Bab 9: I miss You. Akaza Arrival
Haru blinked, trying to adjust to the new surroundings. The sky outside the traditional house was bright, and the gentle chirping of birds added to the peaceful atmosphere. However, that tranquility quickly faded as Sora, with her frowning face, looked at him with a worried gaze.
"Haru, why do you always daydream? I'm worried about you," Sora said softly.
Haru smiled. "I'm sorry, Sora. I was just thinking about something and missing you."
Sora moved closer and sat beside him. "You don't need to miss me. I'm right here, aren't I?" She asked, confused, not understanding Haru's meaning.
Haru gazed at Sora's face, recalling the beautiful memories of the past. He knew that this was just an illusion created by Enmu, but the longing and love he felt for Sora made it difficult to let go of this moment.
But he also knew that this dream was not a place to linger. When Enmu created dreams, they were traps—a way to ensnare his victims. He had to escape from here and defeat Enmu, but not before walking through the path of memories that he might experience for the last time.
"What about we go to the park? We can play there like we used to," Sora suggested excitedly.
Haru swallowed hard, feeling trapped in nostalgia. "Of course, Sora. Let's go."
They both stood up and walked out of the house, stepping onto a path adorned with blooming cherry blossoms. Each step they took brought Haru deeper into the memories, and while he knew this wasn't reality, the warmth enveloping his soul made him want to stay longer.
In the park, they flew kites, laughing and running as if nothing could hinder them. Time continued to pass, and Haru knew it was time to go.
"I'm sorry, Sora, I have to leave," he said, looking at Sora one last time before unhesitatingly severing his own head with the Nichirin blade that suddenly appeared in his hand. Although this was a dream created by Enmu, it was still Haru's own fantasy and memory, so Enmu couldn't control the dream that those trapped within would experience. Since this was a part of Haru's fantasy and memory, he could freely control it as long as he realized it was a dream.
.....
Opening his eyes, Haru found himself back in the Mugen Train. Without hesitation, he awakened Kyoujuro and Gyoumei before going to help Nezuko, who was fighting against Enmu's tentacles and clones to protect everyone while they slept.
"Good job, Nezuko. Wake Inosuke and Zenitsu; I'll handle this demon," Haru praised Nezuko, making her happy. Following Haru's orders, Nezuko awakened Inosuke and Zenitsu. On the other hand, Tanjirou also woke up from his slumber.
"Rengoku-san, Himejima-san, I leave the safety of the passengers to you. I will kill the demon's main body," Haru shouted as he leaped to the roof of the train and ran towards the front of the train where Enmu's neck was located.
"Leave it to us," Rengoku replied with an optimistic and confident voice as he slashed at the clones of Enmu in front of him.
Zenitsu and Inosuke, now awake, also helped protect the passengers.
Haru ran for a while before reaching the front of the train.
"How did you wake up?" Enmu asked in surprise as he saw Haru. He was confident in his blood demon art, believing that even Hashira would not wake up after being trapped in a dream.
Enmu tried to pull Haru back into the dream again, but in an instant, Haru became aware again. Seeing Haru escape from the dream, Enmu began to panic. Despite the strength of Enmu's blood demon art, his actual fighting ability was not much different from that of other lower ranks.
Haru took a deep breath, gripping the hilt of his sword and bending his body into a stance to draw his weapon.
"Second Form: Water Wheel."
Haru vanished in an instant using Shunshin and horizontally slashed Enmu's neck with a circular cut.
But even though Enmu was beheaded, he did not die because the Enmu standing in front of Haru was just a clone; his real body had fused with the train. So, it could be said that the train was Enmu.
"Ha... That was close," Enmu said with a sneer, as if the fear he felt earlier was a joke.
"Fourth Form: Striking Tide."
Haru executed a series of rapid slashes, cutting the Enmu clones into several parts before leaping into the air and performing a waterfall-like slash at the connection of the train's locomotive, which was Enmu's neck.
"Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin."
"No!!!" Enmu screamed in horror as he saw the direction of Haru's attack.
...click...
With the severing of Enmu's neck, the train also split in two. The locomotive continued to move forward while the passenger cars gradually slowed down and stopped after a few kilometers.
As the train split apart, the cars jolted, and if it weren't for Kyoujuro and the others' rescue, many people would have suffered serious injuries. When Enmu was killed, the clones that filled the entire car also vanished.
Haru sheathed his sword and gazed into the distance, as if seeing a terrifying figure approaching.
As the figure drew closer, Rengoku Kyoujuro and Himejima Gyomei also sensed it. They quickly leaped to the train's roof and stood beside Haru.
"Tanjirou, Zenitsu, and Inosuke. You all protect the passengers. Remember, no matter what happens, don't interfere in the next battle," Haru said seriously to the three of them as they just got up on the train's roof.
"I understand."
Tanjirou took a deep breath and nodded seriously.
"Rengoku-san, Himejima-san, let's go," said Haru before leaping off the train and running towards where Akaza was located.
"Wait for me, Haru!" Kyoujuro shouted as he also jumped off the train and chased after Haru, followed by Himejima Gyomei.
.....
"Rengoku-san, Himejima-san, we need to work together. Don't let Akaza separate us," he said firmly.
"Agreed!" Kyoujuro replied, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "We must show him the strength of the Hashira!"
Gyomei nodded.
As they prepared, Akaza appeared, his tall, muscular figure looming with a sharp, challenging gaze.
"What a strong fighting spirit. Are you interested in becoming a demon and exploring that peak?" he said, looking at Rengoku, believing that Rengoku's fighting spirit was one of the strongest he had ever encountered; perhaps he could break through to that realm. (referring to the transparent world).
"Not interested. I'm more interested in decapitating you," Rengoku replied, his spirit unwavering even in the face of the temptation of immortality.
For ordinary humans, immortality is a temptation that is hard to resist, but it's different for demon slayers, especially the Hashira; they possess strong determination and have vowed to eliminate demons.
"Such a pity. Then you can only die here," Akaza said coldly as he vanished from his spot.
... Bang...
Kyoujuro blocked Akaza's punch with his Nichirin sword. Hari and Gyomei, who were beside him, didn't stay still; they attacked Akaza simultaneously while Akaza attacked Rengoku.
With no choice, Akaza jumped back and managed to evade their attacks.
Akaza smirked.
"Do you think you can defeat me?"
He slid forward with incredible speed, his right hand raised to strike Haru.
With quick reflexes, Haru dodged, leaping to the side and swinging his sword.
"Second Form: Water Wheel!" He attacked with a circular slash, but Akaza easily dodged, his body moving as nimbly as the wind.
Rengoku and Gyomei did not remain idle. Rengoku leaped forward, launching a flurry of attacks.
"First Form: Raging Sun!" His sword shone brightly, reflecting his blazing spirit. Each slash created waves of energy that struck Akaza.
Gyomei, although not as fast as the others, relied on his physical strength. He swung his massive hammer with one hand, trying to crush everything in his path.
"Second Form: Rockbreaker!" His voice echoed as the hammer struck the ground, creating vibrations that shook the battlefield.
Akaza found himself trapped between Rengoku's and Gyomei's attacks. He smiled, seemingly entertained. "You are very strong, but it's not enough!"
With a quick movement, he dodged Rengoku's attack and swung his fist towards Gyomei.
Gyomei flinched, but quickly raised his hammer to defend himself. He absorbed the impact of the attack and retaliated with a powerful counterpunch.
Haru didn't want to be left out. He saw an opening between Akaza's attacks and immediately struck from the side.
"Third Form: Tidal Wave!" With swift movements, he unleashed a flurry of attacks that struck Akaza from an unexpected angle.
Akaza staggered back but quickly regained his footing.
"You are indeed strong, but this is just the beginning! Blood Demon Art: Crushing Hands!" He raised his right hand, unleashing an attack resembling a sharp wave of energy.
Haru and Rengoku immediately tried to dodge, but Gyomei couldn't move quickly enough.
"Gyomei!" Rengoku shouted, but everything happened so fast. The wave of energy struck Gyomei, sending him tumbling.
However, as Gyomei fell, Haru felt a surge of energy within him. He quickly ran towards Gyomei, extending his hand.
Vitality-filled chakra flowed into Gyomei's body, alleviating his wounds.
"Thank you, Haru," Gyomei said, although he didn't fully understand what Haru had done.
Rengoku, seeing Gyomei recover and prepare to attack, smiled broadly. "Let's continue this fight!"
With swift movements, Akaza launched a sparkling attack towards the three Hashira. Haru, with his instincts, shouted, "Be careful!" He immediately used the Shunshin technique to dodge, leaping to the side.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone