Chapter 218 – 218: Puppets

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Tanjiro

“Thank you, Inosuke, for coming,” Tanjiro said, his voice was calm yet filled with relief as he gently helped the injured Demon Slayer sit up against a tree.

The forest around them was eerily quiet now, the battle over, but the air still hung heavy with the stench of blood and danger. The injured Demon Slayer, a young man, groaned in pain as Tanjiro carefully propped him against the rough bark.

His uniform was torn, and his face was pale, his breath shallow from the injury. Blood stained the ground beneath him, but he was alive, and that was all that mattered for now.

“Stay still,” Tanjiro said, pressing his hand gently on the slayer’s shoulder. “You’re going to be alright. Just hold on a little longer.”

Inosuke stood nearby, his twin swords still drawn, though he seemed slightly calmer now that the fight had ended. He didn’t respond to Tanjiro’s thanks; he just grunted through his boar mask, turning his head toward the dark forest like a predator always on the lookout for more enemies.

“Of course, I came!” Inosuke finally said, sounding irritated. “You think I’d let you take all the glory, huh?! I was ready to cut down every last one of those demons!”

Tanjiro smiled a little at his friend’s response. Even though Inosuke often came across as reckless and wild, there was no doubt he was dependable in a fight.

Tanjiro was grateful to have him by his side, even if Inosuke’s methods were chaotic.

“We need to focus,” Tanjiro said, glancing around the quiet forest. “There might be more demons nearby. We can’t let our guard down.”

Inosuke snorted. “Let them come! I’ll tear them apart!”

But before Tanjiro could respond, a rustling sound caught his attention. His eyes darted toward the trees just ahead, and his heart skipped a beat. Emerging from the shadows of the forest, several figures stumbled into view. They were wearing Demon Slayer uniforms, but something was wrong.

“They’re Demon Slayers…” Tanjiro whispered, his brows knitting together in concern. But as the group moved closer, he could see that their faces were blank, their eyes dull and lifeless. Their movements were stiff, unnatural, like puppets being forced to move against their will.

“They’re not in control!” Tanjiro realized, his grip tightening on his sword. He could feel the malevolent energy surrounding them, the telltale signs of demon influence. “Inosuke, something’s wrong with them!”

Inosuke growled in frustration, eyeing the group with suspicion. “They’re acting weird. But if they’re enemies, I’ll just cut ’em down!”

“No, don’t!” Tanjiro quickly stepped in front of Inosuke, raising his hand to stop him. “They’re being controlled by the demons! We can’t hurt them—they’re still our comrades!”

Inosuke huffed, clearly annoyed, but he lowered his blades slightly. “Then what do we do? Just stand here and let them attack us?”

Tanjiro shook his head, his mind racing as he tried to think of a solution. The Demon Slayers were getting closer, their movements jerky and robotic. He could see now that they were covered in thin, shimmering threads—spider webs. The demons were using the webs to control them like puppets.

“We need to cut the threads!” Tanjiro said, his eyes scanning the group. “If we can sever the webs, they’ll be free!”

“Fine!” Inosuke growled. “Just tell me where to swing!”

Tanjiro took a deep breath, focusing his senses. He could see the faint threads stretching from the Demon Slayers’ bodies into the trees above. They were thin but strong, glistening in the dim light filtering through the forest canopy.

“There!” Tanjiro pointed toward the threads. “Aim for those! Be careful not to hit them!”

With a fierce cry, Inosuke leaped into action, his swords flashing as he swung at the threads with precision. The first few strikes missed, the webs too thin and hard to see in the shadows, but Inosuke’s sharp instincts quickly adapted. With a loud snap, he severed several of the threads in one swift motion.

The Demon Slayers stumbled, their bodies jerking violently as if suddenly released from invisible chains. They collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, their eyes wide with confusion. Tanjiro quickly rushed to their side, kneeling beside them to check their condition.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

One of the slayers, a young woman with dark hair, nodded weakly, still struggling to catch her breath. “We… we couldn’t control ourselves,” she said, her voice trembling. “The demons… they were controlling us with those webs.”

Tanjiro frowned, his heart heavy with sympathy. “You’re safe now. Just rest for a moment.”

But there was no time to relax. More rustling came from the forest, and Tanjiro’s heart sank as he realized that the first group was just the beginning. More Demon Slayers were emerging from the shadows, all of them covered in the same sinister threads, their eyes vacant, their bodies moving as if being pulled by invisible strings.

“Inosuke, more are coming!” Tanjiro shouted, standing up and gripping his sword tightly.

Inosuke, already on high alert, spun around with a wild grin. “Good! More to fight!” He dashed toward the new group, slashing at the webs with fierce, reckless abandon.

Tanjiro quickly followed, using his water-breathing techniques to strike at the threads with precision. “Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel!” His blade spun in a perfect arc, severing several threads at once. The controlled slayers collapsed to the ground, free from the demons’ control, but more kept coming.

~~~

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