When the demon grabbed Inosuke's head, it began to squeeze him in between its fingers! In a last-ditch effort, Inosuke tried jamming his broken swords through the front of its neck… and it went through! Barely but even for Kagami to try something!
Kagami stood from the ground, using her sword as a crutch, and straightened her back. Carrying her sword felt like a nuisance, her muscles aching to hold the heavy steel, but she took in a large deep breath.
"Hold on, Inosuke," She sighed out softly and drummed up all the energy she could get.
She felt it course through her veins and her entire body began to light up a bright red. The darkened forest began to suddenly glow bright as if it were daylight and flames flickered across the ground. Flames crackled along her arms, legs, and hair, her vision turning bright red, and her hands holding her blazing sword. The dragon burned so bright it lifted off of the blade and manifested in the air, roaring so loudly it vibrated through Kagami's skull.
She will kill that demon once and for all!
"U-Umami?" She heard Inosuke croak softly under his breaking boar mask.
A small chuckle fell from her mouth and she smirked upwards. "It's Kagami, actually, Inosuke," She spoke softly but her friendly demeanor fell quickly. "Let's kill this demon!"
Inosuke growled trying to press his blades further into the demon's neck, but he choked out, "This thing isn't even flinching!"
Kagami screamed, letting out a mighty roar like her dragon, and dashed forward at the speed of light. Every step she took, every breath she exhaled, flames marked the ground and air, pushing her further and faster than she could've possibly imagined. There was nothing but flame in her vision and that was being directed towards the demon as she circled him multiple times. The demon tried to punch, kick, or smack her away, but holding onto Inosuke forced its movements to be smaller, confined, and more rigid.
Finally, she jumped high into the air. Her flames roared loudly, the energy in her almost completely spent, but her eyes were aiming right at the demon's neck.
"Dragon Breathing, First Form, Breath of Fire!" She screeched bringing her blade down on Inosuke's. The momentum, the force, and the weight of her impact was going to push his swords further inside its neck and cut its head right off its body, and was going to be instantly engulfed by her flames that should've been cooking her alive at that moment.
She waited for the demon to cry out in pain, to drop Inosuke's body, and to die instantly right before her eyes. Never before had she wanted to watch something be burned alive, tortured into death, and die painfully, but that demon messed with the wrong Demon Slayer.
Mess with her friends and they will get the full force of the dragon.
But that feeling of victory and relief never came.
Instead, she watched, with tears running down her cheeks, as her sword snapped into two pieces the moment they clashed with Inosuke's. The flames surrounding her body extinguished in an instant, the dragon's roaring dying, and the light of her body dimming to nothing. The lit-up forest was once again dark and the moment it was, she felt something large, hard, and rough wrapped itself around her body and squeezed.
Sobs, cries, and screams poured out of Kagami's mouth at the demon's hold on her body. One after the other, or at the same time, she couldn't tell anymore, her ribcage, one that took so long to heal, broke under its grip. Blood poured out of her mouth and ran down the corner of her lips, unbearable pain coursing through her body so harshly she longed for death, and her body suddenly went rigid. The more she was being squeezed, the more she felt her spine breaking, the more she couldn't breathe anymore, and the closer death's door became.
Kagami couldn't believe she was going to die! She couldn't be! It wasn't... It wasn't how it was supposed to end...
"T-Tan…ji…ro," She tried gasping out reaching out a bloody hand towards the night sky decorated with the full moon and stars. "Y-You… uck p…pr…omis-s-sed," She almost incoherently softly cried into the sky.
Even though blood was rushing to her head, blocking out every sense she nearly had; filling her vision with the crimson red substance, the bitter taste of iron in her mouth, and the sound of it pouring inside of her head in her ears, she could barely make out Inosuke's own dying breath.
Blood poured out of his mask, his entire body stiff, but she barely heard, "K-Ka…gam-mi—uck!"
Her body hung upside down in the demon's grasp, she no longer had the strength to keep herself upright, and coughed out more blood that should've worried her. Waterfalls of tears fell from her eyes at the sight of her dying friend, seeing blood pour of the mouth of his mask, and choked out a sob. If she was going to die to the hands of a demon, she was glad she wasn't alone and was glad she was with a friend. Even if she wanted that friend to live a long happy life.
Father… guide me to you…
Her eyes slowly began to close but, beneath the sound of Inosuke's crushing head, was running footsteps.
Inosuke didn't believe he was going to die anytime soon. Hell, he was the strongest out of his group of minions. He thought he could defeat the Twelve Kizuki demon no problem with his henchman by his side, but he didn't know what the hell happened.
He had almost given up. He thought a beast as big and as bad as the demon was a fight he was going to lose no matter what. Nothing he did mattered. He was able to cut the demon's arm off not by strength but by sheer force of will and luck. It wasn't because he was strong, actually he was pretty strong to cut it off using his swords like a hammer and nail, but it was due to luck that had run out.
Then, Kirigami brought him back. Inosuke felt her wrap her arms around his neck, dig her face in his shoulder, and press herself tightly into him. He never felt the soft touch of a woman before. He fought many people to assure he was still the strongest Demon Slayer in the land but her touch wasn't hostile or mean. It was gentle, sincere, and caring. He doesn't think he's felt something like that before… maybe way back then but it was so strange to feel.
What was it that he was feeling the moment she expressed her feelings? He can't recall the words but it felt weird, strange, and uncomfortable. But he felt the most peculiar faint warmth on his cheeks and the slight tremble of his hands clutching his swords. She hugged him so tight he thought he was going to suffocate. She cried so hard and so loudly he thought he was going to go deaf. Even though he wanted to give up, give in, she did everything she could to bring him back to reality.
"Please, don't leave my side now! Tanjiro needs you!... I need you right now! So, snap out of it!" She cried harder and hugged him tighter.
She… needed him. He was needed… by her. When she showed annoyance, frustration, and irritation towards him, he didn't care. For her to show something other than that… it was different. He was stronger than her, that was for damn sure, but he needed to be stronger for her! When he stood up to fight, finding the will to live again, it was still not enough.
They fell one by one.
When his swords broke, and his head taken captive, Tsunami tried to save him.
She lit up like a goddess and the rising in the East. Flames overtook her entire body, her green eyes turning a bright red, her black hair scorching with fire, and the dragon of her sword trailing behind her like a loyal servant nearly took the breath out of him. She had circled the demon, leaving a trail of fire in her wake and lighting up the dark skies, and jumped for it. She slashed down on his swords, possibly trying to drive them further into the demon's neck, but she… failed.
Her sword snapped into two pieces, tears of shame leaving her eyes, and she was greedily snatched up by the demon. Her cries and screams of agony echoed throughout the entire forest, the sounds of her bones breaking piercing his ears above his own skull getting crushed by the demon's hand, nearly broke his spirit.
Then, she reached out for the sky, crying weakly, "T-Tan…ji…ro... Y-You… uck p…pr…omis-s-sed."
"K-Ka…gam-mi—uck!" Inosuke gasped out seeing her broken bloody body illuminated in the moonlight.
Her hand slowly fell from the sky, her eyes closing, and her body went limp in the demon's grasp. Blood poured out of Inosuke's mouth when he tried to scream for her, tried to reach out for her, but he was slowly losing consciousness as well. The demon lifted her above its head and opened its mouth wide, large droplets of saliva pouring out of its jaws.
"K-Keep… your uck f-f-fil… thy m-mout-th away… from-m h-her!" Inosuke choked out harshly not caring about more of his blood spewing out of his mouth.
The faces of Montaro and Zenaidas flashed before his eyes. They held concern, worry, and sympathy. Then, Koriama looked at him with tears in her eyes. She walked forward and slowly grabbed him in a hug, her body trembling and shaking softly. "Please, don't let me go alone. Stay by my side," She sighed out to him almost breathlessly.
"Forgive me."
A woman in a bloody light green kimono cried down to him with tears streaming out of her eyes. Her hands were wrapped around him tightly, his eyes staring up at her in wonder and curiousness, and she rushed towards the edge of a cliff. A sob spilled from her lips, her body trembling viciously, and she fell to her knees. She held him out away from safe land and dropped him off the cliff.
She cried out to him as he watched her figure get smaller and smaller, "I want you, at least, to survive, Inosuke!"
"Wh-Who… are you?" He subconsciously muttered out into the air.
Suddenly, he heard rapid footsteps approaching from the side. His eyes were filled with blood but he saw the demon's arms get sliced in half in a split second. Blood poured out of its open wounds and Inosuke's body slammed painfully to the ground.
What the hell? When he couldn't slice the arms off in one swift motion, what did? He didn't get to see what or who did it but it was… super cool.
Then, he shifted his head.
Gourami's unconscious body was caught in the arms of a teenage boy with short black hair wearing the black but slightly yellow-tinted Demon Slayer Corps uniform. Over it was a dark yellow fading to black haori with different types of stinger patterns. His giant black vacant eyes stared down at her, his hand slowly shifting stray strands of her black hair softly from her bloody and bruised face, and glanced up at Inosuke. His face held no emotion but no hostility either. It was as if he had come to their rescue.
Then, beside him, was another boy. Not a boy, a man.
He had unruly black hair that sticked up in tufts around his head but it was tied back in a low messy ponytail at the base of his neck, and his bangs fell over his eyes at an uneven fringe. His eyes were a deep blue sapphire that held no emotion and he was wearing a Demon Slayer Corps uniform! His haori was split in the middle; one half a solid red and the other with different shapes of green, yellow, and orange. His sword was in his hand and he stared down the demon that tried eating them moments ago.
The demon looked pissed. It regenerated its arm in a mere moment and charged for both Demon Slayers! It was so fast and so quick, but neither reacted!
Suddenly, the boy that held Origami jumped backwards so high and so fast neither the demon nor Inosuke processed what had happened until he was standing at the very topmost tree branch! He was protecting her and distracting the demon at the same time! When the demon tilted its head upwards to look at him, confused and in disbelief, the other Demon Slayer had calmly turned around, water pouring out of his sword, and attacked it! Water, gentle and peaceful, had cascaded around the demon's body and he delicately landed on his feet. The demon was standing there, choking on its own breath, and suddenly fell into many bloody pieces!
H-Holy crap!
That Demon Slayer moved so graciously, calmly, gently, and with no hurry. His strikes and movements were that of a dancer, peaceful and yet so powerful cut through the demon's body in one swift, fluid motion. It was absolutely incredible! He had never seen such power before!
Inosuke held a hand to his neck standing to his feet, placing pressure on the bleeding wound inflicted by the demon, but his eyes never left the Demon Slayer. The man just stood there, watching the large demon disintegrate into nothing with vacant but hidden anger in his deep sapphire eyes, before sheathing his sword.
I-I've never seen anyone was incredible as this guy! He's on a whole other level! The force of his stroke is in a different class! We're as different as Heaven and Earth! He slashed that tough-as-nails monster like tofu! Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Who even is this guy?! I still have goosebumps!
He clenched his fists at his side and stared at the Demon Slayer with adoration and amazement, stars flickering around his body.
The Demon Slayer turned around and looked at him. Inosuke thought he saw the Demon Slayer stare at him like he was some sort of weirdo or creep with a hint of annoyance! What the hell kind of face is that?!
When he turned around and began to walk away, Inosuke immediately pointed a finger at him, screaming, "Hold it right there! Fight me, Mr. Mismatched Haori!" The Demon Slayer slowly turned around and faced him, giving him a funny look. "You beat that Twelve Kizuki! And now, I'm going to beat you! That's how I've drawn up! If I can do that…" He pointed two thumbs at himself, smiling widely under his mask, "That'll make me the most powerful of all!"
The Demon Slayer didn't react at all. His face held no emotion when he huffed, "I have a better idea. Go back to training, fool."
Inosuke thought he felt something crack inside of his body from those words. "WHAT'D YOU SAY TO ME?!" He immediately screamed at him feeling his fury and anger rile up inside of his core.
The Demon Slayer brought out a piece of rope from within his haori, calmly unfurling it, speaking, "That was no Twelve Kizuki or anything close to one. Could you not even tell that?"
"Of course, I could tell!" Inosuke sheepishly growled to him, scowling under his breath at the wrong information being given to him, still shaking violently with anger. "I never thought that scrub could be one of the Twelve Kizuki, either! It was Tanjiro who was saying it was one of them! I was just repeating what he said to me earlier! I knew that amateur couldn't have been one of those guys!"
While he had been screaming, defending his pride and honor, he almost comprehended the Demon Slayer taking a few steps forward but that was it. It was when the Demon Slayer had walked away from right beside him dusting off his hands when Inosuke realized he was wrapped around in rope tethered to a tree! What the hell?! He didn't even see that guy move towards him that fast or even felt the rope being wrapped around his body! When did he tie him up?!
The Demon Slayer didn't glance back at Inosuke when the boy jumped down from the tree branch back to the ground. He still held Kamaboko in his arms, and she was still unconscious. "Take the girl to Angela. Her broken bones are more than likely piercing her internal organs. She won't last much longer without a miracle," The Demon Slayer spoke to the boy.
The boy nodded his head, speaking quietly and softly, "Yes, sir," before entirely disappearing in front of Inosuke's eyes!
Both of them were so fast he didn't see the Demon Slayer move to tie him up or the boy moving to find whoever that Antaloy person is! But when he saw the Demon Slayer walking away, he struggled against his retraints violently!
"Hey, you! Come back here!" Inosuke demanded.
The Demon Slayer didn't bother to look back at him when he answered, "If you're not aware of what state your body is in, you shouldn't be fighting!"
"HUH?!" Inosuke screamed watching his body fade into the darkness, "I can't hear you! Your voice is too soft and you walk too fast!" When the Demon Slayer didn't stop moving, he continued screaming into the air, "Untie these ropes right now! Hey! Hey! GET… ME… DOOOOOWWWWWN!"
Zenitsu continued using Total Concentration Breathing even when it was painful. But he needed to live.
The Demon Slayer girl still stood above him. Her large purple eyes gazed down at him and her small pink lips formed into a tiny grin. Her shoulder-length black bangs that faded into a dark purple caressed and shaped her petite face, the rest of her hair parted down the middle of her head and the rest of her voluminous wavy black hair tied back and fastened in a flat yaki-maki bun with a white, turquoise, and light purple butterfly ornament. The guard of her Nichirin Sword was pink and green butterfly wings.
It was weird seeing a girl like her standing above him, still on her tiptoes, gazing down at him with a smile. She was so cute and so pretty, and he was on the verge of death, too. Usually, he freaked out over girls who was as beautiful as her but he was way too weak and tired to do so.
With a hand to the side of her mouth, she giggled down at him, "Hello there! Are you all right?"
Even though he didn't know who she was, Zenitsu could tell she was there to help him and save him from dying. If he had given up, he wouldn't have been rescued. "Thanks, Gramps…" He weakly whispered out.
At his words, the Demon Slayer let out another small giggle. "Are you calling me "Gramps"?"
"Just now, Gramps showed up, and told me not to give up… ever," Zenitsu clarified with a slight cough.
The Demon Slayer lifted a finger in the air and nodded her head in understanding. "Well, it looks like you had your life flash before your eyes!" She explained uncomfortably cheerfully at him.
She then knelt beside him and reached inside her white, turquoise, and pink butterfly-patterned haori, bringing out a small wooden box. Opening it, revealed inside was a large syringe with two bullets and needles sitting beside it. As she prepared it, she continued speaking, "According to one theory, the reason one sees such images just before death is because you're searching for a way to avoid death by going through all your past experiences and memories. Well, not that I can say for sure, since I've never experienced it myself."
Filling the syringe with a strange liquid and tapping the side of it, a few drops spilling from the top, she then placed a finger against his fore-head. "Right, you did a good job slowing down the poison's path with your breathing. If you hadn't been able to do that, you would've turned into a spider long ago."
That didn't make Zenitsu feel any better, considering every inch of his body was still in incredible pain, but it was better than the alternative.
"I'll inject you with the antidote now," The Demon Slayer informed him finished speaking.
She grabbed and lifted his arm. His arm and hand were bulging and thickeing, his veins sticking out from underneath his skin, and many large purple dots of poison adorned it. He felt the slightest sting when she injected the syringe under his skin but he curiously heard the voices of more people from beneath the shack.
He saw a little more than half a dozen Demon Slayers running along the ground. Except their uniforms were slightly different; they wore the standard Demon Slayer Corps uniform but with a black and white stripped mask shielding their faces. They were hurrying to bring down the strung-up victims of whoever was unfortunate to have been caught in the demon's web. They injected them with more antidote and patched them up with quick work.
Watching them work, feeling the heavy pain in his chest beginning to lift, Zenitsu thought taking a small nap was well-deserved. He slowly closed his eyes and let out a small sigh before losing consciousness.