Cataclysm // Demon Slayer Deku

Reality or Illusion?

Hina Agatsuma's POV:

I winced in very slight pain, a liquid dripped down my right arm. Looking down, a large gash was carved into my forearm, bone and muscle fibers visible. "H-how did the demon cut me?" I thought. I looked back up at the Lower 3 Demon who hadn't moved a muscle.

"What's wrong? Confused?" Lower 3 taunted, moving a step closer. Determination overtook me, as I tightened my grip, staring the demon in its eyes. I dashed forward, readying a imperceptibly fast slice horizontally at the neck. I took in a deep breath, readying one of my techniques.

"Light Breathing: First Form:..." I readied the attack. I swung my katana, faster than the eye could see and pressed it up against the demon's neck. "Enlightenment!" I finished, bringing my katana straight through the demon's neck. I smiled slightly. I had just killed a Lower moon!

But... something wasn't right. My smile faded as I stared closer at the flying, decapitated head of Lower 3. There was no blood... My senses... my instincts were screaming at me, telling me to run. A strong presence made itself feared... it was coming from behind me. I swiftly twirled my body around, ready to strike whatever was behind me. However, I was unable to land a hit as before I could I felt an attack land as my body was flung to the side, crashing through multiple walls in the process.

"Damnit!" I groaned in pain, attempting to land safely before slamming into the ground. "I think my ribs are broken..." I thought, driving my katana into the side of the apartment complex I had fallen out of, to greatly slowly my descent. "I have to watch my movements... if I don't my broken ribs might pierce something..."

I looked up at the top of the apartment complex, catching Lower 3 jumping out of the hole I had made. I grunted in frustration as I yanked my katana out of the side of the complex and let myself fall the rest of the way down to the ground, which at this point wasn't too far down.

"What's it's Blood Demon Art? Maybe a clone-based one? Mirages?" I rattled off ideas in my head while still keeping my guard up, as the demon landed on the ground next to me.

"No time to ponder on this! I just have to figure it out as I go!" I determinedly told myself. I launched my oft at the demon almost immediately after it landed on the ground, katana raised, ready to strike once more.

However, before I could close the gap between me and the demon... "What is that rumbling noise...? Where is it competing from?" I pondered. My eyes widened and my blood ran cold. "Below!" I warned myself, leaping back a couple of meters, narrowly avoiding dozens of vine-like lances that Pierce's up into the sky from the ground.

"The hell? What is this?!" I yelled aloud. "Scared, girly? We're just getting started," Lower 3 proclaimed. I looked on as the vine-like lances twister and turned, swirling around in unison. The probable razor sharp points of the vine-like lances aimed themselves straight towards me, as if ready to impale me.

I took a small step back out of caution, readying my katana to slash them if needed. All at once, dozens of vine-like lances shot out at me. I narrowly ducked under one of them and immediately jumped over another. They moved fast but not as fast as me. This proved to be true as I continued to dodge each and everyone of them. I ducked, jumped, and slid.

I readied my blade as another one came barreling towards me faster than the others had. I stood my ground, digging the balls of my feet into the ground to better anchor myself down. "Light Breathing: First Form: Enlightenment!"

As the lance approached, I performed a multiple swift, consecutive strikes in an attempt to slice the attack into many pieces. However, instead, my katana merely passed through the lance as if it wasn't even there... as if it didn't have any physical substance. I leaped up into the air instead, to avoid any more injuries.