Chapter 71: A Hair's Breadth |
"He's growing right before our eyes..." Mitsuri murmured, resting her chin on her hands as she watched the Red Light District from Makomo's residence.
Compared to the recent battle on the train, the current Tanjiro fully lived up to his title of Flame Hashira.
In the original timeline, without Yeruashi's intervention, he would have managed to defeat Daki and then Gyutaro only by pushing himself to a level near that of a mark-bearer.
While the current Flame Hashira might not be as explosive, he was far more stable. Now, he was capable of not only holding his own but completely suppressing Daki with the support of Zenitsu and Inosuke.
On the other side of the battlefield...
The Sound Hashira had avoided being poisoned and was standing on equal footing with Gyutaro. He even managed to decapitate his opponent shortly after, gaining the upper hand thanks to the timely support of his wives.
However, a lack of specific information prevented Tengen from finishing off the Upper Rank Six for good immediately after the decapitation.
Nevertheless, the Flame Hashira, the Sound Hashira, and the other Demon Slayers held a clear advantage over Daki and Gyutaro. It felt as though their victory was only a matter of time.
"By the way, when were you actually there?" Kanae asked curiously.
"Time holds no meaning for me," he replied casually, continuing to pinch Nezuko's cheeks before explaining further. "I simply dropped in on a whim. I was looking for suitable gatekeepers for this world's hell and cycle of reincarnation."
"Gatekeepers?" Mitsuri echoed.
"When a person dies, restless spirits wander the world, while those at peace go either to the cycle of reincarnation or to hell, depending on their sins. However, the hell in this place is incomplete; it's essentially an embodiment of chaos," Yeruashi patiently explained. He added, "This pair will be given a chance to pass a trial. If they succeed, they will be sent to the border of the living world to serve as judges of the wicked."
Kanae was left stunned by his answer.
It was no exaggeration to say that presiding over the judgment of sinners was a matter of divine jurisdiction. According to the legends of many cultures, the God of Death himself was responsible for such tasks. Yet, Yeruashi was handing out that authority based on mere whim and mood.
At times, it seemed as if even the myriad gods of mythology couldn't compare to him. In reality, only the most exalted creators possessed the power to alter the past or turn the entire world upside down with a single thought.
"Really? That place would suit them perfectly..." Mitsuri said, her mouth slightly agape.
Since she wasn't an active Demon Slayer, she tended to hold a more neutral perspective and felt some sympathy for the siblings. In her eyes, Daki and Gyutaro were well-suited for the role of underworld gatekeepers, though they still had to answer for their sins.
As they talked, the battle on the screen reached its climax.
Tanjiro decapitated Daki with the help of Inosuke and Zenitsu, while at the same time, Tengen took Gyutaro's head at the cost of his own arm.
The fall of both heads signaled the end of the Upper Rank Six!
"I... I don't want to die! Help me, Big Brother, I don't want to..." Daki's disintegrating head wailed from within a pool of her own blood.
Despite the years she had lived, her state of mind had remained frozen at the moment of her transformation into a demon more than a century ago.
She possessed no memories of her past, as the dominant blood of the Progenitor of Demons had completely suppressed her humanity. Thus, the very human emotions of fear, guilt, and denial only surfaced at the moment of her death.
This time, Daki and Gyutaro did not quarrel.
Their downfall was a result of weakness, not carelessness or an error in judgment.
"Hang on, your brother will save you!" Gyutaro's crumbling head snarled through gritted teeth as he desperately tried to muster his remaining strength to help his sister, but it was all in vain.
No!
NO!
He was driven to madness at the sight of his sister fading into ash.
"Hold on... hold on!!! Nothing is impossible! If Akaza could do it, then so can I! I CAN!" Gyutaro roared frantically.
As if in response to that roar, the disintegration of the Upper Rank Six's head began to slow. It seemed his obsession with his sister and his refusal to accept death were becoming the stimulus needed to overcome the weakness of his neck.
However, Daki possessed no will to fight. She simply continued to sob until, eventually, she turned completely to ash.
"NOOO!" It happened right before her brother's eyes.
With her gone, Gyutaro's will shattered. His body and head began to turn to ash once more, even faster than before. Within seconds, he had scattered completely into the wind.
Only then did the tense and deeply troubled Demon Slayers nearby allow themselves a moment of relief.
"He almost..." Tengen muttered, casting a frightened glance at the pile of ash.
The strongest of the Twelve Kizuki did not die even after decapitation, and in terms of danger, they far surpassed the other Upper Ranks.
Thus, the Sound Hashira's heart had nearly stopped when the disintegration of Gyutaro's head and body abruptly halted. The transformation of the Upper Rank Six into a monster like Akaza would have resulted in an absolute catastrophe.
Even though Gyutaro was clearly not on Akaza's level, overcoming the weakness of the neck and receiving additional blood from Muzan would have made him a formidable problem for the Demon Slayer Corps.
But fortunately...
The death of his sister had broken his will.
"Such a drive to protect your sister earns my respect, no matter what kind of monster you were," Tengen whispered tiredly. He sheathed his Nichirin Sword, then staggered and collapsed to the ground.
The Sound Hashira had indeed been poisoned during his final exchange with Gyutaro, but the venom had not yet managed to penetrate deep into his system.
Meanwhile, Tanjiro and the others immediately snapped back to reality and rushed to the wounded Tengen's side to examine, treat, and bandage his injury.