The flute stopped.
Instantly, the air went still—dead. Time itself seemed to freeze for the briefest of moments.
Then, like a flash of lightning, the man in white surged forward, his blade slicing through the silence toward my neck.
CLANG!
Our swords clashed, and to my surprise, the sheer force of the ghost's strike pushed me back. My feet slid across the dirt.
I steadied myself, pressing one hand against my katana to hold the clash, then swiftly pulled out the Nichirin dagger from my pocket and drove it into his chest. Without hesitation, I twisted and slashed through his neck in a single motion.
His head hit the ground with a dull thud, but something was wrong.
No blood. No scream. Just... smoke.
The ghost dissolved into a puff of mist.
"A clone, huh?"
I shifted my gaze toward the flute boy, still floating at a distance, silent and still—his flute cradled in his hands.
It clicked. My task was clear now.
Kill the boy.
My grip tightened. Legs coiled with power, I shot forward, appearing in front of him, blade raised to strike—
But the corner of my eye caught a flicker behind me. Another ghost, dressed in white, was already upon me.
Killing the boy meant exposing my back. A dangerous move.
But logically killing the summoner should eliminate the summons, right?
Maybe. But every show I've ever watched tells me one thing: clones don't vanish until their caster breathes their last.
I made a call.
I slammed my foot into the ground, skidding to a halt. Ducking low, I slashed the ghost across the abdomen with a clean cut. Using the momentum, I twisted mid-motion, aiming to finish off the boy behind.
But once again Steel met steel in hard clash
"What? Another clone—? No... dammit, I forgot I'm dealing with ghosts!"
The force of the clash sent me flying. I tumbled mid-air and landed roughly on tree limbs
No time to breathe.
The ghost launched into the air and dove toward me like a missile. I ducked just in time and smashed back-first into a sturdy oak tree.
Before I could even draw another breathe, the ghost blurred forward, blade flashing toward me again.
I leapt up, kicked off the bark, rolled, and came to a sliding stop. When I turned back—the tree I had leaned against was cleaved clean in half.
"...Oh shit."
That could've been me.
I couldn't keep defending forever. I'd played too passive. I needed to go on the offensive.
Having successfully placing myself between the boy and the ghost a perfect line. Then I ran straight at the boy. Predictably, the ghost gave chase, its speed insane. But this time I was ready.
As it lunged, I spun mid-stride and in a swift motion beheaded the ghost
Its head flew off and lile before the ghost vanished in a puff of smoke like the other
Huff. Huff.
I turned to the boy, still floating, still silent. His eyes never opened once during the fight.
I raised my katana.
"Hate to admit, kid… you got me," I muttered.
Then, with one final stroke, I ended it.
His head rolled, still wearing a calm, closed-eyed expression. The body crumbled into ash.
"I'm not like Tanjiro, I don't see shitty backstories. But I'll guess you had it rough coming up."
I sheathed my blade and Nichirin dagger, scanning the area.
Silence as minutes passed It was too quiet
Instinct pulled me toward the spot where the boy had turned to ash. I crouched and found something—lying on the forest floor. A small, round piece of wood with a kanji character carved into its surface.
It read "One."
I turned it over in my hand. That's when it came.
A sudden chill swept through the clearing—light but sharp. The kind of cold that whispers in early spring mornings. It crept under my skin.
Then the flute began again.
But this time, it wasn't the same melody. A new note. A heavier tune. The air itself turned thick, every breath weighing on my chest.
I drew my katana again and out from the darkness came five figures. Each had a boy with a flute hovering midair and standing before them… five ghostly men in white.
Five!
"Shit... So you were a clone too."
My stomach dropped. The last one alone was a pain in the ass to some degree and now I had five?
But I had one thing I didn't have before: knowledge.
I knew their rhythm. Their timing. Their weakness.
These ghosts could be beheaded. The boys too. And after each kill, there was a moment—a brief pause before the next was summoned. That was my window.
I took a deep breath. My hands steadied around the hilt.
Worst-case scenario? I'd use my skill boost point, I didn't want to But if it came to that... I would.
I cracked my neck.
"Well then…"
I pointed my katana forward.
"Are y'all just gonna stand there watching… or are you finally gonna come at me?"