"Hey Akiko, how powerful are your eyes?"

Akiko looks left to her new friend and mother figure, Miyuki. The two are lounging on the engawa, the day a bit hotter than most. The small twinkling of the wind chime sings in the air, and Chiyo is holding Ayame to Akiko's right.

The two had come to visit, with Chiyo bringing Ayame in for a third check up this month ("She's like... Drooling more than usual???") and Miyuki tagging along just because ("I don't want to be left out. What if you guys forget I exist?!")

With no patients in her ward (for once in a blue moon) Akiko has decided to entertain the girls with something from over seas.

"It's called a popsicle. Dad taught me how to make some and shipped over a special cooling machine," Akiko explained as she handed out the icy treats.

So now the girls lounge in silence, listening to the wind chime and the birds tweet and Ayame's baby babble.

Until Miyuki's question.

"I dunno. How cold's your ice?" Akiko shoots back. Miyuki rolls her eyes, "No but like. You see stuff-"

"So do you-"

"Quit it."

Akiko quits it. Chiyo laughs. Ayame startles.

The two girls look between them at the younger one, her eyes closed as she gives it some thought.

"Well my nichirin tools are clear, and I can still see them. I have to clean the sharps myself now though, or the girls will cut themselves on accident. I dunno though, is that what you meant?"

Miyuki shrugs, "I guess. Genya mentioned something about how you took his measurements without a measuring tape or thermometer and stuff. And that you knew how many demons he ate, which, by the way, don't tell Sanemi."

Akiko rolls her eyes, "I don't have a death wish. Also, doctor-patient confidentiality, blah blah blah."

"Akiko, you tell me what's wrong with Giyuu all the time."

"Not out of kindness. I'm hoping you drop him when you realize how messed up he is. I don't know what you see in him Chiyo," Akiko says and Chiyo nudges her shoulder. Akiko holds her hands up in defeat, muttering a half assed apology that all three girls know is in no way genuine.

They're silent again for a moment, but Miyuki suddenly jumps up, her eyes sparkling like a snowflake under the sun.

"Y'know what'd be really cool?! If you could see the future!!"

Chiyo and Akiko stare up at her listlessly, both wondering how that would even work.

"I don't think that's what my eyes are for."

"Ok but you say that a person dies when you see one crow-"

"Because they do-"

"So isn't that the same thing?"

"She kinda has a point," Chiyo comments, shrugging her shoulders at the concrete evidence. Akiko shakes her head in disagreement.

"But wouldn't it be so cool though?!" Miyuki keeps going, a smile on her face as she finishes off her popsicle.

Akiko scoffs, "What would I even use it for? Seeing which demon slayer is about to come through my door and with what injuries- wait... that actually sounds really nice..."

"See?!!!"

"It'd be great for fighting," Chiyo comments, flexing her arm in thought as Ayame holds on like a monkey. "Then I could predict a demon's blood art or their next moves."

"That wouldn't help me though. I can't fight," Akiko says. Chiyo and Miyuki nod their heads, knowing how sad Akiko's physical abilities are. Her talents lie elsewhere.

"Oh! What if you like... I dunno, tell us how to fight or something? Like if you're on the sidelines and giving us guidance."

"Chiyo, that has to do with fighting still. Besides, I don't think I should be on the field with an active fight."

Miyuki grins, placing a hand on Akiko's shoulder, "Don't worry, we got your back! We'll make sure a demon doesn't touch you!"

Again, Akiko scoffs, "You guys barely listen to me though. Sanemi wouldn't listen to me for sure. Muichirou would probably look around like 'Who said that?' and Iguro would rather get hurt just to glare at me for giving him an order than listen to said order."

Miyuki and Chiyo share a look before then both ruffle Akiko's short and slightly curly locks.

"Trust us."

"We'll listen to you."

"MOVE!!!"

All four Pillars immediately jump back, just as Genya fires a shot with his newly formed demon gun. Muichirou's sword is still embedded through the chest of Upper Moon One, but he's abandoned it upon hearing Akiko's scream.

The bullets burst and pierce through various parts of Upper One's body, and roots immediately begin to grow up and out. It keeps him in place, and the Pillars all see their opening.

"DEFEND!!" Akiko commands them again, and they do so immediately.

They almost didn't hear her over One's monstrous roar, but Himejima's chain whip around everyone so as to protect them, and Miyuki shoves Muichirou behind her since he has nothing to protect himself with. Akiko yanks Genya behind the wall they were hiding behind, and he throws his body over her and onto the floor to protect them from the various blades that shoot overhead.

Akiko hears a strangled scream, and her eyes quickly dart around Genya's body to see Miyuki, crouched on the floor with her right foot missing. Sanemi grabs her by the haori and Muichirou jumps over Miyuki, rushing forward to grab ahold of his katana to give the two a second of time.

Miyuki is flung back, Genya catching her in his arms and setting her beside Akiko, who rips one of her arm sleeves off to act as a bandage. Genya runs into battle, blasting off another round from his gun, and Akiko has done all she can for Miyuki's missing foot.

"Told you we'd listen," Miyuki smiles painfully. Akiko nods her head, her throat choked up and tears blurring her vision.

"You can't die," Akiko squeaks, actually squeaks. She hates herself for worrying Miyuki at a time like this, but Akiko doesn't know what would have happened if everyone didn't move when she told them to. They looked like they were about to jump right in too, and Upper One still looked like he had another trick up his sleeve, and Akiko didn't want anyone to find out what it was first hand.

"Course I won't. I'm the damn Ice Pillar," Miyuki ruffles Akiko's hair, and they two hear a loud clang. They look up to see Himejima's weapon has come down on Upper One from the bottom and top of his neck, and Miyuki makes eye contact with Sanemi.

She rushes off in an instant, and the two Pillars slam their katanas down together, delivering the final blow that rips Upper One's head off. His neck gushes out blood with the force of a waterfall, but Akiko knows that he isn't done. His blood coagulates at one, and the bleeding stops.

"Keep going!" she cries out, "He's not dead!"

So the five press him. Genya with his gun, Muichirou digging his blade further up his chest, Sanemi and Miyuki working as a flawless pair with attacks similar to an ice storm, and Himejima's own weapon flying around with enough force to break pillars and walls.

Akiko watches as he tries to regenerate his head, looking like a deformed arachnid with tusks. His body is pelted with relentless attacks, each more delivered with more desperation than the next, but then his body stops. It stops regenerating, and it begins to crumble.

Everyone stops in their tracks, weapons raised in caution, chests heaving as they try to catch their breaths. But he really does stop.

Akiko starts to cry, and her cry of relief is what startles everyone back to reality.

They're alive.

They're all alive.

Miyuki tackles Akiko first, then Muichirou falls into the two, then Genya pulls Sanemi with him, and Himejia offers the group a small smile.

Akiko can hear the crows caw their victory.

"UPPER MOON ONE IS DEFEATED! THERE ARE NO CASUALTIES! ALL FOUR PILLARS ARE ALIVE!!!"

Her heart soars, and she can physically feel the spirit of the demon slayers lift. Miyuki is bawling her eyes out into Akiko's ruined shirt, and Akiko wails too. Genya wipes his own tears away and Sanemi runs his hand through his brother's hair, truly smiling for the first time. Akiko has a feeling that the brothers will be ok.

"We must hurry," Himejima's voice grounds the group, and they sober up quickly. Goto has made his way back into the room, and he helps Akiko patch up the Pillars.

Akiko is halfway through stitching Himejima's face when her sight comes across a nightmare.

"Tell them to stop."

"Huh?"

"TELL THE DEMON SLAYERS TO STOP!" Akiko looks up at a crow in the corner. "THEY MUST RETREAT!! MUZAN IS ALIVE!"

Miruna soars out of the room immediately, and Akiko can see that he's come across the first group of demon slayers. He caws his orders and they freeze in terror, but Miruna doesn't stick around to make sure they listen.

He continues to soar, through rooms and corridors, warning team three and five to retreat.

But team one and two aren't so lucky. About half of each team had begun to retreat on Akiko and Kiriya's orders, but they weren't fast enough to escape Muzan.

Akiko watches with horror and he slices bodies left and right, flying off walls and floors and devouring every demon slayer in sight. The few people that retreated without a second thought are no match for Muzan, and he catches them in an instant.

Akiko can feel the bile climb up her throat, the blood drain from her face. She can see Tamayo's head in his clutches, his claw digging into her head, a thumb through her eye. She's crying, the last of her face crumbling away. Then, in an instant, Muzan crushes her head.

Blood spurts everywhere, and Akiko finally hurls.

Muzan has revived.

And he's bringing everyone to him.

"We have to go," Akiko mumbles, wiping the bile from her mouth. Kiriya just gave the green light for all Pillars to regroup and kill Muzan. And she intends to follow this order.

She finds the strength in her legs to stand, though wobbly, and Himejima picks the girl up. He carries her in one arm, his weapon clutched tightly in the other, and Akiko starts to lead them through the maze. Miyuki has an arm over Sanemi's shoulder as he helps her run, Miyuki still trying to get used to only having one foot. They're all silent, listening closely to Akiko's orders of left, right, up, down.

"Work with me here, Yushiro," she mumbles, but she knows that he's too far driven by rage to focus on anything but destroying the monster in front of him. They'll have to take the long way, unfortunately, and Akiko worries that there is no time.

She watches as Giyuu and Tanjirou run in to fight. Muzan's razor sharp arms flying around, delivering deep cuts to the two. She watches as Yushiro continues to manipulate the Fortress demon's mind, and she sees past the illusion where Kanroji and Iguro have died.

They pick up more demon slayers along the way, team three and five grateful to be alive.

And even though Akiko knows that Kanao, Zenitsu and Inosuke are alive, it doesn't stop her from crying out in relief at the sight of them.

"Akikooooo!!!" Zenitsu cries out, reaching out to her. She bats his hand away, and grabs ahold of Kanao's instead. The girl tears up at the sight of Akiko, and they two share a look of understanding, being the only two tsuguko of the now deceased Butterfly Pillar.

Akiko blinks her tears away quickly as the building begins to shake, and she can see that Yushiro is beginning to drive the Fortress up.

"Listen closely everyone," Akiko says, drawing more of Yushiro's demon papers from pockets of her hakama.

"I have a plan."