Demon Slayer : Breath of The Forest

Facing the imposing Hand Demon, Sabito expression beneath his mask grew solemn.

"Brat! You must be another disciple of that bastard Urokodaki! Your masks reek of the same disgusting stench!" the Hand Demon snarled viciously at Sabito.

Unfazed, Sabito raised his Nichirin Blade, his voice cool and clear beneath the fox mask.

"No matter who you are, as long as I'm here today, you won't harm anyone!"

"Keheheh! Is that so? Brat, you're awfully full of yourself!" The Hand Demon let out a grotesque laugh.

Then, before Sabito eyes, several sickly green arms sprouted from its back, tightly restraining two figures.

"SABITO!!"

Giyu barely had time to shout Sabito name before a revolting arm gagged his mouth.

Murata fared no better, bound just as firmly as Giyu.

The Hand Demon murky yellow eyes gleamed with amusement as it stared at Sabito, grinning cruelly.

"Brat, don't just talk big. Tell me—how are you going to save these two from my grasp?"

Before the Hand Demon grin could fade, Sabito struck.

"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"

A lightning-fast slash aimed straight for the Hand Demon face.

The blade shimmered with a brilliant blue glow, like ripples suddenly forming on water.

The frigid arc of steel flashed before the demon eyes in an instant.

As the fastest attack in Water Breathing, the Seventh Form was designed to pierce through enemies before they could react.

The Hand Demon, barely recovered from its injuries, had no hope of blocking it—but it had a plan.

With a sudden lurch, it threw itself backward.

When Sabito Nichirin Blade stabbed into its neck, the demon momentum cushioned the blow, preventing a fatal strike.

Then, as Sabito strength waned, several sickly green arms clenched into fists and slammed toward him.

Yet Sabito remained calm.

"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!"

His figure blurred into afterimages, trailing watery light that dazzled the Hand Demon vision.

The heavy fists crashed harmlessly past him.

Without giving the demon a moment to recover, Sabito pressed on.

"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"

A relentless, surging onslaught of slashes rained down upon the Hand Demon!

***

"Forest Breathing, First Form: Iron Birch Slash!"

A dazzling emerald-green arc sliced through the air, severing the horde of demons blocking Shinichi path—along with a swath of trees—in an instant.

A shockwave rippled outward.

A flicker of anger ignited in Shinichi heterochromatic eyes.

These ravenous, mindless low-level demons were too many.

Even though his overwhelming aura alone could force them to their knees, their starvation had driven them past reason—they had gone completely mad.

"You worthless trash! Do you have any idea how little time I have? Get out of my way!"

Shinichi growled from deep in his throat, his right eye—a vivid peach hue—finally unable to hold back.

In an instant, a crimson glow overtook his right eye, the pupil narrowing into a wild, elongated slit.

An invisible surge of power erupted around him.

The deerskin boots stomped heavily on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Within the haze, Shinichi figure underwent an indescribable transformation in an instant.

Black claws and terrifying fangs slowly emerged, while fine blood vessels bulged around his eye sockets—Shinichi had entered his Demonized state!

"Blood Demon Art: Raging Blood—Second Stage!"

BOOM!

Shinichi figure shot forward like a cannonball, his speed astonishingly fast and his terrifying aura strong enough to make the earth tremble even a hundred meters away.

With his Demonized state activated, Shinichi journey became smooth sailing.

No matter how ravenous or frenzied the Demons were, the moment they sensed the overwhelming aura emanating from Shinichi—comparable to that of the Twelve Kizuki—they all chose to retreat.

As he ventured deeper into Fujikasane Mountain, Shinichi could instantly perceive various life forces and strange energies flooding his senses.

This wasn't due to anything else—it was because an agile black figure, swift as lightning, had silently appeared beside him.

"Faster! Even faster, Maru-ni!" Shinichi roared, his face twisted into a fierce expression from the Demonization.

***

'Sabito, your talent is exceptional, but that shouldn't make you complacent. The heavens have granted you unparalleled gifts, which also means they've placed an immense responsibility upon your shoulders. Work hard!'

His master words echoed in Sabito mind from time to time, leaving him momentarily dazed beneath his mask.

'With great power comes great responsibility!'

This was what Makomo had written in her letter after joining the Demon Slayer Corps. She said it was something the Forest Hashira, Shinichi Moriki, often repeated.

These two simple sentences encapsulated the sentiment Urokodaki-sensei most wanted to convey.

From that moment on, Sabito had held deep respect and admiration for the Forest Hashira, Shinichi Moriki, whom he had never met.

Someone who could say such words must surely live by them.

Now, the Hand Demon blocking his path was the first Demon on Fujikasane Mountain that Sabito found somewhat troublesome.

Not because it was particularly strong, but because this Demon was shameless enough to use the restrained Murata and Giyu as human shields, holding them firmly in front of itself.

This severely limited Sabito sword swings, causing him to miss multiple opportunities to behead the Demon.

"Mm! Mm! Mmm!"

Seeing his dear friend Sabito being relentlessly suppressed by the Hand Demon, the bound and gagged Giyu grew frantic.

He struggled desperately, but only incoherent grunts escaped his throat.

Yet, Sabito didn't need Giyu to say anything—he could already guess. It was undoubtedly a plea for Sabito to disregard his safety.

But that was something Sabito simply couldn't do!

With his exceptional swordsmanship, Sabito had already clashed with the Hand Demon dozens of times.

'This Demon isn't particularly fast, and its strength seems to be waning. Stay focused, observe carefully, and seize the opening!' Sabito mind remained calm and resolute.

With a single slash, he severed three putrid green arms lunging at him.

Using the recoil, Sabito leaped high into the air, twisting his body mid-flight before landing squarely on the Hand Demon back!

This sudden turn of events shocked everyone, even the Hand Demon was caught off guard.

By the time the demon reacted, Sabito had already mustered all his strength.

"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash!!"

The dazzling azure glow on the Nichirin Blade shone brilliantly as it sliced straight toward the Hand Demon neck!

"Oh no!"

The Hand Demon panicked, its reflexes far slower than before, making it impossible to dodge this strike.

But in the next instant.

Clang! Crack!

The crisp sound of shattering metal rang clearly in everyone ears.

For the first time, even the usually composed Sabito wore an expression of stunned disbelief.

The Nichirin Blade had broken.

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