A Poisonous Meeting

Word count: 1820

<— >

[ —> Lord of the mountain

Name: Inosuke Hashibira

Level: 27

Health: 520/550

Stamina: 383/425

A loud and hot-headed boy who was raised in the mountains by a group of wild boars after being abandoned by his mother. He's a straightforward and always eager to showcase his strength and assert his dominance over others.

He wants to catch as many frogs as he can to challenge and defeat his so-called "Rival."

Fujino watched in disbelief as this fool actually took his ridiculous "challenges" seriously and ran off. He had no clue where this weirdo came from or why he thought it was a good idea to see him as a rival, especially since all he had done was slay a demon.

But then again, Inosuke clearly wasn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. He was baffled that this guy bought that he was wearing a mask when it was clear he wasn't.

And that backstory? He was just like Tarzan, only instead of being raised by monkeys, he was brought up by pigs.

Regardless, he turned and sprinted away, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Inosuke. Staying near him would only spell more trouble, given his behavior and the fact that he was a demon slayer.

And while he was running, he checked up on some notifications he had racked up...

[Objective updated: Prey to Hunter : (34/50)]

[20,000XP]

[You have leveled up: 37 —>39]

[Name: Fujino Yuki

Level: 39 (4,807/15,000)

Race: Demon (13 minutes)

Health: 670 / 670 (+9/sec)

Stamina: 670 / 670 (+9/sec)

STR: 70 (105)

DUR: 45 (67.5)

END: 45 (67.5)

AGI: 45 (67.5)

INT: 20

CHA: 30

Attributes Points (AP): 9]

[The following skill have leveled up:

Swordsmanship: 22 —> 25]

[New Ability has been added.

WindBlade (Active) (LV1/3) (Cost: 40 stamina):Your mastery of swordsmanship begins to show. By channeling you're strength into your sword, you create an extended blade of wind that can cut through anything in a distance.]

...Which put a smile on his face.

'Finally, something good in this shit hole of a mountain' Fujino unsheathed his Nichirin Katana and assumed a fighting stance. "WindBlade!" With a swift swing, a crescent-shaped gust of wind erupted from his sword, slicing through a tree effortlessly.

He whistled at the display; this could be incredibly useful in battles, especially against Rui.

"Eeeey, you've unlocked another ability! Well done! I knew my faith in ya would pay off," Xeno's voice chimed in, this time filled with praise.

"Yeah, yeah. No thanks to you, asshole" Fujino retorted, though a trace of joy flickered within him at the compliment, even if it came from Xeno.

"Aww, I can sense that you starting to like me! Who would have guessed that the mighty Fujino Yuki was just a tsundere all along?" Xeno chuckled

"Just get to the point, or fuck off"

"Geez, you're no fun. Anyway, I'm here to remind you that the strength of some abilities is tied to your attributes. Both Wind Blade and Precision Strike are directly linked to your STR stat," Xeno explained.

"So if you plan on relying on them, I suggest you invest in your STR," Xeno continued. "But it seems you've already done that. Twenty points into STR right of the bat? Talk about dedication."

Fujino was taken aback that Xeno, his so-called "assistant," actually offered him solid advice for a change.

"Well, I've done my part for today. Toodles!" 

"...What a weirdo."

<— >

Fujino crouched behind a tree that was large enough to conceal him completely. He peeked around it, his eyes catching sight of a spider scuttling nearby. This one was massively larger than the previous ones, towering almost to his torso and broader than he was.

Its abdomen was white adorned with red spots, while its body and legs were a dark grey, with the tips of its legs highlighted in red. The spider's eyes were a striking green, flecked with white.

'Observe'

[ —> N/A

Name: Scout Spider

Level: 9

Health: 100/100

Stamina: 150/150]

'Another spider, and this one is massive... A blood demon art?' Fujino thought as he watched the spider scurry away. 'only one way to find out.'

Utilizing his Stealth skill, Fujino stealthily followed the spider, ducking behind various objects whenever it paused to check its surroundings.

He crawled beneath a fallen tree, continuing until the spider reached its destination. There, beside another tree, stood a figure that resembled the spider-themed demons he had encountered before.

Dressed in a white kimono with pale skin and spider-like markings on her face and forehead, she was flanked by four spiders similar to the one he had been following.

'Observe' 

[ —> Rui's sister

Name: Spider sister

Level: 23

Health: 370/370

Stamina: 320/320]

"No sign of any demon slayers? Good, Rui will be pleased to hear that. Return to your routes. We don't want any slayers threatening our family," the demon commanded, and the spiders moved to comply.

Suddenly, Fujino leaped from his hiding place, his Nichirin Katana raised high above him. "Windblade!" he shouted, unleashing a wind blade that severed one spider's head from its body.

As he descended, he unleashed more Windblade at the remaining spiders, taking them out in an instant.

[973 XP]

[935 XP]

[891 XP]

[998 XP]

The Spider sister was left in shock, having just commanded her spiders when they were all taken down in the blink of an eye. She then turned towards the offender and her shock was replaced with anger.

"Y-you! Do you have any idea how long it took to raise them?" she snarled.

"Not really. If they took that long, they must not have been worth much," he replied, clearly infuriating her even more.

She finally took a good look at him. "I don't care if you're a demon; you'll pay for this!" She pointed her finger at him.

"Spider, get hi--"

"Windblade! Windblade! Windblade! Windblade!"

Before she could finish her command, sharp winds struck her, causing blood to spray from her arms as she staggered. Without warning, more blades sliced through her, tearing her apart until she was left in pieces.

"Honestly, I was hoping to wait for you to summon more spiders so we can have a fight of epic proportions or something, but I have someone to save, so I can't waste time on you."

Before she could retort, he swiftly slashed her neck, severing her head from her body and reducing her to ashes.

[7438 XP]

[Objective updated: Prey to Hunter : (35/50)]

[You have leveled up: 39 —>40]

[Name: Fujino Yuki

Level: 40 (1,042/16,000)

Race: Demon (3 minutes)

Health: 670 / 670 (+9/sec)

Stamina: 470 / 670 (+9/sec)

STR: 70 (105)

DUR: 45 (67.5)

END: 45 (67.5)

AGI: 45 (67.5)

INT: 20

CHA: 30

Attributes Points (AP): 11]

[The following skill have leveled up:

Swordsmanship: 25 —> 26]

Fujino nodded, feeling a sense of accomplishment. It was time for him to return and finish the quest. Although he wasn't entirely sure of his combat skills, Windblade gave him the confidence he needed to face the challenge ahead.

"Wow, that's incredible! You took her down so quickly with those wind attacks!" A melodious voice chimed in right next to Fujino's ear.

'wh-!'

"Good evening! The moon is quite beautiful tonight, wouldn't you agree?"

Fujino turned to see a woman standing behind him. She had striking purple eyes that deepened in hue towards the bottom, and her black hair, tipped with purple, was styled in a bun secured with a butterfly pin. She wore a butterfly-patterned haori over her demon slayer uniform.

'How did she sneak up on me?! I didn't hear her at all!' Fujino instinctively jumped back, creating some space between them.

"I-i guess so?" he replied to her earlier comment.

The butterfly-themed woman surveyed the area, noting where the spiders had been. "I've been tracking her for a while, but you managed to take her out before I could. Thank you!" She clasped her hands together in appreciation.

"You're welcome? If that's all then I'll be on my way." He turned to leave, but the woman had other intentions.

"Before you go, I have a simple question for you." Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her smile grew wider. "How many humans have you killed?"

Fujino was taken aback by the question, but then he recalled that he was technically a "demon" due to Demonic assimilation.

"None, I haven't killed a single human," he replied honestly. He didn't know why, but his gut screamed at him that that this woman is dangerous.

'Obser--' 

"Really?" She squinted at him before breaking into a broad smile. "If that's true, then why do you carry a demon slayer's sword?"

Fujino opened his mouth to respond but then shut it again. He was at a loss for words. What could he say? "Oh, I found it on a corpse before a demon ambushed me," which sounded completely implausible from her perspective since he was technically a demon—

[-200 HP]

Fujino was... confused; one moment he was lost in thought, and the next, he felt a sharp, unbearable pain as a needle-like sword pierced his throat.

'A-a-ah? W-what just h-happened? O-observe'

[ —> Insect Hashira

Name: Shinobu Kocho

Level: 96

Health: ?/?

Stamina: ?/?]

Normally, Fujino would have reacted, but he had more pressing matters to deal with, like the blood pouring from his mouth, the purplish hue spreading across his skin and veins, and the excruciating pain in his throat.

"A-aah?" was all he managed to utter before another surge of blood escaped his mouth, causing him to collapse to his knees, clutching the gaping wound in his throat.

"You mustn't think you're safe because I haven't beheaded you." she said, twirling her sword to shake off the blood. "There are swordsmen who use poison, just like I do."

'P-poison?' Fujino's eyes flicked to the effects screen, and he got his answer.

[Wisteria Poisoning: -50 % to all physical attributes - Health regeneration disabled - (-4) Health

Time limit: 3 min]

[Fatal bleeding: -2 Health

Time limit: (N/A)]

Fujino couldn't help but see the irony in his situation. He had used wisteria countless times against various demons, watching them suffer and die slowly. Now, it was his turn to endure a slow demise while his executioner looked on.

A taste of his own medicine.

"What a pity, really. I've always wanted to befriend demons, but I suppose they never change." In a rare moment, Shinobu's smile faded, replaced by a frown and a look filled with anger.

She shook her head, quickly regaining her smile after her mask slipped, and turned to walk away. She had no time to witness this pitiful demon's end; there were slayers in need of rescue.

But then she paused, her thoughts drifting to the sword the demon had wielded. The least she could do was retrieve it and find out which slayer it belonged to.

She turned back, but all she found was a pool of blood on the ground.

"Huh?"

<— >

Taisho-era secrets!

You thought there would be a fun fact here, but It was me, Xeno!

<— >

Missed me, ehh? Well, I have good news. I'm almost done with my midterms, so uploads should be more regular from now on.