Forest Mystery [1]

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Name: Ishida Hitotsuki

Level: 19 [Exp : 6400 needed to Level up]

Rank : Mizunoto

Fatigue: 00/100

Title : None

---

Breathing Style: Moon Breathing

First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace

Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing

Third Form - Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains

Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy - Consumes 50 MP for each use.

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

HP: 500/500

MP: 480/480

---

Attributes:

- Strength: 60

- Vitality: 50

- Agility: 50

- Intelligence: 48

- Sense: 50

---

Remaining Points: 05

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Ishida glanced at the screen and saw he had 5 stat points ready to use. "I'll figure that out later," he thought. But then he remembered something important. "When I used the fifth form of Moon Breathing during the trial, it took away 50 MP, and my MP went down. Now I get how it works," he realized.

Sakura, walking next to him, asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing much," Ishida replied casually.

She seemed curious and asked, "I've been wondering, why did you decide to join the demon slayer corps? What made you choose that path?" Ishida kept walking, not saying a word in response.

"Hey Mr. I am asking you. Aren't you listening !?" She asked again

"I am ! But, I have no interest in responding to your questions now, so stay silent" Ishida responded.

"I just asked a simple question you don't need to be that cold like that" She murmured.

"I'm heading back home now. Got some stuff I need to take care of there. So..." Ishida trailed off, trying to hint at her to head out too, but he couldn't quite find the words to say it directly.

"Okay, I'll go too," she replied. "But hey, when we're back at our place, how are we supposed to handle our mission?" she asked with curiosity.

"We'll kick off our mission once the Demon Slayer Corps finishes forging our Nichirin Blades. They'll send the swords to us when they're ready," Ishida explained. "Plus, when it's mission time, each of our crows will get the details about where we need to go."

"Oh, I get it. How come I didn't catch any of that before?" she wondered, looking confused.

Ishida just shook his head while walking away. "You should probably focus on the road now!" he called back, leaving Sakura standing there. After a few moments, she headed off as well, taking a different path as theirs split in two directions.

Sakura was super thrilled about the news of joining the Demon Slayer Corps. She got so caught up in her excitement that she dashed out before they were even done with their announcement.

As she made her way out, Ishdia let out a sigh, thinking to himself, "What a hassle. It was much simpler when I was on my own." But then another thought crossed his mind, "Well, at least I remembered to bring some food along. It's not for me, though—it's for her," he mumbled while glancing at his inventory screen.

``

[INVENTORY]

- [Food Supplies]

- Empty

- Empty

- Empty

- Empty

- Empty

- [Medicinal Items]

- Instant Healing Potion (x4)

- *Empty*

- [Equipment]

- Empty

- [Miscellaneous]

- Empty

```

"Forget about the food," Ishdia mused to himself. "If they deliver the new Nichirin Blade, I'll have two of them. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not!" He pondered for a moment, then decided, "Anyways, I should head back home first before anything else."

Some time later, as darkness settled and night approached, Ishida continued his journey toward his home, which was still quite far away. As he walked beside a dense forest, a sudden scream pierced the silence, echoing from deep within the trees.

At the same time, he sensed the presence of demons lurking in the forest. "That scream sounded like it came from a human!" he thought, feeling a surge of concern. "Should I go check out what's going on?" he asked himself, debating whether to investigate.

Just as Ishdia was trying to make up his mind, the scream echoed from the forest again. This time, he didn't hesitate and dashed straight into the trees.

Relying on his senses, he navigated through the forest, trying to pinpoint the source of the screams and locate the demons. As he concentrated, he realized, "There are at least four demons... and," his thoughts paused as his eyebrows shot up in surprise, "there are at least four humans out there too!" Urgency surged through him, and he quickened his pace, determined to reach the spot where he sensed the demons.

As he skidded around a turn, he spotted a small girl sitting alone beside one of the forest trees.

Ishida's heart pounded in his chest as he got closer to the little girl sitting by the tree. Her eyes were filled with fear, and she held onto her stuffed toy as if it were her lifeline. Just as Ishida was about to reach her, a dark shape leaped out from the shadows—a demon, its eyes glowing with a wicked light.

Without a second thought, Ishida unsheathed his Nichirin Blade, its sharp edge catching the moonlight. He quickly placed himself between the demon and the girl, ready to protect her. The demon growled, its claws extending as it got ready to attack.

In a heartbeat, Ishida swung his sword with practiced grace, executing a flawless defensive strike. "Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace!" he declared, his voice resonating with the energy of his technique, as the air around him seemed to shimmer with power.

The demon's form flickered momentarily, and just as Ishida's blade was about to land its decisive blow, the creature vanished into the night, leaving only a faint whisper in the wind. "What the...?" Ishida murmured, his eyes darting around the area, alert for any signs of another unexpected attack.

The girl's soft whimper brought Ishida's attention back to her. He knelt down and gave her a reassuring smile. "It's okay now. You're safe," he said gently, even though his mind was still buzzing with questions about the disappearing demon.

The girl raised a trembling finger, pointing in a particular direction, trying to communicate something despite her fear rendering her speechless.

Ishida followed her gaze, turning to the direction she indicated. He could sense more humans and demons in that area, realizing there was more happening than he first thought.

"It's okay, I'm here. Don't be afraid," Ishida reassured her, as the girl wrapped her arms t

Around the staffed toy in her hand.

His mind was racing with thoughts. "What should I do? I need to find out what's happening over there, but should I bring this little girl with me? I can't just leave her here alone too, and there's no one around to look after her as well," he thought, feeling the weight of the situation pressing on him.