Water and Flame Unite, Shattering the Mist and Slaying Evil

"Give up, Demon Slayers."

The demon's voice was languid and cruel.

"In my domain, your strength will only keep draining away, while my children... are endless."

"Do you see? What you cut apart will soon join back together."

"What you burn will be replaced by new growth from the rotting soil."

"This is my kingdom, and you are nothing but pitiful morsels who wandered into it."

Just as the demon had said, the severed limbs of the Wood Demons writhed on the ground. Fine wooden fibers extended from their stumps, trying to connect with other remains or nearby trees.

It was slow, but they were regenerating.

Giyu pushed his senses to their limit as he swung his blade to defend himself.

Sweat and blood ran down his temples and into his ice-blue eyes, but he did not so much as blink.

Under his intense concentration, the world seemed to lose its colors and shapes, becoming lines of energy and fluctuations.

The demon was speaking, controlling its minions, enjoying its prey's struggle.

When it concentrated on directing the Wood Demons in one area to attack, when its emotions fluctuated with triumph, when it drew on the mist to replenish the Wood Demons' energy...

The fluctuations of its core would always gather and reveal themselves for an instant.

Like ripples on water, they always had a center.

The wounds on Giyu's left arm and right ribs throbbed, his stamina was rapidly draining under the relentless pressure, and even the perfect cycle maintained by his Breathing Style had begun to falter.

Yet he closed his eyes instead, immersing most of his attention and entering that profound state of perception.

Akamatsu noticed that something was different about Giyu, but he did not disturb him. He simply squeezed out every last bit of strength he had, expanding the protective range of his Flame Breathing as far as possible.

Even though every swing of his blade made his lungs ache as though they were burning, and his vision kept darkening.

He trusted the Mizunoto-ranked boy who had appeared out of nowhere, with his astonishing swordsmanship.

Time passed slowly amid the fierce exchange of attacks and defenses, every second stretching into an eternity.

At last, the instant Akamatsu stumbled and the demon let out an excited growl as it directed the Wood Demons to converge on him—

Giyu's tightly shut eyes flew open!

Deep in his ice-blue pupils, a deep-sea whirlpool seemed to form in an instant.

He saw it! Deep underground was a mass of frigid energy, knotted together like an enormous, rotting tree root!

Countless fine channels of energy extended from it, connecting it to the trees under its control on the surface.

It was hidden too deep, and it had cleverly used a great many ordinary trees as cover and conduits for its energy. No wonder it had been so difficult to pinpoint before.

But now, with Giyu's senses pushed beyond their limits, it had nowhere to hide!

"Found it."

Giyu's voice was hoarse but clear, carrying an unquestionable chill.

Akamatsu's spirits lifted. "Where?!"

"Underground, fifteen steps to the northeast."

Giyu spoke rapidly.

"There's thick wooden armor and a layer of earth protecting its surface, and its energy is connected to a lot of trees. It won't be easy to break through by force."

"How do we strike?" Akamatsu asked without a moment's thought.

"We have to use our strongest attack to break through its defenses and strike the center of its consciousness directly."

Giyu looked at Akamatsu.

"Your fire can burn through."

Akamatsu looked at the flickering flames on the Nichirin Blade in his hand, then at the Wood Demons swarming toward them again. Resolve flashed across his face.

"At most... I only have enough strength left for one strike."

"I need time to build it up. I need you... to clear a path for me and keep everything off me!"

"All right."

Giyu nodded.

He drew a deep breath, forcing down his exhaustion and pain and gathering what remained of his strength and focus.

The watery light on his sky-blue Nichirin Blade seemed to grow deeper and more contained.

"Hahahaha! Found me? You two?"

The demon had clearly heard their conversation and let out a shrill, mocking laugh.

"The ravings of the dying! Crush them!!!"

All the Wood Demons went berserk at once, their attacks suddenly growing several times fiercer!

"Now!!!"

Akamatsu roared, ignoring the attacks around him. He gripped his blade in both hands and held it upright before him, closing his eyes and concentrating.

An unnatural flush rose on his face, and his entire aura swiftly drew inward. But the orange-red flames that had been flickering on his Nichirin Blade began to contract, condense, and refine themselves at a frightening speed!

All the pressure fell on Giyu at once!

Facing the overwhelming, nearly frenzied tide of Wood Demons, Giyu stepped forward.

His red haori snapped in the violent currents of air, and the bloodstains on his dark-blue uniform resembled plum blossoms.

He gripped the hilt of his sky-blue Nichirin Blade with both hands, its tip angled toward the ground.

"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux..."

His quiet recitation seemed to stir some rhythm between heaven and earth.

The illusory water swelled wildly, its color shifting from pale blue to the indigo of the deep sea. Finally, when it reached its critical point!!!

"Boundless Flux!!!"

Boom!!!

A massive tornado, composed entirely of highly compressed and concentrated water energy, shot skyward with Giyu at its center!

It spun furiously, generating an irresistible pull that dragged every Wood Demon, broken branch, and piece of rubble within twenty meters, along with some of the green mist, toward the center of the vortex!

The raging Wood Demons were swept up, torn apart, and ground down by the tornado of water!

Under the endless cuts of sword energy and the pounding torrent, their hard wooden bodies were reduced to powder!

The orange-red flames had been compressed into a single point at the tip of the blade, radiating a heart-stopping light and heat.

Akamatsu kept his eyes tightly shut, seemingly oblivious to the earth-shaking upheaval around him, his entire mind immersed in gathering power for this final strike.

For the first time, the demon hiding in the shadows let out a terrified shriek.

"No! That's impossible! What kind of sword technique is that?! My children!!!"

It frantically sent every Wood Demon it could command at the tornado, trying to stop it, but they were merely moths flying into a flame, adding to the debris.

Giyu's face was as pale as paper, and the veins at his temples bulged. Maintaining Boundless Flux on such a scale placed a terrifying burden on both his body and mind.

The rotation began to slow almost imperceptibly, and the waterspout showed signs of shrinking.

But his gaze remained cold and resolute as he held the sword technique together, buying Akamatsu those final precious moments!

"Now!!!"

Akamatsu's tightly shut eyes flew open, flames seemingly bursting from them!

"Flame Breathing, First Form: Unknowing Fire!!!"

His entire body became a straight streak of orange-red flame, like a meteor!

The ground was easily torn apart and vaporized, exposing the hard rock beneath. But even the rock was pierced layer by layer like tofu before that extreme heat and penetrating force!

Hidden deep underground and protected by countless layers of ancient, resilient wooden armor and thick rock and soil, the demon's core was exposed to a deadly attack for the first time!

"No—!!! My lord, save me!!!"

The demon let out a piercing wail of utter despair, its voice filled with boundless terror of death and a humble yearning for power. It was nothing like the arrogant creature it had been before.

The flaming slash struck the tangled, rotting core of energy without hindrance!

Boom—!!!!

It was as though a volcano had erupted underground!

A terrifying explosion came from deep beneath the earth. The ground heaved violently, then collapsed, forming an enormous, scorched crater!

Every Wood Demon still struggling went completely rigid at the same instant, then cracked apart and collapsed with a clatter, becoming truly dead, rotting wood.

The green poisonous mist filling the air churned violently, as though it had lost its source, then began to dissipate and thin at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The sensation of a cold, unseen gaze vanished completely.

Defiled Wood Mountain seemed to have died at that very moment!!

The enormous waterspout in midair slowly dissipated.

Giyu stopped spinning and dropped to one knee, bracing himself with his sword as he gasped for breath, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.

His face was frighteningly pale. The wounds on his left arm and right ribs had split open again from the violent movement, and blood gushed out.

On the other side, Akamatsu Enjirō stood rigid at the edge of the enormous scorched crater, still holding the pose of his thrust.

Relief and a smile showed on his face. Then his body swayed, and he fell straight backward, losing consciousness completely.

Giyu forced himself to his feet and staggered over to Akamatsu. He checked his breathing and pulse; they were terribly weak, but he was still alive.

He quickly checked Murata and the other five squad members as well. Their poisoning symptoms had begun to ease, but they were all still unconscious and needed help quickly.

After doing all that, Giyu finally reached his limit too.

With his back against a still-warm rock at the edge of the scorched crater, he slowly slid down to sit on the ground.

His sky-blue Nichirin Blade lay across his knees. He closed his eyes and tried to steady his ragged breathing, hoping to recover a little strength.

The wounds on his body burned with pain, and exhaustion engulfed him like a tide.

The forest fell quiet again, save for the moaning of the wind through the trees.

Sunlight fell in scattered patches, illuminating the ruined battlefield and the wounded Demon Slayers lying or sitting among the wreckage.