Justice is Blind |『 Female OC 』• Kimetsu no Yaiba

Act 42: The Storm That Approaches

*Clang*

*Clash*

The snowstorm raged an endless white vortex that swallowed the horizon. The clash of steel against steel echoed through the clearing, cutting through the howling wind like thunder. Each strike sent shockwaves through the snow-covered ground, shaking loose the frost clinging to the barren trees.

Rukia's blade met Kokushibo's with a sharp clang, her movements as fluid and deliberate as the drifting snowflakes around them. Kokushibo's six eyes bore into her, their unblinking gaze following every calculated step she took.

He moved with precision. His strikes deliberate like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike its prey. Yet, Rukia matched him, her blade weaving through the air with a grace that mirrored the winter itself.

"Your technique is extraordinary," Kokushibo remarked, his voice low despite his blade descending with unrelenting force. "A mortal who wields such discipline and strength...you are rare," he added.

Rukia twisted, her blade intercepting his in a graceful arc. The impact sent a chill up her arms, but she grinned, her piercing blue eyes locking onto his. "Flattery, is it?" she replied, her voice light yet edged with frost.

"I thought demons weren't known for their charm," she said before stepping forward. She pushed back, sending Kokushibo's blade skidding off hers in a spray of sparks. "It is not flattery," Kokushibo countered, his tone unchanging as his attacks quickened.

"It is recognition. You stand apart from the frail and fleeting mortals I have crushed beneath my blade. Your strength...your resolve. They are worthy," he said, his gaze piercing. Rukia's smirk widened, though it didn't reach her eyes. "You sound almost regretful," she said, her tone sharp.

"I wonder, are you trying to intimidate me or convince yourself?" she asked, shifting her stance slightly. Kokushibo's grip tightened on his blade, the slightest flicker of annoyance crossing his face before it vanished. "There is no need for such theatrics," he said.

"Your strength could be eternal. As a demon, your power would grow beyond the limits of your mortal coil. You could shape this world endlessly, unbound by time," Kokushibo said, his voice heavy with conviction.

Rukia's smirk widened as she dodged his strike, her boots crunching softly in the snow. She countered with a sweeping slash that forced Kokushibo to deflect. The sound of their blades reverberated through the clearing like a thunderclap.

Then, Rukia tilted her head slightly, considering his words. Her piercing gaze never wavered, cutting through the swirling snow like the edge of her blade. "Eternity without purpose is just an endless winter," she declared, her words biting as frost.

Her words hung in the air, their weight sinking deep into the space between them. Kokushibo's expression remained impassive, though his six eyes narrowed slightly as if her words had cut him in a way no blade could.