315 Kagutsuchi

AN: This chapter contained massive amount of GIFs for all attacks and even dialogues. However, bze of space constraint, only a few of those GIFs will be uploaded on Discord. The rest will still be accessible at Patre0n. If you want to read ahead, then do consider becoming a Patron and support me. Thank you. Enjoy!!!

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Kai observed the tall stature of the Flame Hashira.

Kyojuro Rengoku had an athletic build and had an air of great optimism about him that Kai could even feel with hundreds of meters of distance between them. And that meant using Advance Emotions Manipulation to suck out his happiness was a foregone conclusion. This Ability wouldn't work on him, Kai knew it for a fact.

The top-class Demon Slayer was panting, with a wide smile plastered on his face. His golden eyes seemed to be ever-opened, and locked on Kai.

It didn't take long for Kai to guess that the eccentric Hashira had swum down the entire river from the cliff, from where Kai had jumped, looking for his signs.

No wonder he found Kai. It was the only way, to begin with.

Rengoku's gaze went beyond Kai, landing on the wooden box and the hut, and then he suddenly burst out in a feat of laughter. "Hahaha!" he guffawed, folding his hands over his chest. "She fights on despite her disadvantageous physique! She deserves my respect!"

Kai smiled back, knowing well that Rengoku was talking about Shinobu. "She is strong, I agree," he replied. "I know you are here for them, Kyojuro Rengoku. But I am afraid I can't let you have them. At least not for the next three weeks."

Rengoku's laugh vanished, but the smile on his face persisted. "You are poisoned!" he declared.

"I am."

"You cannot regenerate!" Rengoku shouted, his eyes wide open like a statue.

"Not as well as other demons." Kai kept agreeing as if they were just chatting, catching up like two old friends.

"You are not my match!" Rengoku proclaimed.

Kai grinned, with a touch of madness about his smile. "Now, now," he mumbled, unsheathing the Item, One half of the Power Sword. "That is yet to be seen, Rengoku."

"Hahaha!" Rengoku laughed, throwing out his hands and putting them over his waist. "Those two are my juniors, demon. I will protect them with my life."

Kai took a deep breath and nodded. "I am sure you will, Flame Hashira," he told him. "And I will do the same…"

There would be no reasoning with the Demon Slayers, Kai knew. Even after the two Resonances, if Kai hadn't put away Shinobu's sword, she would have already attacked him at the cost of her life. This was some other level of brainwashing, backed by just reasons and past sufferings.

No Demon Slayer would let him have Nezuko to himself for an entire month. Not until he would give them solid proof. Turning back into a human would do the trick, probably, Kai knew. But dare he take that chance, with the 18th-floor monsters watching him? They weren't as clueless as the lower floor's Contestants. If Kai were to transform into his human self in front of them, then they would become suspicious. And their suspicion meant destruction for Kai.

He couldn't have that.

Kai raised the sword in his hand towards the black sky, shimmering with billions of stars, and thundered, "By the power of Grayskull..."

50 MP got consumed instantly.

A blue bolt of lightning fell from the cloudless sky over the sword's tip, and the cordite sword broke down, becoming silver-green armor. The armor covered Kai's right hand, and his chest and waist, adding 12 more points to his Defense that was standing at 11 before.

One half of the Power Sword granted Kai 12 Defense, ignored the first HP damage below 20, and reduced the first damage over 20 by 10 every 60 seconds. It also granted him an energy field with a 2-meter radius, which impeded and deflected all physical attacks.

It was an undeniable source of defense against opponents that were more powerful than Kai, he knew. But it also had two weaknesses.

First, upon striking by a mighty impact, like that of Queen Xenomorph's tail, it would break down, reverting to its original state. Second, the armor had a Time Limit of 5 minutes with a cooldown of 3 minutes.

It meant Kai must finish the fight within these 5 minutes, and that too without losing the armor.

Kai unsheathed his swords, with Afro's Tachi in his left hand and Murasame in his right.

Rengoku's smile flickered at seeing the sudden appearance of Kai's armor. "Those who bare their fangs at innocents," he said, his white cloak flailing without wind, "I and Kagutsuchi will burn them to ashes!"

Kai's eyes narrowed. Was there another Demon Slayer with him? But he had noticed no one.

It was then that Rengoku unsheathed his Katana.

An intense wave of heat assaulted Kai, burning his face. It was a white fiery blade with a red edge. The sword looked as though the swordsmith had just taken it out of the hearth.

'What is this?' Kai asked, baffled. 'Aphrodite didn't mention this to me. Nor did she say that Demon Slayers' swords have names. Something's wrong. Something's extremely wrong…'

"State the name of your katanas, demon," Rengoku demanded, smiling, his sword letting out a burst of actual flames now and then.

Kai's mouth became a thin line, and then he suddenly laughed. 'So what?' he thought, his demonic laugh echoing far and wide. 'It's just another fight, another roadblock between me and the peak of absolute power. Yes. Even if I die ascending this path… So what?'

"This is Afro's Tachi," Kai introduced sincerely, flicking his left hand. "And this one here is Murasame. One nick from it, and you will die." Even though Kai had decided against killing a human, this hadn't included the Hashiras. Fighting against them, without going all out and without having the will to take their lives, would be a mistake, Kai knew.

"Is that so?" Rengoku said, taking a crouching stance. "Then I will just stay away from it…"

With a pop, he vanished.

Kai exhaled, his eyes narrowing to the size of the needle's tips. The wind died, the buzz of rainforest melted into his bones, and the heat burning his entire moist body intensified.

Kai didn't have strength, but he had enough Agility and Stamina to hold himself against a Hashira.

Rengoku appeared in front of Kai and slashed upwards, his Katana covered in scorching flames.

Flame Breathing - Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun!

The Energy Field turned air into water for the Demon Slayer, resisting and impeding the insanely swift slash.

Kai let go of the Murasame in his hand, and under the shocked gaze of Rengoku, reached down to grab the burning sword.

Heat, unimaginable red-white heat, burned the cordite gauntlet on his hand black and blue. An ear-splitting screech of steel cutting steel resounded, but the sword failed to cut the supreme material called Cordite.

There was mercy in Kai's eyes before the start of the fight. Not anymore.

Murasame whirled, and like a bullet, it got fired towards Rengoku's neck by Advance Telekinesis. Some primal danger must have announced itself to the Demon Slayer.

"HAAAA!!!" Rengoku let out a powerful shout, his sword replying to his call instantly.

Heat exploded from it like never before, and Kai had to let go. Rengoku vanished again, Murasame nicking nothing but empty air.

What insane reflexes! Kai felt amazed, recalling the sword back to him.

A blurry image of Rengoku, dozens of meters to his right, and running towards the hut, manifested itself in his mind. Kai's katanas left his hands once more, the ends of their hilts connecting. With his one thought, the swords whirled, becoming a Chakram.

Kai flicked his finger, sending the whirling swords flying towards the Demon Slayer.

Only now Rengoku appeared where Kai had thought he would. The Chakram cut off his path, and the Flame Hashira's smile widened.

Kai had lost his katanas.

That he could use Telekinesis must have already been found out by the Demon Slayers. Kai had to use it against Tanjiro just after coming into this world. Analyzing demons was a part of their daily routine for them, and more so when their life depended on it. Not to mention, Rengoku was a Hashira, with unparalleled instincts of his own, his strength, reflexes, and swordsmanship even greater than Kai.

The moment Rengoku's feet touched the ground, he vanished again.

The burning katana came for Kai's neck horizontally, and this time, even the energy field failed to deflect or slow it down.

Flame Breathing - First Form: Unknowing Fire!

Kai horrifyingly realized that the energy field hadn't slowed the slash down last time, either. Rengoku had faked the resistance.

An even more terrifying realization was that his Advance Telekinesis was fluctuating intensely as the sword got closer to him. Kai had already deduced that Electromagnetic Interference caused the Spiritual Currents in his surroundings to go haywire, resulting in the failure of Telekinesis. Now, he couldn't help but relate his armor's energy field's failure to his Telekinesis' failure as well.

'So, Spiritual Currents are useless,' Kai concluded, the image of a burning katana enlarging in his hazel eyes. 'What about Mana, then?'

Kai put up his armored right hand for defense, but suddenly the incoming katana changed direction, now hacking at his waist.

It didn't seem he could avoid this slash.

It was then a snapping sound broke the silence.

An ethereal blow at Rengoku's wrist redirected the katana towards the ground.

Knockback Jinx - Flipendo!

50 MP vanished from Kai's Mana store, making him scowl at the worst result possible. The sword landed on the ground, and with a boom, the shockwave threw both of them away from each other, a dust cloud roiling, churning between them.

Even before the dust settled, Kai's blue wraith-like figure blurred around it, advancing towards Rengoku. The fallen swords lifted off the ground and flew towards him using Telekinesis.

The Flame Hashira didn't give Kai this chance.

He appeared between Kai and the swords, and Kai lost control over the Spiritual currents, both katanas falling to the ground. Either the sword, or the Hashira, was disturbing the Spiritual Currents perceived by Kai. How? He didn't know. Nor did he have the time to figure out this mystery.

Rengoku hacked at Kai with his burning sword, advancing, pressuring him with every next move.

Kai dodged the slash with the width of a hair. Those he couldn't dodge got blocked by his armor. One majestic blow landed on his shoulder, and a bone-snapping sound creaked as the armor dented under the blow.

Rengoku shouted and put more force into the blow, trying to penetrate the material.

Kai smiled. The Flame Hashira had finally stopped.

Once again, he snapped his fingers. 40 MP disappeared, and Rengoku's figure looked as if one was watching a video, slowed down extremely.

Impediment Jinx - Impedimenta!

The smile on Kai's face vanished as soon as it appeared. Rengoku's eyes burned with ethereal fire, and his katana exploded with flames, a dense red-white blanket of heat wrapping around it, enhancing its sharpness.

Flame Breathing - Third Form: Blazing Universe!

The armor gave in, and the katana entered Kai's body like a knife through butter. It cut his shoulder, and then traced an arc, running down to his waist.

Blood sprayed out, and painted the Hashira and Kai's faces alike.

Kai's eyes had murder in them. A burst of blue light surrounded his figure, and he took a deep breath, the demon slayer's sword still inside his waist.

Another 50 MP vanished, darkening his vision, and then Kai vomited out a jet of water, so strong that it hit Rengoku's head, sending him flying dozens of meters away.

Hydro Pump!

The Skill would remain active only for 30 seconds, Kai knew. And by the time its Cooldown would reach its limit, it would be too late for him.

With a sense of intense urgency, Kai took out an MP capsule and threw it in his mouth, regaining 100 MP and his senses. Ignoring the scorched flesh and burning pain, he called out the swords again, and the moment he held them, Kai took another breath, deeper than before.

50 MP vanished, and another equally powerful Hydro Pump got fired towards the fallen figure of the Hashira.

Rengoku flipped himself to his feet, his head and left eye covered with dark blood. He swung the katana in a circular motion, taking the incoming jet of water head-on.

Flame Breathing - Fourth Form: Blooming Flame Undulation!

Jets of even hotter flames evaporated the water jet, cutting it into several chunks, and turning it into boiling steam.

Rengoku didn't give Kai another chance to breathe. The katana in his hand blurred, and the Hashira slashed at Kai several times from afar. Flames snarled at Kai and rushed towards him, taking the form of a flaming tiger.

Flame Breathing - Fifth Form: Flame Tiger!

One moment, the flaming figure was still coming at him, in the other, it had already arrived.

Kai outstretched his hands to his left, and swirled, using Advance Slither Steps to gain momentum. His two katanas met the flaming tiger, the attacks exploding on the impact.

Twin Saber Style: Kiss of the Giant Serpent!

The explosion threw Kai back, his figure rolling like a lifeless doll over the ground. With one flick of his hand, Kai landed on his feet, his eyes locking on the Demon Slayer.

Cough! Cough!

Several mouthfuls of blood got coughed out, making Kai fall to his knees. In the distance, Rengoku panted, his eyes moving from Kai to the wooden box over his shoulder.

It must have astonished the Hashira, seeing Kai holding himself against him with the wooden case containing Nezuko still on his back. Yet, it seemed, for him, the fight was all but over. Kai and Rengoku were to the left and right of the hut, respectively, some 300 meters away. And now, the Hashira was closing this gap with every next step.

Kai slammed his swords into the ground and pushed himself up. "Hehe-hahaha!" The Blood Demon laughed like a maniac. "You are strong, Hashira," he shouted, knowing well that Rengoku was indeed the strongest opponent he had faced after his resurrection. "But don't think me defeated yet. You have danced enough. Now, let me show you my dance."

Kai lifted the Murasame, with meticulous control, and nicked the flesh over his heart.

Runic letters of cursed poison covered his entire body and his heart, making Kai feel pain like never before. Every single muscle and part of his bones felt like breaking down to the smallest particle.

The maniacal grin on Kai's face widened.

His long, white hair became red, the color of blood, and so did his eyes. Runic letters also covered his pupils, and an unimaginable feeling of power coursing through his veins, along with pain and already present Wisteria Poison.

Little War Horn!

His Strength, Stamina, Agility, and Perception each got 5 points, bringing Kai to a level he had never thought he would ever in this world.

The Blood Demon eyed his prey, and with a pop, he vanished, too, just like Hashira had at the beginning of their fight, the ground exploding with a bang where Kai had stood before.

Rengoku's eyes widened. He clenched his teeth, and the Flame Breathing exploded with a hiss.

Kai's shrill laugh entered his ears, then, like the hiss of a serpent.

Blood spurted from Hashira's left shoulder as he parried the Murasame even before Kai's figure materialized in front of him.

Kai let go of the swords and slammed his fist into Hashira's stomach. Before Rengoku could react, the swords were in Kai's hands again. But the swords had changed hands, somewhere in between.

Rengoku's figure blurred, and the demonic figure of Kai matched his speed. Within the clearing between the hut and the river bank, only occasional clashes of steel against steel and red and blue flashes could be seen.

Rengoku hacked at Kai, his katana blazing, but Kai's tail got a hold of his ankle first.

Kai whirled midair, slamming the tall Hashira into the ground with a bang, and then threw him away like a rag doll.

Kai landed on the ground, his feet bursting apart the earth like mud. "Hahaha!" he laughed, his long, red hair flailing, and his tail blasting the air like a whip. "Hashira-O-Hashira, survive this…"

Kai wrapped his hands around him as though hugging himself. Suddenly, a massive explosion happened inside him, the muscles of his arms ballooning up, becoming twice their original size.

Afar, Rengoku stood up, his bones broken. His left eye was shut tight, and blood was streaming down his chin, pooling under his feet. He eyed the monstrous figure of Kai and smiled. "Warriors who strive to save other people's lives are precious!" he shouted at Kai. "Their pure and single-minded dedication is separate from their natural talent," he told him. "They don't risk their lives to earn praise. They simply feel that they must. What they choose in that moment is a cry from the depths of their souls."

The Blood Demon listened and ignored. He kicked, and his figure blurred, the ground bursting apart under him, pieces of earth breaking like paper.

Twin-Saber Style - Forbidden Technique: Serpent God's Wrath!

"Hahaha!" Rengoku laughed, his chest swelling with the Total Concentration Breathing Art. Two flame-patterned Demon Slayer Marks appeared on his face, flashing red and hot. "Set your heart ablaze, Kagutsuchi!" he bellowed, smiling. "Flame Breathing - Ninth Form… Purgatory!!!" [GIF 1]

The world caught fire around the Hashira, flames covering his figure and his blade. He too kicked the ground, and his flame-covered figure looked like a flaming serpent; its mouth opened wide to devour Kai whole, carving out the ground in its wake as well. [GIF 2]

Time seemed to have lost its meaning as they clashed.

A giant pillar of flame shot towards heaven, becoming a fire tornado.

When the flames disappeared, two figures could be seen, one nearer to the hut than the other.

The one closer to the hut had blue-black skin and a gash running down from its shoulder to the waist. It was Kai. His armor had vanished… and so was his right hand. Clutched in his left hand was Murasame, dripping with blood.

Suddenly, his red hair became white, and the cursed runic markings over his body disappeared. 1 minute of Little War Horn was over, and his Strength, Agility, Stamina, and Perception all lost 5 points from their original values. Kai's knees slammed on the stones, and he coughed out blackened, burned blood.

Behind him, Rengoku was standing tall, with Afro's Tachi stuck in his stomach, Kai's right hand still dangling at its end. His entire body was covered in cursed poison now. And then, like a plucked petal, he fell face forward, meeting the earth with a dull thud.

Kai looked over his shoulder, his vision going in and out of existence. If it wasn't for Aphrodite, letting him know these Hashiras could use another Breathing Art to control their blood flow, then he would have never used Murasame, to begin with. Telling the Hashira that he would die in one nick was nothing but an exaggeration by Kai. Especially when he had already confirmed that One Cut Killer wasn't enough to kill a Hashira-level Character after seeing the demon survive his attack on the cliff a few days ago.

Kai, trembling, falling, again and again, pushed himself up using Murasame. "You lost, Hashira," he told him, calling Afro's Tachi and his right hand back with Telekinesis. "Go back. You will… not believe me, but I have no intention to harm them."

Kai sheathed his katana and grabbed the right hand that had just arrived. He pried its finger open, and sheathed the Afro's Tachi, too, throwing the lifeless hand away like trash.

Then, he walked towards the hut, almost crawling like a blue, beaten ghost.

The mountain fell on his shoulders out of nowhere. What else could it be? An unsurmountable, unmeasurable, and unimaginable pressure like that of a mountain crushed his shoulders, making him kneel.

Resisting the headache that was trying to burst his head open, Kai gritted his teeth and looked back.

Somehow, and somewhere in between the few steps Kai had crawled towards the hut, Rengoku had stood up, the two flame patterns on his face flashing furiously, and a third one appearing with a visible pace. The runic markings of the cursed poison were visibly burning as if lit by a match.

Then, the Hashira said the words that changed Kai's life, and his understanding, and toppled his knowledge of the Primordial Tower.

These words made him realize why the Sponsor Aphrodite, a Contestant from the 18th floor, had mistaken Kai's personalized Random World for a C- or C grade mission.

These words told the world and all the observers, watching Kai and this fight from their seats, what kind of personalized Random World was worthy for a Contestant like Blood Demon in the Tournament of Worth.

A Contestant, who had an Item coveted by an Old One, the Tales of Beedle the Bard; who had over half a dozen Abilities, including an Elite one; who had a hidden Skill, like Dementor's Progenitor; who had Eon Soul Dew, a legendary-grade Item.

A Contestant, who had Cosmic Authority, with Heroic-grade lore, and an achievable Title, like the Outer One.

A Contestant, who had the Color of Observation, and that too under the 1st Threshold; an impossibility!

A Contestant, who had the Color of the Supreme.

A Contestant, who had Worth over 170.

… And a Glitch!!!

These words from the Flame Hashira justified everything. Only these words could match the abomination, code-named Blood Demon.

Rengoku lifted his sword, which looked like molten fire. "Until the last breath…" he snarled, smiling, his voice hoarse, "… I will fulfill my duty!" [GIF 3]

The burning Spiritual Pressure engulfed the entire clearing, and even the river, boiling its frothy waters.

Rengoku gave a last look to Kai before running his fingers over his blade. Only then did he say, perhaps slowly and calmly, but Kai couldn't tell.

Those abysmal words were…

"Ban…Kai!!! …

… Roar! Hi-no-Kagutsuchi!!!"

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Hi-no-Kagutsuchi - Kami of Fire/God of Fire

Wait for the next chapter!