The eye of the storm (Sanemi Shinazugawa X Reader)

21| Perpetual smile

My brother and his friends were working together seamlessly, attacking with perfect coordination. They didn't appear to be in too much trouble. But Tengen seemed to be in serious trouble. I spotted him battling a tall, hunched demon with sickles in his hands as weapons.

I gripped the handle of my katana and focused all my energy on my legs. "Thunder Breathing, First Form, Flash of Thunder."

Swift as lightning, I rushed towards Tengen and the demon just as the creature had him cornered, ready to strike him down with its scythe. My katana intervened just in time, preventing the demon from severing his hand. Both were taken aback by my sudden arrival. The metallic clash of our blades echoed as I skillfully dodged each of the demon's attacks. It was quick, but I was quicker. I deflected every strike without a scratch.

"And who do we have here?" The demon complained, sullenly. "Don't tell me it's another one of your wives."

Tengen quickly regained his stance and teamed up with me, capitalizing on my intervention in the fight. I couldn't help but notice that part of his face and his right arm had turned violet, as if some kind of poison was spreading through his veins. I recalled Shinobu mentioning once that poisons capable of changing the skin's color like that are among the most potent.

"Don't let it touch you with its weapon," Tengen warned me. "They're poisoned."

It was clear he had been affected. He needed immediate assistance, or he would succumb to the poison. In fact, as I watched him fight, it became evident he wasn't at his full strength. While I attacked the demon from the left, he attacked from the right. Yet, his strikes lacked power. Moreover, I could barely land a hit on the demon. Nonetheless, my defense remained solid.

That's when I heard Tanjiro's shout. The three demon slayers were coordinating their attack against the demon girl and appeared to have the situation under control. Now, it was our turn. However, it was evident that the demon Tengen and I were up against was a thousand times more powerful than that girl.

"We need to decapitate both of them to win!" Tengen exclaimed, gesturing for us to combine our attacks.

I nodded in understanding and assumed a defensive stance. I positioned myself to intercept all of the demon's attacks. With lightning speed, I parried each strike with my katana, seamlessly defending against the onslaught. Meanwhile, Tengen launched his assault from the side, wielding both swords in preparation for one of his most powerful attacks.

The demon attempted to shove me aside to avoid Tengen's attack, but I didn't let up for a moment. It was locked in with me; if it ceased its assault on me, I would swiftly dispatch it, and if it persisted, Tengen would swiftly deal the finishing blow. It had no way out; it was a checkmate.

However, Tengen was growing weaker from the poison and missed his attack, allowing the demon to hurl him with a single blow against one of the nearby houses. I didn't have time to worry about him because the demon immediately lunged at me, ready to tear me apart. It grinned like a maniac and launched into a frenzied assault. All I could do was dodge its attacks with my katana.

Amidst the chaos, I heard shouts of victory and glimpsed Inosuke holding the woman's severed head. They had managed to achieve their goal, and now it was my turn. Glancing at Tengen, who was slumped against the rubble of a house, seemingly unconscious, I knew I had to take over in the meantime. Otherwise, even with one of its heads severed, that demon wouldn't go down easily.

As the demon relentlessly attacked, I spotted an opening when it turned to gaze at the severed head of the woman. Its eyes widened with concern, briefly humanizing the creature in my eyes. It was a strange sensation. I could almost hear its internal turmoil and rage, mingling with the woman's screams.