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Chapter 42

○ Chapter 42 : ○
○ "Close Call" ○

《•|•-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-•|•》

The entire building around us is beginning to collapse, debris falling left and right.
Tanjiro and I devised a strategy on-spot. One of us will use Water Breathing to defend Uzui, the other, their natural style to fight off Gyutaro.

He ran up behind Uzui, Water Breathing deflecting the scythe that nearly stabbed his back, while I threw him off with Sky Breathing.
He uses brute force, so being light on your feet is what will lead you to victory here. We have to be quick and agile.

Uzui's Breathing style is very powerful, too. His blades are large and deal massive damage to his surroundings. He blends his earthbending in perfectly, shielding us both at times as we have no moment to catch our breaths mid-battle.

But we weren't in perfect shape anymore.
Tanjiro's shoulder took a hit, and his hand wouldn't close around his blade anymore, so he tied it to his hand. My arm began going numb, a blistering ache running through my body as something foul entered my blood, my wounds exposed to the demon.

My lungs were on fire, and I felt like another breath would be enough to make me break in two.
Is this my limit? Is this how far I can truly go?

One of Uzui's wives showed up as well, armed to the teeth with kunai darts to force him to defend and make and opening. A powerful vortex caught them all, and the demon's Blood Art threw them back at us, one lodged deep into my shoulderblade, the pain unbearable as I'm forced to keep moving.

Uzui slit off his legs at the shin, and Tanjiro and I charge forth. Gyutaro spins his scythes with a speed I'd never have even imagined, the wind gathering dust to blind us and get us wounded.
Those things have massive reach! And his legs are regenerating now!

Uzui used his earthbending to shield and push us far back, matching Gyutaro's speed with his own swords. Fuck, I'm tired. My vision's clouding-! No, no, no! Stay awake! They've helped me so far, I have to return the favor!

My legs are weak, but I still have something in them!
Come on, come on! The loudest I've ever struck before!
Amaterasu, please, help me!

I raise my sword as high as I can, and slam into the earth with so much force I feel my bones shudder, Tanjiro uses this moment to get up to the roof, and Hinatsuru safely falls into my arms.

"Are you injured?!"
I worriedly ask, and she shakes her head as I set her down behind me.

Without a moment's waste, I join Tanjiro, Uzui following us up to the roof.
"L/N, Kamado, I owe you one!"

With all our might, we strike for him.
Tanjiro and Uzui go for his neck, one sword on either side, while mine pierces his throat, but it's harder than anything I've ever hit! He sinks his teeth into Uzui's second sword, his demon flesh engulfing our blades.

Gyutaro takes Uzui down with him, and before we can even try to go down, the obi attempts to cut us, Zenitsu and Inosuke coming to our defense.

"Inosuke!"

"Change of strategy! We can't get close to the worm-woman at all! We need your help! Old guy's gonna have to do his best against mantis-man!"

Zenitsu, still asleep, spoke up as well.
"She's weaker than this sickle guy! We'll cut off her head and go help! Which one of you can still move!"

"Tanjiro! Go help them out! I'll stay with Uzui! He's been poisoned! Finish her off as quickly as possible!"

He nods.
"Be careful!"

"Got it!"

I run down to where Uzui was supposed to fight Gyutaro, only to find him laying down on the ground, his arm severed at the elbow by his side. Panicking, I rush over.
No, no, nononono! Uzui!

"Uzui! Uzui!"
I call his name, turning him on his back to find he's still breathing.
W-What do I do?! I'm panicking! No, no, no! Keep it together! Come on!

"Hinatsuru! S-Someone!"
To my surprise, she came after a few moments, quickly realizing what happened and going to his side.

"I-It's okay! Go help your friends! I'll stay with him!"

I nod and run back, finding Tanjiro with a blade to the demon's throat, who's laying down flat on the ground. Making haste, I use whatever earthbending I know to bind his hands and feet down.
"Tanjiro!"

"Y/N!"

I throw my sword right alongside his, pressing with the full extent of the strength I had in my entire body, and it was pure hell.
"Just cut through already! Damn you, just die already!"

My sword responded to me, glowing brighter than before, earning a painful scream from the demon as the smell of burnt flesh emanated from him. His sister screamed for him, but I had no time to pay attention to her.

We almost make it through to the end, but he began to move again, the binds crumbling and that forsaken vortex of poisoned blood scythes started up again.
Our swords were repelled, and we're thrown back, Gyutaro screaming viciously at us.

"You filthy brats!"

Damn it, he's getting faster! His cut is healing, too!

Come on, come on! Body, don't give up on me now! We're nearing the end, I can feel it!
Right as we're about to be stabbed, Uzui charged right in-between, gripping his other sword with his teeth.

His sword released burst after burst of powerful explosions, and he seemed somehow so alive and yet on the brink of death.
"Haha! I perfected the Musical Score technique! I'm going for the win!"

"Uzui!"
I shout, and he urges us on.

"Don't stop! Jump, now!"

Tanjiro and I waste no time, charging forward. I feel a burning ache in my arm, a scythe straight through, one piercing Tanjiro under his mouth.

This is it! This is the final strike!

One blade at each side of his neck, we pour our entire being into that single strike.My body burns and burns, and my blade grows brighter by the minute.

The pressure relieves, and I fall down, blind and with a heart pumping more than I can handle.

I feel Tanjiro by my side... I barely see his shape through the earth. Uzui is ahead of me somewhere...I can hear him trying to say something... what is it?

Heavens, my blood burns. It feels like I'm inhaling needles with every breath.

So... tired... I'm so, so tired...Haha. It's finally over.I did good... I think.

I feel the coldness of the wind as it hits my tears, and then nothing.

《•|•》


When I awaken, someone's gently brushing my hair.
I look up, seeing a small, concerned Nezuko.
She makes a small oomph noise, and I see Tanjiro by my side as well.

"Y/N, thank God, you're awake."

I smile.
"It'd suck pretty bad if I went out crying."

I sit up, Tanjiro helping me out.
"What of the others? What about Uzui?"

He points to my left.
Zenitsu is sniffling, finally noticing me.

"Waaah! Y/N! Y/N's awake!"
He tackled me in a hug, much to my sudden pain.

"What about Inosuke? Is he ok?"
I look around, not seeing him.

"He's run off, said he lost one of his swords."

I nod, Zenitsu letting me go.
"Poison. We were poisoned, weren't we? Shouldn't we be dead?"

Nezuko bumps me with her head.
"Nezuko?"

"Her Blood Demon Art burned it away. Since it was originally from a demon."

I smile wide and hug Nezuko, crying again.
"Thank you, Nezuko."

She panics a little.
"I'm ok, I'm just crying because I'm so relieved."

"If you cry, I'll cry too!"
Inosuke shouts, his missing sword back in his possession.

"Inosuke!"
I happily shout, getting up and stumbling over to him.

"Wha-! Get off of me!"
He pounds my back, hitting me hard.
"I'm still mad you can't earthbend!"

"I'll get there, I'll get there! But, I'm so happy you're alive, Inosuke!"
I chuckle.

He stops resisting my hug, and I grab the others too, the five of us tightly bunched up in a hug, soon to be back home at the headquarters.

《•|•》

"C'mon!"
Inosuke shouts at me, and I dig my heel into the ground, pushing forth with my fist, the massive boulder moving at my will, slamming into a tree.

"Haha! I did it! Inosuke, Inosuke! Did you see that?!"

"Of course I saw that!"

"Aren't you proud? I can finally earthbend thanks to you!"

He confidently crosses his arms, proudly egging on the stream of compliments to his teaching methods. He'd spent the days since I awoke after battle training me once I was recovered, and I'd made huge progress on my bending, often showing off to Zenitsu and the three small butterfly girls before Aoi would scold me for making a mess everywhere.

Every day, I'd wait peacefully after sundown in Tanjiro's room, just listening to him and telling him of what I'd done that thay, and pray he'd wake up soon.

"Guys!"
Aoi came into the garden, smiling wide.

"Tanjiro's up!"

We both run after her, charging into his room.
"Tanjiro!!"
I shout, Inosuke climbing on the ceiling and jumping down on his bed.

"Y/N, Inosuke."
He smiled, still a little sleepy.

Inosuke viciously pointed his finger at Tanjiro.
"I woke up seven days before you!"

"Good... You're amazing, Inosuke..."

He laughed and snorted.
"Praise me more! And you're weak, don't make me worry!"

"Stop jumping on his legs! He just woke up!"
I scold, going over to Tanjiro.

"Tanjiro!"

"Y/N...!"

"Tanjiro, I can earthbend now! I know how to earthbend!"

He smiled wide.
"You have to show me sometime."

I chuckle.
"I can show you right now! Sumi, open a window please!"

The small girl, confused, did what I asked her to, and I get into stance, a small rock now flung through the window at Inosuke's mask, flicking him right in his temples.

"Haha, see?"

He chuckled, Inosuke huffing and shouting at me.

We all laughed and talked until a familiar feathered friend came to the window.
"Hoo. L/N Y/N, Hashibira Inosuke. You have a mission. Hoo."

"Huh?! A mission? Right now!?"
I whine, Tanjiro smiling at me.

"Haha, it's alright. You'll see me in better shape when you get back."

I pout and hug him.
"You're right."

Inosuke bounced up and down hearing about our mission, snorting and laughing to himself in a rather comical way. Our task was nothing out of the ordinary : demon terrorizing the people of a village pretty far from the Headquarters.

We got ready and set on our journey towards the small village.
After all, it was just an ordinary mission, right?

《 •|• 《♡》 •|• 》

● Chapter 42: ●
● "Close Call" ●