"Tak.. Take—Cough cough—!"
As soon as the thick dust entered her nasal cavity and was inhaled into her lungs, Iori began coughing violently. Her breathing was affected immediately, and even her movements slowed down.
Seeing this, the Dust Demon's childlike face twisted into a cruel grin.
He sneered:
"You demon slayers… once you inhale dust, your strength weakens. That much, kekeke~ I do know. So—how about it? Can you still move now?"
"Cough cough—!"
Iori could only keep coughing, unable to answer. She tried to reach for the face scarf that had fallen to the ground—but the Dust Demon moved even faster.
The swirling dust condensed into the shape of a giant hand and swept toward Iori.
If it hit, it would likely incapacitate her, even if only temporarily. So Iori had no choice but to dodge.
Forcing herself to take deep breaths despite the discomfort of dust flooding her nose and mouth, Iori quickly changed direction, narrowly avoiding the Dust Demon's sweeping strike.
But she could only dodge once—she wouldn't be able to avoid the second time.
The Dust Demon's next attack was already hidden behind the first.
No, it wasn't exactly hidden—it had always been there. It was just that the cave was too dim and the dust had obscured her vision, so Iori hadn't noticed it right away.
No matter how good your eyesight is, it's useless when your vision is blocked.
So, Iori was struck.
Bang!!
"Urgh—! Bleugh—!"
Her body slammed hard against the wall. A hot sensation surged in her throat, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood—mixed with the dust she had inhaled.
But she had no time to worry about her injuries, because the Dust Demon's next attack was already coming!
"What's the matter, huh?! Weren't you all acting so tough just now?! What about now?! Still think you're better than me?!"
The Dust Demon controlled two massive arms made of compacted dust, swinging them down at Iori again and again as he shouted.
Iori didn't respond.
She couldn't respond.
Forcing herself to breathe in the midst of choking dust while dodging the Dust Demon's attacks—that was already the limit of what she could manage right now.
If she opened her mouth to speak, she'd break her breathing rhythm—her movements would slow down, and she'd lose her edge.
She would get hit by the Dust Demon.
With her current physical condition, if she got struck even one more time, she feared she might not have the strength to stand back up.
So right now, what Iori had to do—was not get hit!
She had to use every last ounce of her strength to keep dodging—and then… wait for Takeo to arrive!!
Her breathing grew more labored by the second. Iori could feel her lungs getting heavier. The dust created by the Dust Demon was part of his own Blood Demon Art. Even if he couldn't manipulate it with extreme precision, he could control how it accumulated.
The more Iori breathed, the more dust gathered inside her body.
How much longer… can I hold out…?
Iori couldn't help but wonder.
Sure, she had said she could stall the Dust Demon—but that was assuming she could still breathe properly. Now that even breathing had become a struggle, she wasn't sure how much longer she could endure.
A sudden wave of regret swept over her—for not wearing a jacket, and for leaving all her belongings outside the cave.
But there was nothing she could do about that now. Jackets and luggage only hindered movement, and for someone like Iori, whose strength wasn't especially high, even the slightest hindrance could lead to fatal consequences.
Wearing only the Demon Slayer Corps uniform to maximize her mobility had, in truth, been the right choice.
After all, who could've predicted they'd run into such a troublesome demon?
Her body felt heavier and heavier. Iori could sense that she was probably no longer even capable of performing the forms of Breathing Techniques.
And it was at that very moment that the Dust Demon found an opening!
A dust whip appeared out of nowhere and caught her by the ankle.
That single grab threw her off balance. Her body spun like a child's tossed yo-yo—slamming hard against the rock wall once more.
Spulch—!
Something pierced her body.
It was a jagged spike protruding from the cave wall.
The spikes weren't particularly sharp to begin with, but at the speed she was moving, even a dull point was enough to break through flesh.
Iori felt… something in her torso had been pierced. The intense pain surged through her mind, turning her vision black. For a moment, she thought she was hallucinating.
This time… I really might die…
…
The Sakoma family, Iori's family, ran a small snack shop in town.
Her family would take the rice and flour they bought and turn them into all sorts of different pastries, then deep-fry them into delicious snacks.
Rice crackers were just one of many kinds of treats made by the Sakoma family.
But they were Iori's favorite—and also the snack she was best at making.
Why she liked them… Iori couldn't really say.
But sometimes, it's just like that—there doesn't need to be a reason for liking something, right!?
It's enough to simply know that you like it.
Maybe one day, she'd come to dislike them. But that was something for the future. For now, Iori still loved them.
Iori had an older brother and an older sister.
Both of them adored her, always saving the best things, the tastiest snacks, just for her.
Later, Iori gained a younger brother—three years younger than her, and very cute.
When he was just born, he didn't look very good. His little face was all wrinkled, like a tiny old man.
But soon, his skin became smooth and soft, and he grew more and more adorable—someone Iori couldn't help but love.
His arrival didn't take away any of the affection the family gave to Iori. They loved him just as much, but they never forgot or neglected her.
The happy days continued.
That happiness accumulated little by little, day after day.
And then, just as it reached its peak...
It all came crashing down.
Iori remembered clearly the day her happiness shattered. The moon that night was distant… and blood red.
As if it were foreshadowing some great misfortune.
That night, her father hadn't come home, even though it was very late. The whole family stayed up, worried about his safety, and no one went to bed early.
But because it got too late, both Iori and her youngest brother—being the youngest—couldn't stay awake and eventually drifted off to sleep.
And then… they were jolted awake by the sound of screaming.
"Darling, what are you doing… No—nooo!!!AHHHHHH!!"
Their mother's scream was shrill, piercing, unbearable. It forced Iori's eyes open, and what she saw froze her in place.
The father who used to gently pat her head, give her snacks, and tell her to grow up strong and healthy—that kind, loving father was now hunched over their mother like a beast, tearing into her neck with his teeth.
Blood spurted from her mother's throat, splashing across Iori's face, leaving her standing there in complete shock.
She froze, her body stiff, unable to move a muscle.
And that—perhaps—was the greatest regret of her life.
Because her older brother died protecting her, slaughtered under her father's claws. Her older sister, trying to lead them to safety, was caught and killed as well.
Even her younger brother…
The first thing he did upon being woken by the noise was try to protect Iori, his older sister. He was slashed by their father's sharp claws, his small body torn open.
It was only then that Iori finally remembered to run.
Not that she didn't escape—she just thought… she should have run earlier. If she had done so… then maybe—just maybe—her little brother wouldn't have been hurt. And maybe… he wouldn't have died later on.
The one who saved Iori in the end was a nearby demon slayer.
He was a retired slayer, with one leg missing and no left arm—but even so, he effortlessly subdued the demon and decapitated it.
That was when Iori first learned about the Demon Slayer Corps—and decided to become a demon slayer herself.
She took her younger brother to a cultivator. With the cultivator's help, she began training. And she began doing everything she could to try and save her brother.
But in the end… her younger brother didn't survive that summer.
"...Oneesan, I don't like it when you frown like that… You look beautiful when you smile.."
That was the last thing her little brother said before he passed away. And from that moment on, Iori—who had lost her smile along with her family—began to smile again.
All the way up to now.
…
Why… was she suddenly remembering all this?
As the scenes of the past played out before her eyes, Iori found herself wondering why these memories were resurfacing now.
Ah… it was probably that thing people talked about—that "life flashing before your eyes" moment before death.
Iori understood then. She was probably really about to die.
But she couldn't die just yet—because she hadn't stopped this demon.
"Sakoma!! The demon here was a clone! Stay where you are and don't go any further! Stay vigilant! The demon must be hiding further in your direction—I'm coming, so just try to hold your position and don't let it escape!"
Takeo's echo rang out from far away. The sound brought a flicker of light back into Iori's eyes.
But that faint light quickly scattered again.
Because Iori saw it—The Dust Demon, who had just been preparing to deal her the final blow, suddenly stopped his attack. He looked like he was about to flee.
No…
He can't be allowed to escape.
If they let him get away here, then everything—the efforts of the demon slayers who came before them, Takeo's efforts, her efforts—would all be for nothing!
But… if Takeo arrives, she might be saved. Maybe she wouldn't die…
Smack!
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Iori slapped herself hard across the face.
She'd already been saved so many times. By her brother. By her sister.By her little brother.By that demon slayer...
Again, and again... and again.
But none of that was luck. Iori couldn't treat it as if she'd been lucky. And she especially couldn't treat other people coming to save her as something she could just expect.
Move, Iori.
Move!
She couldn't let him run—not under any circumstances. Even if it meant dying, she absolutely couldn't let this demon escape! That's what it meant to be a member of the Demon Slayer Corps!
Think. Think of a way. There has to be something she can do.
The Dust Demon's Blood Demon Art was tied to dust. The dust he generated moved almost as if it had a will of its own—making it incredibly difficult to deal with.
Then how could she stop him from producing more dust?
Water…
Iori thought of a possibility.
Water.
If dust is absorbed into water, it can't stay airborne. Iori needed to find a way to flood the area with water.
And—she already had a plan.
She had noticed earlier that one section of the cave wall was damp. It was likely due to last night's heavy rain, suggesting that behind that wall, water had accumulated—or if luck was on her side, it might even be an underground river awakened by the storm.
Break through that rock wall… and let the water rush in!
The idea hit her in a flash. Iori took a deep breath, then dropped from where she had been pinned to the wall. Ignoring the dust still hanging thick in the air, she gasped hungrily, drawing in as much oxygen as her lungs could handle.
Water..
Her body trembled.
Her life was slipping away.
Breathing..
But Iori ignored it all.
Tenth Form—
She summoned every last bit of her strength, forced her breath through her entire body, and unleashed the form she had never managed to master before—
—Constant Flux!
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