"It's over, it's over, this is really the end."
Camellia watched the fish monsters surrounding the forested mountain, feeling utterly hopeless. Though she knew the enemy hadn't killed them only because they enjoyed toying with and luring their prey, she still harbored a sliver of hope that they might escape.
But now, with Gyokko's ability sealing off the mountain, her last hope had been crushed.
Bang—
A figure flashed past her like a bolt of lightning. The boy, draped in a yellow haori, crashed into a tree. Whether it was the pain or Enmu's spell being lifted, Zenitsu woke up.
As Zenitsu came to, seeing the raging fires in the forest, the horde of demons, and those fish monsters, he screamed in terror, "Waaah! I'm going to die, going to die, going to die! What kind of nightmare is this? Wasn't I just cuddling with Nezuko-chan?!"
He looked at the blood on his body. "It hurts so much. Why does it feel like all my bones are broken?"
Seeing Zenitsu like this, Camellia's heart sank further. "Zenitsu, this is a nightmare, okay? Hurry up and go back to sleep. It won't hurt if you're asleep."
She wanted desperately for the Sleeping Monster to come out again. The situation was already bad enough. Even if Zenitsu was asleep, he was still a strong fighter and could at least stall one of the invaders. But now that he was awake, what could they do?
"Is this a nightmare?" Zenitsu was momentarily stunned, but then his face twisted in pain. "But it really hurts! Aren't you not supposed to feel pain in a dream?"
Camellia realized Zenitsu wouldn't be falling back asleep, so she gripped her Nichirin blade tightly, determined to fight to the end.
Their swords weren't newly forged, but temporary Nichirin blades issued by the trainers—blades left behind by previous users of the same breathing techniques. As long as one was a practitioner of the same style, they could use them.
However, because they weren't their own specially awakened blades, they couldn't bring out their full power. Zenitsu and Tanjiro faced the same limitation.
Of course, Camellia didn't think that swapping to their own blades would suddenly allow these young protagonists to turn the tide.
"What a splendid predicament."
The Sound Hashira was wounded, panting heavily. In his brief clash with Upper Moon Five just now, he'd suffered serious injuries, his body bitten by a swarm of little fish monsters, bleeding profusely.
Even so, he still wore a bright, sunny smile. "Then let me make a flamboyant comeback!"
"Uzui-san…"
Tanjiro's eyes filled with tears at the sight. Beneath Uzui's torn clothes, his flesh was a bloody mess, and his muscular arms were covered in gouges.
That was the result of Gyokko's Blood Demon Art: Ten Thousand Soaring Sticky Fish. Gyokko had summoned ten pots, each unleashing a horde of sticky fish with sharp teeth that could chew a body down to the bone.
Even though Uzui had dodged in time, he was still bitten by some, suffering massive wounds—some so deep that bone was exposed. On top of that, the fish were poisonous, their toxins already eating away at Uzui's body.
Despite these circumstances, Uzui refused to give up hope. He threw two smoke bombs, shrouding the forest, and shouted, "Tanjiro, run toward the land of sunrise!"
Tanjiro instantly understood—Uzui wanted him to run east. Though Tanjiro was gentle, he wasn't indecisive. He hoisted Inosuke, ordered Nezuko to carry the wounded Zenitsu, and ran east.
Camellia was a step slower but quickly followed. After a few steps, she gritted her teeth, turned back, and carried the half-dead Whirlwind, pushing herself to catch up with Tanjiro.
Uzui's sudden smoke bombs obscured the demons' vision. The demon explorers grew wary, fearing Uzui might attack them. The original Kuzuki—Gyokko, Enmu, and Rui—remained more composed.
Relying on his sense of sound and memory of the terrain, Uzui charged east through the smoke, slaying five or six fish monsters in a flash.
He broke through the eastern blockade, but his wounds and the poison forced him to cough blood. After dispatching the monsters, he staggered, unable to run further, managing only to stay upright by planting his dual blades in the ground.
Tanjiro, eyes brimming with tears, brushed past Uzui without stopping. He knew that, in times like these, sentimental words would only dishonor Uzui's sacrifice.
Uzui watched Tanjiro and the new Demon Slayers rush past him into the dark mist. In his eyes, they seemed to be running toward the dawn.
I'm sorry. I still wasn't strong enough. I couldn't protect everyone.
But at the very least, I must let you young sparks escape.
"Blood Demon Art: Killing Eye Cage."
Yet, in that magnetic, sinister voice, Uzui's hope of saving the newcomers seemed to become a fantasy.
A net of blood-red spider silk spread out, blocking Tanjiro and the others. Only Tanjiro's instinctive sword swing prevented them from being sliced apart immediately.
Now, exhausted from battle, Lower Moon Five's Blood Demon Art was like an insurmountable chasm.
"If you need to call for help, just send a mouse. Why would you all try to escape together?"
Rui stood atop a tree, weaving blood-red webs between his hands, his gaze fixed intently on Nezuko. "If you hand your sister over to me, I'll let you pass."
"What are you saying!? How could I ever give Nezuko to you!"
Tanjiro roared, slashing at Rui's webs. He couldn't accept it—Uzui had opened a path for them with his life. If none of them could escape, it would be too tragic.
"How dare you destroy my artistic creations…"
Gyokko stood on a tree branch above Uzui, his face dark as he looked at his slain fish monsters. "…I'm bored now. I'll make you into my new pot."
As long as someone could send a message, more Hashira would come. He wasn't worried about running out of playthings.
"As a musical artist, hearing the word 'art' from something as disgusting as you just makes me sick."
Uzui was not crushed by despair. His voice was weak, but his fighting spirit surged. The markings on his left eye seemed to darken.
Just as he felt he'd grasped a profound insight and was ready to stake his life to kill Gyokko for Tanjiro's sake, his excellent hearing detected something.
It was the sound of a raging wind, mixed with thunder.
The more perceptive Gyokko and Enmu heard it too, their gazes shifting eastward, down the mountain.
The gale arrived, the forest stirred, leaves fell like rain, and the mist parted like water. It was as if thunder ripped through the sky, lightning tearing apart the darkness!
A black figure, shrouded in golden lightning, pierced the night, shattering the blood-woven dream.
As he landed, the delayed gale swept past him, billowing his black haori and splitting the mountain fire to each side.
Gusion placed his hand on the kneeling, wounded Uzui's shoulder. "Save your strength for your family…"
The firelight illuminated Gusion's profile. The wind tousled his bangs. His invisible aura swept over everyone like the passing storm, making even the demons forget to attack for a moment.
Catching sight of the battered Tanjiro and others, Gusion's gaze lingered on the blood-soaked Zenitsu, his expression darkening. "…I'll take over the battlefield now."
Just then, the Kasugai crow, delayed by the speed of events, swooped down, circling and announcing, "The Thunder Hashira has arrived at the battlefield! Wounded Demon Slayers, retreat first!"
"Gusion-senpai…!"
Zenitsu looked at Gusion's back, first overjoyed, then quickly warned in a weak voice, "Be careful, Senpai, that demon can put people to sleep!"
Gusion used his Kaido technique to stabilize Uzui's wounds without turning around, his gaze sweeping the demons gathering to the west. "No wonder they dared to surround and cut us off. There's quite a crowd."
"Be careful, the one in the pot is Upper Moon Five."
Uzui, though meeting Gusion for the first time, had heard of his deeds and knew from the crow's announcement that the Thunder Hashira had arrived.
He wanted to thank Gusion for protecting his wives in Yoshiwara and for his support now, but this was no time for pleasantries. With his limited strength, he prioritized reporting enemy intel. "The fish he summons are poisonous. His close-range capabilities are unknown. Don't make eye contact with Lower Moon One."
Gusion nodded as he used his Kaido to stop Uzui's bleeding. "Don't worry."
He then turned to Tanjiro. "Tanjiro, please get Uzui and the others down the mountain."
"Senpai, it's too much for you alone!"
Zenitsu forced himself up, gathering his strength with Thunder Breathing, wanting to fight alongside Gusion.
Gusion kicked a Demon Slayer's sword from the ground; the blade shot out at high speed, piercing the throat of an explorer trying to sneak up on him and pinning him to a tree.
At the same time, he drew his Mazuko blade, lightning flashing as he cleaved an attacking fish monster.
Amidst the bloody carnage, Gusion gently pushed Uzui toward Zenitsu behind him. "I'll take over the battlefield. You'll only get in the way."
"Ah, I've eaten many Hashira, and don't really care about their fate, but that guy has a pretty face. I wanted to make him into a living artwork. I can't let him go."
Gyokko's body stretched from his pot, eyes fixed on Gusion, while a small hand pointed at Uzui and Tanjiro's group.
Immediately, two goldfish emerged from a pot with waterweed patterns, firing volleys of poisonous needles at Uzui's group.
Blood Demon Art: Thousand Needle Fish Kill!
Tanjiro and the others were terrified. Even if they were at full strength, they couldn't have withstood an Upper Moon's attack, let alone in their current state.
But the needles never reached them—because Gusion acted.
A cascade of lightning surged upward, forming a barrier that scattered the deadly needles.
Thunder Breathing, Seventh Form: Thunder Waterfall!
Zenitsu was dumbfounded—he'd never seen this move before. Grandpa had only taught them six forms of Thunder Breathing. Had Gusion-senpai really developed a new move in just a few days?
After blocking the attack, Gusion leaped along the lightning, swinging his blade at Gyokko's neck.
As Gusion closed in, Gyokko finally felt the intensity of Gusion's killing intent—every cell in his body screamed of impending doom.