Blade of Determination
For those three days, the small hotel room felt like a cocoon, isolated from the world. Initially, Shiro blushed shyly even when meeting Giyu's gaze, but gradually, she became more comfortable hugging him from behind while he cleaned his Nichirin sword, or standing on tiptoe to place a gentle kiss on his cheek while he gazed out the window. Giyu remained silent, but he always responded in his own way—a return of the handshake, a tighter embrace, or a gentle, barely perceptible kiss on her forehead.
It wasn't until the third night that this hard-earned tranquility was broken.
It was late at night, and Bai was taking a light nap beside Yiyong. Her hearing, which was far more sensitive than that of an ordinary person, suddenly caught an extremely subtle but extremely intense sound coming from the depths of Youguo - the roar of collapsing buildings, the whistling of silk ribbons tearing through the air, and... a violent and familiar ghostly aura!
She sat up suddenly, and at the same time, Yiyong opened his eyes instantly, obviously noticing something unusual.
"It's Tanjiro and the others!" Bai's voice was filled with anxiety, "And... the aura of Daki!"
The two exchanged glances without hesitation. A figure, like a ghost, darted out of the window, took off and landed a few times on the moonlit rooftop, and dashed at top speed towards the direction of the fighting sounds.
The closer they got to the battlefield, the more violent and chaotic the energy fluctuations in the air became. When they finally arrived, the scene before them made Bai's heart sink.
In the midst of a devastating ruin, Tanjiro Kamado lay unconscious, trapped beneath a broken beam. A horrific wound pierced his left shoulder, deep enough to reveal the bone, and blood coated half his body. The protagonists of the battlefield were two "ghosts" engaged in a frenzied battle!
Nezuko had completely transformed into a demon. Her body had grown in size, horns had sprouted from her head, and a violent pink aura had enveloped her. Her once clear pink eyes were now filled with pure animality and brutality. Her attacks were haphazard, yet filled with devastating force, her claws and kicks constantly assaulting Daki.
Upper Moon Six, Daki, still maintains her beautiful and arrogant demeanor, controlling countless razor-sharp ribbons behind her. Her fighting style is even more calm and brutal, the ribbons entwining and cutting as if they have life, repeatedly slicing and tearing apart the completely demonized Nezuko!
Yet, shockingly, Nezuko's ability to recover reached an incredible level. Severed limbs, even shredded flesh, didn't dissipate. Instead, they were connected by some invisible force, like a broken lotus root, reuniting and healing in an instant! She seemed immortal, relying on this ferocious regenerative power to fight against Daki.
But similarly, although Nezuko's attacks were fierce, they could not cause fatal damage to Dakimie. Dakimie's silk ribbons were impenetrable, and even if she was occasionally hit by Nezuko, she could recover quickly.
The battle descended into a terrifying stalemate—one couldn't be completely killed, the other couldn't be effectively damaged. Both sides were losing strength, but if this continued, the first to collapse would likely be Nezuko, who had lost all reason and was fighting on instinct, or Tanjiro, who was trapped beneath the rubble, his life or death unknown!
"Nezuko! Tanjiro!" Bai exclaimed, his eyes quickly scanning the battlefield, instantly judging the urgency of the situation.
Yiyong's eyes turned completely cold, and his Nichirin Blade was already unsheathed, its azure light beginning to gather. He looked at Bai. Needless to say, they both understood that this deadlock must be broken immediately!
Bai's gaze locked on Daki, a complex mix of emotions. She remembered her "friend," someone she'd once laughed and joked with, but now, she was the enemy who had harmed her companions. She took a deep breath, her silver hair swirling in the night breeze, and the cold, radiant light of the moon's breath began to gather around her.
The battle is imminent. They must intervene, now!
"white?!"
The moment Daki's beautiful eyes caught sight of Bai, they suddenly widened, filled with disbelief. She even momentarily ignored Nezuko, who was struggling and screaming frantically beneath her claws, her gaze fixed firmly on Bai. Her tone was filled with a gentle, almost rebuking tone that was completely out of place on the bloody battlefield.
"Why are you here? And hanging out with these ghost hunters? Come back soon. Lord Muzan may be angry, but as long as you come back, I can plead for you in front of him!" She tried to raise a charming smile from her memory. "Remember? You used to sneak me out of Infinite City to play, and we even bought hairpins together at the human market... Weren't those days good?"
That deliberately forgotten past, belonging to the "ghost," along with Daki's words, flooded into Bai's mind like a tide. Those sporadic bits of warmth in those dark years did indeed cause a subtle flicker of emotion and struggle in her eyes.
However, just as her mind wavered, her gaze involuntarily turned to her side. Giyuu stood there quietly, his haori fluttering gently in the night breeze. His hand gripping the Nichirin sword was as steady as a mountain. His always calm blue eyes gazed at her, without doubt or urging, only complete trust and anticipation.
This glance was like a magic needle that stabilized the sea, instantly calming all the waves in her heart.
Bai looked at Daki again, her eyes had become extremely clear and firm. She shook her head slowly, her voice clear and powerful:
"I'm sorry, Daki. Those memories... may have once brought me comfort. But now, I have a better, more precious bond." She clenched the knife in her hand and pointed it at Daki. "I have people and companions worth protecting with my life. And you... shouldn't have hurt my friends!"
The moment the words fell, Bai's body turned into a stream of silver light!
"Breathing of the Moon, Second Form, Pearl Flower's Moon Playing!"
The cold crescent moon blade whistled out with a slash, heading straight for Daki! However, Daki easily blocked it with a silk ribbon, her beautiful face revealing the anger and sadness of being betrayed.
"You actually attacked me for these humans?! Bai, you disappoint me so much!"
The silk ribbons, like dancing silver snakes, swept towards Bai. Bai swung her sword to meet the blow. Though her Moon Breathing technique was fierce, a subtle hesitation and reluctance lingered between her movements against Daki, preventing her from unleashing her full strength. After all, the Upper Moon before her was one of the few beings in her long, dark past that had once offered her a modicum of warmth.
At this moment, Tanjiro, who was trapped under the rubble, struggled to wake up. He saw Nezuko, who had completely turned into a demon, was about to pounce on Dakimaki again. He endured the severe pain in his shoulder, used up his last bit of strength to break free from the rubble, and pounced on Nezuko!
"Nezuko! Calm down! No! You can't hurt humans!" He hugged his violent sister tightly with his body, quickly tore off his torn clothes, and desperately tied up Nezuko's roaring mouth. With firm will and words, he tried to call back her sanity and forcibly pulled her away from the main battlefield.
Seeing that Bai was unable to fight with his full strength because of his old relationship, Yiyong's eyes became stern and he no longer hesitated.
"Bai, stand back."
His deep voice carried undeniable power. The next moment, a dark blue figure swooped into the fray like a ghost, its Sun Blade unleashing a mighty torrent of water!
"Water Breathing·Pick-up Form·Life Flowing!"
The dragon-like slash roared, with a determination and power that Bai had never shown before, instantly tearing through all of Dakimaki's silk ribbon defenses! The sword light was like water, continuous, seizing the moment when Dakimaki revealed a flaw due to Bai's retreat -
“Puff!”
The cold blade drew a perfect arc, and Daki's beautiful head flew into the air with an expression of astonishment and unwillingness.
"Brother...Brother..." She finally called out weakly.
Bai watched Daki being beheaded, feeling a mixture of relief and an indescribable sadness. But she knew the battle wasn't over yet.
Sure enough, at the moment when Duji's head fell to the ground, something strange happened!
A hoarse, gloomy voice, filled with endless resentment and venom, seemed to come from the depths of hell:
"How dare you... take my lovely sister..."
The skin on the spine of Daki's headless body suddenly burst open, and a skinny, pale man with black spots all over his body, who looked like an evil spirit, slowly crawled out with murderous aura.
He is the other half of the Upper Six - Jifu Taro!
The real battle begins now!
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