelming hatred towards the night kind overruled his common sense, forcing him to enter the tangled area. As expected, the moment he stepped under the trees' cover, he heard a low yet clear snarl coming from the grove's depth. Unwittingly, the boy smirked mischievously; after all, some hungry and degenerated demon kept an eye on him. He continued his stroll without hesitation, progressing slowly, constantly scanning his surroundings.
Compared to the mysterious and somewhat thrilling wisteria forest, this grove was uninteresting and bland, consisting of either old or marked by the demons' claws trees. A scoff escaped the boy's throat, irritated with the destruction and suffering the children of the night left in their wake. Regardless of this feeling intensifying in him, it was pushed aside once he heard these savage beasts approaching him fast. Two of them if his hearing was still as sharp as it used to be. Even though he had found a somewhat reliable water source, the same could not be said about food. He kept looking for something edible during the daytime despite feeling like a vain endeavour. The growing hunger had already affected him, decreasing the teenager's overall strength and speed, but this was a problem for later.
Within a heartbeat, two shadowed silhouettes rushed Sanemi, eager to finish the fight as soon as possible. Even though he was aware of their incoming attack, he barely managed to step back, dogging the sharp claws. In the next heartbeat, he was forced to use his katana to block these. As sparks manifested, he groaned, frustrated at how easily he was being pushed back.
"He survived this, brother?" a young feminine voice sounded surprised.
"Tsk, a fluke or luck, or both," a tad older male voice responded, annoyed.
"Is that so, brother?"
"Of course it is, Kazue."
As the demons halted their attack for the time being, Sanemi got an opportunity to look at whom he was dealing with. Though, it would have been better if he had not been granted it. Before him, two children of the night stood. The taller of them was a teenage boy with short, dark-brown hair, more-or-less Sanemi's height. His face was slightly disfigured due to the transformation, yet it preserved its remnants of humanity; it was pale, long, and covered with numerous burnt marks. He wore a cramped beige shirt, tattered in some areas and matching pants. Beside him, a young girl sat. Sanemi loudly gulped, realising she could not have been older than seven when she had been turned into this monstrosity. Compared to her potential brother, she bore no visible downsides of the transformation apart from a pair of piercing, intense pair of crimson-red eyes. Kazue wore a pink, flowery embroidered yukata slightly stained with blood and dirt. Her hair was long and dark as the darkest night, allowed to fall in cascades on her tiny back. The white-haired boy did not want to confront them, as they reminded him about his dead siblings. As he took another step backwards, he thought about fleeing. But … he could not do this. Sanemi had already chosen his path; he would become a full-fledged demon slayer, so backing down was not an option. He would face his nightmares and defeat them or die trying.
"I will put you to rest," Sanemi said quietly.
"You dare to speak? What an audacity?" the male demon commented.
"Maybe … he'll survive longer than the previous one? What do you think, brother?" Kazue questioned, standing up.
"That is hardly doubtful, Kazue," the so-called brother replied.
"Don't be sad. Being killed by Kazue and Ichirou Sako is nothing to be ashamed of," the dark-haired girl said, smirking at him.
"Stop talking," the white-haired boy said, raising his voice slightly whilst trying his best not to explode. "I will lay you to rest, Kazue and Ichirou," he added, feeling a pang of guilt as he had never learnt of that demon slayer's name.
Surprisingly enough, Sanemi allowed this guilt, this misdeed, to fuel him instead of sheer anger or rage. With the sword held low, he lunged forward, planning to deal with the girl first. He hoped to outpace the siblings, but this idea died too quickly as Ichirou stepped before his sister and blocked the attack with his rapidly extending claws. Wasting no time, Kazue joined in, sending numerous projectiles at him. Sanemi rolled to the left, effectively avoiding both demons' attacks. He needed to find some weakness to exploit before they overpowered him. Hence, the white-haired teenager opted for a hit-and-run strategy. It would be a taxing endeavour, yet the less physical the fight became, the better for him.
Slash, dodge, roll, parry, the pattern was so dull, yet with the fight's overall pacing, Sanemi had little to no time to complain. Fully covered in thick, sticky sweat, he continued the rigorous sequence, trying to find the opening. Yet, there was nothing to be seen. He could exploit some weakness of each separate demon. However, together, they pressed him constantly, not allowing the soon-to-be demon slayer to catch his breath, not to mention his wits. Sanemi was slowly reaching his limits but had not been wounded by some miracle or unexpected heaven's intervention. Maybe, just like the last time he had found himself cornered, his blood would grant him an opening he so desperately sought. Still, relying only upon this would lead him towards an early grave one day. No, there must have been another way to achieve the victory, he concluded, trying to muster more strength.
The next couple of minutes passed as if a blink of an eye for the wind-breathing apprentice. Yet, the fight was at a standstill, with neither party accusing a meaningful advantage. Despite utilising every possible weapon at his disposal, Sanemi could not pass through Ichirou's seemingly impenetrable defence. Of course, he could have tried using fire against them, but considering the surroundings, it would not have been wise, so the idea was discarded immediately. Feeling his burning, aching muscles and fading strength, he came to a sad conclusion. The boy concluded that his experience and overall weapon proficiency would not carry him further. And … even though he was still reluctant to use the wind-breathing techniques, it was the only way to survive and grow stronger. As the images of his family or his brother – Genya – flashed before Sanemi's eyes, he made the decision.
It felt surreal when he deeply inhaled, filling his lungs with their maximum capacity. No matter how exhausted he was or how much his muscles ached, it felt wonderful. As Sanemi slowly calmed down his mind, he got rid of doubts and his own shortcomings, focusing solely on what he had been taught. With new strength flaring through his body, he felt better than ever, a true paradox. Yet, there was hardly a time or place to celebrate a victory; the fight continued. Hence, he allowed Ichirou to push him backwards, gaining a few metres of distance to utilise his wind technique.
"First form: dust whirlwind cutter," the white-haired boy quietly said, speeding forward.
At first, the demon did not react, suspecting that his human opponent already descended into madness, mumbling random phrases due to a combat he could not hope to emerge victorious from. Yet, as the space surrounding the wind-breathing apprentice began altering, he braced himself. However, it was too little too late for that. Within a heartbeat, Sanemi closed the distance, surrounded by the greenish-tainted whirlwind. The dark-haired demon tried to block the incoming attack, but he scuttered away the moment it pierced through his defence, shredding his claws. A loud hiss followed him as he backed off, reappearing beside the nearest tree. Ichirou enforced the grip above his mauled right hand as if trying to reduce the bleeding intensity – such a human act for a demon.
"I'll kill you for that!" the demon snarled, enraged, yet took a step back instead of attacking.
"You talk too much," Sanemi commented whisper-like. "Second form: claws-purifying wind," he murmured, appearing right behind the demonic man.
Faster than Ichirou could react, the soon-to-be demon slayer lifted his sword above his head and cut vertically from the right side. Considering the distance between them, the night child could do nothing but tank the furious strike that multiplicated into four slashes resembling claws. Even though these attacks tore deeply into the boy's opponent's flesh, he let his guard down for a moment, giving Kazue an opening. A mere moment later, his right arm exploded in pain as three chopstick-length projectiles pierced through the skin, sinking deep into his muscles. Sparing a glance towards it, he concluded that what he had done was reckless and stupid – definitely a lesson to learn from. Nonetheless, Sanemi swallowed the pain and sprinted toward the demoness, not even visibly flinching from his wounds. However, the boy needed to control his anger as more and more vile curses flooded his mind. Hoping for a swift fight conclusion, he opted to deal with the girl whilst her brother was still recovering. But unfortunately, it was not what fate had planned for him; he realised when another wave of sharp objects flew at him.
"Third form: clear storm wind tree," Sanemi rasped, fully aware that it was his only way to deflect the attack.
The white-haired teenager unleashed a whirlwind of slashes around himself, tearing through all but one projectile. It found its way between the boy's swings, passing through his left side and tearing his clothes and flesh. As another wave of pain flared through his body, Sanemi sped up even more, determined to behead the demoness. He was no fool, though. Expecting another attack, he prepared himself to use the same technique if needed. Yet, to his initial surprise, it never came. Kazue stood silently, trembling and unable to continue the onslaught. When the realisation struck him, he wanted to sigh out loud, disappointed. With as little as a flick of his wrist, Sanemi cut down the girl, ending her pitiful existence. Then, he turned around, eyeing the remaining demon.
"Thank you," Kazue's weak voice sounded, interrupted by intense sobbing. "Please, grant … my brother … freedom," she added before fading away.
Forcing himself not to show an ounce of emotions, the wind-breathing apprentice pulled the projectiles out of his arms, causing blood oozing to intensify. Confident of its effectiveness against the demonkind, Sanemi quickly turned towards Ichirou, who seemed completely paralysed. The demon had tears freely running down his disfigured cheeks that heavily contrasted with the intense salivation caused by the boy's blood intoxication.
"Try to find peace beyond this realm, Ichirou," Sanemi whispered before his sword descended, beheading the man effortlessly.
Compared to his sister, the dark-haired man remained silent as his transfigured body started disintegrating. It was a painful sight to behold, but the soon-to-be demon slayer forced himself to stay till these demons were no more. Yet the longer he stayed there, the more grief filled him, reminding him of the first life he had taken, the first sin he had committed. He was painfully reminded of the moment he had been forced to kill his angel, his mother. As he continued staring, his eyes filled with tears that blurred his vision. A moment later, some colour started to bleak, fading into various shades of grey. Not knowing what was happening, Sanemi shook his head intensively and wiped his teary eyes. As the shock passed, he realised his vision was back, the colours around him as striking as ever.
"What was that?" he asked himself, allowing the words to be carried by the wind.
As the time grew near for this competition of sorts to conclude, Sanemi got a feeling that something terrible would happen before all of this became a memory inevitably driven straight into the depths of his mind. Then, mere moments after the thought crossed him, he heard something he had not experienced since embarking on this suicidal journey - a distant noise carried on the breeze. It would appear that some of the participants got into a fight. Even though it was almost dawn of the trial's 8th day, some demons still tried to claim the lives of the innocent, making sure that as many children as possible would never return home. Hence, driven by a mix of curiosity and a feeling of duty, he sprinted toward the source, constantly questioning the reasoning behind his action. Though, as it turned out relatively fast, it mattered not. The closer he got, the sounds decreased in intensity, as if fading away into nothingness. Given that there was no way for him to reliably predict who was winning, he needed to quicken up. The fear of allowing a fellow participant to fall prey to a filthy demon when he was nearby washed all over him, motivating him to up his effort.
With no better idea on his mind, Sanemi utilised his wind technique to speed up, reaching the small glade relatively quickly. At first, he could not locate the source of these chaotic sounds, but it changed nearly instantly. An old tree fell on the glade's opposite side, yet it was hardly the reason he frowned. As the dust lingered in the air, a small silhouette rushed from behind the wooden cover, desperately trying to flee. Even though the distance between them was wider than a hundred steps, the uneasiness and sheer terror given by the child's every move bothered Sanemi. Without overthinking, he moved forward, trying to reach it. It was a small and fragile girl whose purplish outfit bore numerous marks of past fights. With half of her face hidden behind a wooden mask shaped to resemble a fox, he could say little about the details apart from blood trailing down her right cheek. Her hair was straight, long, and dark, freely scattered by the wind gusts.
Then, mere moments afterwards, tentacles-like limbs extended for the shadows, speeding toward the girl. Without a moment to spare, Sanemi attacked, cutting through the ashen-like coloured flesh effortlessly. Yet, the fight was hardly concluded – no, it was but a beginning. The demon's wounds heal nearly instantaneously, averting their focus on the white-haired apprentice. Then, when he was preoccupied with limbs that turned out to be stitched out and massively extended hands, the demon finally left the cover of the trees. It took Sanemi a few moments to notice its arrival, as its attacks were relentless, forcing him to rely purely on his sharp instincts to counteract. This night's child was most likely the most disgusting specimen he had ever encountered. Its bloated body consisted of numerous hands forming layers upon layers, most likely protecting the original and frail frame.
Processing what he saw took Sanemi more than it should have ever had. As if someone magically lifted a blindfold from his eyes and unlocked his other senses, he realised what he was about to face. The nefarious and suffocating aura surrounded the hand demon, making the boy sick and terrified. Still, he could not flee. After all, that girl was no match against this monstrosity. Perhaps, by facing this demon, he could make atonement for not being able to save his own siblings. No matter, it was a daring thought even to consider opposing this seemingly insurmountable creature. It must have been the monstrosity the turned demon slayer had mentioned shortly before his death. Unwittingly, he swallowed a gulp forming inside his throat.
"Another sweet little fox has come to me," the hand demon whispered. "You, do not stand in my way. I crave this little," he added, shrinking eyes disgusting eyes as if winking at the wind-breathing user.
"Stay away!" Sanemi responded coldly, enforcing his grip on the sword's handle. "I will not allow you to consume her."
"Then … you'll perish like the others," the night creature replied unbothered. "You're stronger than these little foxes. Though, it'll not save you. I'll enjoy tearing you piece by piece, and when you die, I'll consume you. You'll make me stronger," he continued, boasting about his plans.
Then, something shifted inside the monster; it began wounding himself, trembling.
"Damn you, Urokodaki! Damn you, Urokodaki!" the demon mumbled repeatedly, cursing the name.
"How do you know Urokodaki?" the quiet, girly voice sounded behind Sanemi.
"You should have run away," the boy stated, not daring to turn around.
"I demand to know!" the girl continued, raising her voice. "How do you know my master's name?" she repeated the question, stepping forward with her weapon drawn.
"I know him, all right!" the demon roared, apparently enraged. "Because Urokodaki is the one who captured me! I'll never forget that day years ago! Back when he was still hunting demons! It was the Edo Period during the Keio era."
"You are lying!" the fox-masked apprentice stated, visibly losing control. "No demon has ever lived that long! Not only that, but the only demons held here should be the ones who have tasted human flesh once or twice, no more than that! Then, they are killed during the Final Selection, or they end up eating each other!" she continued as if determined to prove her point.
"Yeah, but I've survived all this time," the night creature replied nonchalantly. "Inside this wisteria prison, I've eaten at least a few dozen of you, brats."
"A few dozen?" the girl gasped, taking a step back.
In the meantime, the hand demon started raising his fingers as if it was counting something.
"I've eaten at least eight others like you, little fox," the child of the night said, pointing at the dark-haired apprentice.
"What is that supposed to mean!?"
"I've eaten at least eight Urokodaki's students, that's what," the giant replied, chuckling. "I promised myself to kill every one of his students. I love to see the horror imprinted on their faces when they finally realise that they're doomed. I love tearing them limb from limb, washed by their precious screams and agony."
It was evident that the hand demon had more to say, but it was interrupted by the fox-masked child. She finally snapped, charging at the monstrosity and not knowing why, Sanemi watched these events passing beside him, completely numb and paralysed. As soon as the girl began her assault, the demon stretched its limbs once again, trying to overwhelm its tiny opponent. And … even though the first wave was swiftly dealt with, the demon was clearly toying with its food, waiting for her to make a mistake that would inevitably end her life. Seeing all of this, the white-haired boy stirred back to reality, sprinting toward the girl. Inside his mind, an incomprehensible babbling consisting of single words manifested, filling it completely. Within a heartbeat, he caught up with the girl, shielding her from the creature's ruthless attacks.
"Back off!" Sanemi commanded, irritated with the whole passage of events. "The dawn will soon be upon us. He will not be able to pursue us!" he tried to reason.
"I will kill it!" the girl growled ferally. "If what it said is true, it is my duty to avenge my master's past students."
Sanemi said nothing, realising that no matter what he would say or do, she would not listen. Whilst tightening the grip on his sword, he tried to come up with a plan. The idea was simple: they needed to survive till the sunrise. But considering his temporal partner's attitude, it might not be as easy as it sounded in his subconscious. One problem at a time, he concluded, practically becoming the girl's shadow. Every demon's attack that she could not deflect, dodge, or parry, he took upon himself. It was apparent that Sanemi was physically far stronger, yet he lacked her agility and grace. She moved like a flowing water, filling any space left between the unrelenting onslaught. Funnily enough, because of their differences, they complemented each other relatively well, quickly infuriating the demon.
"Second form: water wheel," the dark-haired girl yelled, leaping forward and performing a front flip.
The attack released a singular vertical slash that effortlessly passed through the extended limbs yet only marked the demon's corpus. A flesh wound that healed nearly instantly. As she descended back towards the ground, the creature resumed its attack. A thick hand emerged from the dirt, aiming at the fox-masked apprentice. With no ability to adjust her position midair, it would have been her inevitable death had Sanemi not been there.
"First form: dust whirlwind cutter."
Near instantaneously, the boy closed the distance between him and the abomination's limb, furiously slashing it into small chunks, splattering an enormous amount of blood all around. Even though he hardly felt pressed by the demon's attempts, something felt off. Compared to his previous fights, this one was by far the easiest. So … why was that fallen demon hunter afraid of this one? There must have been some secret technique that the hand demon had not shown yet. There must have been something Sanemi overlooked. It hurt as the seed of doubt grew inside him, inch by inch, urging him to leave, taking the girl with him. But it was not as trivial as one could have thought. The white-haired boy had his hands tied – to some extent. Obviously, he could not simply approach the dark-haired girl and pick her up, running away afterwards. First, she would not have allowed him to do so; secondly, the demon would have tried to chase them down. So, what options did he have? The only reasonable was to put his life on the line, trying to kill the monstrosity himself. Though, would it be even possible?
"You; I will try to eliminate the demon," Sanemi said loud enough for the girl to heed it, catching her attention. "I would have preferred you to run away, but you will obviously not listen to me," he added, slightly raising his voice, increasingly irritated with the situation.
The wind-breathing user did not wait for a response of any kind. No, he had to finish this fight.
"First form: dust whirlwind cutter," Sanemi roared, allowing his pent-up frustration to taint his tone.
Similarly to the previous time he had used it, the boy rushed forward to close the distance between them. It was possibly the most basic technique he could have used, but he believed its sheer strength would be enough. Expectedly, a new wave of animated limbs was sent his way, an in-vain attempt to crush him. Sanemi's sword passed through them like a hot knife through the butter, clearing the path expertly. Like the fox-masked girl before, he managed to get close to the hand demon, but compared to his predecessor, this attack inflicted substantial damage. As blood burst from the deep open wound, the white-haired boy cursed, for he missed. The slash was meant to decapitate the creature, yet all it did was maul down its right side. Turning around instantly to finish the job, he felt a scorching heat flaring over his body. Of course, he focused solely on the offensive, opening himself for a potential counterattack. He was sent flying by the demon's brutal strength, stopping at the nearby tree. Knowing fully well the severity of his current position, the boy stood up hastily and turned around to face his opponent, even though it hurt a lot.
"I'll kill you, brat!" it roared. "Throughout years, none pierced my armour, none hurt me, till you. I'll kill you like every student of damned Urokodaki. Die!" the yelling continued.
Sanem could barely open his left eye, further hindering his blurry vision. Yet, there was nothing else he could do than fight. So, no matter how intensively his legs trembled, how shallow his breathing was, he would continue.
"Second form: claws-purifying wind," the white-haired boy breathed out, attacking with everything he got. His chest was bruised, with more than a few of his ribs broken or, at the very least, fractured.
"Third form: flowing dance," he heard the girl's voice shouting.
As the claws created by his technique ripped the attacking mass to shreds, he had a moment to spare to look at his temporal partner. After all, without stabilising his breathing, he would soon be rendered entirely useless; his muscular and scarred body would be nothing more than a dead weight to him. The dark-haired water apprentice moved with incredible grace, unleashing a whirlwind of slashes that mowed everything around her. Briefly, Sanemi believed in her success. Yet, like in the case of everything important to him, it lasted but a second before fading into oblivion. Despite the girl's efforts and initial positive impression, she got overwhelmed relatively quickly, with her head crushed by the demon.
A roar exploded in Sanemi's chest. Bypassing the pain, the suffocating, he charged frantically. Once again, his vision altered, with most of the colour vanishing, replaced by a monotony of black, white, and uncountable shades of grey. He had known that girl for less than an hour, and yet her death filled him with grief and fuelled his weakened body with rage to carry on. Unable to find a valid reason why he cared all that much, he put all of himself into one task: to kill this damned demon, avenging the nameless for-masked girl. As adrenaline filled his veins, his mind stopped registering pain, or perhaps it simply stopped passing this information.
It was a chaotic and brutal fight. With neither side willing to back down, he clashed repeatedly, none gaining any meaningful advantage. Given that the dawn was nearing, the monstrosity became increasingly restless, waiting for any opportunity to either finish the fight or hide deeper into the wood, seeking shelter against the cursed sunlight. However, it could not do so. Its primal hunger could hardly be sated, not to mention that leaving his prey behind would have been unforgivable.
Sanemi knew that his death was drawing near. The seemingly magical strength that allowed him to prolong the encounter was all but depleted. It was a miracle that he was still moving, but it must have been due to his sheer willpower. Even though he had undeniably failed to save this nameless girl, Genya was still out there, needing his protection. With every inch of his subconsciousness filled with images of his family, he could not give up and die.
Suddenly, the temperature around the white-haired wind-user dropped significantly, turning his hot breaths into cloudy vapours. No matter Sanemi's surprise, he paid as little mind to this bothering detail as possible, focusing on defending himself.
"First form: ice fangs," a cold male voice sounded nearby, immediately catching the combatants' attention.
Within the blink of an eye, five snowy-white projectiles hurled towards the demon, piercing through its thick armour as if it were nothing. Utilising the unexpected interruption as an opening, Sanemi went in, trying to decapitate the monstrosity. This time, he reached its neck, but the slash lacked the necessary strength, passing through three-fourths but nothing more. He tried to swing once more, but before he could do so, the creature fled. It was wholly surprising that it moved so quickly, given his gargantuan size.
"You did well," a quiet, emotionless comment sounded a moment later.
Sanemi tried to step forward but found himself unable to. With his currently trembling and weak body, he could barely stand still, needing something for support. He knew it was only a matter of time before he would blackout, yet he looked at the direction the emotionless voice had come from. It took him a moment to spot its owner, who stood a few steps away. It was a boy much taller than him, clad in a lengthy white haori and black fitted uniform underneath. Shinazugawa wished he could name more details about the newcomer, but as his vision only worsened, he unfortunately could not. He wanted to say something but found no energy; his energy reserves ran dry. Yet, before his body gave up, allowing him to fall onto the ground, he noticed his saviour wore a mask, though he could not say anything more about it. For him, it was but a smudging stain imprinted on some canvas. Whilst falling, a strange idea, or rather realisation, crossed his mind. The ground did not seem all that uncomfortable; it reminded him of a blanket he had slept on when he was younger. A moment of rest was all he needed currently. Yet, before his weakened frame could complete the fall, he felt someone catching him. An unfamiliar but welcoming warmth spread across his chilled flesh.
Author's notes section:
[2023-10-23]: Hey, here is a preview of the story's next chapter. Please, bear in mind that it is, as mentioned, a preview. Some parts of it might not be included in the final release. I will try to finish this chapter as soon as possible. I would like to clean up some of the tasks in my schedule, and right now, there are many chapters queued there.
[2023-10-26]: Hey, I have a major update for you. As I said previously, I'm enjoying writing this quite a lot, so I would expect this chapter to be concluded soon.
[2023-10-31]: Hey, I major update. I'm sorry but I could not finish it today. I will try to do so the following day, but I can not promise anything.
[2023-11-01]: Hey, as previously mentioned, I did my best to conclude the chapter as soon as possible.
Don't forget to comment. I really appreciate your feedback.
Note that the dialogues written in italic are thoughts.
As always, I would like to thank you for everything. See you soon :)
Changelog:
[2023-10-23]: A preview has been released.
[2023-10-26]: A minor update applied, focused on enriching the piece.
[2023-10-31]: A minor update applied, focused on enriching the piece.
[2023-11-01]: A major update applied, focused on concluding the chapter.
Info: I know I should not try to start new stories when I have my backlog full of the incompleted ones, but I failed to do so. The idea for this fic came to me when I was rewatching the anime, reading about the details, and simply watching videos on YouTube regarding the matter. I hope you find it interesting.
Info: I have included more stories in the schedule as I'm not 100% certain what I want to write next. Please, keep in mind that I might add or remove positions from the list. I might rewrite some of the older stories or extract some of the longer stories from `The story of one lost soul`.
Schedule:
- The war call (finish the WIP)
- The silence of the shackles (finish the WIP)
- Hidden in the mountain's shadow (new chapter)
- The rise of the Blood Moons' servants (new chapter)
- Black Diamond (new chapter)
- When the clock is ticking (Warhammer 40k new story)
- Sometimes it's just better not to know (new chapter)
- My home is where my heart lies (rewrite chapter 4)
- The heart not so cold (rewrite chapter 2)
- The family tree (revisit the previous chapters and apply adjustments)
- Will you look past my mistakes? (new chapter)
- The Prisoner of Your Eyes (new chapter)
- Lifetime of war (new chapter)
- Hope is the last one to die (new story in SW universe)
- Sometimes it's just better not to know (finish rewriting the second chapter)
- Life is full of surprises (new chapter)
- Exiled you say? (new chapter)
- Until my last breath (new chapter)
- The family tree (new chapter)
- The story of one lost soul (new chapter)
- See the world through my eyes (new chapter)
- The broken heart (new chapter)
- My home is where my heart lies (new chapter)
- A new story in JJK universe - focused on Gojo/Geto/Shoko/Utahime
- A new story in Bleach universe (potentially a one shot) - focused on Byakuya and Yoruichi
- A new story in Demon Slayer universe (modern au, school)
- The shadows can be deceiving (new chapter)
- Bury the light (new chapter)
- Forgotten World (a new story - translation of an old polish text that I wrote years ago)
Bonuses' section:
A new story taking place in the Warhammer 40k universe.
Story of one lost soul: The war call: rewrite.
An entirely new story (possibly Akali x [Irelia, Syndra, Katarina]).
A new short story (Vi x Cait).
An entirely original story (possibly even two stories, one taking place in medieval times, the other in the far future)
Bleach story. (Byakuya x Yoruichi / ?)
Naruto story. (Neji x Hinata / Neji x TenTen / Nagato x Konan)
Fairy Tail story. (most likely Erza x Mira)
Maybe some Star Wars?
References:
- DMC - Bury the light
*bonuses will be worked on when I don't feel like writing the chapters pointed out in the schedule :D
End of the author's notes section.