Chapter 31: Final confrontation
"You mortals really are getting on my nerves!"
At the ring of crater created by an explosion, a group of people are fighting to the death like never before. With five in the ring and six outside the ring, the battle was fierce like a tornado raging through the quiet neighborhood. It was ten against one duel. In hindsight, it may not seems to be a fair fight. But if the opponent you're up against were someone who won't die no matter how many times they cut, burn or blow this man to pieces, then you would agree that this man is indeed an immortal who lives for eternity unless they defeat him. Right here, in this very night.
"Just die you scumbag!"
"Sun magic: Dashing star."
"Water magic: Grandeur whirlpool."
"Serpent magic: Cascading snakes."
"Sound magic: String performance, rival of the horses."
All the ones inside the ring were ones that has powerful magic, enough to rival the magic-less man in front of them. Muzan uses his hundreds of years practicing in swordsmanship knowledge into use and it pays off, for now. Even without the swords, he was trained well enough to escape and hide. So when things gets rough, they need to keep him in sight or he will be gone forever. That's where the ones on the outer rings comes into play.
"Watch your aim Genya." A guard with white hair looks down on the man in front of him
"I'm trying my best here Nemi." A guy with mohawk styled hair responded as he aims his rifle down the iron sights
"Flower magic: Flesh devourers."
"Insect magic: Hexagonal chain link."
As the two sisters sets up a defensive measurement to prevent the man from escaping, one of the three were anxiously watching the whole thing unfolds. She was the youngest princess in her kingdom currently and yet, she wanted to help instead of hiding behind the walls she's trapped in. Her magic aren't like her sister's. Hers was better when she was up close with her opponents. This was because her magic weren't as strong as she was only blessed with a small amount of magic. But this doesn't deter her from wanting to help. She was never told to do so, but it felt like someone had whispered into her ears. A voice she hadn't known existed before.
'You can do this Kanao.'
She looks around to find no one close to her. And yet the voice was somehow felt foreign and yet familiar. She look down to her waist where she had kept the sword she was given in case she had to defend herself. The voice seems to linger around her head telling her the exact same thing over and over again. She was conflicted however, as her sisters had told her to stay put.
'Should I use the coin? Probably.'
Having that thought in her mind, she took out the coin she had carried around wherever she goes. It can't be use for bartering, but it does help her make decisions. She take a good look at it before tossing it high into the night sky. It twirls at speed making it almost impossible for anybody to guess accurately which way it would land. She stares at the coin until an image flashes in her mind.
"Why do you rely on your coin? Can't you make your own decisions?"
'How can I make my own decision? Someone, please tell me.' She's feeling scared
The coin she had flipped didn't quite land on her palm. It bounce off and into the cracks in between the rubbles. She tries to retrieve it but to no avail. The coin had fallen too deep into the cracks to the point she couldn't reach it.
'What should I do now?!' She began to panic
As she was distracted by her current situation, she didn't realize a stray magic projectile was inbound to hit her. She raised her head only to see it a bit too late. She instinctively covers her head with both hands and get as close to the ground as possible. The others sees her being inches away from getting hit but they're too far from her to even remotely help. Just as she was ready to embrace the pain, a small gust of wind blew and the pain never came. All eyes widens as they see the princess was unharmed by the stray magic. Kanao still had her head down thinking it would come eventually. That was until, a voice spoke.
"Daijoubu desu ka?"
Her mind instantly went blank as she didn't expect him. Of all people that would come and save her, it's him who had came for her. She had her eyes locked onto those shiny red orbs, although it was slightly different than before. And his scars had seemed to spread more but, it's him nonetheless.
"Tsuyuri san?" He asked her again
"Ah, d-daijoubu de-su." She nervously answered
He breathe a sigh of relief, "I'm glad to hear that. Be careful alright?"
She nods at him and he flashed a smile at her. He turns back around and jump back into the battle with the others. Her heart now beat faster than before, her breathing was trembling. She couldn't believe it with her own two eyes. For some reason, the coin don't matter to her anymore.
'I must help him.'
Without any hesitation, she took out her sword getting ready to jump into the fight. Only to be stopped by someone that was fast to act right after the incident just moments ago. She jolted in surprise to met the pair of light blue eyes staring at her.
"Tatsuo san?"
"Your highness, it's not wise to jump in just like that. I believe your sisters think so too." Tatsuo calmly said
"B-but, I want to help." Kanao stuttered her words
"??? That was sudden of you. Since when you can decide on your own?" Tatsuo noticed
"I. That um." She hesitates
"Hmm???"
"I've heard some new voice in my head telling me to help them. But I don't know whether to follow it or not. So I tried to flip my coin and it fell in between the cracks. That's how I was in danger back then."
Tatsuo was furthermore shocked to discover how much she could converse now. Somehow, she had changed in the few nights and she's now acting more reckless than before. Something that would only occur if something substantial were to happened to her.
'It's not impossible. But, for her safety sake.' The man thought to himself
"It's fine Kanao sama. By any chance, does the voice reminds you of someone?" He suddenly asked her
"Ah, un." She nods
"And does this person perhaps be inside the ring this very moment?" She nods again
"Well, I can assure you that he can protect himself as self evidence, he did managed to protect you." Tatsuo sat down. "I'm sure he'll be happy to see you safe rather than risking it for him."
Kanao was immediately taken aback by her guardian's words. She looked down onto her sword and then towards the battlefield. Sure, she can help them. But would she be good enough to do so? So that if she were to enter there, she wouldn't be a nuisance for the other four inside. She just watches the battle unfold with uncertainty in her eyes.
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"Where did that bastard go?"
Meanwhile, back inside the fortress, two men and a woman are currently sitting on an open platform in the middle of whole fortress. One of them had their hands dirty with their fingers literally poked into the woman's brain in order to gain control of her. In doing so, they can manipulate her magic to their needs. But it won't last for long if they don't act quick.
"Let me go." Nakime strained
"Shut up woman."
"Are you alright, Yushiro?"
"I'm fine Saisho. Now go find that idiot of a human being." Yushiro quickly replied
"Are you talking about me?" Suddenly, one of the wooden puppets spoke
"What the?! I thought-"
"I can hear you. Wait till I get out of this damn maze." The puppet continues. "Then, we can go ahead with the plan."
"What plan?! You didn't tell us shit since we got here!" Yushiro yelled
"Saisho, was it? I need you to do me a favour."
"What was that?"
"I need you to freeze him." The puppet spoke directly. "As in frozen solid."
"Alright. Time to ice this joint." Saisho punched his fists together
"Not here dumbass." Yushiro scolded him
"Then get me over there already."
"Fine, here we go."
Yushiro began to manipulate his subject to strum her instrument and a door appear underneath Saisho. He was a bit surprised but he wasn't given enough time to react as the door already had opened and he dropped straight into it. He appeared above where the conflict are happening at the moment. Without a moment to waste, he began to work his magic.
"Here we go."
"Ice magic: Winter storm, blizzard mayhem."
He cast the magic and the clear sky suddenly was filled with clouds. A storm was rapidly forming and the temperature dropped rapidly like a rock sinking in a pond. This caused most of the figure presence became wary of what's coming next. Not a moment later, snow began to fall and the wind increasing rapidly and it resulted in a very heavy snow storm with visibility reduced down to almost zero. Saisho continues to drop further down until he touches land. But for some reason, all of the grunting noise and metal clangs came to a halt. Only the wind of his storm is making noise around him.
'Did I went to far?' He thought to himself
He scans his surrounding trying to find some kind of presence. His senses are tingling all over the place and it isn't because of the cold. At this temperature, people can easily get frostbite and sometimes it can freeze a person completely. And since he was once called as the cold prince, the cold won't bother him anyway. Suddenly he felt a presence right behind him. He took a step sideway and a sword was swung just right next to his shoulder. He turns around to meet the face of the owner. Thankfully it was not the man. Or so he thought.
"Oh, it's y-"
"Watch out!"
He sees the red blood blades that was aiming for the head of the person in front of him. In the spur of the moment, he freezes the hand that holds one of the sword till it became solid. But the man didn't even hesitate to broke his arm off in order to escape the trap.
"What was that for?!"
"Muzan!!!!!"
He began to chase after the man that is fleeing from him. As for the figure he had helped before, he grunted before getting and began to chase after them as well. The cold had slowed down their movements and the blizzard lowers their visibility down to almost zero. Saisho was breathing heavily through the storm and he was sure his opponent were the same..
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'Damnit! I got so close to kill one of them!'
Muzan had his arm severed by his own will, running through the snow storm blindly trying to find his way out. He couldn't feel his fingers or legs and the tip of his hair to his nose are frozen. He kept on running knowing he would be at a disadvantage to fight in this condition. That was until he met someone who emits an aura hot enough to melt steel.
"What the?!" He shouted in shock
"Don't you run away Muzan." The prince spoke. "It ends here."
"Sun magic: The rising sun."
Tanjiro began to feel the heat as his body began to glow very bright. The heat was so intense that he actually made the blizzard stop and the surrounding temperature got warm again. Muzan was caught in the heat as he was fully exposed to what basically a sun down on earth. Saisho didn't have much time to react when the wave first hit him. He made a solid block of ice to refract the light elsewhere but he gotta be quick as his ice won't last long under the intense heat. All eyes on him but they had to cover their eyes to avoid damage from looking into the sun. Muzan screams as he was burned thoroughly from the inside out.
After a solid minute of burning through the flesh, the sun had died down and Tanjiro revert back to his normal self. He collapses after the last magic took its toll on his body. Demon may have unlimited stamina, but those are for the ones who had eaten human. Tanjiro didn't and as a result, he was drained with every last bit he had. It had also caused him to become very hungry and he for some reason crave for human flesh. He urges to resists those feelings of wanting human meat. Their thirst quenching warm blood and fresh meat. Wait, snap out of it! He slapped himself mentally. As for the demon lord, he was burnt to crisp but doesn't seemed like he's dead.
"You f*cking piece of shit. I will f*cking kill you!" Muzan got up even with his mingled body. "Even if it's the last thing I do!"
Muzan began to run towards the defenceless redhead armed with his blood sword. The others in the area had just came back to their senses when they see Muzan running for it. Some even tried to unleash some magic to prevent him from reaching the fallen prince. It was all too late as he had the sword up high above his head. Tanjiro still couldn't move as his craving is what keeping him there still. They all shouted for him to move but all he can hear is his own heartbeat.
"Goodbye your highness! Rest in piec-"
As he was about to swing the blade down, something had interrupted him doing so. A foot embedded deep into his skull, possibly cracking it caused him to be driven into the earth soil with force enough to shatters ones jaw. The perpetrator whom had did this sat on top of him as she fell and all eyes widened up in disbelief.
"Kanao?!"
Kanao Tsuyuri, a princess who's usually quiet and calm in demeanor. To see her stepped right into the light to save the prince, she had become the knight in shining armour. Tanjiro's vision was hazy still as he saw her on top of something. The rest ran as fast as they could to help her but she was pushed off before they could.
"Get the f*ck off of me!" Muzan is furious. "How dare you f*cking step on me like that!"
In the spur of the moment, he switches his target aiming for her this time. He had dodged all the magic that was coming for him earlier and now it's between him and her. She began to parry all of his sword slash using her own and the strength he had exhibited is far beyond her and she wouldn't last long. For some reason, once again everybody was too far from them.
Bang!
Are you serious right now?(A reader)
Yes it is. Now if you please kindly leave and close the door on your way out.
Fine.
Clack.
Right, where were we? Oh yes. Muzan kept on pounding his sword on Kanao until she got tired. He didn't care about anything else in the world except for ending this girl's life. Kanao was too focused on deflecting his attack to the point she didn't realize a small hole that she had stepped into. It caused her to fell and Muzan quickly had disarmed her weapon and threw it far away from them. He hold his sword up against her neck and look at her in the eyes.
"Any last words?" He questions
She didn't spoke any word, but instead of hearing her voice, they heard a gunshot not far from where they're at. Muzan get out of dodge as the bullets began to get closer and closer towards him.
"Get him Genya!"
"I'm trying Nemi."
Genya, the marksman shot rounds after round using his highly precise rifle designed to shoot over a hundred yards away. Muzan dodges them with ease as even if he got hit, it wouldn't affect him that much. But he didn't realize that as he was dodging the shots, he was actually being lured straight towards the four, including the redhead for the final blow. When he was in range, he had only realised it a bit far too late.
"Water magic: Water tidal waves."
"Serpent magic: Venomous slash!"
"Sound magic: Shrill of the symphony!"
"Sun magic: Solar cycle, dance."
All four of them summons different magic and they all surrounds the man to the point of no escape. They all hit him with all they've got left in their body. The result had shredded the man into pieces leaving only the head intact. All four collapse under the significant weight of fatigue both physically and mentally. But even after all of that, the man wouldn't just disappear from this world. He always regenerate no matter how many times he was shredded, cut or blown up.
"Pathetic. You mortals are truly the most disgusting being I have ever met." Muzan said in disdain. "And now, you will die knowing that you have absolutely failed to save your damn precious little land."
A big smug was plastered on his face knowing that after he killed these figures, he would've won already. He walks over towards the sun prince as he picked him for his first target. His sword is battered but a quick blood add on and it was as good as new. The others that was close by weren't able to move due to the fatigue they had been experiencing after having fought for hours on end. Tanjiro was in a more morbid situation. He's craving for human flesh, to replace what he had lost. He suffers from simple scratches and wounds to deep cut in his torso and leg. As he was a demon as well, he could regenerate those wounds in return, his lust for human flesh increase. Muzan lift his sword and put it up against his neck. Without hesitation, he pulled his sword back slashing the neck and blood came spraying out. It doesn't seemed like he was planning to kill him though.
"You know, even if you have managed to escape my control, deep down you still have that craving for human flesh." Muzan points towards Giyuu. "Come on now. Don't hold back no more. Go and satisfy your hunger for blood."
"Must. Resists!" Tanjiro began to shake
"Just go and kill them!" Muzan ruthlessly cut his neck once more. "If you don't, then I will do it myself."
"Ugh. I. Need. To. Resists!"
"Just give up."
As Muzan continues to torture him further making him more and more hungry by the seconds. The urges inside the prince's mind is getting more and more unbearable for him. Slowly it chews away his sanity and all reasoning were thrown out of the window. His mind became scrambled and ultimately when all pains and suffering peaked, he snapped.
"I, can't. Take it no more! Hiyaarrgghh!!!!"
Prince Kamado Tanjiro, had now lost his sight on what he was fighting for. He clawed Lord Muzan out of the way which he didn't mind at all as the carnage he was about to witness make it all the well worth it. Tanjiro charges forward aimlessly towards the other three fallen men but, for some reason he stopped. His eyes turned to focus on a lonely girl not far from where he stood. Drools began to pour out like a waterfall and he began to charge once more. The princess in question noticed his presence quickly got up to run away from him. But he was fast and soon enough he caught her in his arms. Kanao was now filled with fear and sadness as she sees how much he had suffered.
"Tanjiro." She slowly put her hand on his cheek
"Gragh." Was the only respond she got from him
"Please, stop this." She softly said
"What are you doing?! Just kill her already!" Muzan shouted
"Please."
Tanjiro didn't respond as he was only breathing in and out very heavily. The drool in his mouth had stopped flowing and he's now only staring at her. She gently caress his face showing how much she cares about him. She put on a gentle smile and surprisingly, she got responded by yet another smile on his face.
"Tanjiro?"
Hearing her voice, he open up his mouth so say something. But it was immediately changed into panic situation as his body suddenly collapsed on top of her. Not a moment sooner, his weight was lifted off of her as someone had rolled him over to her side. Her eyes were fixed at the shadowy figure that stood in front of her.
"Forgive me about that your highness. Would you mind look after him?" The man spoke
"U-um."
"I take that as a yes."
"And who the f*cking hell are you?" Muzan is getting annoyed
"Let me introduce myself good sir. My name is Matsuoka Wanrou, master servant of the Sun Palace." Wan raised his hand. "That's the name of the man who has destroyed you and your entire kind. Have a good evening sir."
He snaps his fingers and the strum of the strings was heard. Doors appears underneath the man and he fell straight through. The doors lead him back to the infinity fortress where he was greeted by a shard, the very same one he had used to contain the magic of making sure the sun wouldn't come up ever again. It was shaking very violently almost ready to explode. He looks up and sees a man and a woman standing with one of them is in control of the other.
"Nakime! What the hell is going on?!" He shouted
"You don't have to worry about that anymore." The young man steps up. "Tonight will be the last time this kingdom has ever existed."
The man took out a gun and shot the unstable shard with pinpoint accuracy. He then uses the woman one last time to make and exit path for him and her to go through. Muzan panicked when he sees the very unstable shard began to glow and glow until it wasn't. Before his very own eyes, the black entity that is unknown to most mankind at the time. The very same one that had swallowed his accomplice during his last fight.
"Ah shit."
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Back at the giant crater, the kings and all surrounding people were shocked beyond belief when they see a man whom they thought had a plan let the demonic being escaped from their clutches. They all got up in anger and rushed in to beat the hell out of him. In the other hand, the person in question is surprisingly calm about this.
Uzui: "What the hell are you thinking?!"
Saisho: "Why did you let him escape?!"
Tatsuo: "Brother! I expect better of you! Now I'm disappointed."
Shinobu: "Ara, someone is asking for some poison I see."
Kanae: "Shinobu, he must have some explanation."
Giyuu: "Then he better spill it before Iguro here get anymore angrier."
Wan kept his calm face and points towards the horizon. They all looked and not a split second later, they can see explosion followed by something dark rising and forming. They all went to have a look at what is happening. When they reach to shore, they see the Clover Kingdom, the entire island was engulfed in a massive black void. After a few minutes, the hole that tear up the dimension and space had vanished just like that leaving nothing behind. The water in the ocean surrounding had rushed in to fill the dry land beneath what used to be a whole entire freaking island. They all turned over to the old butler for an explanation.
"You're welcome." Is what he simply said before walking away
"Oh you're not escaping this one." Giyuu grab hold onto his shoulder
"Ever wonder why the sun didn't come up even after a full 12 hours has elapsed?" Wan shakes the hand off of him. "Lets say that's why you don't store something that powerful in a shard so small."
All of them had their jaws dropped when they hears his words. Shards? Powerful magic? Did that whole thing was caused by a single shard? All of these questions lingers around their mind as they tried to comprehend what this man had thought of before.
"Not wanting to interrupt your confusions. The sun will come up in about an hour. I suggest all of those that couldn't face it to seek nearby shelter." Wan casually said
"Brother, wait!" His brother quickly chased after him
"Is that it? Is it really over?" Iguro began to question
"No man could survive that. It's probably worse than getting burn in hell." Giyuu calmly said
"What do we do now?" Kanae questions
"We go back." Saisho began to walk. "There's still damage to be fix from this mess right?"
"Right, lets go home." Iguro walk back as well
"I should get going as well." Uzui quickly left
"How about you dear?" Shinobu asked her husband
"....Lets make sure the prince is fine first. Then we will go back." Giyuu decided
"That sounds wonderful." Kanae was delighted
"Shall we?"
And so the three royalty figure began to walk back towards the carnage that had happened in the capital of the Sun Kingdom. They had much to do to rebuild it since it was the first place where major destruction occurs when it all started. They quickly find the prince still lying cold on the ground with a princess staying by his side. She seemed to be worried for him and that earned a squeal from Kanae whilst a smile from Shinobu. Giyuu still remains expressionless but deep inside he was relieved to see him still alive.
"Victory, at last."