"I am the Flame Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kyojuro Rengoku!"
"And I am Akaza."
"Kyojuro, let me tell you why you cannot step into the Supreme Territory. It is because you are human. You will age, and you will die. Become a demon, Kyojuro." Akaza extended a hand toward him, his expression one of twisted invitation. "If you do, you can continue to train and grow stronger for a hundred, even two hundred years."
"No!" Rengoku countered instantly. "The fact that humans age and die is exactly what makes them so precious. True strength isn't found in the physical body; it is the resolve to protect those you love."
"Is that so?" Akaza lowered his eyes, his thoughts unreadable for a fleeting second.
Seriously? Are you two really doing formal introductions right now?
Aoi looked calm on the outside, but she was screaming internally. She stared at Akaza's face—which was practically screaming "I'm the strongest and I know it"—and then at Rengoku, who was still standing there with a dead-serious expression. She nearly lost it.
This guy was Upper Rank Three! He was an unholy abomination who could regenerate from a decapitation in an instant and punch through a train car like it was wet paper!
He's not here for a deep philosophical debate about the meaning of life, you guys!
"Technique Deployment: Destructive Death—Compass Needle!" A snowflake-patterned seal expanded from beneath Akaza's feet.
Aoi felt a chill surge from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Every hair on her body stood on end. This wasn't just some ordinary move; it was a terrifying domain capable of locking onto a hunter's very aura.
Rengoku's expression turned grim. He could feel it clearly—the air itself seemed to be constricted by those lines. Every movement he made was now under Akaza's absolute control.
"Since you refuse to become a demon, you must be killed." Akaza lunged at Rengoku, his fists carrying enough force to pulverize bone.
The two blurred into motion, their speed so great that the eye could only catch lingering shadows.
As they clashed, Akaza continued to speak. "I've encountered other Hashira before. I offered them the same chance, but they all refused. Why?" He looked at Rengoku, genuinely perplexed. "Only the chosen few are permitted to become demons. Why throw that away?"
Rengoku spun violently, his Nichirin Sword sweeping out in a trail of fire that forced Akaza back half a step. The flickering flames illuminated his face with a fierce light. "Become a demon? Live forever? That is nothing more than eking out a miserable existence by devouring humans! We are human; to be born, to age, to fall ill, and to die—that is our destiny. And yet, it is within this brief lifespan that we give everything to protect those we care about!"
"Destructive Death: Air Type!"
The snowflake patterns of the Compass Needle flared. An invisible pressure suddenly weighed down on the clearing. For a moment, Rengoku saw nothing but a void, and then a fist was at his throat!
The strike was unimaginably fast, discarding all flair for pure, lethal efficiency. Akaza's fists rained down like a relentless storm, each blow carrying a murderous intent that tracked Rengoku's spirit. "The human body is ultimately fragile! Give up, Kyojuro! Only as a demon can you obtain true strength!"
"I told you—I refuse!"
"Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!"
A massive cloud of smoke and debris engulfed the two. Aoi stared at the swirling dust, her heart thumping against her ribs. Rengoku-san, please... don't be hurt!
As the smoke cleared, the two combatants stood revealed.
"Did... did he win?" Inosuke muttered from the sidelines.
Akaza stood his ground, his eyes narrowed as he looked at Rengoku with an eerie calm. "Even if you fight with the intent to sacrifice yourself, Kyojuro, it is all for naught."
"No matter how powerful your techniques are, my wounds heal in the blink of an eye. But look at you. Your left eye is gone, your ribs are shattered, and your internal organs are shredded. These are injuries you can never recover from."
"Become a demon, and your wounds will heal in an instant. No matter how hard you struggle, a human cannot defeat a demon."
Suddenly, a massive surge of Battle Spirit erupted from Rengoku. "I will fulfill my duty! No one here will die!"
"Flame Breathing Esoteric Art, Ninth Form: RENGOKU!"
The blade carried the full weight of his conviction and will. Where the wind of the blade passed, the very air seemed to sizzle and burn.
Akaza watched him, eyes wide with genuine admiration. "What magnificent Battle Spirit! To have such spirit despite such devastating injuries... your form is without a single opening!"
"Hahahaha! Kyojuro Rengoku, you really should just become a demon!"
"Destructive Death: Disorder!"
Blade and fist collided with a deafening roar. Searing flames like a forest fire swallowed the snowflake patterns around Akaza. Rengoku's silhouette stood tall amidst the fire, though his left eye had lost its light and blood soaked half of his haori.
Yet his grip on his sword remained as steady as a mountain. The flames on the blade didn't flicker; they grew more intense with every breath.
"I told you..." Rengoku's voice was raspy but rang out with the force of a bell. "I will protect every single person here!"
Akaza's fists sizzled as they were scorched by the flames, but the flesh knitted itself back together even as it burned.
[Ding! Detecting a threat to the mission target's life. If the target dies, the mission will be judged a failure.]
The System's cold, mechanical voice hit Aoi's brain like a sledgehammer. Rengoku-san!
Aoi immediately activated her Light as a Swallow ability. She blurred into a streak of motion, weaving through the cracks between the fire and the shockwaves of the punches.
"Aoi!" Tanjiro reached out, but he was too slow to catch her. He could only watch in horror as she charged into the center of the carnage. The movement tore his own wounds open, making his vision swim with pain, but he still roared, "Get back! It's too dangerous!"
A split second before Akaza's fist could pierce Rengoku's chest, Aoi shoved the Hashira aside with all her might. In his place, she took the full, bone-shattering force of the punch directly to her back.
Splat—!
A spray of blood erupted from Aoi's mouth, the warm liquid staining her uniform in a gruesome, spreading red.
"AOI!" Tanjiro's eyes nearly burst from their sockets. He forced himself upright, desperate to reach for his Nichirin Sword. He had to take that demon's head!
The agony of the impact made Aoi's vision go dark. She looked toward the horizon, seeing a faint sliver of white light beginning to break the dark. Turning back toward Akaza, she offered him a bloody, terrifyingly calm smile.
As Akaza stared at her, confused by why she would smile in such a state, he realized he couldn't move. A pair of hands had locked him in place.
It was her!
Despite the fact that her internal organs must have been pulverized by the force of his punch, she seemed to feel no pain at all. She was clinging to him with a death grip.
Aoi whispered into his ear, her voice thick with blood. "Akaza... you said humans... were fragile?"
"Let go of me, woman!" Akaza snapped, trying to pry her hands off with growing irritation.
"It's too late," she murmured, her voice almost fading. "Look—"