Demon Slayer : The Silent Journey

Chapter 176 - Bullshit vs Bullshit

[3rd POV]

The Water Hashira Giyu and the demon Omburo moved around the forest like solid shadows. Their forms were barely a blur as they exchanged attacks faster than the eye could see.

There was serenity in Giyu's eyes, the kind of calm that was only possible in times of peace and not in the middle of a battle. But his eerie calmness actually helped him in his fight as his body moved smoothly, without a hint of panic.

Omburo had a new mask on his face. The mask was grinning from ear to ear with hollow eyes. The word 'Joy' was written on the forehead to show the expression the mask was wearing.

The mask gave the demon extreme reflexes and agility, which Giyu could barely keep up with in a straight face.

That was Omburo's Blood Demon Art, Hundred Faces. He could gain the abilities of humans or other demons by carving their faces and making them into masks. But his limit was a hundred masks.

"You are so annoying! This is not fun-NOT FUN AT ALL!!" Omburo screamed in rage and it was a split second but the mask he was wearing changed.

The demon was like a Bian Lian performer with how fast he could switch his mask between the fight.

His face changed, the mask morphing into a sneer and the sin also turned a little red. You could tell with a glance that this was a mask of rage.

And with the change in the mask, the temperature rose sharply. Giyu's calm eyes widened in surprise as the demon erupted out, faster than ever before.

The demon slammed his fist at Giyu's guard and the Water Hashira buckled under the power. He shot off like a ragdoll, completely overwhelmed by the sudden change in fighting style.

'He is not faster, he got stronger. More explosive,' Giyu thought while flipping in the air. His body crashed through a few trees before his momentum slowed down enough so that he could catch himself.

He spun in the air and landed with a soft thud, his arms trembled and his bones felt like they cracked. Maybe they did.

He had no time to check because Omburo was already upon him again. He had not grown larger but his steps felt heavier, enough to shake the ground.

Omburo could switch between fighting styles in the middle of battle. This trait alone was so overpowered that the demon would likely be able to beat any other swordsman with ease.

But he was fighting a Water Hashira.

And water adapts.

Giyu changed his posture and he even changed the muscle engagement. From a style that could contend with a speedster, he now stood with a style that could exchange blows with a berserker.

The change was almost instant, like water changing shape when put into different utensils like a cup to a bowl.

"Water Breathing : Eigth Form,"

Giyu's body stilled, completely frozen like a statue. His body took a few seconds to prepare for an explosion of all the raw strength it could muster. Each cell seemed to be squeezed dry of energy.

The demon only increased his speed in response, now each step left a massive crater in its wake. The trees shook and fell before he even got there.

"Pillar Break : Howl of Rage!!"

Omburo bellowed with rage in his mask, he leapt into the air and executed the perfect axe kick. He fell like an asteroid, ready to slam into the earth with enough force to cause extinction.

"Waterfall,"

Giyu said and he swept his sword upwards to meet his kick.

Water can flow, but it can also crash.

Two attacks met in equal devastation. The air vibrated and then an explosion made the trees bend to their limit. The shockwave was enough to rip the upper layers of the earth.

"Uhhh!" Omburo groaned in equal surprise and fear.

The clash lasted for a few seconds which felt like a few hours. Then they both pushed each other back, the attacks cancelled each other out.

Omburo repositioned himself in mid-air and proceeded to launch another attack.

"Pillar Break : Skyfall!!"

The nature of the attack was in the name. To Giyu, it looked like the sky was falling apart as Omubro's arms blurred and rained down at him with enough power to shatter boulders.

Giyu sucked in a deep breath and he pushed his body to the limit, and a little beyond that. His body stilled, he was so still that his presence imitated a calm ocean. Completely unbothered by what was happening because its massive size endured all.

But then a shift.

"Water Breathing : Esoteric Art,"

Giyu's breath sounded like screams. He brought out the worst water had to offer, the most violent and destructive of liquid.

"Tsunami!"

For each punch that came, Giyu answered with a slash. Their limbs blurred, the clash of iron and fist was fast enough that it sounded like a continuous roar.

The air lit up due to the friction of the unending attacks, the intensity of their continuous clash was threatening to buckle the very ground.

It started from one, then ten. Hundred and soon enough a thousand blows were exchanged in a matter of minutes.

Giyu was pushed to the limit. It was not an easy fight at all, the Twelve Kizuki were definitely stronger than ever before.

The standoff ended once more, Omburo's face twitched and then the mask was replaced with a new one.

This mask was weeping, its face scrunched up in absolute fear. The word 'Despair' was written on the forehead.

"Look at me..." Omburo taunts, "This is you."

Giyu moved, the change of mask was swift but enough to leave an opening. The shaped edge of his blade immediately sailed at the neck of the demon, barely biting at the flesh.

It was almost over.

But it was never that easy.

"Voidborn : Dead Pull,"

The moment the name of the technique fell the surrounding gravity was increased tenfold. The earth sank like it was water, forming a clean crater without cracks. Giyu immediately buckled on his knees.

The mask Omburo was wearing used to be the face of a demon who had Gravity manipulation as his Blood Demona Art.

"That's right, you should kneel and despair,"

Omburo released dark chuckles before his body shifted unnaturally. He then released a roar of agony as a face appeared in his head. Now he had two faces and both wore different masks.

The new face was wearing rage.

"This is the end for you, Hashira," Omburo said with two voices that harmonized to make demonic sounds, "I will enjoy wearing your face,"

Giyu clenched his fists, he was staring down at the ground, and the increased gravity prevented him from looking up. He was on his knees, his spine ached, trying but failing to straighten him up.

He gritted his teeth in anger.

The demon missed it due to only seeing Giyu's back, but the Water Hashira had a growing mark on the side of his face.

"Pillar Break : Skyfall!"

With the increase in gravity which he manipulated, Omburo's previous attack was increased tenfold. He had enough power to flatten hills, such was the force behind the attack.

"Water Breathing : Eleventh Form,"

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..

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"Huh...?" Omburo's head with two faces fell on the ground before the demon even realized it.

"Dead Calm,"

He heard Giyu say behind him.

He didn't even know what happened. How it happened.

Giyu had access to the selfless state which erased his presence completely. But coupled with the Demon Slayer Mark and a moment of need, Giyu briefly went beyond that.

For an instant, reality lost Giyu's presence and his very existence, allowing him to slip past gravity itself so his body was no longer chained. His movement was unbound by time almost as he sliced the demon's head in one fell scoop.

It was only a moment that reality lost Giyu and allowed him to slip past logic. But a moment was all he needed to cut off a head.

"Bullshit," Omburo muttered as his head turned to ash.

Giyu took a deep breath, and then he glared at the body of the demon that stood still even after the face was gone.

The momentary feeling of victory he felt was dashed away when a new head grew from the body. It was a different mask.

Omburo had a hundred faces. Giyu cut off two of his most powerful faces but he still had ninety-eight faces.

"Bullshit," Giyu said it back.

This fight was anything but easy.

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[IMAGE]

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Author : Put some respect for my boy Giyu. He finally got the flower he deserves, this was the first fight I've shown I think.

The Chapters I've written have been lengthy than others since I want to avoid cliffhanger so patreon have been lagging behind in terms of Chapter numbers.

This might be it for the week. I think it'd be a good idea to start next week with Rengoku vs Daiyo, what do you think?

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Patreon : Emmanuel_Capricorn. Advance Chapters.