What If??

Waters of Resolve

The room reeked of blood and poison as Doma’s icy smile curled wider. His hand stretched toward Shinobu, just a breath away from finishing her off—until Giyu’s blade sliced between them. A violent clash of ice and water sent them skidding apart.

Shinobu stumbled backward, pressing her hand against her wounded side, frustration etched across her face.

“Giyu!” she hissed, staggering to her feet. “What are you doing? You weren’t supposed to be here!”

“I know,” Giyu answered, his voice steady. “But I wasn’t going to let you throw your life away.”

“You ruined everything,” Shinobu said through gritted teeth.

“You call that a plan?” Giyu shot back, cold and sharp as a winter breeze. “I’m not letting you die for this.”

Shinobu’s lips pressed into a thin line, fury and disbelief bubbling beneath her calm mask. "How did you know?"

"Kanao told me."

The words hit like a hammer. Shinobu’s hands trembled with shock and betrayal. "She… she told you?"

"She didn’t want to lose you," Giyu said quietly but firmly. "You aren’t the only one fighting for someone."

Shinobu looked away, biting her lip. The weight of his words settled in her chest, guilt mingling with frustration. She had only wanted to avenge Kanae. But now—

The sharp crack of ice shards jolted them both back to the present.

"How touching," Doma purred, casually fanning himself as if the battle were merely an amusing pastime. "Unfortunately, you’ll all die here anyway."

A sudden gust of wind swept through the hall as another presence entered the battlefield. Akaza strode in, his aura heavy with killing intent. His golden eyes narrowed at Doma, though the usual fiery malice in them seemed… tempered.

"Akaza?" Doma blinked in mock surprise. "Why are you here? Come to help, I hope?"

Akaza’s gaze flicked from Doma to Giyu, then briefly to the injured Shinobu. His lips curled downward in distaste. "I don’t care about your fight, Doma. I was looking for Muzan’s orders."

Doma’s smile didn’t falter. "Why not lend a hand while you’re here? After all, these humans aren’t going to kill themselves."

Akaza’s fists clenched, the tension between them crackling in the air. But something was different. He wasn’t as eager to fight—not yet. For now, he was watching. Waiting.

Giyu glanced at Tanjiro and Kanao, the three of them quickly falling into formation. They didn’t have the luxury of understanding Akaza’s motives right now—they could only hope he wouldn’t interfere.

"Shinobu," Giyu said, his voice low but firm. "Stay back. You're too injured."

Her jaw clenched, but she knew he was right. Her body was sluggish from blood loss, and even if her poison was in Doma’s veins, it wasn’t enough yet to slow him down entirely.

"I’ll stay out of the way," she muttered bitterly, "but you better not mess this up."

Kanao shifted beside Tanjiro, her calm expression masking the storm brewing within her. With a flick of her coin, she committed herself to the fight.

Doma grinned, twirling his fans. "Three of you against me? I almost feel sorry for you."

Giyu was the first to move, his blade slicing through the air with fluid precision. Water Breathing techniques cascaded from one form to the next, each strike relentless. Tanjiro followed closely, his Hinokami Kagura a burning contrast to Giyu’s water.

Kanao darted in and out of the fray, her movements quick and deliberate. But Doma was faster. His fans swept through the air in wide arcs, sending waves of ice toward them.

Even though Doma was laughing, there was a flicker of discomfort behind his playful facade—Shinobu’s poison was beginning to take effect. But it wasn’t enough to cripple him. Not yet.

As the battle raged, Akaza stood on the sidelines, his arms crossed. He didn’t lift a hand to help Doma, nor did he attack the humans. He was simply watching—studying.

"Why aren’t you fighting?" Doma called out mockingly, his voice echoing over the sounds of battle. "Don’t tell me you’ve gone soft."

Akaza’s expression darkened, but he said nothing. His mind wandered to the promise he had made long ago—to his wife, to his humanity. But it wasn’t time yet. He still had a role to play.

Between attacks, Giyu caught Shinobu’s eye. "We need your blood," he said bluntly.

Shinobu’s heart skipped a beat. "You can’t… It won’t be enough."

"It will be," Giyu replied, his voice steady. "You said it yourself—your blood is laced with wisteria. It’s the only way to weaken him enough to finish this."

Shinobu hesitated for a split second, then nodded. She took a small dagger from her belt and made a shallow cut along her arm, letting the blood drip onto Giyu’s blade.

The scent of wisteria filled the air, and Doma’s expression faltered for the first time.

"That’s not fair," he pouted, though there was a glimmer of concern in his eyes. "Using poison is cheating."

"Then stop us," Giyu said coolly, raising his now-poisoned blade.

The fight intensifies as Doma grows desperate, his strength waning from the poisoned blood. But Akaza’s presence looms over the battlefield, his intentions unclear. Will he interfere, or will his promise to reclaim his humanity win out in the end? And can Giyu, Tanjiro, and Kanao hold out long enough to finish what Shinobu started?

~~~~~~End of Chapter~~~~~~

Au : So what did you guys think? I'm so sorry for being wishy washy with the upload of chapters! I really do wanna make a sukka story but I don't wanna leave this on a cliff hanger! Forgive me!

Unfortunately there's no Taisho secret :(