"Shinazugawa! Hoshizora! Tokito! Stop for a second! It's over! The demon isn't regenerating anymore!" Gyomei had to physically stop Sanemi as the man continued to move despite being unconscious. "Shinazugawa! It's over!"
"It's...over." Inori felt her legs giving up. Her knees buckled, and her grip on her sword slackened. Muichiro was there to catch her before she could crash onto the floor. "Thank the stars."
"Are you two alright?"
"Inori's left arm...I'm trying to stop the bleeding!" Muichiro let Inori lean against him, his hands busy bandaging the stub of what used to be her left arm. He used his teeth and one hand to tighten the cloth around it, using the other to put pressure on the wounds on her face.
A deafening scream alerted Inori and Muichiro of another dire patient.
"What's happening to him? Dammit! His body is crumbling like a demon! Shit! Shit! What should I do?" Sanemi shouted until his voice cracked, fumbling around because Genya was crumbling—his brother was crumbling like a demon. "You're alright! You'll be fine, Genya! I swear I'll figure something out! Nemi will figure it out! Nemi will figure something out!"
"Ne...mi...I'm sorry...back then...I'm sorry...I blamed you...I'm sorry...I was...just a...burden."
"You were never a burden! Never! Don't die! You can't die before me!" Sanemi cried, curling onto his disintegrating brother. "Hoshizora! Please, save him. I'm begging you. Genya. Save him. Please. I beg of you."
It was the first time Inori had heard Sanemi beg for help. She tried to reach out to her bag, but bleakly realized her eyes were still clouded with blood.
"Mui! The vial! There's a vial labeled for Genya-san!" She coughed, hacking out more blood onto her palm as Muichiro fumbled through her bag. "Oh stars, I hope it's not broken. I can't see it. Please give it to him! Before he fully disintegrates!"
Inori couldn't move, but Sanemi didn't mind, sprinting faster than ever to snatch the vial and needle from Muichiro and run back to his little brother.
Inori internally prayed that her medicine would work. A tense silence that went for what felt like an eternity enveloped the room, suffocating everyone in it as they waited for the effects of the medicine.
A breath of relief passed through them all as soon as Genya started to slowly regenerate. It was slow but she was just glad that the medicine worked. Inori slumped against Muichiro, feeling all the tension escape from her body.
"Oh, stars...thank stars...haah...thank the stars..."
Sanemi hugged Genya with tears streaming down his face, thanking the Gods, the stars, and Inori for saving his little brother.
"Inori-san, what...what was...what happened?"
"When I first diagnosed you, I told you not to be reckless, do you remember?" Inori winced as she remembered her own pain, alerting the others about her own fatal injuries. They didn't waste time crowding her, immediately tending to her wounds and stopping the bleeding. Inori just let that happen, too drained to move.
Genya tried to move, but immediately flopped to the ground. Sanemi didn't seem to mind his incapability, dragging him towards Inori and lying him down near her before helping Muichiro and Gyomei tend to her injuries.
"You diagnosed Genya?" Sanemi asked as he ripped a piece of his haori to stop the bleeding on her face. He grimaced at the sight of her slit mouth, swiftly stitching the skin back together. "Why wasn't I informed of any of this?"
"Because you probably would've told me to poison him until he was forced to quit the corps," Inori answered, biting her tongue to suppress the hiss of pain from escaping. "I figured that since we have a half-demon or something akin to that in our organization now, I should create something that could stop demons from disintegrating." She snorted slightly because yes, it was a comical thing for a pillar of the Demon Slaying Corps to do, but she had gotten the master's permission, and that was all that mattered. "It wasn't a top priority, but I managed to finish the medicine before the fight started, just a few hours before it started, actually."
The medicine wouldn't work on just anybody as she had used Genya's blood for it, not even on Nezuko. But it was enough if it could save Genya since that was who the medicine was designated for. If the battle had started a day later, she would've given the medicine to Genya himself, so it was really lucky for her to be near Genya in such a time of need.
"Is that so?" Genya felt tears stream down his face. He felt incredibly touched by her consideration. "Thank you. Thank you." He tried to raise his arms to wipe his tears, but he couldn't feel his limbs, so he settled on letting the tears flow.
But Inori's expression turned somber, causing everyone to stiffen. "Genya-san, it's still an experimental medicine," Inori tried to explain, her lips pursed into a thin line. "You may have narrowly escaped death, but I doubt you will be able to move half of your body ever again."
Sanemi snapped his head towards his little brother, bleakly realizing that tears were only coming out of one of his eyes. His facial expressions were only visible through half of his face, making him look more weird than grateful. It was as if half of his facial muscles had frozen.
"It's fine!" Genya declared. Sure, he hated the fact that he probably wouldn't be able to move without help for the rest of his life, but at least he was alive. A weakling like him fought Upper Moon One and survived thanks to Inori's medicine, that alone was enough. "It sucks, but it's better than me being dead. More importantly, Inori-san, your wounds."
"Right." Sanemi wiped the tears from his eyes. Even if he had to carry his brother every day for the rest of his life, he would choose that over losing Genya. "Hoshizora, thank you."
"The least I can do." Sanemi had saved her life more times than she could count, so there was no way she would let him lose his last living family, not if she could do something about it. She owed the Wind Pillar that much at least. "Anyways, please inject me with medicine in the blue vial. I need another dose of it." Inori wiped the blood from her eyes. "Shinazugawa-san should take it too, it's effective to stop the bleeding."
"Hoshizora, can you still fight?" Gyomei asked, picking up his weapons. "We still have to defeat Muzan. The fight hasn't ended yet." Despite wanting nothing more than to let her rest, they still needed to defeat Muzan. Gyomei would never disrespect Inori's resolve and position as a pillar, as well as the duties that came along with it.
"I'm fine." Inori forced herself to stand. The bleeding had stopped, she could still fight. She stumbled on her feet, leaning against Muichiro who was instantly there to catch her. "I'm a dual wielder. Using one hand to wield a sword shouldn't be difficult. Besides, I still have my legs."
"What about your eyes?" Sanemi wiped the blood covering her face, internally wincing at how red her eyes were. "Can you still see?"
"Everything's blurry." Inori clenched her eyes shut. She could only see blurry blobs that merged into indescribable shapes. The strain on her eyes had rendered them nearly useless. "It shouldn't hinder me too much." Because she was still someone who had trained her other senses in case she lost her sense of sight. "I can still fight. I'll fight to the end."
·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚☆.｡.☆.｡.:*☆ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙
"Caw! Himejima Gyomei! Shinazugawa Sanemi! Tokito Muichiro! Hoshizora Inori! Shinazugawa Genya! The five of them have defeated Upper Moon One!" The crow cawed above their heads. "Hoshizora Inori lost her left arm! Shinazugawa Genya has been incapacitated!"
"Incapacitated?" Tanjiro repeated. "They're not dead, right?"
"Caw! No! But Shinazugawa Genya cannot fight anymore!"
"They were up against Upper Moon One," Giyu said. "Considering who they're up against, I'm surprised none of them lost their lives."
"Umu!" Kyojuro nodded. "Truly! What a miracle!"
"Caw! Pillars! Pillars! Regroup! Have all pillars regroup! Head towards Muzan!"
·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚☆.｡.☆.｡.:*☆ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙
"Revival! Revival! Muzan has been revived! The pillars must gather at once! There are currently eight living pillars! Gather at once!"
"What?" Inori felt a course of dread rushing over her veins. "We wasted too much time with Upper Moon One!"
"Calm down, Hoshizora!" Gyomei said. "We expected this. We'll just have to make sure to stall him until the sun comes up."
"Didn't we fall underground? As long as we stay in this Infinity Castle, the sun won't be a threat to him." Sanemi cursed as he hopped over another sliding floor. The Wind Pillar was currently carrying his unconscious brother on his back, keeping up with his fellow pillars.
"The biwa demon, Upper Moon Four, she's the one controlling this castle, right?" Muichiro asked, panting as he struggled to keep moving. "Iguro-san and Kanroji-san are fighting her right now. What should we do?"
"We're following orders and heading towards Muzan—Hoshizora! Tokito!"
Inori yelped as the floor suddenly rocked violently, causing her to fall into another room. Muichiro managed to grab her in the nick of time, and the two ended up separated from Gyomei, Sanemi, and Genya.
Inori and Muichiro tumbled into a new room. Muichiro kept Inori cradled against his chest as they rolled onto the floor. They didn't even get a second to catch their breaths before countless pieces of massive furniture began to fly at them, attempting to crush them to death.
Mist Breathing: Third Form: Scattering Mist Splash
"Don't strain your eyes here!" Muichiro grabbed her hand, pulling Inori along with him as he barreled his way out. "If you go blind before we get to Muzan, you'll be at a disadvantage."
"I'm sorry." Inori blinked rapidly. She could hardly see anything but blurs, everything was just blobs of colors for her. She was navigating the battle by relying on her instincts and other senses, and it was proving easier said than done.
"It's okay." Muichiro squeezed her hand in reassurance despite his own quivering voice. "I'll be there to back you up."
"Thank—" Inori screamed as her eyes caught multiple blobs surrounding them. "Mui! Watch out!"
·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚☆.｡.☆.｡.:*☆ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙
Kiriya felt like his world was crumbling. I didn't make it in time. It's all my fault. I failed to give the right commands. Now a lot of people have lost their lives. Everyone strived for hundreds of years for this day, and we did everything to defeat Muzan...it's all my fault we're going to fail...it's all—
Kuina slapped her brother until blood dribbled from his lips. "Keep yourself together, Oyakata-sama!" She roared. "Give your next orders now! The fight isn't over yet!"
Kiriya held his stinging cheek, gaping at his sister's words. Oyakata-sama...I'm the master now, I...my father, grandfather, and everyone else. He felt his breath hitch as he saw figures of his ancestors in his mind. They all endured the same pressure and pain as well.
He still remembered his father's words before the title got passed down to him, "Kiriya, you are my successor who will become a father to all those children," his father had said. "But you don't have to fight alone."
There were hands on his shoulders, squeezing in reassurance as his father's voice whispered in his ears, "While she is still my child and will be yours, remember that Inori is also from our family," that voice said. "That child has superb instincts and analytical skills that allow her to instantaneously analyze the weakness of her enemies, as well as the strength needed to strike them down efficiently."
Yes, Hoshizora Inori was of his bloodline too. She was of his bloodline, and she was suffering even greater pressure because she was fighting at the frontlines.
"The first child from our family to be a demon slayer...to be a pillar. It pains me to put such a heavy burden on her shoulders." The hands on his shoulders began to waver as Kiriya felt determination burning within him. "But if the entire corps, you and I included, are the cards needed to defeat Muzan, then she is the ace needed to keep the casualties as minimal as possible. You can rely on her."
Yes, Father. "Halt any non-pillars from engaging Muzan, order them to meet up with the pillars," Kiriya began issuing out orders. "Crows, spread more 'eyes' out. Gather the pillars at once, as well as all the other members. We're focusing all our manpower on one place immediately."
Yes, Hoshizora Inori was his father's ace, and now she was his ace card. She had told him everything she had done in preparation for this battle, and he would rely on her.
"Kuina, Kanata, thank you. I will not fail."
·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚☆.｡.☆.｡.:*☆ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙
"Eh? Muzan revived while we were dawdling around!" Mitsuri panicked at the crow's announcement. "What should we do? Should we just leave the biwa demon and go towards Muzan? What kind of order is that?"
Shinazugawa's brother has been incapacitated and Hoshizora lost her left arm, but Upper Moon One was defeated. Considering who their enemy was, the fact that none of them lost their lives is nothing short of a miracle. Obanai leaped over another flying window, clicking his tongue. Himejima-san, Shinazugawa, Tokito, and Hoshizora defeated Upper Moon One. Rengoku and Tomioka defeated Upper Moon Three. Kocho lost her life, but defeated Upper Moon Two. Compared to what they have done, just what the hell have I been doing?
He dodged above another flying window, swinging his sword when more windows came flying at him. This is the Infinity Castle where Hoshizora and her brothers were held captive in four years ago. Back then, he thought it was infinite because it was huge. But even if it wasn't infinite, it was certainly huge enough to be called infinite. Just like she said, the biwa demon's blood demon art isn't particularly strong, but she's an expert at dragging out fights and keeping us in place. I've been trying to listen to the pattern of her biwa, but it's just too unpredictable.
He was honestly surprised Inori managed to escape even with the help of the dead.
But it doesn't change the fact that two pillars are being stalled by one demon. Obanai clicked his tongue again. We have to somehow get out of this situation, or she'll keep thwarting our efforts to meet up with the other pillars. Based on the crow's reports, they're all injured and need all the help they can get.
"Hey! Serpent Pillar!" Obanai skidded to a stop, glaring down at the demon wearing a demon slayer's uniform. "Yes, I'm a demon. No, I'm an ally. Just come down and let me explain something!"
·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚☆.｡.☆.｡.:*☆ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙
"Even if you plan to stall for time until dawn, there's no light that can penetrate this fortress. Besides, can you really do it with just four pillars?" Using Nakime's eyes, Muzan could see four figures crushed by the castle. "The pillar in the striped haori, the female pillar, the child pillar, and the Blue Spider Lily girl. Do you know that Upper Moon Four has killed them all?"
Kyojuro, Giyu, and Tanjiro widened their eyes, but didn't falter in their steps. Even if they were alone, they somehow needed to stall Muzan until dawn. They continued to dodge Muzan's whip-like arms, cursing the sheer blinding speed of it.
"Tanjiro! Don't be reckless! We don't have to get close!" Giyu tried to get closer, but was pushed back by the whips.
Kyojuro sliced one of the whips, also struggling to get closer to Tanjiro before the slayer could get skewered. "Young Kamado! Fall back!"
"Gah!" Tanjiro crashed his head against the wall, Muzan had taken one of his eyes, so his sight was limited, and the rapid movements didn't help him see his surroundings. More whips came at him. Oh no, I can't dodge it. It's hopeless!
"Hold it right there!" Mitsuri suddenly crashed through the ceiling, rapidly swinging her sword as she landed.
Love Breathing: Sixth Form: Cat-Legged Wind of Love
Despite getting diced up multiple times, Muzan regenerated almost immediately, leaving not a single scratch behind. He launched another whip arm at the Love Pillar.
Star Breathing: Seventh Constellation: Judgement of the Scales
Inori and Muichiro came barging in from the walls, immediately slashing through his arms. Muzan looked around, veins popping all over his neck at the sight of the four supposedly dead pillars. What the hell are you doing? Nakime!
"Iguro-san...thank the Gods." Tanjiro actually cried at their entrance. "You're alive...Kanroji-san and Tokito-kun...and Inori-san too...I'm so glad."
"We wouldn't die over something as stupid as falling." Inori huffed, narrowing her eyes at Muzan despite only being able to see blurs. "Tanjiro-san, fall back now. Don't get too close to him. Don't let yourself get cut even more. Those whip-blades or whatever most likely contain his blood, and it's highly poisonous for us."
"You heard her, you annoying little burden." Obanai dropped Tanjiro onto the floor. "Fall back right now. And for star's sake, worry about yourself first."
"Iguro-san, what of Upper Moon Four?" Muichiro asked. "We need to defeat her to get out of this castle."
"A demon named Yushiro is taking care of her right now," answered the Serpent Pillar. "He made Muzan think all the pillars are dead, and he's trying to take over this castle to bring it to the ground. We should focus on Muzan."
"What about Himejima-san and Shinazugawa?" Kyojuro asked.
"We got separated."
Kyojuro spared a glance at Inori. Out of the six gathered pillars, Inori obviously looked the worst. Missing left arm aside, the Star Pillar's face was littered with cuts, the huge cut that slit the right corner of her mouth to her ear was only patched together by an obviously hasty stitch. Her hair was disheveled and cut unevenly, and her remaining limbs were littered with gashes. Kyojuro was sure that had she not tied her sword to her hand, she wouldn't even be able to hold it.
It wasn't just Kyojuro. Something unpleasant also brewed inside of Obanai at the sight of her, particularly Inori's mouth. It reminded him so much of his own that he couldn't bear to look at it. "You sure you can fight like that, Hoshizora?"
"Don't worry. I promise I won't be a burden to anyone."
The whole fortress suddenly started to shake and warp, changing its layout again and again until they were all rendered dizzy. The blank room turned into a fancy one, instantaneously warping again until it ended up with the room consisting of tall blocks.
Agh! All this changing and warping is creating a lot of pressure. I feel like I'm going to get crushed. Inori had to stab her sword into the floor to keep herself standing. Out of everyone here, I am the one most likely to be a burden. I have to at least be of help to the rest. Don't fall now.
Inori recognized the look on Muzan's face. Of course she did, she saw that look in the mirror every day. The look of someone so obsessed with winning, even if it meant sacrificing everything else. Not good! He's planning to kill Upper Moon Four before Yushiro-kun can drive us to the ground. We need to stall him and give Yushiro-kun time!
Star Breathing: Third Constellation: Mischief of the Twins
"Stall him!"
Water Breathing: Fourth Form: Striking Tide
Mist Breathing: Fifth Form: Sea of Clouds and Haze
Serpent Breathing: First Form: Winding Serpent Slash
Flame Breathing: Third Form: Blazing Universe
"You goddamn pests!" Muzan deflected the five slayers, forcing himself to break his focus from taking control over Nakime. Tamayo's wretched demon, huh? He's got guts. I'll kill him.
Star Breathing: Second Constellation: Gallop of the Bull
Inori kicked the floor until it broke into splinters, slicing off whatever she could of Muzan's whip-like arms and immediately jumping back. Decapitating him is useless. We just need to make sure he can't attack.
"You're in the way! You eyesores! Fuck off!"
Mist Breathing: Fourth Form: Shifting Flow Slash
Flame Breathing: First Form: Unknowing Fire
The floor suddenly slid open, causing the two pillars all to fall. Muzan took that chance to kill Nakime.
It's creaking! Obanai whipped his head around in panic. The fortress is going to crumble. If we don't get outside, everyone here except Muzan will die!
The entire castle was shaking. He must've killed the biwa demon. The pressure was too heavy for her, and Inori ended up crashing back onto the floor. Shit. It's crumbling. No...wait...it's—
The building is rising! Mitsuri screeched as one of the whip-arms came near her. She hastily backflipped away, just in time to dodge the sword Tanjiro threw at the whip.
Tanjiro didn't stop there, continuing to throw the discarded swords of his fallen comrades toward Muzan, piercing the demon's head and body.
The building suddenly rose at a blinding speed, creating a heavy and intense pressure that pinned the slayers to the floors. Inori could feel someone shielding her body from the approaching ceiling. The heaviness only lasted for a second. Because in the next second, the castle exploded above ground.
Yushiro had successfully brought them to the surface.
·̩̩̥͙＊*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚☆.｡.☆.｡.:*☆ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊·̩̩̥͙