At the horizon, the first golden rays of sunlight began to creep over the land.
The world was awakening.
Yet the battle still raged on.
Both warriors—man and demon—had long since reached their limits.
Yohan's entire body screamed in protest.
His relentless use of Iron Body had numbed his flesh to the point where pain had become meaningless.
His mind—stretched thin, held together by sheer willpower—teetered on the brink of collapse.
But he could not fall. He would not fall.
All that remained in his mind was a single thought—
Hold on until sunrise.
As for Akaza—
The demon was beyond frustrated.
No matter how many times he struck, no matter how powerful his attacks—
He had been unable to leave a lasting wound on his opponent.
Every single time, that cursed technique would activate—turning Yohan's body to iron, deflecting his blows.
It was infuriating.
Fine, if I can't kill you outright, I'll wear you down.
After all, he was a demon.
He never got tired.
But Yohan… was only human.
He couldn't possibly outlast me.
And yet…
As dawn approached, Akaza's certainty wavered.
Yohan should have collapsed by now.
He should have reached his limit.
Yet here he stood—unmoving, unyielding.
No…
This isn't the kind of battle I wanted.
Akaza did not seek meaningless endurance contests.
He wanted life-or-death struggles.
Fights where he could feel the thrill of mortality pressing against his throat.
But this—this was different.
Damn it!
The sun is rising!
If this dragged on any longer, there would be no victor—only his own death.
Am I really going to leave like this?
Unfinished.
Unfulfilled.
The very thought of it made him sick.
His gaze flickered to the unconscious Rengoku.
A choice crystallized in his mind.
"Let's settle this in a single blow."
Akaza shifted into his stance.
Yohan—his consciousness barely holding on—nodded.
His mind was all but gone.
Only instinct remained.
Destructive Death: Annihilation Type!
Akaza's fist rocketed forward—
A devastating strike, radiating an immense shockwave.
The sheer force of it tore through the air, engulfing Yohan and Rengoku.
The impact roared like a thunderclap.
Boom!
The courtyard shattered.
A massive crater carved itself into the earth.
Yohan stood at the epicenter.
Behind him—
Untouched.
Unscathed.
Protected.
Rengoku remained safe.
Because Yohan had taken everything.
His back—drenched in blood.
His skin—ripped apart.
His body—on the verge of collapse.
Akaza exhaled, then grinned.
"Hah…"
"Finally. I finally landed a solid hit on you."
He stepped forward.
"You should fall now."
"It's over."
Silence.
Yohan did not respond.
Instead—
He raised his fists once more.
Took his stance once more.
Unyielding.
Akaza's smile faded.
This—
This man.
This mortal.
Why won't you break?
"Fine."
"Then I'll finish this myself."
Akaza no longer had time to waste.
The sunlight was spreading.
He had to end this.
Now.
"Die!"
Destructive Death: Disorder!
His fists blurred—
A rapid, frenzied barrage aimed directly at Yohan's heart.
"Flower Breathing, Second Form—Honored Shadow Plum!"
A blade flashed between them—
Stopping every single strike.
Each motion left behind a trail of delicate, petal-like slashes—intercepting the chaos with effortless precision.
A new warrior had arrived.
"You're not killing anyone tonight."
The Flower Hashira—Kocho Kanae—had entered the battle.
She had arrived just in time.
Her breath still ragged from the desperate journey here.
From the moment she received the news, she and her younger sister had raced through the night—ignoring exhaustion, pushing themselves to their limits.
When she reached the estate, she had been met with horror.
An entire courtyard—annihilated.
Blood.
Walls—shattered.
Ground—scarred.
The air still crackled with the remnants of battle.
And at the center of it all—
Two warriors who should not have still been standing.
She had no time to process the sight.
Only to act.
Akaza's fists trembled.
His rage boiled over.
Damn it.
Damn it!
Damn it!
His chance was gone.
This woman—another Hashira—had strength.
Enough strength to stall him.
Enough strength to delay him.
And the sun—
Was rising.
He had failed.
He had lost.
Akaza clenched his fists.
Then—
He exhaled.
A long, slow breath.
"...Next time."
His voice was low.
Dangerous.
His golden eyes flickered between the three warriors.
"Next time, I will kill you all."
Without another word, he turned—
And vanished into the shadows.
The battle was over.
Kanae released a slow, steadying breath.
If Akaza had insisted on fighting further—she wasn't sure she could have protected them.
She glanced at Yohan.
His stance had not changed.
Still standing. Still ready.
But—
His eyes were vacant.
As if his mind had already drifted somewhere else.
And then—
The other Demon Slayers arrived.
They surged into the courtyard, spreading out in waves to begin their post-battle operations.
One warrior rushed forward.
Faster than the others.
A single glance—
And she froze.
Her breath caught.
Her eyes stung.
Her heart clenched.
"Yohan…"
Kanroji Mitsuri could not stop the tears.
Step by step, she approached.
She reached for him—hesitated.
Afraid to touch.
Afraid to break him.
Her voice trembled.
"Medical team—hurry!"
Someone approached—placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It's alright."
Kanae's voice was soft, yet firm.
"He will be treated."
"We will save him."
Mitsuri bit her lip—nodded—
And prayed.