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Chapter 35

○ Chapter 35: ○
○ "Stay Alive ○

《•|•-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-•|•》

1stPerson POV

Tanjiro and I stood atop the rapidly moving train, the cold wind of the night rushing past us.
A few meters away stood Lower Moon One, whose bored, sleepy expression grew to a euphoric grin.

"I am so lucky! They came straight to me! Oh, this is like a dream! Just like a dream!"
He held his arms up in the air, looking unbearably pleased with himself.
"I'll receive more! I'll receive so much more of Lord Muzan's blood!

Tanjiro readied himself, the water in the air gathered up around his sword.
"Water Breathing : Tenth Form!"

I steady my footing, raising my sword high behind me.
"Sky Breathing : First Form!"

The demon matched us, holding out his hideous mouthed hand.
"Blood Demon Art : Whispers of Forced Unconscious Hypnosis!"

The mouth spoke in its airy voice, ordering us to fall asleep as we ran towards him. Almost instantly it felt as if a shockwave ran through us, and the next thing I know I'm back at the temple.

This time, however, I didn't have the time to waste as I forced my sword up and brought it down my own neck, awake and back into battle. Tanjiro must've done the same, the two of us up for the fight once more. I caught my balance and ran at him again, nearly getting a slash at his chest. 

The demon launched himself high into the air a few carriages away, that same shockwave rushing us again and again, forcing us to slit our own throats dozens of times in just a few seconds and keep fighting.

Tanjiro grabbed me as I nearly fell off the train, the two of us gaining on the demon, who kept jumping further and further away. Tanjiro and I ran straight at him, ready to strike.

For a moment, the demon halted, seemingly shocked that his Blood Art failed multiple times. He kept dodging and dodging, our blades failing to get a single cut on him as we experienced one shockwave after another in quick succession.

I struck close to his head, cutting off some of his hair but effectively missing my desired target.
But... the more he used his Blood Art, the harder it got to keep fighting.
Nightmare after nightmare of seeing my loved ones suffer and weep for me to help, my brother crying out in pain for me as he endured the process of becoming a demon; countless times over I had to hear his sobs and countless times over I had to ignore it and bring my blade down on myself to stay awake.

Kana would scold me, hit me, scream that I should've been the one turned, that I shouldn't have been born, call me a coward and a good-for-nothing for running away.

"Why must I have died for such a pathetic soul?"
My bloodied, dying mother would weep,
"Why weren't you the one to die?"

Each time it grew worse and worse and became unendurable, yet I had no choice but to persist and fight to live another day. My grip on my sword grew so tight it hurt, and my heart pounded so hard I could feel it bursting at the seams.

"Don't fuck with me! My own mother could never say such things to me!"
A rage I couldn't quell gripped my entire being, and I charged with no hesitance towards the vile creature before my eyes.