The Good Demon [KNY]

Part 76: Power

Tanjiro and the unconscious bodies of Inosuke and Zenitsu were sent flying as Nezuko planted a flaming kick straight into Akai's face. He flew back and through three dozen trees. Midair, Akai reorientated himself and planted his feet into the ground. He was panting wildly, catching his breath after having accumulated so much damage that day.

Nezuko stared him down with glowing eyes. She had nearly doubled in size and become much more muscular, looking like she had grown years older. All throughout said body was unusual red marks that looked like thorny rose vines. A single, blood-red horn sat on her head. On the right side of her cheek, he saw what looked to be a rose bathed in flames. The flame bent in such a way that from far away, it resembled...

A comet.

"Okay, what the hell..." Akai muttered, heating his limbs as Nezuko blasted towards him. Akai threw a red-hot fist while Nezuko threw a kick that glowed pink. The attacks collided and let out a shockwave, splintering the surrounding brush and singe-ing all of the grass around them. The area soon disappeared in a flash of pink and red as Akai and Nezuko traded blows at incomprehensible speeds.

"What the-" Akai hissed through his teeth. "She's stronger than Akaza!!!" Akai panicked as she began to overpower him.

At that moment It began to dawn on him.

Of course she was stronger than him.

She's him.

But better.

Over every one of the battles Akai has fought, his body has accumulated damage from both the attacks of other demons and himself. Despite his power output growing stronger, his body was growing weaker; breaking down over time.

He was-

Akai was cut off as Nezuko punched him in the side, cracking his ribs on impact.

"Probably should focus on staying alive." Akai noted.

Nezuko blew through Akai's defenses and planted a kick into his chest, sending him flying back. She ran forward and jumped up, grabbing his head midair and slamming him down onto the ground. 

"Meshuko... wai..." Akai muttered weakly, face buried in the ground.

Nezuko let a manic smile grow on her face as she broke into a sprint, still holding Akai's face in the ground and grinding him into the forest floor. She painted the forest red with his face, a crimson line painted on the ground with Akai's blood.

Nezuko lifted his head half-erased head suddenly and held him in front of her, ramming him into another three dozen trees.

"I can't match her..." Akai thought he was blasted through another tree.

Nezuko flew through one last tree with Akai and spun, throwing him hundreds of feet into the air. Akai healed himself as Nezuko brought her hands together, slicing open her wrists.

"Oh no." Akai realized what she was doing.

Nezuko locked her eyes on Akai's falling body as the blood coiled from her wrists, coalescing into a fiery orb, growing in size as she poured more and more blood into it. 

"Not my own technique..." He whimpered.

The orb grew larger and turned pink as she heated it further. 

"If there is anything I will regret, it is making Aoi cry..." Akai sighed as Nezuko finished charging the sphere. She laughed maniacally as she fired the orb at Akai. The ball of death shot its way through the sky and collided with Akai. Lighting up the sky with an explosion.