"CAW! GENYA SHINAZUGAWA AND MUICHIRO TOKITOU HAVE BEEN SLAIN BY UPPER MOON ONE!" The crow's voice boomed, as the bird flew above those who had just defeated Upper Moon Three. The current trio looked up at the crow as it flew away, announcing the same message to the remaining contestants.
Tanjiro closed his eyes and looked down, tears spilling down his face. The boy loved those two like his own brothers, and Airi viewed them as her sons.
"Tanjiro, I'm sorry," Airi comforted Tanjro, her eyes beginning to fill with tears, "T–They were great kids."
"It's too soon, Airi-san," Tanjiro maintained his composure while they ran, his tears no longer falling, "They died too soon..."
"We have to look forward or we will lose," Airi replied, her lips forming into a thin line, "We have to focus on the devil himself."
"I know..," Tanjiro mumbled, "I know..."
The sound of flesh being torn apart echoed in the distance.
"REVIVAL!! MUZAN HAS REVIVED! THE PILLARS MUST GATHER AT ONCE!! GATHER AT ONCE!!" The crow returned once more, it's voice ringing through Airi's ears.
"You've got to be kidding me..." Airi mumbled under her breath.
While Airi still stared at the crow that flew away, Giyū and Tanjiro immediately stopped in their tracks. Airi closely followed them and looked forward, as they watched a long snowy-haired man waltz in front of them. He stared back at them, and Airi could recognize those eyes from a mile away.
"MUZAN!!" Airi screamed, her voice a thousand decibels louder than many are used to hearing from her. Her angry aura burned with the flame of a thousand suns, and her gaze pounded through Muzan like the force of waves crashing against a rocky cliff.
Her whole life lead up to this moment. Her blade will be the one to deal the final blow. Muzan cocked a brow in utter confusion at the woman who yelled out his name. He let out a light gasp, as if he recognized Airi.
"I haven't seen a light child in centuries," Kibutsuji smiled, his blood-red eyes impaling through Airi's amber hues, "They stopped being born after I killed the last one who challenged me. And here you are, another light pillar once again coming to torment me until I completely devour your insides. I'm sure you would be of great use if you bowed before me."
"I would rather kill myself than even be mildly submissive to you, you fucking prick." Airi spat, her eyebrows furrowing deeper.
Airi took a step forward, her blade ready to strike. However, a hand gripped Airi's arm tightly, preventing her from walking any more. She turned her head, as cobalt blue eyes gazed deeply at her. Giyū shook his head, and reminded her that she should think with reasoning and not with emotion.
"Calm yourself down, princess." Giyū reassured her in a low, hushed voice, before releasing his grip on her arm. His eyes expressed the same irritation as her, but he maintained his composure.
Airi inhaled deeply, before focusing on the task at hand. Defeat Muzan Kibutsuji, origin and king of the entire demon race.
'My family will be avenged if it's the last thing I do. If my time has come, then so be it.' Airi reminisced in her mind.
Airi could hear Tanjiro's grip on his blade tighten. Tanjiro huffed, his veins nearly popping out of his skin.
"Tanjiro, calm down. Calm yourself down." Giyū commanded Tanjiro with the same message.
"Persistent. You're all seriously persistent, and it bothers me. It sickens me from the bottom of my heart. Whenever you open your mouth, you only remember that one dumb notion about avenging your parents, kids, or siblings. You've all survived, that should be enough for you." Muzan spoke in a monotone voice, his eyes solely on Airi in particular. It was almost as if he knew Airi sought vengeance more so than everyone else.
Tanjiro's eyes could only widen at the statement Muzan proclaimed. His eyes were fatigued, and bloodshot.
"So your family got slaughtered, what's the problem here? Think of yourself as lucky, and go back to the way you lived life before." Muzan delivered with ease. He had no sympathy for humanity.
"What... are you saying?" Tanjiro mumbled, his voice just loud enough for Kibutsuji to hear.
"Look at it this way," Muzan replied calmly, "Being killed by me is the same as encountering a great calamity. You don't need to think so hard about it. Rains, winds, volcano eruptions, earthquakes... Nobody tries to swear revenge on a natural disaster, no matter how many lives it takes."
Muzan raised his hand as if he was explaining a lesson to a class, "You can't bring dead humans back to life. Why not just stop fussing over the issue all the time, and live quietly to earn your daily wages. Most humans live that life, why can't you all do that? There's only one reason. The Demon Hunters are an assembly of deviants."
Airi let out a loud, boisterous single laugh, with Muzan cocking a brow.
The demon king continued to explain while taking a few steps toward the trio, "And I'm tired of dealing with deviants. I'm the one who really wants to put an end to all this."
"Muzan...you are," Tanjiro stared directly through the demon, his eyes a dark void, "A being that should not exist."
——•——
The fortress had collapsed moments after the fight begun. One moment, Airi was falling to her death, and the other, she was standing on top of rubble.
Two of the remaining pillars had joined the fight, much to Airi's relief. Seeing the pink to lime braids of Mitsuri, and the masked Obanai was a divine intervention in itself.
Time was ticking. And time was draining Airi's strength. Something was eating her up from her insides.
However, a disgusting gargle and the sound of someone coughing up blood rung in her ears. Airi looked to her right, and saw the most horrifying image.
"Those who die right away are quite lucky. But even if they don't, getting wounded by me will spell their end. Just look over there," Muzan spoke as the pillars looked where Airi was in a horrifying shock.
"My blood is infused into my attacks. But he won't become a demon. It's just too much blood. It'll work like a poison instead. It will destroy his cells, leading to his death. Tanjiro Kamado is dead."
Airi felt a wet, clear sensation drag down her face. She couldn't recognize that they were her tears in those moments, but she could not mourn for Tanjiro now. The blood escaping her body masked her own tears that she shed.
Left and right, each Hashira and each Demon Slayer she fought with lost a limb, bled, and were poisoned by the demon's cells. Furthermore, her own Tsuguko had joined the fight. Emi Murakami was supporting as a distraction and a healer for other lower ranks more than being on the front lines.
Emi's voice encouraging Airi throughout the fight empowered her in a way that she couldn't explain. She felt a sensation of determination whenever Emi would speak.
Her passion and resolve were the only traits keeping her alive in those moments. Every time she swung her double-edged blade, it was like time was nonexistent. Her mind was a haze, and the only words that registered in her mind were "keep going."
The swing of a grand weapon on chains and the sound of wind joined the fight. Shinazugawa and Himejima were fashionably late, but they were the perfect additions to the war they fought.
Muzan's whips were powerful. So incredibly powerful, that he struck Airi multiple times in a few blinks of the eye. Regardless of the pain that erupted throughout her body, she kept executing her tenth form, and then she would cast her healing breath form on herself. His cells were slowly eating her alive.
Each moment, Dance of the Gods and Healing Embrace worked like clockwork. Heal and execute, heal and execute.
'Strike until you can't strike anymore.' She thought repetitively.
On occasion, Airi's mind would shift to Giyū, who was fighting for his own life. Their eyes would lock, and they would seemingly talk to each other in less than a second.
'Are you okay?' His eyes would lock onto hers.
'No, but I'm alive. I'm alive just for you, sucker.'
Tamayo's medicines were absorbed by the demon successfully. He was aging far quicker, and he was regenerating far slower. This fight was in their favor.
And yet, subconsciously in her mind, she wondered if Tanjiro was actually gone. She refused to believe that he was gone.
A whip struck Giyū in the hand, with the cells spreading far faster on him than Airi. Airi could handle poison slightly better compared to the rest of the pillars.
Giyū nearly lost his grip entirely on his blade. Giyū grit his teeth and he began to panic, worrying about the fact that he could no longer grab his sword.
"DON'T SPACE OUT NOW!! OR I'LL MURDER YOUR ASS!!" Sanemi yelled one Giyū direction.
"WELL SAID, SHINAZUGAWA!" Airi smiled as she pursued on into the fight. Her blade was doing a great deal on Muzan's whips, but her force wasn't enough. Giyū, with a shaken hand, grabbed the grip of his blade and continued to fight. Sanemi's words somehow reached him, and Giyū knew that he was truly the water pillar.
At some points in the fight, Airi was nearly enjoying it. This was the moment she had built up her anger and frustrations toward, and here she was, unleashing the sheer range. The weight that built upon her shoulders was being thrown off, little by little.
A meow echoed in the distance. Airi faltered slightly and dodged one of Muzan's whips in the process.
"Was that a cat?" Airi whispered under her deep, loud breathing. Her lungs stung, and the poison of Muzan's cells was taking over her body little by little.
A cat, carrying a box of syringes, appeared above the remaining fighters. It had a magic paper eye attached to it's neck, just like the spells that Yushiro was handing out to everyone.
'Tamayo's demon cat, thank God!' Airi sighed of relief, while maintaining her focus on the fight.
The syringe dropped in front of Airi, and she immediately inserted it into her veins, along with the remaining Hashiras.
She felt like a new being as the medicine healed the disarray in her body. The fighters were wiped to a clean slate. Airi looked up and thanked Tamayo and Shinobu for their efforts, even when they aren't physically there.
Gyomei called out to Airi, and gestured her to go to him. He collided his large weapon against her blade, increasing the red hues of her blade and his chained axe.
Airi expressed a nod, and they continued on into the fight.
"ONE HOUR AND THREE MINUTES UNTIL DAWN!"
Every single Hashira banded together as one in preparation to execute all of their strongest forms in one blow. Airi breathed in as she readied to enter the immediate center where Muzan was alongside the remaining pillars, Inosuke, Kanao, and Zenitsu, who were remotely invisible for a short time once joining the fight.
The moment Airi swung her blade, an incredible amount of force flew each body back like a strong hurricane. Before her body flew back, Muzan's flesh was nearly transparent.
Muzan unleashed thousands of whip attacks around him, with the fury of spiked vines impaling through the bodies of many.
A large pain erupted in her back. The impact was so great, that she nearly lost the entirety of her consciousness. Everyone was knocked out, and she was barely holding on. She could hear the silence as if it was louder than thunder.
The silence was screaming, because Airi knew that no one remained healthy enough to pursue on. She gritted her teeth, as her vision slowly started to fade.
"Not...yet." She turned her head to the side, noticing another body broken through the walls of the building, on the same floor as her.
"Tomioka... please." She looked at his severed arm, the blood escaping like voracious rivers. She was thankful that she could feel her limbs, but the pain in her back was too unbearable for her to stand.
Before she was entirely knocked out, she saw flames, and a young boy executing his beloved Sun Breath.
——•——
When the Light Hashira awakened, she felt the tightness of a white bandage around her. She was knocked out for too long. Way too long.
A Kakushi member was tending to her, before her eyes shot wide open.
"Thank you." Airi mumbled, before jumping up with the remaining strength she had to use.
The younger boys had even awakened before her, and Airi mentally cursed herself for it. It was her job to protect the younger Demon Slayers, not the other way around. The tides have turned, and she was prepared to flip them back.
"WE STAND UNTIL DAWN. WE WILL CONTINUE TO STAND UNTIL DAWN!" Airi called out to those who fought with their utmost might, realizing that Tanjiro was still alive the moment she stopped talking.
Airi noticed immediately that Muzan was moving slower. She could see the sky change colors for a brief moment, as the sun was starting to rise. She could never have been more thankful to see the orange-purple hues that peaked over the horizon.
As Airi landed on her feet after executing her sixth form, letting out a more-or-less disgusting cough of blood. She wiped the blood off her lip and looked up, noticing Tanjiro impaling the demon king against the wall. Obanai was hanging against Tanjiro's body, and Mitsuri returned to the fight, but her body was slain on the ground.
"Shit!" Airi sprinted towards the wall, the sun's rays peaking over the horizon.
Muzan's bloodshot eyes noticed the sun's rays, his orbs widening as he realized that he was going to lose his own fight.
He forcefully pushed everyone back, taking Tanjiro's arm in the process. Airi was slowly knocked back, but she placed all her force in her legs, and she was merely dragged a few feet. She looked to her side, noticing that the Water Hashira was following up to Tanjiro for backup.
Muzan screamed as the sun slowly turned his flesh into ashes. His eyes were entirely white, and his soul was lacking any sort of humanity.
Airi sprinted towards Tanjiro, and supported him by standing behind him. His body leaned against hers, and she gripped the blade, her hands wrapping around Tanjiro's own calloused hands.
"It's okay, Kamado. I'm right here." Airi reassured him. The amount of blood loss she experienced was nearly unbearable, and her sheer power of will was in control of her physical consciousness.
Airi and Giyū held the blade alongside Tanjiro, increasing the force of maintaining the giant baby in place. Airi's two arms were still intact, while Giyū only had one arm. His other was completely torn off during the explosion. On the contrary, Airi had lost two of her fingers.
"Come on, come on..." Airi mustered out. Airi could hear the grunts of Tanjiro and Giyū collectively, as the three were using their remaining strength to simply keep Muzan in the same place until the sun completely rose. The screams were nearly insufferable.
However, a large force pulled the two Hashira from the grip of Tanjiro and the blade, and they were both knocked back. Airi broke her blade in the process. She gritted her teeth, realizing the new predicament that she jumped into.
By the time Airi looked up, Tanjiro's remains were being succumbed by Kibutsuji's flesh. Kibutsuji had transformed into a giant baby nonetheless.
"NO, TANJIRO!" The Water and Light Hashiras screamed collectively, regretting every single decision they had made up to that moment. Tanjiro's body had completely been enveloped by the crying demon.
The sun was rising completely. It was dawn.
"AIRI!" A feminine voice called out. Airi shot her head, to see a slightly scratched Emi Murakami staring right at her.
"TAKE MY...YOUR BLADE!" Emi readied her arm, and threw her blade, Airi's original blade. Airi caught the blade with her two hands successfully at the grip, and Airi turned to face the demon.
Airi nodded to Emi, who nodded reassuringly in return. They both knew Airi had to be the one to deal the final blow.
The sun was rising as Airi executed her seemingly final form of her Demon Slayer Corps career. She would be the one to do the final blow. She knew that the moment she entered Final Selection.
"Breath of Light. Fifth Form: Starlight."
Another blade pierced through the flesh, and completely tore away the flesh as Airi weaved through Muzan's weak final form. Her body movements were fluid, and she sliced once, directly through the remaining flesh. However, this was her only breath form that caused pain nor suffering.
She knew Muzan wanted to surrender. She knew because of his "last resort."
Tanjiro was still alive in the demon's flesh. And he was assisting Airi. She knew this.
The remains of the origin of the demon race disappeared into the air. The ashes slowly trickled away, as the sun greeted everyone remaining.
They won. And the feeling of the sun's rays on Airi's flesh never felt so good.
"Making the choice to take away your own humanity always comes with the most devastating price," Airi spoke aloud to everyone in the area, "You always regret it. I wish I could say I feel sorry for the demon king."
Airi raised her blade up high. One by one, the Demon Slayers and Kakushi who were alive, and devastatingly beaten, raised their blades and fists. From her peripherals, she could see Giyū smiling at her as he was getting treated to his wounds.
"Humanity has won once again! With the same fervor and determination as our ancestors, we have won. Our hearts were set ablaze, and the names of our friends, comrades, and lovers were not lost in vain. Be proud. Stand tall. Let there be light that consumes you to cast out the darkness." Airi concluded her speech, as everyone who witnessed her triumphing cries were consumed with tears and cheers.
Airi sighed, bringing down her arm and realizing the amount of pain she was truly in. She placed her original blade in it's sheath, and she smiled.
She smiled a big, toothy grin. What was different about this smile, was that it was real.
Kakushi members approached her calmly, asking to take care of her wounds. Airi felt extremely lightheaded, and she sat on her knees in agreement.
Sanemi fell asleep, and Giyū was getting treated next to her. She realized that the Stone, Love, and Snake Hashiras had crossed over. She prayed for them, and she mourned for them.
She loved her fellow Hashiras so much.
However, as Airi was looking at the water pillar, she noticed his eyes widening.
"Tanjiro!" Giyū released the grip of the Kakushi members on him, and sprinted towards Tanjiro, who was revealed from the inside of Muzan's body. Airi thought Tanjiro was originally knocked out.
"No...No, please." Airi whispered in a raspy voice, before gently standing up.
Airi sprinted over to where Giyū kneeled. She immediately halted, realizing the reality that was standing before her. A Kakushi member was in tears, explaining that Tanjiro's heart had stopped completely.
"H-Hey..," Airi spoke, her voice cracking with every vowel she could manage to speak out. She knelt down in between Giyū and Tanjiro.
Airi began to cry, her tears trickling down her bloody skin. Her body stung, and her throat burned. She somehow wished she was dead in those moments. Death seemed more peaceful than this.
She wanted to scream out in the agonizing pain she felt...but she couldn't. Regardless of how Airi truly felt, she focused on the most important thing of all.
Her "little brother" in the Corps had sacrificed himself for the world, for the sake of everyone. He couldn't get to see his sister human again, but he knew his duty was completed.
Giyū's tears could not stop falling. He believed he failed to protect one of his closest friends. Airi reached out her hand, and placed it over Giyū's. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, and with her gentle, reassuring touch his trembling slowed down.
She could hear the footsteps of a young girl in the distance, and an innocent voice screaming out "Onii-chan" over and over. The voice slowly faded out as their steps grew closer.
Airi opened her arms and held a lifeless Tanjiro and Giyū in a threefold embrace. She wished she could hear Tanjiro's pulse one last time.
All Airi could muster out was one phrase as she mourned alongside the love of her life, whom she thanked God was still alive. Even amidst the tension and the mourning, before Tanjiro completely crossed over, he heard the lighthearted voice of his "sister" Airi.
"We won, Tanjiro, we won."