Chapter 52: Flames, Water, and a Fist That Ends Worlds
The forest had ceased to exist — reduced to a battlefield of craters, flames, and fractured sky. The very ground shuddered beneath the weight of power beyond comprehension.
Saitama's fist had just collided with one of Muzan's rift-twisted limbs, sending the demon flying through his own spatial tear, only to reappear behind Saitama in an instant. But the bald hero barely turned his head before delivering a casual backfist, launching Muzan into the sky like a missile.
"Is this gonna go on forever?" Saitama muttered, dusting off his cape.
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Hashira vs Corrupted Sun Breather
The corrupted Sun Breather, his once proud and dignified stance now twisted with dark hunger, stood between the Hashira and Saitama. His blade dripped with black flames, the air around him shimmering with warped heat.
Rengoku stepped forward first, his eyes burning bright. "You tarnish the art of Sun Breathing, and I will not allow it!"
Flame Breathing: Ninth Form – Purgatory!
Rengoku launched forward, his entire body becoming a comet of flame. But the corrupted Sun Breather met him head-on, his own corrupted Sun Breathing technique twisting Rengoku's flames into something darker.
Corrupted Sun Breathing: Fourth Form – Dying Eclipse!
A sphere of black sunfire erupted between them, flames both holy and demonic intertwining in a deadly dance. Rengoku gritted his teeth, forcing his way through the dark blaze — but it scorched even his spirit.
"Move!" Giyuu dashed in beside him, water clashing against corrupted sunfire.
Water Breathing: Eleventh Form – Dead Calm.
A sphere of absolute stillness enveloped them for a breath — the corrupted flames extinguished within its boundary.
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Zenitsu and Inosuke Join In
From above, Zenitsu descended like a yellow bolt. His sword glowed white-hot, lightning trailing from his blade as he executed:
Thunder Breathing: Seventh Form – Thundering Judgement Slash!
A storm of lightning blades rained down, forcing the corrupted Sun Breather to leap back — but Inosuke was already there, spinning both his blades wildly.
Beast Breathing: Rampage of the Wild God!
A chaotic flurry of unpredictable slashes, all aiming for weak spots the others couldn't see.
"Get outta my way!" Inosuke roared, his wild spirit overpowering the corrupted energy radiating from the enemy.
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Saitama Gets Serious (Sort Of)
Overhead, Muzan returned — his body now a fractured mass of demon flesh and dimensional cracks, hundreds of eyes staring in every direction.
Saitama cracked his neck. "I kinda wanted to hold back, but you're starting to annoy me."
He took a stance — for the first time.
Killer Move: Serious Consecutive Punches.
Fist after fist after fist rained down — not just on Muzan's body, but on the space around him, shattering the rifts themselves. Muzan screeched as his connection to the corrupted void severed, his body collapsing into broken demon flesh.
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Victory? Not Yet.
The battlefield fell silent, smoke rising from the shattered ground. The Hashira stood side by side, swords drawn, panting heavily. Saitama stood at the center, his cape fluttering slightly in the breeze.
But Tanjiro's eyes widened. "It's not over yet."
From the ashes of Muzan's destroyed body, something began to crawl out — a shape that wasn't Muzan, but something that had been hiding inside him all along.
A shadow figure, neither demon nor human, made entirely of twisting kanji symbols, its form glitching like a broken painting.
"What… is that?" Mitsuri whispered, her grip tightening on her sword.
Saitama narrowed his eyes. "Oh great. A bonus boss."
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To Be Continued...
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End of chapter