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Tanjiro struck his fist against the Dark Lord's torso, dealing no damage as the deity seemed unphased by the attack. The boy planted his feet on the God's body, springing off of Davoth to get back on stable ground due to there being a massive crater filled with lava below him. Tanjiro backflipped to face the Dark Lord, his feet sliding on the ground once he made contact. As he did this, Tanjiro whipped out the Super Shotgun and fired it at the Dark Lord. The pellets bounced off Davoth's body as if he was impervious to the bullets. Tanjiro followed up by firing the meathook of the Super Shotgun towards the Dark Lord in an attempt to reel him in.
However, Davoth teleported from his position, appearing right behind Tanjiro with his arms crossed. The boy managed to stop his backwards momentum by spinning around and performing a wide kick that struck against the side of the Dark Lord's neck. The kick was strong enough to partially move Davoth's head, but the God seemed unamused and, frankly, bored. Tanjiro furrowed his brow as he performed another backwards flip and extended his leg for a raising ax-kick at the last second. The boy's foot struck against Davoth's chin, pushing the deity backwards by a foot but the God maintained his stance.
Once Tanjiro landed on the floor in a crouch, he leapt towards the Dark Lord and struck the deity in the face. Davoth ate the punch, not moving an inch from his position as he kept his eyes locked on his current opponent. Tanjiro hopped backwards to gain some distance from the Dark Lord, noting the God's lack of activity as he guessed the Dark Lord was possibly measuring his strength. Tanjiro might not be able to use any of his weapons, but no one said he still couldn't use his breathing techniques!
"Sun Breathing: Sunflower Thrust!" Tanjiro dashed forward with his leg extended in front of him as he dived towards the God, foot-first. Davoth partially leaned forward because of the dive kick as he was forced several feet back because of the kick. Immediately after this, Tanjiro closed the gap as he tapped into his next breathing technique, "Sun Breathing: Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance." Wraith flames burst from the boy's fists as he began striking the Dark Lord relentlessly in a series of punches. His stream of flame-covered punches took on the form of a japanese dragon that consumed the Dark Lord.
A fearsome foe (intense symphonic metal cover) by FalKKonE
Tanjiro's attack was interrupted by Davoth who abruptly grabbed him by the throat, ceasing the boy's movements. The wraith flames dissipated, instantaneously, once Tanjiro's attack was compromised and he was lifted off the ground. Davoth mocked, "Was that supposed to hurt?" Davoth tightened his grip on the boy's throat, causing Tanjiro to wince in pain as he could do nothing but hold onto the God's arm in an attempt to break free. "Puny child, your power pales in comparison to a God. You were foolish to face me head-on, by yourself. The Slayer was brought to his knees because of my strength, so what hope do you believe you have to survive?" Davoth brought Tanjiro closer so he could look the boy in the eyes. Once he did this, Tanjiro threw two weak punches which brushed against the side of Davoth's face. The God smirked before responding, "Typical response. It seems you have yet to understand my power, boy. Allow me to show it to you."
Davoth slammed Tanjiro into the ground with enough force to make Tanjiro split the landscape he was forced through. The Dark Lord watched the terrain get destroyed for a second before vanishing to catch up to Tanjiro. The boy's body relentlessly dug through the rocky ground, splitting it open with his entry. He was eventually forced out as he continued rolling against the ground until Davoth emerged from above and, instantaneously, drove Tanjiro back under by diving towards the boy, foot-first. After lodging the boy into the rock, he dug his hands underneath, getting a firm grip on the boy's leg to yank him out. However, as soon as Tanjiro was removed from the ground, he tapped into his spiritual energy to perform his next maneuver:
"Sun Breathing: Fake Rainbow" Tanjiro began to violently twist and turn in every direction, in rapid succession, to the point Davoth released the boy and waited to see what he would do. Tanjiro began quickly moving around the Dark Lord as fast as he could, creating afterimages of himself that completely surrounded the Dark Lord from all angles and repeatedly punched him. Despite this, Davoth still kept track of the real Tanjiro as he reached his hand out into the abyss of afterimages, grabbing Tanjiro's leg just as he was moving. Davoth whipped Tanjiro's body against the ground, shattering it each time the boy splattered against the rock.
Davoth released Tanjiro, flinging him away into the distance before building up energy within the palm of his hand and releasing it towards Tanjiro in a concentrated beam of energy. Tanjiro was laid on his stomach, pushing himself up by the time the beam of energy struck his back and exploded. A humongous cloud of smoke rose into the air as the shockwave created by the blast caused the air to push against the deity. Once the chaos of the shockwave had passed, Davoth disappeared from his position to continue with his onslaught.
Tanjiro was on his stomach once more, bleeding from the head-down as his eyes were shut because of the pain. All he could smell was the smoke created by the explosion. His eyes shot open once he felt all of the smoke in the air get blown away by a presence. He knew, immediately, who it was as he tried to roll backwards, away from the Dark Lord. Unfortunately, the second the front of his torso was exposed to the Dark Lord, the God wasted no time planting his foot on the boy's chest and pinning him to the ground. Tanjiro grabbed his opponent's leg, mustering all of his strength to push the Dark Lord off, but it was a futile effort, as Davoth began pushing downwards more, slowly crushing the boy's ribcage. Davoth stopped once he heard a crack come from the boy's body, leaving Tanjiro wide-eyed in pain as he gasped due to the painful shock he just felt.
Davoth reached down to grab the boy by the hair, raising the boy above the ground as he was suspended by his hair. Davoth rammed his fist towards Tanjiro's abdomen, leaving the boy to cough out as his cumulative pain left him motionless. Davoth was simply unamused by the sight of the boy in front of him, observing his painfully wide-eyed expression coupled with his profuse amount of bleeding. Davoth bid to the boy, "A futile effort, boy. Alas, you lacked the strength necessary to stand up against me. It's time to end this little game of yours." Davoth charged up a sphere of energy within his free hand, allowing it to gather up more power, until it reached its limit before pressing it against the boy's body. He let go of the boy's hair and began releasing the bottled up energy of the sphere in his hands. He raised the sphere upwards, pointing it towards the sky while carrying Tanjiro above him. Once Davoth's arm was fully erect, he released the stored up ppower as the beam of energy shot out from the God's hand and launched Tanjiro into the sky. The beam dissipated quickly, leaving Davoth in a stance where his open hand was pointed towards the sky.
He retracted his extended arm, staring up into the sky for a few seconds to see if anything else would happen, but he knew there was no chance the boy survived the damage. Davoth closed his eyes and began utilizing his godlike powers to sense the presence of the Doom Slayer and discover where he is hiding. He searched far and wide but his senses alerted him to a large rock formation that was created by the chaos of his duel with the Slayer.
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The warrior was sitting on the ground with his back against the rock, gasping for air as he was still recuperating from his suicidal manuever from earlier that failed to kill the Dark Lord. He felt terrible leaving Tanjiro out there, alone, which is why he needs to recover quickly. He heard an explosion in the distance immediately followed up by a gust of wind passing through the area because of it. This drew the Slayer's attention as he looked over the rock but was unable to see anything. Less than a minute later, a large beam of energy was shot into the sky. That's when the Slayer was able to spot Davoth with his arm raised towards the sky before he retracted it.
There was no sign of Tanjiro, anywhere. This caused the Slayer to breathe heavily (more than he already was) at the thought of Tanjiro dying because of him. He couldn't live with that guilt on his conscience, that was never a part of the plan! Damn it all! He was a fool for listening to that boy, he should've fought with him. At least, they would've gone down together. Instead, he chose to rest and let the boy suffer the Dark Lord's wrath, all on his own! The Slayer had no choice but to fight now, he had no excuse not to fight.
Davoth was making his way towards the rock formation the Slayer was resting at. It seems like he was spotted by the Dark Lord. Unfortunately, the Slayer didn't have enough time to regain his strength, yet he's forced into combat once more. He got into a fighting stance, waiting for the God to make the first move as he knew he wouldn't be able to outpace or overpower Davoth in his current condition.
That's when the Slayer was able to see something descending from the sky out of his peripheral vision. He diverted his attention away from the Dark Lord by looking towards the falling object. The Slayer used his Praetor Suit's features to zoom-in on the object and identify what it was.
Limit-Break x Survivor (instrumental type B) by Norihito Sumitomo
It was Tanjiro who was falling out of the sky. The Slayer understood what happened, his face contorting into utter disgust upon seeing the boy with his eyes closed, and his body charcoaled. Smoke was trailing from his body as a result of the blast. What the warrior did next was out of pure impulse. He didn't realize what he was doing, it was as if a dormant and primal instinctive reaction took over as he shouted at the top of his lungs, "TANJIRO!"
This caused Davoth to stop once he noticed the Slayer's attention was drawn to the sky. He raised his eyebrows, deciding to take a peak as he looked up towards the sky to see what the commotion was about. Then he saw the same thing the Doom Slayer did: a burnt Tanjiro falling out of the sky, lifelessly. He smirked upon seeing his handiwork and commented to the Slayer, "It's useless, the boy is dead, and soon, you will be as well."
The Slayer grit his teeth angrily upon hearing that statement. He continued shouting for the boy to hear, "I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THAT YOU'D JUST LET YOURSELF ROLL OVER AND DIE TO THE LIKES OF THE DARK LORD, TANJIRO!" That's when the Slayer noticed a strange red energy burst from Tanjiro's armor, followed up by the boy subtly twitching his arm. This wasn't enough for the Slayer, so he continued shouting, "I DIDN'T TRUST YOU IN THE BEGINNING! I THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST A WHINY BRAT THAT DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER! BUT OVER TIME, YOU PROVED ME WRONG! YOU'RE THE ONE PERSON I CAN BELIEVE IN! RIGHT NOW, I NEED YOU GET UP! DO YOU HEAR ME?! YOU HAVE TO KEEP FIGHTING!"
Just before Tanjiro was about to crash into the ground, the boy hurled his entire body upside down so he would land on his feet. Upon touching the floor, he crashed to his knees, causing the ground underneath him to fold underneath the pressure with chunks of rock jutting out from the floor underneath him. Davoth furrowed his brow as he turned his full attention towards the boy and muttered, "Impossible… how are you still alive?"
Davoth was taken aback by the color of Tanjiro's Praetor X. It was no longer the same shade of green it used to be. It has a slightly reddish-tint to it now. Not to an extreme degree but it was certainly noticeable. Tanjiro growled before taking a deep breath to get his respiratory under control. After letting out a deep breath, his eyes cracked open to reveal his burning blue pupils which were coursing with Wraith energy. Tanjiro's eyes were now locked onto his target.
Suddenly, Tanjiro exploded with life. The boy, without warning, lunged at the Dark Lord with his fist drawn back as he prepared to pummel the deity. Davoth raised his eyebrows out of concern, noting the boy's significant increase in speed. Regardless, Davoth weaved out of the way of Tanjiro's attack as the boy shot his fist straight forward while the God went around the side to counterattack. Tanjiro kept track of Davoth's movements, maintaining a watchful eye on his opponent's movements while he utilized the technique his master, Yoriichi, taught him by focusing his spiritual energy into his eyes. Just as Davoth prepared to counterattack, Tanjiro focused on Davoth's muscles which retracted and stretched in places. He was able to calculate the most probable movement the deity was going to make and acted on that. He stood on his hands once they touched the ground and proceeded to perform a backwards kick to redirect Davoth's punch away from him. While still maintaining his hand-stand, Tanjiro rapidly spun in-place with his feet extended outwards. Davoth was narrowly struck by Tanjiro's handstand kick, feeling the metallic soles of Tanjiro's feet brush against the tip of his chin before he dashed backwards as fast as he could to avoid taking damage. In the same spinning movement, Tanjiro pushed off the ground so he could stand on his feet instead.
Katsuki & Izuku by Yuki Hayashi
The Dark Lord was perplexed by the boy's massive improvement in speed and reaction time. Their little exchange lasted over a second yet the boy was able to keep up with all of it. The child seemed to be improving at a concerning rate. Davoth caressed the part of his chin where Tanjiro's metallic sole brushed against before asking, "You, boy… Why do you insist on fighting battles you know you can't win?"
Tanjiro answered, his voice distorted by Xernex's mask, "It's not about me being able to beat you, I know I can't do that on my own. I'm more aware of my limitations than you think. That's why I would rather die trying because it's better than doing nothing. Either way, if I'm going to die, then I'd rather do it fighting. But if there's a small chance that I can pull through this, a chance that we can win. Then I have to take it."
Tanjiro lunged at the Dark Lord who disappeared from his position before reappearing directly behind Tanjiro and grabbing the boy's metallic left arm to hold him back. Tanjiro turned his head to look behind him quickly, jerking his entire body in the opposite direction so abruptly that his metallic left arm was disconnected from his torso. The two magnets of both his torso and his arm separated, freeing Tanjiro as he immediately went in for a quick jab. Davoth briefly raised his eyebrows in surprise before letting go of the loose left arm. Tanjiro's fist phased through the Dark Lord as the deity disappeared from his position and relocated elsewhere. Tanjiro caught his left arm before it hit the ground, positioning it next to his arm socket so the magnets of his prosthetics would kick in and reconnect his limb. After doing so, the Dark Lord appeared behind Tanjiro once more with his arm extended. A powerful shockwave blasted against the boy, blowing him several dozen feet away with his feet dragging against the ground as he struggled to maintain balance. However, Tanjiro was able to maintain balance and not fall over from the blast, turning around, once more, to face his adversary.
Davoth pointed his hand towards Tanjiro once more with the back of his hand facing the ground. With a sudden upwards flick of his wrist, Davoth generated an explosion from Tanjiro's position, blasting the boy outside of the cloud of smoke created by the attack. Smoke trailed from his body but he wasn't out of the game just yet. He spun in the air until he landed on his feet and was prepared to move.
Davoth levitated off the ground, flying towards Tanjiro while releasing energy projectiles towards the boy. Tanjiro began retreating backwards, taking massive leaps back to avoid the explosion generated by each of the energy spheres hurled his way. The boy was soon backed up in front of a lava lake, to which the Dark Lord extended his arms in opposite directions before abruptly crossing them. A tornado began to form from the center of the Lava pool, picking up the nearby magma and forming a twister of molten rock. The wind began pulling Tanjiro back but he managed to resist the pull, enough to lean forward and dig his argent ax into the ground to act as an anchor.
The minute the boy redirected his attention back to the Dark Lord, the God was already in front of him, preparing to strike the boy into the lava tornado. In response to this, the boy leapt backwards and got caught in the harsh and scorching hot winds of the tornado. Tanjiro fired the meathook of the Super Shotgun towards the ground, holding on as long as he could to prevent himself from being sucked into the lava tornado. However, the meathook couldn't keep Tanjiro safe for long as the gust of wind yanked Tanjiro away hard enough to dislodge the Meathook, allowing the boy to be carried away by the winds.
As Tanjiro uncontrollably spun around the twister, avoiding the chunks of molten rock that threatened to melt him, Davoth raised his hands above his head and released a wide torrent of energy tendrils that snaked their way towards Tanjiro. The boy took notice of the incoming projectiles and focused on avoiding each and every one of them as they sank into the depths of the lava tornado, exploding inside the twister.
The boy quickly formulated an escape strategy, drawing his Argent Ax backwards before taking a deep and concentrated breath. Once the boy was on the opposite side of the Tornado, the furthest away from the Dark Lord, the boy swung the argent ax with all of his might. Bright blue wraith flames coated the burning red argent ax. Once the ax was swung towards the lava twister, a gigantic wraith flame-coated argent projectile sliced through the tornado and charged towards the Dark Lord. The mixture of the Wraith flames with the Argent energy created a purple mixture that cut through the twister and released Tanjiro from the air. Davoth simply raised his arm and dissipated the attack before it reached him.
Tanjiro landed on his feet on the opposite side of the lake, facing the Dark Lord while lava and tiny rocks hailed from the sky like an acidic rain that melted the ground. After the rain had settled and the skies were clear of lava, Davoth began moving his hand in circles in front of him, controlling all of the molten rock inside of the pool in front of them to create a whirlpool. After spinning the lava enough, Davoth retracted his arm before snapping it forward. This, in turn, caused all of the lava inside the lake to arch upwards into the air as high and wide as possible (given the amount of lava there was) to create a tidal wave of molten rock that approached Tanjiro. Tanjiro looked up at the wave of lava approaching him before vanishing from his position as the lava slammed into where he was.
Davoth watched as the wave of lava crashed into the ground, spreading everywhere as bits of it slipped back into the nearby lakes while the rest of the lava was left to cool off and harden once more. He looked to one of his sides once he saw someone approaching him at blinding speeds. Davoth reacted quickly, grabbing a hold of Tanjiro and flipping him over onto his back with enough force to wedge him into the ground. Tanjiro coughed out in pain because of this. However, he couldn't escape due to the Dark Lord already making the next move as he began to relentlessly stomp on Tanjiro's torso, letting out a gut-wrenching scream from the boy every time he got stomped on.
Davoth raised his foot once more and brought it down with all of his might until Tanjiro managed to stop it from touching his chest. The boy's pupils were dilated and strains were forming across the organic parts of the boy's body due to the exerted effort of holding the Dark Lord back. Tanjiro began to let out a powerful roar as the red tint that had formed on his armor became more prominent by the second. Davoth's eyes widened once the boy managed to blast the Dark Lord back with a mighty push. Davoth regained control mid-air before gently descending to the ground and watching as his opponent rolled over onto his stomach to push himself to his feet. Tanjiro turned around, breathing heavily due to the pain and exhaustion inflicted upon him.
Ballet of death by Mick Gordon
Davoth was concerned now. The boy was getting faster and stronger somehow. It has to do with Tanjiro's Praetor X, but how? The armor has become increasingly more red throughout their battle, though it still remains mostly green. Regardless, it's undoubtable that this boy's abilities are improving by the second. Davoth can't afford to waste any more time on this child. If he keeps on beating around the bush for too long, this boy will become a threat before he knows it. He needs to end this battle, quickly, before it's too late.
The Slayer couldn't believe what he was seeing, Tanjiro was on a whole nother level compared to before. The Slayer had more than enough time to get used to Tanjiro's maximum capabilities while they fought together to get to the Gate of Divum on Earth, but his current feats of strength, speed, and reflexes far surpassed what he was capable of before. Could this be the potential of the Praetor X that the Wretch mentioned before? He wasn't certain. However, if Tanjiro's able to remain this persistent for a little longer, the Slayer might be able to get back in the battle at full strength.
Davoth raised his voice for Tanjiro to hear, "I'm surprised, boy. I didn't expect you to improve in such a short amount of time. However, if you think I'm going to allow you to parade around with your Marauder costume, you're sadly mistaken." Davoth points his open hand towards Tanjiro with each of his fingers partially curled. The boy prepared to move right away, anticipating the Dark Lord's movements with his vision. However, once Davoth abruptly curled his fingers even more, the boy was frozen still due to telekinesis.
Davoth slowly curled his fingers even more, closing his hand into a fist as the telekinesis began to crush Tanjiro's body. The boy began screaming as loud as he could once his arms and legs were pressed together. It felt like he was being squeezed by a hydraulic press from every direction. The boy could feel his bones begin to crack in places, prompting a painful cry from the boy as he tried his best to resist the pain.
Davoth noticed the boy's armor becoming more red by the second as he did this. Davoth didn't want to take a chance so he ceased his suffocation to close the gap between himself and the boy. Once he was in front of Tanjiro, Davoth delivered a devastating gut-punch that sent a shockwave through the boy's body and made him lean forward in pain. Davoth pressed forward, thrashing the boy left and right with powerful punches that began to discolor the boy's skin due to the bruising. With each punch Tanjiro received, he was knocked back several steps, barely able to stand on his own two feet.
Davoth shoved Tanjiro off-balance, seizing the opportunity to grab the boy by the feet before chucking him as far away as possible. The boy spun uncontrollably until he slammed into a tall rock, destroying it and decelerating at the same time. Once Tanjiro hit the floor, he rolled forward for several feet until stopping. He didn't move an inch, he remained motionless on the ground. Davoth didn't care. He leapt over the gap between himself and Tanjiro before landing on top of the boy, digging him further into the ground as it caved in around them.
Davoth picked Tanjiro up, holding the boy in front of him before unleashing a short burst of energy that blasted the boy further away. The beam carried Tanjiro along quite a distance before dissipating and allowing the boy to skid to a stop once more. Davoth opened up a portal in front of him, walking through it so he could appear nearby Tanjiro. The boy's body was trembling from how weak it was. He pressed his hands against the hard Immoran floor, slowly pushing himself up until he was on his knees. Davoth continued watching until the boy was on his feet, weakly turning around to reveal his faded blue eyes along with this blood-ridden and bruised face.
Davoth smirked, stomping towards Tanjiro who started to regain the life in his eyes once he tried his best to get out of the way. Davoth stopped the boy with Telekinesis, speed-walking towards Tanjiro before ramming his fist towards Tanjiro's abdomen without letting the boy get blown away by still holding onto him with this psychic abilities. Davoth switched hands, using his free-hand to deliver another painful punch towards Tanjiro while holding him still with his other hand. The boy felt like his internal organs were being blasted to the other side of his body with each punch. It was worse whenever Davoth delivered a powerful hook across the side of the boy's head, he could feel his brain rattling around the inside of his skull.
Davoth released Tanjiro from the telekinesis, going in-low before striking the boy into the air with a powerful uppercut. As soon as the boy was in the sky, Davoth grabbed hold of the boy once more with his telekinesis. This time, with both hands as he slammed the boy into the ground with all of his might. The force of Tanjiro hitting the ground was enough to make the ground shake where Davoth stood with the force of a light tremor.
Davoth approached Tanjiro's position, inspecting to see whether his prey was dead or not. There, he could see parts of the boy's body jutting out from underneath the debris that did not completely bury him. However, the closer he got, he started to notice smaller rocks rolling off the larger ones. Eventually, the rest of the debris followed suit as Tanjiro pushed himself out of the wreckage. The moment he got out, he immediately fell forward and began to cough. The boy could barely catch his own breath, so he rolled over onto his back and tried breathing. However, he couldn't even inhale properly. The way he was breathing made him look as though he was asmatic.
Davoth frowned upon seeing Tanjiro still alive, mumbling to himself, "Why am I not surprised? It seems I will have to prepare something more destructive if I want to finish the job." By the time Tanjiro started to get back up on his feet, Davoth clasped his hands together before slowly separating them to reveal a tiny ball of concentrated destructive energy. Davoth took to the sky as his hands drifted apart and expanded the size of the sphere. Soon, Davoth had to raise the sphere above his head, allowing it to grow exponentially until it was several times larger than him. He looked down below to see Tanjiro finally on his feet, still trying to catch his breath as he raised his head to look up at the Dark Lord.
Once the sphere was ready, Davoth readied himself by arching his body backwards before launching it forward. The sphere raced towards Tanjiro. Unable to move and with no options left, the boy tried his best to stop the bomb by raising his hands and catching the sphere. His feet dug into the ground as a result of the sphere overpowering him and pushing him back with tremendous force. Powerful gusts of wind blew in every direction, uplifting all of the nearby loose dirt, dust, and debris. Tanjiro's arms shook wildly, he could barely hold it back, causing him to become wide-eyed with panic and fear. Though his arms were not pushed back, the sphere of energy began to engulf his body, starting with his wrists before consuming his arms.
Davoth descended to the ground, arms crossed as he waited for his energy sphere to finish the job and kill Tanjiro Kamado once and for all. Tanjiro began to scream uncontrollably once he was fully engulfed by the sphere of energy which began to deteriorate his body. Even Davoth couldn't see Tanjiro in the sphere anymore, listening as the boy's screams faded. It was like a musical crescendo to the Dark Lord, music to his ears. Davoth turned around, calling out to the Doom Slayer, "Excellent work, Slayer. Sending your kin to die by my hands. You should've known better than to leave this task up to a child."
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"Tanjiro?"
That voice sounded familiar…
"Tanjiro!"
The boy's eyes cracked open the second time. A bright white light intruded into his vision, causing him to wince briefly until he heard the cheerful giggles of his dead siblings which gave him the courage to finally open his eyes. He was in a void of darkness, and inside of it, there seemed to be a tear in the dimension, a gap that led into a serene view of his family. Perhaps it was a gateway. Regardless, none of that mattered once Tanjiro saw all of his siblings (minus Nezuko) and his own mother looking through the gap and into the void. They were staring directly at him. They were so close, it was the closest he's ever been to his family in so many years. They all waited beyond the gap, eagerly awaiting Tanjiro's response as they all had warm smiles plastered across their faces. Tanjiro's eyebrows curled upwards instinctually, his eyes becoming watery as he called out, "I-is that really you…?"
Tanjiro's mother chuckled before opening her arms up for an embrace and calling out, "Of Course it is. Come now, let's get you cleaned up. It'll do you no good to be all dirtied up like that. Let's go home, Tanjiro."
Tanjiro's siblings cheered, "Yeah! Come play with us, Tanjiro! We missed you!" Tears rolled down Tanjiro's cheeks, what he was seeing and hearing was simply too beautiful for him to process. He smiled to the best of his ability, taking several steps forward, towards his family… to home. He reached his hand out, longing for their sweet embrace he had craved for so many years. He was so close, just a little more and he would be able to touch their hands.
From out of nowhere, something knocked Tanjiro onto his back which snapped him out of his daze. Fury quickly filled his body upon being denied the chance to reunite with his family. He angrily sat up, preparing to face whatever had just denied him salvation until he realized who it was.
Kamado Tanjiro no Uta by Go Shiina
Tanjiro dropped his guard once he saw a familiar armored man and an older man that looked like him who was also wearing Hanafuda Earrings. Xernex and Yoriichi stood in front of the dimensional gap, their eyes fixed on Tanjiro. The boy stumbled on his words, leaning forward as he questioned, "W-w-what…? M-mister Xernex…? Master Yoriichi? What are you- How are you HERE?"
Both men knelt down in front of Tanjiro as Xernex raised his hand to silence Tanjiro as he spoke, "Explanations are gonna have to wait. We don't have much time, so we need to make this quick. Your mind's playing tricks on you." Xernex brushed his hand through the void, and the illusion of Tanjiro's family through the dimensional gap faded out of existence. Tanjiro cried out to his family, leaning forward until Xernex abruptly grabbed the boy in the shoulders, staring into his soul while declaring, "You can't give up, Tanjiro. I know how much you want to go back to them, believe me, I understand. Are you really that ready to embrace death and leave behind all the people you love?! Well, is that what you want?!"
Close your tired eyes and remember when
You had heard that voice quietly back then
Now there's no return since I've lost my home
And the darkness spreads as the shadows grow
Tanjiro struggled to form words, retorting, "N-no!"
Xernex then barked, "Then man up! Now's not the time to be throwing in the towel!"
"It's just… What am I supposed to do?"
Yoriichi chimed in as he informed the boy, "Everything you need, you already have. You just have to use it."
Xernex advised, "You have a deep, primal rage that you keep locked inside you. Stop holding it back and go all out!"
Tanjiro shook his head out of desperation as he cried out, "I'm just going to end up like Mister Flint and Akaza! I don't want to be like them!"
"That's the one misconception about Flynn that you've always had. He's not some angry brute that kills in self-interest. He fights for other people, that's what he's been doing for the longest time! He only lost sight of that for a brief period of time but he eventually found his way!"
Yoriichi added onto the conversation, "Tanjiro, your rage is not something to be feared. You're wise enough to not let it control you. However, it is not a sin to use your rage in service of others. That is the misconception that you must let go."
"That's what it means to be the Doom Slayer. The Doom Slayer isn't just some symbol of fear for demons, it's also a beacon of hope for all sentient beings! The Rage of a Doom Slayer isn't something that corrupts, it's a rage that protects, and it's a rage you have buried deep within yourself. You can't be afraid of what you're capable of when you're trying to help other people. You just have to let go and do what you need to do in order to get the job done. So get back up and fight! Embrace the Rage of a Doom Slayer and become the warrior that you promised to be, for them!"
Tanjiro's eyes widened as he began to reflect on his life with images of all the people he still loves and protects flashing through his mind: Nezuko, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Rengoku, Uzui, Valen… and Kanao…
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"The Praetor X, a suit with astonishing potential… It's true power will reveal itself under the most dire of situations…"
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Tanjiro curled his body forward before exploding with life as his rage consumed him, compelling him to unleash a powerful cry of fury. The energy of the destructive sphere began to swirl around the boy, sinking into the Praetor X which grew increasingly bright by the second as it absorbed the energy. The armor lost it's green color, being replaced by a bright red color that predominantly glowed.. Tanjiro continued shouting as he absorbed more energy, catching Davoth's attention as he looked towards the sphere and noticed it circulating in-place while rapidly shrinking. Before long, the energy sphere imploded on itself, creating a humongous explosion of smoke with one final shockwave of air blasting in every direction.
Now there's no return since I've lost my home
And the darkness spreads as the shadows grow
Davoth looked within the center of the smoke cloud, being able to identify a glowing red object within the center. Almost instantaneously, the object moved at ridiculous speeds, escaping the cloud while still obscured in smoke. The smoke removed itself from Tanjiro's body, revealing the boy whose armor was now a bright-red color which emitted steam due to the overwhelming amount of energy coursing through it. His demon slayer mark was cranked up at maximum capacity with his pupils dilating to mere dots due to the rage guiding his body.
Davoth's eyebrows were raised as high as possible from pure shock. Time slowed down for both combatants once their eyes were locked. He was unsure whether what he was seeing was a hallucination or not, but the spirits of both Yoriichi and Xernex followed behind Tanjiro, guiding him from beyond as they mimicked his movements. Tanjiro was running as fast as he could with his feet digging into the ground with each step he took, causing the ground to sink in from the force of his stomping. Tanjiro was no longer going to be a pawn to his fears. He's going to embrace the rage he's held within him for so long. He chose to walk down this path of responsibility, which means there's no turning back now! He's found his true salvation with his loved ones, here… and he has no intentions of abandoning them. He has to give it all, no matter the cost!
I hear a gentle voice, so soft
It wells up tears inside
So, no matter the pain or the hurt
Look ahead! Look ahead! Carry on!
"I REFUSE TO DIE HERE!" Tanjiro shouted at the top of his lungs.
And cut through all despair!
Davoth leapt back as far as he could, raising his hands in front of him so he could release an array of energy tendrils that chased after Tanjiro. The boy zoomed past them all, his fists coated in Wraith fire due to the spiritual energy he was channeling. He swatted each of them aside, redirecting their trajectory as they were left to wander off aimlessly. Tanjiro relentlessly chased after the Dark Lord who had no choice but to keep falling back, the boy refused to give the Dark Lord an opening. Tanjiro hopped onto one of the energy tendrils, coiling his entire body like a spring before zooming towards Davoth. As he soared towards his opponent, Tanjiro spun like a drill until he closed the gap between himself and the Dark Lord. There was barely any distance between them, causing Davoth to panic at Tanjiro's sudden appearance in front of him.
And even if you lose, and even if you fall
Don't give up, just live and fight again!
The Dark Lord drew his fist back for a punch due to the miniscule amount of time he had to react to the boy's speed. However, Tanjiro was observing Davoth's movements like a hawk, calculating his movements as he watched Davoth's muscles through beyond his skin. Tanjiro continued forward as he evaded Davoth's fist, allowing Davoth's arm to brush against the side of his face while he followed through with his own flame-coated punch. Tanjiro's fist struck against the Dark Lord's face, carrying enough force behind it to send a shockwave through the deity's skull before blasting him backwards. This caused a profuse amount of blood to shoot out from the Dark Lord's nose as he was launched into the distance.
No matter how beaten or battered you've become
There will be something to protect
Tanjiro leapt towards the Dark Lord, bringing his fist back for another punch. Davoth tried to counterattack but Tanjiro was able to read the God's movements like a book, elegantly maneuvering Davoth's fist aside to leave himself an opening for his own punch to strike against the Dark Lord's jaw. Before his opponent could get blown back even further, Tanjiro caught Davoth by the legs and proceeded to hurl him towards the ground with all of his might, causing a humongous crater to form around the Dark Lord as he sunk into the floor. The terrain became distorted with Davoth's crash as large rock formations took shape around the crater.
Tanjiro landed inside the crater, waiting for the Dark Lord to stand so they could continue their battle. Davoth wasted no time at all getting back on his feet, his expression filled with wicked fury as he spitefully stared at Tanjiro who was approaching him. Davoth released energy from his hands, towards Tanjiro, like a machine gun. Tanjiro advanced on the Dark Lord's position, breaking out into a series of afterimages that evaded the incoming attacks and ultimately closing the gap between the two of them once more, in an instant. Davoth instinctually leapt backwards to avoid getting hit as the boy pointed his open hand towards the Dark Lord, keeping his fingers partially curled until a small sphere of dark red energy formed within his palm. Davoth's expression widened in disbelief after seeing the boy unleash the stored up energy into a devastating beam of energy that struck against him, blasting him through the terrain like a hot knife through butter, and exploding with the force of an atomic bomb that was able to shake the ground like an intense earthquake.
And even if you lose, and even if you fall
Don't give up, just live and fight again!
No matter how beaten or battered you've become
There will be something to protect
Davoth pushed himself onto his feet, he was now breathing heavily from the damage he'd taken. He was coated in his own blood, a fact which infuriated him. The smoke that surrounded him and clouded his vision, much like his rage, also infuriated him. The Dark Lord swung his arm to blow away all the wind. In that moment, he was able to feel a presence several feet behind him. He whipped around, taking a step back while gritting his blood-soaked teeth angrily. Tanjiro stood still, menacingly, while keeping his gaze locked onto the Dark Lord. Davoth growled before exclaiming, "How is this possible?! You're nothing but a child! An impudent rat that refuses to die! I won't be taken out by the likes of you!"
Tanjiro answered with a growl in his voice as well, "I made a promise to live for the people I love and I don't intend to break that promise… And you are right about one thing. I won't be the one to take you down… we will… isn't that right, father?" Davoth took another step back upon seeing the Doom Slayer walk next to Tanjiro with his demon slayer mark also activated. Both Tanjiro and Flynn ignited their argent weapons at the same time with the Slayer slinging the Argent Hammer over his shoulder.
The Slayer answered, "Let's rip and tear, kid." for the first time, Tanjiro and the Doom Slayer will be fighting side-by-side. Not just as comrades… but as equals…
So the day has come for my destiny
For the path that fate thrusted onto me
If I taste the dirt, if I'm broken down,
If I see that thread, I'll keep fighting on
I hear your gentle voice, so soft
It wells up tears inside…
But no matter the pain or the hurt,
Look ahead, look ahead, and you'll see
The way to cleave despair
You'll suffer once again, you'll feel that pain again
Don't give up, just stand up once again
No matter how beaten or battered you've become
There will be something to protect
.
.
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1 chapter left (AKA: The Finale)...