The Heart of Metal - Demon Force [Private | Thost]

*Cough*… this place was perfect.

There were huge caves carved into the walls, the precipices of the Mysterious Canyons that dotted the corner of Fiore. These caves were often met by tourists as large spectacles, having been carved in by prehistoric rivers eons ago, and the works of such had exposed ores of metal on the walls of these caves. The ores were so rusty and old that they released fractions of metal dust in the air, which often got into Mura’s throat and made him cough a little… but it was just the atmosphere he needed. He had sought his place for a purpose.

Some time ago, a peculiar, white-haired gentleman joined their ranks with eagerness to be a part of the guild - and his name was Thost, a guy easy to flatter, who was among the rare kinds of people on Earthland who had met extraordinarily powerful entities of fear and demonization - as in the namesake of the latter word, demons who - per deduction - had taught him the Lost-type magic of channeling the power and bodies of a demon through a specific element that leant on the holy end of the magic spectrum - this was known as the perfect power for exorcism, Demon Slayer Magic.

Whether or not Thost learned it from a Demon like many others or not wasn’t in Mura’s memory, but he did possess the magic, no doubt about it. So today, Mura decided to grant him some knowledge about the nature of Demon Slayer Magic - it was reported that Thost had been out and practicing his exorcism skills with it, but Demon Slayer Magic also allowed the person to eat their respective element to gain mana, grow resistant to said element from enemies as well as have the potential to enter a state called Demon Force.

What better place to train that than here?

“So, what do you think of this cave, Thost?” Mura asked him with a grin on his face, quite proud of having found this natural wonder, “All the metal in the air should make you feel right at home…”

WC: 355

@Thost

It was very surprising to get the message that his guild master had something planned for him. A mission of all things, which made Thost excited due to this being his first mission. It meant even more since Mura was handing it to Thost himself, but that didn't stop there. The guild master of fairy tail himself was going to accompany Thost into this cave. It was a great honor to get an escort from the guild master himself. For a while, Thost was relaxed a bit as he walked alongside the guild master. However, once he got to the cave, he tensed up a bit. With all of the new and vibrant smell of numerous metals and things of that nature, Thost really had no clue what to expect upon entering the cave.

"I have been to a few caves in the past in some kind of loose exploration, but I haven't been to a cave that had this much minerals inside of here. What exactly is it that you are looking for boss? I'll help you find it and show off the brand new mining skills that your guild member has. I don't know, maybe you'll think it's cool that I can smell them."

As for being home, it was a little similar.

"I recall being around jewelry of various stones growing up. It wasn't of my own pleasure, I was basically an appraisal machine to them. A lot a fraud in the diamond industry boss, make sure to put it in my direction so the papers line up for ya. "

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Mura wasn’t exactly searching for minerals, but hey, that could be a side-objective of today. If Thost was able to sniff his way to specific materials as he informed the Guildmaster, then that would be sweet - just ask him to track down some proto-Lacrima and boom, profit. But hey, he had something else in mind - training Thost, Fairy Tail’s Metal Demon Slayer.

“I’ll remember that, then,” Mura replied to his offer about fact-checking future minerals with a chuckle, “But neh, you can also eat metallic objects, so what I had in mind was training you to make it easier… y’know, to draw power from metallic items all around you. There’s some metal in many things, in nature, in cities, on the roads, vehicles, almost everywhere if you think about it.”

A sharp sound escaped his scabbard as Harusame, his katana, was unsheathed. “Let’s spar a little. Use your spells, try and keep up - and at the same time, try and inhale the metal shrapnel in the air,” he explained, holding out an open palm to see how metallic dust soared down to his hand, “Dragon Slayers, God Slayers, and Demon Slayers all share the ability to replenish their magic, strength and stamina by devouring their respective element… but not all of your future opponents will allow you to pick up an iron club and munch away at it.”

Thost was allowed to manifest a spell in order to, maybe, have a sword clash with Mura… or maybe, Thost was more of an ‘iron fist’ mage, or maybe he preferred long-range combat. It didn’t matter, for the main point was to keep on fighting while replenishing his reserves in order to have a potentially infinite output of power. That was the first schedule in Thost’s Demon Slayer Training Session.

Mura was a fierce opponent, but he would hold back against his guildmate. He would stick to his katana and mostly parry. “If you can keep on fighting without losing too much energy, then that’ll allow you to tire out almost any enemy. So let’s see if you’re tenacious enough to empty this cave of its iron dust! Defend yourself!”

With that said, Mura leapt forward, travelling through the dusty air and attempting to melee Thost with his katana and his swordsmanship - the training had officially begun!

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"Yeah, have you ever asked a person about that before? I never really understood how I could look at a block of metal as food. I bit into my spoon once by accident, it was a little embarrassing. I have no real problems digesting things like that as well.  Even with magic involved, I do like to believe that we live in some crazy times where seeing is worth believing. "

Afterward, he saw that the guild master ended up taking out his katana and asking Thost to spar with him.  Thost knew that it was blatantly obvious that he wasn't a match for the guild master or would even give him a bit of a workout.  Thost would have been happy if he made the guy sweat at least once, even if it was from all of the cardio he was getting from out of it. It was kind of aiming low, but the young slayer would be willing to get those little victories.

"Metal Sharpnel in the air? It's because we are here right? Ok,  well...here I go."

When the katana was swung at Mura, Thost brought up his Leg and used dark spear in order to clash with Mura's blade.  He then would throw a series of kicks with the same leg in Mura's direction, possibly hinting that he was more inclined to  use his feet. Or at the very least, Thost would try.

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Strangely, most Slayers came to terms with the fact that they began devouring un-edible materials like metal, fire, dirt, electricity and other elements not exactly suited to go down to your belly. At least, Thost had experience eating metal - for a second, Mura sweated a little, thinking that he would have to get Thost used to devouring spoons and ventilation tubes. Anyway-

Thost quickly blocked Mura’s katana with his leg, having turned it into a dark, metallic spear that emitted a bright energy - the brightness that all Demon Slayer Magic users shared, the holy aspect. It caused sparks to fly out violently, and it intensified as Mura was on the defense, parrying Thost’s swift kicks from his speared leg with Harusame. Kind of a footwork, really.

Mura knew that he had to be more pushing if this training was to have any fruition. Therefore, he suddenly decided to dodge by lowering his upper body, getting right under a kick from the dark spear. Then, in a sudden thrust, he slammed the hilt of Harusame towards Thost’s chest to push him away with force.

“I won’t be lazy, this training is important to you!” he reminded Thost with a stronger grip onto his priced katana, “Be more confident in your approach! A Fairy Tail Wizard shouldn’t lack confidence in their magical prowess, no matter what level it’s at…!” Hopefully installing some words of inspiration into Thost’s heart, Mura charged at him once again with his sword held in the front.

And the moment you lose your breath, you better draw from your surroundings… remember that, and don’t be scared of me!

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The blow of the hilt hitting the chest of Thost was quite impactful. As a matter of fact, it made him fly back into the wall and tumble down. The attack took the air right out of him, literally. He knew that the guild master just had to be holding back, but it only solidified the definite fact towards Mura's greatness. He was strong, there was no denying it for anyone. Thost was breathing a little harder this time, taking in the metal fragments that were minuscule but located all around them in this cave. After that attack, he felt like he needed more air than usual, so he was taking in more than usual.

"Ok, close combat is not for me when it comes to you. Alright boss, how about... this!"

Three gray magic circles appeared and chains erupted from them. The chains would then attempt to wrap around the hands and feet of Mura to immobilize his movement. But most of all, it was looking to quite possibly attempt to disarm him. But will it work, who really knows? However, it was worth a shot.

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When Thost came back up on his feet, he began intaking metal shrapnel from the air around him. Mura sensed a small rise in magic power, which should have restored a bit of the Demon Slayer’s vitality. Now, all he had to see was Thost continuing to do this with all the burdens that Mura was about to throw at him, in which the shaman readied his katana up in front. He was a good distance away from Thost, and he had to be on the offense - otherwise, the training would be futile.

That was when Thos manifested iron chains from magic circles that were spawned all around the charging shaman. The chains wrapped around his hands and feet, a possible maneuver to stop him in his tracks and immobilize him. Mura knew that he could break out of these chains if he used enough mana, but instead, he let himself be caught by them… only to have 3 boulders rise up in front of him instantly after the chains wrapped around his limbs. These three boulders each took the form of a living stone sculpture of Mura, grew out a metallic pole from their palms and charged at Thost slower and weaker than the original. Even if Mura was tied down, he always had a trick up his sleeve, and he hoped that Thost took that to heart as well, for taking these tips and suggestions to heart could save his life one day.

The first clone of Mura swung its metallic club - which, by the way, simulated his katana Harusame - from above down to Thost’s left shoulder.

The second clone of Mura swung its metallic club sideways, aiming to slam it into Thost’s right hip right after the first clone.

The third clone jumped onto the back of the first clone before the first one made its strike. The third clone then jumped up and attempted to land behind Thost, before it sent the foot of the iron club straight at his spine.

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Thost couldn't help but to gloat a little as he rubbed the side that he was hit deeply with his palm.

"Ha, did you see that guild master?! I don't completely suck, I even managed to catch one of the......greatest.....mages...with a cheap tr....."

Thost pretty much stopped talking for a brief moment as the stones rose up and started to morph into mura clones.

"Wait how did you?! Oh... oooo so of course, the person I caught was a clone too.  There's no way.....wait... then everyone is a clone... fighting the boss is difficult.  No way, he can't be a clone... he slapped the metal outta me!"

Sure, Thost was thinking out loud in regards to how Mura could do this. However, he also started to wonder if he could do some things like this as well.  It would be a cool little talent to have, but thinking about it would have to go on later if Thost was to survive this training exercise.

When the first club was swung at thost, he did notice that the clone was a little slower than mura.  Instead of  dodging, he took it and decided to focus on the other clones. It slammed right into his shoulder as he gritted his teeth in pain. However, the metallic demon slayer was known for his defense. The spell damage was 40% weaker than intended, and if the attack was weaker to begin with, Thost could endure it. He grabbed the wrist of the clone tightly with one of his free hands.

However, he didn't want anyone attacking his legs. when the second clone came up, thost used dark spear once more to not only attempt to calash with the clone, but aim right for the golden jewels. It would make so what of a clanging sound due to thost hardening his leg momentarily. but he hoped that it would at least have a reaction to the attack.

As for the third clone, Thost decided to do a judo throw on the first clone in order to knock them together while the third clone was in the air.

Spoiler:

wc: 353

Yeah, it was a sweet trap, but Mura was meant to push him into mauling down more mana, so he had to be even trickier himself. Thank goodness for the diversity of his magic, for it allowed him to mix and utilize many aspects and techniques to develop new tricks, traps and other manners of incantations.

Thost’s reaction to his three clones were first met with genuine shock, then a sudden realization which led to confusion, then utter instinct as he was approached from three sides at once without knowing whether all of them were clones or not. Despite those heart-shaking feelings, Thost remained focused enough to engage in proper combat against the clones - hell, he even tanked a direct hit onto the shoulder by one of them, and he even grabbed its wrist and readied for what looked like a dragon throw.

The second one had its steel club met by a Dark Spear, Thost’s spear-like spell from his leg. It then turned to rock from its groin and outwards as Thost had aimed for quite a forbidden area and succeeded in doing so. The third clone had a tossed first clone at it, which covered Thost of three clones within a couple meters. The second clone crumbled away, and the two others rose up on their feet for another assault.

This time, one of the two clones swung a clockwise strike with the club straight for Thost’s skull, while the other swung a counter-clockwise strike for his legs. Would he be able to avoid both those strikes? And was he running out of steam soon, clearing the way for the true purpose of his training? Just what had Mura in store for him in the near future?

Find out in the next turn of Fairy Tai-

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With how Thost handled the three clones, it looked more and more to him that a lot had to be done in order to get rid of them. But while he was looking at them, he also did a double-take on Mura.

"How are you.... doing that?"


If by some chance that Mura was still restrained, for the time being, he wondered how he was able to cast without any sort of theatrical style or waving his hand or anything of the sort. Maybe next time, Thost could also think about how he could make some metal clones or something? But right now, thost was running out of juice. There were two spells that he didn't try yet, and one of them was something he was going to fire at the clones right now before they even got a chance to attack him. He was planning on taking the hits, but they would have to get through being pelted to heck if they were aiming for him. Thost fought a bit recklessly, but his fighting style wasn't that refined yet.

"Metal Cluster!!"

Three gray magic circles appear in numbers according to Thost's targets, subsequently launching darkened spiked metal cluster balls at his opponents. If they still managed to get through to that to hit thost, he would take the full brunt of the attack by covering up and believing more in his defense.

WC: 233

Mura giggled innocently at Thost’s confusion. Mura had been training himself and his magical prowess for over 9 years now, so he’d had plenty of time to get used to casting spells. Spells usually required one to channel magic through their selves, to which they often did a motion in response to the magic flowing through them, but skilled wizards could cast spells with a mere thought. Thost just had to utilize the flow of time to gain experience, and then he would be among those skilled wizards himself.

The clones quickly noticed the three magic circles surrounding them. When metal cluster balls were flung at them from those circles, they attempted to evade them all, even trying to pary by using the iron clubs that they held. Mura simply stood where he was, chained by the holy steel chains around his arms and legs, hoping that Thost would get cocky enough to try and devour the iron weapons that his clones possessed to disarm them. It would give him the upper hand in a situation against a thug with a sword or a baton.

Thost was doing well, but he was also running out of steam. Don’t forget why you were here today!

The two clones leapt away from Thost and made distance from him, while Mura commented: “Okay, seems like you’re running out of mana, so… show me how quick you can recharge it. Be a little gluttonous when it comes to that…!” Mura suggested to him. This was the moment where Thost had to rely on his Demon Slayer powers, their innate ability to devour magic to replenish their own - Thost had to weaponize that ability, so it worked in his advantage against his opponents.

The two clones would then dash forward again… each one attempting to knock him out with their iron clubs by swinging them towards his head. Those iron clubs sure looked delicious, didn’t they…?

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TWC: 3249

Being tired was an understatement, Thost was freaking exhausted. This was probably the first time that a fight of his lasted five minutes, and when you think about it, five minutes is a long time. Maybe it's because he never fought another wizard before it it was always against rabid creatures or animals? Either way, this wasn't something that he could keep up for a long period, and he didn't know how to hide it. It could be said that there are some tell signs in combat that you shouldn't reveal to your opponent. Also, how long was he willing to be a punching bag? these clones of Mura were made of metal, wasn't that supposed to mean something?"

"Think Thost, think!"

With the iron clubs being swung in Thost's direction as he covered up to block them, he would reach for one of them and take a huge bite out of the club. In a sense, the act seemed foreign to him that he would outright start to eat metal things that were considered dangerous. Thost was a bit of a shy eater with that, sneaking that shiny spoon in the kitchen that looked more appealing than it should and what not. But he was desperate, and being desperate made him try to do things he didn't think he was going to do.

*munch* Munch*

He was hungry, starving even as each swing he blocked was met with a bite out of their weapons. This continued until all the clones had left was the handles, with their weapons diminishing and the hits hurting less each time as he ate away at the material.

"Huh... I have to say boss, I never thought I could eat something like that... till today...."

Flipping back and burping, Thost breathed out and relaxed a bit.

"Now I know for sure, you could have broken out of those chains at any time. Isn't that uncomfortable for you then? Boss Mura? I know my fighting style is ungrateful, bear with me I'm kinda making this up as I go to be honest."

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Thost was still being defensive now, blocking both poles with his arms before… oh, there we go! The cracking, munching sounds coming from his jaws as they tore down the metal clubs were signature for many Metal Slayers - the iron clubs that the two clones of Mura’s held were quickly reduced to just the handles. Thost’s mana recovered a bit from eating those clubs as they were manifested by Mura’s magic. The experience of digesting them, though, appeared not so appetizing to the Metal Slayer right now… he looked fatigued, perhaps out of shock.

He would definitely get used to it one day, as many others had. Mura had no doubt in his capabilities, and even if he did, he would just weld that doubt away and substitute it with an impossible development.

“Bon appetit,” the shaman remarked on the scene of Thost burping after a good meal rich in iron, “I guess that’s enough from my clones, then. You held your own for quite a while, and you got physical strength to compliment your magic, but you seem to lack a strong sense of technicality. Y’know, technique and skills that you’ve honed… those take time to reveal, but I’ll let you know this.” With a little force from pulling his arms closer to his body, Mura broke the metal chains that were holding him - it wasn’t exactly his physical strength, but it was his magic. Y’know, the Onmyōdō one that allowed him to bend elements like metal.

Rather convenient against Slayer Magic, really.

“Don’t slack off in your activities, for every day helps you get a little closer to the type of wizard you want to be.”

Mura would then jump and land atop a random boulder, surrounded by walls of glittering granite and iron dust. “This might be random, but… what do you know about Demon Force? Ever heard of it before - from a friend, family or from any Sorcerer Magazines?”

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If anything, Thost listened carefully to what Mura was saying to him. There were a lot of things to take into account in the sense of utilizing his magic and being a little more skilled with it. Or better yet, he had to find a way to shape up and train just a little bit more so that he could end up being useful to the guild.

"No matter how many times I say this, I feel as if it's not enough. Thank you for taking an interest in me enough to train. Honestly, I don't really know where I would be or what I would be doing if I didn't get a chance to join fairy tail. I haven't really got a chance to do anything ad of yet, but I do have a good feeling. Or, I can't shake the fact that I have a good feeling about this. "

Seeing Mura break the chains wasn't that surprising, but he was still surprised that he made it look so easy. As for the force thing, Thost had no clue what that is.

"This is the first time I'm hearing about this. Not like I've been living under a rock or anything, but things like that didn't interest me because I haven't been doing that much fighting. Wait, very vaguely I remember something. oh! I remember why I wasn't interested now, it included eating more metal. Oh, right, I have to consume much more of that for me to access it anyway, on top of having more mana. But don't worry boss, I'm trying to change my outlook on eating bronze and stuff. I mean, sometimes it tastes the same you know? I get a little bored..... But I don't know much else."

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Thost’s genuine interest in learning more about his magic was a blessing - it meant that he wasn’t just a pushover or a sloth. If it required work, he would want to take it on. The more he worked, the further he would go… merit birthed skill, as one would say.

However, he stated that he had never heard about Demon Force before. Or, at the very least, he knew little of it… yes, it included eating more metal to reach the point where the excess mana in his body would transform him. If he wished to master his Demon Slayer Magic, then he would have to know how to enter his strongest form.

“Fair enough,” he replied to Thost before approaching a dusty wall inside the cave, “It’s easy enough if you have the means. All you have to do is gain excess mana inside of your body - mainly by eating more.” He suddenly slammed his arm into the wall and made it crack up into huge boulders, revealing hidden ores underneath the sand rock that he would grab with little effort. “Alright, eat up!”

It was pure iron and cobber ores, so he assumed that Thost would take them well. Therefore, he just tossed them over to Thost like dodge balls, one by one - the sizes of three knuckles of metal ores for him to gobble up.

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"Alright, I guess I should get used to it."

Thost mostly listened and ate, that was what he was good at anyway. Listening to people talk and nodding his head occasionally, and eating and stuffing his face. However, his eating was more or less centered around coming to terms with the regular stuff that dragon slayers can do. With the combination of slayer magic that he had, Thost could be seen as a cannibal, more or less. However, he didn't want to scare the guild master, maybe pick his brain.

"Hey, Mura Boss, I have a question for you."

After finishing and giving off a bit of a burp, he would then turn to Mura.

"What if I told you that there were multiple elements I had control over with this slayer magic? What if I only showed you the metal portion because the rest of it is pretty scary? Like, scary stories to tell in the dark scary. I didn't lie to you, but I wasn't as forthcoming as I should have been due to my own insecurities of what the magic is supposed to represent. What would you say to that?"

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While Mura was tossing the rocks over to Thost for consumption, considering to put on headphones for some sweet Shaman Punk, a curious question was thrown his way, which he had the responsibility of answering. At first, Mura thought that it was a question about the particular taste of metal in his mouth, but it threw him aback a little when Thost asked about the possibility of possessing the ability to channel multiple elements…

“Wait, you possess more than one element? That’s pretty rare,” was his first reply and comment to Thost’s question, followed by a soft smile of indifference to the warning that he was given, “And… scary magic? Well, any magic can be scary in its own way, but if you mean that its specific purpose is seeding horror, then… perhaps find a way to utilize it, anyways. I won’t forgive you if your life is taken away because of holding back.”

Thost was a relatively new but promising mage. He showed signs of shyness from the get go, but it kept his head cool and on his shoulders. He was able to judge the situation pretty well, too… and he was able to question himself and his methods for the sake of improving. Thost, you were a valuable member and a valuable Demon Slayer of Fairy Tail.

“In the end, it’s your power. You will, without doubt, find a way to use it around others… time alone will reveal that. Another batch!” he explained, before he threw another volley of iron ores towards Thost’s maw, “I have some pretty terrifying spells and magic too… I’m no ordinary shaman. Here, I’ll show you.”

He stopped throwing ores at Thost and stepped forth, until he stood in the middle of the cavern. Then, his body emitted a sizzling, dripping aura… dark-purplish in color, ominous in nature, and dead in spirit. It spelled dread, death, the rapture of organic life… but it also spelled resurrection, spiritual freedom and, most of all, the presence of a deity’s influence in the magic.

Hades, the lord of the Underworld. His Magic channeled right through Mura.

“Maybe your Magic isn’t so scary against me like this… if anything, I can help you test out its effects. Be vigilant, and show me.”

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Not for nothing, Thost listened and aid attention to what was being said by Mura. Perhaps he had a point, there was no point in limiting yourself for the sake of appearances. If this was something that Thost wanted to show, then he should believe that his friends and comrades wouldn't reject him or want to work with him after seeing such things. Or better yet, that was his hope that there wouldn't be any backlash afterward. He continued to eat the metal that was brought to him, having a bit more of an appreciation for that than usual. Before all of this, thought that he would have been able to eat flesh, but it was still something he wouldn't openly talk about.

However, Thost's eyes did open when he saw that ancient necromancy-like magic that Mura performed a little of. It was definitely scary and could have meant a lot of things. But maybe it really was dependent on the user, it's the user of the power that determines what the power could represent and what it could be used for. Nothing had to be inherently evil.

"I understand, alright. I'll do my showcase"for real", this time. Are you ready? I do have a few more things to show you afterall." Thost took a fighting stance for a couple of seconds, only if he was going to indicate to Mura that he was going to start attacking soon.

"A bit of a reintroduction then boss, Thost Cuddle, The Mythos Demon Slayer!"

With an extension of his arm, a magic circle engulfs it as a demonic spike chain covered in dark energy shoots out in an attempt to wrap itself around mura. The chains from hell are covered in spikes, attempting to squeeze and pierce themselves to the target to deal damage if Mura ever got caught by them.

"Mythos demon slayers don't only use metal, they use flesh, darkness, and sigils!"

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It felt pretty neat to tutor someone. Maybe Mura was being a bit too selfish in his efforts to educate Thost in the ways of utilizing his dangerous Magic, but he was showing great results up until now, and Thost kept growing. He had inner strength, most definitely. He was considerate for others, which showed a sense of self-reflection – also a good quality. Was he brave, though? Was he relentless, or did he have the potential to be that? Time would tell…

“I’m ready! Show me how far your Demon Slayer Magic takes you – I’ll be surprised when it’s not cookie dough and vampire blood!” he almost challenged Thost with his hands stretched out, beckoning the young man to take a stance as he did so. That was when he called himself ‘the Mythos Demon Slayer’, throwing Mura off with the appearance of spiked chains of some dark energy that wrapped around him! Just like before, he was immobilized by the Demon Slayer chains, but they didn’t emit holy energy at all! Wasn’t all Demon Slayer Magic holy in nature?!

“T-This dark energy… but Demon Slayer Magic is supposed to be on the holy end of the spectrum?” Mura spoke in genuine surprise, “I’ve only heard of dark-based Demon Slayer Magic from randoms… I-I thought it was a myth…”

Glaring over at Thost, Mura focused deeply… yes, the chains poked, but he could sense Thost’s magic power skyrocket. He was very close to the threshold needed to shove down the Force wall. “Thost! Here’s your next objective; eat a little more of the ores nearby! You may not be able to sense it yourself, but I believe that you’re closer to that Demon Force of yours than you think… if you want to see the full extent of your Demon Slayer Magic and impress me even more, then try that!”

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"there's a lot more I can show you but I want to try the force thing you were talking about." Thost had plenty of more tricks that he tried to keep under wraps or at least seem a bit simple to other people when it came to magic. It's not like he was pretending or playing the role of being the village idiot involving magic, he just felt like his insecurities were what led him to believe that some aspects of his magic shouldn't be used. However, to Thost's knowledge, Mura was not even a slayer and amassed such power that it felt like he could surpass one. That was the indication that the power itself wasn't all that special if the person using it at all was falling behind.

"See, that's what I was trying to avoid. I don't have any answers to those questions, but I mean well with my powers. Hope that's enough, and here it goes!!!" Eating a bit more of the ore, Those immediately entered his hybrid force. Thost was rather shocked when it happened, speechless with all of the elemental aura that surrounded him.

"So this is the force you keep mentioning....i wonder how long it lasts for...."

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Hmh… he did enter some kind of mode right now. A state of being where his mana skyrocketed and would reach an even higher level, sustaining his increased prowess for a temporary amount of time. However, it felt… different. Usually, apparitions or physical traits grow on the person entering Force – the scales of a Dragon, the eyes of a God, and the horns of a Demon, just to name a few. In Thost’s case, it was all manifested in an aura of metal dust, black fogs and unholy attributes, while no physical growth took place.

“I… uhhh, it does look a little different from the Force I was talking about,” the shaman continued to explain to Thost, while he was still being chained up by the black chains without a care, “Alright, from now on, I’ll go on the offense. Aaaaaand go!”

In a sudden burst of metal shrapnel, the chains were broken off of his limbs by a repulsing force of magic. It allowed the shaman to plant his feet on the ground again, and the moment those feet of his did so, boulders would erupt from the earth and aim towards his location. If Thost didn’t evade the incoming precipices, then he would find himself smushed to a mess.

WC: 211
TWC: 6044

With the boulders heading his way, Thost knew better than to go toe to toe with Mura in regards to how powerful the magic he had at his disposal. Even if he did go easy on those, there was still a chance that his easy mode could be on the scale of a B rank mage, so Thost didn't take it lightly and tried to evade the attacks as they headed towards him. He was still trying to get used to the force, but he could feel it slowly changing his body as he continued. He felt himself slipping, he wanted to maintain a more human like appearance but it was taking too much energy to do so. In a sense, it was like Thost was holding his breath.

Once he let go, he was moving faster, but then his force appearance started to look the way it was "supposed" to look.

Spoiler:

For the time being, Thost was playing defensively with near misses of the boulders.

Hmh. It looked like Thost’s Demon Force was a tricky one. Instead of simply planting appendages and apparitions of a demon on his body, it already began transforming him into one… surely, he would have to use Force a lot more in order to make up for that. Mura would assure him that by the end of his regime, Thost would have become a fully-fledged Demon Slayer with free access to all of his demonic power without drawbacks.

It was a reality, however, that Slayer Magic affected the users like this. Slowly taking over them… he had seen a similar event with Menka back in Motor City, although she invited the change in her as some sort of thrill, a new fetish to explore. It was good for her, because it allowed her to innately dive into her pool of magic even more, until she routinely made use of it without losing herself… the question was; would Thost be able to overcome it himself?

Well, Mura would be quite a shitty Guildmaster if he didn’t have faith in his guildmates.

“Thost! Know that everything takes time, practice and will! You won’t be able to master your Demon Slayer Magic in one day,” he called out to him, watching the Demon Slayer push himself so far to avoid the boulders spiking up at his feet, “We’ll continue this training tomorrow as well! I’ll make sure to push you to near-death if I have to, until nothing can hold you back!”

The boulders stopped heading towards the silver-haired Bronze Member. Mura noticed how defensively Thost was playing and spoke up: “You’ve gotten a taste of your Demon Force now, but you’ve worked yourself out a bit too. How are you feeling?”

WC. 289
TWC: 6499