Together (Sanemi and Giyuu vs Akaza)
The wind and water pillars stood a distance from Akaza, catching their breath. Splinters from shattered wood and torn tatami mats were strewn about, debris from their constant clashes.
Akaza was in a good mood. “You two are strong!” He cried. “Its been 50 years since I fought someone as good as either of you! What is your name, water pillar!”
“I already told him my name Tomioka,” Sanemi said with a sigh. “it ain’t fair for him to only have my name but not yours.”
“Why would you give a demon your name?” Giyuu retorted dryly.
“I got a little overconfident,” Sanemi admitted. “I thought he’d die in a few minutes.”
Giyuu sighed, thinking back to his last conversation with Tanjiro… and his recollections of Sabito… For some reason, he now found himself wanting to win this fight more than any other.
“My name is not to be shared,” he told Akaza, “Don’t talk to me. I will take your head in silence, Upper Moon Three..”
Akaza grinned, and laughed sportingly.
“Haha!” Sanemi laughed with a hint of annoyance, “as nose-in-the-air as ever Tomioka! But I'll be the one to take this guy’s head!”
Akaza lunged forward! “Hahaaaa! Blood Demon Art...”
Destructive Kill: War Style!
Akaza’s barrage of attacks broke the sound barrier, and rippled in the air around him!
Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Giyuu’s blade was lowered, and his body relaxed…
Dead Calm…
In a state of complete tranquility, Giyuu’s reflexes reacted automatically to Akaza’s attack with superhuman speed! Akaza’s attack completely broke around the water pillar! Destroying everything except for his target and the path made by Giyuu’s impeccable defense!
“HAHA!” cried the demon, “I’ve never seen that move before! Not any of the water breathers I’ve killed before ever used that!”
Sanemi was already preparing to cut him down before he landed! Wind Breathing, Second Form:
Claws-Purifying Wind!
Multiple swift slashes reached Akaza from his blind spot! His right leg, left elbow, and several fingers were cut off! But he avoided a fatal slash to his neck, and healed almost instantly as he escaped!!
Giyuu was already on him before he even found his footing, He swung his sword over his shoulder-
Water Breathing, Second Form: Water Wheel!
Akaza’s eyes went wide! The speed, strength and accuracy of these two was enough to keep him on his toes, and now this blade threatened his neck! Akaza blocked with his arms, pouring his demon energy into hardening and reinforcing them! He flew backwards away from Giyuu and over Sanemi’s head, landing at a safe distance, before retaking his stance and smirking.
“Oi oi, seriously!?” Sanemi cried. “You freaking had him man!”
“Tch!” Even Giyuu’s stoic demeanor was starting to crack revealing his aggravation. “I thought you wanted to behead him yourself, Shinazugawa.”
Sanemi scowled, and in that split second where he and Giyuu were glaring at one another, Akaza disappeared.
DESTRUCTIVE KILL!
Sanemi barely had time to counterattack! Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist!!!
The force of their clash made Giyuu jump back, as Sanemi was thrown through the air! He let out a cry as he hit his back against the wall!
Akaza now closed in on Giyuu who blocked his fist with his sword, only for Akaza to grin, shift his body, and- Leg Form: Captip Slice!!!
Giyuu barely dodged as Akaza’s foot came like an ax against his face, but the demon was not done! Giyuu was now out of balance, he could only use his breathing to strengthen his torso as strong as he could, before the shockwave of Akaza’s punch sent him flying backwards!
“Bastard!” Sanemi cried as he charged. Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!!!
Sanemi leapt forward unleashing a cyclone vortex of strokes, but Akaza parried them with his knuckles!
“That's great! You're strikes are so fierce and persistent, Sanemi! I’m going to look back on this fight fondly!”
Sanemi growled in frustration, stepping back for a split second to adjust his stance, but Akaza was relentless. The demon pressed his advantage, fists coming in close like a storm. Before Akaza’s next blow could connect, the unmistakable whisper of rushing water filled the air.
“Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!”
Giyuu’s voice was calm, yet his blade sliced through the battlefield like a rippling stream, twisting and spiraling toward Akaza with calculated precision. The demon pivoted at the last second, his arm lashing out in a devastating counter-strike. His blow struck the Water Hashira’s blade with enough force to crack the ground beneath their feet.
Sanemi seized the moment, darting in from Akaza’s blind spot to strike again, but the demon’s speed proved insurmountable. In a single spinning motion, Akaza swept both Hashira away with a ferocious roundhouse kick. The impact was thunderous, sending Sanemi and Giyuu hurtling through the air and crashing against the rubble-strewn ground!
“Holy fuck!” Sanemi half coughed, half snarled, “If I had been a second later to block that, I’d be in pieces…”
Beside him, Giyuu shook his head from side to side, to force the dizziness out of his vision.
“Water pillar!” Akaza declared. “Your swordsmanship is as beautiful and elegant as your partner’s is fierce! I’ve never seen anything like you two!! You may not want to tell me your name, but I will keep asking again and again! I want to remember you!!!”
“Did he just call me your ‘partner’?” Sanemi asked.
“Lets just kill him and get this over with,” Giyuu huffed.
The wind and water pillars charged forward! Darting and weaving to their left and right, as Akaza waited in his battle stance, grinning from ear to ear.
Wind Breathing - Water Breathing
Blood Demon Art!
The three of them clashed with explosive and destructive energy! Akaza’s barrage sent shockwaves and destruction throughout the castle. Dust and debris surrounded the scene. The broken forms of Giyuu and Sanemi, were blasted away. Giyuu's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and then he saw...
“Giyuu-san?” Tanjiro’s childishly optimistic voice broke through the silence. The boy stood beside him, his expression curious and warm. Giyuu didn’t respond immediately, but Tanjiro was undeterred.
“You know,” Tanjiro began, his voice as steady and thoughtful as ever, “I’ve noticed you don’t talk much with the others.”
Giyuu shifted slightly but didn’t turn his head. “There’s no need.”
Tanjiro’s brows furrowed, a small crease forming between them. “But isn’t it harder to fight alongside people you don’t know? I mean, how can you trust someone to have your back if you don’t understand them?”
Giyuu remained silent. He didn’t see the point in responding. Trust wasn’t about words; it was about actions, and he trusted his comrades to do their part, just as he did his.
But Tanjiro wasn’t one to let things go. He took a small step closer, his voice soft but insistent. “When I fight alongside Zenitsu, Inosuke, Genya and Kanao-chan, even though they’re so different from me, I feel stronger because we’ve learned to understand each other. It’s not just about what we can do, it’s about knowing how we feel and how we think.”
Giyuu glanced at him briefly, his face as impassive as ever, but there was a flicker of something in his eyes. Tanjiro pressed on, encouraged by even the smallest hint of engagement.
“I think,” Tanjiro continued, “if you got to know your comrades a little better, you’d find that they’re not so different from you. And maybe… maybe you’d fight even better together.”
Giyuu’s flashback was drowned out by Sanemi’s roar echoing across the battlefield as he charged at Akaza, his blade slicing through the air with deadly intent! His strikes came wild and unrelenting, fueled by sheer rage, but Akaza met them all with uncanny precision, his fists deflecting every slash.
“You fight with so much anger,” Akaza observed, effortlessly dodging a vicious horizontal swing. “Can the advantages it brings you outweigh the drawbacks of it!?”
“Shut up!” Sanemi spat, lunging forward. His blade sparked as it collided with Akaza’s forearm, the demon grinning as if Sanemi’s fury amused him.
Before Sanemi could strike again, Giyuu leaped into the fray, his movements fluid and deliberate.
Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust.
Giyuu’s sword jabbed at the demon rapidly, but Akaza sidestepped with ease, twisting his body unnaturally to avoid the strikes. Giyuu shifted his stance, following up with a rapid succession of blows, each one like a flowing river surging with power.
“You’re disciplined, Water Hashira,” Akaza said as he deflected another attack with his bare hands. “And ice cold too! Won’t you tell me your name!?”
Sanemi surged back in, his strikes raw and untamed as they complemented Giyuu’s calculated rhythm. The two moved in tandem, Sanemi’s whirlwind of steel offset by Giyuu’s precise fluid grace. For a moment, it seemed they might gain ground, forcing Akaza to step back as the air crackled with the energy of their attacks.
But then Akaza’s laughter rang out, cold and triumphant. In a flash, he ducked beneath Sanemi’s swing, and Sanemi’s eyes went wide as he realized what was coming! He twisted his body narrowly avoiding a punch that would have surely put him out.
Akaza shifted his arms and grabbed Sanemi in a Judo-grip, but with cat-like reflexes, Sanemi elbowed the demon in the face, and twisted his way out, spiraling through the air, his shirt and skin now badly torn!
Akaza’s reaction time was dampened due to his struggle with Sanemi,and the effects of the faint amount of Mareechi blood that were just beginning to affect him, but he still saved his neck! Giyuu’s strike split Akaza’s arms down the middle, but a kick from the demon momentarily knocked the blade out of the water pillar’s hands!
The shock of the blow sent Giyuu reeling, but he recovered swiftly, planting his feet and meeting Akaza’s next assault head-on, as Sanemi closed in on the demon from behind!
Their clash sent shockwaves through the clearing, as Akaza leaped into the air, bringing his leg down in a powerful axe kick,
Leg Type: Crown Splitter!!!
The shockforce sent both Hashira flying back yet again!
Sanemi, bloodied but unbroken, rushed back in, a savage war cry ripping from his throat. “DIE ALREADY ASSHOLE!” he bellowed, his blade swinging in a wide arc aimed for Akaza’s neck.
Seventh Form: Gale, Sudden Gusts!!!
Akaza caught the blade between his palms, the steel screeching against his skin but failing to cut through. “Such rage,” he murmured, before twisting the sword from Sanemi’s grip and kicking him aside with bone-shattering force.
Giyuu darted in once more, his blade a blur of motion-
Tenth Form: Constant Flux! but Akaza was still too nimble! He dodged effortlessly, before counter attacking with a punch that Giyuu barely had time to block!
He felt the force reverberate throughout his body! His eyes rolled to the back of his head as blood built up in his throat and spattered from his mouth. He flew backwards, crashing through walls, and landing in a heap of rubble next to Sanemi.
As they struggled to rise, Akaza stood tall and unscathed, his glowing eyes full of excitement. “You fight well, but it’s meaningless. Your human bodies can only take you so far. Become demons, both of you! If that man accepts you, you’ll rise to greater and greater heights! Surely with your skills, you’ll surpass-”
He might as well have been speaking into the void. Sanemi wiped blood from his mouth, his eyes blazing with defiance. “We’re not done yet,” he growled, his grip tightening on his sword.
“I’m going to kill this fucking demon.” Giyuu snarled.
Sanemi looked up at him and smiled.
“What?!” Giyuu demanded.
“Despite how shitty this situation is,” Sanemi said a bit out of breath, “It's still good to see this side of ya. You finally sound like you give a shit.” His mouth formed a bloody smile, “But you're not gonna kill this bastard, not if I kill him first, Tomioka.”
Giyuu sighed, and to Sanemi’s surprise, returned the smile, as he thought about something that Tanjiro had told him in the past.
“Together? Shinazugawa?”
Sanemi broke into a wolfish grin. “Yeah, let's kill this motherfucker together, Tomioka!”
Sanemi surged forward, his blade a blur as it cut through the air, each strike wild yet precise, each movement meant to push Akaza further into a defensive stance. Giyuu flanked him, moving with fluid grace, his water breathing forming a natural rhythm to Sanemi’s tempestuous fury.
Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide. Giyuu’s sword sang as he unleashed a flowing combination of slashes, each strike aiming to disrupt Akaza’s movements.
Wind Breathing, Fifth Form: Cold Mountain Wind! Sanemi’s blade spun with him like a dervisher, closing in on Akaza alongside Giyuu in a pincer movement!
Akaza’s feet shifted, his fists weaving through their combined attacks with inhuman precision. “Your teamwork has improved,” he admitted, “but it won’t save you!”
He slammed his foot down. Destructive Death: Compass Needle!
The ground beneath them fractured as Akaza’s devastating aura expanded outward, the attack forcing Giyuu and Sanemi to leap back. The sheer force rattled the bones of both Hashira, but they pressed forward again without hesitation.
Sanemi’s eyes were pupiless with pain and anger as his slash created a storm of slicing wind currents that tore toward Akaza with ferocious speed!
Akaza met the attack with a spinning back kick, his strength sending the wind currents scattering. He countered with a relentless assault, his fists glowing with destructive energy. Destructive Death: Annihilation Type!! The air crackled as his blows shattered the sound barrier and slammed into the ground where Sanemi stood moments before.
Giyuu slid in from the side, his blade carving a fluid arc through the chaos, his movements blurred as he twisted through Akaza’s attacks, his strikes timed perfectly to create openings for Sanemi!
The two fought in perfect harmony now, Giyuu’s calm and precise water techniques complementing Sanemi’s relentless wind strikes. Each attack was calculated, each motion instinctively in sync with the other.
But Akaza’s power was overwhelming. The sheer air pressure from one of his punches connected with Sanemi’s shoulder, sending him tumbling across the ground, but the Wind Hashira pushed himself up almost immediately, blood dripping from his lips.
“You’ll have to hit harder than that!” Sanemi snarled, his grin wild and defiant. His breathing grew heavier, but his eyes burned with determination.
Akaza’s strikes didn’t spare Giyuu either, who absorbed another devastating blow to the ribs. Yet, even as he staggered, his movements remained precise. The two Demon Slayers refused to yield.
And Akaza began to notice that he was having a harder time staying ahead of them.
“Have they gotten faster?...” He wondered, and then it dawned on him “No! I'm getting slower!” Sanemi is a Mareechi! His blood is beginning to affect me!”
Akaza grinned as he flew backwards, avoiding and blocking their strikes, which now only increased in their ferocity. “I guess that just means that I’ll have to be extra focused on this fight!! Thank you for this! Sanemi!!!”
Sanemi’s voice cut through the din of battle. “Keep pushing! Don’t let this fucker catch his breath!!”
“Never planned to!” Giyuu cried back.
ANNIHILATION TYPE!
Giyuu and Sanemi braced for the attack, but it was not directed at them, but at the ground in front of them! Dust and splinters shot up in front of them, force-stopping their charge and clouding their vision.
Akaza landed in a squat directly behind them.
“Sanemi, and the water Hashira who won’t tell me his name, you two may not respect me, but I definitely respect you. The two of you are probably the best fighters I have ever seen. RIght now, your bodies are both incredibly strong, but even if you survive this battle, that wear and tear will make you both grow old pretty fast. Your bodies will become weak and feeble, and since I respect you both so much, that would be truly disappointing for me, I simply cannot respect the weak. You can avoid it, you two, you can both have strong bodies forever, so c’mon.” Akaza held out his hand, and Sanemi stepped forward, but not before whispering to Giyuu; “Tomioka… something about this guy is ticking me off.”
Sanemi approached Akaza, and Akaza’s grin widened hopefully.
"Oi, demon, what is it you said about no respect for weak bodies? You know there is a difference between havin’ a weak body and bein’ weak right?” There was a belligerent edge on Sanemi’s voice when he said this… a calm yet unmistakable anger.
“C’mon Wind Hashira!” Akaza chuckled. “Not everyone is strong enough to be worthy. What's the point in having a strong resolve if your body will just break? Weak bodies scatter like leaves in the wind when I fight them, but you two are more like a sturdy tree. I doubt you’ve ever been weak, haven’t you Sanemi?”
“You’re wrong,” Sanemi said, the anger rising in his voice. His head was down, but there was no mistaking the confidence with which he spoke. “I’m hella strong now, but even I was helpless once. Hah! When I was a baby, I caused such a fuss in my crib that the bastard who sired me probably would’ve thrown me against the wall, but somebody stuck her neck out for me, somebody who you would’ve said doesn't deserve to live because of weakness or whatever…”
Akaza chuckled,. “I meant that-”
“I know what you meant,” Sanemi said, looking up now, his smile and eyes were absolutely crazed. ”My ma may have had a weak body but she was braver than you'll ever be! You're nothing but a pussy compared to someone like her!" Akaza frowned, and then for a moment, his brow appeared to be furrowing, as though he were remembering something painful.
“It's pointless to try and talk with this guy, Shinazugawa.” Giyuu said coming forward. “Like I tell Kocho all the time, demons cannot be reasoned with. The only way to reform them, is to kill them.”
“Well said,” Sanemi replied.
Sanemi darted in, his Nichirin blade flashing in a deadly arc toward Akaza’s neck. Akaza sidestepped and parried with a sharp jab that sent shockwaves through the air. Sanemi twisted away, but the attack grazed his shoulder, drawing a spray of blood.
“Tch!” Sanemi grunted, his grip on his blade tightening. He launched forward again, relentless in his assault.
From Akaza’s blind spot, Giyuu surged in! His blade arced in a perfect circle toward Akaza’s torso.!
Akaza shifted his stance, catching the attack on his forearm and countering with a sweeping roundhouse kick aimed squarely at Giyuu! But before he managed to connect, Sanemi lunged to capitalize on the opening, allowing Giyuu to barely evade, with his sword still stuck in the demon’s arm!
Akaza’s elbow came up faster than the wind pillar could react, hurtling toward Sanemi’s ribs. In a split second, Giyuu was there, slamming his forehead into Akaza’s temple with a resounding crack.
Akaza staggered slightly from the unexpected blow, his expression still calm but his movements momentarily disrupted.
Sanemi’s wild grin split his face as he steadied himself. “Haha! Nice!” he called out, licking blood from his lip.
***
The Kocho sisters leapt from platform to platform as they glided through the castle. They knew they had to find the others and then a way out as quickly as possible. Yet, they did not even know where to begin. They were completely lost through the labyrinth as they searched forward as fast as they could in a desperate race against Time.
Shinobu followed closely behind Kanae, when she noticed it in her peripherals. “Nee-san, look!” she cried.
It was Sasori. His maroon cloak was smeared with blood, his head bowed as he rested against the wall. Green light pulsed faintly from his hand as he touched his throat with it, the telltale glow of medical Ninjutsu.
“Sasori-san!” Kanae called as they hurried down the uneven platforms to reach him.
Sasori raised his head slightly, his expression stoic despite the obvious strain on his body. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice low and deliberate.
“We should be asking you the same,” Kanae countered gently. “You’re injured.”
Shinobu knelt beside him, her hands trembling as she reached for his shoulder, only to stop short as Sasori waved her off.
“I’m fine,” he said curtly. “This is nothing.”
“But—” Shinobu began, her voice trembling with guilt, only for Sasori to cut her off with a sharp glance.
“I fought Muzan,” he said bluntly, ignoring their concern. “My puppet, Kinuta, is destroyed.” His eyes narrowed, his tone tinged with frustration. “Its pieces are scattered, but I’ll recover them once this is over.”
The sisters exchanged a glance, Kanae’s lips pressed tightly together as Shinobu’s guilt deepened. Sasori, however, remained indifferent to their emotions.
“The fight was not a total loss,” he continued, his voice regaining its usual calm pragmatism. “I managed to pump Muzan with a significant dose of my most concentrated aging poison. It should severely weaken him.”
“Your injuries—” Kanae tried again, but Sasori silenced her with a raised hand.
“I met Orochimaru as well,” he said, his tone sharp and analytical. “He had the opportunity to finish me off but didn’t. He’s planning something, no doubt. Whatever his endgame is, it won’t bode well for us.”
“Sasori-san…” Shinobu’s voice was barely above a whisper, her wisteria eyes shimmering with an unspoken plea.
He turned his gaze toward her, his expression unreadable. “How is your condition girl?”
Shinobu swiftly hid her arms, hoping Sasori hadn’t noticed, but the flair of anger in Sasori’s eyes told her that he had. Kanae sensed this too.
“There is no need for you to worry, Sasori-san. Orochimaru resurrected one of his old minions, and she guarded Shinobu, but we have defeated her. Your information about his Edo Tensei, and the sealing scrolls you provided were most helpful.”
“In that case,” Sasori began as he rose to his feet, “let's get you out of here. I'll come back and Kill Orochimaru later.”
The Kocho sisters exchanged glances. “We cannot do that Sasori-san,” Shinobu said with determination. “We've never come this close to defeating Muzan. Not to mention our friends who are here. I will not leave without them.”
“Fine,” Sasori relented. “But if you two see Orochimaru, you are to run, got that?” His instructions were so stern and paternal that neither sister dared to argue.
“Understood,” Kanae affirmed. “But Sasori-san, your condition is concerning as well, and you said you have lost one of your best puppets. Surely you don't plan to engage Orochimaru if you see him again?”
“Do I look stupid? Did I not just say that I would kill him him later?” He pointed directly at Kanae. “Moreover, I did not authorize you to worry about my well-being. Like I said, I've known Orochimaru since before you were born, you're out of your depth Hashira, just worry about yourself and your sister.”
***
Muichiro Tokito’s feet wobbled as he stood, breathing heavily. His back was hunched over as he stood, his sword held out in front of him. There was fear in his eyes, but he didn’t take them off of his opponent.
He was dripping with blood and sweat, but he had managed to fight back the tears until now. He would not allow himself to cry in front of this demon!
Kokushibo eyed him pitilessly. “You fight well for your age. You show potential, but you still have a long ways to go. Show me how you awaken your mark. Show me what it looks like on your body, I will not allow you to leave this room, or this world until I do… my descendent.”