'What a heavy and overwhelming aura... So, this is an Upper-Rank Demon!' Kyojuro thought, feeling the pressure of his demonic presence. He took a deep breath and said, "Ryou, let me fight him."
Ryou glanced at him. "Are you sure? This demon is incredibly strong. You're not his opponent."
"I know that," Kyojuro replied, his voice steady and bold. "But I have this feeling—almost as if we were meant to face each other. If I don't fight him now, I might not get this chance again."
"I understand." Ryou nodded, feeling the determination in Kyojuro's tone. "But if I see you're in real danger, I won't hesitate to step in."
He then mused, 'Is this what they call destiny?'
"That was a powerful kick! It broke a few of my bones." Akaza glanced at his deformed chest, which healed almost instantly. A smile spread across his lips as he turned his gaze to Ryou. "You've got impressive strength, but it's a pity... you're just a mere human. As you age, your strength will decline, and eventually, you'll die."
What's your name?" Akaza asked as he dashed toward Ryou, closing the distance between them in an instant.
Ryou looked at him calmly, offering no reply. Just as Akaza drew near, Kyojuro, who was standing next to Ryou, unleashed his attack.
'Flame Breathing, First Form: Rising Scorching Sun!' His sword ignited with a brilliant red flame, slicing through the air. The blazing blade cleaved through Akaza's chest effortlessly like butter.
Akaza leaped back, flipping across the battlefield, his chest regenerating almost immediately.
"I see. You both are Hashira. Now this... This is more like it!" Akaza's grin widened with newfound excitement. His gaze shifted to Kyojuro, and his eyes gleamed with interest. "You've got a nice sword."
Kyojuro, unfazed by his aura, questioned him. "I don't understand one thing. Why would you go for an injured person first instead of coming after us?"
Akaza replied, "When the strong fight, the weak only get in the way. The mere sight of weak humans makes me sick."
"Is that so? We have only just met, and I already find you detestable." Kyojuro expressed his thoughts bluntly.
Akaza chuckled. "I can tell your strength at a glance. You are indeed worthy of your title as Hashira. Your fighting spirit is like the finest steel—honed to the edge, just short of reaching the human limit."
For some reason, the thought of fighting Kyojuro filled Akaza with an unknown exhilaration. He could sense Hashira's spirit growing brighter like embers stoked into a blazing flame.
As for Ryou, Akaza ignored his presence entirely. He considered him insignificant as long as he didn't interfere with his enjoyment of the fight.
In his eyes, Ryou was just another Hashira, no different from the countless others he had faced before. It wasn't as if he hadn't fought two Hashira at the same time in the past; they were all weak in his eyes.
Even if they joined forces, Akaza was confident they would pose no real threat to him. He's a demon after all.
"Tell me your name, Demon Slayer," Akaza asked, genuinely interested in Kyojuro.
"I am the Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro."
"Kyojuro, I have a brilliant proposal for you. Why don't you become a demon?"
Without hesitation, Kyojuro replied, "I will not!"
"Is that so?" Akaza's smile faded slightly as he dropped into a fighting stance, a fierce grin returning to his face. Suddenly, a light blue, snowflake-shaped compass materialized beneath his feet, its edges etched with numbers ranging from 1 to 12.
Technique Development: Destructive Death... Compass Needle
"Be careful, Rengoku-san!" Tanjiro spoke up. Kyojurou nodded, his grip tightening on his blade.
"If you won't become a demon, then I have no choice but to kill you." Akaza annoncued. In a flash, he rushed at Kyojuro with lightning speed, his fist aiming to smash Kyojuro's face.
'Boom!'
Kyojuro met the assault head-on, parrying the powerful blow with his sword.
Following that, the two blurred into a heated clash of strength and skill, their movements too fast to follow. Blue and orange beams of light streaked across the battlefield, demonstrating the intense exchange between them.
"In all my years, I've never gotten to kill a Flame Hashira!" Akaza shouted with exhilaration, his voice filled with excitement.
"I can't keep up with their speed!" Inosuke exclaimed. 'There's no opening. If I jump in, I'll definitely die. I can feel it in my bones. Those two are in a different dimension.'
"Me neither," Tanjiro gasped, struggling to follow their movements. 'An Upper Moon Three is this strong… What about Muzan Kibutsuji?'
Seeing the worried expressions on their faces, Ryou reassured them with a calm voice, "Don't worry, Tanjiro, Boar-head. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen to Kyojuro."
'Bang!' A powerful kick sent Kyojuro flying out of the woods, his body crashing into the ground with a heavy thud. Akaza strolled leisurely out from the forest, as he urged. "Turn into a demon, Kyojuro,"
Kyojuro panted, struggling to catch his breath as he used his katana for support.
Akaza continued, "Fight me forever and get stronger together with me."
"I refuse," Kyojuro responded firmly, pushing himself back up. "I will not become a demon!" Calming his breath, he poised his katana and launched himself at Akaza: 'Flame Breathing, Third Form: Blazing Universe!'
Jumping high in the air, Kyojuro slashed his sword down in a powerful arcing vertical slash that nearly cleaved Akaza in two.
Evading the strike, Akaza countered, 'Destructive Death: Air Type!' By punching the empty air in front of him, a shockwave erupted from his fist, sending Kyojuro hurtling backward despite his attempt to block the invisible attack with his blade.
They clashed once again, their movements almost a blur of speed. Blue energy blasts from Akaza's fists collided with the burning flames of Kyojuro's attacks, lighting up the battlefield in a chaotic display of fiery bursts and glowing shockwaves.
Within a few moments, they exchanged countless blows. But then, suddenly, Akaza stopped his attacks and gazed at Kyojuro in sympathy.
On the other side, Kyojuro looked battered. The left side of his face was smeared with crimson, his complexion pale and exhausted. A trickle of blood dripped from his chin, landing on the ground at his feet.
'Don't tell me...' Tanjiro looked at Kyojuro's state in disbelief. 'No way…' Inosuke felt the same shock and disbelief.
"Rengoku-san..." Tanjiro called out, worry evident in his voice as he turned to Ryou. "Ryou-san, please take action. If you two fight together, you can defeat the demon or at least delay him until sunrise."
"Yeah, Fair-Face, do something!" Inosuke added, his usual bravado tinged with frustration.
Ryou's eye twitched at the nickname. Fair-Face? What kind of weird name is that?
"Let's fight more," Akaza uttered, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Don't die on me, Kyojuro.
Every impressive slash you've inflicted upon me has already healed completely," Akaza continued. "But what about you? Smashed eye, broken ribs, damaged organs—you can't keep fighting like this.
If you were a demon, you would heal in the blink of an eye," Akaza continues. "You can struggle all you want, but a human can never defeat a demon of my caliber."
At that moment, the tense atmosphere was abruptly broken by a sudden laughter. "Pfft! I'm sorry!" Ryou chuckled.
"Why are you laughing?" Akaza's face twisted in anger, his aura flaring with rage at being interrupted.
"'A human can never beat a demon'? Your joke is too funny," Ryou replied and continued to taunt with a smirk. "Do you know someone named Kokushibo? He's supposed to be the Upper Moon One. We crossed paths about a month ago.
You should have seen him when he fled from me—he looked downright pathetic. You may not have heard about it, as who would share such a shameful story?"
"Shut up!" Akaza's expression darkened, but Ryou remained undeterred. "I'll give you a chance, Akaza. If you manage to graze me and make me shed even a drop of my blood, I'll consider letting you live. Otherwise, you're dying under the sun."
Ryou glanced at the horizon, where the faintest glow of dawn was beginning to emerge. "There are only a few minutes until sunrise. Make your attacks count."
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