After beheading Karaku, Sekido, and Urogi alongside Tanjiro, Goku noticed Genya had become a demon.
"Genya-kun..." he muttered. Then, Genya turned, with Aizetsu's head still in his hand. Then, Goku turned and saw that the clones were regenerating more slowly.
(We still have a bit of time...) thought Tanjiro.
(We beheaded all of them, but they can still regenerate... How can we kill this demon...?) wondered Goku. Finally, Nezuko got away from the debris and broke free. (I think I understand... There's a fifth demon... We have to behead him, if we want to win...)
"Tanjiro-kun!" exclaimed Goku. "There's a fifth demon here!"
"Yeah, I felt his scent!" confirmed Tanjiro.
Suddenly, Genya grabbed Tanjiro's neck. "Don't get so full of yourself! I'm gonna kill this demon and become a Hashira!"
"Genya-kun, calm down now," said Goku. "We're similar, you know? You're a human who can turn into a demon, I'm a demon with demonic cells. It's basically the same thing, isn't it?"
"Yeah, kinda," said Genya. Suddenly, Sekido regenerated, and with his staff, he generated lightning again.
"Watch out, you two!" exclaimed Goku, striking a fighting stance.
"Genya, I'll let you know as soon as I find the fifth demon, so keep your ears open!" exclaimed Tanjiro.
"Dammit, they already regenerated!" said Genya, extracting both his sword and gun.
"Whatever you do, just don't slash Nezuko-chan!" said Goku, following Tanjiro in the search for the fifth demon. (Where the hell could it be...? We have to find the fifth demon while Nezuko-chan and Genya-kun are keeping those four clones at bay...)
Suddenly, Tanjiro sniffed something. "Found it!"
He ran towards the forest.
"Hey, wait for me!" exclaimed Goku, following Tanjiro. "Genya! Go northeast! There's the demon!"
Suddenly, he got blocked by Urogi, who slightly hit Goku's face. The boy's eyepatch flew away, revealing the scar on his eye.
"My eyepatch! You flying asshole!" exclaimed the boy, slashing Urogi's feet. Then, with his only eye, Goku saw Genya running northeast.
"The demon's hiding close to the ground!" exclaimed Tanjiro. As Urogi regenerated his feet, Goku grabbed his eyepatch and put it on his right eye again.
"Okay, now I can fight again!" he said, clutching his eyepatch once again. "Nezuko-chan, go help Genya-kun! Don't let the Lighting Demon get in the way!"
Nezuko nodded.
Elsewhere, Muichiro was still trapped in the water vase created by Gyokko.
"Hyo, hyo, hyo!" laughed the demon. Muichiro tried to slash through the water, but that was of no use.
"Not only are you unable to unleash your breathing techniques, but you'll soon be drawing your last breath in there, too!" exclaimed Gyokko. "That look of fake stoicism... How very sublime it is! My creative juices are simply gushing!"
(I just hope... Goku-kun and the others are doing great without me...) thought Muichiro.
Back with Goku, the boy cut Sekido's arm clean off, not allowing him to use lightning. Urogi attacked Goku, but Tanjiro sliced him in half.
"Fine! One neutralized, for now!"
Meanwhile, Genya was running in the forest, searching for the fifth clone. "Where the hell is that dumbass..."
"Turn west! It's nearby!" said Goku, while kicking Karaku's fan away.
Genya executed, and he turned to the west. Finally, Genya saw him: the fifth clone, who was as small as an ant. "It's way too tiny!"
Then, the boy shot at the clone, but it ran away.
"That thing's beyond small!" said Genya, running after Hantengu. Finally, Genya managed to reach the main body. But as he aimed his sword at his neck, Genya's sword broke. (My... My sword just broke? How hard is his neck...?)
Suddenly, from behind, Genya felt someone: Sekido.
(Crap, I was too slow! I can't dodge his staff... I'm gonna die, I can't regenerate my head...) realized Genya. In that moment, without even knowing why, Genya thought about someone very important to him: his big brother, Sanemi.
(Aniki... I wanted to become a Hashira, so my aniki would acknowledge me. And... I also wanted to apologize... For what I said that day! Okasan... was such a tiny person. I grew taller than her at an early age. My mother was always working, from morning to night. Not once did I ever see her sleeping. My father was not only a big guy, but he was also a good-for-nothing. He was violent towards all of us, and my mother always protected us with her tiny body. My father was stabbed by a grudge, which served him right.)
(One day, at night, Aniki and I remained awake, because our mother wasn't home. Aniki got outside to search for her, while I remained home, with my brothers and sisters, who were revealed to be awake as well. At a certain point, someone knocked at the door. My siblings, thinking it was Okasan, walked towards the door. However, it was a demon, and it killed my siblings. I was terrified. Fortunately, before the demon could kill me, too, Aniki arrived and dragged the demon away. Wanting to know, I reached aniki, and what I saw was terrifying. Aniki had killed our mother. In that moment, I told Aniki he was a killer and a fool.)
(Only with time did I understand that the demon who killed my siblings was actually my mother. Aniki, who knows how you felt when you had to kill your mother, while hearing your younger brother calling you a killer... I'm sorry I said those awful things, Aniki. We even made a promise to protect our family... How could I have thought you'd killed our mother for no reason? I was such a fool... I'm sorry, Aniki. I'm gonna die without having the chance to say I'm sorry. And that memory of you smiling at me... will be the last thing I see. I had no talent, Aniki. I can't use Breathing Techniques... and I'll never become a Hashira. Unless I become a Hashira, I can never meet the other Hashira. I gave it my all... but it was beyond me.)
Suddenly, Genya heard a voice. "Genya-kun!"
It was Goku who sliced Sekido's arm just in time. "Don't give up! Try again, my friend! This time, you'll make it!"
"Goku, I..." muttered Genya.
"Aren't you going to become a Hashira?" Goku asked. "I'll protect you, no matter what
Suddenly, from behind, Aizetsu appeared.
"Weeping Spears," he said, as a powerful blow was released from his spear. Fortunately, Goku was covered by Genya, who tanked the hit and became full of holes all over his body.
"Don't worry, I can regenerate, unlike you. Now, behead it, you or Tanjiro. I leave it to you... My friend."
Hearing Genya's words, Goku's only eye filled with resolution.
"I won't fail you, bro," said Goku. "Let's go, Tanjiro-kun!"
He got up and ran towards Hantengu's main body. After a while, the two of them found him.
"Found you! Take these!" exclaimed Tanjiro, as he aimed his katana towards Hantengu's neck.
Chapter 35 - End