Chapter 40: Haji

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Disclaimer:

I do not own nor claim all the rights to 鬼滅の刃 | Kimetsu no Yaiba | Demon Slayer; all rights are reserved to its respective creator, Koyoharu Gotōge. This is purely a work of fiction; names, characters, businesses, events, localities, and occurrences are all extrapolated from the author's writings and imagination or utilized in a fictitious manner. As such, any direct or indirect references to actual entities, dead or alive, or events do not, in any shape or form, resemble the opinions of the author.

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"..." = Dialogue

'...' = Internal monologues

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The present situation, under the given circumstances, was definitely not in the Hashiras' favor.

For one, they've sustained numerous injuries—possibly even fatal ones, from a broken rib cage to severe lacerations. In any case, the Hashiras have concurrently incurred both losses of blood and fractured bones; they are at an inherent disadvantage.

Furthermore, their enemy carries the age-old preponderance of instantaneous regeneration, a characteristic that can only be framed as an archetypal trait for demons at this point.

In addition, Haji has recovered both her arms and all of her fallen weapons; she is working at full strength again.

And if that wasn't enough, the revelation that Haji hadn't yet revealed her true strength was beginning to dawn on the Insect and Water Hashiras. In other words, the battle is only just beginning.

And yet, the Hashiras were not dispirited in any way; in fact, they have fully committed to the completion of this task.

One might actually assume that Haji's cruel nature is coming to her detriment, as her brutalization of both Giyuu and Shinobu has tapped into the bridled malice of the other—by hurting their most beloved, Haji has awakened a sleeping dragon within both.

Thus, even as blood stains and wounds are strewn across the bodies of both Hashiras, each carries a hardened look replete with determination and the resolve to destroy this demon once and for all.

The resolve to protect one another whatever it costs.

At the moment, Giyuu was situated anterior to Haji whilst Shinobu was positioned to the Demon's posterior—with the latter having stabbed Haji straight in the back with her Nichirin Blade.

As Shinobu injected a large dosage of poison from behind, thereby momentarily paralyzing the Demon of Shame, Giyuu initiated an attack of his own to complement this maneuver.

'Second Form: Water Wheel,' he leaps forward, aiming for one of Haji's arms.

He performs a front flip and releases a vertical slash along a circular path.

SLASH

One of Haji's left arms has been sliced off.

*Thud*

Giyuu landed close to where Shinobu was standing.

However, the Demon of Shame was quick to recuperate from the numbing effects of the poison.

"I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!!!" She spun around, stretching two rear, dextral arms—the ones that are not stationary or close to the pivot point of her rotation like the sinistral arms were—and launched an attack of her own.

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