"Love Breathing, Second Form: Love Pangs!"
The undulating whip-sword lashed out rapidly, snapping like a nimble viper.
Seeing this, Evernight tracked the trajectory of Mitsuri's blade and positioned his bone blade in front of him to block the attack.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The whip-sword and the bone blade collided repeatedly, sending bright sparks flying into the air.
Mitsuri's muscle density was eight times that of a normal person. After activating her Demon Slayer Mark, her strength became truly formidable. The flexible whip-sword moved as if it were an extension of her own limb, combining agility with devastating power.
Mitsuri's sword rained down attacks from every direction, leaving Evernight struggling to keep up for a moment.
Obanai and Kyojuro watched in awe from the side. "I didn't expect Kanroji to become this powerful after awakening the mark!" Obanai remarked.
"Truly magnificent!" Kyojuro added. "To think my former Tsuguko would awaken the mark before me. I cannot afford to fall behind!"
"What an annoying woman. I'll finish you in one strike! Dark Combat Technique: Shrouding the Heavens!"
Evernight roared in fury, preparing to swing his blade and cut Mitsuri down.
But before he could act, Obanai and Kyojuro's attacks arrived.
"Don't you dare lay a hand on Kanroji! Serpent Breathing, Fifth Form: Slithering Serpent!"
"As her mentor, how can I let you target my pupil? Flame Breathing, Ninth Form, Esoterica: Purgatory!"
Obanai's technique snaked around, cutting off all of Evernight's escape routes, while Kyojuro's strike swung with the momentum of a thunderbolt, aiming straight for Evernight's throat.
From the front, Mitsuri's strikes forcibly pinned down Evernight's bone blade, providing cover for Kyojuro's killing blow.
At this moment, Evernight had nowhere to run. He could only watch as Kyojuro's attack closed in, yet there was no fear on his face—only a smirk.
"Blood Demon Art: Melding into Darkness!"
As he spoke, the space around Evernight warped rapidly until he vanished completely from their sight.
"What? That fake just vanished!" Mitsuri cried out in disbelief, having watched him disappear right before her eyes.
"A spatial Blood Demon Art? What a troublesome ability," Obanai analyzed. "However, that guy will likely continue his assassinations of the Hashira. We must warn the others.
It was only because the three of us were together that we managed to force him back. The others might not be so lucky!"
"Right! We have to notify them immediately!" Kyojuro nodded. "I'll go tell Uzui!"
Obanai said, "Based on what he said, it seems he's already encountered Himejima and Shinazugawa. I'll go inform Tokito then."
"I'll go tell Shinobu!" Mitsuri added. "If that fake meets her, she'll be devastated. I won't let him ruin the bond between Ren and Shinobu!"
"True." Obanai nodded slightly, then looked at Mitsuri. "If you run into him, don't try to take him on alone. None of us are a match for him one-on-one. We only stand a chance if we fight together."
"Understood!"
"Then let's go!"
"Right!"
The three of them dashed off in different directions to warn their comrades.
Giyu: What about me? I'm not disliked.
...
Elsewhere, after using his spatial Blood Demon Art to escape, Evernight arrived in a forest.
Even now, the shock in his eyes hadn't faded. He touched his cheek, muttering to himself.
"How could this be?"
"I look exactly like that guy. How did that woman recognize me?"
'You are weaker than Ren. You are definitely not the Ren in my heart!'
"That's what she said... Am I really that much weaker than my original...?"
At the thought of Mitsuri's words, Evernight clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead. A wave of murderous intent surged from him, causing nearby animals to flee in terror.
But soon, the anger and resentment vanished from his face.
"Heh, I suppose it's only natural. After all, I'm just Chaos's dark clone. It's expected that I'm weaker than my original."
"But once all six of us clones unite, even the original won't stand a chance against us!"
"Yes! That must be it! I'm not just a replica—I am myself, the strongest Berserk Demon in the world!"
"I will kill him and devour his blood. Once I overcome the sun, I'll reclaim the memories in my head!"
As a dark clone of Chaos, Evernight—just like Chaos—only knew combat techniques and the fact that he was a replica of Ren. He was also haunted by the frequent image of a girl in his mind and the promise he made to her...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, the sound of a fierce battle reached him, snapping him out of his daze.
"Fighting? And the aura of a Berserk Demon? Is a demon fighting a Slayer?"
With a blur of motion, Evernight appeared at the source of the noise. There, he saw a figure in red swinging a flaming Nichirin Sword, driving a Berserk Demon into a corner.
"Hinokami Kagura: Clear Blue Sky!"
The swordsman fighting the demon was Tanjiro. He leaped into the air, using the momentum of his descent to deliver a circular slash that landed heavily on the demon's neck.
As his blade turned crimson, the solar energy within it erupted, augmenting the Nichirin Sword's power. With a final strike, he severed the demon's head, and its body crumbled into ash.
"Little boy, are you with the Demon Slayer Corps? I can see you're quite strong—perhaps even on par with a Hashira."
Evernight jumped down from a tree, looking at Tanjiro with a cold gaze.
Hearing his voice, Tanjiro turned around. Seeing a face he knew all too well, a warm, bright smile broke across his face.
"Brother Ren! I defeated another Berser—"
Before he could finish, Tanjiro's expression shifted drastically. He stared at Evernight in disbelief. A thick, overwhelming stench of blood had just flooded his nose—a revolting smell so intense it was nearly suffocating.
He realized instantly that the man before him was not Ren, but a Berserk Demon who had devoured thousands of people!
"You! You're not Brother Ren! Who are you?!" Tanjiro raised his Nichirin Sword, pointing the blade directly at Evernight's face.
"Sigh... Not again."
Evernight sighed in frustration. "Honestly, I look exactly like him. How can you tell I'm not him at a single glance?"
"Isn't it obvious? Brother Ren is my family. How could I not recognize him?"
"You're just a demon who has murdered countless innocents. Stop pretending to be him! Don't you dare defile my family!"
"Hinokami Kagura: Waltz!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]