Seeing Akaza's head growing back, Rengoku's pupils contracted.
…How was this possible?
How was something like this possible?!
If it was like this… how were they supposed to kill him?
And on top of that, a terrifying thought made his eyes fill with a profound darkness.
"Is this a particular ability of his, or can Muzan… do this too?"
"You guessed right," Marcus murmured helplessly. "Muzan can regenerate his head too."
Rengoku's brow furrowed.
He really could do it…?
"Now do you understand why I insisted so much on setting up the laboratories?" Marcus continued. "Why I won't stop asking for more resources for research?"
"…I understand." Rengoku clenched his teeth. "What we know about Kibutsuji Muzan falls miserably short…"
As he spoke, he pointed his sword at Akaza.
"It seems we can only depend on you."
By that point, Akaza had already regrown half of his head.
And if it weren't for the fact that Marcus had told him not to attack, Rengoku would already have cut his neck off again.
"What exactly is happening to him?"
Marcus took a moment to answer. "If everything goes well, his memories from when he was human are coming back at the same time as his brain is rebuilding itself. Maybe…"
That "maybe" hung in the air with a tone that Rengoku didn't like.
"And even if his memories come back, what then?" he shot back. "Are you seriously hoping he'll recover his humanity?"
"…At the very least, we'll be able to talk to him."
And, in that exact instant, Akaza's eyes finished forming. Two completely red eyes locked onto Marcus.
"DESPICABLE!! COWARD!! HOW DARE YOU!! HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME REMEMBER SOMETHING LIKE THIS!!"
Without wasting a second more on speeches, he hurled himself at him. And Rengoku, in spite of his complaint, planted himself in front of Marcus.
"Back off!"
But Marcus simply smiled.
'He remembered… Finally!'
Although, of course, it was obvious that Koyuki hadn't appeared to him.
But her not appearing wasn't entirely bad either.
"Don't you want to see Koyuki again?"
Once again, Akaza was left paralyzed. Leaving Rengoku in an awkward position, not knowing whether to attack. But even he could see clearly that a flame was lighting up in the demon's eyes. The flame of hope.
"Is it really possible?!"
But…
'AKAZA!'
A voice, the voice he knew better than any other, spoke to him from within.
'KOYUKI IS DEAD! SHE'S DEAD PRECISELY BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T STRONG ENOUGH! THEY'RE ALL MANIPULATING YOU! THEY'RE USING YOU! KILL THEM! KILL THEM ALL!!'
And the voice brought with it every blackest emotion that lived buried in Akaza's heart.
The little flame of hope, which a second before had been shining in his eyes, transformed into fury.
"You're tricking me!" he roared, "Koyuki is dead! They killed her with poison! It was you! It was vermin like you who…!"
Watching him spiral back into madness, Marcus shook his head.
"Even if a person dies, their soul remains. I only told you I could make you see her. At no point did I say she was alive."
…Soul?
…See her?
Akaza froze again.
"…"
And meanwhile, there was poor Rengoku.
For the fourth time in a row he had watched Akaza launch into an attack, stop, launch again, stop again.
A flash of existential exhaustion crossed the eyes of the Flame Pillar.
'Let whatever's going to happen, happen.'
This time, he simply stepped back until he was standing beside Marcus.
"Talk!" The gleam of hope returned to Akaza's eyes. "Explain yourself clearly!"
Marcus shook his head. "This isn't something that gets explained with words."
"What?!"
Before Akaza had time to lose it for the umpteenth time, he tossed Makomo into the air.
"I can't explain it to you, but she can."
The sword flew and stopped in midair right in front of Akaza, suspended at chest height, the hilt offered toward him.
"Grab her."
Akaza narrowed his eyes. "Do you want to poison me again?!"
"What level of paranoia have you reached?" Marcus rolled his eyes. "All I did was push my Breathing inside your body to slow your movements down. MY BREATHING. AIR. Does that sound like poisoning to you? What kind of head does that fit in?!"
"…"
"Besides! Do you want to see Koyuki once and for all or not?"
"I do!"
"Then grab the damn sword!"
"Oh…"
Watching Akaza obey and take hold of the hilt like a good little kid, Rengoku's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
"Who is this Koyuki…?"
Marcus, seeing him close his eyelids, nodded.
'Good. Makomo's definitely talking to him already.'
Taking advantage of the breather, he turned his face toward the man at his side.
"Rengoku, a question. Is there any woman you've fallen in love with?"
"There isn't!" he replied, with a totally serious expression. "I have only one duty and one mission! To put an end to demons!"
"Mm." Marcus nodded understandingly. "Then I can't explain to you what's happening here. So, please, don't make me waste my breath."
"…"
Meanwhile, on the other side, Akaza was rebuilding his view of the world with Makomo's help.
In the Demon Slayer Universe, souls exist… Really. Not only those of demons, but also the souls of the deceased.
Makomo and Sabito were the prime examples.
In the same way, heaven and hell existed. That was something that the official story itself spoke about without beating around the bush.
And the joint existence of those three things—souls, heaven, hell—necessarily implied a fourth: reincarnation.
It all had explicit backing in what had been written.
That is: when any human being died, they were sent to heaven or to hell according to how they had lived. The ones who went to heaven then entered the cycle of reincarnation. The ones who went to hell stayed there serving their sentence.
But, as with everything, there were exceptions.
As in Makomo's case and the others, who should have ascended to heaven cleanly, but had remained anchored to this world because of an attachment that was too strong.
Akaza couldn't hold himself back any longer.
Snapping his eyes open, he quickly stepped forward, with a feverish gleam in his gaze. But upon seeing Rengoku raise his guard, he instantly remembered the insignificant little detail that half a minute earlier he'd been trying to kill everyone present.
He stopped and looked at Marcus with an expectant gaze.
"And Koyuki?! Where is she?!"
Where was Koyuki?
Marcus didn't know.
Had she stayed in this world like Makomo, tied down by some unresolved attachment? Or had she ascended to heaven, and was patiently waiting there?
It was impossible to know for sure.
The only thing he could affirm was that she hadn't yet reincarnated. Otherwise, in the Infinity Castle scene, she wouldn't have appeared to Akaza.
"Where she is exactly…" He rubbed his chin. "I don't know."
"Maybe she's in the place where you lived together, maybe in the place where you keep the most beautiful memories of the two of you, or maybe… she's been up in heaven this whole time."
Akaza sank into deep reflection.
"Where we lived together… The dojo. Beautiful memories… the mountaintop where we watched the fireworks…"
And then, lifting his gaze fully, a shadow of fear, real fear, crossed his face.
"What if… What if Koyuki has already entered heaven? Or what if… she's already reincarnated? Does that mean I'll never… I'll never be able to see her again?"
"In theory," Marcus murmured, "that's how it is."
Akaza's face fell apart.
"But…"
"But what?" he asked urgently.
"Have you ever heard that right before you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes?"
Akaza narrowed his eyes. "…You mean that, before dying…"
Marcus nodded.
"Unless she's already reincarnated, I guarantee you that in that moment she'll come for you."
Looking at an Akaza lost in his thoughts, he added: "Although, if you want me to tell you the truth, I'm more inclined to think she's already in heaven."
"Why?"
"It's obvious. How long have you been alive?" Marcus made a face. "You've definitely been around for several centuries. And you expect a human's soul to remain in this world for centuries?"
"…Is that so?" Lowering his gaze, Akaza looked at his own hands. "Then… only if I kill myself will I be able to see her again?"
And without the slightest hesitation. A truly bewildering amount of fighting spirit instantly burst out in his fists, but for the first time in his existence, it wasn't directed at an enemy.
It was directed at himself.
And in that very second, an anguished scream thundered inside his skull.
'AKAZA! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!'
"SHUT UP!!"
This was the first time Akaza had yelled at Muzan, and the first time he had gone against his will.
Now that he had his memories back and he had a name, he had a chance. As tiny as it might be. He was going to try.
The next instant, a downpour of punches came raining down on his own body.
He had always had great attacking power but a lousy defense. He pulverized himself with blows in an instant, transforming into a body full of holes.
'AKAZA!!!'
Along with the furious voice inside his mind, Akaza collapsed against the ground.
__________
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