Hiruma pressed forward into the darkness, her resolve burning brighter than ever, she paused in her tracks as she heard a scream. She turned to see a boy slightly older than her with a cream complexion and short brown hair with olive green eyes wearing a dark green haori over a gray shirt with black pants and a pair of black zori with green straps and white socks running past her with eyes full of fear while holding his sword.
"No one told me about this," He shouted, his voice cracking. "I didn't sign up for this!"
Hirima narrowed her eyes, watching him as he dashed past from her position beside a tree.
'What's going on?' She questioned mentally to herself trying to get a look at what the guy was trying to get away from.
Hiruma then narrowed her eyes as she saw in the shadows a large figure in the shadows of the trees heading towards the boy running away.
'What is that thing?' Hiruma thought as she stared and attempted to get a better look at the figure in the shadows of the tree.
"Ah!" the boy exclaimed as he continued running until he tripped over a tree root and fell face-first with his sword lying beside him."What is that demon doing here anyway? They didn't say anything about this?" He asked in fear as he sat up grabbing his sword.
A demonic growl was heard, and soon stepping out of the shadows of the trees was a large demon covered in white fur with two large heads that had glowing yellow eyes fixed on the boy with predatory intent and hanging in the mouth of one of the heads was a girl's head. Hiruma's eyes widened at the presence of the demon as it made its way towards the boy, before gobbling down the girl's head.
The boy whimpered as he quickly got up and started running away again, however, the demon jumped up in the air and slammed down near the boy knocking him down with a large feline paw holding him in place."You're not going anywhere," The demon said in a twisted and husky feminine voice.
Hiruma gripped her sword."Come, on you not a weakly you got to save that boy," She muttered to herself as she unsheathed her sword.
"Ink Breathing, Fourth Form-Calligrapher's Barrage!" Hiruma then charged forward, her blade moved in a flurry of rapid strokes, like an artist furiously painting a masterpiece. Ink-like energy surged forward, slashing through the demon's paw and freeing the boy as blood dripped slightly from the demon with its paw slashed off.
"Well, what we got here is another slayer wantable to devour," The demon mused as its body suddenly morphed into a woman with light blue skin with an ethereal glow under the moonlight. Her skin almost shimmers, creating an unnervingly mesmerizing appearance. Her hair was bright crimson red, wavy cascading past her shoulders framing her angular face, and her eyes had yellow sclera and black iris. She has a yellow, triangular gem on her forehead. She was wearing a white long kimono dress with white pants and matching gloves and boots.
'The form changed.' Hiruma thought as she stood protectively in front of the boy her eyes trained on the demon who morphed into a new form.
"Thirty-seven," The demon said.
"What are you talking about?" Hiruma asked.
"Once I have devoured you and this boy that will be thirty-seven humans," The demon said."However, before you are eaten, I let you know who eating you, call me Kuruma or The Faceless Phantom."
"No, you won't eat, or this boy," Hiruma said tightening her stance and grip on her sword.
Hiruma rushed forward."Ink Breathing, First Form- Ink Slash!"
Her blade cut through the air, leaving a trail of shimmering ink. Illusions of Hiruma's form appeared, weaving around the demon to disorient it. For a moment, Kuruma hesitated, her eyes flicking between the duplicates.
"Clever," Kuruma murmured, her lips curling into a grin."But not clever enough."
In a burst of speed, Kuruma's form flickered. Before Hiruma could react, a Kuruma morphed into a large tiger and struck a claw paw at Hiruma's side sending her crashing into a tree. Pain exploded in Hiruma's ribs, and her vision blurred as her head hit the trunk.
The world tilted, spinning into darkness as Hiruma blacked out. Kuruma shifted back to her regular blue skin form as she slowly walked towards Hiruma. The boy that Hiruma saved watched with wide eyes, before running off while Kuruma's focus was on Hiruma's passed-out figure.
"Another, meal to eat," Kuruma said with a smug expression as she moved closer towards Hiruma to eat her whole.
At that moment Hiruma's eyes fluttered open, her eyes meeting the cold reptilian gaze of Kuruma's fixed on her with a smug expression, but Hiruma quickly ducked out of the way of Kuruma's attempt to grab her.
"Ah, you're tougher than expected," Kuruma commented, the edges of her voice tinged with amusement."However still not strong enough to take me," She then pounced towards Hiruma with her hands sharp as blades, but Hiruma's instincts kicked as she slashed at Kuruma's right hand just before it could strike her.
Kuruma smirked as her hand regenerated and attacked Hiruma with rapid strikes using her sharp hands that she morphed into blades to fight Hiuma, who reacted quickly slash after slash slicing the hands only for them to grow back each time.
"You never beat me just by slashing my arms," Kuruma said.
'No matter how many times. I slash her arms they regenerate too quickly. I have to find a way around her rapid movements to slash her head to finish her off.' Hiruma thought as she charged forward and gracefully jumped upward just as Kuruma's hand struck toward her.
"Total Concentration!" Hiruma said as she took a deep breath as she slashed the arms and continued towards Kuruma's hand."Ink Breathing, Sixth Form-Ink Dra-"
However, before she completed the form she was cut off from Kuruma's next words throwing her off guard.
"Let me make you an offer," Kuruma said.
Hiruma didn't lower her blade, but paused he movements as she landed back on the ground, her brow furrowing."What are you going on about?" She asked.
Kuruma stepped back, rating her hand in a placating gesture."I want out of this wisteria cage. If you help me escape, I'll aid you in any way you need."
"Why should I trust you?" Hiruma spat.
"For one, I've had much intreast in hurting people," Kuruma replied, her tone calm." I only fight to survive. Humans..." She wiped the blood off her mouth and sighed."They cast me as an outcast, just as demons do my morphing powers do nothing, but make me a outcast. All I want is to be considered someone and live in peace. You must understand that you seem like someone who would understand my feelings."
Hiuma hesitated, her mind racing. The offer was absurd, bargaining with a demon was unthinkable. Yet something about Kuruma's words, and sadness in her made her pause.
"We do this quietly, but if you try to betray, I'll slay you without hesitation," Hiruma said.
Kuruma's lips curved into a small smile."Fair enough."
Hiruma put her sword away."Now shift into something small enough to fit in the pocket of my pants to get you out here, once we pass the wisteria get out of here without anyone seeing you."
Kurma nodded and morphed into a bracelet that Hiruma tucked into her pocket before she continued on her way before any more demons showed up.
Hiruma was running through the forest in the rain as she managed to avoid further demon encounters with the assistance of Kuruma. She then came across the sight of the wisteria from before.
"I made it," Hiruma muttered as she caught her breath from all the running and fighting she was made to do for the last seven days.
As Hiruma passed the wisteria, Kuruma morphed into a dove and flew away from the mountain, as Hiruma walked off towards a group of five people one was the boy Obanai who saved her earlier, they were standing a few feet away from the stairs leading to a table with a purple cloth.
'There are only five remaining out of the twenty that were here seven days ago, and seems that boy I saved isn't one of them did another demon get him couldn't have been Kuruma don't think I was out long enough for her to eat him.'Hiuma thought as she looks around at the people who made it through the Final Selection.
"Welcome back," The lady said as walked to stand in front of the table."Congratulations. I am pleased to see that you are safe."
"So, now what?" A boy with ginger hair asked.
"First, I will issue you all uniforms. We will take your measurements, after which your rank will be engraved."
There was a pause before she carried on speaking.
"There are ten ranks," she started."Kinoe, Kinoto, Hinoto, Tsuchinoto, Kanoe, Kanoto, Mizunoe, and Mizunoto. Right now you are Mizunoto the lowest rank."
Hiruma hummed at the explanation.
"What about the katana?" Obanai asked.
"You will choose the ore for your sword. Then it will take up to fifteen days for the katana to be complete."
The woman then clapped suddenly, and birds squawking could be heard. Hiruma looked up to see a flock of crows flying towards them, a white crow with red eyes landed directly on Hiruma's left shoulder.
"You all will be assigned your own Kaugai Crow," The women explained."These Kaugai crows can be used primarily for communication."
"I don't need a crow, I got Kaburamaru," Obanai muttered bluntly shooing the crow off his shoulder.
"Anyway, come here everyone," The woman gestured for them to move forward. She lifted the purple cloth to reveal the ores."Please choose the ore for making your katana. The ore to forge the sword that you will use to annihilate demons and protect yourself."
'An ore... how am I supposed to choose one? They all look the same to me.' Hiruma thought as she looked at the ores lid on the table in front of her.
As her gaze lingered on each one, she noticed an orre in the back left corner, and walked towards it grabbing it as if something was calling out to her, and didn't hesitate to grab it.
"I choose this one," Hiruma said as she held it up in her hand confidently.
"Very well."
The sun was slowly beginning to set as Hiruma trudged her way back to Isamu's cottage carrying a large white bag with her new demon slayer uniform and stumbling to the ground in exhaustion.
"Man, those seven days were rough," Hiruma muttered."My body is so exhausted that this bag with my uniforms is so heavy," She slowly began to stand back up.
Hiruma then reached the cottage as the sun was now fully down, she sighed in relief as she reached the door and opened it to see Isamu starting a fire. Isamu turned hearing the door open and saw Hiruma and nodded."So, you return alive after all. I'm impressed you made it back alive."
"It wasn't easy," Hiruma said."I face two most challenging demons especially one who could change forms," she explained.
"The demons with special abilities, those powers are known ar Blood demon art," Isamu explained."You might have to face many demons with Blood Demon art from here on out, and fighting them will be far more difficult the stronger their powers are. Even so, Hiruma I believe you will be fine."
"Thank, you for everything you taught me even if I couldn't learn all the forms of your Blue Lighting breathing style," Hiruma said with a bow of your head.
"That doesn't matter you learn the first form, just do me proud by strengthening your Ink breathing to the best it can be as you begin your journey as a demon Slayer as soon as your sword arrives in fifteen days," Isamu said."Now eat dinner and then rest." As he heads a bowl of rice to Hiruma.
Here is chapter nine of The Ink Pillar. In this chapter, Hirumacorage and tactical prowess as she faced Kuruma the shape-shifting demon. Kuruma then makes a cunning offer adding moral complexity to Hiruma's journey, reflecting her depth of character. Hiruma then makes it through the last few days of the Final selection to see only five others survived, now she has to wait fifteen days to get her sword and begin her mission to make it up the ranks as a Demon Salyer. In the next chapter will be the start of the second arc, and the begin of Hiruma's journey as a Demon Slayer, however before that arc begins I will take a break from updating to work on my plans for that arc, until enjoy updates of another story I will be working on as I plan out the second arc.
Thanks for reading!
Question of the chapter:What did you think of Kuruma's offer?
[Meiji period secrets]
-Hiruma didn't expect only five people to survive the Final Selection.
- Obanai after the Final selection cut his hair short
- Hiruma was thinking about Obanai's lovely eyes the whole way back to Isamu
-Kuruma's was inspired by Mystique from X-men who is my favorite mutant.
Word count:2,092