At first, the ghost hunter had thought Takeo was ridiculous.
Learning Wind Breathing on the spot? In the middle of a life-or-death fight?
Impossible.
Even if the boy looked gifted—twelve years old at best—he figured, at most, Takeo might use the technique to escape. And that alone would have been a miracle.
But what happened next…
Surpassed every expectation.
Within less than thirty minutes, the boy—this red-haired stranger—grasped Wind Breathing.
And used it.
A familiar breeze swept through the cramped warehouse.
SLASH!
Blades of wind, invisible yet razor-sharp, carved through the demon's body.
It had underestimated him. Mocked him.
And now, it paid the price.
Half its body was torn apart.
Its right arm hit the ground with a thud.
Its head followed.
No one can learn a Breathing Technique that fast…
The ghost hunter could hardly believe it.
But there it was—real, undeniable, and unfolding before his eyes.
"Now! Use this knife! Use that form again—cut off its head! It's the only way!!"
The hunter hurled his anti-demon blade across the room.
The water demon saw it. And panicked.
It wasn't the hunter who scared it anymore—it was the boy.
"No… NO! I won't let him get it!!"
The ghost's mangled body pulsed with dark energy. It unleashed its Blood Demon Art at full force, conjuring massive water serpents to intercept the blade.
But Takeo was faster.
He leapt.
The wind lifted him.
The wind carried him.
His body rose with the blade, spinning midair. Before the serpents could strike, he reached it—grasped the hilt mid-flight.
The moment his hand touched the handle, the winds exploded outward.
WHOOOSH!
It wasn't just a weapon anymore.
The air around the blade spun like a cyclone. The force shook the warehouse, as if the wind itself had chosen a new master.
"DAMN IT!!"
The demon's wide eyes locked on Takeo.
He didn't want to die.
This wasn't how it was supposed to end.
It had just been another job. Another hunt. A mistake…
Why now?
Why him?
Why a kid?!
The demon's thoughts scattered as the wind screamed louder. Takeo dove, his eyes burning like fire.
He ignored the water blades ripping into his side.
He ignored the pain. The blood.
He saw only one thing: the demon's neck.
The final strike came fast—like judgment from the sky.
Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claw-Claw Harp Wind!
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
The wind roared as the anti-demon blade carved through the demon's throat.
Its head separated from what was left of its body.
The regeneration stopped.
The monster's limbs dissolved into vapor.
Its form collapsed into a pool of water and ash.
Takeo fell from the air and crashed to the ground, unmoving.
"NO! NO! NO!!! This isn't real!! It's all fake!! A nightmare!!"
The water demon's voice, now no more than a disembodied wail, cursed the boy who had slain it.
It wasn't the ghost hunter who had delivered the final blow.
It was a kid.
A nobody.
"I… If I'd just kept eating… I could've..."
Its voice faded into choking sobs.
Then—silence.
The demon turned to dust, scattering into the pool of blood and water.
The ghost hunter stood there, stunned.
He had just witnessed a miracle.
That kid… He actually did it.
When his body finally caught up, the hunter stumbled to his feet and rushed to Takeo's side.
The boy was barely breathing.
His body was covered in cuts. Deep ones. His blood stained the floor.
But—
He was alive.
"You're not dead. Not after that. Not after pulling this off."
The hunter dropped to his knees, clutching the boy.
"You just learned Wind Breathing! In half an hour! You can't die—not after this!! Stay with me!"
He looked around, screaming:
"HELP! Somebody help us!! Anyone!! Get a doctor, NOW!!"
His voice echoed through the hall, shaking every passenger on the ship awake.
Footsteps thudded above.
Lights flickered on.
But the ghost hunter didn't let go.
He just held on, as the boy who had defeated a demon teetered between life and death in his arms.
Author's Note:
Kamado Takeo, the red-haired wanderer, just changed everything. A demon is dead. A blade has chosen him. And somewhere in the darkness, fate has begun to stir.