CHAPTER 5: FLAME WITHIN WATER

Amid the endless shifting corridors of the Infinity Castle, two lone figures stood still—

Tanjiro Kamado and Giyu Tomioka, walking silently through the maze-like halls, their eyes scanning every crevice.

The tension was thick. Tanjiro's mind wandered only briefly—Zenitsu… Inosuke… Shinobu… Where are they now?

Then—

BOOM.

The ceiling cracked open in a sudden explosion. A massive shockwave knocked dust and debris into the air. The swirling shadows birthed a familiar figure cloaked in malicious power.

Akaza.

Upper Moon Three.

The demon who had killed Kyojuro Rengoku.

Tanjiro's jaw clenched. His knuckles turned white around the hilt of his sword. His breathing slowed, like a volcano building pressure before eruption.

Akaza stepped forward with a calm smirk.

"Hm… So the little brat of the boy I tore apart on the train still lives. You know… Rengoku was foolish for not becoming a demon..."

Tanjiro's breath caught.

"You lie."

Akaza tilted his head toward Giyu.

"And you. The quiet one. Still dragging your guilt like chains? You should've become a demon, Tomioka. That sadness suits eternity."

Giyu didn't flinch. His sword hand trembled—not in fear, but in pure, rising fury.

For the first time since the day he had shielded Nezuko from Sanemi and Iguro two years ago—

Giyu's emotion erupted.

The air twisted.

And then—

"Giyu… You don't need to run anymore."

Sabito's voice.

It rang like a bell through his heart. The memory of that stubborn, smiling boy who had always gone ahead. Who died believing in justice and strength.

Giyu's eyes sharpened.

He unsheathed his blade.

And vanished in a breath.

Water Breathing: Ninth Form – Splashing Water Flow, Turbulent!

He clashed against Akaza, blade meeting fists in an explosive shockwave. Akaza grinned wide.

"Good! Finally, someone WORTH it!"

Tanjiro joined in.

HINOKAMI KAGURA: Flame Dance!

A searing arc of heat carved through the air, forcing Akaza back a step—but only a step. The demon barely flinched, still smiling.

"Two-on-one? I like those odds!"

He countered—

Destructive Death: Compass Needle!

Blasts of energy surged around him. The shifting battlefield pulsed with violent, raw force.

Tanjiro and Giyu moved in tandem, blade and form, fire and water—but Akaza's martial prowess tore through them like a storm. Every punch was a cannon blast. Every dodge, a flicker of cruelty.

Akaza was grinning ear to ear.

"You're strong… but not strong enough!"

Tanjiro was bruised. Bleeding. His body aching. But he stood again.

"We're not done."

Akaza's smile only widened.

"Good. Because I'm just getting started."