The battle erupted into chaos. The manifestations choosed their opponents and changed the rooms.
Obanai vs. Sekido
The Infinity Castle rumbled with raw energy, the air thick with charged electricity. Obanai Iguro stood firm, his sharp mismatched eyes locked onto Sekido, the manifestation of pure rage.
"Tch… a Hashira, huh?" Sekido scoffed, his crimson eyes burning with contempt. His body crackled with lightning, arcs of electricity dancing along his veins. "I hate weaklings. You better not disappoint me!"
Obanai tightened his grip on his serpent-shaped blade, his white-and-green Nichirin Sword gleaming under the dim glow of the castle.
"Talk too much, and you'll get bitten." His voice was calm, but his stance was deadly.
Without warning—
BOOM!
Sekido vanished in a flash, the sound of thunder exploding as he reappeared above Obanai.
"DIE!"
He swung his lightning-charged fist, aiming for Obanai's skull.
"Serpent Breathing: First Form – Snake Bite!"
Obanai twisted his blade upwards, striking lightning-fast, parrying Sekido's attack mid-air. Sparks flew as steel met raw electricity, sending a shockwave rippling through the battlefield.
"Not bad, Snake Boy." Sekido grinned, stepping back.
Obanai didn't waste a second.
"Serpent Breathing: Second Form – Snake Fang!"
He lunged forward, his blade carving an unpredictable X-shaped slash, forcing Sekido to retreat mid-air.
"Grrrrr! You annoying little worm!" Sekido snarled, summoning a whirlwind of electric tendrils, aiming to trap and electrocute the Serpent Hashira.
Obanai smirked, already predicting his next move.
"Serpent Breathing: Fifth Form – Slithering Serpent!"
Obanai slid low to the ground, his movement fluid like a snake, dodging every tendril of lightning that crashed into the floor behind him.
"HOLD STILL!" Sekido howled, sending a massive bolt of lightning in all directions.
Obanai jumped, using the force of the blast to propel himself forward, spinning in mid-air—
"Serpent Breathing: Fourth Form – White Snake Tail!"
His blade curved unpredictably, slicing through Sekido's arm, leaving a deep gash.
"ARGHH!" Sekido roared in agony, stumbling back as his flesh sizzled from the cut.
Obanai landed gracefully, unfazed.
"For a manifestation of anger, you sure are slow." He taunted, flicking blood off his blade.
Sekido's eyes burned brighter, his rage peaking.
"I'LL KILL YOU!"
The air shook as Sekido unleashed his most devastating attack.
"BLOOD DEMON ART: THUNDERCLAP AND FLASH – DEVASTATION!"
A storm of lightning bolts rained from above, crackling with destruction, splitting the castle floor apart.
Obanai took a deep breath, his Demon Slayer Mark igniting on his skin.
"Serpent Breathing: Seventh Form – Dual Snake Strike!"
His sword blurred.
Two simultaneous slashes—
One aimed at Sekido's head.
The other aimed at his heart.
"WHAT?!" Sekido barely had time to react—
SLASH!
Blood sprayed.
His head separated from his body, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"I… I lost…?" Sekido whispered before his body disintegrated into ashes.
Obanai exhaled, sheathing his blade.
"Anger makes you reckless. That's why you lost."
Tanjiro vs. Aizetsu & Karaku
The two of Hantengu's strongest manifestations stood before Tanjiro. The gale-force winds of Karaku's fan clashed against the oppressive aura of despair radiating from Aizetsu.
Karaku grinned, swinging his massive leaf-shaped fan lazily over his shoulder.
"Ahhh, what a pain… I just wanna have some fun." He smirked, his sharp teeth glinting. "But I guess I'll crush you first."
Aizetsu, his somber eyes filled with sorrow, sighed.
"This is pointless… you're going to lose. Why resist fate?" His spear pulsed with dark energy.
Tanjiro tightened his grip on his Sun Breathing-infused blade, his red Nichirin sword blazing.
"I don't have time for your games! You demons hurt so many innocent people. I'll stop you here!"
BOOM!
Karaku swung his fan, unleashing a tornado of razor-sharp wind blades. The entire castle floor trembled, walls cracking from the sheer force.
Tanjiro flipped mid-air, dodging the whirlwind attack.
"Sun Breathing: Fire Wheel!"
His blade ignited, spinning like a flaming saw, cutting through the windstorm and nearly slicing into Karaku's shoulder.
"Whoa! Fiery little guy, aren't ya?" Karaku laughed, leaping back.
Before Tanjiro could react, Aizetsu appeared from behind—
"Crying and Wailing: Piercing Despair!"
A spear of condensed sorrow shot forward, slicing toward Tanjiro's chest.
"Sun Breathing: Clear Blue Sky!"
Tanjiro spun mid-air, his blade creating a blazing 360° arc, deflecting the attack. But the moment his feet touched the ground—
BOOM!
Karaku's fan slammed down, sending a shockwave of air that blasted Tanjiro backward.
"Gah!" Tanjiro gritted his teeth as he skidded across the floor.
Aizetsu rushed in, thrusting his spear relentlessly.
"Sun Breathing: Raging Sun!"
Tanjiro's blade moved in rapid succession, intercepting Aizetsu's relentless attacks. The sheer force of the blows cracked the ground beneath them.
"Persistent, aren't you?" Aizetsu muttered, leaping back.
"Sun Breathing: Setting Sun Transformation!"
Tanjiro flipped backward, dodging another wind gust from Karaku, and slashed downward, leaving a scorching arc in the air.
Karaku blocked with his fan but was forced back, his grin faltering.
"Oh man, that actually stings."
Aizetsu's melancholic expression darkened.
"Enough games. Crying and Wailing: Eternal Grief!"
A wave of despair flooded the battlefield. Tanjiro's vision blurred, his body felt sluggish.
"Not… this time!"
"Sun Breathing: Fake Rainbow!"
His body flickered, leaving afterimages as he evaded the emotional attack.
Before Aizetsu could react—
"Sun Breathing: Dragon Sun Halo Head!"
Tanjiro's blade became a serpent of flames, ripping through Aizetsu's chest.
"GAAAHHH!" Aizetsu staggered, coughing black blood.
Karaku, now furious, roared.
"I was having fun, but you RUINED it!"
He swung his fan with full force, sending a tornado strong enough to tear through steel.
"Sun Breathing: Thirteenth Form!"
Tanjiro unleashed a flurry of attacks, slicing through the storm and charging straight at Karaku.
With a final burning slash—
SHLNK!
Karaku's head flew off, his body crumbling into ashes.
Aizetsu, weakened, tried to escape, but—
"Sun Breathing: Beneficent Radiance!"
Tanjiro's blazing slash cut through Aizetsu's neck, ending the battle.
Tengen vs. Urogi
Tengen Uzui, the self-proclaimed God of Flashiness, stood face to face with Urogi, the winged Manifestation of Joy.
"AHAHAAHAHA! What a thrilling turn of events! I get to fight a Hashira!" Urogi flapped his massive razor-sharp wings, his golden eyes gleaming with excitement.
Tengen spun his massive dual Nichirin Cleavers, his grin unwavering.
"Tch, a bird-brained demon? Please. I've fought demons ten times scarier than you, and they didn't squawk as much."
Urogi's beak curled into a wicked grin.
"Oh, I'll make you eat those words, shinobi!"
The moment he finished speaking, Urogi launched forward at breakneck speed, his clawed feet slashing toward Tengen's throat!
Tengen barely tilted his head as the claws whizzed past, grazing his cheek.
"Fast. But not fast enough."
Tengen jumped back, slamming his swords into the floor.
"Sound Breathing: First Form – Roar!"
He brought down his cleavers in a devastating arc, creating a shockwave of pure sound. The force ripped through the air, sending Urogi spiraling backward, his wings flapping wildly.
"AHAHAHA! That was LOUD!" Urogi cackled midair before twisting, stopping himself.
"Yeah? Well, let's see how you handle this!"
Urogi opened his mouth wide—
"BLOOD DEMON ART: SONIC SCREECH!"
A deafening sonic wave burst from Urogi's throat, the soundwaves distorting the air, shattering the castle walls, and sending Tengen sliding back.
The Hashira gritted his teeth, ears ringing, but his shinobi instincts kicked in.
"Hah! You think you're the only one with sound attacks? Try this!"
Tengen gripped his cleavers tightly, spinning like a human tornado.
"Sound Breathing: Fourth Form – Constant Resounding Slashes!"
His blades cut through the air in rapid succession, creating crescendoing sonic booms that clashed against Urogi's screech.
The air cracked from the sheer force, and in an instant—
BOOM!
Urogi was blasted into the castle walls, debris raining down around him.
"Whew! That was flashy, even for me," Tengen smirked, dusting himself off.
"HAHAHAHA!" Urogi burst from the rubble, blood trickling from his beak but his excitement never fading.
"You're FUN! But let's see you handle this!"
Urogi soared into the air, spinning mid-flight, and unleashed—
"BLOOD DEMON ART: WINGED TEMPEST!"
A hurricane of razor-sharp wind blades shot down at Tengen, tearing through stone and steel like paper.
But the Hashira didn't flinch. Instead, he leaped forward, meeting the storm head-on.
"Sound Breathing: Fifth Form – String Performance!"
Tengen's twin cleavers spun violently, slicing through every wind blade, reducing them to harmless gusts.
Before Urogi could react—
"Sound Breathing: Fifth Form – Bursting Bloom!"
Tengen unleashed a flurry of slashes, embedding explosive beads into Urogi's chest and wings.
KA-BOOM!
The demon exploded mid-air, feathers and blood raining down as he screamed in agony.
Tengen landed gracefully, flipping his swords.
"Looks like you're all out of tricks, bird-brain."
Urogi gasped, his wings shredded, his body barely holding together.
"H-How…?"
Tengen grinned, cracking his knuckles.
"I told you. I'm the God of Flashiness. And you? You're just a feathered punching bag."
With a final lightning-fast swing—
"Sound Breathing: Rising Kick!"
Tengen kicked Urogi's head clean off, sending it flying across the battlefield.
The demon's body crumbled into ash, his maniacal laughter fading into the void.
Tengen twirled his swords, flashing his signature cocky grin.
"Well, that was fun. Who's next?"
Shinobu vs. Chitose
The air inside the Room became thick and suffocating as a chilling presence settled over the battlefield. The shadows twisted unnaturally, and an eerie whisper slithered through the air, creeping into Shinobu Kocho's ears like a venomous serpent.
"Oh dear… what is this unsettling feeling?" Shinobu muttered, twirling her lavender-blue Nichirin katana between her fingers.
From the depths of the darkness, Chitose, the Manifestation of Fear, emerged. Her ghastly form wavered, her black, mist-like aura writhing around her like living tendrils. Her blood-red eyes gleamed as she smirked.
"You are afraid, aren't you?" Chitose whispered, her voice a chilling echo that sent shivers through the walls.
Shinobu's breath hitched for just a fraction of a second before she chuckled.
"Afraid? Me? My dear, I work with poisons. Fear is just another toxin the body needs to purge."
Chitose's twisted grin widened.
"Then let's see how long you last."
Suddenly, a wave of pure terror blasted outward, the Shroud of Fear warping reality itself. The walls of the castle stretched and pulsed, and dark figures formed around Shinobu, whispering in distorted voices.
"You're too weak… you'll never win…"
"Your sister is gone… just like you will be…"
"Give up… you're already dead…"
For the first time in years, Shinobu's fingers trembled. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs.
But then—
She smiled.
"Oh my, you're quite theatrical!" she chirped, her voice lighthearted as ever. "Are you trying to make me feel despair? That's adorable."
With a single step, she vanished.
Chitose's eyes widened.
"Wha—"
Shinobu reappeared above her, her blade glowing under the eerie light.
"Insect Breathing: Butterfly Dance – Caprice!"
She spun mid-air, stabbing downward in a flurry of needle-like strikes. The rapid stings found their mark, injecting Wisteria poison into Chitose's form.
The fear demon screamed, her body convulsing as the poison burned through her veins.
"Tch! That won't work on me!" Chitose hissed, her mist-like form twisting violently.
She vanished into the shadows, only to reappear right behind Shinobu.
"FEAR WAVE!"
A shockwave of paralyzing fearrippled through the air, slamming into Shinobu's back.
Her muscles stiffened, her breath hitched, and for just a split second, she saw the phantom of her dead sister, Kanae, standing before her.
"Shinobu… you can't win this one… let go…"
But instead of despair, Shinobu giggled.
"Oh, silly me. I almost fell for that."
Chitose's eyes widened.
"Why… why doesn't my power work on you?!"
Shinobu vanished once again, zigzagging toward Chitose with inhuman speed.
"Insect Breathing: Dance of the Bee Sting – True Flutter!"
She struck forward in a single, lightning-fast thrust, her katana piercing straight through Chitose's chest.
The demon convulsed, choking on her own shadowy mist.
"T-this isn't possible… I am FEAR itself!"
Shinobu leaned in, whispering into Chitose's ear.
"No, dear. You're just another insect for me to squash."
She twisted her blade, injecting an even deadlier dose of poison.
Chitose screamed, her body melting into a black puddle.
As the last of her form dissolved into nothingness, Shinobu sheathed her sword, sighing.
"What a troublesome little bug… Well, time to check on the others."
Kanao vs. Zohakuten
The Room quivered as blood-red trees erupted from the floor, their grotesque limbs twisting unnaturally. The air was thick with the scent of iron and decay, the oppressive weight of pure hatred pressing against Kanao like an unseen force.
From the shadows, Zohakuten, the Manifestation of Hatred, sneered. His darkened form, grotesque and wreathed in an aura of fury, radiated an unnatural malice.
"Your existence disgusts me." His voice rumbled like distant thunder, his blood-red tendrils snaking across the battlefield.
Kanao gripped her katana, her calm lavender eyes unwavering.
"Your emotions are suffocating. I think it's time for a little fresh air."
Zohakuten's snarl deepened, his blood trees exploding outward in an attempt to impale her instantly.
But Kanao was already gone.
A blur of pink and white danced through the crimson forest.
"Flower Breathing: Second Form – Honorable Shadow Plum!"
Her rotating slashes carved effortlessly through the writhing branches, deflecting each attack with deadly precision.
Zohakuten's bloodshot eyes widened as Kanao burst through his defenses, launching a spiraling slash at his chest. He barely dodged, but not before a thin red line appeared on his torso.
"Tch… Insolent insect!" He slammed his hand into the ground, causing massive tree trunks to surge upward, attempting to trap her in a wooden prison.
Kanao simply smiled and leapt high into the air.
"Flower Breathing: Fourth Form – Crimson Hanagoromo!"
Her katana curved in a graceful arc, slicing clean through the towering trees as she landed softly atop one of the broken trunks.
"Is that all?" she asked playfully.
Zohakuten roared, his hatred manifesting as a whirlwind of blood and wood.
"You will be crushed beneath my hatred!"
His rage-fueled assault came in the form of massive roots, coiling like monstrous serpents, lunging at Kanao with deadly precision.
Kanao exhaled calmly.
"Flower Breathing: Fifth Form – Peonies of Futility!"
Her blade danced through the air, unleashing nine consecutive strikes in the blink of an eye.
Each strike severed a root, reducing them to nothing more than shredded wood and blood mist.
Zohakuten gritted his teeth, his form trembling with fury.
"Stop—MOVING!"
His hatred surged, his form warping as the blood trees merged into a monstrous entity, swinging down with an unstoppable force.
Kanao closed her eyes for a moment before snapping them open—her vision sharp and absolute.
"Final Form: Equinoctial Vermilion Eye!"
The world slowed to a crawl.
Zohakuten's movements became predictable, every muscle shift, every fiber of his being exposed to Kanao's heightened perception.
She sidestepped effortlessly, her katana flashing like a petal caught in the wind.
"Flower Breathing: Sixth Form – Whirling Peach!"
Using the momentum of her evasive maneuver, Kanao spun gracefully, her strike severing Zohakuten's left arm in a single motion.
The demon howled, his rage boiling over.
"HOW?! YOU ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO ME!"
Kanao's soft voice cut through his fury like a whispering breeze.
"Hatred clouds judgment. And that's why you've already lost."
Zohakuten's eyes widened in horror as Kanao lunged forward, her katana aimed for his throat.
Tanjiro vs. Hantengu
Amidst the chaos, Tanjiro sensed it—
The real Hantengu.
"THERE!" He dashed forward, ignoring the destruction behind him.
The frail, cowering form of Hantengu trembled in fear.
"NOOO! DON'T KILL MEEE!"
Tanjiro ignored his pleas.
"Sun Breathing: Thirteenth Form!"
His blade burned like the sun, his movements a blur of divine fire.
Hantengu screeched, trying to run—
But Tanjiro was faster.
With one final, explosive slash—
Hantengu's head flew through the air, his body bursting into flames.
The demon let out a final, pitiful wail—before crumbling to ash.
The battle was over.
The Manifestations dissolved, their existence erased.
The Infinity Castle grew silent.
Tanjiro exhaled deeply, his hands trembling.
Tengen whistled, swinging his cleaver over his shoulder. "Damn, kid. That was flashy."
Zenitsu collapsed face-first into the floor. "I THINK I PEED MY PANTS!"
Shinobu wiped her blade. "A satisfying experiment."
Kanao smiled softly.
Obanai nodded, sheathing his blade. "One down. More to go."
Tanjiro grinned, despite his exhaustion.
The war wasn't over yet.
But today, they had won.
TO BE CONTINUED… 🔥