Tree and Bat Demons

Before setting off, Ryou made a short visit to Kyojuro, who was awake and in good spirits despite his injuries. Kyojuro greeted him with his usual optimistic smile, "Ryou! I'll be back in action soon."

With his voice full of confidence, Kyojuro continued, "Shinobu said I'll need about a month to recover fully, but I can start training again after just a few days of rest."

Ryou smiled and nodded. "Take your time and recover well. The demon activity is rising, and the Hashira can't afford to be absent for too long. The Corps needs your strength."

"I understand. Seems like the fall of an Upper Moon has made them uneasy," Kyojuro remarked.

"Indeed." After exchanging a few more words, Ryou bid his friend farewell and then made his way to say goodbye to Shinobu, Aoi, and the others at the Butterfly Mansion before setting off.

--

As the sky deepened with the hues of the evening, Ryou arrived at a traditional-style village that had recently been attacked by demons., guided by his kasugai crow.

A short distance away from the village, five Demon Slayers were already gathered, each looking ready to fight as the sun was beginning to set.

The village was quiet, with an air of tension. Villagers had locked themselves inside their homes, fearful of what might come once the sun disappeared—because of what they had seen yesterday.

Seeing his arrival, the highest-ranking Slayer among the five stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Thank you for coming, Ryou-sama."

Ryou nodded, his tone calm as he asked, "What's the situation?" while his perception swept over the entire village.

The Demon Slayer responded, "Two powerful demons attacked yesterday. After receiving word, two Slayers were sent to handle the demons, but they were killed.

The corps then dispatched the five of us. We confronted the demons briefly, but they're incredibly strong. One is a Tree Demon, the other a Bat Demon, and both of them can use Blood Demon Arts.

If it hadn't been for the sunrise forcing them to flee and hide, some of us might not have survived."

"Blood Demon Arts?" Hearing this, Ryou's eyes narrowed. 

These demons were stronger than the usual ones, and the fact that they had teamed up to attack the village was problematic as the demons of equal strength wouldn't team up easily.

"Yes," the Demon Slayer confirmed. "The Tree Demon can summon roots, which are tough to deal with. We can't cut them with our strength. The Bat Demon is even worse—it can generate powerful sound waves capable of destruction and can glide in the air."

It was no coincidence that more powerful demons were making a move out of nowhere. His kasugai crow told him such attacks were happening all over Japan.

The death of Upper Moon Akaza must have made Muzan panic. Was this attack aimed at him specifically, or the entire Demon Slayer Corps?

'If it's the former, I'll need to be more vigilant!' Ryou thought, his senses sharpening. Who knows what kind of threat might come next?

Even with his immense strength, Ryou knew better than to think he was invincible. It's not harmful to remain on high alert for a few days, just in case.

Turning back to the Demon Slayers, Ryou ordered them. "You guys stay here and protect the villagers. I'll take care of the demons."

One of the Demon Slayers stepped forward, concern in his eyes. "But, Ryou-sama, it's dangerous. We can assist you. At least let two of us follow—"

"No," Ryou interrupted firmly. "I have a bad feeling about this one. I will handle it myself." His tone left no room for argument.

Since the Hashira decided, they can't say anything. The Demon Slayers nodded reluctantly and went in the direction of the village.

As the sky turned dark, Ryou ventured into the heart of the forest, where the demons disappeared according to the demon slayers. The thick canopy of trees casting long shadows was a perfect cover for the demons to hide from the Sun.

He hadn't walked far—perhaps ten minutes—before he felt the malicious presence of the demon.

Suddenly, a piercing scream shattered the stillness of the night. The Bat Demon swooped down from the sky at a quick speed, its bat-like wings cutting through the air.

The sound waves crashed into Ryou, making his ears ring from pain and hard to concentrate. The power of the attack made the ground tremble beneath his feet.

'The Bat Demon,' Ryou thought and drew his Nichirin sword before slashing his blade in a full 360-degree arc.

'Second Form: Current of the Ocean!'

A powerful pressure similar to a water wave surged from his blade, rippling through the air like an ocean's current. The water formed a protective shield around him, absorbing the demon's sound waves and nullifying the effect.

The crashing of water against sound created a brief lull, allowing Ryou to regain his focus. Touching the drop of blood from his ear, he spat in annoyance. "Damn... what an irritating attack. Such a bothersome Blood Demon Art!"

As strong as he was, failing to block such a simple blow made him look like a fool.

The Bat Demon circled above, high in the sky, out of his attack range. "Tch, it seems like I need to show some ability to deal with the demon!" Ryou thought, planning his next attack against an airborne opponent.

Just as Ryou prepared to deal with the bat demon, thick roots shot out from the ground like serpents, wrapping tightly around his arms and legs, immobilizing him. The roots coiled around his body, making it impossible for him to move.

'It finally made its move, the Tree Demon.' Ryou thought. The demon's entrapment was hard but considering Ryou's strength it's easy peasy for him to break free. But, he didn't.

High above, the Bat Demon laughed. "Hahaha...another one in our name." Seeing Ryou bound by the roots and struggling to break free, it swooped down from the sky, planning to kill him with a single strike.

At that moment, the Tree Demon emerged from the ground a few meters away, resembling a typical demon except for the tree-branch-like horns growing from its head.

As the Bat demon drew closer, Ryou's eyes turned glowing red with Three-tomoe Sharingan. The tomoe spun, locking onto the Bat Demon's gaze as Ryou cast an illusion.

The world around the Bat Demon twisted and changed without its knowledge. In the demon's mind, Ryou's figure suddenly broke free and sprinted away.

The Bat Demon abruptly changed direction mid-air, charging at the Tree Demon, thinking it was Ryou. With a furious roar, it bellowed, "Human, die!"

"Aaaah!!" A powerful scream erupted from its mouth, unleashing a destructive sound wave attack aimed at its demon ally.

"Damn... What are you doing? Stop it!" The Tree Demon was taken aback by the sudden attack from its temporary ally. The sound wave shattered its eardrums, leaving it painful and confused.

Before it could recover, the Bat Demon's sharp claws pierced through its left and right shoulders, pinning it to a nearby tree.

Ryou, having effortlessly broken free from the tangled tree roots, walked toward the fighting demons with an unhurried pace. As he neared them, his sword flashed, slicing through both of their necks.

Their heads flew into the air before their forms disintegrated into dust. '+4 Demon Points!'

Till the final moments of their life, they couldn't understand why or how they had met their end.

--

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