Disclaimer:

I do not own nor claim all the rights to 鬼滅の刃 | Kimetsu no Yaiba | Demon Slayer; all rights are reserved to its respective creator, Koyoharu Gotōge. This is purely a work of fiction; names, characters, businesses, events, localities, and occurrences are all extrapolated from the author's writings and imagination or utilized in a fictitious manner. As such, any direct or indirect references to actual entities, dead or alive, or events do not, in any shape or form, resemble the opinions of the author.

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"..." = Dialogue

'...' = Internal monologues

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Blood.

Sweat.

Death.

Weariness.

It was very early in the morning—somewhere around 4 AM—but the darkness continued to envelop every last vector of the visible Earth. The atmosphere was tense, yet the voices fell silent.

The vicinity was entirely composed of trees, bushes, and undergrowth. However, unlike the green luster that defines a typical forest, this particular nature seemed more analogous to supernatural characteristics beyond that of a meager woodland.

The shading of the trees was neither vividly vibrant nor a testament to mother nature's wonders; rather, they exuded more of an anemic complexion that emitted barely any fluorescent lighting witnessed during the daytime.

It was a very sinister environment.

The air was crisp, as black ash and brickle grime suffocated the lungs of every inhabitant. Uniforms were begrimed with dirt and blood after days of incessant combat with foes.

Such were the circumstances present on Mount Fujikasane.

These pervasive conditions would beleaguer every novice slayer in the Final Selection Examinations, the selective process administered by the Demon Slayer Corps by which young swordsmen are given the opportunity to prove that they are capable enough to officially join the ranks of the Corps.

With little resources and no outside help, these slayers are tasked with surviving seven consecutive nights within the perimeters of a mountain rife with captured demons.

It is merciless and most exhausting in its application, but only the cream of the crop could possibly endure the even harsher life that awaits them after admittance into the Demon Slayer Corps.

Thus, the need for well-trained slayers warranted the hazards of this setting.

That didn't make it any less stressful though, even for the brightest amongst the applicants.

Including a certain group of disciples.

SLASH

Giyuu managed to lop off a demon's head, scoring another kill of the many he had acquired on this particular night.

He then quickly scanned his surroundings.

It was already the seventh and final night of the Selection, and Giyuu was feeling wholly homesick and fatigued.

From having to forcefully readjust his sleep schedule such that he's awake all night and resting in broad daylight, to constantly being on the move and having to confront demons around every corner, these past few nights have been a nonstop source of stress and anxiety.

What's worse, he's been separated from his closest friends, so he can't ascertain their current situations at any given moment.

Giyuu could slowly feel the weariness bite into his bones and chew out the flesh, as if he's aged more in these past few days than he had in the preceding couple of years.

As of now, he's just glad that it will all be over soon; he's confident that his friends have survived as well, so the final outcome will be a universally satisfactory one for him.

*Rustle*

In adherence to his heightened battle instincts, he immediately turned around, giving a sudden jerk to his sword such that its motion would nearly induce a lethal exposure to its sharp edge.

"Whoa, whoa, it's me," a familiar peach-haired boy appeared, putting his two hands up in the air to indicate that he was friendly.

"Oh, it's you," Giyuu said almost sardonically as he sheathed his Nichirin Blade.

"I haven't seen you since the fifth night," Sabito remarks.

"After that debacle with saving a group of incompetent slayers, I assumed you would've already given up your silly little quest to protect everyone on the mountain," Giyuu snapped back.

"You're still on about that?" said Sabito.

"Yes, I am, goddammit. Unnecessarily risking your fucking life like that," Giyuu replies scathingly.

"I'm not risking my life," Sabito counters, "I'm just doing what a true warrior would do—and what a true Demon Slayer is obligated to do."

"And what if you die, huh? Then what the fuck am I supposed to tell Makomo?" Giyuu touches on the subject of their dear comrade.

Sabito's brows furrow, "Don't bring her into this. Besides... I won't die."

"Really? Deliberately getting yourself pulled into high-risk confrontations just cause you want to save a life or two, wouldn't that definitely increase the likelihood of you getting injured or worse?" Giyuu casts doubt.

"If you can't save a life that you're perfectly capable of saving, then you're not worthy of becoming a demon slayer," Sabito defends.

Giyuu groans in frustration, "Listen, I agreed to your promise on the condition that you stay alive, bastard! If you want to protect Makomo, then don't do useless shit that increases your chances of dying!"

Sabito subsequently lets out a heavy sigh, "Alright, we're not getting anywhere with this—we've had this argument far too many times now."

"Rightfully so," Giyuu mutters.

Sabito tries his best to not be provoked by his best friend's offhand remarks, "Anyways, have you seen Makomo?"

"Not since the fourth night, you?" Giyuu answers.

"Not since last night."

"She shared her concerns about your plan with me," Giyuu notes.

"But she's also willingly supported me," Sabito rebukes.

"You're both idiots."

"We're all idiots one way or another, Giyuu," Sabito quips.

"Fair enough," Giyuu concedes.

"But I don't want you calling Makomo an idiot," Sabito suddenly glared.

"Ok, ok, calm down," Giyuu placates. "I get that you wanna defend your girlfriend and all—"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"But I thought you confessed already?" Giyuu questioned. "You said you were gonna confess before the Final Selection."

"Well..." Sabito mumbles.

"You got cold feet, didn't you?" Giyuu finishes.

"I said I would tell her something important after we pass the exam!" Sabito frantically explains.

"Coward."

"Oh fuck off."

"I'm not wrong, am I?" Giyuu jests.

"Look who's talking. You've never fallen for a girl!"

"Oh yeah, well if I did, then I would've done it better than your half-assed approach!"

"You probably wouldn't even notice if you were falling for a girl; SHE would be the one confessing first and then your unsocial ass would then assume that she meant it as a friend!" Sabito chuckles at the thought—because it was totally plausible.

"I'll prove you wrong then!" Giyuu exclaims.

"You really wanna do a dare in the middle of the Final Exam?" Sabito raises the unconventional starting point of this bet.

"If it means beating you, yeah," said Giyuu.

"You know, Giyuu, sometimes I wonder if you're only quiet around everyone UNTIL it comes to me and Makomo," Sabito comments.

"Can't help it," Giyuu replies, "cause you guys are my best friends."

Sabito smirks, "Likewise."

"Sh," Giyuu motions his friend to lay low.

They both kneel at a lower elevation.

"What's wrong?" Sabito whispers.

"There's something else here..." Giyuu quietly answers.

They sit still.

Nothing.

In the meanwhile, both Giyuu and Sabito unsheathe their swords from the scabbard.

A bead of sweat slowly descends from Giyuu's temple as the hushed, eerie vicinity gives no consolation to his perturbed state of mind.

Then, it hit him.

"Behind!" Sabito hastily did an about-face.

As he did, a demon emerged from the nearby bushes, "RAAH!!"

Before either Sabito or Giyuu could effectively respond, however, another player joined the game.

WHOOSH

A small, petite girl moved nimbly through the densely-packed trees at an imperceptible speed.

And, right as the demon disclosed itself from the foliage, she leaped from the branches and into the fray—her body set aloft.

'Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin,' she invokes as she jumps downwards from this elevated position, which further augmented her strike.

SLASH

Performing a vertical slash along a flowing motion, she decapitates the demon in an instant and alights on the ground.

Sabito's eyes widened, "Makomo?"

Makomo, after completing her maneuver, promptly sheathes her Nichirin Blade and looks back with a grin.

"I could hear you guys, you know? You shouldn't be too loud around here," she lightly chastises her two comrades.

Giyuu elbows Sabito in a gesture of disapproval.

"What the fuck?" Sabito mutters to his friend.

"It's your fault," Giyuu answers nonchalantly.

Makomo giggles, "Bantering as always. It's good to see you guys doing well."

"Yeah, same here," Giyuu grins.

"Happy to see you, Makomo," Sabito smiled cheerfully.

Makomo then inadvertently blushed at Sabito's statement, "Y-You too..."

Seeing Makomo redden also caused Sabito's face to flush bashfully, "Y-Yeah..."

It wasn't too long ago that Sabito implicitly confessed to Makomo, after all.

Giyuu watched his two comrades with incredulity, 'Get married already.'

"Ahem," Giyuu clears his throat, undoubtedly with the intention to wipe the awkwardness away from the conversation, "we should probably get moving."

"Right!" Makomo said, slightly startled.

"Of course," Sabito comported himself.

Giyuu exhaled, "You guys make it too obvious."

"What was that?" Sabito inquired.

"Nothing," Giyuu replied, "let's get going."

"Should we head west or east?" Makomo asks.

"Hm..." Sabito ponders. "North."

"That wasn't even an option..." Giyuu was at a loss.

"Sounds good," Makomo concurs.

"Of course you agree," said Giyuu.

"Oi, watch your mouth," Sabito scolds.

"Yeah, yeah," Giyuu yields, albeit with hints of sarcasm.

"Alright, less arguing and more moving," Makomo reminds her comrades as she begins to trek.

"Alright then, let's get going," Giyuu was about to follow.

Until...

*Jerk*

Sabito grabbed him by the shoulder, halting his movement.

"Don't forget about our promise," he says.

Giyuu pauses for a few seconds, his countenance remaining staid and expressionless, before he finally speaks: "And don't forget about my condition."

Sabito grins, "Like that's ever gonna happen."

And they begin walking.

..

..

..

..

..

..

Sabito slowly opened his eyelids, his body felt heavy with intermittent bouts of pain stinging his body.

He did fall from a terrible height, after all.

The peach-haired boy groaned as he tried to lift himself up, upraising himself to an upright posture whilst still perched on the ground.

*Crack*

He felt his hand touching a collection of small, durable materials.

Glancing to his side, he observes his Warding Mask irreparably shattered into a multitude of pieces.

And it was thus that his face was finally revealed to the world. His signature peach-ish scar—which donned a more horizontal lining than vertical—that ran from the right corner of his mouth and cheek, and his eyes that were almost cat-like with irises of a grayish lavender color.

No longer was he hiding behind that mask.

As he sits there, he begins to dwell upon the significance of the mask.

It was gifted to him by Urokodaki Sakonji just prior to the Final Selection... alongside his best friends Tomioka Giyuu and Makomo...

Makomo...

Memories of an unfamiliar past begin to swell within his head.

Laughter. Smiles. Camaraderie. Promises.

And feelings.

His heart aches at the reminiscence, at the loss of hope, and the loss of innocence.

Makomo... She was at the center of it all...

Sabito smiles at the thought of her. Her name engenders all sorts of emotions within him. But, most of all, the beating of his heart told him that she was someone he ought to treasure the memory of.

She must've been important to you, Zaiaku-kan wonders—he was learning more and more about this vassal to which he currently sojourns.

And indeed she was.

"Makomo..." he said wistfully.

..

..

..

..

The evening dusk was falling rapidly, giving way to the starry night sky.

But, as this crepuscular twilight faded beyond the horizon, the sun still stubbornly reached its head out of the border between the heavens and the Earth.

Two people stood, both looking at the setting sun in the distance.

"You said you wanted to talk, Sabito," Makomo is the first to speak.

She turns to him, a look of concern manifesting, "Is something the matter?"

"Makomo..." Sabito spoke firmly, his eyes still gazing at the orange hue of the sun.

"Yes?"

Sabito then turns to her, and he promptly clasps both of her hands with his own.

Red tints appear on Makomo's cheeks, "S-Sabito...?"

Sabito stared boldly into her eyes, his own evoking a pure, passionate emotion for his interlocutor, "Makomo... I..."

"Y-Yes?" Makomo felt like her heart could jump out of her chest at a moment's notice.

Both of them were holding their breaths.

This was the perfect time, indeed. Just days before they set off for the Final Selection exam, it's not a guarantee that they will return—even though they are confident in their abilities.

So, this is a sort of last chance to tie up loose ends.

"How long have we known each other?" Sabito suddenly asks.

"I-I think since Urokodaki-sensei adopted us, so over eight years now..." Makomo murmurs coyly.

"And you've been with me all the way... We've done everything together after all these years..." Sabito expounds.

Makomo smiles, "That's right."

"Right... so, uhm, what I wanted to say is..." Sabito stumbled through his words.

"Yes...?" Makomo inched closer in anticipation.

Sabito took a deep breath, "... Close your eyes."

Makomo's heart rate was exceeding the speed limit by orders of magnitude, "... ok.."

She closes her eyes.

As she eagerly awaited for something in particular to happen, Makomo felt as if she could pass out from the suspense.

Then, she felt something light on her head.

"You can open your eyes now," Sabito gives the clear.

She slowly raises her eyelids, only to see Sabito holding up a small mirror.

Then, as she more closely scrutinized the image before her, she bore witness to a crown of flowers resting on her head.

With the stems weaved between the adjacent stem, a web of interlocking flowers adorned with pink blooms and white daisies created a delightful sight—the sight of a pretty girl being crowned with the most gorgeous headdress.

"Sabito... It's... wonderful!" She immediately hugged him.

"C-Calm down, M-Makomo!" Sabito said sheepishly.

"I love it so much, thank you!" She tightened her embrace.

Sabito finally relaxed and gently accepted the loving gesticulation, "That's... Good to hear."

He returns the hug.

"Thank you for making this... it means a lot to me," she adds tenderly.

Sabito's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this.

But then he realized something: 'Wait, now I can't say that Giyuu helped me make this... that would ruin the mood... Sorry Giyuu, your sacrifice will be an honorable one!'

"Makomo," Sabito spoke softly, "what I've been meaning to say is..."

Makomo lifted her head, her face comfortably close to his, "Yes, Sabito?"

She smiled lovingly.

He finally mustered the courage, "Once the Final Selection is over... I want to tell you something important... something I've been keeping with me all this time."

"Sabito..." Makomo said, breathless.

"Is that... okay?" Sabito asks hesitantly.

Makomo's visage softens, "Of course... It's a promise, okay?"

Sabito smiles, "Yes... it is."

..

..

..

..

"Wake up," a hardened voice calls from afar.

It was the Water Hashira. The bandages hitherto wrapped around Giyuu's head have been loosened and completely removed; his forehead is now riddled with blood stains.

His countenance evinced an expression of anger and regret.

"She's no longer here. Makomo is dead..." The resonance of Giyuu's words reverberates throughout this empty chasm.

"You are dead... Sabito..." he adds solemnly.

Sabito's eyes widened.

..

"Of course... It's a promise, okay?"

..

Rage.

Rage at the loss of hope. Rage at the loss of innocence.

He grits his teeth.

Unbridled malice.

Malice towards the cruelty wrought upon him and his loved ones.

He slowly stands up on his two feet.

Hatred.

Irrational hatred for something he cannot fully comprehend, but one he knows and can easily sympathize with all too well—the raw feelings touched him closest to the inner sanctum of his soul.

Sabito doesn't know who should be rightfully punished.

But he knew who he could direct his anger towards.

"Giyuu..." he snarls.

"We're the only ones who can stop us now..." Giyuu says stoically.

"RAH!" Sabito lets out a battle cry as he charges and raises his blade.

CLANG CLANG CLANG

Giyuu parries MOST of the strikes, but not all.

SLASH

Sabito manages to incur upon the enemy a left diagonal cut that lacerated his torso.

CLANG CLANG CLANG

However, as with Giyuu, Sabito couldn't parry all of the attacks either.

SLASH

Giyuu tears up the enemy with a diagonal cut along their torso, returning the favor in kind.

The Water Hashira then attempts to kick the enemy, but he fails in doing so as Sabito deftly avoids the assault.

Before Giyuu can readjust his battle stance, however, Sabito lunges forward.

BASH

He grabs Giyuu by the head, simultaneously locking him in place and disorienting him.

Then, with the Kashira (Pommel) of his sword's hilt, Sabito smacks Giyuu straight in the stomach and sends him flying a couple of meters into the distance.

BAM

"ACH!" Giyuu recoils from the pain as he is sent airborne.

BANG

He lands on his back, supinated to the floor.

But, upon crashing landing, Giyuu has little time to waste; he's already lost the initiative, and, what's worse, he's in a strategically exposed position at the moment.

As such, Sabito wastes no time in immediately attacking this vulnerable Water Hashira.

WHOOSH

He sprints to Giyuu's location, who was still stuck to the ground.

Sabito then extends his arm and presses his blade forward at full speed.

JAB JAB

A cascade of blood abruptly spews out, like molten lava erupting from a volcano.

The loss of blood is immense, but it was not quite what Sabito was expecting.

To prevent the blade from hitting any vital points, and to minimize any potential losses, Giyuu placed his left arm between the blade's intended path and the rest of his body.

The resulting incision was actually just the sword sliding through his left forearm, which managed to blunt the momentum of the instrument—albeit, at the cost of a lot of blood.

Giyuu grunted as he struggled to hold the blade in place, with his arm shaking violently upon being dealt with the full might of Sabito's impale.

Of course, just using his forearm wasn't going to be enough to stop the blade. So, to further hamper the blade's trajectory, he used his right arm to reciprocate the enemy's deed: he stabbed Sabito's shoulder.

So the source of blood wasn't just Giyuu's forearm, but also Sabito's left shoulder.

An eye for an eye.

Still, it was a close call: the Kissaki (Point) of Sabito's katana was just centimeters away from making contact with Giyuu's eye.

To reverse this impasse, Giyuu subsequently kicks Sabito straight in the torso with full force, lobbing him across in the opposite direction.

BAM

"ACH!" Sabito's sword is pulled out of Giyuu's forearm, and, correspondingly, Giyuu's Nichirin Blade is removed from Sabito's shoulder.

Bang

Sabito lands on the floor, though not as harshly as the Water Hashria's previous alighting.

Both of them struggled to pull themselves up again; most of their energy had been drained in the previous segment of the battle, as they performed intricate dances and breathing techniques to overwhelm the enemy in the least amount of time possible.

Unfortunately for either of them, they were evenly matched. Thus, they had expended all of their reserves.

Now, they were starting to make minor, but fatal, mistakes: poor footing, misuse of swords, and lack of clarity in their strategies.

They were getting progressively worn out from constant fighting, not to mention the deep plunge into a lower-level chamber—both of which exacted plenty of injuries.

But they didn't care about any of that.

Because now, before them, stood their sworn rival, friend, and enemy.

And they were determined to win this. To win ownership over the guilt.

"ARRH!!" Sabito was the first to start running.

"AGGH!!" Giyuu followed.

They both raised their blades for another strike.

And then they swung, following through with their initial release at great velocities.

CLANG

To their surprise, the impact of the collision between the blades caused the weapons to undergo a sort of whiplash effect, whereby the swords were aggressively flung out of their hands—with the sheer force of the impact also inducing a kickback against their bodies as well, though not as much as the blades.

Both of them were now without weapons.

But that did not stop them.

"If we don't like something...!" Giyuu hastily raises his fist. "and we can't accept it...!"

BAM

He punches Sabito square in the face, launching him into yonder like a projectile.

"We'll have to stop it with our own fists!" Giyuu finishes.

*Drip* *Drip*

"Argh!" A deluge of blood continues to gush from Giyuu's wounds, causing him to wince in pain.

The Water Hashira pants heavily as he slowly recovers from the pulsating sensation.

"Sabito..." he growls. "How long will you keep using those eyes of yours... to look back at the past..."

"Ach..." Sabito slowly hoists himself up.

"Open those eyes wide now and take a good look..." Giyuu readies his fist for another blow. "The guy you've got to swing your first at..."

WHOOSH

He then sprints towards Sabito with his arm raised, "Is right here!!!"

Just seconds before Giyuu could land another hit, however, Sabito took the initiative and skillfully evaded the punch whilst moving closer towards him—leaving the Water Hashira's torso wide open for a thrashing.

BAM

Sabito proceeded to punch Giyuu right in the abdomen. But it wasn't just any hit: he targeted a specific area that was previously cut open by the diagonal slash he created along the Water Hashira's torso.

Therefore, upon impact with Sabito's clenched hand moving at terrific speeds, the wound was forced open even further—producing a sudden outpour of blood from the source.

"ARGH!" Giyuu coughed out blood and spittle.

"I can see that with my eyes closed!" Sabito gave an evil grin. "Giyuu!"

Thereafter, he kneed Giyuu in the chin, forcing the Water Hashira to become disoriented and lose the upper hand.

BAM

But Sabito wasn't done yet.

He then launched a series of powerful, concentrated pummels against the Water Hashira.

BAM

He thumped Giyuu's chest.

BAM

He punches Giyuu's face, blood promptly squirting out of his nose.

BAM

He smacks Giyuu's stomach, disturbing the wound once more.

He lifts his fist again, in anticipation of another blow.

But Giyuu had already composed himself.

Thus, as Sabito threw another punch, Giyuu blocked it with the palm of his hand, and redirected its momentum elsewhere.

Then, with his other hand, Giyuu propels it against Sabito's face.

BAM

He hits him right in the cheek.

But Sabito responds with an assailment against his rib cage.

BAM

Giyuu ignores the pain and instead launches another assault—this time against Sabito's own diagonal slash along HIS torso.

BAM

Sabito responds with a measure of his own.

BAM

Giyuu doesn't let that stop him.

BAM

BAM

BAM

BAM

BAM

BAM

The two exchanged powerful blows as if it were a ping pong match, with neither side willing to yield a single deficit of punches—the number of jabs delivered from each was to remain evenly numbered.

Blood and spittle spattered across the locality, creating small red puddles of human agony that any demon would've happily feasted on.

But not this one.

Because he was being driven by something more than hunger: revenge.

The anger contained within him was too much, and he needed to unleash its full form without any interference.

This was the perfect situation to do so.

*SLIP*

Using his head for once in this confrontation, Sabito utilizes his leg to trip the Water Hashira.

*Bang*

Giyuu lands on his back, but he was completely at the behest of Sabito.

*THROTTLE*

Employing his two hands, Sabito proceeds to strangle Giyuu with all his force, slowly but surely choking the life out of him.

"ACHCHCHC!!" Giyuu flailed his arms around, struggling to escape Sabito's grasp.

"Didn't you want this, Giyuu?" Sabito traunts. "Shouldn't you be happy with this?"

"ARACHCH!!!"

"After all, you wished to die yourself..."

"ACHCHCH!!!"

"Because of what happened on that fateful night..."

..

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..

..

"Ne, Sabito, Giyuu, don't you find it weird that there are no demons around here?" Makomo brings up.

"Now that you've mentioned it... yeah..." Sabito confirms.

"This is quite odd..." Giyuu cogitates. "In fact, with how many people camp at the summit—given that it's where you'll first see sunlight—-you would expect demons to be lurking around here."

"And this place doesn't feel right..." Makomo notes. "It's like there's something more sinister here..."

Sabito was about to speak up, until the trio would be made aware of the exact cause of this phenomenon.

"AHH!!" someone cried from thither.

All three young slayers turned to the source of this noise.

It was another participant, and he appeared to be running from something.

But, upon closer examination, the trio were horrified to see what exactly was chasing him.

It was a demonstrably large, veiny, and bulky monster with a green pigment, beady yellow eyes, and red-colored fingernails. But, more than that, its appearance evoked terror of the highest order: his multiple arms enclosed the entirety of his huge body, so much so that even his mouth was concealed behind the girthy arms. Furthermore, the demon appeared to not be walking but simply crawling his way toward the lone slayer, as he was too weighty in that respect.

It was like a walking amalgamation of different beings and demons, all combined to create this abomination of a failed art piece.

Never had the trio witnessed a creature so repulsive and, yet, so intimidating in appearance.

All three felt shivers up their spine at the mere sight of this ugly behemoth.

"What the hell is this?! They never said they'd be demons this big!!!" The young slayer shouted in fear and anguish, as he couldn't possibly escape the wrath of this demon.

Meanwhile, the trio remained frozen in place. Even Sabito, normally out to accomplish his goal of saving everyone, was having second thoughts upon seeing that beast.

In spite of the considerable distance existing between this 'Hand Demon' and the lone slayer, the demon easily concocted a remedy for this deficiency.

It pulled one of its arms outwards, which was then joined by a whole host of other arms, to create one coalesced limb.

This integrated limb then propelled outwards, projecting itself towards the lone slayer for it to snatch.

SWOOSH

But, before it could grab its prey, the trio finally leaped into action—knowing full well that the situation demanded immediate action, regardless of their fears or feelings.

'Second Form: Water Wheel,' Sabito performs a front flip, releasing a vertical slash in adherence to a circular path.

SLASH

He chops the arm off and lands comfortably on the ground, all the while maintaining a battle stance.

Giyuu joins him and assumes a battle stance.

"OH? What do we have here?" the Hand Demon, in his wretched guttural voice, spoke.

Makomo, meanwhile, tends to the lone slayer.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"N-No!" the boy cried out. "That monster is impossible to beat! Don't even try to fight it!"

"Tch," Sabito clicks his tongue, "if we let that thing continue to wander around here, then there will be too many lives at risk."

"But Sabito, it's the final night, wouldn't it be better to retreat for now? Since the likelihood of it killing more lives is not too low right now?" Giyuu objects.

"Giyuu, if we let this demon live, then we endanger not only the lives of the participants in this Final Selection exam but also the participants in future exams!" Sabito stood his ground.

"I'm going to let that happen, not when I can prevent it," he adds with determination.

"I agree with Sabito, we cannot let this monster threaten novice slayers freely with impunity," Makomo interjects, taking the peach-haired boy's side.

Seeing that Sabito won't budge and that Makomo was standing with him, Giyuu sighs, "Fine, let's win this then."

Sabito grinned, "Thanks, Giyuu."

..

..

..

..

..

..

"ACHCCH!!!" Giyuu desperately tried to pull Sabito's hands away from his neck, but his efforts were in vain.

"Our sworn enemy is right here!" Sabito yells. "Because of you, Makomo is dead! YOU are the person I must kill! ONLY THEN WILL I FIND PEACE!!"

Giyuu decided to switch tactics.

Seeing that Sabito's hands are locked in place, slowly choking him to death, he decides to proceed with another course of action.

BASH

The Water Hashira aggressively grasps Sabito by the temples.

Then, with one of his thumbs, he gouges out one of Sabito's eyes.

*SQUISH*

The eyeball popped thanks to Giyuu's assault, and a deluge of blood poured out of the resultant empty socket like a waterfall of sinister proportions.

"UGGGHHH!!" Sabito winced in pain.

As Giyuu predicted, the enemy extricated one of his hands from his neck in order to address the situation near his eyes—the enemy cannot afford to let the Water Hashira gouge out his remaining eye.

Sabito thence grabbed a firm hold on one of Giyuu's wrists. Meanwhile, Giyuu employed one of his hands—the one used to gouge out the eyes—to firmly clasp Sabito's hand that was still choking Giyuu.

But with half of the strength removed, Giyuu could more easily deal with the choking situation.

"ARRGGGHHHH!!!!" Sabito was simultaneously trying to choke Giyuu and pull the hand down from his temple.

"ARRRGGGGGG!!!!" Giyuu was concurrently trying to gouge Sabito's remaining eye out while also trying to remove Sabito's hand from his neck.

"ARRRRGHHHHH!!!!" Veins protrude from Sabito's temples and arms.

"ARRRGGHHH!!!!" Giyuu, similarly, oversaw veins emerging from his forehead and arms as well.

Then, finally, Giyuu headbutted the enemy—breaking this impasse.

BAM

Sabito staggered backward, creating enough room for Giyuu to kick him.

BAM

The enemy is projected from Giyuu and sent a few meters away.

*Bang*

Sabito lands on his stomach, prostrated and facing down on the ground.

"Haah... Haah..." Giyuu wheezes with great effort, his throat becoming raspy and constricted.

Sabito, meanwhile, was recovering from the missing eye and the unbelievable loss of blood from that.

But, truth be told, both sides were in a terrible position: they were all bloodied, bruised, lacerated, and sustained too many life-threatening injuries.

Both were exhausted beyond belief, and it was a chore to even stand up now.

This wasn't even a fight anymore; it was a savage Brawl between two wild beasts.

Still, they fought on.

Because their whole lives were leading up to this very moment; they were destined to resolve this matter not by dialogue but by blood.

There was to be no recourse, no salvation from this fate.

Because, no matter how much pain they might be undergoing now, the pain of the past is still worse.

They would rather fight like dogs than be reminded of that horrible past.

They would rather bleed to death than die from the weight of their guilt.

Because that's what their personalities, their history, and their bonds demand.

That they fight to the death.

"Giyuu..." Sabito calls out.

The Water Hashira is silent, but he gradually manages to hoist himself up on his two feet.

Sabito, likewise, is standing as well.

Both are panting heavily, catching their breaths.

"You've not only failed us, Giyuu... but you have also failed Kocho Shinobu," said Sabito.

Giyuu's bloodied face corrugates in response.

"The reason you interacted with her so much was because she reminds you... of your past self..." Sabito explains as he heaves through his breathing.

"You didn't want her to end up like you, because you knew just how self-destructive it would be..." he adds.

"..." Giyuu is still silent, yet retains his glare.

"Hahahaha..." Sabito chuckles. "And yet.... AND YET... YOU STILL FAILED!"

Giyuu grits his teeth and clenches his fist.

"From her suicidal plan to kill Douma to changing her personality, she became just as broken and morally inept as you!" Sabito continues in his harangue.

"But that wasn't the worst part..." Sabito abruptly quiets down. "No, the worst part was how you responded to that..."

"..."

Sabito smirks, "That's right... You. Did. Nothing. NOTHING! She was destroying herself! "AND YOU JUST WATCHED FROM AFAR! DOING NOTHING!"

Giyuu had enough of it, "DON'T BRING HER INTO THIS!!!"

"If you dare to insult her anymore... I will make sure you regret dying at my hands..." he snarls.

"Then don't avert your eyes. Clench your fist... Avenge Makomo," said Sabito.

Giyuu thence raises his clenched fist, preparing for another assailment.

"We can't point a blade at ourselves... But we've got someone far more tangible to cut and curse..." Sabito, in a similar fashion, raises his fist.

"I have you..." Sabito lifts his elbow, altering the predicted trajectory of the punch. "And you have me!"

WHOOSH

They both charge at each other.

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"More sweet foxes have come to me," the Hand Demon remarks maliciously. "And three of them! Lucky me!"

The trio had all assumed battle stances, ready at a moment's notice for any sudden movements.

"More?" Giyuu blurted.

"What is it talking about?" Sabito spoke.

"Stay focused," Makomo reminds the other two.

"Little fox cubs, what year of Meiji is it?" the Demon asks.

"Meiji 40," Giyuu answered.

"Oi, Giyuu...!" Sabito lambasts.

"Forty... FORTY!!!" the Hand Demon suddenly screams in anger. "DAMN YOU, UROKODAKI!! I'VE BEEN TRAPPED IN THIS PRISON FOR FORTY YEARS!! DAMN YOU, UROKODAKI!!"

"How does this overweight hunk of meat know Urokodaki-sensei..." Sabito glares.

"Because that's the bastard who captured me! Back when he was still hunting demons! FORTY YEARS!! I will never forget that day! It was the Edo Period during the Keio Era!" The Hand Demon continued his polemic speech against their master.

"Forty?" Makomo's eyes dilated with shock. "That's not possible, demons operating within Mount Fujikasane should only be those who ate just two or three humans..."

"And yet, I'm still alive. I've probably eaten around forty to fifty of you brats!" the Hand Demon openly flaunts.

"Forty?!" Sabito nearly yells.

"Impossible..." Makomo mutters.

"..." Giyuu was silent, but alert—he knew this demon was bad news from the moment they first saw it.

"Ten... Eleven..." The Demon suddenly counts. "That makes the three of you twelve, thirteen, and fourteen!!!"

"What?" Sabito asked in confusion.

"Hehehe!!" The Hand Demon giggles balefully. "That's how many of Urokodaki's disciples I've eaten! I promised myself to kill every last one of them!"

Veins emerge on each of the trio's temples.

"Those fox masks! All of his disciples wear them! I can recognize the designs Urokodaki carves because they're the same style as his tengu mask!" it explains with great pleasure.

"Warding masks, huh? What a load of nonsense! I ate them BECAUSE of the Warding Mask they wore! They're all here, in my belly—it's as if Urokodaki fed them to me!!!" The Demon hurled an irredeemable offense to their beloved teacher.

"You bastard..." Sabito growls.

"How dare you..." Makomo mutters, her voice shaking.

"HOW DARE YOU INSULT UROKODAKI-SENSEI!!!" Giyuu raced forward.

Sabito and Makomo immediately followed.

"LET'S PLAY THEN!!!" The Hand Demon summons a plethora of arms and—in one singular maneuver—releases them all at once.

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH

The bulky arms propelled themselves toward the trio, forcing them to disperse and deal with the arms in their own manner.

'Third Form: Flowing Dance,' Giyuu swings his Nichirin Blade along a winding motion.

Then, dancing in flowing movement, he slices everything in his path.

SLASH SLASH SLASH

He manages to slice off a couple of the arms, allowing him to continue lunging toward the Hand Demon at full speed.

Makomo, meanwhile, leaps into the air.

'Ninth Form: Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent!' she begins slashing each of the incoming arms, even as she lacked a solid foothold.

SLASH SLASH SLASH

Using her nimble and agile movements, she swiftly approaches the Hand Demon at the same pace as Giyuu.

'Fourth Form: Striking Tide,' Sabito remains on the ground, just like Giyuu.

He undertakes a series of slashes in a flowing motion to unleash a multitude of consecutive strikes.

SLASH SLASH SLASH

He, too, is successful in cutting off most of the arms.

Except for one, that is.

BAM

The arm punches his entire body, and he is sent airborne.

"ARGH!" he yelps in pain.

BANG

His back crashes through the trunk of a relatively large tree, temporarily disorientating him and keeping him out of the field of battle.

"SABITO!" Makomo shouts in concern for her comrade, but he doesn't respond.

Meanwhile, Giyuu spots a potential opening.

'I need to end this quickly... I'll have to take the risk!" He jumps into the designated spot and aims his sword.

He can end this now.

He WILL end this now.

And everyone will go home together.

Sabito and Makomo will be together at last!

And they will all join the Demon Slayer Corps!

Giyuu will do everything in his power to ensure that future!

'First Form: Water Surface Sla—" he was about to begin.

Until...

"Giyuu! Don't! IT'S A TRAP!" Makomo yelled.

Giyuu quickly looked to his sides; he was surrounded by a myriad of arms.

And he was still midair, so there's no way he could possibly make it out.

He's toasted.

'Ah... I'm going to die here, aren't I?' He was beginning to accept his fate.

But fate had something else in store for him.

*KICK*

He was kicked by Makomo.

"M-Makomo...!" Giyuu's eyes widened.

"Please protect Sabito..." she smiles.

"N-No! Makomo!" Giyuu tried to reach out to her, but he was already falling along this arc-like path.

*BANG*

He smashed against a tree.

It was around this time that Sabito regained his consciousness.

Possibly the worst time he could have.

Because, once Sabito was standing, and Giyuu had landed, they bore witness to a horrifying and tragic image.

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BAM BAM

They had both punched each other.

And they both hacked out blood.

But, Giyuu hastily recovered from the punch, and he kicked Sabito straight in the stomach before he could lunge at him.

BAM

Sabito falls to the ground, but he doesn't stop either.

Using his lower altitude disposition to his advantage, Sabito trips Giyuu once more.

*Bang*

Giyuu falls on his back, supinated to the floor once again.

But Sabito is relentless.

Instead of permitting the Water Hashira from getting up, Sabito punches him back down with all his readily available force and might.

"RAAH!" Sabito yells as he makes powerful, trenchant pummels against the Giyuu's temples.

BAM

CRACK

As he punches Giyuu straight in the temples, the collision against the Water Hashira's head creates a large indent on the rocky floor.

"RAAAAH!" His second punch, with the same target—Giyuu's temples.

BAM

"RAAUGHH!" His third punch.

BAM

"AUUGHH!!" His fourth punch.

BAM

"AUUGHH!!" His fifth punch.

BAM

"AUUGHH!!" His sixth punch.

BAM

"AUUGHH!!" His seventh punch.

BAM

"AUUGHH!!" His eight punch.

BAM

Each punch carried more power than the previous, and each shout was simultaneously fraught with unbridled malice and an intense cry for help.

Blisters were beginning to form along Sabito's knuckles, but he did not stop.

Giyuu was completely at the mercy of this brutal, animalistic onslaught.

"AUUGHH!!" Sabito was about to undertake his ninth punch.

Except, Giyuu—by some miracle—happened to be conscious enough to parry this next attack.

Using both of his fists, Giyuu conducted an upper-cut against Sabito's chin, finally bringing the initiative back to his side.

BAM

Blood and spittle gush out of Sabito's mouth in large numbers.

The Water Hashira then launches another strike straight against his chest.

BAM

Then, with enough distance created, he finishes with a powerful kick that ejects Sabito away from him.

BAM

*Bang*

Sabito lands face-first.

Giyuu, meanwhile, was incredibly dizzy—so much so that he felt like vomiting at any given moment.

*Drip* *Drip*

He could feel the blood oozing out of his head, given how the sheer degree of damage incurred in that particular spot.

But he can not give up here.

He slowly crawls over to his Nichirin Blade, which was still lying on the floor after being flung away a while back.

Still stuck to the ground, he gently grabs the hilt with his right hand.

He can't give up here. He has no right to do so.

He never did.

With that nauseating thought in mind, he pulls himself up with every last ounce of his energy.

"RRRAAAAHHH!!!" He uplifts his entire, broken body—his Nichirin Blade now equipped.

Then, from the cloud of dust emerged Sabito, and he too had a sword in his hand.

"GIYUU!!!!" he came running.

Giyuu readies his blade.

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"MAKOMO!!!" Sabito shouted at the top of his lungs. "NOOOOO!!!!!!"

"HEHEH!!" The Hand Demon laughed. "She really was acting on emotions there! How foolish, I thought Urokodaki taught his students better!"

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!" Sabito raised his blade, tears welling in the corners of his eyes.

'Tenth Form: Constant Flux!!!!' Sabito summons the Blue Dragon of the Seas.

"HEHEH!!" The Hand Demon unleashes a flurry of arms.

Giyuu, meanwhile, was still in a state of shock, "Makomo... She died... Trying to save me... Makomo!"

He subsequently tries to move, but he is met with this unadulterated pain in his abdomen and legs.

"ARGH!" There was a large cut along his stomach, and it was leaking blood.

Furthermore, he had several broken bones in his legs.

He was in no condition to fight.

SLASH SLASH SLASH

Sabito, on the other hand, was racing towards the Hand Demon at astonishing speeds—slashing everything that dared to interrupt his path.

"RAGGHHH!!!" Sabito was cutting through everything as if it were butter.

"Oi, oi, oi, how can a mere kid be this strong?! I'm throwing everything at you!!" The Hand Demon was beginning to panic.

Giyuu, meanwhile, was trying to pull himself up: "ARRGGHH!!!!"

But it was of no avail.

SLASH SLASH SLASH

SLASH SLASH SLASH

SLASH SLASH SLASH

As if there were no resistance at all, Sabito had reached the Hand Demon before it had even noticed.

The Hand Demon was sweating, losing its nerve over this mere kid—much less a student of his sworn enemy, Urokodaki Sakonji—exhibiting tremendous power and natural abilities by systematically destroying each one of his arms without ostensibly breaking a sweat.

Giyuu placed his faith in his friend, hoping that—by some divine intervention—that he would be able to decapitate this wretched, disgusting, good-for-nothing, fucking creature.

Sabito then violently swung his Nichirin Blade at the Demon, seeking to kill it once and for all.

CRACK

The upper portion of Sabito's Nichirin Blade couldn't cut through the demon's protective layer near the neck; in fact, this portion shattered completely upon impact.

His eyes dilated with distress and terror.

Giyuu's eyes dilated with fear.

"HAHAH!!! YOU FOOL, NOTHING CAN CUT THROUGH MY HEAD!!!" The Hand Demon relished in another victory.

"SABITO!!!" Giyuu tries to lift himself up again.

'No, no, NO! This can't end like this... This can't... My promise... Our promise... No... NO!!! NOO!!!' Giyuu's mind ruptured into a million pieces.

"No... No... Don't..." Giyuu pleads.

Sabito looks back at Giyuu, his face still expressing shock.

"No... please don't... Please!" Giyuu whimpers.

..

"And even if we weren't friends back then, we are your friends now," Makomo reassures.

"That's right," Sabito agreed.

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"... Don't say that you wish to die. You better stay alive. This coming from someone who wants you to stay alive..." Sabito frowned.

"This is coming from your best friend, Giyuu," he asserted gently.

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"I'll do it if you also promise me one thing," Giyuu alludes to Sabito's request.

"And what's that?"

"Don't die."

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Sabito smiles warmly.

And then he says something, but Giyuu couldn't pick it up.

"PLEASE STOP!!!!" Giyuu screams.

SLICE

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CLANG

"RRAAAAAH!!!!" Giyuu roars.

"RRRAAAAH!!!!" Sabito cries out.

BOOM

The impact between the blades induces a shock effect, whereby the surrounding environment undergoes tremendous damage as a result of this singular collision.

The two fighters are at a stalemate between the blades again.

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"Sabito... Makomo..." Tears swell in his eyes.

"Ah... Ah...." Giyuu clutches his head. "Not again... Not again... Not again... Not again..."

"AH! What's this, I almost forgot about you!" The Hand Demon crawls over to Giyuu.

"Not again... Not again... Not again... Not again... Not again..." Giyuu repeats over and over.

"It seems like you've lost your mind!! What if I were to tell you that you could join your friends again!" The Hand Demon mocks.

"Not—..." Giyuu stops.

"You can meet them again... in my belly! Hehehehe!"

"AHHHH!!!!!" Giyuu begins simultaneously sobbing and screaming for his life. "AAAHHHH!!!!"

He then makes a run for it, even as his legs and torso were viciously bleeding as if there was no tomorrow.

"Well, lucky for you, it's almost dawn, so I can't be bothered chasing you!!" The Hand Demon yells from afar. "Oh! Send a message to Urokodaki! Tell him that I will kill every one of his precious students! I will do it forever! Tell him that!"

But Giyuu wasn't listening anymore.

Instead, he was screaming, crying, sobbing, wailing, whatever is the appropriate term in this instance.

"AHHHH!!!" His mind was falling into shreds.

Memories of not only his two best friends, but also Tsutako, Eito, his late Father, the bullies from school, the funeral, and many more.

They all came rushing into his fragile mind.

He has failed again.

There was no doubt about it.

He has failed.

And there will be no second chances this time.

Because he's too incompetent to even protect what he loves.

He's a failure.

He doesn't deserve to live.

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"I don't deserve to be a Hashira..."

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SKKKRTTT

The two were still locked in this impasse.

At least, that's what they assumed.

Slowly but surely, Giyuu's superior Nichirin Blade was carefully chipping away Sabito's simple blade.

And, soon enough, it eventually did.

CRACK

Sabito's blade fractured, with the top half being sliced off.

To prevent Giyuu from slashing the rest of his body, Sabito used his arm as a shield.

SLIT

With his forearm in the way, Giyuu's Nichirin Blade was stuck once more—except with a much weaker foe this time, as flesh can never be compared to the metal.

But, with the bottom half of his blade still available, Sabito proceeds to stab Giyuu.

JAB

The half-blade impales Giyuu in the abdomen.

And he pushed in further, squeezing and twisting the flesh with his half-sword so as to make Giyuu bleed more profusely.

And while Giyuu ignored this sudden pain, Sabito correspondingly ignored the fact that the Water Hashira's Nichirin Blade was gradually slicing through his forearm.

Thus, this created another impasse: Giyuu trying to stab through Sabito's forearm, and Sabito trying to exact a toll by piercing Giyuu's abdomen.

And yet, they still pressed on.

With blood-shot eyes and veins protruding from all over the peripheries of their faces, they continued to fight irrespective of their physical conditions.

They weren't thinking anymore; they just wanted blood.

"RRRAAAAHHH!!!!!" Sabito pressed the blade in further.

"RRRAAHHHHHH!!!!!" Giyuu added more pressure to the forearm laceration process.

Pools of blood were splattering about, but neither side cared much.

After all, both have turned into literal beasts craving blood.

The outcome of the battle is no longer a question of who wins or loses, but who actually manages to survive at the conclusion with the injuries they've sustained.

*DRIP* *DRIP*

Blood drops from the abdomen and from the forearm are ceaseless.

"RRRAAAHHHHH!!!!" Giyuuu has both hands on the hilt, not giving a care for the sword stuck to his stomach.

"RRRRAAHHHH!!!!!" Sabito, similarly, couldn't care less about the fact that his arm is steadily being cleaved.

And, like with his blade, it soon did as well.

SLASH

Sabito's arm is chopped off.

But the abruptness of this development causes both fighters to recoil from the sudden exertion of force.

Sabito is forced to let go of his half-blade, leaving it stuck to Giyuu's abdomen.

They both fall to the ground.

BANG BANG

But that doesn't stop them.

As if the punching, the slicing, the jabbing, the choking, and the gouging weren't enough, they keep going.

"RAAAHHHH!!!" Giyuu almost immediately upraises himself and sprints towards Sabito.

In the absence of his blade, Sabito instead picks up the Kissaki (Point)—a shard of the upper-half that was previously torn off.

"RRAAAHHHH!!!" With a mere piece of a whole blade in his hands, Sabito confronts Giyuu again.

JAB JAB

Giyuu uses his longer Nichirin Blade to strike Sabito along his entire torso, since it was wide open for him.

Sabito, meanwhile, stabs Giyuu right in the shoulder.

Thereafter, he begins to pull the shard down along Giyuu's old wounds—hoping that it would open up his wounds just like how the Water Hashira is opening up his at the moment.

"RAAAAUGHHH!!!!"

"RRAUUUUGHH!!!!"

"ARRRRGGGGG!!!

"ARGGRRGGHHGHG!!!"

With nothing but battle cries to throw at each other, they continue to try to kill the other.

Their roars, however, belie a more delicate side.

The side that yearns to rekindle their old friendship again. The side that wishes to banter about innocuous things again, train together again, make a competition out of everything again, and to be with Makomo again.

They both wanted it.

But, alas, reality is cruel and tragedies cannot ever be reserved.

So, as the voices faded, the innocence was lost.

The soft whimpers of the past had gone unheeded, and now there only existed guilt in that hollowed space.

Guilt.

Guilt for everything.

But, alas, they cannot express that.

Because they are the best of friends.

So they must always do it the hard way.

Such a tacit agreement forms the bonds of their timeless friendship. 

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So this fight took HEAVY inspiration from a fight in Gintama 

And I stole a bunch of images from that, as always :D

Just a head's up, btw, the next chapter will be the "season finale" (is that what you would call it? Idk)