"Apparently demons come in all shapes in sizes! Would've been nice to know Giyuu!" Yae looked on from the tower as she saw giant fish with arms and legs running through the village. Having trained her vision for over six months now, she found herself capable of aiming with both eyes open when needed. It allowed her to keep more vision over the area as she aimed at her first target. As far as she was told, there was only one other slayer to have tried using firearms while in service, and he was currently in the village as well. She could only hope this venture of nichirin bullets wasn't a waste.
She fired at the fish demon's head, watching it recoil back in pain. She smiled as the bullets proved effective, and only smiled more when the demon seemed to be suffering from the damage. It refused to die though, Yae wasn't about to be denied her first kill by some oversized stupid looking abomination. Her eyes gravitated to the jar that seemed to be attached to the fish's head, hoping that was her true target. Taking another shot, she was happy to see it yield better results. The jar upon impact shattered and exploded outwards. This finally caused the beast to fall, burning away into ash. 'They worked, they really worked! Let's see how the others fair.' She would save her celebrations for sunrise, more had to be done.
One by one, her aim was true as the demons continued to fall. While some people were still injured before she could finish the kill, she was thankful none had died from her inability just yet. She heard screaming once more, now this time being in the same direction of the initial bell alarm. A fish demon was attempting to climb the tower or take it down completely. "I have you!" She had to time her shot right as to not strike him as well. As she brought her rifle up, a fish demon had found her in her own tower. If not for her newly developed skill, she was sure it would've blindsided her and eaten her whole. It's mouth opened wide as she stepped onto its head. "I'm not in the mood to be turned into a late snack!"
Yae was soon launched into the air from the fish demon jerking its head upwards. Her eyes darted back to the other tower, actually happy from the interference. From how high she was, she had a perfect angle to kill the first demon without collateral damage to anyone. She took the shot at her apex, watching the demon terrorizing the man disappear from the world. Her eyes darted back down to the one that put her in this position. "You've just volunteered yourself!" Reaching into her back pouch, she pulled out an old style fragmentation grenade. She couldn't light the fuse in her current position, but she had other plans. Throwing it into the demon's still open mouth, she quickly aimed down and fired. The demon couldn't live long enough to process its own death, its innards being engulfed in fire and shredded by nichirin fragments.
Mitsuri was rushing to the direction of the village, contemplating how to feel that such a horrific event could happen. "It's fated that I was stationed so close to the village! With me arriving on the scene, I'll be the first to see Tomioka-san in action after all this time! I can't wait to see how strong he's become!" She escaped the treeline as she finally was surrounded by the buildings. Looking up, Mitsuri could see Yae falling to the ground, the pathway utterly littered with demons. "Don't worry Yae, I'm coming!" "Giyuu cover me!" She heard the girl yell out, but Mitsuri was unable to see Tomioka-san anywhere near them.
That's when a blur of sword strikes happened. One by one, the fish demons were carved and sliced away into nothingness. Their large and grotesque bodies barely resembled anything of what was left of them before turning to ash. Before she could even question what she had seen, Yae had already landed and handling some kind of contraption. "Remind me to praise Lady Mizuki once we survive this. These bullets and explosives are amazing!" Mitsuri finally saw Giyuu, now somehow with his arm back! "Yae! Tomioka-san!" Mitsuri ran up and hugged them both, happy to see they were safe. "Just what was that?! I could barely see you!" She picked up the fake arm, her eyes sparkling at its appearance. "And this! You have an arm again!"
"That move was something I made in my fight with Upper two, and this, is from a boy named Kotetsu and Lady Mizuki." He raised the arm for her to examine it, finding her excitement in it entertaining. The trio heard footsteps approaching, seeing it was another smith. "Please slayers, we need of you to go look for the Chief! Last we saw him was at his home on the hilltop. Please, we may all be capable weapon smiths, but he is still the greatest one of us and who leads us!" The group nodded, Giyuu being the first to take charge. "Mitsuri, you go up first and secure the Chief! Yae, confirm the safety villagers then act as backup for Mitsuri! I'll go look for Tanjiro and Nezuko, they're capable enough to help act as support!" The two had seen Giyuu vanish from their eyes as the ground from where he stood spiderwebbed in cracks.
Mitsuri watched in awe as she looked to the ground, wondering just what the lost Hashira had been doing the months he'd been gone. "Kanroji-sama, we need to move! Aim for the jars on their heads!" Yae jumped to the nearest rooftop and scoured the area with what little high ground their was. Mitsuri shook her head as she regained her composure. Looking up to the hills, she could see the Chief's large residence built into the side. With knowing where to start first, she ran off at blinding speeds hoping to make it to him in time. Yae heard Mitsuri's footsteps get quieter as she made distance, with something a curious thought in her head as she killed off some other demons. "I wonder who Nezuko is. Tanjiro I met from Giyuu, but I wonder where the other comes into play."
Mitsuri ran into the building of the Chief's home, hearing only more guttural noises as she made her way through. She finally saw it, a fish demon almost the size of the structure itself. Multiple large jars covered it's back and she saw in one of the arms the Chief was being crushed in the arm's crushing grasp. Looking back from hearing grunts of pain, she saw another swordsmith. "Please don't move. You're possibly more injured than you can tell. Leave the safety of the Chief to me!" The giant demon suddenly looked at her and attempted to strike, but it was already too late for the monster. "Love Breathing First Form: Shivers of First Love!" She ran between the demon's legs swinging too quickly for the demon to know what happened. By the time she had stopped on the other side, the larger than life fish demon was already vanishing from this world.
She watched as the demon's arm around the Chief disappeared, leaving him to catch him. "Lord Tecchin are you alright? Are you still alive?!" The old man coughed in her arms as he found his second wind. "I have a Hashira as strong and amazing as you checking on me Lady Kanroji, I think I'll be alright." Mitsuri smiled and blushed lightly at the praise, not expecting it. She heard more footsteps approaching and returned her focus to it. She was happy to see it was Yae finally arriving as backup. Yae had her rifle at the ready, checking every angle of the open area to secure it. "Kanroji-sama, how many injured?" "Three, these were the only survivors when I had arrived..."
Yae recognized the expression Mitsuri was making, it had to be the same kind of expression Yae made when she thought of her failure to save Giyuu's arm. "Hey look at me." She slung her rifle onto her back and lifted Mitsuri's face to look at her directly. "If they were already gone, there wasn't anything more you could do. You got here and still confirmed the safety and lives of these three. Only three survivors is still better than none surviving. Understand me?" Mitsuri felt her face turn warn but nodded regardless. "Good, now help me with them." Mitsuri watched as Yae pulled out various plants and herbs from one of her pouches, it almost reminded her of when she saw all the plants when they visited Tomioka-san's house. "Kanroji-sama I have a question." Mitsuri kept her eyes on Yae as she minced and crushed the herbs to make them eager to digest. "Do you happen to know who Nezuko is?"
Giyuu wasn't entirely sure where the siblings could be, but all he could hear was raging winds and destruction. He prayed it wasn't Sanemi causing such a scene, he'd much rather take on the simpler challenge of another demon. Raging winds continued, launching debris far and wide. Upon his arrival, he saw devastation. Splintered wood and shattered stone everywhere. A building designed for housing was utterly destroyed and reduced into little more than waste. Smoke and dust had kicked up, making it difficult to see anything at all. His other senses didn't fail him however. He could feel the presence of strong demons near him. Walking around slowly, he also could hear a voice. One he was thankfully able to recognize.
Silently rushing over, he could see Tanjiro and Nezuko. Nezuko was crushed under debris and holding tightly onto Tanjiro's blade. "Nezuko you need to let go of my sword! You'll cut your fingers!" Giyuu finally made it to them and had to asses just what was going on. "Tanjiro what's happening?" "Giyuu-san, it's Upper four. He can split himself into pieces and they destroyed the entire area! I need to get back to the fight but Nezuko is holding onto my blade for some reason!" Giyuu looked to see Nezuko was shaking her head violently, almost as if she was trying to shake her muzzle off. Putting his sword down, he lowered the piece of bamboo.
"Blood! Burning blood on swords! Hurt demons with burning swords!" Giyuu felt his eyes go wide as he aimed his sword for her. "Tanjiro trust her, she's done this before." Tanjiro stopped slowly, trying to think of just when this could've happened. He gasped when he finally thought back of the possibility: Mugen train. Nezuko saw this window as her chance, dragging her palms down the blades. Both men watched in awe as their blades glowed of pink flame, even the colors of the swords had changed color. From ashen black and ocean blue, to the all consuming fires of red. "Nezuko, this is amazing..." "You truly are an amazing child Nezuko." The swordsmen walked into sight of the demons, all participants facing down one another. The bloodlust in their battlefield only continued to grow.
"Even if you resort to these cheap tricks, you still won't be able to beat us." "Even if you slash be to ribbons I won't feel a thing!" Tanjiro saw as the emotion demons of Pleasure and Joy taunted them, with the latter flying towards them at rapid speeds. "Tanjiro, follow after me, I'll give you the openings for their necks. It's time that a Hashira..." Giyuu stood in front of Tanjiro, placing his remaining hand on his sword. "Returned to duty." Giyuu raised his sword and focused on the moves ahead of him. Tenth Form: Constant Flux!" Giyuu rushed towards the demon with wings, his eyes boring through the demon under his mask. Urogi couldn't help but feel this presence was uncanny. It almost reminded him of the cold uncaring feeling moon. He couldn't help but flinch from it, and this had cost him.
Giyuu was finally within distance of the demon, ducking underneath its arms and swinging his blade upwards. He sliced through the wings, leaving the avian themed demon flightless. "Tanjiro follow through!" Tanjiro raised his sword as he felt the mark on his forehead burn hot. "Sun Breathing: Sun Dragon's Halo Head Dance!" As Tanjiro watched Urogi fly forwards at him, he brought his sword down through his neck. Urogi could only feel the shiver of steel through his body. First the moon would clip his wings, and the sun would cut through his throat. Karaku watched in fear at what was coming at him, desperate to bring his fan down against the slayers. Giyuu was too quick for him however, slicing off his arms while Tanjiro came for his head next. Sekido was frustrated at the situation, at this weakness, at everything that lead to this. "What the hell are you two?!" Giyuu brought down his sword to cut through Sekido's staff, looking up to the angry demon. "Your death." He watched as Tanjiro in blinding speeds flew past the demon, taking his head finally.
The flames on their blades had finally died down on their swords, but the red color remained all the same. Tanjiro looked off to the side, happy to see Genya was still alive. He was actually holding the head of another of the Upper Four demons. "Genya, you're alright!" He rushed over as Giyuu gripped his head. "Sanemi's brother is here, of course he is. Hey universe, why not just put the master here while you're at it." Giyuu followed Tanjiro to the boy, with only Tanjiro being surprised to see his demon form. "Genya Shinazugawa, are you in control of yourself?" The boy's behind was haggard, almost as if he was exhausted from his transformation. He looked towards the two in rabid frustration, but seemed he was still friendly enough.
Tanjiro and Giyuu were pulled away from looking at Genya when they heard agonizing screaming. The emotion demons still lived. "Aaaaahhhh! What the hell did you both strike me with! I can't regenerate like normal!" The two looked in tired confusion, Giyuu even more so. "Calm down! You're being pathetic! It'll take more time but we can regenerate from this!" Sekido screamed out at Karaku as his own head laid in his lap. "Can't you demons remember to die when you have your heads removed? I doubt you bastards can change this much in the time I've been gone. Tanjiro go check on your sister." Giyuu went to go check on Genya as Tanjiro freed his sister from under the rubble.
Genya recognized who was in front of him, it seemed like a damn ghost. "Genya Shinazugawa." He flinched slightly, but felt felt the man's hand on his shoulder. "Yes yes I am alive, I never died." Giyuu sighed as lowered his head. "Now that that's done, how are you feeling? Do you have control over yourself?" It was weird to hear the Water Hashira seem caring. Himejima-sama told him he was a recluse, maybe he changed while he was gone from everyone. "Yes sir... The energy I get sometimes makes me ragged, but I'm still me." Giyuu nodded, content to see the boy was becoming stronger. "I take it you're after the Upper rank to impress your brother." He watched the boy recoil back before nodding.
"He went years without talking to me... Apparently disowning me as his brother as well. Said it was an attempt to discourage me and leave. But after you and the Flame Hashira were labled as killed in action, he contacted me. We had the chance to talk things out, he still wants me to leave though..." Genya started to shake, his grip on his sword and shotgun tightening. "I can do this though, I can be a slayer. This technique gives me the strength to fight, the strength I can use to keep my promise to him..." Giyuu tapped the boy on the head, causing Genya to quickly look up. "It's the job of the older sibling to always look after the younger's safety. If he doesn't know of THIS, it isn't my place to tell him. It's yours if you haven't already. I don't blame you for wanting to look after him too, but you must understand him."
Genya bit his lip as he looked down to the ground. He hated that things had to be this complicated, but Tomioka-sama was actually inciteful on the idea. With a slow nod, he agreed to talk with his brother again. "Giyuu-san! Genya!" They both looked to see Tanjiro rushing over. "There's a fifth demon. I can pick up a scent different from the four here." Tanjiro could smell the rapidly rising heat of the air around them, he pushed everyone out of the way in time to see lighting strike before them all. "The anger demon is back up!" Giyuu turned to them as he aimed his sword towards the emotion demons. "Tanjiro, smell around and track the one we're missing! Genya you have range, focus the flyer! Nezuko help me with the others!" Tanjiro broke away from the group as the others rushed forward.
"Genya how long can you maintain that form?" "I had a decent amount of flesh saved up, but the more I have to regenerate the more energy I'll have to use!" Giyuu understood that they only had so long to destroy this demon, he had one idea, but knew it would upset Tanjiro. Urogi attempt to swoop down to attack Tanjiro, but his wings were quickly peppered by buckshot. Nezuko clawed and swiped at Karaku, the demon missing every one of it's fan strikes. With the smell of sulphur being blown away thanks to him, Tanjiro could now focus his nose. Closing his eyes, he was finally able to track down the new scent. "I found it! Heading northeast now!" Giyuu watched as the anger was about to strike again, but quickly forced it to block his strike. "You're supposed to be dead!" "I could say the same to you, you don't hear me bringing it up every five minutes!"
As he was locked in with the anger demon, he saw the one with the fan to his side. Giyuu was blown away from the two, but was able to dig his sword into the ground to stop him from being sent flying. He watched as Nezuko was about to take off the two demon's arms, but she herself was blindsided by the fourth emotion demon, impaling her with his spear. "Shit. I forgot how annoying demons could be." Nezuko was speared through and pinned to a tree, but held onto the sorrow demon's spear. "Can you please just die? You're making me sad, this conflict was never needed. Sekido?" The anger demon walked up behind, his scowl never leaving her face. "I know already! Hold her still and I'll crucify her!" Before he could bring his pole down to cause a lightning strike, his arm was sliced off. In awe, he saw Giyuu standing as if this was all a chore.
'This bastard gave Lord Doma a fight for his life, yet he appears to be even more capable now! What the hell kind of presence was that earlier?! I felt as if the very moon was coming down to crush us! Wasn't this monster meant to be dead?!' He watched as Giyuu was tearing apart Karaku, cutting off any arm that grew back. Hearing Aizetsu screaming, he turning back to see the demon girl and him lit aflame. "Urogi? Urogi!" He finally spotted him still fighting the half demon boy with the shotgun. He would shoot off a wing any time Urogi tried to take to the air, forcing him to rely on melee attacks and his screeches. "All of you just make me so damn angry! You think it's enjoyable to be this mad?!"
Tanjiro had spent all this time in a desperate mission to track where the mission demon was. He could smell it, but it was horribly faint. Almost as if there wasn't enough of it to produce much of a scent at all. He finally felt he was right on top of it, but he still couldn't find anything. As he closed his eyes to try and focus his nose, he oddly enough heard wimpering by his foot. Opening his eyes back up, he saw it. A demon that resembled the original. "I found it!" Tanjiro swung with all the strength he still had, only for his blade to be stopped against the demon's neck. "This demon isn't any bigger than a field mouse, but it still stopped my blade?!" He watched as the demon ran away, and quickly heard the rustling of grass to his side. The sadness demon had returned, assuming his spear at him. "Weeping Spears."
Tanjiro turned back around in a desperate attempt to try and dodge. Falling to the ground, he was surprised to find himself uninjured from the attack. Looking back, all he could see was a bloody and mutilated form of Genya standing between him and the demon. "Genya!" "Go... you idiot. I don't need to prove anything to myself. Or to you... Just to my big brother... That I can fight! If we survive this, that should show him! Kill this demon already... We'll cover you!" Tanjiro was in awe of his conviction, amazed that he was willing to go through this to help. He didn't bother to give a verbal answer. All he had to do was chase after the demon, and that's all he did. All he could hear as he left Genya behind was the sound of gunfire.
He used this to help fuel his own sense of duty, to help everyone who supported him in the past. Finally catching up to the demon, his blade lit aflame once again as he brought the edge to its throat. The demon was screaming in agony, and the blade almost sounded as if it were scraping against glass. He was sure he could cut the demon down! But something was behind him, his blood ran cold from this sensation. It gave off a new scent entirely, nothing resembling that of Joy, Anger, Sorrow, or Pleasure. In this newfound fear that overwhelmed him, he lost his concentration. the fire on his blade burned out once again, and his sword returned from red to black. He could hear Genya screaming for him to move, but he was stuck in place unsure what to do. He heard only a single drum strike before being sent flying.
Tanjiro could only hold on for dear life as he heard numerous roars echo through the forest. Long necked wooden dragons larger than anything he had ever seen before appeared. He was riding on one's neck as he was desperate to not fall from such a height. Multitude of the wooden dragons attempted to eat him while he was holding on. In a desperate attempt to survive, he jumped from dragon to dragon, slowly making his way back to the ground. During his descent, he saw one of the heads about to devour him mid-air. The only reason he was able to live was due to Nezuko saving him, but losing an arm and leg in the process. As they made a harsh landing to the ground, Tanjiro ran to his sister and looked over her. "Your arm and leg is back. are you alright?" Nezuko gave a slow nod as they both looked to to see just what was this new enemy.
Giyuu and Genya almost couldn't fathom that another demon could be formed. They had watched as the Anger demon had hunted down the others, pulverizing their meat and bones to absorb them into himself. He even went out of his way to hunt down Sorrow and devour them as well. After doing so, he transformed into the younger appearing, but more powerful form that stood before them all. Giyuu could feel its aura attempting to overpower them all, but it only seemed to crush over Tanjiro and Genya. They looked angry, but also fearful of just what else there was to come. "You're nothing more than a damn fiend with a few tricks to prolong your life. But don't worry, we'll make sure your death still comes quick."
"You're speaking of and seeking out senseless violence is absolutely revolting slayer. You try to kill me as if I've killed someone you know? Have I?" Giyuu shook his head, just wondering why this was important. "Then you have no stakes in this affair. You injected yourself into this, as did all of you. Putting yourself into the middle of ordeals you have no grounds in, it's horrendous." Giyuu rolled his eyes at what the demon was attempting to preach of morality. "You die, less people die. That's enough reason for me to join this fight." Giyuu stood guard over Genya, but was forced to see Tanjiro get grabbed by one of the heads. It launched him into the sky, higher than even the head's themselves stood.
'There's five heads we need to deal with, and they can only extend out so far!' As he came back down he prepared his sword. "Hinokami Kagura: Clear Blue-" The demon had hit one of the drums pertruding from his back and a head reacted instantly. Opening it's mouth, it released the same sonic wailing technique of the Joy demon from earlier. Tanjiro felt himself stuck mid-air as the waves almost kept him from being able to even fall. "Tanjiro!" Giyuu yelled out as he watched the boy get sent flying away, impacting a tree branch before falling harshly to the ground. Giyuu, Nezuko, and Genya all defended from their own dragon heads, learning they also could wield the abilities from the emotion demons. Depending on the combinations of drums hit, different heads could wield different abilities. They were forced into a guessing game of just what they were fighting.
Tanjiro felt overwhelmed from everything surrounding him, needing to flee just to find a chance to recover. As long as he could get far enough away, he could try to recover some energy. Lighting, wind, wailing screams, he did everything he could to dodge until he was finally out of range. Relief washed over him as he believed he was out of range. The demon had other plans however. With beating of his drums, new heads began to grow and extend from the original, and even more from the new ones. Tanjiro couldn't process what had happened until a head small enough to match his own had bit into his arm. The chain of heads yanked him with horrid strength as he found himself swallowed whole by an original head. He could feel himself being crushed, praying to find any strength at all just to hold out.
"Twelfth Form: Water Fowl Dance!" Giyuu watched as a dragon head rushed him in the attempt to eat him as well. Jumping onto the head as a platform, he launched himself towards the one that ate Tanjiro. From half way down its neck to its jaws, Giyuu became a torrent of blade strikes almost impossible to perceive by the others. The head and neck were cut to pieces to such a degree no pieces were much larger than him. Giyuu held onto Tanjiro as they saw another head about to try and eat them again. "Can you do something else than trying to eat us?!" This head didn't last any longer, as a new opponent entered the fray.
Mitsuri under the shining light of the moon, used her flexibility and unexpected strength to carve apart the creation attempting to harm her friends. "Mitsuri!" "Is everyone alright? I'm sorry for the late arrival!" Giyuu and Mitsuri landed a safe distance away, with Giyuu putting down Tanjiro and looking over him. "Tanjiro, take some time to recover. I saw you running earlier for a window." Giyuu said as he stood straight, him and Mitsuri staring down the demon. Giyuu heard footsteps behind him, he looked back to believe it was Tanjiro, only to find it was Yae. "Good, you're still alive." Yae walked up, reloading her rifle before stopping between Giyuu and Mitsuri. "We're having a conversation later, and I'm trusting you to be truthful with me Giyuu. Until then, just what am I looking at?" "Upper Four of the twelve moons. He hits those drums to command the dragon heads, and those very heads control any element of damage he orders. He's not even the real body, he's just a puppet the real one controls." Mitsuri raised her whip sword as Yae raised her rifle into a firing position. "This horrid monster doesn't deserve love." "This is just fucking charming."
"Mitsuri, try to get Genya and Nezuko back. I'll help you with the heads. Yae, your bullets should be faster than he can react. Use the treelines as cover and focus him. Move!" The two Hashira moved in as Yae moved back as support. "I will not be bested by a shameless tramp, a revolting crippled swordsman, and a civilian in over her head! I am Zohakuten! The manifestation of anger and frustration turned flesh!" Zohakuten hit two drums, ordering two of the heads to wield both lightning and sonic screams. "Death by the Crazed Cries of Thunder!" Giyuu dodged to the side as he watched Mitsuri stay in place. "Love Breathing Third Form: Catlove Shower!" Mitsuri jumped through the lightning and sonic waves, performing rapid arching strikes, dissipating the energy around her. "Just because you look like a child, doesn't mean you're any less of a monster!"
'This woman was able to swing through the attack itself?' Before he could hit another of his drums, he felt his hand explode and the drum become damaged. Looking towards the trees, he saw the other girl that injected herself into the fight. "Insolent wretch!" He used his other hand to command a dragon attack the civilian with multiple wind blasts. Unfortunately for him the trees and various plant life gave her cover to move and shoot, he was striking blindly in hopes of hitting her. With the demon distracted, Mitsuri attempted to close the distance between her and the children. Two separate heads tried to attack her, one trying to eat her whole, and the other using spear projection. Using her swords unique design and her otherworldly strength, she wrapped her blade around the first and used it as a living shield to protect herself from the blasts.
'Dammit, if she can keep up with this I'll just have to bury her with overwhelming force! Demonic Blood Art: Countless Striking Trees!' Zohakuten banged his drums in rapid succession, all while forgetting about the marksman was in this fight as well. With every impact he made he could feel the drum explode and take time to regenerate. It slowed him down to such an extent, he didn't have nearly as many dragons as he'd have liked. "You insufferable wretched woman, I'll make sure to-" Zohakuten felt his head get blasted apart, small fragments of nichirin metal being lodged into his skull and burning his flesh from the inside.
"There's still so many! Am I even able to fight all of this!" "Remember that you're not alone in this fight." Mitsuri looked to her left to see Giyuu charge ahead, gaining the attention of nearly head converging on him. "Eleventh Form: Dead Calm." Every head that attempted to close the distance after Giyuu was destroyed into nothing more than woodchips, never being allowed to exist within his immediate presence. "Get Nezuko I'll get Genya!" The Hashira split into opposite directions as they focused on who they had to save. With Zohakuten being unable to focus his dragons due to the bullets he was being struck with, the Hashira were able to save his captives. Converging with one another again, Giyuu and Mitsuri had the chance to throw Nezuko and Genya to safety. However, they were so focused on rescuing their friends, they failed to notice the demon had moved behind them. "Giyuu Kanroji-sama get out of there I can't fire without risking hitting either of you!"
They looked back to see him stand before them, his mouth wide open charging an attack. 'Compressed Sound Waves!' Giyuu and Mitsuri were hit at close range blast of pure sonic waves. Their very bones vibrated from inside their bodies and their muscles almost felt like they were going to snap from tension. Both had fallen to their knees, but only Giyuu remained conscious. "Doma and his ice cubes hits harder than that you bastard... Someone like Mitsuri doesn't deserve to die to a Moon like you who relies on parlor tricks." Giyuu taunted as he was forced to spit blood out. He watched as the demon made a mad rush to her, attempting to cave in her skull with a single punch. As it was about to land, Giyuu raise his sword to cut its arm off and run away with Mitsuri in his spare arm.
Mitsuri felt herself in someone's grasp, finally coming back to her senses. She watched as Tomioka-san was carrying her and still running just fine. "Tomioka-san?" "There you are Mitsuri. Come on, we can take this thing on together. I'm relying on you to be strong to help us see tomorrow. If there's any Hashira I can trust to watch my back right now you're at the top." She felt herself on the verge of tears, she never thought Tomioka-san would ever praise her for her strength so openly. Yae had told her how he was different from before, but she never could've believed he could be like this. "Your struggling is comical, but your existence continues to infuriate me." Zohakuten could finally strike his drums again, finding the other girl didn't have much ammo anymore. Keeping his eyes on the two Hashira, he watched a torrent of lightning come down on them.
'Did I get them?' Zohakuten was stuck in frustration and awe, hearing the crying screams of the girl as she swung her whip sword around. "Waaaah Tomioka-san, you can't just tell me something like that after everything that's happened! I don't deserve it after I failed to help you before! When did you become so nice?!" She opened her eyes to focus the demon, ber tears of joy still running down her cheeks. "I'm not letting some big bully take away or hurt my friends! Upper Moon or not! You better brace yourself, because we're going to kill you! I'm through holding myself back!" The group ran up to them, all of which looked over the Hashira for injuries. "Giyuu-san, Ms. Kanroji, are you two alright?" Tanjiro inspected Giyuu as Nezuko panicked over looking at Mitsuri.
"We're fine for the most part." Giyuu stood up as he dusted himself off, grunting as he felt slightly sore from that sonic scream. "Frankly I'm becoming more annoyed the longer I have to look at this thing. Tanjiro, you and the others go after the main body. Yae I want you to go with them, there's hardly any cover now and I don't want you being in his direct sight." Yae wore a conflicted expression, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. She had to leave Giyuu out of her sight to fight this thing, AND had to fight alongside the demon girl she learned was Nezuko. She had to trust him, it was the only choice she had. "You better live long enough to give me my answer." "And risk disappointing another friend? I've done enough of that already."
Yae whistled as the others followed after her, their footsteps becoming quieter as they made distance. The Hashira slowly walked towards the demon, both seeming to have their bearings back. "Don't worry Tomioka-san, we'll protect them no matter what! I promise I'll protect you as well! It may be late, but I will not let you suffer again while I can help it!" Giyuu was thankful to be wearing his mask so she couldn't see his smile. It had threatened to split his face in two. "Please, just call me Giyuu. We're friends now aren't we?"