The Good Demon [KNY]

Part 88: All I Want

"How long have we been fighting?"

She held her ground as an inferno raged all around her. Her body was littered with burns and bruises from the flames of the demon in front of her.

"Three hours? Four? The recruits have stopped screaming."

Aoi lept back as the flames flared, but paid for it as a demonic figure flew out of the fire.

"My name is Aoi Kanzaki. I was, was not, and now am a demon slayer once again. The lives of my family were stolen from me by demons. I wanted to avenge them. But at that time... I was too weak. There was a time when I gave up, when I was too scared to pick up a blade ever again. But he..."

Aoi dodged a flaming kick, repositioning and throwing a flaming strike of her own.

"Along with many others... gave me the courage to fight again. I will never let my cowardice hold me back again. I will fight to keep them safe. I will fight to destroy all demons. I will fight so that no one will ever have to fight again." 

Aoi tried to keep up with Righty, but the good demon moved so fast that all she could see was a hazy, flaming silhouette. Righty danced around her as all she could do was try to see an attack coming.

"I will not fail myself again!!!"

As Righty went in for a strike, Aoi switched to water breathing. This sudden change in her footwork allowed her to dodge the punch and slice open Righty's arm with a flowing strike.

"My friends and comrades are all giving it their all, I cannot be left in the dust. I have to get even stronger."

She couldn't react as a fist planted itself in her side. She rolled with the impact but was sent flying regardless. She tumbled on the ground before regaining her footing. One hand gripped her sword, the other clutched her side.

"More!!!" She yelled and ran toward the red flame.

"I will keep training. I will gain and master Hamon. I will survive. That is all I want. Strength. Power. To live. To ensure their survival. That is all I want in this life."

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🎵All I wanna do...🎵

🎵Is see you tap into...🎵

🎵The Golden Ripple!🎵

🎵A Golden Ripple!🎵

While Aoi was having an intense internal struggle, Righty was humming to himself. He sent a barrage of attacks her way. Aoi summoned stamina from nowhere and desperately dodged, a hairs length between her and the devastating attacks. Aoi brought her sword down again, sinking deep into his shoulder.

🎵All I wanna be...🎵

🎵Is the boy who gets to see...🎵

🎵A Golden Gipple!🎵

Aoi tried to retract the blade, but it didn't budge. Righty held a grin with his tongue lodged in between his teeth. The flesh Aoi had sunk into was changed to Nichirin. He planted a fist in her gut, and Aoi was sent back, her sword still lodged in his shoulder. Righty chuckled and pulled the sword out, tossing it to the side. Aoi tracked where it would land and sprinted toward it. Righty cut her off in an instant and kicked her in her still-sore side.

🎵Oh, I know it'll be great!🎵

🎵And I just can't wait!🎵

🎵To see Hamon; golden, sparked, and glowing!🎵