Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hinokami Flames

The Sword of the Horizon

Tanjiro could not believe it. What stood before him was Yoriichi Tsugikuni's sword completely polished clean. "Tanjiro!" He then looks at where the blade was hurled, and voice was heard. The individual was revealed to be a tired Muichiro. "Use that blade! It's the only chance we have!" He's then suddenly choked by an angry Hotaru.

"Give it back! Don't you dare use it! I only was able to complete the first step! I'll kill you if you don't return it to me!"

"But the sun's going to rise soon! We can't that Upper Rank escape!"

Without hesitating, Tanjiro takes up the blade. 'Thank you Muichiro!'

"Ragh! It's your fault!" Hotaru yells at Muichiro "I should kill you!" He then punches the Mist Hashira knocking him out again.

"Ahh! You really did kill him!" Kotetsu accuses.

"He's not dead!" Kozo reassured. "He probably lost consciousness due to the poison."

'Tanjiro. The blade in your hands, it carries everyone's hopes.' Muichiro thought.

Dancing Waltz Flash

Tanjiro blitzes at Hantengu at top speed and catches up to the fleeing demon, twisting his body after making contact with his neck decapitating him. Catching his breath, Tanjiro then turned around to check on Nezuko who still had the broken leg. 'It's alright Nezuko. The fight's over. We can rest now.' However, to his shock, she tries to get up despite the major injury. "Nezuko stop! Don't push yourself."

"I can't!" she replied. "The fight's not over!" 

"If you keep moving on that leg, it could be injured permanently!"

"You... don't... understand!"

Tanjiro then hugs her hoping to keep her from moving. "Nezuko, just calm down dammit!"

"Tanjiro, just... Turn around!!" She points behind him showing him what concerned her and even he is in shock. despite its complete beheading, Hantengu's body continues to pursue the swordsmiths.

"How is it still alive?! His head's already cut off!"

"Just run!"

'That's impossible!' Tanjiro thought. 'How?!' He looks at the head and saw the real emotion imprinted on his tongue. 'Resentment?! The true body is supposed to have 'fear'! The tongue character was wrong!'

"Tanjiro, get up!" Nezuko shouted. "We still have to stop him!" 

As they try and pursue Hantengu, the sun's rays get above the mountains, cover the entire field. And to Nezuko's shock and horror, Tanjiro stops as he screams in pain and is being burned. 

"Tanjiro!!" Nezuko tries to shield him from the sunlight. "How?! How is this happening?!"

'What happened?! I know that this whole time that I haven't felt any demon blood being injected into my body! So, how... Wait! Back with the Resentment clone! He must've made himself bleed and caused it to enter my mouth! There are demon blood cells in my body!!'

 Tanjiro winces throughout the excruciating pain and sees the headless Hantengu chasing after the swordsmiths still. Nezuko looks in horror too.

'Crap!' She thought. 'We need help! Please! Anyone! Genya! Tsuki! Tokito!' She looked up the cliff seeing her comrades struggling to get down the cliff. 'Shit! There's no time! The battle escalated too far from the cliff! Hold on! The Upper Rank's exposed to the sunlight, so he'll... But he'll catch the villagers before he disintegrates! I could carry Tanjiro, but this broken leg's slowing me down! I could never make it! Why? Why are punished with such a horrible choice!?'