Wait... I'm outside... Tanjiro thought. Laying in the midst of rubble and wood under his body. Poking at his sides and remembering the short fight between him, Muzan and the others.
He moved his burgundy orbs around the area. His vision began to clear and he noticed the large buildings that stood upwards. A shock of panic sent through his body.
We're in a city!
Muzan stood a good distance away from the rubble. His form changed entirely from what he looked like before. His hair was now longer and as white as snow, arms and body covered in red as large patches looking like mouths took form around his body. Large whips with sharpened bones on the end flailed around behind attached to his back.
He stared down at the destruction. "Pitiful. You really think you can keep me until sunrise? You damn pests."
Muzan... Tanjiro tried to push his body upwards.
"CAW CAW!" A crow squawked from above. "Y/N! Y/N L/N HAS BEEN TAKEN BY UPPERMOON ONE! Y/N HAS BEEN TAKEN BY UPPERMOON ONE! HOUR AND A HALF TILL SUNRISE! CAWWW CAWWW—!"
The crow delivering the message was then sliced in half at the neck. Muzan smirked to himself as the two halves of the bird fell to the ground and its dead body twitched, then went limp like a nail.
Y/n... no... Tanjiro thought to himself. Panic sent through his body like a lightning bolt had struck him. Eyes widened and heart rate racing like wild horse. No... please no...
He turned his body over with his stomach against the ground. He watched as Muzan's gaze turned slightly to the right, and a wide smile grew on his face.
The uppermoon one—it seemed to Tanjiro anyways—was walking forwards with you in his grasp. Hand over your mouth and dragging you. You were trying to pry off his arm, but all in vain.
Y/n... no... no!
"Ah! Finally!" Muzan laughed, letting his arms spread outward as if waiting for an embrace. "Tatsuo had been looking for you as well."
Out of no where, from one of the alley's, Tatsuo had come forward. With him, we're two very familiar figures held against their will.
Nezuko and Yui! Your eyes grew wide as you tried to run forward and screamed from behind Kokushibo's hand against your mouth.
"M-Mommy!" Yui cried out. Her light pink kimono—given to her from Kanao—was dirtied and had small patches of blood all over. Her face was covered with grime as well. Her long, metallic locks were disheveled and everywhere.
Nezuko was on the other side and was in just as much bad shape as Yui. Only thing was, she was covered in sweat and tears falling down her face. She showed her teeth from pain and looked to be in total agony. "Mommy! Something is wrong with Nezuko!"
She looked to the side and noticed Muzan. "LEAVE MOMMY ALONE!" She shouted.
Move... move!! Tanjiro shuffled on the ground and tried to crawl amongst the rubble.
"Shut up you little brat." Tatsuo growled. Grabbing her hair and yanking it back. She yelped loudly as tears pricked the corner of her eyes.
You yelled even more and struggled behind Kokushibo's grip.
She seemed to groan and moan. Looking around as if searching for someone, her wide pink hues looking around frantically. What was going on?
What did they do to you?! How did they get you both? You thought. We picked the safest route for both of them... the Galactic Breathers with them... are they all dead?!
"You get the hell away from them!" Tanjiro yelled as best he could. Crawling forward from the rubble.
Oh God... Tanjiro no, get out of here! You thought with worry stricken in your eyes.
Muzan ignored him and stepped forward to your figure. Kokushibo threw you to the ground harshly. You yelped lightly, feeling fatigued from the previous fight and using your energy to heal Sanemi as best you could.
"Pathetic." Muzan grimaced. "The great Galactic Breathers who've kept the one thing I needed to be immortal to the sun, they give it to you."
You groaned and pushed yourself upwards slowly and stared up at the one demon who'd killed your family. Mother, father, Hiroto, and Tanjiro's family.
So many people had suffered from this creature. He was hovering over you, and your strength was fading.
Get up... cut his head! After what he's done, he needs to die! And burn in hell!
Tatsuo had come over and threw both Nezuko and Yui down in the ground beside Muzan just in front of you. Both grunted at the impact at the force.
"Where's Ayame?" Tatsuo asked, you looked up with an already bloody nose. You glared his way and remained silent.
"I'm gonna kill you, little star." Tatsuo growled but was stopped by Muzan who held a hand up.
He crouched down to your level and smirked. "What was all that talk back there? 'I'm gonna kill you', you really think you could've been able to kill me?"
"I don't care if you think you're gonna win." You started. "You won't win. You've killed my family, Tanjiro's family, Ayame's family, Shinobu's, Inosuke's, Gyomei's, Yui's, everyone that I care about in this world."
You straightened your back and glared daggers into his eyes. A look of menace. "You want an eternity? I'll give you one in hell! I'm gonna kill you."
Muzan sighed. "Humans are so damn garrulous, and pitiful. Makes me sick."
He looked around for a moment and his smirk grew wider. "Where's your little friend? Tatsuo has been waiting for her."
"Probably behind you and about to slice your damn neck."
"You better shut the fuck up before I tear you to shreds." Tatsuo growled lowly.
Boy she is pertinacious... it's gonna get her killed. Muzan thought. He then grabbed your entire face with his hand, squeezing hard. His nails growing longer and practically piercing into your skin.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!!" Tanjiro screamed. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU, YOU DAMNED BASTARD!!"
I can't move... my body is numb... Tears were pricking the corners of his eyes. You couldn't die, he'd gotten you back, he wanted to hold you, care for you, he just wanted you safe. Never to know harm again. Get up! GET UP DAMMIT!
"I'll never forget those screams. Your family cried and shouted bloody murder. Your little brother, Hiroto, was it? He screamed your name. Screamed for his sissy to come back."
Your body was shaking with wrath and anger. Muzan could see a truculent look in your (e/c) orbs. "You bastard—"
"Ah ah, not a monster, a perfect creature." He said. "Now then, I'm gonna eat you and become the greatest living thing to have ever lived. I will finally become the flawless demon."
Before Muzan could do anything, everyone could feel a deep rumbling that began to grow more and more. You and the others had no idea what was going on. The thunderous noise came from behind where the rubble was. Tanjiro, Kanao, Shinobu, Zenitsu, Inosuke and all the other Hashira came forward and tried their best to keep their balance.
"What on earth is happening?!" Mitsuri yelled in worry.
"I don't know." Shinobu started, grabbing onto a large stone at her side to keep balance. "Whatever it is, it's enormous."
A large explosion came from the solid ground behind everyone and the rubble. Dirt and debris floated in the air all around, everyone but the demons coughing erratically. It was difficult to breathe, you couldn't open your eyes because they'd sting horribly if you even attempted to.
Soon enough, the dust had stopped to where you could open your eyes with not much trouble. You blinked a thousand times to try and see just what it was behind you. When it had begun to clear, you nearly gasped.
From that deafening roar that burst into the air, you already knew just who it was. The others were just as surprised.
Ayame was in her dragon form. Lavender eyes that glowed with dark, cat-like pupils. Scales as hard as steel, wings the color of violets. Ayame huffed in her dragon form through her large nostrils, a cloud of dust trailed into the air. A deep growl echoed from her throat.
"Ahhhh finally!" Tatsuo laughed. "Good to see you well, sister."
She huffed again at that remark.
"Do I have your permission now, Master?" Tatsuo asked—not glancing at him—but you knew he was talking to Kibutsuji.
"Sure, and make sure she actually dies this time." He sighed like a father who'd gone over something a thousand times with his son.
"With pleasure." He smirked down at Ayame.
"Now then, Ayame." Muzan started. Grasping onto your face and turning your body around to face Ayame. "Give her to me, leave here, and I'll let you all go unharmed any further."
Leave her? Leave her?! Tanjiro thought as he raised his eyebrows in disgust. He expects us to leave Y/n?!
"You really think we'd do that?!" Mitsuri shouted from standing atop the massive pile of stone and wood. She held her sword up. "I don't know about you, but you're a complete jerk. And I hate jerks! So if you think that you can take Y/n away, you're mistaken!"
"You really wanna do this? You really wanna keep fighting?!" Muzan shouted, gripping harder onto your face and body. It was so hard that you yelped. Tanjiro's heart grew like a vast forest fire. He wanted to kill him. He would kill him for touching you.
"You really wanna keep on going with this?! After what happened in the past Ayame?!" He yelled. "Someone else is about to die because of you! Is that really what you want Ayame?!"
No... she thought. Never again. Not after all those years ago. I will die for everyone here. I will die for Y/n.
Behind Ayame in her dragon form, a huge band of Galactic Breathers had come along with more of the demon slayer corps members.
"Awww lovely. Guess I'll have to eat all of them!" Tatsuo laughed. He leapt back a far distance away from everyone. "I'M GONNA SHOW YOU WHAT A TRUE DEMON LOOKS LIKE!"
A cloud of dust began to form around his body. An all too familiar one. By the Gods... is he one too?!
It grew bigger and bigger, your heart pace quickening as you prayed you wouldn't be right. But that cloud kept growing and growing, eventually, your fears had come true.
Everyone stared with widened eyes and fearful hearts as the cloud had begun to dissipate and reveal a large body of a dragon had formed. The form had then appeared clear.
The dragon was just as large as Ayame, but looked bigger to you. It's scales were a deep orange color instead of black like Ayame's, sharp teeth like white nichirin blades, it's eyes were a bright yellow like gold.
The dragon waved its head around and growled deeply, you could feel the growl vibrate against your chest, what a strange feeling this was. Upon the deep growl, there was a glow that illuminated the dragon's throat, growing brighter and brighter.
Oh God... no...
"EVERYBODY RUN!" Shouted a voice that ran forward in the Galactic Breather uniform, loose silver locks shimmered in the moon light.
Takashi?!
You took your sword in your dominant hand and in a flash, sliced Muzan's arm clean off. Grabbing onto Yui and Nezuko. You glanced back for a moment to see Zenitsu and Inosuke getting Tanjiro out of the way. You ran with both them as best you could and hid behind a large building.
With a loud roar, the deep orange dragon exhaled a deep breath of fire, not purple, but of orange and red flames. The heat was immense and you clutched onto both Nezuko and Yui for dear life. Your breathing was irregular and you couldn't get enough air. Your face dirtied with grime and dirt.
These poor people... you thought. So many innocent people in the city...
The fiery explosion seemed to last an eternity. Yui clutched onto your figure and you to Nezuko. You prayed that Tanjiro and the others were safe on the other side.
Nezuko groaned more and more, using one hand to grip her deep chestnut colored locks, beads of sweat covering her face. What was going on with her?
The roaring stopped and fire disappeared. On the other side was Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, Kanao, and all the other Hashira. Backs against the large city buildings, all breathing heavily.
You all could hear a loud sizzling and crackling noise from the other side. You didn't need to know there was fire and embers everywhere. The smoke began to grow tremendously.
Tatsuo in his dragon form looked around and noticed Ayame was gone. He huffed to himself and looked around with his dragon head.
He hummed deeply and sniffed the air. All of you were holding your breath in fear. It was damn dragon, and this one wasn't on your side. This was probably something that made fear course through your veins. This time... you were terrified.
"Well..." the dragon growled lowly. It's voice deep and husky. Your eyes shot open wider in shock and so did the others. He can talk?!
He moved around and his face was in a smirking position. "I smell you......... I hear your breath......"
He moved along the street amidst the fire and smoke looking around for any signs of life. Muzan and Kokushibo had moved elsewhere. His voice struck terror into your hearts.
"I feel your air~" He breathed deeply. "Come on out... don't be shy..."
You swallowed hard and your face covered in dirt and sweat.
Sanemi peaked around the corner of the building. He saw Tatsuo moving his head and staring at the building you were behind with Nezuko and Yui.
"Shit." He whispered, turning back to the others.
"Where is he?" Obanai asked.
"He knows where they are. He's staring at the building Y/n and the others are behind."
Tanjiro inhaled sharply and grew terrified. He couldn't lose you, nor Yui or his sister. He couldn't lose anyone.
"Well we have to do something." Kanao reasoned.
"What can we do against a fucking dragon?" Sanemi questioned in a whisper yell.
She looked like she was about to retort, but stopped herself. What could you do against a dragon? Especially that giant.
"I don't know, but we need to think of something." Shinobu added. "He must have a weak spot, everything does. If we can find where it is—"
"Is it the neck? Just like all the demons?" Mitsuri questioned.
"Even if it was, there'd be no way to cut through." Obanai added. "He'd regenerate his neck before we'd be able to make a dent."
The were all quiet for a moment. "It's probably the same thing for Muzan and what we have to do to him." Said Giyuu.
"What do you mean?" Mitsuri asked. A loud thud of Tatsuo slamming his massive tail onto the ground. The building above dropped some rubble to the side, everyone winced.
"The fight inside the Infinity Mansion that Muzan created; we tried to make a cut at him, but his body was already regenerating faster than the blade could cut through." He explained. "It may not even be possible to cut his neck; however, there is one other way."
"And what might that be, Giyuu Tomioka?"
The Water Hashira lifted his head back up with a hardened gaze. "We'll have to hold out until sunrise to kill him."