29 Chapter 29 : 29th Stance

"..It can't be....you're supposed to be dead..." Muzan stated, in disbelief.

"hehehe~" Zamuza chuckled, "That was a good joke, since when did you get so funny?" he asked.

"...." with no reply, Muzan just stood there. His arm, still held by Zamuza. 'Why are there so many hindrances towards my plan!' he thought, as he gritted his teeth in anger.

Noticing his anger, Zamuza was amused by his expression, "Looks like you didn't miss me after all." he said mockingly with a smile.

'This bastard!' Muzan thought, before he attempted to forcibly escape Zamuza's grip....

CRACK!

Surprisingly, several of Muzan's bones were crushed as he attempted to escape Zamuza's clutch, however it was worth it as he was now free.

"No need to be so forceful, I would've let you go eventually."

"Don't think things will end like before! I've become stronger!" Muzan yelled.

"Is that so....how about we test that theory?"

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Suddenly, Zamuza's whole body was morphing...

His skin turned multiple shades darker, his body grew even more as steam escaped from his muscles.

Watching all this happen several metres away, Muzan felt his heart beat....It was getting louder and louder, as if it would explode out of his chest.

'Is this....fear?' Muzan thought as he instinctively clutched his chest.

He hadn't felt this feeling in a long time....

"Haa!" Zamuza exhaled steam quickly waking Muzan up from his trance.

However, his heart was still beating loudly...

"Is that the sound of fear?" Zamuza asked with a menacing smile which attacked Muzan's very soul.

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Several hours later, in a different place, Takeo finally woke up from his rest. Still injured, he slowly sat up against the cold wall.

Still sleeping on his lap was Yuko. Not wanting to wake him up, Takeo slowly picked him up and placed him onto the floor.

GROWL!

'I'm really hungry.' he thought, before he got up and walked towards the caves entrance with his blade on his side.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

Making it out, he looked up to the sky. It was completely black, minus the stars and the moon.

'How long was I asleep.' he thought, thinking that he'd slept for a whole day.

GROWL!!

Hearing that, he patted his stomach, 'That must be why I'm so hungry.' he reasoned, before he walked into the forest in search of some food.

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Whilst Takeo was looking for food, inside a forest, a young man with a large, jagged scar that ran along his right cheekbone to his nose, wearing a dark olive-green demon slayer uniform, was leaned up against a tree. Both fists clenched, he began to bash the tree out of anger.

'WHERE IS HE!!' Genya Shinazugawa shouted. He'd been looking for days, trying to find Takeo so he could get revenge for his brother. But he couldn't even get a glimpse of Takeo.

Full of frustration, he vented all his anger out on the poor tree.

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

Even when his fist became bloody, he still kept on punching.

After a couple of minutes however, he stopped and slumped down to the floor. With his head down, he just stared at the ground, 'Bro....' he thought, reminiscing with the past.

TRICKLE! TRICKLE!

Unknowingly, a stream of tears rolled down Genya's face.....no matter how bad he was, he just wanted his bro back.

'No matter what it takes....I'll kill him...' he thought as his tears dried.

RUSTLE! RUSTLE!

Hearing something moving, he immediately raised his head. Not knowing what was there, he instinctively gript his gun and was ready to draw a sword just in case.

RUSTLE! RUSTLE!

Emerging from the bushes was a tall man with a pale grayish complexion.

Because he too far away, Genya couldn't clearly see his face, but he knew that from his complexion alone , he wasn't normal.

"And here I thought I found him. Why are there so many Demon Slayers in the area." he spoke out-loud to himself, as he remembered all the slayers he'd left mangled elsewhere.

TAP! TAP! TAP!

The man moved closer towards Genya, giving him the opportunity to see his whole face.

'!!' Alarm bells rose in Genya's head as he saw the man's eye read Upper Six.

Noticing his reaction, "Ho~, you know who I am? This will be easier then, do you know where Takeo Yasushi is?" Gyutaro asked with a mocking smile.

'Takeo! Why does he want to know where he is?'

Stuck in his thoughts, he didn't reply to Gyutaro, which obviously made him mad, "Hey? Are you deaf? Or are you mocking me?" he pressured Genya to answer.

But Genya still didn't give an answer.....

Due to his arrogance, Gyutaro wasn't going to have Genya, a 'nobody' dare to disrespect him.

"If you're not going to answer, then die." he proclaimed.

VOOOSHH!!!!

Disappearing and then Appearing right in-front of Genya like a flash, Gyutaro simply threw a punch towards Genya's head.

'I don't even have to use my Blood Demon Art against you weaklings.' he thought, completely under-estimating Genya as he smiled.

'Is he mocking me!' Genya thought. Veins sprouted onto his head showing he was enraged. Focusing that rage, he immediately moved his body to his left....dodging the punch by the skin of his teeth.

BANG!!!

"So you dodged-" Gyutaro stated, but before he could finish, Genya quickly slashed his blade downwards onto Gyutaro's head...

SWOOOSHHH!!!!

Seeing the attack coming, Gyutaro quickly raised his arms to guard against the attack....

SLASH!!! SPLASH!!!

Surprisingly however, Genya's attack cut off Gyutaro's arms for the time-being.

'How could he....' he thought, before he stared at Genya angrily, 'To think an ant like him could damage me....even if I can regenerate quickly, he shouldn't to even injure me!'.

As soon as he cut his arms off, Genya knew he didn't have a-lot of time left.

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Unlike his brother, Sanemi, Gyutaro didn't have a-lot of talent in learning and utilising Breathing Styles. And being the only Demon Slayer who doesn't primarily use sword, instead using a gun, he's very different from the others.

With the inability of using Breathing Styles, he had to use a technique he learnt from the Stone Hashira, Gyomei.

Repetitive Action is a technique that allows the user to reach a state of Total Concentration by opening all five senses, which makes it similar to the technique of the Breathing Styles. By repeating a set of pre-determined movements like remembering a moment of intense anger and pain, the user can constantly raise their concentration and thus draw out all the physical powers of the body for a long period of time.

Just like Total Concentration, the strengthening causes increased body temperature and a accelerated heart rate.

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With not enough time, he quickly concentrated all of his five senses and remembered the moment of pure rage he felt when he heard his brother died.

"TAKEO!!!!" He shouted, echoing his scream across the forest, before he charged at Gyutaro like an animal...

BANNNGGG!!!! BANNNNGGG!!!!

'Who does this kid think he is!' Gyutaro thought, completely annoyed.

'To think I'd have to use this...' he thought, before he decided to use his Blood Demon Art.

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"TAKEOOOO!!!!!!!"

"Hmm?" Takeo said, 'Did someone just shout my name?' he questioned.

After a couple seconds of silence, 'I must be hearing things', he thought, before he turned around...

BANNNGG!!!! BANNNGGG!!!

Hearing what seemed to be gunfire, he was curious of what was going on.

Letting his curiosity get to him, he put the rabbit he'd hunted into his pocket, and slowly made his way towards the noise.

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In the same forest, a pale-skinned, tall man with long and spiky, black hair kept in a ponytail was walking before he heard the same disturbance...

With a sword on his waist and the words : Upper Rank One inscribed on his eye....something bad was about to occur.....