Chapter 4- I'm not strong enough

I walked and walked and walked.

I had Tanjiro, who for some reason shrunk to the size of a child, tucked away from the cold inside my haori, his eyes shut, slowly drooling into my chest. I had cried for the past few hours as I walked, my legs couldn't walk anymore and the pain in my body flared up but I knew I had to keep going. 

Suddenly we came across a split-off. A path to the right to go on the mountain and a path to the left that led to a river. I walked up to the temple and sat at the feet of its steps, resting my weary back, with Tanjiro still snuggling into me, the afternoon air stank, and it was eerily quiet. Noticing the growing stench, I stood up and backed away from the temple. That is when I noticed two red balls in the darkness. Not balls. Eyes. 

Without hesitation, I braced myself for battle, my muscles tensing with a mixture of fear and resolve. Gripping my axe tightly, I squared my shoulders and prepared to face the creature that dared to challenge me.

With a feral growl, the demon launched itself forward, its grotesque form twisted and contorted in a mockery of humanity. Its razor-sharp claws gleamed in the dim light, poised to rend flesh from bone with merciless efficiency.

I met the demon's charge head-on, my axe swinging in a deadly arc as I sought to cleave through its monstrous hide. But no matter how many blows I landed, no matter how deep I cut into its flesh, the demon simply laughed, its wounds closing before my eyes in a grotesque display of regeneration.

Frustration gnawed at my soul as I fought on, each strike fuelled by a desperate determination to protect Tanjiro at any cost. But with each passing moment, the demon's strength seemed to grow, its relentless onslaught wearing down my defenses with ruthless efficiency.

Blood trickled from a dozen wounds, mingling with the dust and sweat that coated my skin. My muscles screamed in protest with every movement, my limbs heavy with fatigue. And yet, still, I fought on, driven by a stubborn refusal to surrender to despair.

But as the battle raged on, a seed of doubt began to take root in my mind. How could I hope to defeat a foe that seemed all but invincible? With each failed strike, my confidence waned, my resolve wavering in the face of overwhelming odds.

As the demon lunged at me with ferocious speed, its claws slashing through the air like scythes of death, I braced myself for the impact. With a primal roar, I swung my axe in a wide arc, aiming for the creature's neck, hoping to sever its head from its twisted body. But my strike met only empty air as the demon twisted away at the last moment, its movements fluid and graceful despite its monstrous form.

I stumbled backward, my heart pounding in my chest, as the demon's mocking laughter echoed through the night. Anger surged within me, mingling with the bone-deep weariness that threatened to drag me down into the abyss. But I pushed the exhaustion aside, drawing upon reserves of strength I never knew I possessed.

With a defiant shout, I charged back into the fray, my axe held high, determined to vanquish this abomination once and for all. But no matter how many blows I landed, no matter how fiercely I fought, the demon seemed impervious to harm, its regenerative abilities mocking my efforts at every turn.

Hours passed in a blur of violence and desperation as I clashed with the demon, each moment stretching into eternity as we locked in a deadly dance of death. Sweat soaked my brow, mingling with the blood that flowed freely from a dozen wounds, yet still I fought on, driven by a fierce determination to protect Tanjiro at all costs.

But even as I battled with all my strength, doubt gnawed at the edges of my mind like a ravenous beast. How could I hope to defeat a foe that seemed to defy the very laws of nature? Was I destined to fall in futile defiance, my efforts nothing more than a desperate struggle against the inevitable?

As the battle raged on, my muscles burned with exertion, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I fought tooth and nail against the relentless onslaught of the demon. With each passing moment, my strength waned, my limbs heavy with exhaustion, yet still I refused to yield.

With a defiant shout, I launched myself back into the fray, my axe swinging in a wide arc as I sought to cleave through the demon's defenses. But the creature seemed to anticipate my every move, its movements fluid and graceful as it danced effortlessly out of reach.

The demon's laughter echoed in my ears, a taunting reminder of my own mortality as I struggled to keep pace with its relentless assault. Sweat stung my eyes, blurring my vision as I fought to maintain my footing on the blood-soaked earth.

Time seemed to stretch and warp around us, the world reduced to a blur of motion and chaos as we clashed in a deadly duel of wills. Each blow I landed seemed to do little more than scratch the surface of the demon's impenetrable hide, while its own attacks grew ever more ferocious with each passing moment.

But still I fought on, driven by a stubborn refusal to surrender to despair. With every ounce of strength left within me, I pressed forward, my resolve unbroken despite the overwhelming odds stacked against me.

And then, just when it seemed that all hope was lost, a glimmer of inspiration sparked within my mind. With a surge of adrenaline, I launched myself at the demon once more, my axe swinging in a frenzied flurry of strikes as I sought to exploit the slightest weakness in its defenses.

For a fleeting moment, it seemed as though I had gained the upper hand, the demon staggering beneath the force of my assault. But then, with a guttural roar, it lashed out with renewed fury, its claws tearing through my defenses with brutal efficiency.

Pain exploded across my senses as the demon's claws raked across my chest, tearing through flesh and bone with merciless precision. I stumbled backward, my vision swimming with agony as I fought to stay conscious.

The exhaustion caught up to me, and I fell onto the floor, my knees, landing uncomfortably in the snow. Tanjiro had slept through it all, I wondered if he would know that the warm heart he now rested his head on would stop. I braced for the final strike from the demon, but it never came.

"You know, if you're going to fight demons you should probably get a better weapon!"

And with that the world went, up, down, side to side and then black.