Chapter 49: Return of the Sun

He thinks he hears voices from far away.

'I have to get up. They need me. Muzan is still alive.' Tanjirou thought.

A tremor shook the ground.

Tanjirou opened his eye.

He registered Murata-san, Takeuchi-san and Yushirou, but he didn't have time to thank them.

He was needed.

'Sun Breathing; Tenth Form: Shining Ray of Grace.'

He spiraled into the air, cutting Muzan's arms and grabbing Kanao away from danger.

"Tanjirou…" she cried, "Tanjirou…"

"Yes. Sorry I'm late. How's Shinobu? I didn't pick her scent." he said quietly.

"Safe."

"Good. The others will survive. I'll keep him busy. Take care of her." he ordered the Kakushi, "And get to the other Pillars. And my two Tsugukos."

"Y…Yes, of course." the man stuttered.

Tanjirou stood and turned to face Muzan.

"You look…positively awful…Kamado Tanjirou." the demon said, "This way it's hard to tell…which one of us is the demon. You make my skin crawl."

"Let's finish this…Muzan." Tanjirou said calmly.

'In addition to receiving explanations hundreds of times…my understanding vastly changed…upon seeing the accurate forms demonstrated one time. Maybe I'm just dreaming. Even still… I noticed wasteful movement…when it came to a slight variation in the angle of my wrist…and differences in my footwork and learning the intervals between breaths…Yoriichi-san was a quiet and simple person. When Suyako…asked to see the sword forms…he was kind enough to show her. Sumiyoshi watched carefully…burning them into his mind so not one escaped. The Sun Breathing forms were so pretty that he forgot to breathe. They were strikingly beautiful. I understand why they later passed down in the form of a dance. When he swung his sword…Yoriichi-san looked like a spirit rather than a human. Suyako and the children overflowed with excitement…and Yoriichi-san looked down in embarrassment. Sumiyoshi asked him to come back some day…but when they parted…Yoriichi-san gave Sumiyoshi his ear ornaments. Then…Sumiyoshi realised that Yoriichi-san…would never come again. Yoriichi-san looked sad when he walked away…and Sumiyoshi began to cry.'

"Y…Yoriichi-san! You saved our lives…so we will carry on your legacy!" Sumiyoshi called out, to Suyako's surprise and worry, "Your life is not without value! Don't you ever think…that you didn't accomplish anything! I won't ever let anyone…say that about you! I will pass down these ornaments and Sun Breathing to future generations! I promise!"

"Thank you." Yoriichi-san smiled warmly back, waving goodbye to his friends.

'I am indebted to you, Yoriichi-san. Thank you for helping my ancestors. If it weren't for you, we would never have been born. You believed in Tamayo-san and let her escape, and she now has helped us…back Muzan into a corner. I can fight with the Sun Breath…that you showed them. Twelve of the forms have been passed down surprisingly accurately…despite the passage of hundreds of years. Waltz. Azure Heaven. Scorching Crimson Mirror. Fake Rainbow. Fire Chariot. Burning Sun. Sunflower Lance. Soaring Flame Haze. The Setting Sun. Shining Ray of Grace. Solar Halo Dragon Dance. Flame Waltz. You showed me 12 forms. Or so it looked. I've been thinking about the thirteenth form…that the Flame Pillar mentioned. And I noticed something about the names, too. It opens and closes with 'Waltz'. And my father once said, when he first started teaching me Sun Breathing…'If you learn how to breathe properly, Tanjirou, you'll be able to dance forever, too!' He always did the Dance…until dawn. That's how we kept the Breath alive beyond joining the Demon Slayers. Furthermore…I was certain when I saw Muzan's current form. Perhaps performing the twelve forms completes a ring…resulting in the thirteenth form. I will weave through Muzan's attacks…and continue striking his brains and hearts until dawn. The twelve forms are connected by 'Waltz'. It's a tremendous task…that's sure to put me through hell. It's one thing to use one or three forms in close succession. But to use twelve continuously? One would think switching between Breath Styles was hard on my lungs. This will be the hardest ever. I'm sorry, Shinobu. I'll make you worry again. I don't have Yoriichi-san's or father's skill. I don't even know…if I can stay alive until dawn. Besides, how can I prevent Muzan from escaping? I can understand why someone might lose confidence. Can I do what Yoriichi-san himself couldn't? Nevertheless…I will give my best to do what I can do. As the Sun Pillar. Keep your heart burning.' he tightened his hold on his sword, 'Do not lose. Do not break.'

He took a deep breath and, calming his heart and mind, entering the transparent world, using his mark and turning his sword red, he attacked Muzan.

He evaded the rods and hands as they came for him, parrying and slashing at the demon, unnerving him. The ground crumbled beneath them.

"A ghost!" he exclaimed, managing a hit on Tanjirou.

'I saw it. Yes…the reason he defeated everyone…there are nine tubes on his back, plus his two arms…and he projects eight even faster tubes from his thighs and attacks with them. Muzan can change shape. If I think of him as having a fixed form, he will strike in an unexpected way.'

He parried another attack, propelled himself and attacked, managing to link four forms, before Muzan pushed him back.

'I will connect the forms…since that's how they're designed. Isn't that right, Yoriichi-san? I'll connect them all. I will do all twelve forms!'

He kept attacking, deflecting attacks, jumping over them, evading and parrying, getting hit a few times in the process anyway.

He linked six of the forms.

'I finally…connected six of the forms. I'm halfway there! His brains and hearts are moving all over…and his attacks hold me back so I can't fully reach his torso! The intense pace is making my lungs heave…and my limbs hurt like they might rip off. And my heart feels like it could burst. There's one hour until dawn. One hour…' he stumbles and is thrown back, 'Concentrate! Don't think about anything but this very second! My blade slows…my limbs slow… Just connect one second…to the next second…over and over until dawn breaks.'

Tanjirou focuses again.

'Use your repetitive motions.' he orders himself.

The faces of his family and Rengoku-san's words.

He doesn't think of anything else; just those two things and the Sun Breathing forms.

He barely dodges Muzan's attacks.

"Caaaaw! Fifty-nine minutes to dawn!" a crow called.

"Stop jumping around!" Muzan ordered, as Tanjirou went back on the offensive.

'I connected all 12 forms! Now faster! And more accurately! Repeat this cycle of twelve until dawn!' he attacked again, flipping away from another attack, 'It's not enough…to just connect the forms! I must accurately…target…his hearts and brains! Concentrate harder! Reenter the transparent world!' his vision started blackening, 'I can't see! I'm not getting enough oxygen! Calm down. Pinpoint him by smell! You'll last until dawn. It's all– Oh no, my footing!'

He felt an attack coming at him, but also someone else pulling him away from its trajectory.

"Why won't you die?!" Muzan screamed.

'Someone saved me. That smell… My vision is returning… That pattern is…'

"Iguro-san?!" he looked shocked at the other Pillar's injuries, "Iguro-san! Your eyes! Did you get injured helping me?"

"No! It happened earlier! Shut up and quit worrying about others!" He dodged attack after attack, "My right eye was always bad anyway! I could barely see out of it! I don't need your help. I have Kaburamaru."

"Kaburamaru…" The little snake nodded at Tanjirou once. Then, Tanjirou looked at the Snake Pillar, "Iguro-san, I'll back you up!"

"You've recovered? Then I'll let you go."

"Okay! Thanks."

Iguro let Tanjirou go, and he saw Muzan coming after them. Using Muzan's distraction, Tanjirou got behind the demon, watching in shock how he broke a building apart.

"Iguro-san!" he called out worried, defending himself from Muzan's tubes, "Stop!" he ordered Muzan, to no avail.

He jumped in to provide support for Iguro and Kaburamaru.

'Everyone's attacks have weakened Muzan. His scent is gradually changing…but he's still strong! It's all I can do to avoid oxygen deprivation…so I can't enter the transparent world! Even at two against one, this is hard! Iguro-san has helped me many times…so I need to help him!' suddenly something caught his attention, 'What's that? Muzan's body is changing. Are those scars? They look old…' he thought. His earrings jingled against the wind, 'Oh, I get it… Yoriichi-san made those wounds. Despite hundred of years, Muzan never recovered. Yoriichi-san burnt Muzan at a cellular level. Those are Muzan's weak spots! Even now, Yoriichi-san is showing us the way!' he renewed his attacks, 'Muzan can't hide his wounds anymore! He can't mask them! He's clearly weakening! The others bought precious time…pushing him into this corner! They all…did this together! So I must defeat him! I will see this through to the end! His wounds are moving! That must be where his hearts and brains are! Even if his constant attacks prevent me from entering the transparent world, I can aim for his vitals! But I have to do something about Iguro-san's eyes! Kaburamaru can only help so much. What should I do? Oh, right! Those eyes! Yushirou's eyes! If I pick these up… That or I tell him to rest.'

"Craaaa! Forty minutes until dawn!" a crow called.

Upon hearing that, Muzan ran.

'Did he ran away?!' Tanjirou stared shocked for a second, 'He ran away! Muzan fled!' he switched his breathing pattern slightly, to match Lightning Breath, taking after the demon, his decision made.

"Iguro-san!" he called, "Rest! I got this!"

'Dammit! I'm not going to let him get away! No! We aren't going to lose! Not like this! Then everyone would have died for nothing!' he kept pace, slowly gaining on him, avoiding his fellow, fallen Slayers, 'He trampled on fallen Corps members!' he raged, seeing him step on the bodies.

Holding his sword in his mouth, he picked up sword after sword, keeping pace, and threw them at Muzan, stabbing him a few times, as Muzan turned to block the sudden onslaught.

In the moment it took Muzan to parry the swords and turn to ran again, Tanjirou had closed the distance and stabbed Muzan in the neck, jumping over the demon and blocking his way of escape, by using the twelve forms in their intended dance form.

He was Kamado Tanjirou, Sumiyoshi's descendant and bearer of Yoriichi-san's legacy.

He was going to do it.

He was the Sun Pillar.

He attacked and deflected, dodging under Muzan's hands and tubes as they lashed out towards him.

'Muzan won't get away! Stand firm! Buy one second…and then another one!' Tanjirou thought, gritting his teeth, keeping up with Muzan's speed.

"Thirty-five minutes until dawn!" a crow called.

Tanjirou watched as Muzan tried to get some distance from him.

'He intends to do something. Maybe he…' he thought as he watched him bulk up his left hand, 'Oh no, he's dividing. He's trying to break to smaller pieces and escape. Can I stop him alone?! No… If he divides, we've lost! But if I strike the twelve spots almost all at once…' he watched as his arm bulked up and then reverted, 'He stopped!' Tanjirou was shocked, even more when he saw Muzan cough up blood, '?! He coughed up blood! Is that Tamayo-san's drug?' he wondered, as he forced himself out of his shocked state to start attacking again, 'He stopped! Tamayo-san's drug must be working! I can do this! We can win! It's almost dawn!'

Suddenly his nose twitches and Tanjirou drew away from Muzan, just in time to avoid getting more hurt by a sudden, powerful sonic attack.

It still send him back and he landed hard, knocking the wind out of him, before he noticed his body was convulsing.

'What…was that?! That attackThat attack! That blast… Seizures! I'm…convulsing… I can't…I can't stop. I can't…breath! My breath! My body…it's… I c…c…can't… Muzan…will get…a…a…away! Muzan…Mu…' he tried to form his thoughts, tried to get himself under control, tried to get back up, 'Get up… You must stand up! Aaagh! I can't breathe! Did that attack…crush my lungs?! E…Even though I managed to avoid the immediate blast?!' he watched Muzan start to walk away, 'Muzan is going to get away!'

Suddenly someone attacked Muzan, cutting him off.

"You've really…done it now! And I won't stand for it!" Inosuke's voice reached his ears.

'Inosuke…' he realised, 'Inosuke! Muzan…is too dangerous!' he tried to warn his friend.

"They protected us!" he wheezed out, "The old guy with the rosary lost his leg! And the guy with the half-and-half haori lost his arm!"

'Oh no. Himejima-san, Tomioka-san. I am so sorry.' Tanjirou's eyes filled with tears hearing his friend's words.

"All the bodies lying around here belonged to comrades I shared meals with! My friends! My Master! Give them back! Their legs and arms! Their lives! Everything! If you can't do that…then you'll pay for it with a million deaths! I promise you, as the Sun Pillar's Tsuguko!" Inosuke declared, choked up, attacking Muzan.

Tanjirou watched in despair as Inosuke got hurt.

'Oh no! Inosuke! I have to help him! But it's no use! I'm going to die first.' he thought, 'No! Move, Sun Pillar! Your Tsuguko needs you, dammit!' he turned from his back.

"Hang in there, Inosuke! Tanjirou's still alive! I can hear his heartbeat!" Zenitsu shouted, joining the fight, "Tanjirou! Focus on staying alive! Can you hear me? Don't die! You can't die! We're still alive! All the Pillars are still alive! And waiting for you! Your family is waiting for you to return home!"

Tanjirou raised his head and watched his friends getting hurt and thrown against walls and getting back up again.

'If a blood demon art…is attacking my nervous system…then…a nichirin sword…just might…be effective! Come on…lift it up! Hurry…faster! Gotta stab myself! But I can't hit a major blood vessel…or a vital spot!' he moved his right hand towards his left side and pushed the sword in his arm, 'Is this going…to work? Please…stop this attack! Stop this…shaking!' he stabbed himself.

"Inosuke!" Zenitsu called out.

'Sun Breathing; Sixth Form: Burning Sun!'

Tanjirou moved just in time to protect Inosuke.

He started the dance again.

'Muzan can't release…consecutive shock wave attacks anymore! He needs time to generate them! And his arm and tentacle attacks are slowing!' he continued his attacks, but lost his footing, 'Oh-uh…'

And then Inosuke was there protecting him.

Zenitsu was then there, backing them up.

Tanjirou and Inosuke attacked again, Inosuke coming from the front and slightly from the side and Tanjirou jumping to fall down on Muzan with First Form: Waltz.

Inosuke got knocked back after the attack.

'Inosuke!' he glanced back, worried, before focusing again, 'Don't stop. Stay on the attack!'

He dodges, but due to fatigue, he slightly loses his footing and Zenitsu covered him by attacking Muzan, giving Tanjirou the time to regain his footing and corner Muzan against a wall, where he pinned him against.

'I can't use any more techniques! But we need to pin him here! And every second counts!' he thought, putting all his strength on his grip and making sure he wasn't going to budge from there.

Muzan made to attack with his arm only for his left arm to be ripped off by Kanroji-san.

"That's enough! You idiot!" she shouted, as she stumbled backwards, whether by a tube's attack or by the force of ripping the arm off, Tanjirou couldn't tell.

"Kanroji-san!" he called out, worried.

When Muzan tried to use his right hand, Shinazugawa-san cut it off and pinned it to the wall.

"Shinazugawa-san…"

Muzan split his face in the middle to open a huge mouth, that drew closer and closer to Tanjirou's head.

Tanjirou paled, but stood firm.

'Can't fall back! Stand firm! Can't let him get away!' he thought, despite his fear.

Only for someone else to stand before him, to guard him.

"Iguro-san! Himejima-san!" the two Pillars used their weapons as shields to keep that ghastly mouth away from Tanjirou, from their Sun Pillar.

"Dawn is breaking! So hang in there!" Shinazugawa-san called.

Muzan turned to see the sun was rising and so released another shockwave attack.

Shinazugawa-san, Iguro-san and Himejima-san were blown off, but Tanjirou held strong.

He lost his left arm by the force, but that didn't matter.

'Whatever you do…don't let go. Make your blade…turn red. Keep your heart burning! Turn red! Please!'

A hand came and held on his sword with him.

'Giyuu-san!' he recognised the Water Pillar.

The sword turned red. Muzan screamed in pain.

Then he grew bigger, like a huge, ugly baby and Tanjirou headbutted Giyuu-san away from him as he got sucked inside the flesh.

"Tanjirou!" he heard Giyuu-san call.

He pulls his sword, freeing it, and readying his breath, trying to turn his sword red one-handed.

He isn't sure how long it takes him, but he manages to turn his sword red.

The flesh baby screeches in pain and disintegrates, leaving behind Tanjirou sitting.

He looked up and saw the sun. He heard the joyous calls from all around him.

'Ah…! A new peaceful day. I'm sorry everyone. I'll go on ahead without you.' he thought with a soft smile, his head falling forward to his chest, 'I hope they can forgive me for leaving them behind.'