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"if you don't become a demon, then i guess i'll kill you." akaza narrowed his eyes dangerously at the flame hashira. rengoku didn't say anything, glaring at the uppermoon with flaming hatred in his blazen eyes.
in just a second, akaza had launched himself towards rengoku, the duo participating in a flurry of attacks. kazemi continued to watch.
akaza threw fist after fist at kyojuro, which he deflected with his blade. every time he would get nicked or sliced, the wound would close up within seconds. each time akaza's arms connected with rengoku's blade, the flame breath user would feel shockwaves rattling through him. his internal organs shook, almost making him lose balance on multiple occasions, yet he persevered. this was the power of a hashira. not only speed or physical strength, resilience was also needed to be a dangerous opponent in battle. rengoku's firey battle spirit carried him through the tough battle.
akaza threw a barrage of punches packed with shockwaves. rengoku sliced his forearm into pieces, halting the offense. akaza jumped back for a second, just gain momentum and leap at kyojuro once again. this time, he used a variety of attacks. he utilized every limb in his body. akaza's fighting style was flexible, and difficult to decode or find a pattern in. he was an unpredictable fighter. that was what made him such a terrifying opponent.
"there were never any flames among all the hashira i've defeated, so you're my first!" akaza yelled out, grinning. rengoku was not interested in conversation at all, so he did not answer. he continued to slash at akaza, and defend when needed.
akaza's fist flew towards the hashira's arm. rengoku brought his sword down on it. the blade dug in about halfway through his arm, but couldn't quite make it through the tough flesh.
"you know what i hate the most, kyojuro? slayers growing old. their abilities slowly decline and dull. observing the way their once sharp and honed skills deteriorate, until there's nothing but a carcass. i hate the weak." akaza spat out, clear distaste in his voice. "die for me, kyojuro, while you're still young and strong!"
rengoku grunted, as he grit his teeth in anger. he swung his blade with ferocity, making a shallow cut appear on akaza's shoulder. although, it quickly healed up, making the efforts fruitless.
akaza jumped midair, flipping upside down in a squat-like position. shockwaves emanated from him, making him light up in a slight cyber blue tint.
while still in the air, he started hurling shockwaves at kyojuro, mainly targeting his torso, where all his vital organs remained. kyojuro didn't expect that attack, since he had marked the uppermoon down as a close range fighter. so, all the attacks hit him, making him double over and wince. he clutched his stomach with his free hand, glaring daggers at the striped demon.
quickly coming up with a counter to his relentless, far range attacks, rengoku summoned a breathing form.
"flame breathing: fourth form, blooming flame undulation!" a mass of swirling flames deflected akaza's attacks, acting as a barrier.
akaza was not discouraged in the slightest, continuing to deliver devastating shockwaves to the flame hashira, who was now forced to take on the defensive role. there were no openings to attack, if the demon he was attempting to slay was so far.
with this new tactic, rengoku was now going unharmed by each attack that came to him, warding them off with ease. sweat dripped down his forehead from the sheer effort it took to even keep up with the fist-fighting demon.
finally, akaza landed on the ground, standing a dozen feet away from the flame hashira. a sinister smile was on his face as he observed the blonde's slightly weakened state from the blows he delivered.
rengoku took a second to think of his next course of action, before blitzing towards akaza, catching him slightly off guard. akaza jumped back, a grin on his tattooed face.
"these extraordinary reflexes, and these breathtaking sword skills as well! time will steal it all, kyojuro! doesn't that make you infuriated!? years of training, just for it to all amount to nothing, since you lose those skills as you age!" akaza yelled to rengoku as they traded attacks.
to tanjiro, he saw nothing but a blur. he couldn't keep up, no matter how hard he tried. when he looked up to kazemi, he saw her eyes moving at what looked like supersonic speed to him. she followed every attack, analyzing the situation as much as she could.
rengoku retorted, "that's just how it goes! that's what it means to be human!" he shouted out in pure rage, his breath quickening. tanjiro tried to crawl over and help aid rengoku. "don't move!" kyojuro yelled out, not even having to look at the burgundy-haired boy. that proved just how good his sensual awareness was. "if that wound reopens, it'll be fatal! you'll bleed out! you may feel disheartened, knowing there is nothing you can do but watch, but you should never feel shame in being protected by others! you should feel honour!"
akaza seemed to want all the attention on him, so he spoke out, grinning slyly as always.
"don't focus on those weaklings, kyojuro! focus on me, and me only! one distraction, and you'll be dead!" he yelled out, beginning to deliver hits at a more accelerated pace, hellbent on making sure the flame hashira's only focus was the duel.
rengoku was forced into a state where he had to put all his focus into the fight. akaza had picked up the pace to a level he could barely handle. sweat dripped down his forehead, dripping down his chin and onto the barren grounds.
he found an opening, slicing at akaza. the demon in question jumped back dozens of meters, into the forest. rengoku ran after him, slicing at the branches and trees that got in his path.
akaza jumped out from a tree, startling rengoku. but, he quickly regained his composure, slicing at the flexible demon as much as possible. he was almost heaving. adrenaline was one of the only things keeping him up, as well as his impressive resilience. his internal organs were messed up from the shockwaves. a normal person would've hurled and passed out, but rengoku was anything but normal. he was truly a force to be reckoned with. even with the fight obviously not in his favour, not once did he hesitate.
at last, akaza landed a kick. it sent rengoku flying out the forest, back to the previous place they were fighting.
"rengoku-san!" tanjiro called out in worry, as well as inosuke. due to the heavy smoke around the area, they could not see.
some of the smoke cleared. akaza walked towards rengoku, who was on one knee, attempting to use his orange-red katana to get up. he was heaving, failing to catch his breath.
"become a demon, kyojuro. then we can fight endlessly together. you and i for eternity." akaza's tone was now calm, as he stared down at rengoku with an analytic, unreadable gaze. his expression was neutral, quite contrary to the monstrous grin that he sported a minute prior.
rengoku managed to catch his breath, before speaking.
"never! let me make this clear; i do not like you," he managed to get up, transitioning into a powerful stance once more, "i will not become a demon!"
the fight seemed to go on for forever. there was no telling when it would end. anxiety filled tanjiro and inosuke up. they were scared for the man they'd just started calling an elder brother. the same man who had promised to take them as tsugukos.
the same man who they had put all their trust in.
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yooooooooooooooooooo
nbgfdnhgfde
im so sleepy gn (even tho its 12pm)
ily allllll
and heres a lil taisho era secret: kazemi has advanced sight. not to the level of an eagle, but she has always had the skill of following movement easily
