The frost-white nichirin blade plunged into his neck, inch by inch, forcing its way in. He grabbed the nichirin blade with his fingers, the veins on the back of his hand bulging, trying to stop it from going any further.
Yoizumi was using all his strength with both hands. How could this demon be so strong?!
Gritting his teeth, Akaza's facial muscles twitched. Kyojuro Rengoku's blade had pierced his lungs, attempting to cut him in half.
A sliver of fish-belly white appeared in the dark night. Akaza was shocked.
The sun is about to rise!
I have to run, or I'll die!
"Get lost!"
Blood Demon Art: Final Form: Blue-Silver Chaotic Radiance!
Akaza unleashed his technique. Facing imminent death, he unleashed all his power without reservation, delivering hundreds of punches at high speed in an instant. Yoizumi and Kyoujurou were unable to defend effectively at close range, barely deflecting some attacks with their nichirin blades, but still suffered multiple contusions.
They were sent flying backward simultaneously, crashing violently into the train. Yoizumi recovered through regeneration, his broken arms and torso mending, but Kyojuro Rengoku was merely human. A hole had been punched into his left abdomen, his right arm was only attached by skin and flesh, and his left eye was completely blind.
Akaza immediately ran towards the forest. The sun was about to rise!
Yoizumi picked up his blade. He couldn't let him go!
"Yoizumi-nii, don't move! The sun! The sun is out!" Tanjirou shouted.
Blood Demon Art: Air Raid.
Countless air blades instantly dismembered Akaza.
Blood Demon Art: Instant Shadow.
Due to insufficient strength and distance, he gripped the hilt of his blade, and the moment Akaza had just finished regenerating.
Breath of Snow First Form: Falling Snow.
He lunged forward, striking directly at Akaza's neck from behind.
Akaza roared furiously, his face contorted in a grimace, as he tried to block with both hands.
"The sun is about to rise! Don't you understand?!"
"You'll die too! If you want to die, go by yourself, don't try to drag me with you!"
He watched nervously as the sun's light approached little by little.
Destructive Kill: Leg Type: Crown Splitter!
Targeting Yoizumi's head, an upward back kick. Even though half of his head was shattered, Yoizumi did not let go.
Upper Moon Three is already this strong. How much stronger must Upper Moon Two, Upper Moon One, and even Kibutsuji Muzan be?
With a chance to kill a formidable enemy right now, Yoizumi didn't want to give up.
Blood Demon Art couldn't be used anymore, and he still needed to save some strength. Kyojuro Rengoku's injuries were already fatal; he would die without treatment.
"Yoizumi-nii!" Tanjirou sprinted, picking up his broken nichirin blade. He had to get to Yoizumi-nii quickly, the sun was about to hit him!
The after-effects of Hinokami Kagura caused Tanjirou intense pain throughout his body, but he held his breath and pressed on.
"Boar Assault!" Inosuke also charged towards Akaza. If this continued, both the owl and Yosuke would die. He had to help!
Yoizumi was the first to be exposed to the sun. The burning sensation was unbearable; his body began to disintegrate. He hadn't expected the pain to be so intense that he could barely hold his blade.
"No!" Tanjirou cried out in despair. Akaza seized the opportunity, punched Yoizumi away, and without hesitation, darted into the forest.
"Ah...!" Tanjirou threw himself towards Yoizumi. As a Demon Slayer Corps member, he should prioritize killing the demon, but he couldn't abandon his loved one.
"Shrink, hurry and shrink!" He struggled to expand his body to shield Yoizumi from the sun. At this moment, Yoizumi was covered in burns of varying degrees, his face disfigured.
One person wasn't enough. "Inosuke, help me!"
Inosuke, who was about to pursue Akaza, suddenly stopped, turned around, and knelt on the ground to shield Yoizumi.
You better not die, Yosuke!
"You really are reckless." Kyojuro Rengoku, dragging his broken body, his burning haori severely damaged, slowly knelt on the ground, his tall figure blocking the last rays of sunlight that could reach them.
The burning sensation made him unable to speak. He forced himself to raise his hand and place it on Kyoujurou's hand. Specks of glowing light emerged as he channeled his last remaining power.
Blood Demon Art: Rotation.
Kyojuro Rengoku's eyes widened. He could see with his left eye again!
Ultimately, due to excessive exertion and being burned by the sun, Yoizumi couldn't fully heal Kyojuro Rengoku's body and fell unconscious.
"Tanjirou!" Agatsuma Zenitsu ran over, carrying a wooden box. Seeing Kyojuro Rengoku's terrible state, his breathing hitched.
"Mr. Rengoku, are you alright?"
What on earth happened while he was unconscious?
Why is everything here so broken?
"Yes, I'm fine now..." The blood loss was still too much. If not for Yoizumi, this demon, in this battle, he would have likely met a terrible end.
He took off his haori and covered Yoizumi. Together with Tanjirou and Inosuke, they completely shielded Yoizumi and moved into the forest.
Tanjirou carefully lifted Yoizumi into the wooden box.
Yoizumi-nii, you must be very tired. Rest.
"Nezuko, hold Yoizumi-nii." Nezuko reached out to protect her brother's head, looking at him worriedly.
"Flame Pillar-sama!" Kakushi Memberss quickly mobilized, running to their side.
"Stop the bleeding quickly!"
"They're injured too! Bandages!"
..."Ah, Lady Shinobu, welcome back!" Kanzaki Aoi greeted her.
"Hmm, Yoizumi and the others have already left." Shinobu returned to Butterfly Mansion after her mission; it was already evening.
"Yes, they left this morning."
"I see."
Supporting her tired body, she walked down the corridor and unknowingly found herself at Yoizumi's room.
She stood at the door for a moment, then reached out and opened it.
Since Yoizumi wasn't here now, it wouldn't matter if she went in, right?
The room was dim, with the windows tightly shut. Opening the windows made the room a little brighter.
Her fingers brushed over the desk. The books on it hadn't been closed yet. She sat in the chair Yoizumi used to sit in, her face resting on the somewhat cool desk.
She casually picked up a piece of paper, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.
It was densely covered with the names of everyone in Butterfly Mansion, written in neat but not particularly beautiful or ugly handwriting. Shinobu could even imagine Yoizumi with his head down, holding a brush, clumsily writing each stroke.
Shinobu had never felt time pass so slowly.
After this parting, she didn't know when they would meet again.
Shinobu felt an emptiness in her heart.
Yoizumi, you better not get any more terrible injuries, otherwise... She sighed inwardly.
If he really suffered such severe injuries, she seemed... she wouldn't even be able to be angry anymore.
More than anger,
worry came even more intensely.
She closed her violet eyes and lay on the desk.
Yoizumi's clear scent still seemed to linger in the air.
"Lady Shinobu!" Kanzaki Aoi called out.
Shinobu got up, pushed open the door, and found Kanzaki Aoi, who was calling out to her repeatedly.
"Aoi-chan~"
Kanzaki Aoi held a letter in her hand and handed it to Shinobu.
"This was just delivered by a Kasugai Crow. It was specifically for Lady Shinobu."
Shinobu examined the ordinary-looking letter, nodded in understanding, told Kanzaki Aoi to continue her work, and returned to her own room.
Who sent it to her?
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