"Inosuke!! Zenitsu!!"
As he spoke, Tanjiro hurriedly moved to the side with Hinatsuru, trying to get further away, but a belt was about to strike him.
Fortunately, Zenitsu flashed in front of him and cut off the attacking belt!
At that moment, Inosuke, who had been on the back foot for too long, finally couldn't take it anymore. He shouted angrily,
"We have to change the plan!! There's no way we can get close to the worm-faced demon!!"
"Let the three of us handle her! Leave the sickle demon to the Hashira—Uzui and Tomioka!"
After saying that, Inosuke charged forward again, trying to get close to Daki.
As Zenitsu struck another belt away, he continued Inosuke's line of thought.
"This demon's weaker than the sickle guy. Let's slice her head off first!"
"Tanjiro, can you still move?!"
Tanjiro gritted his teeth and glanced down at where Giyu Tomioka and Tengen Uzui were taking turns attacking.
"I can move!! But both Tomioka and Uzui have been poisoned. It's bad!!"
"We have to settle this quickly!!"
Seeing Tanjiro and the others coordinating, Hinatsuru understood what she had to do.
"Don't worry about me. I'll hide!"
"Just win, no matter what it takes!!"
Meanwhile, Daki, in the distance, seemed elated, her expression gleeful as if moments away from devouring a Hashira.
"Ahahahaha! You're slowing down! Which one of you's gonna die first?!"
Inosuke grew more anxious as the battle went on. Despite the flurry of attacks, the demon had hardly suffered. He was the only one close enough now.
He had to be the one to take Daki's head.
After all that training—would it end up just like the Infinity Train again? Another loss?
"This demon's neck is too soft—I can't cut it!!"
"We need to be faster! Or hit her from multiple directions at once!!"
Tanjiro's determined voice snapped Inosuke out of his frustration and pulled his focus back to the fight.
Quickly analyzing the belts, Inosuke formed a plan.
"If it's a multi-directional attack you want, leave it to me—the dual blade master!!"
"The three of us will finish this!!"
"Beast Breathing, Eighth Fang: Explosive Rush!"
Without hesitation, Inosuke dove forward, charging at Daki.
"I've got this!! Zenitsu, cover Inosuke!"
"Got it!!"
With that, Zenitsu and Tanjiro—one from the left, one from the right—followed Inosuke's lead and rushed at Daki.
"Water Breathing, Third Form!"
"Thunder Breathing, First Form!"
Like flowing water and flashing lightning, the two of them worked in perfect sync, cutting down every belt in their path and clearing the way for Inosuke.
"Thunderclap and Flash: Eightfold!"
"Sixth Fang: Palisade Bite!!"
Inosuke didn't bother defending himself. Even when scratched by the belts, he didn't flinch.
"We're ending this!!"
Although his blades clamped onto Daki's neck, she reacted instantly, blocking with her arms and trying to push his swords away.
But Inosuke refused to let go of this opportunity, earned through grit and pain.
His arms moved rapidly, pushing against her defenses.
"RAHHHHHH!!"
"Six Fangs: Gnawing Fang!!"
Daki's eyes widened in disbelief as the world turned upside down—her head severed by the "boar-head" boy before her.
"He… he chopped it…? He chopped it!!"
Tanjiro lit up with joy from the rear.
"We did it, Inosuke!!"
But Inosuke didn't stop. He leapt up, grabbed Daki's head, and took off running.
"Her head! Her head! Get it away from her so she can't reattach!!"
At that moment, Gyutaro attacked at blinding speed—too fast for anyone, even Zenitsu, to react in time.
ROAR—!!
At that moment.
A dragon-like surge of water erupted—a sound like salvation itself. Tanjiro and Zenitsu halted at the sight.
"Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Flowing Dance!!"
Yes. Not only had Gyutaro charged, but Tomioka Giyu had also leapt into the air, slashing with a crashing water dragon!
"Damn you, brat!!"
BOOM—! The roof exploded as the impact hit!
Inosuke was about to look back into the hole when Tomioka's urgent voice called out.
"Inosuke, don't look back! Run! Run far away!!"
"Don't let her get her head back!!"
Before Giyu could finish, a swirling, wide-ranged slash exploded outward—Gyutaro's technique, launched in a fury.
He was trying to drive Giyu off and chase Inosuke.
But Uzui Tengen wouldn't let that happen—and neither would the others.
"Sound Breathing, Fifth Form: String Performance!!"
"Hinokami Kagura: Flame Dance—Burning Sun Mirror!!"
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash—Eightfold!!"
"Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!!"
All four attacked in unison, forcing Gyutaro back down just as he tried to emerge from the hole.
Uzui blocked most of the whirling blades; Tanjiro followed up, slashing through the remaining blood blades with his burning sun flame dance.
Zenitsu then dashed through the sky with eight swift strikes, slicing off one of Gyutaro's legs.
Finally, Giyu brought down his blade in a crushing arc—Waterfall Basin—slamming Gyutaro back down hard!
BOOM—!!
When the dust cleared, Gyutaro was snarling, veins bulging on his face.
"Agh—!! I'll cut you all into tiny pieces!!"
He abandoned the chase. Inosuke had already gotten far away with Daki's head.
Now, Gyutaro wanted only one thing: slaughter the four before him.
His first target—Tomioka Giyu.
Giyu narrowed his eyes. It was true he'd drawn Gyutaro back, but this was everyone's fight.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!!"
He met the onslaught of spinning sickles with fluid, wave-like precision, blocking every strike.
As Gyutaro tried to capitalize on the narrow opening, Tanjiro charged, gripping his sword in both hands.
"Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin!!"
The impact bought Giyu just enough time to lower his stance and sweep in low, severing both of Gyutaro's legs again.
Then, Tengen struck with a rising slash, aiming to cut through Gyutaro's arm.
But Gyutaro blocked with his sickle—and just in time.
Tanjiro swung at his neck—but again, the sickle intercepted the blade.
Now, both Tanjiro and Tengen's swords were caught in the fleshy tendrils wrapped around the sickle.
Simultaneously, more blood blades emerged from Gyutaro's shoulders—he was preparing another spin-slash barrage!
"You weaklings!! You think you can cut off my head?! NEVER!!"
***
Tomioka Giyu's eyes darkened slightly. Now he had to either get out of range of the circular slash—or decapitate Gyutaro directly.
The first option was too late. The second meant trading injuries for injuries, and how severe those injuries would be was up to luck.
But there was an even more important problem: even after being beheaded, Gyutaro wouldn't die immediately. He could still unleash a final circular slash with a massive range.
Although Nezuko had resolved this crisis in the original events, she had yet to fully transform into a demon she was at that point in time.
If something went wrong at the last moment… Tomioka Giyu couldn't take that risk.
It was exactly because of this that, from the moment the poison entered his body, Tomioka Giyu had been suppressing it, holding onto as much strength as he could.
He feared the butterfly effect—the idea that any small change might doom them all.
He also held back from going all-out to kill Gyutaro for another reason: he wanted to push Tanjiro to awaken his hidden potential—to activate his Demon Slayer Mark.
These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Tomioka Giyu had already decided: he could only count on Zenitsu's technique.
"Hold on, Tengen! Tanjiro!"
As he shouted, Tomioka Giyu dropped his weight and drove his knee into Gyutaro's abdomen.
The powerful blow launched Gyutaro several meters back—just as he was about to unleash the circular slash.
"Zenitsu! Cut him in half!!"
Tomioka Giyu knew Zenitsu didn't yet have the strength to slice through Gyutaro's neck.
But he trusted that there would be no problem going through the waist.
Hearing Giyu's command, Zenitsu didn't hesitate and dashed forward.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash—Godspeed!!"
When Gyutaro hit the ground, lightning flashed—and by the time he realized what had happened, his upper body had already been separated from his lower half.
In the very next instant, Gyutaro used all his remaining strength to unleash a circular slash, but without his lower body for support, the trajectory went wide.
Bang! Bang! ——————
Zenitsu, having used his ultimate speed, collapsed to the ground, unable to stand again anytime soon.
But the moment he bought for the others was priceless.
Uzui Tengen's mouth curled into a smirk. Gripping his dual swords tightly, he shouted with excitement:
"Well done, Zenitsu! All of you did amazing!"
"The score's complete! Time to bring this to a crescendo!!"
Uzui Tengen surged forward, while Gyutaro, wielding both sickles, unleashed a flurry of blood-blade attacks in response.
Slash! Slash! Slash! ——————
Within seconds, Gyutaro's eyes were filled with disbelief as he looked at Uzui Tengen rapidly closing the distance.
"He deflected the circular slashes?! That's impossible!"
Slash! Slash! Slash! ——————
"I've seen through your filthy melody!!"
Gyutaro retreated while unleashing more blood sickles, but they could no longer halt Uzui Tengen's advance.
Tomioka Giyu and Tanjiro followed closely behind, though Tanjiro still hadn't found an opening.
Giyu was waiting for the perfect moment. That moment was fast approaching.
Once Uzui got in close—this fight would be as good as over.
No matter how much Gyutaro refused to believe it, reality was undeniable. His spinning attacks and slashes were being knocked aside effortlessly!
"Music? A song? This guy's treating my Blood Demon Art like sheet music?! Are you kidding me?!"
Gyutaro, infuriated by the realization, abandoned his retreat and charged at Uzui with renewed aggression.
Uzui didn't back down. He swung his blade hard, causing a thunderous explosion.
BOOM! ——————————
As the smoke rose, Tomioka Giyu whispered to Tanjiro beside him:
"Later—you'll use the Ninth Form to get behind Gyutaro."
"Got it!" Tanjiro nodded, trusting that Giyu had a reason for everything.
Then, amid the swirling smoke, Gyutaro and Uzui clashed again—ferociously.
Every strike was a deadly blow, and both of them fought at full force.
Slash! Slash! Slash! —————————
Within seconds, entire buildings nearby were reduced to rubble. Explosions scattered flames across the battlefield.
Tomioka Giyu remained still, while Tanjiro quietly moved into position as instructed.
Time slowed.
Giyu gripped his blade tightly, both hands ready. He had to act the moment Uzui held down Gyutaro's hands.
And finally—Uzui severed one of Gyutaro's arms!
This was the optimal solution.
"Tanjiro!"
With that, Tomioka Giyu burst forward with all his strength, water splashing at his feet.
"Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm."
Tanjiro immediately executed his own Ninth Form, vanishing behind Gyutaro in a blink.
In just two seconds, Giyu's blade arced through the air—straight for Gyutaro's neck!
But Gyutaro wasn't a fool. He had sensed the threat. Clang—
Giyu wasn't surprised when his slash was blocked by a sickle. All he needed was to pin down Gyutaro's arm.
Uzui's onslaught grew even more ferocious. After severing one arm, he used the momentum from one sword to swing the other directly at Gyutaro's head!
The dual assault was so fast, it overwhelmed Gyutaro. His arms hadn't even regenerated yet!
"Dammit!!!"
Gyutaro howled.
He still had one trump card—his fangs.
With a vicious clack, he bit down on Uzui's blade, stopping it from going deeper.
At the same time, blood-red blades began to rise from Gyutaro's shoulders.
The circular slash was coming again!
Seeing this, Tomioka Giyu shouted urgently:
"Tanjiro—jump!!"
Tanjiro didn't disappoint. Even before Giyu finished, he was already airborne, blade raised!
Just then—Gyutaro's arm regenerated.
But Tanjiro didn't falter, even as the sickle whipped toward him.
Luckily, Uzui's other sword intercepted it, saving Tanjiro from being slashed mid-air.
As for the other sickle, Gyutaro couldn't move it—because Giyu, timing it perfectly, had withdrawn his sword and struck during Tanjiro's jump, using a unique angle to bind the sickle with Gyutaro's arm!
Shlck——————
Tanjiro's blade finally landed on Gyutaro's neck.
But it only sank in a few centimeters—no deeper.
He was still resisting with everything he had.