Twilight, Sanemi Shinazugawa

thirty five, despair

—☆—

"Cosmo Breathing, Final Form: Dance of the Constellations."

Your grip tightened on your weapon as you surged forward, slicing through a whip that had been aimed at Inosuke. You sidestepped another one coming at you, the blade in your hand moving like an extension of yourself.

You were quick, but a gash on your forehead sent blood trickling into your eye, disturbing your vision. The flying debris stung, making your eyes burn. You shut them tightly. You didn't need to see—your other senses had always been sharper.

A whip lashed toward you, but you ducked just in time, your ears twitching as they caught every faint sound and shift in the air. You felt like you were a child again, descending Urokodaki's mountain blindfolded, relying only on your hearing to avoid every trap.

Muzan's eyes narrowed in irritation as he sent three more whips at you simultaneously. But you remained calm, twirling your weapon as you cut through each one with ease. Beside you, Tanjiro moved in sync, his heart pounding but his blade steady as he cleaved through another whip.

He had perfected his breathing technique. You could tell from the fluidity of his movements, how he unleashed each attack consecutively without faltering.

As you closed the distance, you plunged your sword into Muzan's chest, pinning him to a wall. You heard Tanjiro run up beside you, his sword driving into Muzan alongside yours.

Your teeth clenched as you gripped your sword tighter, your focus unwavering. The crimson glow returned to your blade, causing Muzan to thrash violently against the wall. Mitsuri and Sanemi sprinted toward you, their blades flashing as they severed both of Muzan's arms. His face split in half, revealing rows of sharp teeth that lunged forward, threatening to swallow you whole.

You tried to pull back, but the force of Muzan's pull was immense. Obanai charged in, stabbing his blade into Muzan's tongue, holding him still.

"Keep holding out!" you heard Sanemi shout. "It's almost dawn!"

As Muzan noticed the sun rising, he unleashed a shockwave, knocking Mitsuri, Sanemi, and Obanai backward. But you and Tanjiro remained rooted, your blades still embedded in Muzan's chest. With your free hand, you reached for the hilt of Tanjiro's sword, and together, your combined strength turned the blade red.

But even your efforts couldn't stop him. Muzan's body began to swell grotesquely, his form growing larger by the second. You hooked your arm around Tanjiro, desperately trying to pull him back, but his body was absorbed into Muzan's mass.

"Tanjiro!" you screamed, panic gripping you as his leg pushed against you, trying to send you away. Muzan's form shifted, transforming into an enormous baby, crawling toward the shadows to escape dawn.

Fury burned in your chest. You leaped toward him with what was left of your strength. "First Form: Ecliptic." Your blade flashed as you cleanly severed his hands, and Gyomei's chain whipped around Muzan's neck, pulling him backward.

Adrenaline fueled you now, your vision flickering in and out as blood loss took its toll. Your ears were ringing, but you pressed on, attacking Muzan as he clawed desperately at the ground, trying to bury himself in the rubble.

Muichiro, Kyojuro, Sanemi, Obanai, and Mitsuri joined the fight, landing blow after blow. It seemed hopeless—Muzan's body regenerated endlessly—but none of you stopped.

As you felt the warmth of sunlight on your face, you opened your eyes, gasping for breath. Before you, the Demon King's body began to dissolve, his once-terrifying form crumbling to ash under the morning sun.