Inosuke landed lightly on the ruined street. With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the Kasugai Crow into Tanjiro's arms.
"Hold onto it. Don't hurt small animals."
Then he walked straight toward the center of the battlefield.
Dōma was still leisurely fanning himself, looking down at the barely breathing Shinazugawa Sanemi with lingering interest, as if pondering where to take the first bite.
"Dad."
Inosuke's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an authority that brooked no refusal.
"Let me handle this."
Dōma froze for a moment, blinking his golden eyes.
"Oh? Inosuke? But Daddy hasn't had enough fun yet. And this guy was just trying to kill me, you know—"
"I said," Inosuke cut in, stepping forward and placing himself between Dōma and Sanemi, his back to Dōma, "let me do it."
"This is between me and him. Let me handle it."
Dōma looked at his son's back.
That little lump of flesh who once could only crawl on the ground had grown into a boy who dared to command an Upper Rank.
That domineering presence.
That ferocity in his eyes—
Perfect. Absolutely perfect.
"Alright, alright~"
Dōma immediately broke into an indulgent smile, as if the demon who'd been ready to eat someone moments ago had never existed.
"Since Inosuke wants to do it himself, Daddy won't interfere."
He turned and waved toward Daki and Gyutaro.
"Hey, Little Ume, Gyutaro, don't just stand there. Come on, come on—let's see what kind of gifts Lord Akaza brought. Don't interrupt Inosuke while he's working."
Though Daki was still resentful about not being the one to kill a Hashira, once Dōma spoke, she obediently withdrew her sashes.
Just like that, the three Upper Ranks casually retreated to the edge of the battlefield, like bored nobles watching a performance, crowding around the expressionless Akaza.
At the center of the battlefield, only Inosuke and Sanemi remained.
Inosuke bent down, grabbed Sanemi by his blood-soaked white, spiky hair, and forced his head up.
Sanemi's face was completely deformed from the beating, one eye swollen shut. But the remaining eye still burned with fury.
"Trai…tor…"
He forced the word out through clenched teeth, spitting bloody foam onto Inosuke's face.
"If you've got the guts… just kill me…"
Inosuke didn't wipe off the blood.
He looked at this mad dog who was still snapping even at death's door, his emotions tangled and heavy.
This idiot…
All the careful planning, all the balance I paid for with humiliation and endurance—he almost ruined it all by charging in like this!
Lowering his voice so only the two of them could hear, Inosuke snarled:
"Are you insane?!"
"Who told you to come here?! Who told you to throw your life away?!"
"Do you think this is somewhere you can handle?! Three Upper Ranks!! Do you think you're a god?!"
Sanemi froze.
He'd expected mockery or a killing blow—never this… this furious scolding, like disappointment forged into rage.
But anger quickly drowned out his reason, and he struggled violently.
"Don't pretend to care, you bastard!! If you're going to kill me, then do it!!"
Smack!!!
A crisp slap echoed through the street.
Inosuke didn't hold back at all. He slapped Sanemi hard across the face, sending his head ringing.
"Are you stupid?!"
Inosuke yanked him up by the collar, forcing him to look toward a distant corner.
There, Masasaburō was still tearing into Genya, who was covered in blood. Genya screamed in pain but stubbornly protected his vital spots.
"Kill you?"
Inosuke pointed at Genya, roaring hoarsely.
"If you die, what happens to Genya?!"
"Do you want him to die here with you?!"
Boom!
Those words hit Sanemi like a bucket of ice water, instantly dousing the heat in his head.
Genya…
His little brother…
Following Inosuke's finger, Sanemi looked over.
He saw that clumsy, foolish brother who had followed him here without hesitation.
The fury on Sanemi's face shattered, replaced by a grief so deep it nearly swallowed him whole.
"Let him… live…"
Sanemi's voice trembled, softer than it had ever been.
He turned to Inosuke, the killing intent in his eyes turning into a plea.
"I'm begging you… just let him live…"
"I can die… I don't care… even if those demons eat me…"
"As long as Genya survives…"
"Ha…"
Inosuke laughed.
Not because it was funny—because he was furious.
Smack!!!
Another slap, even harder than before, sent one of Sanemi's teeth flying.
"Wake up, you bastard!!"
Inosuke stared straight into Sanemi's eyes.
"Who said you get to die?!"
"Who gave you permission to die?!"
"If you die, what about everything that comes after?!"
"What happens to Genya with no brother?!"
"You think I was joking when I said I wanted a perfect ending?!"
Inosuke leaned close to Sanemi's ear.
"Listen carefully, mad dog.
"I have a way for both of you to live."
"It's going to hurt like hell…"
"But if you listen to me, nobody has to die tonight."
Sanemi looked up at him in disbelief, staring at this少年 he could no longer understand.
"W-What… way?"
Inosuke let go, and Sanemi collapsed back onto the ground.
Bang!
Inosuke lifted his leg and mercilessly whipped it down into Sanemi's head, sending him rolling several times across the ground.
Standing under the moonlight, Inosuke crooked his finger at the battered Hashira, his gaze full of contempt.
"Keep fighting."
He shouted deliberately, making sure Dōma could hear.
"Fight me."
"Fight until dawn! Fight until my dad, my sister, and my uncle are all satisfied!"
"Only then…"
"Only then do you earn the right to live."
Inosuke drew the paired metal fans from his waist. The blades snapped open, gleaming coldly.
"Come on, Shinazugawa Sanemi.
"Let's finish the fight we didn't finish at the Demon Slayer Corps."
"This time, no one's stopping us."
"What's wrong? Weren't you pretty cocky just now? Can't move anymore?"
Sanemi lay on the ground, listening.
Then he laughed.
As he laughed, tears mixed with blood streamed down his face.
He understood.
This damn brat… was using this brutal, humiliating method to save his life.
To smash open a path of survival for both brothers in a situation that should have meant certain death.
"Cough… this is interesting…"
Sanemi staggered to his feet, wiping blood from his face.
The fire in his eyes reignited—stronger than before.
"Inosuke… you're one hell of a man!!"
He gripped his heavily chipped Nichirin Blade.
"In that case…"
"I can't waste this chance!!"
"AAAAAAHHH!!!"
Ignoring the agony in his lungs, Sanemi wrung out the very last of his strength and charged at Inosuke!
"Good!"
Inosuke laughed—the joy of meeting a true opponent.
"Rinhi Breathing: Ice–Flame Wild Dance!!"
"Wind Breathing: First Form—Violent Gale Slash!!"
Sanemi's blade summoned a roaring storm, trying to tear through the seal of ice and fire.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The two Breathing styles collided violently in the center of the street.
Each clash triggered a deafening explosion.
This wasn't sparring.
This was real slaughter.
Every strike from Inosuke went for a vital point.
Every swing from Sanemi aimed to take Inosuke's head.
They both knew—if the act wasn't convincing enough, it wouldn't fool the three Upper Ranks watching.
"Wow~"
From a rooftop at the edge of the battlefield, Dōma clapped enthusiastically, kicking Akaza in the butt as he did.
"Marvelous! Truly marvelous!"
"Look at my Inosuke! Those moves, that posture—just like me!"
"So dazzling as a human or a demon…"
"As expected of my masterpiece!"
Beside him, Akaza snorted, arms crossed. He didn't say it out loud, but the approval in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Hmph. I taught him that move."
"Though his power transfer's still a bit rough. He'll need extra training later."
Daki, meanwhile, pouted as she leaned against Gyutaro.
"That guy's so annoying… why isn't he dead yet?"
"But Inosuke's fighting looks so cool… way cooler than you, Brother."
Gyutaro: "...Ume, that hurts."
Nearby, Tanjiro and Zenitsu watched in panic.
"H-How did it turn into this?!"
Zenitsu trembled.
"Boss is really fighting him! And he's trying to kill him! That Wind Hashira's going to cough up all his blood at this rate!"
"Inosuke…"
Tanjiro's hand rested on his sword hilt. His nose caught the conflicting scent swirling around Inosuke.
He wanted to help Genya—Masasaburō was still rampaging.
Just as he moved—
Whoosh!
A figure blocked their path.
Dōma stood there, smiling gently as he waved his fan, but his rainbow eyes were ice-cold.
"Zenitsu-kun, Tanjiro-kun,"
His voice was soft—and utterly unyielding.
"You don't need to interfere."
"This is Inosuke's stage. Let him finish it himself."
"But—!"
Tanjiro panicked.
"Genya—Genya can't hold on much longer! He's Inosuke's subordinate too!"
"Oh?"
Dōma tilted his head and glanced at the blood-soaked Genya in the distance.
"That gun kid is Inosuke's friend too?"
"But… he's the little brother of that annoying white-haired guy."
"What a complicated relationship…"
He tapped his temple, then smiled innocently.
"It's fine."
"Since he's the white-haired guy's brother…"
"Let him suffer a little first."
"Debts of the father are paid by the son—debts of the brother by the brother. Very fair, right~?"
...
At the center of the battlefield, the fight reached its climax.
Sanemi's stamina was completely drained, held together only by sheer will and the Mark.
Inosuke was in better shape, but his old wounds had reopened.
"Break already!!!"
Inosuke roared, seizing a brief opening in Sanemi's swing.
The two adamantine fans snapped shut like enormous shears, clamping down hard on Sanemi's Nichirin Blade.
Crack!!
A sharp, brittle sound rang out.
The sword that had slain countless demons—
snapped in half.
The broken blade flew away and embedded itself in a wooden pillar nearby.
"You bastard!!!"
Sanemi stared at the broken weapon, his eyes blazing red.
That was a swordsman's pride.
"Die!!!"
He hurled the broken hilt straight at Inosuke's face—
Then did something no one expected.
Like a cornered beast, he spread his arms and lunged at Inosuke.
No sword—then fists. Teeth. Head.
"You mad dog!!"
Inosuke dodged the hilt and felt the madness in his own eyes explode.
Whoosh!
He casually flung the priceless fans behind him.
"Gonpachirō! Catch!"
Then he charged as well.
Two blood-soaked, hot-tempered, utterly insane men collided and grappled.
Bang!
Sanemi's fist smashed into Inosuke's face.
"This punch is for lying to us!!"
"Why didn't you tell us what you were planning, you bastard?!"
Bang!
Inosuke countered, slamming his fist into Sanemi's nose.
"I do whatever I want! None of your damn business, you troublemaking idiot!!"
They rolled across the ground, mud, blood, and sweat mixing together.
Pure, primal violence.
Sanemi choked Inosuke as he roared,
"Inosuke! What the hell are you trying to do?!"
"Let go!"
Inosuke kicked him in the gut.
"I'll do whatever I damn well please! Who do you think you are?!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Dull, meaty impacts echoed through the pre-dawn darkness, mixed with their hoarse screams.
Gradually—
Sanemi's movements slowed.
His injuries were too severe. His lungs frozen. Blood loss massive.
Boom!!
Inosuke seized the chance.
He mounted Sanemi, raised his fist, gathered all his strength—
And drove it down hard.
The punch smashed Sanemi's face into the ground, blasting out a crater.
Gravel flew, cutting his cheek.
Sanemi lay in the pit, gasping, his eyes unfocused.
He couldn't move.
Inosuke panted, looking down at him.
Then he lifted his foot and planted it on Sanemi's blood-soaked head.
"Hey."
Inosuke's voice was hoarse, dripping with chilling mockery.
"Mad dog."
"That's it? You're already down?"
"Weren't you pretty loud just now?"
He glanced eastward.
A faint sliver of pale light was creeping into the sky.
Dawn was approaching.
"Get up."
Inosuke pressed down harder, grinding Sanemi's head into the ground.
"It's not daylight yet."
"My family…"
"They haven't had enough of a show."
"Get up. Keep fighting."
"As long as you're still breathing…"
"Don't even think about resting!!"
Under the humiliation and pain crushing down on him, Sanemi saw it—
Through blood-blurred vision, the flicker of urgency in Inosuke's eyes.
Hurry up. Get up… or my dad's going to step in…
"Heh…"
Sanemi let out a low chuckle.
His fingers dug deep into the dirt.
Every cell in his body screamed in protest.
But he moved.
Bit by bit, shaking violently, he forced himself upright.
Like a corpse clawing back to life.
"As… you wish…"
Sanemi stood, swaying, ready to collapse at any second.
"Come on!!"
"I can still fight!!"
"Tonight, it's either you die—"
"Or I live!!"
"RAAAAH!!!"
They roared and charged once more.
In the Yoshiwara District, just before dawn—
Two figures collided again, violently, without restraint.
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