"Akaza."
At this moment, Joseph Joestar had already noticed that reinforcements had arrived behind him. While continuing to fight, he shouted at Akaza:
"Prepare to face your death!!! For the sake of your tragic past—atone for your sins in Hell!!!"
Joseph, along with Kairo Retsu and the others, had thoroughly studied the detailed intel on Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, including Akaza's past.
Akaza, once named Hakuji, had stolen to buy medicine to keep his father alive, but his father took his own life to avoid burdening him. Later, the master and fiancée he sought to protect—Keizo and Koyuki—were poisoned in the well while he was away. In a fit of vengeance, he slaughtered those responsible and was turned into a demon by Muzan, losing his memories in the process.
Joseph, deeply sympathetic to the life Akaza had lived before becoming a demon, was more convinced than ever that this fiend needed to be destroyed—to let Hakuji atone in the real Hell of this world.
Vampires, ghouls, Pillar Men… and now, demons—since arriving in this world, Joseph could feel the pull of fate resonating through his Hamon.
With no regard for stamina, he continued to breathe at full power. Hamon surged through his blood again and again, to the point where a burning aura radiated around him.
His Hamon ability was growing stronger through direct combat with Akaza. Likewise, Tanjiro felt a similar sensation.
With injuries healing rapidly and no fear of death blows or broken Nichirin Blades, Tanjiro could focus solely on his sword swings and breathing. Thanks to Naofumi Iwatani's wide-area recovery support and the intensity of the battle, Tanjiro's strength was rapidly increasing. Even the marks on his forehead were spreading further as the fight progressed.
"Even if a bunch of you gang up together, so what?!"
Akaza, however, didn't understand Joseph's words. Instead, the arrival of Kairo Retsu and the others infuriated him.
He didn't know why, but seeing them gathered and charging at him sparked an intense rage.
"You weaklings—gathering together changes NOTHING!!!!!"
An inexplicable fire flared within Akaza.
"I'll kill you all… and then fulfill the promise…"
But here, his voice caught.
What promise? With whom? Why had he even mentioned a promise?
Akaza was confused, yet the battle left no room for contemplation.
He was up against Tanjiro and Joseph Joestar…
A strange man wearing an eel-head hood leaping through the air…
A boar-headed youth, a man wielding Water Breathing, and finally a young girl joining the fray.
A quick glance confirmed six attackers already surrounding him. And in the distance, another Pillar had yet to move—accompanied by a female demon who was regenerating her body.
This was a dangerous fight. Rationally, he should retreat, avoid being besieged by multiple Demon Slayers at once, and have Nakime divide and conquer them.
But just as that thought flickered into his mind—
"Akaza!! I won't let you run!!!"
Tanjiro roared.
The moment Akaza's will to retreat appeared, Tanjiro had already caught the scent of it.
And Tanjiro's shout made Akaza suddenly realize…
Had he actually just thought about running?
A wave of fury surged within him—directed at himself. His intention to retreat was completely discarded.
Akaza roared, unleashing his Blood Demon Art again. A massive compass expanded, nearly enveloping the entire battlefield.
"Destructive Death…"
As he spoke, his attacks resumed.
Kairo Retsu rushed in headlong without hesitation, shouting:
"Hakuji!! For your father, your master, and Koyuki! Prepare to atone in Hell!!!"
A storm of punches erupted a split-second later. But Kairo's voice cut clearly through the chaos and rang in Akaza's ears.
Hakuji—who was that?
Akaza wondered.
And the last name—
Koyuki.
He didn't know who that was… and yet, the name filled him with a strange sense of hesitation.
His sweeping fistwind cleared the area in an instant, but Kairo weathered the barrage and pushed in closer.
"Sorry, but I'll have to use your past to mess with your head a bit!"
Kairo made a mental note, then raised his voice again:
"Akaza!! Listen up!!"
"Remember your life as a human! You worthless piece of trash who couldn't protect a damn thing!!"
He shouted insults to provoke Akaza:
"Your father! Your master! That girl named Koyuki! Have you forgotten them all?!"
While Kairo screamed, Kazuma—still in stealth—listened from the shadows and muttered a quick prayer:
"Namu… Namu… This is all to help Akaza atone properly. Please, no grudges…"
"Is… is this it?"
Tamayo, having completed her regeneration, heard Kairo's pointed words and quickly understood his intention—to disturb Akaza by dredging up his past.
Without hesitation, she slashed her wrist.
The strange aroma from her Blood Demon Art began to permeate the air. Shinobu, who was the first to inhale it, was momentarily dazed—almost seeing a vision of her sister—but snapped out of it quickly.
Kazuma, upon seeing Tamayo release her Blood Demon Art, quickly ducked into a safe spot and began chugging Dango Seeds to clear any lingering effects across the group using wide-area support.
"Talking-no-Jutsu is just plain useless!"
Kazuma couldn't help but remark:
"Trying to make the villain reflect through dialogue is such a hassle. It's way more practical to gas them into remembering!"
"Kehehehehe… Hakuji!!"
Kairo Retsu, now fighting shoulder-to-shoulder with Joseph, charged straight to Akaza's face.
Grinning like a proper final boss, he roared:
"Let me jog your memory—now get ready to die peacefully!!"