Our Bond Can't be Severed by Anyone!

20 - Dawn

This was not happening.

This could not be happening.

Muzan took an unsteady step back, his clawed hand ghosting over his neck that had just been cut. He could still feel the separation between new and old cells.

No one had come that close to his neck in...

Years... centuries even.

It made no sense - It made no sense! He had killed the girl! Finally, he had disposed of her, he watched the blood leave her body. He had heard the boy scream before falling back into his good little docile self.

But the girl had been dead!

Now... now she was a demon. She was a demon whose steps moved like the feet of a dancer and whose sword always found his flesh. Her eyes burned with a terrifyingly familiar fire and Muzan knew these moves... he knew that look.

Yoriichi. It was like looking back in the past except for this time his foe was of his own blood. No matter how he struck her, how much pain she endured, her skin knit together and her moves went unhindered.

The blood connection she had with her brother... the demon blood... it affected more than Muzan had predicted... she had been transformed into a demon! Why!? How was this possible!?

Anger ran through his veins turning his icy body warm with fear. No, no, no, he could not die here! He would NOT die here!!

Nezuko saw Muzan's desperation. He had fallen into that natural panic, fight or flight... and Muzan was a coward so there was no chance he would fight - he would try to escape.

Nezuko jumped away from another attack, grabbing a bit of the fallen medication that Lady Tamayo had handed them all, rolling it around in the palm of her hand as she glanced at the monstrous demon.

"You escaped once," she growled. "Not this time."

She charged again. Dancing around the attacks as she gripped the medicine and lunged for Muzan. She would force this down his throat and force him to remain weak. Force him to fight as he forced so many to suffer and cling to life.

She wrapped an arm around his throat, jumping on his back and grappling him.

Muzan took that as well as expected. He thrashed and clawed, his attacks ripping into her skin like cold knives. It was strange, they hurt but there was no fear as her flesh was torn apart, only a calm serenity because she knew those wounds would heal. 

Muzan's blood had infected her years ago, she'd been inhuman for so long that wounds had lost their weight. Now, it was like wounds didn't even phase her.

She wrestled with him, struggling to force the medicine down his throat but despite all of her new strength, her foe was still Muzan. They flailed and contested for moments that few out like years with neither side giving away. Nezuko felt her blood pour from her wounds and as rage boiled in her chest her eyes narrowed.

"YOU CANNOT CONTEND WITH ME!" Muzan screamed as he threw Nezuko off of him. She slammed into the earth and let out a sharp cry that turned into a hiss of anger.

"NEZUKO!" that was Zenitsu. She recalled that voice and when the flash of yellow caught her eye she smiled to see all of the demon slayers still standing, bloodied and weakened, some with missing limbs and all covered with thick scarlet. Zenitsu and Inosuke still stood, defending themselves from Muzan's frantic tendril attacks.

"WE KILL HIM NOW!" Nezuko roared. "MUZAN! YOU'RE DYING TONIGHT!"

Her rage bubbled over into a flame and like her roar fed the fire of spirit, her blood burst into brilliant pink flames that curled over Muzan's skin like hungry tongues.