Upper Moon Three: Akaza versus Wind Hashira: Sanemi Shinazugawa. (Both from Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba).
Akaza[]
Akaza is Upper Rank 3 of the Twelve Kizuki in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. He first appears in the Mugen Train Arc where he encounters the Flame Hashira: Kyojuro Rengoku and Tanjiro after they defeated Lower Rank 1: Enmu. Akaza was sent by the Demon King: Muzan Kibutsuji in order to kill Tanjiro to stop him from reaching his potential. Akaza tries to do it right away, but Kyojuro slices his arm and saves Tanjiro. Akaza engages in a battle with Kyojuro, but the results end up with the Flame Hashira getting killed by Akaza.
Later on, Tanjiro Kamado and the Water Hashira: Giyu Tomioka encounter Akaza. Soon after, Akaza engages in battle with Giyu Tomioka, but kicks the Water Hashira away with powerful shockwaves (due to the latter not telling Akaza his name). Akaza then starts overwhelming Tanjiro and eventually almost breaks his sword, until Giyu arrives with his Demon Slayer Mark unlocked. Giyu slices Akaza's hands to save Tanjiro and then almost decapitates Akaza. Seeing the increase in Giyu's speed, Akaza uses his Compass Needle to match Marked Giyu's. The Water Hashira and Akaza then fight on par, but Akaza ultimately starts overwhelming him as Marked Giyu has limited stamina, unlike Demons, who have unlimited stamina. However, Tanjiro is able to save Giyu and soon decapitates Akaza using Selfless State. However, Akaza's strong willpower stops him from dying and becomes immune to decapitation. Akaza then prepares to finish off Tanjiro, but Giyu saves him. Giyu then prepares to engage in battle with Bloodlusted Akaza, but the soul of Akaza's wife from when he was a human stops him. Akaza then uses his Blood Demon Art to kill himself.
Akaza's abilities:
- Immense Strength & Speed: As an Upper Moon Demon, Akaza has a huge amount of physical strength. He is able to create harsh wind pressure by casually fighting. He is also too fast to be seen by a normal human eye, even by lower-ranked Demon Slayers.
- Regeneration: Like all Demons, Akaza possesses the ability to regenerate any wound, no matter how damaged he is. As an Upper Moon, Akaza's limbs can regenerate in a second.
- Decapitation Immunity: Demons can be killed by the Sun, or by being decapitated by Nichirin Blades. However, Akaza's raw willpower allowed him to regenerate his head even though he had been decapitated.
- Martial Arts: When Akaza was a human, he had learned Soryuu Style and mastered it.
- Blood Demon Art: Compass Needle: Akaza's Compass Needle allows him to see his opponents' weak spots, as well as being able to predict their moves. The Compass Needle also allows Akaza to get stronger or faster to match their opponent's own strength and speed.
- Destructive Death techniques:
- Air Type: Akaza punches the empty air in front him while creating a shockwave that flies towards his target and hits them from afar. These airborne shockwaves can be created multiple times in quick succession and can be unleashed in the sky or on the ground.
- Disorder: Punching rapidly at the target, Akaza creates a barrage of large shockwaves, destroying anything in front of him. This attack was capable of overpowering Kyojuro's Flame Tiger technique.
- Annihilation Type: One of Akaza's most powerful techniques. Akaza crouches with both his arms at the side of his body poised to strike. He then lunges forward, creating two powerful circular shockwaves from the palm of his hands which he uses to strike his target with tremendous force. This technique was strong enough to go through Kyojuro's most powerful attack, Rengoku.
- Leg Type: Crown Splitter: A reverse, rising axe kick that produces a shockwave once it connects with the target.
- Leg Type: Explosive Flurry: A flashing flurry of powerful straight kicks so fast that they create afterimages, with each kick producing powerful shockwaves. This technique was powerful enough to launch Giyu an extremely far distance.
- Leg Type: Flying Planet Thousand Wheels: A kick that utilizes a flowing motion which strikes Akaza's target from below and launches them upward.
- Eight-Layered Demon Core: Akaza unleashes eight powerful punches, each strike creating large and strong shockwaves in a similar fashion to his Disorder technique.
- Crushing Type: Ten Thousand Leaves Flashing Willow: A powerful downward punch that delivers a large shockwave into the ground which expands outward.
- Final Form: Blue Silver Chaotic Afterglow: Akaza's ultimate technique. Akaza unleashes an omni-directional barrage of countless thin and sharp shockwaves that deliver a hundred blows to his target coming from everywhere almost at the same time. This attack was so powerful that it could negate Giyu's Dead Calm technique, a move known for its immense defensive capabilities.
Akaza's feats:
- Killed 67 swordsmen with his bare fists when he was a HUMAN.
- Casually defeated the Flame Hashira: Rengoku.
- Gave a good fight against Upper Moon 1: Kokushibo (It's stated that Kokushibo is scales much higher than other Upper Moons).
- Destroyed a building casually with his own raw strength.
- Easily overwhelmed Tanjiro Kamado (a Sun Breather with a Demon Slayer Mark and is a Hashira-level Demon Slayer) as well as Base Giyu (the Water Hashira).
- Fought on equal grounds against Marked Giyu.
- Managed to survive decapitation.
Sanemi Shinazugawa[]
Sanemi Shinazugawa is the Wind Hashira. He is seen in the first Hashira Meeting, which takes place just after the Lower Moon 5: Rui and his fake spider family were killed. Sanemi Shinazugawa denies Nezuko Kamado (Tanjiro Kamado's little sister who turned into a Demon) to fight other Demons as a Demon Slayer and stabs Nezuko with no hesitation. Tanjiro Kamado immediately gets angry and rushes to face the Wind Hashira. Tanjiro Kamado then dodges the Wind Hashira's slash and lands a strong headbutt on the Wind Hashira's forehead, causing the Wind Hashira to fall to the ground and proceeds to get a nosebleed.
In the Hashira Training Arc, Sanemi Shinazugawa decides to "teach" endurance lessons to the lower-ranking Demon Slayers. Later, he is seen to spar with the Water Hashira (Giyu Tomioka) using wooden swords. The sparring match ends in a tie, thus showing that the two have equal swordsmanship skills. However, the Wind Hashira implores that he and the Water Hashira continue the fight using their fists. But Tanjiro Kamado interrupts and tells the two to stop fighting, Sanemi Shinazugawa then proceeds to knock Tanjiro Kamado unconscious.
In the Infinity Castle Arc, Sanemi Shinazugawa was able to easily kill Lower Moon-level Demons. Later, he saves his younger brother (Genya Shinazugawa) from the Upper Moon One: Kokushibo. The Wind Hashira proceeds to fight the Upper Moon One: Kokushibo, and does quite well against him. Kokushibo even compliments Sanemi Shinazugawa's endurance, as he took a slash to the abdomen and still continued to move. Then, the Stone Hashira (Gyomei Himejima) arrives and saves Sanemi from the Upper Moon Demon. The Stone Hashira then proceeds to fight with Kokushibo while Sanemi Shinazugawa bandages his injuries. After the Wind Hashira finishes bandaging himself, he unlocks his Demon Slayer Mark. With the Demon Slayer Mark, the Wind Hashira gains higher strength and speed stats. He is able to fight Kokushibo with Gyomei Himejima, while also clashing his weapon with the Stone Hashira's weapon in order to turn both Nichirin Blades into Bright-Red Nichirin Blades. While the two struggle more as Kokushibo starts using more hazardous Moon Breathing forms, the Mist Hashira: Muichiro Tokito and Genya Shinazugawa weaken the Upper Moon One (Muichiro Tokito manages to stab Kokushibo with a Bright-Red Nichirin Blade, Genya Shinazugawa shoots Kokushibo with a Nichirin Gun, both attacks weaken the Upper Moon One a lot). Due to these attacks, Sanemi Shinazugawa and Gyomei Himejima are able to decapitate the weakened Upper Moon One. However, this is meaningless, as the Upper Moon One gains head decapitation immunity and regrows his head. Kokushibo then sees his monstrous appearance in the reflection of Sanemi Shinazugawa's Nichirin Blade and loses the will to fight. Kokushibo then stops himself from regenerating which allows the Wind Hashira and Stone Hashira to kill the Upper Moon One. However, Genya Shinazugawa and Muichiro Tokito are found to be dead, with the Wind Hashira and the Stone Hashira mourning over their deaths, before they head to fight Muzan Kibutsuji.
In the fight against 1st Drug Muzan, Sanemi Shinazugawa manages to land a few hits on the Demon King. However, he is unable to react to Muzan's huge shockwave attack, so he is saved by Giyu Tomioka and Gyomei Himejima. However, all the Hashira are sent into walls after this attack. Later, Sanemi Shinazugawa manages to hold down a weakened Muzan along with all the Hashira, Demon Slayers and Kakushi, which leads to the Demon King being burned by the sun.
Sanemi is a Wind Breathing master:
- First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter - The user dashes forward at blinding speeds and slashes continuously in a horizontal cyclone pattern.
- Second Form: Claws, Purifying Wind - The user lifts the sword upwards towards the right, above their head and unleashes four vertical slashes at once down on the enemy resembling claws.
- Third Form: Clean Storm Wind Tree - The user unleashes a whirlwind of slashes around their body that can defend them from incoming attacks and slice up their surroundings.
- Fourth Form: Rising Dust Storm - The user releases several slashes above them from below their target.
- Fifth Form: Cold Mountain Wind - The user creates several circular arched slashes that increase in size from above their target.
- Sixth Form: Black Wind Mountain Mist - The user rotates their body in an uppercut movement, creating a tornado of slashes.
- Seventh Form: Gale, Sudden Gusts - The user leaps into the air while swinging their blade which generates gale-force winds to shred their opponent apart.
- Eighth Form: Primary Gale Slash - The user leaps into the air and swings their blade which generates circular torrents of wind that slices up the opponent instantly.
- Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon - The user backflips into the air and while upside-down, unleashes a powerful gust of circular wind that slashes apart anything below.
Sanemi Shinazugawa is amazing at offence, due to being a Wind Breathing master. Sanemi Shinazugawa also ranks 4th in the Hashira Physical Strength Ranking and 2nd in the Hashira Running Speed Ranking. Sanemi Shinazugawa arguably has the best endurance out of all the Hashira. He also has great adaptability in battle, as seen where he uses Genya Shinazugawa's sword and gun against Kokushibo and lights Muzan on fire using oil. Lastly, Sanemi was rare blood which causes a Demon to become drunk if they taste it.
Death Battle[]
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, was on his mission that the Master sent him on. There was a report of a Twelve Kizuki member, as many lower-ranked Demon Slayers sent to the location didn't come back and disappeared. It was dark, and then Sanemi heard rustling from the trees. Sanemi feels a huge aura coming from it and unsheathes his Nichirin Blade.
Out of the shadows, two glowing yellow eyes appear.
Sanemi: *yelling* OI, COME OUT OF THERE, DEMON! YOU REALLY KNOW HOW TO TAKE YOUR TIME, DON'T YOU?!
A laugh appears, and the figure comes out. Its eyes translate to "UPPER THREE".
Sanemi: Upper Moon Three?!
Akaza: Ha ha! Yes, I am Akaza. Sensing your battle spirit, I believe that you are a Hashira.
Sanemi: That's right! I am the wind that'll rip of your head, *****!