The ashes finished falling.
Once the rumbling overhead faded, the spatial structure of the Infinity Castle stopped shifting.
Silence settled.
Yaha withdrew his gaze, his crimson eyes sweeping the area.
Giyu leaned against a stone pillar, bandages wrapped from his shoulder to his chest. The broken bones on the left side of his chest made every breath catch slightly.
Muichiro stood beside him. His right arm hung limp, not one of its five fingers able to move, but his left hand held his sword steady.
A gash ran across Rengoku's right calf, below the knee.
A patch of fabric had been torn from Mitsuri's left shoulder. The flesh beneath gaped open, temporarily held down with strips of cloth.
Tanjiro and the other two could still move. Zenitsu's face was white as paper, but his stance remained firm. Inosuke's boar mask had twisted completely sideways, exposing half his face and three shallow cuts that had already stopped bleeding.
Yaha took in their injuries. He offered neither concern nor encouragement.
"If you can't keep up, stay here."
His voice ground out from deep in his throat, cold and languid.
"Anyone who dares die before me, I'll cleave your grave apart too."
The corner of Rengoku's mouth twitched. Giyu lowered his head, his gaze falling to his bloodstained haori.
No one answered.
But everyone straightened.
Giyu pushed himself away from the stone pillar. He removed the bloodstained haori draped over his shoulders and held it out to Yaha.
Yaha tilted his head to look at him.
"Your right hand," Giyu said softly. "And your shoulder. They need covering."
Yaha did not move.
"I'm not cold."
Giyu did not withdraw his hand. He simply held it there and waited in silence.
Three seconds.
Yaha gave a snort.
He took the haori with his left