'Yoriichi, when you smiled I couldn't help it but I always found it disturbing. And when we were talking about how there were no successors for the various breathing techniques you suddenly started viewing things with a strange optimism and you smiled. In my conceit I believed that only our generation was special, I felt sick with disgust and irritation. What did you find so amusing?' Michikatsu questioned as he remembered his brother's smile.
'Even cut in half, that one didn't let go of his katana. That human used a blood demon art and no matter how much I cut that one up he still won't bleed to death. That one's speed of growth is comparable to a demon, he moves in ways that surpass his limits. And finally there is that one, not only does he use techniques of the dead but he has the strength of a demon. They aren't users of Sun breathing but their blades turn red, though his was already red' Michikatsu continued to think.
'What is so amusing about such a future? Just thinking about losing makes me boil with rage, I will not lose again. Yes, even if they cut my head off,' Michikatsu thought.
"Keep your guard up" I warned as Akaza's tattoos disappeared from my body. I could only borrow someone's abilities for a small while before I started to lose who I was and it was too dangerous to fall into that state at the moment.
'He stopped the bleeding!' Himejima realized.
"Shinazugawa! Hikaru is right, don't let up your attacks! Keep laying it on! No matter what don't let Tokito and Genya's lives go to waste!" Himejima yelled, it seems he hadn't realised that Genya was still alive. He was weak and wounded but he wasn't dead.
"GAAAAH! Bring it on! I'll cut you up until there's nothing left!" Sanemi roared, tears streaming down his face. I wanted to tell him that Genya was alive but at the moment it would be stupid to distract him, if I told him that Genya was alive he would focus on protecting Genya when we needed all the help we could get to stop Michikatsu.
"Wind breathing, eighth form, primary gale slash!" Sanemi said as he unleashed the attack on Michikatsu.
"Stone breathing, fifth form, arcs of justice" Himejima said unleash his own attack.
"Akatsuki style, Akatsuki No Ren, Akatsuki no Waka, Akatsuki no Mizu," I unleashed three attacks one after another, one was a slashing attack, one was a very fast thrusting attack the the other one was an attack that was like small explosions. Michikatsu's body wasn't damaged by any of these attacks and he cut off Muichiro's arm making his body drop to the floor before he started to try and pull Muichiro's sword and Genya's blood demon art out of his body.
'My body isn't falling apart, if I pull this out I can still regenerate! I'm not dead yet. They are. The effects of his sword and his blood demon art will soon disappear. Then I will overcome death by decapitation and then I will devour the Akatsuki' Michikatsu thought. Sanemi, Himejima and I worked together to attack Michikatsu's body but it seemed that no matter how many times we tried his regeneration would get rid of any wound so we could do any damage. Michikatsu let out a growl that had us staring in a little bit of disbelief but I had to turn my head away from him. His aura was almost completely devoured by the colour that showed who was a demon and the only way to describe him was monstrous.
"That bastard regenerated his head! Dammit!" Sanemi cursed.
"Keep attacking! His head just came off, so his body must be fragile. He isn't regenerating as fast as Muzan can! Go for the throat again and again!" Himejima instructed. All three of us rushed towards Michikatsu and I was a little further ahead of them so I reached Michikatsu first and got ready to unleash another attack. What I wasn't expecting was him to grab my short blade and rip me in close before sinking his teeth into my left shoulder, through my clothes and everything, making me shriek.
"Hikaru!" Sanemi roared out and I quickly turned, slicing Michikatsu's hand and putting some distance between us. This of course meant that a chunk of flesh had been ripped out of my shoulder and had been devoured by Michikatsu.
"Brace yourself! He is about to either explode like if he had met sunlight or he will go completely crazy and focus on me" I warned them as I reached my hand up to my shoulder. When I pulled it back it was of course covered in blood making me hiss before I quickly grabbed some bandages and wrapped up the wound. It was pretty badly wrapped but it would do good enough for now but I wouldn't be able to use both swords at once now so I sheathed my yellow sword. Even if he was going to go crazy and go after me I couldn't let that hold me back as I threw myself forwards alongside Sanemi and Himejima.
'I overcame it and I even ate the flesh of an Akatsuki. Now any kind of attack other than sunlight is meaningless! Now...No one can beat-' Michikatsu thought but he cut himself off as he caught sight of his reflection in Sanemi's blade.
'What is this? It's so ugly' Michikatsu thought.
"My brother, is your dream to become the strongest samurai in the nation? I want to be like you. I....Want to become the second strongest samurai in this country" Michikatsu remembers his little brother telling him when they were children.
'Is this...How a samurai looks? Is this really what I wanted?' Michikatsu questioned. Blood suddenly appeared on his side where Muichiro's blade had been before it started to crumble away.
'My body is falling apart where Muichiro stabbed me?!' He thought. Himejima used this distraction to attack and destroy Michikatsu's head once again along with his arms. Sanemi rushed in and used his own attack to cut Michikatsu's chest from his legs and finally I used an attack to leave deep wounds on his chest.
'Use a technique! A technique...I can't use a blood demon art! Not yet. I should still be able to regenerate. I haven't lost yet. I still' Michikatsu continued to think as his body continued to crumble. His aura was turning sad and I couldn't stop the tears from running down my face but I wasn't even sure if they were tears that belonged to me.
"You have my sympathies my brother" He remembered Yoriichi telling him as he cried.
'The ugliness of not admitting my defeat...Even though they took off my head, chopped me up and crushed me. Living in disgrace. Have I lived hundreds of years for this?' Michikatsu thought.
'Push the tears back, don't stop, give him the end that he deserves and craves' Tsuki said as his spirit appeared at the side with Akaza. I continued to attack Michikatsu with Sanemi and Himejima even if his body was disappearing.
'Was I so afraid of defeat that I became a monster? Did I want to be strong even if it meant eating people? Even if it meant hunting down innocent people all because of their ancestor? Did I become this miserable creature because I didn't want to die? No. Yoriichi...I just....Wanted to be you' Michikatsu's thought.
