Makomo clasped her hands tightly, anxiety written across her face as she watched her master.
She wanted to help. She really did.
But a battle between the Wind Hashira and her master wasn't something she could step into. Her presence would only get in the way—she might even drag Ryuya down.
"Master… you have to win." She believed in him with all her heart.
"Use catnip against cats, and rare blood against demons!"
Sanemi Shinazugawa laughed like a madman, taunting Ryuya. "What, is this all you've got, you Moon Demon? You bore me! Smell my blood and prepare to die!"
"Wind Breathing, Second Form: Claws — Purifying Wind!"
Four claw-shaped wind blades ripped downward toward the ground.
Ryuya drew his nichirin blade back, slipping past the attack and widening the distance between them.
"Did he stop?" Giyu Tomioka narrowed his eyes, puzzled.
"Hey, hey—don't tell me you're trying to run? This rare blood is what you demons drool over, right? What, you don't wanna kill me and savor it?"
Sanemi mocked, baring his teeth. "Show me your real power. Don't bore me!"
Ryuya suddenly let out a sneer, a playful glint flashing in his crimson demon eyes.
"Sanemi Shinazugawa… take this."
Sanemi braced himself, blade held horizontally. "Is it coming?"
But Ryuya didn't move.
Only the strange, eye-covered demon blade in his hand began to writhe and transform.
Before Sanemi's widening eyes, the nichirin blade elongated by an entire blade length, while three short, stubby blade branches sprouted outward—each one covered in dense demon eyes.
A monstrous, twisted demon sword radiated an overwhelming aura.
"What the hell…?" Sanemi froze. A terrible sense of unease crawled up his spine.
The next moment shattered everything he thought he knew.
"Moon Breathing, Seventh Form: Waning Moons — Eclipsing!"
Dark purple moon blades erupted outward, tearing across the ground.
Five massive shockwave-like crescents surged forward, followed by smaller, curved shockwaves that filled every gap in their path.
Sanemi's breath hitched. For a heartbeat, he couldn't even figure out how to block it.
Cold sweat trickled down his cheek.
He forced himself to calm down and wove between the gaps of the giant shockwaves, activating his Breathing Technique rapidly to destroy the smaller ones.
"Wind Breathing, Seventh Form: Gale — Sudden Gusts!"
Spiral-shaped wind blades shot forth, slamming into the incoming crescent arcs.
"Neutralized—good!"
"Good? This is just the beginning. Take this!"
Ryuya didn't give him a single second. His blade swung again, distorting the very air.
"Moon Breathing, Eighth Form: Moon-Dragon's Tail!"
A titanic, dark purple crescent swept horizontally, its aura sharp enough to split the sky.
"Wind Breathing, Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash!"
Sanemi unleashed everything he had, spiraling wind blades erupting forward—
—but when they collided with Ryuya's massive moon blade, they shattered instantly, like eggs thrown at a boulder.
"I can't block it!"
Death wrapped icy fingers around Sanemi's spine.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
At that critical moment, Giyu leaped in, nichirin blade whirling like a dragon of surging tides.
Water blades clashed with moon blades, and Giyu was immediately pushed back step by step.
"Wind Breathing, Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon!"
Sanemi didn't waste time yelling at him for jumping in. He followed up instantly, a storm of intersecting wind blades merging with the water waves.
The combined force barely held back the massive moon blade.
But before they could even inhale in relief—
Tiny, ethereal blue moon blades slipped through the gaps and struck their chests.
With a hiss, deep cuts opened across their bodies. The two Hashira were sent flying, crashing into a withered tree.
"Damn it!" Sanemi wiped the blood from his mouth, forcing himself up against the trunk.
Pain roared through Giyu's entire body. He steadied his breathing and pushed himself up using his blade.
But before he could fully rise—
Ryuya struck again.
"Moon Breathing, Ninth Form: Descending Moon — Linked Surface!"
He leaped into the air, blade spinning. Dark purple crescents mixed with smaller ethereal blue blades rained from above like a storm.
Sanemi and Giyu gritted their teeth and activated their Breathing Techniques together.
"Wind Breathing, Fifth Form: Cold Autumn Wind!"
"Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust!"
A massive wind blade surged upward.
Giyu thrust forward, creating ripples that vibrated through the wind like a tsunami.
The combined strike clashed against the descending moon blades.
"Ahhh!" Sanemi roared, but he and Giyu were still pushed back, their footing crumbling.
"Why isn't my rare blood working? Did he already adapt to it?!"
Giyu said nothing, but the strain etched itself across his face.
This Moon Demon… was far beyond anything he expected.
Even with the Wind Hashira, they were losing—overwhelmingly.
And that eerie, chilling aura numbing their bodies made everything worse.
"Is this Master's true strength…?" Makomo's lips curved into a bright smile. "Master is amazing… the most amazing in the world!"
"Are you giving up already?" Ryuya sneered. "Is this all the Wind Hashira and Water Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps can do?"
He swung his demon blade again—the blow that drove them to the very brink of despair.
"Moon Breathing, Sixteenth Form: Moonbow — Solitary Moon!"
A titanic dark purple crescent crashed down from the sky, ripping the earth apart and sealing off every escape route.
Giyu realized instantly—he could no longer help Sanemi.
He could only protect himself…
or he'd die.
...
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