59. Stronger Than Ever

Hana forced herself upright, every muscle in her body screaming in agony. Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her sword so hard her knuckles turned white. Blood dripped steadily down her arm, splattering onto the shattered wooden floor beneath her feet.

Akaza was laughing as he traded blows with Giyuu and Tanjiro. The demon was fast, but Hana could see him differently now. She could see the way his muscles tensed under his skin before he even took a step. She could see the shift in his weight, the twitch of his shoulder, and the way his lungs expanded.

Suddenly, Akaza spun and landed a devastating punch into Tanjiro's ribs. Tanjiro's breath was cut off in a strangled gasp as his body flew backward like a ragdoll, crashing through a stone wall several feet away with a sickening thud.

Hana's rage ignited instantly. She launched forward. The floor shattered beneath her feet as she closed the distance in a heartbeat, her blade slicing toward Akaza's neck with enough force to split stone. Akaza's eyes widened, his laughter dying as he raised both arms to stop her strike, the impact sending a shockwave through the air.

"Hana!" Giyuu called, relief flickering briefly across his face.

For a split second, Hana's eyes met Giyuu's. She didn't speak, but she gave him a small nod. Giyuu's lips parted slightly, his own eyes softening for a heartbeat before they both turned their focus back to the enemy. Together, they lunged forward.

Giyuu and Hana fought Akaza side by side. Their movements began to sync up when Giyuu lunged, Hana covered his side. When Hana swung high, Giyuu swept low.

Then, suddenly, there was a shift in the air. Giyuu's face changed as a dark red pattern bloomed across his cheek. It was the Demon Slayer Mark. At the exact same moment, Hana felt a burning heat on her own skin. A mark appeared on her forehead, glowing with a fierce light. It felt as if her blood was boiling with pure energy.

Hana and Giyuu looked at each other for a brief second. No words were needed, as they both felt the power surging through them, enhancing their speed and strength.

Hana rushed forward, her feet barely touching the ground. She swung her blade in a wide arc, landing a deep, jagged cut on Akaza's shoulder. Blood sprayed, and before the demon could react, Giyuu appeared on his other side, slicing through his ribs. They attacked from both directions at once.

"What is this?!" Akaza whispered, his eyes widening. "Your speed?!"

Hana didn't give him any time to regenerate. She rushed forward again and swung her blade, landing another deep cut on Akaza's shoulder while Giyuu sliced through his side. They attacked from both directions, never giving the Upper Moon a chance to breathe.

"Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!" Giyuu roared.

"Hinokami Kagura: Dance of the Fire God!" Hana yelled.

Akaza tried to punch his way out, but their combined power made him feel weak. He was pushed back, his heels skidding across the floor until his back hit a stone pillar. For the first time, he looked truly pressured. His breathing was heavy, and his eyes darted between the two slayers.

"You two..." Akaza hissed. His regeneration was struggling to keep up with the constant, overlapping wounds. As soon as one cut closed, two more appeared.

Hana tightened her grip on her sword, her Mark glowing brighter. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Her lungs burned, and her vision blurred slightly from exhaustion.

Suddenly, Akaza disappeared from sight. Hana's eyes sharpened. Her head snapped to the side as she sensed him behind her. She twisted her body, swinging her sword behind her back, and Akaza's kick collided against her blade. The impact sent Hana skidding backward across the floor, her boots sparking against the wood.

"Hana!" Giyuu shouted, his voice tight.

Before she could even steady herself, Akaza appeared directly in front of her again. He was too fast, even for her new vision. His fist shot toward her face, aimed to crush her skull in a single blow.

But Giyuu was in front of her in an instant, his blade intercepting Akaza's fist just inches before it could reach Hana. Akaza's punch slammed into the sword with terrifying force.

There was a sharp, violent crack and
Giyuu's sword snapped clean in two.
For a split second, everything went still. The broken blade hung useless in his hand, the impact shuddering up his arm as his stance faltered.

Hana's breath caught in her throat.

"Farewell." Akaza whispered, his fist driving toward Giyuu, aiming straight for his heart to impale him.

Hana's eyes widened, and she moved before she could think and swung her sword, Akaza's arm flew through the air in a spray of blood. The demon leaped backward instantly before Hana's next strike could reach his neck.

Silence filled the room for one brief second. Akaza stared at her, shock filling his eyes. "You..." he whispered.

Hana stood protectively in front of Giyuu, her sword raised. Her chest rose and fell heavily. She was exhausted, her lungs felt like they were on fire, and her muscles were screaming in protest. But her eyes never wavered, they were fixed on the demon.

Behind her, Giyuu quietly tightened his grip on the broken sword.

"AKAZA!" Tanjiro rushed back into the fight, his face covered in blood and dust. He swung his blade fiercely, but he was clumsy with fatigue. Akaza didn't even look at him. He caught Tanjiro's blade with his bare hand, the metal groaning under his grip.

With a flick of his wrist, Akaza threw Tanjiro across the room. The boy crashed violently into another wall, falling into a heap of broken wood.

Hana's eyes widened. "Tanjiro!" She rushed forward again, rage burning through her chest.

Akaza laughed breathlessly, glancing between Hana and Giyuu. Behind him, Tanjiro silently rose. Hana noticed him immediately.

"You two should become demons," Akaza said suddenly. "Don't die meaninglessly like Kyojuro and Tanjiro."

He's behind him, Hana thought, sensing Tanjiro rising silently in the shadows behind Akaza. He hasn't noticed.

Tanjiro lunged silently, his breathing stilled and his presence erased. He was going for the neck. Hana held her breath, her heart hammering against her ribs.

You can do it, Tanjiro... get him! If you can still move, go for the head while he hasn't noticed you!

"AKAZA! I'LL CUT YOUR HEAD OFF RIGHT NOW!" Tanjiro screamed at the top of his lungs.

Hana's eyes widened in sheer horror. Giyuu visibly froze mid-step. Both of them, in that moment of life-or-death tension, felt the collective urge to face-palm.

Why did you yell?! TANJIRO! Hana's mind shrieked.

Akaza, alerted by the shouting, spun and dodged the strike by a hair's breadth. Tanjiro and Akaza exchanged a furious flurry of blows. Hana and Giyuu circled them, looking for the smallest gap. Finally, the moment came. Tanjiro flipped high into the air.

"HINOKAMI KAGURA: SETTING SUN!"

The blade moved and with a final blow, Tanjiro cut Akaza's head off.

Before the severed head could roll of his shoulders, Akaza grabbed it and tried to force it back onto his neck.

"He's trying to put it back on?!" Hana gasped.

Giyuu reacted instantly. He threw the broken half of his sword with everything he had left. The jagged weapon sliced through the air and through Akaza's head again, knocking it away entirely and sending it bouncing across the floor. The severed head began disintegrating, turning into gray ash that drifted in the wind.

His head is disintegrating?! We won? Hana thought. But then her stomach dropped.

The headless torso wasn't crumbling. It began to walk toward the collapsed Tanjiro.

"No, it can't be!"

Hana's blood ran cold as she watched the headless torso of the Upper Moon approach Tanjiro who had collapsed onto one knee, panting heavily with his eyes fluttering.

"Tanjiro!" Hana yelled.

The headless Akaza rushed toward him instantly. Hana sprinted forward. Her sword collided against Akaza's fist with explosive force as she blocked the attack inches away from Tanjiro. She slid backward, panting heavily.

Giyuu joined her side, gripping the broken remains of his sword. "Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"

The attack slammed into Akaza repeatedly. However, the demon regenerated as quickly as ever despite missing his head. The two began to desperately trade blows in a hard clash until Giyuu eventually gasped with exhaustion. Falling onto his knees, he coughed up blood. He was burdened with deafness in his left ear and his right arm had become numb. Still, he tried to force himself back up.

Hana stepped in front of both Giyuu and Tanjiro protectively. Her legs were shaking so hard she thought she might collapse, and her sword trembled slightly in her grip. But her stance never broke. She pointed her blade at the headless demon..

"If you want to touch them," she said quietly, "you'll have to kill me first."

Giyuu pushed himself up, leaning against Hana's shoulder for a second before standing next to her. "Not just... you, Hana... We stand... together..." he said through ragged breaths.

Akaza crouched low, his head beginning to reform and a terrifying aura of murderous intent radiating from him.

But then Tanjiro stood up. Barely conscious, he lunged at Akaza and swung his sword at him, but it fell from his numb fingers before he could strike. With nothing left, he punched Akaza directly in the face, causing the demon to back away.

In that moment, Hana sensed it Akaza was about to release the same devastating Destruction Style that had killed Rengoku.

"Get back!" Hana grabbed Tanjiro by the collar and Giyuu by the arm, throwing them backward just as a massive explosion of energy rocked the castle.

The explosion tore through the chamber. Stone shattered and the castle shook violently. Hana shielded Tanjiro and Giyuu with her body as debris crashed around them.

Slowly, Hana looked up. Akaza stood there, and the last thing she saw on his face was a smile before his body started disintegrating.

But... he had done it himself.

He used his own attack to destroy himself. The demon stood motionless as his body crumbled into ash.

Why would he destroy himself? Hana stared in confusion, her heart slowing down. Why? And for a moment, she could smell gratitude from him.

The violent hatred that had filled the room moments ago had disappeared, and all that remained was silence.

Tanjiro had collapsed from exhaustion. Hana looked back at Giyuu. His eyes softened the moment they met hers.

"It's over..." she whispered weakly.

As the words left her lips, the adrenaline that had been keeping her upright vanished. Her vision blurred, and the last thing she felt was a pair of strong, trembling arms catching her before her head hit the ground.