Demon Slayer : The Silent Journey

[Seiji's POV]

'So it has come to this huh?' I thought to myself while staring at my red blade encased in brilliant flames.

My body had not suffered a direct hit from Muzan but that didn't mean I was not injured. I could see that many of my muscles had ripped from the strain of my own strength. There was a reason why our brain allowed us to access only 60% of our full muscle capacity - it was to protect us from ourselves. But during this fight, I had accessed all of my muscle capacity and more.

Bruises also marred my skin, making some parts red while others were purple. I sustained these injuries from being manhandled like a ragdoll by Muzan many times or crashing due to my own speed.

To top it all off, my body was exhausted beyond belief. Going all out took a toll on even the strongest. The Demon Slayer Mark covered a huge portion of my right torso now, and it was strangely pulsing what I could only assume was magic and it filled me with strength.

Maybe that was why even though I knew the bad condition of my body, I could not feel it. My own body cast an illusion in my brain, telling me that I could keep on fighting without any trouble.

Adrenaline flowed through my bloodstream. It was a drug that made me feel like I was unstoppable. It made me want all the smoke.

"How did you learn that?" Muzan asked me from a safe distance. I studied his expression and quickly understood his emotional state.

'Damn Yoriichi, just what did you do to him?' I couldn't help but ask when I saw his fearful eyes and trembling form.

Here I was, fighting with everything I had, pouring all my hate out in the form of violence. I even acquired new things like the red blade and something like Ultra Instinct.

But all that only manage to piss off the Demon King.

Yet here he was, nearly shitting himself when I reminded him of the man from five hundred years ago.

What a menace.

As is my right as a deaf man, I did not reply to his question. Instead, I lowered my stance and prepared to explode into action at any time.

I didn't move though. Time was not my enemy here. The longer this moment of respite went on the better for us. The sunrise drew near, Gyomei had more time to recover and the other Hashira's would be able to join.

So I remained in my place, always ready to fight but no longer challenging conflict.

"Are you not gonna answer me..." he looked like he wanted to call me human but he settled with my name, "..Seiji Shigan?"

I still gave no reply, only a dry stare.

"Was it the Kamado family?" he guessed rather quickly. "Is that why you were with them? And why you protect them?"

Again, I gave no answer. But maybe demons had senses beyond human comprehension. He guessed my answer.

"I see," he said. His body started changing into a more humane state afterwards. The multiple eyes on his body receded, his tendrils went back into his body and his disfigured arms changed to normal sizes.

By the time he was done, he looked brand new except for the wound on his chest which I sliced him with Sun Breathing. But that too was slowly healing.

It was rather frustrating. Muzan was not too dangerous in battle, I know that now. He was extremely powerful but that was very limited due to his lack of training and fighting ability.

When he fought, he did not have the edge of a warrior. The only thing he had was psychopathic bloodlust.

Even Douma was more of a warrior.

But damn was the vermin hard to kill. He had a disgustingly huge amount of power and a slightly lesser version of immortality. Even Yoriichi could only defeat Muzan and not kill him.

Muzan stood in his place for a long time. I was not sure what he was doing but it hit me when his eyes snapped wide and he turned to the direction of the cave.

A cave where I had told Tanjiro to take his family,

"Oh you coward," I bit out in bitter rage as Muzan instantly disappeared from his place and blitzed towards the cave a few miles away.

*BOOOOM!!!*

I left a cloud of snow smoke and shot out like a bullet train after him. I used Sun Breathing but that might not have been the best choice as I lagged behind his tail.

"MUZAN!!!" I roared out in frustration as I couldn't catch up. At the speed at which we were going, we would reach the cave in just a few seconds.

I changed my breathing pattern, and my speed dwindled for a moment and that allowed Muzan to create more distance between us. I was about to change my form and use Thunder Wind Breathing but just then, a flash of silver ran past me.

My eyes widened in surprise as I caught who it was.

I stared at the back of Tengen Uzui. My eyes read the words written on the back of his uniform

'The Sound Pillar,'

...

"Where do you think you're going!!?" Tengen roared with a smile so flashy that it seemed to sparkle. He was beside Muzan in a blink of an eye.

"I just got here!!"

And then an explosion erupted. The shockwave was much bigger than it was supposed to. It was even greater than when Gyomei fought with full power.

The vibration in the air sent goosebumps through my body and I felt a tingling sensation on my skin.

Muzan shot out from the explosion. I saw him gritting his teeth in pure frustration as his trajectory took a right angle and he flew to the left.

Easily breaking the sound barrier, Tengen followed his flying body and danced in a display of flashy swordsmanship and efficiency.

When he was done, nothing even happened. Only when he stood in one place and took a pose did the world notice his actions and proceeded with the consequences.

White lines appeared on every tree in the vicinity including Muzan's own body. In the very next instance, the trees fell into broken pieces and Muzan also bled out briefly, being cut into pieces but he healed.

Unbelievable, I thought to myself. Tengen's technique was almost on par with my Thunder Wind Breathing in terms of raw speed. I never knew he had gotten that fast.

With that, Muzan's approach came to a stop and he crashed into a tree where he remained crouching down. I quickly reached beside Tengen and stood next to him.

We stood in a way that we were directly protecting the cave.

"Don't let him go behind us, civilians are there," I told him briefly and he nodded with a smile.

"Sure," he said, "Did you see my flashy entrance?"

"Sure did," I said, "10 out of 10,"

Especially with the desperation I felt at that moment, it was the perfect entrance. It was not just about falseness or the cool factor but also the time that determined a perfect entrance and that checked all the boxes.

"10?" he repeated, dumbfounded, "10!?"

He jumped in the air and pumped his fist in victory, "I got a 10!!!"

I didn't know when it happened either but after Tengen learned that I had the greatest pair of eyes in the world, he made me a judge for his flashiness. Until today, everything he had shown me never surpassed 6. I was quite the critique.

"I can't believe this, I got a 10," he continued in disbelief, "Are you sure? You look pretty fucked up to give a good judgement. I wouldn't want to win on a fluke,"

"I'm sure," I said with a shake of equal disbelief.

Who would've thought I would have this conversation in front of the literal Demon Lord? My fellow Hashiras were all quite the character, that's for sure.

"So, who are we fighting?" Tengen finally said while rubbing his chin. His eyes narrowed at Muzan who remained in a distance. I think he was looking for a mark on his eyes to see which rank of the Upper Moon he was.

"That's Muzan Kibutsuji," I said.

He suddenly froze and then slowly turned to me, "Seriously?"

I didn't know why but he didn't look impressed.

"Yup," I said with a nod, "What? You imagined the Demon Lord differently?"

"....I imagined he'd be...flashier,"

Oh my god. I can't with these people. I held back a laugh. If he kept up this attitude, I would lose my battle mode and relax.

"He was quite flashy before I chopped him into a million pieces and destroyed his clothes," I said.

"I see," Tengen said.

Tengen's ears perked up and he turned to the side. I followed his action and did the same and we saw Gyomei walking to us with a gaping red wound on his chest.

His face was hardened with rage like the last time I'd seen him. He held his axe and flail on both hands while the chains wrapped around his bare torso, seemingly acting as a bandage on his wound.

He looked like a monster ready for another war.

Tengen whistled when Gyomei reached us, "Guess I was a little late,"

He sounded carefree but there was a drastic shift in his mood when he saw Gymoei in that state. It was a mix of anger and guilt from being late.

He shouldn't blame himself though. Travelling speed was quite different than the speed at which you can move. I'd assume the forest and rocky mountains stopped him from coming at us full speed. Not to mention the forms of Breathing Styles mostly focused on fighting styles and speed meant short bursts instead of long distances.

"You are not late Tengen. I'd say you are right on time," Gyomei said. He was a tower of assurance when he was beside us.

"I can feel it. He is losing his intensity," Gyomei said and gestured to Muzan.

I could not tell such things with my eyes. He looked virtually the same to me except for the cut mark on his chest. Thus the statement brought me immense relief.

I sure hoped that after the fight I put up and then the combined assault with Gyomei, it would put a dent in Muzan's stamina.

That was the plan from the start. Bear the first full intensity of the Demon Lord and keep him in place while the others gather and then finish Muzan together.

"Why is he not attacking?" Tengen asked. Muzan simply remained in his place and observed us with red angry eyes. I could see the conflict of thoughts behind them.

"He is afraid," I said, "For better or worse,"

Although it sounded cool that we managed to put fear on the Demon King, it also meant more danger to us. A fearful enemy would fight back stronger, and plan harder.

One of the most important factors that led to the eventual defeat of Muzan in the original story was his carelessness and arrogance. If he had attacked along with the Upper Moon with actual strategies, then Tanjiro and his friends would've never stood a chance.

Right now, Muzan was still shocked at seeing Sun Breathing so he remained in his place without attacking me. Again, how badass was Yoriichi to achieve such things?

But like I said before, time was on our side.

*BOOOM!!*

Just then, a figure landed a few meters away from us. When the dust settled, it revealed a powerful presence that was radiating off righteous heat.

"I have come Seiji!!" Rengoku yelled to make his presence known.

His haori, passed down from Flame Hashira to Flame Hashira danced with the chilling wind. It revealed a writing in bold letters.

'The Flame Pillar,'

Muzan turned his head to look behind him it was at this gesture that I noticed the man on a tall tree far away.

Two eyes shone in different colours but had the same hate in them. Obanai was perched on top of a tree, his hair seemed puffed up like a cobra puffing his head. His white snake hissed hatefully as it wrapped around his neck.

It was our newest member.

'The Serpent Hashira'

The Stone Hashira, the Sound Hashira, the Flame Hashira, the Serpent Hashira and then there was me.

All of us were the Hashira near enough to the Gifu region and we had finally assembled.

We surrounded the Demon Lord from all sides and the scene reminded me of something. The time when the Hashira gathered around him.

"Are you going to run?" I dared him, "Muzan Kibutsuji,"

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"Don't look down on me, HUMANS!!"

The change in his form was rapid. This time, it was not like before where he shaped his flesh to suit him.

He seemed to destroy his whole body from inside out and he rebuilt it, cell by cell, until he became what he wished to be.

A creature of violence whose only goal was to kill the pillars of Humanity.

None of us faltered though.

We pushed through.

What started off as a battle, now it was the most important mission. of humanity

The goal was to slay the Demon King Muzan.

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[IMAGE]

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Author : I said I would do mass release but I still kinda want powerstones too since it's a new week so I am going to ask for that. It will still be mass release but with extra steps. We got 1700 in one day last week so this should not over rather quickly.

300 stones for next chapter.