BOOM!!
Fist and Nichirin Blade collided once more, the tremendous impact sending Giyu flying backward.
"Cough!"
Blood spilled from Giyu's mouth as his internal organs suffered severe damage from the prolonged high-intensity battle.
His left hand gripped the Nichirin Blade, while his right arm hung limp at his side—broken by Akaza's devastating punch earlier.
Struggling to his feet despite his body reaching its limit, Giyu's resolute gaze towards Akaza never wavered.
Crack!
Akaza clenched his fists, the sound of grinding bones echoing sharply.
"Why? Why must you be so stubborn? Do you truly care nothing for your own lives!?" Akaza's voice was cold, all traces of earlier excitement replaced by frigid killing intent.
Drawing a deep breath, Giyu raised his intact left arm, pointing his blade at Akaza.
"We of the Demon Slayer Corps are eternal—until the day every last demon perishes!"
"Fine. Then I'll personally end your life. What a waste—you could have grown so much stronger." Akaza's regretful words were accompanied by an eruption of terrifying battle aura.
BOOM!!
A shockwave of force surged skyward, whipping up swirling snow.
Crack-crack-crack!
The ground beneath Akaza fractured like spiderwebs under the overwhelming pressure.
The killing intent thickened into palpable weight—Akaza was serious now.
Giyu could feel it: Upper Rank Three's strength was terrifying.
'So... this is where my journey ends. Sabito... I'm sorry. It seems I won't be walking beside you any longer. Our master's hopes... will rest on your shoulders now. The Corps... and Makomo... I leave them in your care.'
Facing his impending demise, Giyu felt only calm.
His sole regret was being unable to bid farewell to his dearest friend and master.
But to fall in battle against demons—this was a fitting end for the Water Hashira.
No disgrace to his teacher's name.
Then... he's gonna unleashed one final strike with everything he left.
Let this Upper moon three witness the Demon Slayer Corps' resolve!
Whoosh!!
Dark energy seeped from Giyu's lips as his whitened knuckles gripped the blade, channeling every ounce of remaining strength into his left arm.
The Water Hashira and Upper Moon Three, Akaza—both warriors gathered their ultimate attacks.
One sought to deliver a killing blow; the other, to unleash the Corps' indomitable will one last time. The chance of slaying Akaza? Nearly nonexistent.
"Destructive Death: Annihilation!"
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
The phantom of a war demon clashed against a roaring dragon of flowing water.
The cacophony of fists meeting steel was relentless.
Giyu's final roar intertwined with Akaza's shriek.
CRACK! BOOM! RIP!
The ground beneath the man and demon shattered continuously under the terrifying aftershocks of their battle.
Wherever their figures passed, towering trees and solid boulders alike were instantly reduced to dust.
*****
Thud!
The overwhelmed Giyu fell to one knee, his broken Nichirin Blade barely propping up his battered body.
His pale blue eyes were stained with blood, his red haori torn in half, revealing the equally tattered black Demon Slayer Corps uniform beneath and his scar-riddled torso.
Less than ten meters ahead, Akaza examined his shattered fist as flesh rapidly regenerated, restoring it to its original state in moments.
His golden eyes refocused on Giyu—truly a warrior he admired, yet such a pity.
As he'd said earlier, Giyu could have been so much stronger.
But while Akaza respected strength, he was no fool.
As Muzan's most trusted subordinate, he'd never act against his master's wishes.
"What a waste, Giyu Tomioka," Akaza murmured, raising his fist to crush the defenseless slayer's skull.
Just as Akaza struck, a razor-sharp gleam shot towards his head.
Swish! Thunk!
His right hand intercepted the projectile while his left lightning-fast seized the would-be ambusher.
"An axe? And... a human brat?" Akaza stared incredulously at the captured boy, recognizing the "blade" as nothing more than a common woodcutting tool.
Tanjiro's throat constricted under Akaza's grip, his face turn purple from suffocation.
Yet even then, the cleaver in his hand remained steady as he swung.
"Don't... hurt... Giyu-san!"
Watching the boy struggle to speak, Akaza laughed—a cruel, mocking sound.
"What right does weak trash like you have to speak? How dare a vermin like you open your mouth?!"
If Akaza revered strength, his contempt for weakness was equally absolute.
In his eyes, the weak deserved neither voice nor presence before their betters.
Tanjiro's defiance struck him as both pathetic and revolting—what could this pitiful human possibly hope to achieve?
"Those earrings... So you're the one Muzan-sama wants dead. Since you delivered yourself, I'll gladly oblige." Noticing the sun-patterned earrings, Akaza's grip tightened.
Crushing this boy's neck would be easier than shattering a tofu.
"Tan... Tanjiro!!" Giyu watched helplessly, his exhausted body refusing to move.
"Die, weakling!"
As Akaza's fingers began to close—
A blood-red streak tore through the air with a shrill whistle, striking Akaza before even his reflexes could react.
Splat!!
A flash of light and shadow and a severed arm instantly fell to the ground.
Tanjiro's neck finally loosened and he gasped for breath, his face gradually returning to normal.
BOOM!!
The earth was blasted into a massive crater.
Upon closer look, a blood-red longsword was deeply embedded in the ground.
Akaza frowned as he stared at the blood-red sword, his severed left arm regenerating in the blink of an eye.
"This presence... a demon? But it feels completely unfamiliar."
BOOM!!
A figure descended from midair with a thunderous impact, landing steadily in front of Akaza.
A black martial artist's coat, a cold and stern face, short jet-black hair, a headband bearing the character "Martial" on his forehead, gleaming black claws and sharp fangs—his golden eyes locked onto Akaza.
"Upper Moon Three? You seem much better than that gay looking Upper Moon Two. What's the point of bullying a human kid? How about a match with me instead?" Maito (Martial Demon) bared his razor-sharp fangs in a grin.
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