At that moment, on the other side of the battlefield...
Tanjirou looked at Muichirou, who had collapsed beside him. Panic surged in his heart. He screamed silently to himself:
Pick up your sword! Get up! You must stop him now, or all four of us will die!
Bang!
Akaza slapped away a flying bullet with his bare hand. His golden eyes shifted toward Genya, who was staggering as he reloaded.
"You're too weak," Akaza said coldly. "Not worth my time."
Genya's face turned bright red. He could tolerate being looked down on by humans—but not by a demon.
Clenching his teeth, Genya reloaded and fired again. The bullet struck Akaza square in the chest, exploding in a spray of blood. A massive hole was blasted through his torso—but the wound immediately squirmed and healed.
In a blur, Akaza appeared beside him.
"Genya, be careful!" Tanjirou shouted, still lying on the ground, unable to rise.
But it was too late.
A single hand pierced Genya's chest. He could see Akaza's hand, feel it pulsing beside his heart.
Genya's pupils shrank to pinpoints. And then—a ferocious expression twisted his face.
Before Akaza could react, Genya bit down on the arm that was pierced through him, tearing off a huge chunk of flesh and swallowing it whole.
"Sucker punch!" he roared with blood on his teeth.
Akaza snarled in disgust, yanked his hand out, and kicked Genya violently away.
"Let him die over there."
His eyes drifted back toward the two still figures on the ground—Tanjirou and Muichirou.
But just then, a sharp gust of wind howled behind him. Akaza turned quickly, narrowly avoiding a fierce strike. He looked back and saw Nezuko—her eyes blazing with fury.
In the blink of an eye, Akaza shattered her leg—but Nezuko's regeneration was fast. Her leg healed instantly, and she delivered a vicious kick, slamming Akaza into the dirt and fracturing his shoulder.
A brutal battle began between the two.
If James were here, he would've probably sighed and said, "Stop fighting! Stop it already! You two are turning into Death-Immune ghosts!"
Akaza narrowed his eyes at Nezuko.
"So... you're the one Muzan mentioned. The demon who escaped his control."
Nezuko didn't respond. Instead, she landed a punch that flattened Akaza's face.
"It's useless," he growled as he stood up. "You're still too weak. I'm not going to play with you anymore."
Akaza's stance shifted, his killing intent exploding outward.
"Destructive Death – Disorder!"
He launched a barrage of violent strikes at an incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, Nezuko's body was riddled with deep wounds. Blood splattered across the ground. Several massive holes appeared in her limbs and torso.
Even her powerful regeneration couldn't keep up with such ferocity.
Before she could recover, Akaza grabbed her and flung her across the battlefield.
But a figure dashed forward—Tanjirou, who had broken through his limit, caught her mid-air.
Blood flowed freely into his eyes, turning the whites a deep red. Flames of willpower seemed to ignite around him. The crimson mark on his forehead expanded, and sparks danced from his mouth with every breath.
In life-or-death moments—or when a person burns with overwhelming emotion—humans can awaken limitless potential.
That's something demons can never do. They lack emotion. They're just beasts who feast on the living.
Akaza's expression flickered. Somewhere in his subconscious, memories stirred—but they refused to surface. Whatever it was, he didn't remember. Still, fury twisted his face as he charged forward again.
Tanjirou's body trembled as he held his Nichirin Blades.
This is my limit... but I can still fight!
He couldn't see Akaza's movements clearly, but instinct and experience guided him. He knew—he's coming from above! And so, he raised his blade and slashed upward with all his might.
A torrent of blood burst out—it was Akaza's. His shoulder had been split open, and Tanjirou's blade embedded itself deep into his flesh.
But Tanjirou lacked the strength to cut all the way through. Akaza's momentum hurled him backward, slamming him into the dirt.
Still—Tanjirou didn't let go.
The blade dug even deeper, and when he was finally thrown aside, he pulled it free with him—blood spraying in all directions.
Akaza's glare sharpened, deadly and cold.
"Not bad."
His voice now held genuine malice.
His Blood Demon Art allowed him to detect his opponent's location, direction, and movement by sensing their Qi. The stronger the opponent's fighting spirit, the easier they were to read.
However, those who had entered the Transparent World—a state of total serenity—could suppress their Qi, becoming nearly invisible to him.
Tanjirou, now gravely injured and nearing collapse, had lost most of his Qi. Ironically, that made it nearly impossible for Akaza to read his movements.
But he didn't intend to hold back.
His next strike would end it all.
"Destructive Death—"
Just before he could finish the technique, a sharp blade aura brushed against the back of his neck.
Akaza's rage exploded again—again?!
He dodged instinctively and leapt back.
The one who had attacked was none other than Muichirou, who had just recovered his breath. A Tomoe-like mark shimmered across his face.
Muichirou smiled, then looked at Tanjirou.
"I remember now... Thank you, Tanjirou."
There had once been someone who risked his life to protect Muichirou.
That person had saved him—yet caused him unbearable pain when he was lost.
His brother—Ichiichirou.
"I remember what he told me... Muichirou's 'emptiness' is a kind of all-powerful void."
Muichirou stepped forward, shifting his weight slightly and raising his blade in both hands. His stance was textbook perfect. A warrior's stance. A stance ready to fight.
The mark on his face deepened.
When did this mark appear? It didn't matter. Right now, all that mattered was defeating the enemy in front of him.
Akaza charged forward with no hesitation, raising his arm for a full-force strike.
Muichirou dashed to the side, barely avoiding the blow, and counterattacked in one motion. His sword sliced through Akaza's left arm and scratched his chest—blood and flesh flew through the air.
Akaza jumped back, looking frustrated.
"You little brat... I'm getting faster. Stronger. But it won't be enough to save you."
He sneered.
It was true. If it was just the two of them, Akaza believed he'd eventually win.
But suddenly—
A soft pink blade light swept across the battlefield like a ribbon of cherry blossoms. The very air cracked as it whipped around Akaza's head.
He dodged dozens of slashes with precise footwork. This was the power of his technique—his blood demon art allowed him to evade almost any attack. Though most times, he didn't even feel the need to dodge.
But now, the air shifted.
A pink blur surged forward with dazzling speed—it was Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira.
Though she looked a bit battered, her eyes were full of determination. A distinct mark had appeared across her collarbone. Her strength had awakened.
Madara Crest Kanroji Mitsuri—now entering the fight!
Akaza's heart began to burn—not with excitement, but with envy and frustration.
He had trained for centuries, endured agony to evolve—and yet these humans could grow stronger in the middle of a single battle.
"You people..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Tanjirou and Nezuko, now fully rested, stood together. Tanjirou stepped forward again, gripping his sword.
"I can still fight," he said through gritted teeth, turning toward the others. "Let's finish this... together."
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)