Kasumi's cyan eyes are locked with Suiryu's, pointing a sword at him.
Suiryu clears his throat, swallows hard, slightly scared of facing him. "Even though he's just a kid… I can't underestimate him… He's already physically stronger than those Hashiras."
Suiryu and Kasumi slowly approach each other.
They begin to circle each other, slowly and deliberately, like predators sizing up their prey.
"Tell me, what's your age?" Kasumi asks, his voice unwavering.
"It's none of your business… but I'm 51 years old."
"Oh, 51 years old?"
Kasumi smirks, he thinks. "I was 25 years old when I died in the Sengoku Era. In the Taisho Era, I was 14. And right now, I'm 12. That makes it 51 years old in total. Technically, we both are at the same age."
Without any warning, they both rushed at each other with blinding speed.
Kasumi instantly appears behind him, striking at his neck.
Suiryu turns around, catches his blade mid-air with one hand. "Impressive! You're quick—"
Kasumi's grip tightens on his katana. "MIST BREATHING, THIRD FORM: SCATTERING MIST SPLASH"
Kasumi twists, slicing through his fingers, then spins, carving a deep slash across Suiryu's chest before landing smoothly.
"Thank you, but I don't need compliments from my opponent."
Suiryu wastes no time and punches at him, but Kasumi slips away effortlessly, flipping backward and sidestepping each blow like a shadow.
They both leap back, keeping a distance between them.
They both glare simultaneously, giving each other a death stare.
">———BLOOD DEMON TECHNIQUE: SUNFIRE BEAM———<"
A scorching torrent of flames erupts from his palm, surging toward Kasumi like a dragon's breath, turning the battlefield into a furnace.
Kasumi remains unfazed.
"MIST BREATHING, FIFTH FORM: SEA OF CLOUDS AND HAZE!"
He vanishes into the thick mist, his form flickering like a mirage as he weaves through the inferno in a rapid zigzag, the heat licking at his skin but never reaching him.
Suiryu's eyes widened. "Where did he—?!"
Before he can finish, Kasumi materializes in front of him, his katana already mid-swing.
SLICE!
A flash of steel
A spray of blood
Suiryu stumbles back, clutching his wrist as his hand splits open, the searing flames from his attack extinguishing in an instant.
">———BLOOD DEMON TECHNIQUE: BLUEFIRE FIST———<"
Suiryu punches his face with his other hand, this time Kasumi couldn't stop his attack.
The fist strikes his face with a brutal force, throwing him away, crashing him onto the ground, making him bounce like a ragdoll.
Suiryu laughs maniacally, "Look at yourself, you're already down. You're not different from those Hashiras that I've defeated. Do you really think you can defeat me?"
Kasumi stands up easily, wiping away his blood spilling from his lips. He smirks, "Maybe I had just underestimated you a bit…"
Suiryu gritted his teeth, "Underestimated me?!"
Kasumi says in a confident tone, "You've heard it right. I thought that a hippopotamus like you couldn't even touch me, but you're a bit stronger than I thought."
A cloud-like demon slayer mark appears on his cheeks. "It's my second time fighting the Upper Moon 5. This one is even stronger than the former one."
Kasumi smirks, his cyan eyes are glowing in the dark forest. In an instant—
He vanishes.
A sharp whoosh—
His blade is mere inches from severing Suiryu's neck.
">———BLOOD DEMON TECHNIQUE: EXPLOSIVE FIREBLAST———<"
BOOM!
A fiery explosion erupts between them, the shockwave tearing through the forest. Trees splinter, the earth trembles, and thick smoke swallows the battlefield whole.
Then—
shing, shing, shing!
Through the swirling dust, flashes of silver cut the air. Kasumi's blade strikes with terrifying speed, each slash carving into Suiryu's flesh. The sheer force of the attacks splits the smoke apart, revealing a bloodied Suiryu gasping in pain.
Before he can react—
Slash!
Kasumi appears beside him, his blade carving cleanly through Suiryu's arm. Blood splatters across Kasumi's face, but he doesn't flinch.
"Using an explosive and foggy technique against a Mist Breathing user?" Kasumi flicks the blood off his katana. "That's the dumbest mistake you could make."
Suiryu snarls, his fury igniting. With his remaining arm, he swings a punch powerful enough to shatter boulders.
Kasumi doesn't even blink.
At the last second, he simply vanishes.
Suiryu's punch smashes into empty air.
Meanwhile,
Near a secluded Demon Slayer hideout, Ren arrives in silence. Moonlight bathes the clearing as he gently sets his injured friends down—Ai, Chikafusa, and the others, their wounds deep, their breathing faint. His touch is careful, yet his presence remains unshaken, calm as ever.
His gaze is still soft, his presence as calm as ever.
Suddenly, he hears similar footsteps.
A deep voice called him from behind, "So you're finally back, Hajime."
————
Kenzo Fuji
The Stone Hashira
Age - 29
————
Ren Hajime turns behind, looking at Kenzo Fuji's colossal form, 7'4 feet. He says in a calm tone, "Long time no see, Fuji-San…"
"You've grown so much in these years," another voice echoed beside him, this time an old and calm voice.
Ren slowly looks at the other slayer with a soft gaze, "Agatsuma-San…"
——————
Zenitsu Agatsuma
The Thunder Hashira
Age - 60
——————
Zenitsu stands before him, his once-bright hair now completely white, his skin weathered with time. Yet his golden eyes remain as warm as ever, carrying the wisdom of decades.
"Tell me, are you planning to join the corps again?"
Ren slowly shakes his head, "No, I can't… I just came here to rescue my friends."
Zenitsu faintly smiles, "I won't ask you why you left the corps... I know there must be a big reason behind it… But let me tell you one thing…
Oyakata-Sama is dead."
Ren's eyes widened, his jaw slightly dropped. But he calms himself down. He takes a deep breath and asks in a soft voice, "I knew it… He was already 30 when I left the corps… And that curse killed him... Did he say something about me..? I hope my absence didn't cause so much trouble."
"Trouble? Don't you understand what's happened yet?" Kenzo's voice was heavy, firm.
Ren shook his head, eyes downcast, avoiding his gaze.
Kenzo stepped closer, his large hand gripping Ren's shoulder, not harshly, but with the weight of everything left unsaid.
"Hajime… since you left the Corps, everything has changed. And not for the better." His voice was steady, but beneath it, there was something deeper—frustration, sorrow. "Oyakata-sama wanted to see you until his last breath. He was saying your name even as he faded away. Do you understand what that means? He was waiting for you, Hajime. He had something important to tell you, something only you could hear. But you weren't there."
Kenzo exhaled sharply, shaking his head. "And it wasn't just him. Many of your comrades, your friends, have died. While you were gone, while you were out there doing whatever it is you think is more important, people who believed in you, who fought alongside you, fell. And you weren't there."
His grip tightened for a brief second before he let go, taking a step back.
"Do you even know what people say about you now? Some think you're nothing more than an urban legend, a ghost that never existed. And those who do believe in you?" His eyes darkened. "They think of you as a traitor."
Kenzo's voice was firm, unwavering. "This isn't good, Hajime. Not for you. Not for the Corps. Not for anyone."
Ren stood still, silent, avoiding Kenzo's gaze. The weight of unspoken words hung between them like a suffocating fog.
And finally, in a voice so soft, so broken it barely seemed like his own, he spoke.
"I'm terribly sorry for everything… I shouldn't have left the Corps. Especially when I already knew Oyakata-sama didn't have much time left."
He lifted his gaze, meeting Kenzo's eyes with an expression that wasn't quite regret, nor grief—just something empty, something worn.
"But there was nothing I could do at that time. Every demon was after me. Everyone wanted me dead. And even now… The new Demon King is after me. The Twelve Kizuki are after me. Muzan Kibutsuji is after me. So tell me, Fuji-san… how was I supposed to stay? How could I put everyone else in danger just by existing?
All I ever did was protect my friends. My comrades. I sacrificed my comfort, my own dream—to live peacefully." A bitter smile flickered at the corner of his lips, gone as fast as it appeared. "But what did I get in return? Nothing. Just more blood, more suffering. I thought I was doing the right thing, but all I did was make things worse.
And the worst part? It's not even my fault. It's that Upper Moon 3 who twisted the truth, who made the world believe I was dead. And now, what am I? A living threat. A disaster waiting to happen. It doesn't matter if I stay or leave... the demons will hunt the Corps as long as I breathe.
My own friends, my comrades, even my enemies… they all blame me. And no one even tries to understand."
...
I've already lost everything, Fuji-san. The only thing I have left is myself. And even that… isn't worth much."
He inhaled slowly.
"I'm sorry for being a burden on everyone. I'm sorry, Fuji-san… I'm sorry, Oyakata-sama…"
Tears streamed down Kenzo's face. The stone Hashiras have always been the most sensitive individuals.
Zenitsu breaks the silence with a calm voice. "No, Hajime. We don't blame you for anything. You've always been our savior. Even if the world doesn't trust you, we do. Even somewhere in heaven, Oyakata-Sama still trusts you."
Ren smiles faintly, his eyes still as calm as ever. He murmurs, "Thank you…"
Now,
On the battlefield again, Suiryu and Kasumi are still fighting.
The fight between Kasumi and Suiryu raged on, both refusing to yield.
Suiryu snarled, rage burning in his molten eyes. His fingers dug deep into the earth.
"Let's end this battle once and for all!"
>———BLOOD DEMON TECHNIQUE: ULTIMATE VOLCANIC ERUPTION!———<
The mountain trembled. The ground cracked open like a beast awakening from its slumber. Lava spewed from every direction, turning the battlefield into an inferno. The air thickened with suffocating heat, waves of molten fire swallowing everything in sight.
"Now you have nowhere to run!" Suiryu roared, standing amidst the chaos.
A deafening explosion shook the land. The sky was painted in fiery red. The earth beneath them melted into lava.
But then—
"MIST BREATHING, SEVENTH FORM: OBSCURING CLOUDS."
Kasumi vanished.
A thick, swirling fog consumed the battlefield, clashing against Suiryu's fiery smoke. The temperature dropped drastically. The mist slithered through the burning landscape, an unnatural coldness against the scorching heat.
Suiryu's eyes darted around wildly. He clenched his fists, his muscles coiled like springs.
"Where—?"
A whisper of movement.
Behind him.
Suiryu spun, fist crashing into the mist—
Nothing.
His breath hitched.
Then—
SHINK!
A flash of silver.
Multiple swords tore into his body at once—
Blades impaled his limbs, pierced his chest, slashed through his joints. The force was relentless, merciless.
Suiryu's breath left him in a strangled gasp. His vision blurred. Blood gushed from his wounds, splattering across the molten battlefield.
His knees buckled. His body collapsed to the ground, blades burying deeper as he hit the molten earth.
"Arghh… tch—"
His body twitched, fingers clawing weakly at the burning dirt.
A shadow loomed over him.
Kasumi stood on his chest, his katana gleaming, poised for the final strike.
His cyan eyes burned with quiet, deadly resolve.
"Rest in hell forever."
A blur of silver—
With one clean, fluid motion—
Kasumi severed Suiryu's head.
His eyes widened in pure horror. His breath came in ragged gasps.
"N… No… NO…"
His body convulsed. His limbs trembled as cracks spread across his skin like fragile porcelain.
"It can't be…"
His flesh was turning to ashes.
"I… I lost… to a kid..?"
His voice wavered, disbelief twisting his face.
He was strong. He was chosen. This wasn't supposed to happen.
"W-Where is Lord Jigen…? He said he would help me…"
Desperation clawed at his mind. He tried to call out, but no voice came. He thought back to the moment his fate was sealed.
————————————————————————
From the moment he was born, his life was a nightmare.
A father who wasn't a father—a monster. A mother who never existed in his world.
Pain was his first memory. Abuse. Starvation. Torture.
His captor, the man he once called "father," forced him to take drugs, breaking his body and mind before he could even understand the meaning of life.
At 17, his world shattered. That man wasn't his father.
A thief had stolen him as a baby, a sick, twisted being who had used him as nothing more than a plaything.
Rage.
Unforgivable rage.
That night, he took a knife and carved the truth into his captor's flesh. The crime was his liberation.
But it wasn't enough. His bloodlust wouldn't stop. Couldn't stop.
He became a phantom in the criminal underworld, a shadow killer. Murder, theft, torture—nothing was beyond his reach. And yet, the law never caught him.
Until he met the real devil.
He was 21 when it happened.
An abandoned alley, soaked in filth. A place where death itself seemed to linger.
And then—
A presence.
A thing emerged from the shadows.
Jigen.
A tall, formless nightmare wrapped in the shape of a man.
He didn't walk. He simply appeared.
And when Suiryu looked into his crimson eyes, he saw something worse than death.
"By your mere appearance," Jigen's voice was deep, hollow, inhuman, "I can deduce you're a serial killer. A walking sin. An unforgivable criminal."
The words paralyzed him.
Suiryu felt fear.
Real fear.
His breath hitched. His skin grew cold despite the summer heat.
"W-Who are you..?" he stammered.
Jigen ignored him, stepping closer. The air itself grew heavier.
"Still… my worshippers, my secret organizations… they've done far worse than you could ever imagine."
Suiryu swallowed hard.
"D-Do you want to kill me..?"
Jigen's crimson gaze burned into his soul.
"You still have 30 more years to live. I have a deal for you."
The air around them distorted, warping with a suffocating darkness.
"I won't kill you. Instead, you will serve me. You will become my slave… my demon."
A demon..?
Suiryu's lips quivered.
"What…?"
Jigen nodded. His voice was smooth, almost hypnotic.
"Don't worry. Your crimes will be washed away. From now on, you won't be committing crimes for yourself—you'll do them for me. We have a greater purpose."
His voice turned darker.
"Killing. Crime. It's justifiable."
Suiryu stood frozen.
This was madness.
Yet he had nothing. No one. No future.
His life had always belonged to death.
"I accept your offer."
Jigen extended his hand. The very air around them screamed as pure darkness bled from his fingertips.
"Good. Let me be your guardian."
The shadows swallowed him whole.
From that moment forward, he was no longer Suiryu.
He was Jigen's pawn.
————————————————————————
Now,
The memories faded.
Suiryu's body crumbled.
Flesh peeled away. His bones blackened, cracking apart.
Jigen… never came.
"He lied…"
His soul dissolved into the abyss.
Kasumi is still standing before him, vanishing. Kasumi takes a deep breath, steadying himself.
In no time, Ren Hajime also materializes beside him.
"Have you defeated him?" Ren asks calmly.
Kasumi softly smiles, turning his face to him. "Yes, I did. I've defeated an Upper Moon demon."
Before they could even celebrate their victory, a massive skyquake occurred. It makes the entire mountain tremble, trees and ground getting destroyed.
"W-What's happening?!"
Kasumi's breath hitched. His fingers clenched around his sword, knuckles turning white.
The world itself felt wrong.
The sky groaned. The very air shivered.
Then—
CRACK.
A crimson blade tore through the heavens, slashing open reality itself.
A rupture formed, jagged and raw, like the universe itself was bleeding. From the gash in existence, something—someone— stepped forward.
A girl.
No… not a girl.
A nightmare wearing human skin.
She descended slowly, unnaturally, as if gravity itself dared not touch her.
Her crimson eyes burned like dying suns, consuming everything they saw.
A long, flowing crimson dress rippled around her, shifting unnaturally in the violent winds.
Her dark hair whipped around her like tendrils, the strands moving as if they had a mind of their own.
Her skin—pale, flawless, inhuman— shimmered under the moonlight, almost too perfect yet too scary to be real.
Kasumi froze.
A sickness coiled in his gut, something instinctual, primal.
He had never seen this form before—never even imagined it—but...
He knew.
"Hajime-san—!!" His voice cracked. "That's HIM!!"
Jigen landed.
Effortless. Graceful. Wrong.
The ground beneath her feet fractured. Reality itself rippled.
And in her delicate, inhumanly beautiful hands, she wielded a monstrosity.
A crimson sword — longer than a house, its edge glowing with an eerie, pulsing light. The blade itself seemed alive, a bleeding wound in reality, humming with unspeakable power.
A weapon that could slice through existence itself.
Jigen's gaze locked with Ren's.
A silent war waged between them in that single moment.
Cold stares.
No words.
Just pure, unspoken enmity.
Then, she spoke.
And it was Jigen's voice—not hers.
A deep, resonating voice. One that didn't belong in this world.
"So you've finally arrived…"
A pause. The wind howled. The earth trembled.
"The strongest man…"
The air grew heavier. The sky turned darker.
"Ren Hajime."