His eyes felt as if they were pierced by Nezuko's blood, a warmth spread around his eye sockets, as if fresh blood had splashed onto them, and his sapphire eyes seemed on the verge of shattering.
It hurts so much… my eyes hurt so much.
My heart hurts so much.
My whole body hurts so much.
Yoizumi's vision went black. The next time he opened his eyes, he was no longer on Mt. Natagumo, but in a vast expanse of white snow. His bare feet stepped on the thick snow, and the chill permeated his spine.
Where is this?
Wasn't he on Mt. Natagumo?
"Yoizumi-nii!"
A tender female voice came from behind him, laced with pain.
Slowly turning his head, the first thing that came into view was a house he had never seen before.
His gaze shifted downwards, where two small figures lay in a pool of blood, their blood staining large patches of the surrounding white snow. Just looking at this scene, his heart felt like it was tightly gripped by a hand, an unbearable pain that made it impossible to breathe.
His legs, however, could not move one step closer. Was that… Nezuko?
"Yoizumi-nii… run…" Nezuko struggled to lift her head, and after saying these words to Yoizumi, she closed her eyes.
A lump formed in his throat, a throbbing pain. The icy air filled his lungs, and his rationality began to crumble piece by piece.
Returning to reality, with Tanjirou about to be strangled, and Nezuko suspended and bound, an unprecedented surge of emotion welled up in Yoizumi's heart.
He couldn't let such a thing happen again.
How could he let them die before his eyes again?
Veins bulged on his hands, and the wind in the forest howled, rustling Yoizumi's clothes. In an instant, the surrounding air was completely sucked dry.
Blood Demon Art: Air Raid: Chaos!
The invisible air solidified, and countless air blades flew towards Tanjirou.
The blood-red spider threads were instantly shredded. Tanjirou, breaking free, switched his breathing.
Hinokami Kagura! Waltz!
The gentle water transformed into consuming flames. The air blades precisely avoided Tanjirou, blocking the spider threads that his nichirin blade couldn't cut.
Utilizing the movements of Water Breathing, Tenth Form, Tanjirou spun around. The scorching flames easily burned the originally tough spider threads into ash.
"My threads?!" Rui was somewhat incredulous. He flung out a large amount of spider threads again with both hands. A dense web of threads appeared in front of Tanjirou. The slightest mistake would lead to him being torn to pieces, but he couldn't stop!
If he stopped, Water Breathing would appear. He couldn't miss this opportunity!
He frantically slashed through the spider threads in front of him. Even if they appeared suddenly, he neither dodged nor avoided them. He knew Yoizumi-nii would help him; he trusted his brother.
He skillfully used the complex terrain of the forest to approach Rui.
Run! He must be cut down here!
He saw it! The Thread of Opening!
Even if it meant mutual destruction, he had to kill him!
Blood was already overflowing from the corner of his mouth, but Yoizumi continued to overdraw his physical strength. The drawbacks of this Blood Demon Art were obvious: enormous consumption. Although he had reduced the size and range, increasing the number of attacks, he still needed to divide his energy to control the direction and angle of the attacks, avoiding harm to Tanjirou.
He had also considered using Blood Demon Art to attack Rui, but when he had torn off Rui's arm earlier, Yoizumi knew that this demon's recovery speed was very fast!
The nichirin blade pressed against Rui's neck. Tanjirou gripped the hilt tightly with both hands. The scorching flames seared Rui's neck, a pain like being exposed to the sun. Rui's pupils contracted.
How is this possible!
Blood Demon Art: Murderous Cage!
His hands wove a spider web like a string of flowers, completely enveloping Tanjirou. At such close range, everyone was too slow to react.
Exhausting his last bit of strength, Yoizumi tried his best to block the spider threads that would inflict fatal wounds on Tanjirou. He coughed up blood, his blue eyes filled with unwillingness, and he knelt on the ground, supporting his upper body with both hands to avoid collapsing completely.
Nezuko, Nezuko!
It was his mother's call.
Kamado Kie cupped Nezuko's face in her hands, tears falling.
"Nezuko, quickly go and help your brother."
"If this continues, your brother will die too!"
The unconscious Nezuko opened her eyes, her vertical pupils appearing. She clenched her hands into fists.
"Blood Demon Art: Exploding Blood!"
Nezuko's blood ignited the spider threads, exploding and incinerating all the threads that attempted to strangle Tanjirou. A wall of fire erupted between Rui and Tanjirou. Tanjirou passed through the fire wall without any flames adhering to him.
"Don't underestimate the bonds of our family!"
He slashed at Rui's neck again. Prolonged use of Hinokami Kagura had already left Tanjirou weary. With trembling hands, he forcefully pushed the nichirin blade inch by inch into Rui's neck.
Nezuko's blood, which had stained the blade, exploded and burned. With the help of her Blood Demon Art, Tanjirou successfully severed Rui's head.
He cut it off!
Nezuko fell from the air. Tanjirou lunged forward, catching her at the last moment, and they both collapsed to the ground.
The aftereffects of Hinokami Kagura set in. Tanjirou couldn't stand up, couldn't even grip his nichirin blade, and couldn't lift his arms.
Wait!
The demon's presence is still there?!
The scent of a demon still lingered at his nose.
That's right, he didn't smell the ash-like scent when a demon dissipates. Why?
He clearly cut it off!
Tanjirou turned his head in despair. Rui's body was still standing upright.
Calm down! Calm down!
Nezuko and Yoizumi-nii helped me so much; I must stand up!
Breathe! Use the correct breathing!
"You didn't really think you could cut off my head, did you?"
"I used my own threads to cut off my own head first."
"You're really annoying me!"
"Then die!"
Rui reattached his head, threads flying from his hands.
Blood Demon Art: Engrav… My vision shifted? What's going on?
My head fell off?
Yoizumi had appeared silently behind Rui at some unknown point, holding half a nichirin blade. His already pale face streamed with bloody tears from his eye sockets, and his rosy lips were even more crimson, soaked with blood.
Why? He didn't notice anything!
Rui's eyes were wide with rage. He couldn't understand how this demon, who had already collapsed, had managed to silently cut off his head without him noticing.
He collapsed to the ground from exhaustion, his sapphire eyes stained red with blood. His dim eyes fell upon his torn sleeve.
Ah… ruined again.
Yoizumi's body slowly shrank, finally curling into a ball. It was truly fortunate that he was able to comprehend a new Blood Demon Art in the end.
Blood Demon Art: Instant Shadow
Being able to cover a certain distance in the blink of an eye, cutting off the demon's head was a matter of course.
Just as he had done countless times, killing one target after another.
Why did he feel this way?
Yoizumi didn't understand.
His blue eyes held a faint sadness, looking towards Tanjirou and Nezuko, who were collapsed not far away, a scene that seemed to overlap with Nezuko and a small figure lying in a pool of blood earlier.
His eyes drooped uncontrollably until he lost consciousness.
But this time… he made it.
"Yoizumi-nii!" Tanjirou crawled on the ground, using both hands and feet, wanting to reach Yoizumi's side.
"Thump-thump-thump"
A rapid sound of footsteps approached. Giyu Tomioka appeared, his gaze falling on the striking golden hair on the ground. It was a demon!
When Tanjirou saw Giyu Tomioka arrive, he initially wanted him to help, but when he clearly saw Giyu Tomioka drawing his nichirin blade, he screamed at the top of his lungs:
"Stop! This is my brother! Don't kill him!"
Tanjirou?
Giyu Tomioka tried hard to retract his sword strike. He had no intention of holding back when he made his move.
Finally, the sharp blade cut across Yoizumi's cheek, severing a few strands of golden hair, before barely stopping at his delicate neck.
His brother?
His calm gaze lingered between the human and the demon. They didn't look alike at all.
Tanjirou laboriously brought Nezuko to Yoizumi's side, shielding him together.
Nezuko held Yoizumi in her arms, while Tanjirou embraced Nezuko from the front.
Both pairs of eyes watched Giyu Tomioka nervously.
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