Marrying the last boss was not in my life plan.
𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑳 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒔.
At the threat I could only stare at the demon lord in disbelief.
𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐 𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒛𝒚 �...
Trapped inside the water pot, my consciousness flickered in and out. Doubt and despair weighed heavily on me as I struggled to breathe.
'Why me? Why should I have to do this? It's not like I did something wrong. It was my mother who caused all this. Why should I, barely a goddess, take on this burden? What did I do to deserve this?!'
The water closed in around me, the pressure building as if it were trying to crush every ounce of resolve left in my body.
I could see Gyokko through the haze, turning his attention to the work shed behind him.
"I can't do this anymore. It feels like all the nerves in my body are splitting," I gasped, the water flowing in and burning my chest.
At the shed, Kazumori stood in front of Gyokko with a knife, a futile attempt to stop the demon from entering further. "Do you really think you can fight me?" Gyokko laughed at his efforts, mocking him.
Gyokko formed a vase in his hand and attacked Kozo with powerful streams of water, shattering his knife and slashing him.
The demon seemed puzzled by the swordsmith's determination to protect the shed, especially since it didn't hold the village chief.
Gyokko's attention was drawn to Hazanezuka, who was diligently polishing Tanjiro's blade, oblivious to the chaos around him.
"Why is he so focused?" Gyokko wondered aloud, annoyed by Hazanezuka's concentration. He aimed his pot and sent a stream of water at Hazanezuka, leaving him with several slashes on his body.
Gyokko's irritation grew as Hazanezuka's mask shattered, revealing his bloodied face. "What kind of willpower is this?" the demon marveled, feeling anger and admiration.
My vision blurred, the world around me fading as I felt my strength ebbing away.
'I can't do this anymore! Someone else can take over the slashing and the dying. I'm done being a Demon Slayer. I'm retiring to become a professional napper.'
But then, something snapped within me. A spark of defiance, a reminder of the lives at stake. "Miyuki!! No!!," I thought, my resolve hardening. "There are people dying out there. I can't just give up."
Suddenly, I felt a powerful energy awakening within me.
Flames erupted around my body, my form transforming. I grew taller, my hair lengthening to touch the ground, my nails sharpening into deadly claws and my chest expanded.
"Enough!" I roared, breaking free from the water prison with a burst of fiery energy. I stepped forward, my body covered in flames, each step resonating leaving marks behind.
Gyokko turned, his eyes widening in surprise.
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"Can I take on an Upper Rank alone?" Despite being weaponless, my senses were sharp, and I could feel the peak of my adrenaline. "Aaahh!" My hearing picked up the desperate cries of Kotaru.
