Chapter 19: Feast of the Cursed Moon
The Ruins of Moonlit Valley were eerily quiet, as though the air itself was holding its breath. Crumbled shrines and shattered stone lanterns lined the narrow path, their surfaces coated in a slick layer of black moss, pulsing faintly like veins under skin.
Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke walked cautiously, every footstep sinking slightly into the damp earth. The mist curled around their ankles, whispering in voices that weren't there.
"I hate this place already," Zenitsu whimpered, clinging to Tanjiro's sleeve. "It's like the ground's trying to eat me!"
"Then walk faster, coward!" Inosuke barked, slamming his swords into the earth just to hear the comforting clang of steel. "If something tries to eat me, I'll eat it first!"
Tanjiro's senses were sharp—too sharp. The air was thick with a scent he couldn't describe, something between rotting flesh and burnt incense. But beneath that, something even more unsettling—a faint trace of Saitama's smell.
"Wait… Saitama-san's already here?" Tanjiro blinked in confusion.
Up ahead, standing in the middle of a cracked torii gate, was Saitama, his expression blank as always.
"Oh, hey guys," Saitama said, casually waving. "You're kinda late. I've been here for an hour."
"An hour?! How?!" Zenitsu screeched.
"I was looking for hotpot," Saitama shrugged. "Didn't find any, but I found these guys instead."
He pointed to a pile of dismembered demon corpses, their blood evaporating into the air like black smoke.
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Arrival of the Abyssal Beasts
Suddenly, the ground trembled. From the darkness between the ruins, seven figures emerged—twisted beings, neither fully demon nor spirit, their bodies shifting like smoke wrapped in flesh.
Each one had a number carved into their chests, glowing a faint purple:
Abyssal Spawn #1 through #7.
"New enemies?" Tanjiro drew his sword, his breath already shifting into Water Breathing Form One.
"They're weak," Saitama said, squinting at them. "I punched three of them and they popped like balloons."
One of the Abyssal Spawn lunged, its mouth stretching open like a snake unhinging its jaw, revealing rows of human teeth fused together.
"Ew," Saitama muttered.
The creature vanished in a blur, reappearing right in front of Saitama's face. Before anyone could react, Saitama casually flicked it with his finger.
BOOM.
The demon's head exploded like a watermelon, its body following a second later.
"Yeah, definitely weak," Saitama said.
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Shinobu's Discovery
Farther back, hidden behind a broken shrine, Shinobu observed the battle through a spyglass.
"These demons…" she whispered, taking notes. "Their cells are saturated with cursed blood, not Muzan's cells. This is something… older."
She flipped through her ancient records, comparing the markings on the demons' skin to forgotten symbols from ancient demon tribes.
"Could these be… Pre-Muzan Demons?"
If that was true, it meant something terrifying—a force even Muzan feared was awakening.
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The Fight Continues
The remaining Abyssal Spawn attacked all at once, their bodies shifting into shadowy serpents that coiled around Tanjiro and the others.
"Thunder Breathing: First Form!" Zenitsu roared, flashing through the mist like lightning, severing three serpents before landing shakily on his feet.
"Beast Breathing: Eighth Fang!" Inosuke spun wildly, slicing the shadows into ribbons.
But the shadows reformed instantly, their severed parts crawling back together like worms fusing into one.
"Great," Inosuke growled. "They regenerate faster than I can cut!"
"Hinokami Kagura!" Tanjiro's blade ignited, carving a burning path through the mist, the flames lingering long enough to prevent the shadows from reforming.
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Saitama's Solution
"Hmm…" Saitama scratched his head. "This feels kinda slow."
He took one step forward—the ground shattered beneath his foot, sending a shockwave so powerful it dispersed the entire mist, leaving the demons fully exposed.
"Found you."
In a blur, Saitama launched himself into the air, fists blurring faster than anyone could follow. Each punch annihilated a demon before they could even react, their bodies exploding like fireworks of black mist and flesh.
"Man, these guys are squishier than I thought," Saitama said, landing softly next to Tanjiro.
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A Darker Presence
But before anyone could celebrate, the temperature dropped suddenly, frost forming on the stones despite it being early spring.
From the far end of the valley, a figure emerged, his presence so heavy that even Saitama paused for a moment.
His body was wrapped in cursed bandages, only his eyes visible—eyes that glowed with the light of a dying star.
"Who… is that?" Tanjiro whispered, feeling his lungs tighten just from the figure's aura.
Saitama's brow lifted slightly—a rare reaction. "Huh. This one might actually be fun."
The figure raised his hand, and the entire valley shifted, the ground turning into a sea of liquid shadows, skulls floating within it.
"Welcome to my domain," the figure said, voice deep and ancient. "I am Abyssal Moon Zero, the one who stands above all under the Eclipse."
Even Saitama tilted his head. "Okay, that's a cool name."
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End of Chapter 19