Chapter 84 -The Urgent Mission
3 Days Later
Ishida, now a Hashira, was quickly adapting to his new responsibilities. Unlike before, when he was assigned specific missions to particular locations, he was now given an entire region to patrol—his duty to keep demons under control by eliminating them and protecting the people living there.
Surprisingly, after just two nights of patrolling, he was already getting used to the rhythm of it.
On his very first night, he encountered three demons. They weren't attacking anyone at the time, but demons were demons—hostile by nature. And as a Demon Slayer, it was his job to kill them, especially when there was any threat, no matter how subtle.
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Third Night of Patrol
🌟 EXPERIENCE GAINED 🌟
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📈 EXP REWARD
➥ Total: 3,200 EXP
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He slid his blade back into its sheath after taking down four demons near a mountain village in the north—his assigned patrolling territory.
They were just regular demons, not high-level threats—the kind Ishida had faced countless times before. At this point, he didn't even break a sweat when taking down ten or twenty of them at once.
With the threat eliminated, he resumed his patrol.
After a few steps, he heard the sound of a crow nearby. Looking up, he immediately recognized it—it was the Kasugai Crow assigned to him by the Demon Slayer Corps.
It flew above him for a moment before landing on his shoulder.
"URGENT MISSION! URGENT MISSION!
Severe loss of Demon Slayer units reported at Mount Natagumo. Immediate assistance required. Hashira Ishida Hitotsuki — proceed without delay!"
The crow announced in its usual voice, as Ishida turned slightly toward the direction of Mount Natagumo.
"What's the current situation update?"
"A few lower-rank Slayers have been sent there, but the threat level is high, and many of them have taken fatal damage."
"Then I should head in that direction immediately," Ishida said, picking up his pace as he began walking toward the mountain.
'The number of demons in this area isn't that high, at least based on what I've seen over the past few nights, so it shouldn't be a problem to leave this area for a while. Besides, this mission is also important,' Ishida thought to himself.
"Quickly reach the location, Ishida," the Kasugai Crow said before flying off.
Ishida began moving faster, determined to reach the location as quickly as possible—while still careful not to push his fatigue too far.
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Soon enough, Ishida began to approach the designated mountain—Mount Natagumo. As he neared it, his senses started picking up on something, even from a distance.
"There are demons… and slayers too. But the number of demons is fewer... I can sense only a handful of slayers," he thought, taking a deep breath before pushing forward, increasing his speed as he rushed toward the forest.
Once inside the forest, Ishida activated his deep sensing and sharpened his concentration, mapping out the entire area in his mind. With it, he quickly located the closest demon nearby.
Without hesitation, he moved.
"I can't waste time with this one. Just kill the demon and protect the slayer," Ishida told himself, already closing in. He could feel the demon's presence growing stronger, and his focus sharpened as he prepared to strike.
It didn't take long before the sight came into view—freezing the moment for Ishida as he analyzed the scene in front of him.
A massive demon stood before him, its skin a grotesque mix of brown and crimson, especially around the shoulders. Its build was monstrous, its face twisted into a spider-like appearance—unlike any demon Ishida had faced before. One of its enormous hands was gripping someone by the neck—a person who, judging by the uniform and the boar-shaped mask covering his head, was most likely a demon slayer.
"Deep breath… cut the hand first, then the head…" Ishida made a mental note, unsheathing his blade.
He closed his eyes for just a second—just long enough to still the air around him.
Breathe in.
Concentrate.
The sound of a breeze shifted as if the forest responded to his resolve. His hand rested gently on the hilt of his blade.
Exhale.
His eyes snapped open—sharp, cold, determined.
And in the next instant, he vanished from his spot.
A blur of motion in a blistering speed of his speed.
He closed the distance in the blink of an eye—faster than sound, faster than thought.
"Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves!"
A radiant arc of moonlight carved through the air like a comet, and with a deafening slash, his blade cut cleanly through the demon's forearm. Black blood spattered across the forest floor as the creature screamed in agony, its grip releasing.
The Boar masked slayer dropped from the air, wasn't possible to say if conscious or not due to the mask it was wearing, as Ishida's feet touched the ground—already crouched to spring again.
'Now the Head ...'
Before the demon could even react, Ishida launched upward, twisting his body midair.
"Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon Ringtail!"
With the elegance of a dragon coiling through moonlit clouds, Ishida's blade traced a wild, unpredictable arc. In a single, fluid motion, he moved past the demon's neck—
A flash of silver.
A spray of blood.
A dull thud.
The demon's head rolled from its shoulders as the body collapsed backwards, thundering into the earth and shaking the roots beneath.
Ishida landed silently, barely disturbing the fallen leaves, taking a breath as he looked behind him to see the demon devolving into ashes like as usual for demons after being decapitated.