In Demon Slayer With Heavenly Insight

Chapter 21: Twelve Kizuki

A/N: Those who don't know check out my new fanfic. Jujutsu Kaisen:The Lucky Star

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Ren hadn't expected that the moment his blade struck his opponent, the demon would vanish into thin air!

His eyes narrowed as he quickly scanned his surroundings, noticing something peculiar.

On the ground where the demon had just stood, a swamp-like, bubbling substance floated eerily.

"Blood Demon Art?" Ren muttered, his gaze sharpening. This was his first encounter with a demon proficient in this type of sorcery.

The skill bore a striking resemblance to the one used by the demon Tanjiro encountered in the original storyline.

Without hesitation, Ren leapt into action.

Seconds later, he emerged from the swampy ground, clutching a grotesque head in his hand. He flung it to the ground in disgust, watching as the demon's dying words echoed the same disbelief as the first one he had slain:

"How is this possible?!"

Ren's response was swift and merciless. His Nichirin Sword descended, slicing cleanly from top to bottom and piercing the demon's head.

"Tell me, where is Kocho Shinobu?" Ren's voice was cold, like the whisper of death itself.

The demon, trembling with fear, stammered, "Who… who is Kocho Shinobu…?"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The demon was reduced to nothing but ash, shredded to pieces by Ren's relentless strikes.

Shaking his head in disappointment, Ren muttered, "Looks like I won't get anything useful out of these weaklings."

He cleaned his Nichirin Sword and continued his journey.

Along the way, every demon Ren encountered was felled with a single strike. Only those wielding Blood Demon Arts managed to endure a second blow before succumbing.

This realization dawned on Ren: his strength had grown overwhelming for most of these demons.

With his blade in hand, Ren carved a path from the base of the mountain toward its summit. Yet, something felt amiss.

The trail before him seemed oddly familiar. The haystack he passed bore the very sword marks he'd made earlier.

"Wait a minute… haven't I been here before?"

Frustration mounting, Ren closed his eyes to focus.

Activating "Bullet Time"

A rush of clarity overtook him.

The world around him slowed to a crawl. The rustling wind grew silent. Birds froze mid-flight. Fish paused mid-leap, suspended above the shimmering river.

The forest fell into an eerie stillness, as if time itself had stopped. In this frozen world, Ren stood as its master.

Concentrating, Ren's sharp gaze detected a faint, crimson mist lingering in the air.

Thick and oppressive, the blood-red mist seemed to distort his sense of direction.

"Found you," Ren murmured, his lips curling into a smirk.

Using his heightened perception, he pushed through the veil of red mist. The environment around him began to shift—the flat terrain gave way to an incline, and the muffled sounds of nature returned.

Deactivating Bullet Time, Ren resumed his climb.

Once the mist cleared, he relied on his sharpened senses to detect the presence of demons. It wasn't difficult; their sounds and movements stood out sharply from the rest of the forest.

Ren moved like a whirlwind, slaying demons as though they were mere practice dummies.

Eventually, the number of demons dwindled, and Ren found himself wondering if he'd already eliminated half of the mountain's cursed inhabitants.

Unknowingly, Ren's reputation spread. The remaining demons now fled at the mere sight of him, their fear palpable.

At last, Ren reached the mountain's summit.

An abandoned wooden house stood before him, with faint whispers emanating from within.

"Don't worry, my lord. My Blood Demon Art is confusing their sense of direction. They're still wandering in circles halfway up the mountain!"

"I've stationed over a hundred demons down below. No Demon Slayer will make it this far!"

The voice was obsequious and trembling with flattery.

Hearing this, Ren finally understood why he hadn't encountered Kocho Shinobu along the way.

She must have been trapped by this very spell, her injuries worsening with time.

Another voice, gruff and commanding, interrupted his thoughts.

"Good work. I'll report your success to Lord Muzan. You're dismissed."

"Thank you, sir! Thank you!"

The sound of footsteps grew closer as someone approached the door

Ren concealed himself in the shadows, waiting patiently.

A moment later, a demon stepped out, its face twisted into a smug grin, evidently proud of having escaped punishment.

That grin didn't last long.

Swish!

With a single slash, Ren's blade severed the demon's head. The creature barely had time to process what had happened before its life ended.

Its final thought was one of disbelief: How did he get in here? Is he a Hashira?

The demon's ashes scattered silently, and Ren turned his attention back to the wooden house.

"This should lift the Blood Demon Art's spell," he murmured, stepping inside.

The interior was crawling with demons.

Some clung to the walls, others dangled from the ceiling, and a few were even buried in the ground. One demon stood unnervingly still despite having its head sliced off.

In total, there were about a dozen demons, their grotesque forms each hinting at unique abilities.

And in the center of the room stood a towering figure.

This demon was unlike the others—taller, broader, and more imposing. A long beard framed its cruel face, and one of its eyes glowed with the kanji and number for Lower Moon Two.

"The Lower Moon… Rokuro," Ren whispered, his expression hardening.

He recalled the original story. After Rui, the Lower Moon Five, was slain, Muzan had wiped out the lower ranks entirely.

It seemed Ren's intervention had altered the timeline.

But that didn't matter.

With a smirk, he gripped his Nichirin Sword tightly.

"Perfect," Ren muttered. "Let's see how strong I really am."

However, the scene in front of him made Ren click his tongue in irritation.

**

Don't forget the power stones another chapter is coming