49. Anger, Joy, Sorrow, and Pleasure

Hana stood in the wreckage of the room, breathing heavily as her chest burned, and her heart hammered against her ribs. She wiped a smudge of dirt from her forehead her eyes darting around the room as she tried to track the blurred movements of the demons.

Nezuko was locked in a brutal grapple with Karaku. She had her hands clamped onto him. The demon of pleasure had a wide, sadistic grin on his face.

Genya was slumped on the floor, a thick spear buried deep in his chest. Blood soaked his uniform, and for a moment, Hana feared the worst.

Before she could rush to his side, a shadow fell over her. A cold, powerful grip tightened around her throat, cutting off her air. Sekido, the demon of anger, held her aloft with one hand, hoisting her off the ground. His face was twisted in a permanent snarl of rage, his eyes burning with a murderous light.

"Karaku! Would you hurry up and dismember her! I'm getting more and more annoyed!" Sekido barked at his counterpart.

Karaku just laughed. "Keep your hands to yourself, Sekido! This girl is mine! And you've got your own toy to play with."

Sekido grunted in annoyance, his grip tightening until Hana's vision began to blur. Before Sekido could do anything, Hana swung her nichirin blade upward, slicing through Sekido's forearms. She fell to the floor, gasping for air and coughing as the blood rushed back to her head, but her relief was short-lived. Before she could even get back to her feet, Sekido’s flesh bubbled and shifted. His hands reformed instantly, the skin knitting back together as if nothing had happened.

"You persistent pest!" Sekido roared, his anger reaching a new level.

At that moment, Genya saw his opening. Despite the spear in his chest, he raised his shotgun and fired. The blast caught Aizetsu square in the face, blowing his head back.

"Why are you getting blasted like that, Aizetsu?" Sekido growled at Aizetsu's incompetence.

The headless demon pulled the spear out of Genya's torso to heal. "How sad it is to not be able to die instantly." the demon of sorrow murmured as he raised the spear to attack Genya.

Hana scrambled to her feet, moving toward Genya. "Genya! Get back!" she cried out.

But Genya did not fall. He sat calmly, his eyes focused as he concentrated his breathing. He began to recite the Amida Sutra, his voice calm and low.

"Split his head in two, Aizetsu!" Sekido commanded.

The regenerating Aizetsu swung the yari down with lethal precision, aiming for Genya's skull. Hana lunged to block it, but to her shock, the spear hit nothing but air. Genya had moved with impossible speed.

"I'll slice your head as many times as it takes until you're dead, scumbag!" Genya’s voice rang out from behind Aizetsu. His blade flashed in the dim light as he swung it toward the demon's neck..

Suddenly, a crackle of blue light filled the room. Sekido struck his metal staff against the floor. A massive surge of electricity raced through the floorboards. It hit Genya, paralyzing him mid-swing. His body jerked violently as the lightning cooked his nerves.

Hana wasn't spared either. She winced in agony as the electricity arced toward her, shifting from the wood into her boots. Her muscles locked up, and she fell to one knee, her teeth gritting hard.

Genya mustered every ounce of strength to pull the trigger of his shotgun one last time. The blast severed Sekido's right hand.

"You... how are you still alive?" Sekido hissed.

Aizetsu didn't give them time to think. He swung the shaft of his yari like a club, slamming it into Genya's chest and sending him flying through the walls into the next room. Sekido then turned his attention to Hana. He grabbed her by the shoulder and threw her across the floor with effortless strength. Hana slid across the wood, splinters digging into her skin.

"Hey, what's this? That guy looks more fun!" Karaku shouted, bored with Nezuko. "I'm done with you, little girl."

He drove his foot into Nezuko's stomach, his strength so immense he kicked right through her torso.

"Nezuko!"  Hana gasped, forcing herself to stand up.

"Sekido, after I've ripped her apart, you impale her with your staff. Then, if you keep blasting her with lightning, she'll be immobilized!" Karaku yelled.

"That was my plan from the start, you fool!" Sekido yelled back.

As Karaku reached out to rip Nezuko's hand off, she snapped. She kicked Karaku in the jaw, partially severing his neck, and ripped her arm away. Blood sprayed everywhere, right onto Karaku.

Nezuko didn't stop. She grabbed Karaku's uchiwa and swung it with all her might. A massive gust of wind blew the demon of pleasure away into the forest.

She tried to use the fan on Sekido, but the demon of anger was too fast. He swatted the uchiwa away and drove his spear into her neck, pinning her to the floor. Blue lightning surged through her body, leaving her screaming in silent agony.

"Don't touch her!" Hana screamed, her eyes glowing.

She lunged forward, swinging at Sekido and managing to cut through his arm. However, the demon used his free hand to strike her with a backhand blow, slashing her across the arm and chest and causing deep wounds.

Hana crashed badly into the debris of the next room, landing right where Genya was trying to stand.

"Are you alright?" Genya asked, looking at her with genuine worry. He reached out and helped her to her feet, his own wounds still weeping blood.

Hana nodded, getting up and looking to walk back towards Nezuko to help her.

"Are you?" she asked Genya between deep breaths, wincing in pain with every breath taken.

He nodded, then noticed a deep, jagged slash on Hana's arm that she was trying to ignore.

"You are hurt. It looks really bad," he said, his voice slightly concerned.

"It is fine." Hana brushed it off, though her hand was shaking.

Genya did not listen. He pulled out a clean white handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it firmly around her wound to stop the blood from flowing.

Hana looked at the bandage and then back at Genya, a small, grateful smile appearing on her face.

"Thank you, Genya."

He turned bright red and looked away quickly. "It is nothing. Do not mention it."

Aizetsu approached them then, growling at Genya with narrowed eyes.

"Just who are you? Why will you not stay down?"

Genya looked up, blood dripping from his mouth and his eyes filled with rage.

"The name of the man who will kill you... is Shinazugawa Genya!"

Then Tanjiro arrived at the scene. He crashed through the wooden doors, his face covered in soot and blood. He had Urogi, the winged demon, impaled on his sword.

"Hana! Nezuko! Genya!" Tanjiro shouted, his voice full of desperation.

"First Karaku, then Urogi? Sekido growled, "What the hell are you doing?"

Tanjiro saw Nezuko pinned to the floor by the lightning spear. He didn't hesitate. He used his sword to slice the winged demon's foot and used the demon's body as a shield as he lunged toward Sekido.

"Stop that!"

"Tanjiro!" Hana called out, her heart lifting at the sight of her brother.

She watched as Tanjiro slammed into Sekido. He was holding onto Urogi, using the demon's feet to touch the lightning staff.

"The electricity... it's not working?" Sekido muttered.

"The cells are the same!" Hana realized, sliding in next to Tanjiro. "The lightning won't conduct! The lightning can't pass through anything made of his own cells!"

"I can't cut his head off with one hand! The tongue! Go for the tongue! If we can get their tongues, their recovery will slow down just a bit!" Tanjiro yelled.

Hana and Tanjiro moved together. Tanjiro sliced through Sekido's side while Hana slashed the demon's tongue and pulled the lightning staff out of Nezuko.

Sekido, healing rapidly, moved to stab Hana, but Nezuko caught the weapon with her bare hands, burning the demon with her demon blood art.

"Nezuko's blood is actually working on them!" Hana thought.

Suddenly, the roof vanished. Karaku had returned. He leaped high above the building and swung a massive uchiwa.

"Looks like you're having fun, let me join you guys!"

"GET DOWN!" Hana screamed, throwing herself over her siblings, her back crushing under the sudden pressure.

A powerful downburst of wind slammed into them, pinning them to the floor with the force. The floorboards snapped and Hana, Tanjiro, and Nezuko fell through the collapsing floor. They hit the ground below with a bone-shattering thud. The world spinning, Hana felt the debris of the house raining down on top of them. Everything went black.

When Hana woke up. She realized she was moving. She looked up and saw Nezuko's face. Her sister was carrying both her and Tanjiro, running as fast as she could away from the ruined building.

"What happened?" Hana thought, her brain foggy. Then her eyes widened as she remembered. "That fan demon... he attacked us. Nezuko must have woken up first."

"Nezuko!" she called out softly. Nezuko looked down, her eyes filled with relief to see Hana awake. But there was no time to talk. Sekido was right behind them. He lunged forward, his staff crackling with lightning. Hana saw the bolt coming. She used all her strength to push Nezuko and Tanjiro out of the way.

"Hana, are you alright?" Tanjiro asked, having just woken up.

"I'm fine, Tanjiro." She replied slightly wincing.

They saw Urogi lunging forwards. They moved before Urogi could use his claws to swipe at them.

Hana and Tanjiro grabbed Nezuko and began running away. Karaku also began to chase after them.

"You brats! Die! It's all over for you now!"

A burst of wind blew as they were all blasted away. They slammed down out of the building, landing on the ground.

Hana got up to see Nezuko trapped under massive rubble. She was holding onto Tanjiro and Hana's swords.

"Nezuko, we won't abandon you, so let go of our swords!" Tanjiro said, searching around for the demons.

"Nezuko, let go, we'll clear away the rubble, okay? Nezuko, leave!" Hana said.

However, Nezuko did not listen, she forcefully pulled their swords together and put more of her blood on the blades.

"Nezuko, please let go," Hana said, trying to pull her sister's hand away as blood dripped down.

"You're going to cut yourself, Nezuko!" Hana said helplessly.

Hana noticed Sekido and Karaku walking towards them.

"Nezuko, you have to let go!"

"Nezuko–!"

Then pink fire covered the two swords and changed the colors to a crimson red. The swords were ablaze with Nezuko's blood, changing color.

Nezuko finally loosened her grip, and when Hana and Tanjiro pulled their swords back, the pink fire was still ablaze.

Hana and Tanjiro looked at each other and nodded before moving towards the demons.

"Even if you resort to cheap tricks, you can't beat me!" Karaku exclaimed.

"You can slash me, but I won't feel a thing!" Urogi said.

Hana rushed forward and raised her sword.

"Hinokami Kagura, Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance!"

In a split second, she sliced through the neck of Karaku. Tanjiro followed and slashed Sekido, and then together they lunged at Urogi, defeating the three demons at once.

"We need to behead all four of them at once! Where's the last one? There has to be a fifth demon! I can sence it!"

Tanjiro looked around and spotted Genya with a decapitated Aizetsu.

"Genya, are you alright?" Tanjiro asked as he and Hana walked towards him.

Genya's head snapped towards Hana and Tanjiro. He was breathing heavily. He had blacked-out eyes with yellow irises, sharp fangs, and his hair was streaked yellow. He was growling slowly with drool dripping down his chin.

He looked like a demon himself.

"Genya?" Hana whispered, her sword lowering slightly as she stared at the boy. The scent coming from him was completely unfamiliar to them.

The battlefield was silent for a moment, the only sound being the crackle of the surrounding fires and Genya's animalistic panting.

"What happened to you?" Tanjiro asked, his voice filled with concern.

Genya didn't answer, his gaze fixed on them with a look made Hana's blood run cold.