Chapter 71 - Dance Of The Hidden Mist

In the Twilight Bamboo Forest, Ishida faced his fourth opponent - a mysterious mist demon named Kasumi. Unlike the previous demons, this one seemed different, more refined in its approach. After deflecting the initial bamboo attack, Ishida found himself surrounded by an ever-thickening mist, with his opponent seemingly everywhere and nowhere at once.

The demon's last words still hung in the air: "After all, **** ***** was quite specific about testing your limits..."

---

Suddenly, the mist condensed into dozens of clones, each one identical to Kasumi, surrounding Ishida completely. Their laughter echoed through the bamboo forest, creating an eerie chorus.

"Let's see how you handle this," all the clones spoke in unison, their voices overlapping. Each clone drew a traditional Japanese fan, and with a synchronized motion, they snapped them open.

Ishida's eyes narrowed. "Multiple bodies? Or just illusions?"

His answer came swiftly as all the clones attacked simultaneously, their fans creating blade-like crescents of compressed air. Ishida's sword flashed as he deflected the attacks, but for the first time in this quest, he felt himself being pushed back slightly.

[HP: 1380/1400]

[Fatigue: 35/100]

"Moon Breathing, Fifth Form: Moon Spirit Calamitous Eddy!" Ishida spun, creating a protective vortex around himself. But Kasumi's attacks didn't stop - they phased through his defense, forcing him to dodge at the last second.

"Surprised?" Kasumi's voice came from everywhere. "Physical attacks can't dispel my mist. I am the mist itself."

The demon wasn't lying. Every attack Ishida launched seemed to pass harmlessly through the clones, while their attacks remained lethal and real.

"In that case..." Ishida closed his eyes, focusing his senses. "Moon Breathing, Eleventh Form: Lunar Crescendo!"

His blade began to glow with an intense light, illuminating the entire forest. The mist seemed to recoil from the brightness, and for a split second, Ishida caught glimpse of something - a shadow, different from the clones.

"Found you," he smirked, immediately launching into his next attack. "Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail!"

His blade curved through the air in a dragon-like pattern, heading straight for the shadow he'd spotted. For the first time, Kasumi's composed demeanor cracked as the attack connected, drawing blood.

"Impossible!" the demon hissed, the clones flickering. "How did you...?"

"Your mist may be perfect," Ishida explained, readying his stance again, "but it still casts a shadow under moonlight."

Kasumi's eyes narrowed. "Very well then. Let me show you my true form."

The mist swirled and concentrated, revealing Kasumi's true form - a more human-like figure but with pale, almost translucent skin and dark veins visible throughout. Their traditional clothing now seemed to merge with the mist itself, and the single fan in their hand had transformed into a larger, deadlier version with blade-like edges.

"This is my true form," Kasumi's voice remained calm but carried a deadly edge. "In this state, I can manifest my attacks from any direction through the mist."

To demonstrate, Kasumi swung the fan once, creating five separate blade-like air strikes that emerged from different points in the mist around Ishida.

[HP: 1350/1400]

[Fatigue: 40/100]

Ishida deflected the attacks with precise sword movements, but one managed to graze his shoulder. "Interesting... you can attack from multiple angles while staying hidden in the mist."

"Correct," Kasumi smiled, their form flickering between visible and invisible. "My Blood Demon Art allows me to spread my presence through the mist, making it impossible to predict where the next strike will come from."

The demon moved through the mist like water, appearing and disappearing at will, each appearance accompanied by swift, precise attacks with the bladed fan. It was a deadly dance of shadows and mist, more refined than brute force.

"Let me show you my special technique," Kasumi announced, raising the fan. "Demon Art: Dance of the Hidden Mist!"

The mist thickened as Kasumi began their technique. With each wave of their bladed fan, after-images appeared in the mist, each one capable of launching its own attack.

"Dance of the Hidden Moon creates seven copies of myself," Kasumi explained, their voice echoing softly. "Each as real as the original."

Ishida's eyes narrowed, tracking the movements through the mist. All eight figures - Kasumi and their copies - moved in perfect sync, their fans raised.

"Moon Breathing, Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing!" Ishida called out, his blade tracing elegant arcs through the air as he defended against the simultaneous attacks from multiple directions.

[HP: 1320/1400]

[Fatigue: 45/100]

A few strikes slipped through his defense, leaving shallow cuts on his arms. For the first time in the quest, Ishida felt genuine pressure from his opponent's technique.

"Your defense is impressive," Kasumi acknowledged, their copies shifting positions in the mist. "But can you tell which one is real?"

Ishida took a steady breath, focusing. "Moon Breathing, Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains!" His attack created a web of slashes, forcing all eight figures to dodge.

But something caught his attention - one figure moved slightly differently than the others.

"There!" Ishida lunged forward, his blade aimed at one of the seven clones of Kasumi. The demon's eyes widened in surprise as they barely managed to block with their fan.

"How did you...?"

"Your copies are perfect visually," Ishida explained, pressing his attack. "But only the real body disturbs the air when it moves."

Kasumi leaped back, their copies regrouping. "You're the first to notice that. **** ***** chose well..."

[To Be Continued...]