The horizon began to bleed with a faint, pale light. The sun was coming.
Akaza snapped his head up, his pupils shrinking to pinpricks. This was the natural enemy of all demons—the lethal radiance that could incinerate his very being into nothingness.
"I have to get out of here!"
For the first time, a note of genuine panic crept into Akaza's voice. He no longer cared about maintaining his superior, arrogant posture. His muscles bulged and rippled as he struggled desperately to throw off Kazama Aoi's restraint.
His fists, wreathed in localized shockwaves, slammed into Aoi's back again and again. Each strike carried enough force to pulverize an ordinary human, yet her arms remained locked around his neck in a death grip. Even as her finger bones creaked and snapped, even as blood trickled down her arms in a gruesome stream, she didn't loosen her hold by a fraction.
"Escape?" Aoi's voice was as faint as a dying breath. "Didn't you say... humans were fragile?"
She offered him a look of pure, blood-streaked defiance—a contemptuous smile. "Akaza, we didn't lose."
Akaza froze. For a split second, a blurred face flickered through his mind—a memory so fleeting he couldn't even grasp it.
The first sliver of sunlight finally pierced through the cloud cover, striking Akaza directly on the shoulder.
Sizzle—!
The sound of searing flesh was agonizingly sharp.
The pain sent him into a violent spasm, his crimson eyes veining with blood. As he watched the sunlight creeping closer and felt the primal terror of his life force slipping away, he finally exploded with a desperate, unprecedented burst of strength.
"Get off me!"
Akaza roared, putting everything into a final heave. The force was so immense that he physically tore Aoi's arms out of their sockets.
Aoi was sent flying by the impact, her body slamming hard into the dirt. The agonizing jolt of her dislocated joints sent a fresh wave of tremors through her, and her consciousness began to fragment.
"Aoi!"
Nearby, Kyojuro Rengoku ignored his own hemorrhaging wounds and the searing pain racking his body. He stumbled forward, his movements erratic, and collapsed to his knees to pull Aoi into his arms.
"Why... why did you save me?"
Rengoku's voice was a mangled rasp, his arms trembling as he held her.
He looked down at the dying girl in his embrace—at the blood staining her lips, at her dislocated arms hanging limp and useless—and felt as if an invisible hand were crushing his heart. The pain was so sharp it nearly stole the breath from his lungs.
Blood continued to stream from his left eye, blurring his vision, yet he could clearly see the lingering spark of stubbornness and the faint, peaceful smile in Aoi's half-lidded eyes.
Aoi's fingers twitched. She wanted to reach out and touch his blood-stained cheek, but she lacked even the strength to lift a hand. Her voice was as light as a wisp of smoke, but every word carved itself into Rengoku's soul.
"Because... you're the Flame Hashira... the one who has to protect everyone."
System... am I going to die? Aoi's gaze began to wander.
After a long silence, a voice laced with static and mechanical distortion slowly flickered to life.
[Detecting Host's vital signs below critical threshold... however... Death Verdict has not been triggered. Super-Regeneration is currently active.]
That's good then...
Aoi's lips curved into an unconscious, faint smile.
At least... we didn't lose.
At least... I protected him.
"Rengoku-san... do you know the difference between you and the sun?" Aoi forced out her final pick-up line through the haze of agony. Even a ruthless corporate mogul would have wept at her level of professional dedication. "The sun shines for the whole world... but you? You only shine for me."
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission. Rewards have been dispatched.] [Detecting System Points have reached 10,000. Would you like to open the System Mall?]
Points of light coalesced into a semi-transparent panel floating in her consciousness, but she had no interest in it. All she wanted was to close her eyes and sleep for a very long time.
"Aoi..."
Rengoku wanted to say something—to respond to her words, to tell her she wasn't alone, to tell her that the light she brought reached far beyond just herself—but the words were choked back by a tidal wave of emotion.
He could only stare at her, letting hot tears mix with the blood on his face, both dripping down onto her uniform.
Watching Akaza flee into the woods, Tanjiro bellowed with raw fury, "Don't run! Don't run, you coward!"
Akaza, struck by the Nichirin Sword Tanjiro had hurled at him, looked back in bewildered shock. What is this brat talking about? What is going on in that head of his? I'm not running from the Demon Slayers—I'm running from the sun!
Besides, the winner of this fight was decided long ago! he thought bitterly as he vanished into the depths of the forest.
"Tanjiro..." Aoi called out softly.
Tanjiro's eyes turned red instantly. He sprinted to her side and knelt down. "Aoi!"
"He's gone... that's good... at least... we're all still alive..." Aoi's voice was disconnected, trailing off.
The moment the words left her, a wave of exhaustion crashed over her. Her eyelids felt like lead. "I really want to sleep."
"Aoi! Don't you dare sleep!" Terrified by the way her eyes were fluttering shut, Tanjiro frantically gripped her hand.
"Aoi-chan, please don't die!" Zenitsu's wailing reached them from behind. He threw himself down beside her, his hands shaking so much he didn't dare touch her wounds. He could only clench his own fingers until they turned white.
The boy's cries were sharp and loud, his tears falling onto the back of Aoi's hand, feeling incredibly hot against her skin.
"I think... I can still be saved..."
Aoi's weak voice acted like a stone thrown into a noisy pond, instantly silencing the frantic group.
Zenitsu's sobbing cut off mid-breath. He looked up dazed, tears still clinging to his lashes, staring at Aoi's slightly moving lips. For a moment, he forgot how to react.
"Thank heavens... you're alive!"
Rengoku looked down at the girl in his arms, a gentle, relieved smile finally touching his golden eyes. He lightly ruffled her hair, his voice raspy but full of comfort. "Don't you ever be that reckless again."
Aoi looked at them, a weak smile playing on her lips. She wanted to say more, but a sudden, violent wave of vertigo hit her. Her eyelids finally won the battle.
Her consciousness plunged into total darkness. She felt as if she were floating, falling into a warm sea of clouds. The cries, the footsteps, and the chaos drifted away, leaving only the sensation of that heat-filled embrace, providing a strange sense of security.
[Repair progress increased to 15%. To accelerate the restoration of the Host's physical mechanisms, the item 'Portkey' has been triggered.] [Host, please select a transport coordinate at the Star-Rail Gate in the consciousness space.]
The mechanical voice rang out, but the unconscious Aoi offered no response.
[Selection in Auto-mode... Selection successful. Preparing for transport.] [Transporting... Transport successful.]