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Description[]

Ninjago vs Demon Slayer! Two headstrong, fiery swordsmen clash in a duel of the ages! After rescuing their sister from the undead, befriending electrical boys, and inheriting their powers from their fathers, Kai and Tanjiro decide who's the better warrior!

Interlude[]

Counter: Familial bonds are some of the most important bonds known to humans. Most of us deeply care about our families, ready to go to Hell and back for them.

Kaiya: But for these two headstrong swordsmen, they pretty much did!

Kai intro

Damien: Like Kai, the Elemental Master of Fire!

Tanjiro intro

Hannah: And Tanjiro Kamado, the Perfect Demon.

Counter: I'm Counter, and these are my partners Damien, Kai and Hannah! And we're here to research their strength, speed and abilities to find out who would win in a Death Battle!

Kai[]

Counter: Long before time had a name, the First Spinjitzu Master created the continent of Ninjago using four elemental weapons. The Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, the Sword of Fire and the Shurikens of Ice.

Kaiya: Why ice and lightning? Were wind and water busy?

Counter: Well, it is explained in the series that The First Spinjitzu Master can’t control wind or water. So maybe he just settled for the closest thing.

Damien: Well either way, this man soon fathered two sons named Wu and Garmadon. While one embodied Creation, the other embodied Destruction. And, forced to be evil by a giant snake - don’t question it - the two brothers fought, where Garmadon was struck to the Underworld.

Hannah: After Garmadon’s defeat, Wu hid the elemental Golden Weapons across Ninjago and ordered guardians to protect the weapons. But Garmadon would eventually return, and Wu would need help if he wanted to find them before his brother.

Counter: And he found help, in the form of a team of teenage ninjas. Cole, the steadfast leader. Jay, the fast-talking motormouth, and Zane, the stoic and reserved robot. But this was only three. Wu needed one more Ninja to wield the Sword of Fire.

Kaiya: And who else should wield it but the blacksmith known as Kai! After his sister Nya was kidnapped by an army of undead skeletons, Kai trained and joined the other three to become a Spinjitzu Master and rescue his sister.

Damien: And Kai was more than ready to fight. Much like the element he embodied, Kai is hotheaded, impulsive and reckless, more than willing to rush into dangerous situations and put himself in harm's way to get the job done!

Hannah: After harnessing the fire that burns inside, Kai can manipulate the flames to his will. He can create fireballs as a projectile attack, use it to enhance the power of his blows, and create large streams of fire. If he needs to protect himself, Kai can generate a fiery Elemental Shield, which can even protect him from the intense heat, speed and pressure of atmospheric re-entry.

Counter: He can create it from thin air or manipulate the fire already around him. As a bonus, Kai is also largely unaffected by heat or fire, able to walk on hot coals as if it were a walk in the park. And as shown in the Season 1 episode ‘All of Nothing’, users of the Fire element can teleport!

Kaiya: Oh, we’re not joking. Somehow, he just…appears! Out of nowhere! Badass.

Damien: But he doesn’t just manipulate fire. He uses it in the special martial art known as Spinjitzu! Despite its name being taken from ‘Ninjutsu’, it’s anything but. When the user taps into their inner balance while spinning rapidly, they are enveloped in a tornado-like vortex of pure Elemental energy!

Hannah: Spinjitzu is the art of rotation and momentum, the spinning adding force and power to the user’s blows. As the tornado is made up of small elemental particles, it is incredibly difficult to bypass.

Counter: Kai is a Master of Spinjitzu and uses it to great effect in battle. Using it, he was able to defeat a regular person such as Dareth in seconds.

Kaiya: But Spinjitzu isn’t the only martial art the ninja have learned! After spending the night in a haunted temple being tormented by the deceased Sensei yang, Kai has mastered the lost martial art of Airjitzu! Using Airjitzu, Kai can spin rapidly to temporarily take flight for a short burst of around 10 to 15 seconds! How does this guy not get dizzy?

Damien: It may be because Kai is in peak physical condition. Both mentally and physically. He has conquered all of his fears, which allows him to summon his Fire Elemental Dragon! While intimidating, powerful and completely loyal to Kai, it will disappear if he loses control of his fears.

Hannah: Elemental Dragons are the physical manifestation of an Elemental Power. They make for useful transportation with their flight, and a powerful adversary with Kai’s dragon having fiery breath attacks!

Counter: Kai is an incredible teammate and fighter, but this journey to elemental mastery wouldn’t come easy. After his team discovered a scroll containing a prophecy referring to a Green Ninja who would rise above the others, Kai yearned for it to refer to himself, even donning the gi in desperation to unlock this power.

Kaiya: This obsession was the obstacle inside himself. After accepting that it wasn’t him and was in fact Lloyd Garmadon, the obstacle holding him back was suddenly gone. And with this obstacle gone, Kai became a sight to behold. Why? He unlocked his True Potential, bitches!

Damien: A Ninja’s True Potential is the highest level of power accessible to an Elemental Master like Kai. He becomes enveloped in a sphere of fire, letting him fly freely, survive extreme heat and protect him from a volcanic eruption! It also lets him freely control the element of Fire and presumably boosts his power to untold levels.

Hannah: Using this incredible ability, Kai was able to rescue the true future Green Ninja and accept his destiny to protect him.

Counter: Kai is undeniably powerful. He is comparable to most of his teammates, such as Jay, who can control lightning. This is more than likely real lightning, too. In Season 6, Jay has acted as a lightning rod, and in other seasons, he’s redirected lightning from a storm, can charge electronics, and control them remotely using his own electrical charge. As such, his lightning should be comparable to real lightning bolts, which can travel at an average of Mach 1294.

Kaiya: Other ninja like Cole, who Kai is also comparable to, has even battled Jay in the past, so it’s safe to say that they should be comparable to this level of speed. But that’s not even the craziest it can get! Nya has deflected laser bolts from Nindroids. Oh, and they’re totally light lasers. They move in a straight line, reflect, have a consistent speed. While it is true that the lasers do seem to explode, this is probably because the Nindroid’s weapons are built for combat instead of the lasers themselves not being legit.

Damien: Nadakhan the Djinn was also able to dodge similar lasers, which was calculated to need a reaction time close to the speed of light, supporting Nya being able to deflect them!

Hannah: Kai was also able to survive getting stomped by Morro without his powers, who can create storms with his Elemental Power of Wind, which would require Kai to be able to withstand over 7 Megatons of TNT. The Ninja even survived a blast from said Wind. With their powers, the Ninja have done similarly impressive things.

Counter: Such as Cole Shaking an entire mountain accidently, which was described as sounding like thunder. The Mountain of Shintaro’s size is unknown, but it did surpass cloud level and was described as a magnificent sight, so the mountain is probably on the larger end of the size spectrum. Assuming the Earth Ninja created an earthquake worth about 6 on the Richter Scale, which is likely extremely lowballed considering the size of the mountain, Cole likely output about 15 Kilotons of TNT.

Kaiya: But for all this power, Kai still felt...jealous. Deep down, he still felt that he should have been the Green Ninja. Deep down, Kai resented the fact that Lloyd had all the power for himself! Heavy stuff, man, and for my favourite Ninja too.

Damien: He’s only your favourite cause your name’s Kai too.

Kaiya: Hey! …Shut up.

Damien: But Kai never let this jealousy stop him for long. He even worked his hardest to try and protect the Green Ninja after he was possessed by Morro. His love for his friends is just as powerful as his temper and his drive to protect them burns brightest.

Hannah: But he is still hotheaded and short-tempered, more than willing to put himself in dangerous scenarios or take on more than he can handle. Still, Kai is the Ninja of Fire for good reason. You best steer clear of the Red Ninja.

("This isn't about who's a ninja, a Nindroid, or even a ghost. Above all else, we're brothers. And as iron sharpens iron, brother sharpens brother.")

Tanjiro Kamado[]

Counter: Life is brutal and unfair. It does not seek to nurture its inhabitants, instead often throwing them into the deep end before they’ve learned how to swim. Life often devours without remorse.

Kaiya: Are we sure you’re not describing a Demon?

Counter: No? It says right here in the script: ‘Life sucks.’

Damien: Oh, I wrote that! Because no-one embodies that more than Tanjiro Kamado, a Demon Slayer! But before he was a Demon Slayer, Tanjiro was a regular charcoal-seller living in the mountains.'

Hannah: Looked up to by his siblings, modest yet strong-willed. They lived happily together. Tanjiro’s father, Tanjuro, was a great influence on him, teaching him the foundations of a fiery ritual dance known as the Hinokami Kagura. He taught the young Tanjiro about the dance and a special way to breathe so that he could dance forever.

Kaiya: When Tanjuro sadly passed, Tanjiro’s siblings sought him as their father figure. He cared for them and loved them unconditionally. But one day, this all quickly changed.

Counter: Tanjiro returned to his home after a successful day at the town, only to find his entire family slaughtered by Demons. There was only one survivor, Tanjiro’s sister Nezuko. But even she was turned into a Demon herself.

Damien: But Tanjiro isn’t the type to give up! Vowing to cure his sister, Tanjiro went through the gruelling training in order to become a Demon Slayer. His willpower pushed him through extraordinary challenges, such as splitting a boulder, climbing up and down a mountain, and unbelievable exhaustion, just to name a few!

Hannah: Luckily, Tanjiro had all the skills he needed to succeed in being a Demon Slayer. He has an incredibly advanced sense of smell, many times greater than that of a human’s. He can detect booby traps on a mountain, sense what kind of person Zenitsu Agatsuma is, and predict his opponent’s movements.

Kaiya: This guy’s nose is insane! Even able to pinpoint the Line of Interval or ‘opening line’ where his nose pinpoints an enemy’s slight pause in movement or moment of weakness, guiding him to slice into that point! I need a nose like that, could probably use it to find Counter’s stupid real name.

Counter: Heh. Not a chance. Tanjiro can even sense the ‘scent of trust’ in people. But he is also incredibly athletic, able to jump incredibly high, crack ribs with a punch, push his body to fight despite broken bones, and stop a hemorrhage with his breathing.

Damien: That’s his Total Concentration Breathing, which Tanjiro uses to raise his physical prowess to its limit, giving him superhuman physicality! Tanjiro has also mastered many other Breathing Styles, such as Water Breathing, a style that integrates the flexibility, flow and adaptability of water into the user’s techniques and abilities, coming in many different forms!

Hannah: Such as the First Form: Water Surface Slash where the user generates lots of momentum in a single concentrated slash, the Water Wheel, which releases a circular flowing attack, the Flowing Dance, where the user swings their blade winding motion with their body to slice everything in their path, and Whirlpool, generating a whirlpool of air to slice anything in its path, just to name a few.

Kaiya: The Striking Tide delivers multiple attacks at the same time, the Splashing Water Flow is ideal when in a place without a solid foothold, and the Constant Flux takes the form of a water dragon that increases in power with each rotation the user takes.

Counter: Despite what it may seem, the Water Breathing Style doesn’t seem to actually create water out of nothing. In fact, it seems to just be a visual effect and not actually hydrokinetic.

Kaiya: Oh. Boring.

Counter: Oh? Well, if it’s so boring to you, Tanjiro knows another Breathing Style. The very first Breathing Style. A versatile breathing style that seems to harness the solar flames from our very own Sun. This is the Breathing Style aptly known as Sun Breathing.

Damien: Yeah, and it increases Tanjiro’s power and speed because his body is more suited to mimicking the Sun! He uses this incredible technique in attacks such as Dance, where he performs an extremely powerful vertical slash. Tanjiro has also combined this technique with the techniques from the Thunder Breathing Style to create his own unique Dancing Flash, where he intakes huge amounts of air, focuses it into his legs, and lets it all out in a high speed assault!

Hannah: He can use the Clear Blue Sky to attack in 360-degree slash, the Raging Sun, where he slashes horizontally twice to defend from incoming attacks. The Burning Bones, Summer Sun technique releases a large circular slash to protect him from frontal assaults, and the Setting Sun Transformation, where he does a backflip to try and decapitate his opponents.

Counter: The Solar Heat Haze is a horizontal slash that disguises the user’s hit with a haze, the Beneficent Radiance delivers a powerful slash that surrounds the enemy, the Sunflower Thrust is a single, powerful thrust, and the Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance seems to take the form of a fiery dragon made from solar flames, able to decapitate multiple targets at once.

Kaiya: What an elegant and powerful name that just rolls off the tongue, heh. The Fire Wheel causes the user to leap behind an opponent to release a circular slash to catch foes in the back, the Parh- Para- (sigh). The Parhelion Rainbow creates afterimages used to evade attacks, and the Flame Dance is a powerful combo attack that hits with both a vertical and horizontal slash!

Damien: And while it technically doesn’t have a name, the Thirteenth Form aims to connect every single Sun Breathing form into one continuous attack, devised for the sole purpose of finally killing Muzan Kibutsuji by targeting every one of his vital organs. Tanjiro used this many times in his final battle with Muzan, fighting through poison and oxygen deprivation to give it his all.

Hannah: And, when his body reaches criticality, his Demon Slayer Mark activates, replacing his scar with a flame-like mark that pushed Tanjiro even further than before. His blade turns bright red, allowing him to hamper the regenerative abilities of a Demon, boost his physicality even further, and allows him to access the Transparent World.

Counter: Which allows him to see the world in slow-motion, and show his opponent’s blood flow and muscles, allowing him to predict their movements with an even greater precision.

Kaiya: But it’s not like he needs it to be powerful. Tanjiro’s power has even been compared to a Pillar, some of the most powerful warriors in the Demon Slayer world. This, combined with taking on Muzan, should make him comparable to a weakened Doma, who created an ice sculpture at 321 tons of TNT! Muzan could even take on multiple Pillars at once!

Damien: Tanjiro was also able to attack in tandem with and replicate Zenitsu’s Thunder Breathing speed, which allowed him to attack at Mach 11! And that’s without viewing the world in slow motion!

Hannah: Tanjiro’s journey came with a cost. He rescued his sister and cured her from being a Demon, but he was turned into a Demon himself by Muzan after his defeat. At the very end of the series, Tanjiro lost the ability to use his right eye or left arm, and never recovered. But now with his sister recovered, Tanjiro ultimately succeeded where it mattered most and continued to live, even starting a family.

Counter: Throughout his life, Tanjiro was reckless and headstrong, often getting himself into situations that are in over his head, and if he overuses his Breathing techniques, it can often leave him winded. But no matter his weaknesses, Tanjiro will continue to push himself to overcome them and work to help others, no matter the cost.

("No matter how many people you may lose you have no choice but to go on living. No matter how devastating the blows may be.")

Intermission[]

Counter: Alright, the combatants are set! You guys ready?

Kaiya: Let's do it!

Damien: Heck yeah!

Hannah: Is there any doubt?

Counter: Then let's end this debate once and for all...in a Death Battle!

Kai vs Tanjiro set

Death Battle[]

In. And out. In. And out. In through the nose, out through the mouth. The rhythmic beats of respiration were matched with the footsteps carrying a young warrior through the forest. Every stick that was broken under his foot sent an ear-splitting crack through the trees, closer to the sound of a bullet being fired than anything else.

The box strapped against the boy’s back rustled softly with the cracking noise, very clearly startling whatever was inside. The boy wore black hair on his head, combed backwards and exposing his forehead. The black hair was decorated with burgundy tips. His dark red eyes, complimenting the flame-like scar on his forehead, looked back to the box worriedly, but he pushed forwards. He had a dark-brown jacket and baggy pants strapped to his body with a white belt.

The most colourful part of his outfit was the black and sea-green haori he was wearing, quietly flapping with the little amount of breeze that managed to make its way through the trees. His pathway was only illuminated by the light from the moon, faintly displaying the way forwards. Sighing, the boy pressed forwards. His name was Tanjiro Kamado.

“It’s alright, Nezuko. It’s just me.” He reassured his little sister, looking back to the box once more. The rustling inside the box seemed to settle down slightly, and Tanjiro gave it a small smile, before continuing with his journey.

Far above Tanjiro’s head, unbeknownst to him, someone was watching him silently. Perched on a branch, a ninja was staring down at him. Unlike most ninjas, who focused on stealth, this ninja was wearing a bright red gi. A brown strap reached diagonally across his body, holding many pouches.

Pulling his hood back, the teenager spied on him further. His face was slightly scarred, ever so slightly cutting through his right eyebrow. He had thick brown hair that spiked upwards, very reminiscent of fire, fitting, as this appearance belonged to the Ninja of Fire, Kai.

The branch he was perched upon creaked slightly, threatening to give way to his weight. Eyes widening, Kai draped his red hood over his head, hiding his appearance aside from his eyes. Tanjiro froze.

“Oops.” Kai said to himself, leaping to another tree with a small grunt, mere moments before Tanjiro twisted around on his heels. His head shot upwards and he scanned the forest, eyes scanning the trees far above his head. Kai held his breath, hiding behind a sea of leaves and sticks, both of which were uncomfortably poking into every inch of his body.

Tanjiro turned back at glacial speeds while his stomach jerked around in his body at incomprehensible speeds. As Tanjiro finally looked away, Kai let out a relieved sigh, climbing out of the sea of sticks he had taken refuge in. He jumped between branches to keep up with the Demon Slayer, who quickened his pace considerably. His stride blurred the lines between jogging and walking.

Groaning slightly, Kai reached behind his back, pulling out a small throwing star. Tanjiro took a breath, and froze. His highly sensitive sense of smell detected something…new. A scent of danger. A scent of danger to his sister. Coming from above him. Twisting around, the Demon Slayer twisted around in a green and black blur, his eyes linking with Kai’s.

The throwing star glinted off the moonlight, shining in Tanjiro’s eyes and catching his attention. As if in slow motion, Tanjiro watched it sail under his arm and crash through the right strap on the box. His eyes grew wider than they ever had before, as the star sliced through the other strap of the box. It slid out of his arms, landing on the dirt behind him with a crash. Gasping, Tanjiro twisted around as the throwing star buried itself in the ground.

Kai followed the throwing star quickly, landing on the ground in front of Tanjiro with a hidden smirk.

“You! You have the scent!” Tanjiro shouted, drawing his long, black Nichirin Sword. Kai responded by drawing his own sword. It was golden, glowing brightly from the light of the moon.

“Who? Me? Nah, I don’t stink.” Kai responded lightly. “But, uh…” He pointed towards the box now lying on the ground. “Master Wu asked me to take care of that, so if you could move aside-”

Tanjiro interrupted him by darting in front of the box, almost as if he was using himself as a human shield. He kept his sword at the ready, watching Kai with a new growing rage.

“Don’t hurt my sister!” Tanjiro told him sharply, gripping his sword tightly. The Ninja of Fire sighed.

“I don’t think you get it, kid. That box has a Demon inside. I’m just doing everyone a favour-”

Without warning, Tanjiro darted forwards, his blade trailed by what seemed to be water. Kai’s eyes widened as the Demon Slayer grew closer. He drew his sword backwards, swinging it across his body in a wide, horizontal slash.

“Woah!” Kai yelled, throwing himself under the swing of the blade. He rolled past the Demon Slayer and somersaulted to his feet, twisting on the balls of his feet to face Tanjiro again, holding his sword a little tighter. Not skipping a beat, Tanjiro turned around and rushed towards Kai, his sword positioned above his head.

Yelling, Tanjiro brought the sword down to meet Kai’s head, only to be interrupted by Kai’s own sword, clashing in a noise that rang throughout the forest. The Ninja of Fire thrusted himself forwards, forcing the Demon Slayer to step backwards or else risk losing his footing. Hopping backwards, Tanjiro slid to a stop. The two swordsman’s eyes met. Both filled with determination.

“I can forgive Demons. They haven’t got a choice.” Tanjiro declared, his knuckles turning white with how tightly he gripped his sword. “They can’t control themselves, and they were once human, like me. But…Anyone who attacks Nezuko, I can’t forgive. I can’t forgive such a shitty act!”

“I like your confidence. But watch and learn, muchacho. This is the real deal!"

Kai vs Tanjiro fight render

FIGHT!

As the words escaped Kai’s lips, Tanjiro darted forwards, thrusting his sword in the Ninja’s direction. Grunting, the Ninja of Fire jumped backwards, swinging his own blade upwards in a wide arch.The blades met in a spectacular shower of sparks, but Tanjiro’s sword swing was no match for Kai’s, forced to follow its path. Smirking, Kai drove his sword towards the dirt, burying Tanjiro’s black blade firmly in the ground.

Tanjiro stepped backwards, but Kai rushed forwards, thrusting his sword towards the Demon Slayer, who jumped in the air with a small grunt. He planted a foot onto Kai’s sword and pushed off once more, leaping over the Ninja’s head and landing on his feet next to his sword. Wrenching the sword from the ground, Tanjiro jumped backwards and sucked in a deep breath as Kai repositioned his feet.

“Ha! Is that all?” Kai taunted his foe, but his grip gave himself away. It was a tight grip, his arms tensing as he awaited his foe’s next move. He was being cautious. Stepping backwards, Kai raised his blade.

弐にノ型かた 水みず車ぐるま Ni no kata: Mizu Guru!/Second Form: Water Wheel!

Yelling, Tanjiro leapt forwards. Water seemed to fly from his blade as he approached the Ninja, who took a step forwards. Moments before collision, Tanjiro somersaulted in the air, striking the top of Kai’s blade in such a way that it broke the Ninja’s grip, wrenching the sword from his grip and slamming it into the ground.

Kai let out a noise of shock as Tanjiro landed on his feet, taking in calm, deep breaths. He inhaled through his nose-

Uh oh.

In a noise of surprise, Tanjiro dived to the side, narrowly avoiding a throwing star streaking through the air. It landed in a tree with a dull thunk, leaving Tanjiro to turn back to the Ninja, who bore a look of surprise. Grabbing his sword from the floor, Kai took a step forward.

“Okay, so you’ve got surprises, but you’re not the only one!” Rushing forwards, Kai threw his free arm forwards. Out of nothing, a fireball erupted from his hand, barreling through the air.

“What kind of Breathing Style is that?!” Tanjiro cried, jumping to the side to avoid the ball of flames. Using his opportunity, Kai rushed forwards, thrusting his sword towards the Demon Slayer. Tanjiro met Kai’s blade with his own, narrowly deflecting the thrust with a swing of his own. Unwilling to release the pressure he now put on his foe, Kai spun in a circle and swung his sword horizontally, forcing Tanjiro to jump backwards to avoid bloodshed.

The black and gold swords met once more, but it wasn’t the only attack that had met. With their free hands, both Kai and Tanjiro threw a punch. Their fist smacked together, each punch throwing its target backwards through the air and forcing them to drop their blades. The Demon Slayer slammed his back into a tree trunk with a grunt as Kai rolled across the ground, coming to a stop at the base of a tree opposite Tanjiro. Their swords lay in a heap in the middle of the two.

Kai jumped to his feet, groaning angrily. As Tanjiro tried to regain his bearings, Kai sprinted forwards, his fists enveloped by flames. He crossed the distance to the swords in seconds, but he didn’t stop there. Jumping over the blades, Kai continued his approach. Yelling, he jumped into the air, extending his leg in an attempt to kick the Demon Slayer. Tanjiro leaned to the side, Kai’s foot narrowly avoiding the young man as it slammed into the trunk of the tree.

Tanjiro spun away from the tree and readied himself as Kai flipped away from the tree. The fiery ninja darted forwards, throwing his fist forwards. The fist narrowly avoided Tanjiro’s head as he moved backwards, raising his own fists as a response. An uppercut from Kai connected with the Demon Slayer’s chin, sending him reeling backwards. Unwilling to give up his assault, Kai angrily threw his other hand into Tanjiro’s stomach, earning a grunt from him as he stumbled backwards.

“Had enough?” Kai asked him, dropping his arms ever so slightly. In a flash, Tanjiro snatched at Kai’s wrists with both of his arms, rearing his head backwards.

“Never!” He yelled in response, smashing his forehead into Kai’s face with the full force of his body. Yelling, Kai jerked backwards, his hands shooting to his face as he stumbled backwards. Blood spurted out of his nose, slicking his nose in the metallic smell that forced him to pull his hood off his face, revealing his appearance.

Jumping backwards, Kai pinched his nose to slow down the bleeding, making his way back to his sword quickly. Tanjiro ran after him, drawing one of his fists backwards. He let his fist fly forwards with a yell, only for it to be stopped dead by Kai’s free hand snatching it out of the air. Releasing the pressure from his nose, Kai winked at the Demon Slayer, and dropped to the ground. Tanjiro jumped in the air, his scent alerting him to Kai’s intentions. Kai met the jump with one of his own, planting both of his feet onto Tanjiro’s chest and pushing off.

Kai flipped backwards through the air, scooping his sword off the ground and landing on his feet. He spinned the sword around stylishly, watching Tanjiro land in a heap on the dirt. However, he wasn’t to be outdone. Planting his hands on the ground, Tanjiro threw himself forwards, flying through the air like a human-sized bullet. He scooped his dark blade off the ground and charged towards the ninja, slicing through the air. Their blades met once more.

円えん舞ぶ Enbu!/Dance!

Before Kai could comprehend it, Tanjiro’s blade burst into flames. The ninja’s eyes grew wide as Tanjiro let his arms fall. Realising what was about to occur, Kai lowered his sword to his abdomen, horizontal as Tanjiro slashed upwards with his. Their blades met in a brilliant flash of red, as a ball of fire exploded from the point the blades met. The ball of fire expanded to envelop the two in less than a second. Like the Sun was rising once again, the forest was bathed in yellow light. Animals awoke, thinking the morning had begun.

Inside the ball of flame, Kai looked around wildly and Tanjiro kept his eyes fixed on the ninja’s blade. Their eyes met.

“You’re…fire.” Kai said, struck dumb by the brilliant ball of fire. “Which parent?”

“...What?”

“Which parent gave you your powers?” Kai now kept his eyes fixed on Tanjiro’s blade as the ball of fire dissipated into the air, leaving the trees untouched and the boys to stare at each other, so stiff onlookers would be reminded of statues. Tanjiro’s face fell sadly.

“My father.” Upon hearing these words, Kai stepped backwards, a smile slowly crawling onto his face.

“No way! Me too! So there are multiple Masters of a single element…-” Kai’s train of thought was cut off when Tanjiro thrust his sword in the ninja’s direction, forcing Kai to jump backwards to avoid being cut. Responding with a slice of his own that simply refused to not strike Tanjiro’s own blade, Kai’s mind was racing. His foe could use fire, but Kai could have sworn he saw the kid using water, too. He didn’t know someone could control multiple elements at once. As their blades continued to clash, Kai glanced around to his environment. Despite the fireball, nothing seemed to be burnt. Was this the power of a Demon?

Kai swung downwards with his blade, only to be met with another interruption from Tanjiro’s own weapon. They were getting nowhere. This kid seemed to intercept any of Kai’s attacks in advance, as if he detected the attack before it happened.

“Bite this!” He shouted, using his left arm to spray a stream of fire towards his foe. Tanjiro planted his feet into the ground and closed his eyes, swinging his blade in a large circle in front of him. Mere moments before the stream of flame threatened to harm him, the Nichirin Sword in the Demon Slayer’s hands ignited as a ring of flame followed his circular swing. The ring of fire swept up Kai’s own fiery attack like it was nothing.

Angrily, Kai stepped backward and spun on his feet as Tanjiro’s attack died down. Roaring, he slashed wildly with his blade, the added momentum from the spin adding more power to the slice. The Demon Slayer leant back, but a sword finally landed a blow, slicing through Tanjiro’s stomach. Blood spurted onto the floor and Tanjiro stepped backwards, sucking in a quick breath.

Luckily for Tanjiro, the cut was extremely shallow, but certainly enough to draw blood. This ninja was good, he wasn’t allowed to underestimate him. He rushed forwards angrily, slicing in many different directions to attempt to disarm his opponent, but Kai met his slashes with some of his own, stopping them dead.

“You’re fast, so what?!” He screamed, thrusting forwards. “You’ll never touch my sister!” He swung his sword for the Ninja’s neck, who jumped to the side to narrowly avoid the attack.

“Listen to me! Demons are dangerous! I’m only doing what Master Wu told me to do! It’s best for everyone!” Kai spat backwards, throwing a fireball that Tanjiro deflected with a swing of his sword.

Without a second to hesitate, Tanjiro dropped to the floor and swung at Kai’s legs with his own. He hooked a foot around Kai’s ankle and swung angrily, throwing Kai’s leg from under his body and dropping him to the floor with a yell. Without missing a beat, Tanjiro held his sword up high and plunged it into the ninja’s side. As he pulled it out the Ninja of Fire screamed loud enough to convince birds to leave their trees, his legs igniting in flames. Yelling with a mix of fury and pain, Kai flipped backwards, flicking his foot upwards in an unmistakable backflip kick.

The kick connected with Tanjiro’s chin, throwing him off the ninja and sending him flying backwards. Kai landed on his feet, painfully gripping the wound on his left side.

“You’re right! I am fast! And I never quit, because I’m a ninja!” He declared proudly, attempting to push the pain in his side to the back of his mind. Tanjiro rolled backwards to get to his feet, breathing slowly to slow the blood leaking out of his body.

“I can sense that.” Tanjiro responded, tapping his nose with a small smirk. “I can also sense that you’re hotheaded and stubborn. But you’re also trusting, so I know you won’t leave this battle without my sister.” Tanjiro closed his eyes, steeling himself for his next statement. “I forgive you. But if you won’t leave without my sister, then…you won’t leave at all!”

Kai only nodded, his face wracked with determination and anger. The two warriors charged forwards, swiping their swords horizontally. Kai spun around, putting extra force behind his next horizontal slash, which again crashed against Tanjiro’s own blade. He spun around again, the swing of his blade slightly stronger than the previous. He spun again, his swing this time knocking Tanjiro off-balance, forcing him to stumble to the side.

Sparks of fire ignited into life at Kai’s feet, growing brighter and hotter as it slowly enveloped his legs, spinning in tandem with the ninja. The vortex of fire grew exponentially, surrounding his entire body within seconds. The ground started to shake ever so slightly as the fiery tornado moved towards Tanjiro.

“Ninja, GO!” The ninja cried. Tanjiro took a deep breath. In his mind’s eye, he watched himself be thrown back into the forest by the tornado. But how could he defend against a tornado of pure fire? Sucking in a deep breath, he pulled his blade backwards.

陽よう華か突とつ Yōkatotsu/Sunflower Thrust!

Yelling, Tanjiro thrusted the point of his sword forwards, spirals of fire arcing around his blade like a snake around a branch. His blade sunk into the tornado-

CLANG!

Tanjiro felt his sword slip from his grip as Kai swung. The force of the swing lifted him off the ground and slammed him into a tree trunk. Groaning, he darted backwards into the sea of trees as the tornado finally died down. Kai spun to a stop, and began to chase the Demon Slayer, his sword pointed behind him.

Through the darkness, a tree branch covered in many jagged sticks and leaves whipped at Kai from the darkness, smacking the Ninja with a cold crack and throwing him on his back. Groaning, the Ninja of Fire slowly sat up, his vision blurred. Through the stinging pain, he saw a green and brown blue speed past him, upsetting the wind between them.

“Ouch…That felt worse than Cole’s chilli…” He chuckled to himself, shaking his head. His vision began to clear, but his heart and mind weren’t. His being was infused with a mild anger. He had done well to suppress it, but it was rising with every blow his foe had blocked with his own blade.

Getting to his feet, Kai turned around slowly, holding his face painfully. Yelling, the green and brown blue dashed back towards the ninja, their black sword glinting against the moonlight, now safely grasped within their palm. Letting out a yell, Kai jumped backwards to avoid the attack. He could have sworn he saw a hint of lightning crackling behind Tanjiro as he rushed towards him, but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

Growling under his breath, Kai twisted around, sparking up another fiery Spinjitzu tornado to surround him. Breathing slowly, Tanjiro threw a horizontal slash with his blade, but that met nothing but Kai’s own blade. Roaring, Tanjiro swung vertically. While this sword swing was still blocked by the tornado once more, this time, the tornado moved backwards.

Almost like the tornado being knocked back turned on a switch inside Tanjiro, his eyes grew wide within an instant. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose, and he saw it. A simple line, extending from his sword to the middle of the tornado. An opening. A slight pause in motion, the tiniest gap for Tanjiro to swing. The Line of Interval, and almost like a magnet, the line seemed to pull Tanjiro’s sword to his side, and thrust it through the tornado.

The metallic clang was a disappointing sound, but nevertheless Kai was thrown backwards, the tornado disappearing as fast as it had sprung into existence. The sound washed through the trees, paired only with Kai’s yell, which reverberated through the trees. The same yell doubled over as it explored the furthest reaches of the forest.

The ninja landed on his back, but he put his reliance on the momentum and rolled in the same direction, landing on his feet in time to block a sword swipe from Tanjiro that pushed him back further. Kai’s feet dug into the dirt, ripping through the dry layer of dirt to reveal the wet mud that still contained the water the trees used to drink.

With an almighty huff, Kai shoved forwards, pushing the Demon Slayer backwards and giving Kai a crucial window of opportunity. Yelling, Kai expelled a breath of fire from his hands, rocketing through the air and washing Tanjiro in a haze of red-hot heat. His garb fought against the fire, fighting back the heat to protect its wearer. Stepping forwards, Kai slowly advanced on his foe, the fire getting stronger and stronger the closer he got.

“Slow down there, hotshot. You’re not even ready to face my pinky toe!” He taunted. The fire forced Tanjiro to jump backwards. The stream of fire died away as Tanjiro landed, his clothes and hair unhurt by the flames. Still, the fiery attack wore on his stamina. Concentrating on his breathing, Tanjiro brought his sword in front of him, squeezing his eyes shut.

炎えん舞ぶ Enbu/Flame Dance!

Still with his eyes shut, Tanjiro stepped forwards, slashing vertically, his blade trailed by a stream of fire. Kai leapt backwards to avoid the slash, followed closely by Tanjiro, who dashed forwards to keep the Ninja in range. With his scent guiding him, his skills became even more precise than before. With pinpoint accuracy, Tanjiro swung horizontally. Tanjiro’s Nichirin Sword struck the hilt of Kai’s own golden sword. It didn’t get the chance to bite into flesh, but the angle of the blow knocked Kai’s hand aside and left his front wide open.

Rushing forwards to capitalize on the opening, Tanjiro threw a punch with his free hand. His fist buried into the Ninja’s stomach, bringing forth a throaty grunt as the force of the blow lifted him off the ground. He flew backwards, landing on his backside and rolling across the dirt, his hand clutching onto his sword for dear life.

“If I can’t face your pinky toe, then you can’t face the tiniest chip in the metal of my blade!” Tanjiro cried, darting forwards so quickly it reminded Kai of lightning. He held his sword backwards, roaring at the top of his lungs. The sheer level of screaming ripped his throat raw and the wind pried tears loose from his eyes. Twisting his whole body to follow the arc of the blade, Tanjiro swung his sword in a wide arc around himself. The air was punched through the trees, slicing through the nearest trunks like a hot knife through butter.

The Demon Slayer landed on the ground with his back facing the Ninja, who managed to duck under the attack, unbeknownst to Tanjiro through the sea of dust and dirt his attack punched into the air. Kai let out a sheepish chuckle, but the horrid crackling noises coming from the trees around him interrupted his thought process.

Tanjiro turned back to his foe and smirked. So this was his plan. The trunks of the trees crumbled away, splinters firing out like hundreds of tiny bullets. Kai managed one look up before the trees leaned towards him and fell over. Screaming, Kai dropped to the ground, igniting his hands in fire and using them to shield his head. As the trees buried him under their immense weight, Tanjiro flicked a chip of bark off of his jet-black sword.

Sniff.

Tanjiro’s nose picked up a scent from somewhere vaguely below him. It smelled...smoky. His eyes shot wide open and he leaned closer to the mass of trees and branches that covered Kai. Except smoke was now escaping from under the tree. The smoke slowly got more intense and thick, murkier and muddier. It was becoming harder and harder to breathe.

And suddenly, accompanying the furious roaring of a ninja, the tree at the top of the pile glowed orange and exploded. With a fireball that rammed against the atmosphere as it travelled outwards, Kai emerged from the mess of now smoldering trees, his eyes glowing red and his hands surrounded by fire. His head snapped towards the Demon Slayer, who held his sword up high. The trees around them caught fire, spewing more smoke into the air. Tanjiro stifled a small cough as he prepared to strike.

Dashing forwards, Kai chopped at Tanjiro’s wrist, breaking his grip on the sword, which fell to the ground with a dull thud. Tanjiro swung, but Kai caught the fist with one of his own. With the other, he delivered a right hook that slammed into Tanjiro’s cheek, sending the warrior staggering backwards. The Ninja followed up by burying his knee into the Demon Slayer’s stomach.

“ENOUGH!” Tanjiro roared, grabbing onto both of Kai’s shoulders. Both opponents threw their foreheads into each other, knocking the both of them back with a grunt. The environment around them seemed almost orange as the fire surrounded them. Kai’s eyes returned to their normal colour as he landed on the ground, scooping up his sword and readying himself.

Letting out a breath, Kai ran forwards, jumping in the air to deliver an aerial kick that sent Tanjiro sprawling. Scrambling backwards, the Demon Slayer narrowly avoided a sword swipe from the ninja. Kai thrust his sword forwards, missing Tanjiro by an inch as he dived to the side, making a beeline for his own blade.

Kai flung a throwing star in his direction with a grunt, but almost like he knew where it would fly, he dropped into a slide, grabbing the Nichirin Sword and jumping right back into a run. He sniffed, his scent guiding where he was meant to go. Kai was in hot pursuit, reaching up to the flaming trees to bring the flames down upon the Demon Slayer, who deflected them with a fiery swing of his own blade.

Kai threw a fireball in Tanjiro’s direction, rocketing towards him at breakneck speeds. Tanjiro jumped in the air and twisted around, only in time for the fireball to barrel into his chest, flinging him backwards as easily as a rubber band.

“Does it hurt yet?” Kai asked him, sheathing his sword.

“Don’t worry.” Tanjiro responded, getting to his feet. The trees shrouded the top half of his face in shadow. “I’ll end this quickly.” Kai laughed softly, throwing fireballs from his palms. They crackled through the air as they barrelled towards the Demon Slayer, who pointed his sword towards the fireballs, his face wearing both determination and frustration at once.

灼しゃっ骨こつ炎えん陽よう Shakkotsu En'yō/Burning Bones, Summer Sun!

Yelling, Tanjiro swung his sword in a wide circle, slashing through the air. The fire cracked and popped in his ears as it grew closer to him. The fireballs left sparks and embers where it flew over on its journey to him. The fireballs were swept up with the sword, joining the trail of fire behind the black sword he wielded. Stepping backwards, Tanjiro swung his sword high into the air, flinging them into the sky like fireworks.

The balls of fire exploded in the sky, the pure force of it washing over both fighters, momentarily causing the both of them to lose their balance. The embers rained down on the battlefield, showering both of them in a beautiful rain of light and heat. The sight was beautiful, but it also obscured their vision. Smirking, Kai rushed forwards, drawing his sword once more.

“Gotcha!” Kai declared, jumping into the air and spinning around quickly. The familiar fiery tornado roared into existence. The embers of fire were washed away like wind swept away leaves on the ground, leaving their vision clear. Laughing, the tornado of fire descended onto Tanjiro, but the battle was short-lived, as the Demon Slayer was knocked backwards by the ninja.

What is this technique…? Tanjiro’s mind was racing. I’ve never seen it before. It seems to be real fire. My garb protects me from fire and heat as best it can, but it won’t last forever! Does he use the spinning to increase his strength? I just have to be faster than him!! I must do it!! For Nezuko! My nose will guide me!

Through his mind’s eye, he saw the tornado spin towards him again and saw Kai’s sword sink into his right arm, mixing the now boiling blood in the intense heat of the fire tornado. He’d be swinging from his left, then. This was good. Tanjiro could plan for this. The tornado that contained Kai spun towards him, throwing the wind towards him and pulling his hair back.

Tanjiro raised his sword, holding it next to his arm vertically. Kai swung, the tornado bearing down onto the Demon Slayer as the ninja aimed for Tanjiro’s right arm. The sword clashed, and Kai paused again. And yet again, the small window of opportunity presented itself. Instead of striking with his sword, Tanjiro grabbed onto Kai’s shoulders, his hands protruding through the spinning wall of fire that separated the two.

With a firm grip on the ninja’s shoulders, Tanjiro dropped to the ground, pulling the ninja over his body and kicking out, throwing him backwards. The tornado died away with the backwards throw and Kai let out a yell. Tanjiro jumped to his feet and rushed towards the red ninja, rearing his fist back for a punch that sent Kai flying backwards and out of the forest.

And to the edge of a cliff.

“Woah!” Kai scrambled backwards. It seemed so sudden. The forest just…ended, leading into a cliff with a drop that seemed to be impossibly high. So much distance to fall. Kai jumped to his feet, turning to lock eyes with Tanjiro, who had his sword ready to sink into flesh. Spinning his sword, Kai readied himself once more.

“What, you trying to throw me off a cliff?”

“Whatever does the job!” Tanjiro spat, his eyes filled with the glint of an angry man. Kai knew it well, as he had worn it many days of his life. The two fighters ran at each other once again. The ninja swung sideways, only for Tanjiro to slide under the blade. He got to his feet and twisted around with lightning-quick reflexes, leaping towards Kai with his sword held high. Shocked, Kai twisted around, deflecting the sword thrust from Tanjiro with a fireball, knocking the blade to the side. Tanjiro kept a steady grip on it, landing on the balls of his feet.

Kai threw a side kick, a fireball erupting from his foot and flying towards the Demon Slayer, who stepped to the side as it came whistling by. Gritting his teeth, Tanjiro let out a cry that echoed down the cliff, charging towards his foe. Jumping into the air, Kai spun around to re-enter his Spinjitzu tornado. Tanjiro’s yelling grew louder as he copied Kai’s technique, twisting his body around violently. The slash from his blade glowed blue as he swung his blade, knocking against Kai’s own weapon.

陸ろくノ型かた ねじれ渦うず Roku no kata: Nejire Uzu/Sixth Form: Whirlpool!

Accompanying his slash and his yell, the air rushed around him, circling the two fighters. The wind’s roaring drowned out any noise they could have made, deafening the both of them. Kai’s tornado failed to fall, suspended up in the air like something invisible was holding it up.

Kai’s mouth moved, but the wind carried the sound and threw it far away, unintelligible to either of them. A whirlpool of air, on the edge of visibility, formed around them, circling them like a snake constricting their prey. The tornado of fire died away as Kai was caught in the whirlpool, thrown upwards with a yell that was just barely audible.

His scream grew louder as the whirlpool of air slashed at his body, drawing a small spurt of blood to join the whirlpool, ever so slightly dying it red. The whirlpool died away as quickly as it began, throwing Kai backwards and allowing Tanjiro to land on his feet, unharmed. The ninja rolled to the edge of the cliff, teetering on the edge of safety and falling.

Letting out a small breath, Tanjiro allowed himself a second. His eyes drifted over to his sword and he inspected the bladed edge of the sword, and saw the tiniest of chunks chipped away with the Sixth Form.

It’s my body. It’s not suited for Water Breathing! But it was my only choice! He seems to only have a couple moves in his arsenal. In other words…he’s predictable!

His eyes drifted back over to Kai, and slowly walked over to him, his sword pointed for the middle of his chest. The ninja sat up, and scrambled away from the edge as best he could, careful to avoid skewering himself on the Demon Slayer’s sword. He slowly stood up, sheathing his sword carefully. Tanjiro let out a small noise of confusion. Why would he do that?

Tanjiro took another step towards him-

“Bingo.” Kai said suddenly. As fast as lightning, Kai latched onto Tanjiro’s wrists, and threw himself off the cliff, Tanjiro following suit. Grunting, Kai planted his feet onto Tanjiro’s chest and pushed off, breaking away from him. He drew his sword and stabbed it into the side of the cliff with a mighty grunt, stopping his fall in an instant.

Screaming, Tanjiro followed suit, digging his blade into the stone and rock that made up the cliffside. Kai climbed up onto his blade, steadying himself. Tanjiro balanced himself on his relatively thin blade. The two fighters stared at each other, daring the other to make the move they both knew was coming. But Kai was the one to make the move.

Yelling, Kai leapt off his sword, holding out his hands. Wide-eyed, Tanjiro watched Kai dive, latching onto Tanjiro’s own sword and swinging into the air, landing on the sword lighter than even a feather would. Skills of a ninja.

Kai sweeped, aiming for Tanjiro’s legs with his, but the Demon Slayer hopped in the air, narrowly avoiding the kick. He landed on the sword, which wobbled menacingly. Tanjiro threw a punch aimed for Kai’s face, who leaned backwards, also narrowly avoiding the blow.

Shuffling backwards, Kai grabbed at Tanjiro, who did the same. Tanjiro threw a headbutt once more, only for it to miss Kai by mere inches, leaving him open for Kai to bury his knee into his stomach. Groaning, Tanjiro shuffled backwards, planting his back against the cliff face.

They both took one look at each other and started to swing. Kai narrowly missed a kick, but jumped in the air to avoid one aimed towards him. Their blows missed each other by the smallest of margins, millimetres of space between their fists and targets. The grunting from both of them got more and more intense as their attacks missed by narrower and narrower distances.

Grunting, Kai threw a punch, but Tanjiro tilted his head to the right a tiny amount, causing the fist to slide by him, brushing against his hair as it did so. His frustration was growing with every blow he narrowly missed. This guy was clearly skilled, but Kai was a ninja. He should be able to handle this!

“No more!” Kai demanded, cracking his elbow against Tanjiro’s nose. He reeled backwards, but did not lose his balance on the sword.

“Then leave my sister alone!” Tanjiro spat back, trying to respond with a punch to Kai’s stomach, which narrowly missed when Kai shuffled and leaned backwards.

“She’s a Demon!” The ninja yelled in response. With the grace only a ninja would be able to achieve, Kai dropped onto the sword, supporting his weight with only a single leg. The other swung in a wide arc, crashing into Tanjiro’s side. Groaning, he shuffled to the side. Big mistake. The sword wobbled more, throwing the Demon Slayer off-balance.

With no other option, Tanjiro leapt off his own sword, much higher than what Kai would be able to achieve. He landed on Kai’s golden sword with a sigh, turning back to look down towards Kai, whose fists were clenched angrily.

“Show-off!”

“Do something about it, then!” Angrily groaning, Kai moved to the cliff face. Steeling himself, Kai twisted around, dangerously conjuring his signature Spinjitzu tornado. Tanjiro could barely believe his eyes as he watched the tornado move across the wall towards him. Squeezing his eyes closed, Tanjiro leapt off the sword, jumping towards the tornado, who leapt off the cliff to meet him.

Without any prompting, the tornado died away, leaving only Kai, readying a flying kick. Howling, Tanjiro extended his leg to do the same. The two kicks met in mid-air and for a second, nothing happened. But with the force of a Pillar, Tanjiro delivered a punch to Kai’s thigh. The force of the punch bellowed out a wave of energy. The energy pummelled the cliff face, cracking the stone and rock nearby. The forest above them shook with the energy.

Nestled inside her box, Nezuko let out a small squeak as the wave of energy hit. That was strong. Was her brother in trouble? Slowly, Nezuko opened the box and crawled out, taking a second to move around. The orange glow of fire caught her eye, and she turned in the direction the fire seemed to come from.

With the kick and punch combined, Tanjiro won the skirmish, firing Kai down the cliff like a bullet. Tanjiro landed on his own sword and took a moment to steady himself, persuading himself to not watch Kai fall down the cliff. Sighing, Tanjiro looked up to the top of the cliff. How would he get back up?

Screaming, Kai fell towards the Earth, struggling to clear his mind. Swallowing, Kai sucked in a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. But he couldn’t. The threat of splattering like a water balloon on the ground was too prevalent to persuade him to stop.

“Come on, Kai! You need to…” He placed his hands together and closed his eyes, listening to the wind whistling in his ears. His heart was still beating at super-speeds, but Kai put it all to the back of his mind, focusing on only one thing.

“...find balance.” Kai told himself. His heartbeat slowly started to calm down, his breath slowly became steadier. It may have been his imagination, but Kai could have sworn his falling was also slowing. He focused on only one thing. Nya. He needed to survive, for his sister. He needed inner peace. He needed Airjitzu.

Letting out an angry yell, Kai spun around, spiralling faster and faster with every turn. A pale red cyclone enveloped him, stopping his fall dead. And as quickly as the falling had stopped, Kai began to rise, flying upwards.

On his sword, Tanjiro was prepared to bounce off his sword like an Olympic diver, but something made him stop. Turning to look down the cliff, Tanjiro heard a new sound enter his ears. The unmistakable, joyful cheering of the ninja he was fighting. To his utter shock, he watched as Kai flew up to meet him, before moving to his sword, landing on it with a chuckle.

The ninja followed his recovery by blasting a volley of five fireballs towards Tanjiro, whose surprise caused him to inhale sharply. His nose showed him the first fireball crashing into his right knee, knocking him off the blade. He shuffled into a studier position, raising his leg to dodge the first fireball. Jumping in the air, Tanjiro twisted his body sharply to avoid the second, while the third sailed underneath him. Landing back on his sword, he leapt to the side to avoid the fourth and final fireball.

Kai readied himself to fire more attacks, but stopped when he heard a girl above them, grunting as though she were in a fight. But the voice…Kai knew the voice, and the realisation left him struck dumb. It felt like a pile of flashbangs and bombs exploded at his feet, leaving him stunned.

Another voice mixed into the fray, a lighter voice, and a slightly calmer voice. Like a locomotive, the realisation rammed into Tanjiro, almost winding him and leaving him to fall on his knees.

“NEZUKO!” He shrieked, his eyes darting up the cliff.

“NYA!” Kai cried, his hands shooting to his head in panic. Their stomachs simultaneously turned to ice. Their sisters, fighting. And it sounded intense. Their legs felt like jelly, threatening to make them both lose their balance. They looked at each other, locking eyes. They both took note; their eyes were both filled with the same brotherly fear with the threat that their sisters were being hurt.

And they both came to the same conclusion at the same time. They blinked. Slowly, Kai and Tanjiro gave each other a small smile and nodded. Grunting, Kai leapt off his sword, aiming for the space right next to Tanjiro. But he quickly realised he didn’t put enough energy into the jump, as he started to sink, threatening to miss the sword by the tiniest of distances.

“NO!” Tanjiro roared, stretching out his hand. For both fighters, the world seemed to slow to a crawl. A snail’s pace, really. All that mattered in the world for the both of them was Tanjiro’s hand stretching out for Kai, who latched onto it with his own. Letting out a breathy laugh, Tanjiro hoisted Kai onto the sword, and they nodded to each other once more.

They grabbed onto each other’s wrist. With his free hand, Kai latched onto the handle of Tanjiro’s blade, and pulled it out of the cliff. Before gravity took over, Kai twisted around, and a red cyclone encircled them both, lifting them upwards.

“What is this power?” Tanjiro asked him, momentarily admiring this power of flight.

“Airjitzu! It’s a lost martial art from Master Yang!” Kai responded, smiling broadly. Tanjiro nodded to himself.

“And the tornado?”

“Spinjitzu!”

“Awesome!”

“Here! This is our stop!” Kai shouted as they reached the edge of the cliff. Tanjiro pushed off Kai’s flying body, landing with a roll onto the cliff. Kai followed suit, and Tanjiro pulled him to his feet. With a smile, Kai passed the Nichirin Sword back. The ninja looked over to the Demon Slayer.

“What was that fiery sword stuff you were doing?”

“Oh! The Dance of the Fire God, Hinokami Kagura!”

“...Cool.” Was all he could say. What else could he say? He had never heard of that technique in his life. Certainly wasn’t Spinjitzu. Kai opened his mouth to continue, but his thoughts were permanently wiped from his mind when he heard Nya grunt in pain.

“Nya!” Kai took off without another word, leaving Tanjiro in the dust, who followed suit, remembering who this ‘Nya’ girl was fighting. They pushed through the trees, jumping over the blackened and burnt trees, punching and slicing through brambles, until they ran back to the clearing the battle originally started. There, the two warriors found their sisters, engaged in an intense battle.

Nya thrust forwards with her golden trident-like spear, burying it into Nezuko’s stomach, who simply kicked her backwards, knocking the spear out of her stomach. In a heartbeat, the wound closed over, as though it was never there to begin with.

“Get away from her!” Tanjiro screeched, charging towards the two girls fighting, his sword drawn. He jumped towards the Water Ninja, slicing downwards. Nya responded by thrusting her spear towards the sword. The two weapons clashed dangerously, and Nezuko took a step backwards. Tanjiro swiped left with his sword, knocking Nya off-balance and throwing her weapon away, leaving her completely open. His mind clouded with rage, Tanjiro brought his sword back to his side and aimed it for Nya’s stomach.

“HEY!” Kai screamed, throwing a wave of fire in his direction. Grunting in surprise, Tanjiro abandoned his chance to attack to dive to the side. The fire wave sailed towards Nya, who deflected it by firing back a spray of water, turning the fire to harmless steam. Kai ran to her side.

“Sorry, sis. How did you find me?”

“Master Wu asked me to follow you. And be careful, your fire doesn’t go well with wood.”

“You shouldn’t have come.” Kai told her sharply, getting into a fighting stance to face Tanjiro and Nezuko, who had turned to them.

“And let you have all the fun?” Nya responded slyly, readying her spear. Nya and Nezuko locked eyes, as did Kai and Tanjiro. “Where did your sword go?”

“Down a cliff.” Kai responded, keeping his eyes on the Demon Slayer. The boys’ minds were clouded by their anger and drive to protect their sisters. Their momentary alliance seemed almost trivial now. Laughable. As they stared at each other with a venom like no other, Nya and Nezuko stared at each other with a similar look.

They all moved at the same time. Nezuko leapt towards Nya, who thrust her spear towards the Demon with an angry grunt. Tanjiro turned his attention to Nezuko, stabbing his sword towards Nya. Angrily, Kai kicked the sword, knocking its trajectory to the side and leaving it relatively harmless. Spinning around, Kai threw his elbow into Tanjiro’s nose. Blood spurted from his nose as he stepped backwards, groaning in pain and anger.

Igniting his hands, Kai went on the offensive, delivering multiple quick, fiery strikes to Tanjiro’s chest. He followed this with a mean kick to Tanjiro’s stomach. Stumbling backwards, Tanjiro attempted to regain balance, but Kai was much too quick, throwing quick palm strikes to his face. A right hook followed suit, throwing Tanjiro onto the side.

But Kai wasn’t done, latching onto Tanjiro’s clothing, Kai spun around quickly, tapping into Spinjitzu to surround them both in a fiery tornado. With a mean cry, the ninja spun the Demon Slayer around in circles, before letting him fly, removing the tornado as he threw Tanjiro away, leaving him to roll across the ground and redirecting Nezuko’s attention.

As Kai admired his work, a powerful kick landed in his stomach, courtesy of Nezuko, who was looking at him with a demonic, twisted and angry look. Stumbling backwards, Kai raised his fiery hands, but Nezuko leapt towards him with a slight snarl, swiping at him with her hand. Her nails dug into the skin on his left cheek, swiping in a wide arc.

Kai let out a small yelp, stepping backwards as blood dripped from the multiple slashes on his cheek. Nezuko landed on the ground and bounded towards him, the look of fire in her eyes apparent. Jumping backwards, Kai threw a sea of flames from his hands, enveloping the Demon, but it did nothing to stop her. Instead, it had the opposite effect. Nezuko seemed to become…faster?

“What-?!” Was all Kai could say, before Nezuko released her powerful foot to crash into Kai’s shin, knocking the ninja off his feet and suddenly putting him on the backfoot.

Tanjiro got to his feet quickly, readying his sword. Nya approached him quickly, pointing her spear towards his neck. Grimacing, Tanjiro breathed slowly.

拾じゅうノ型かた 生せい生せい流る転てん Jū no kata: Seisei Ruten/Tenth Form: Constant Flux!

Roaring, Tanjiro charged. Nya threw a stream of water towards the ninja, who slashed it apart, his own blade imbued with what seemed to be its own stream of water. The ninja stepped backwards, burying her back foot into the ground so she could stand studier, and threw a ball of water towards the warrior charging towards her.

But Tanjiro slashed through it again and continued to run towards her, getting faster with each slash. Nya continued to throw watery projectiles towards him, but he slashed through all of them, getting faster and faster, his body starting to seem like a blur as he approached her.

The water at the end of Tanjiro’s blade twisted and turned, and as Tanjiro prepared to attack Nya, the water formed into a very familiar shape. A dragon, seemingly made of water. The ninja watched the dragon approach her, letting out a gasp, but her look of shock was quickly replaced with determination as she raised her spear.

Yelling so much it strained his voice, Tanjiro slashed as Nya stabbed. Sword and spear met, as water exploded from between them. Half of it was caused by Nya, drenching both of them and extinguishing the fire Kai was using to fight Nezuko. He looked at his hands in surprise, turning to his sister.

“Hey! Water beats fire, you know!” He shouted, turning his attention back on Nezuko. Brushing his wet hair out of his eyes, he used his forearm to protect himself from Nezuko slashing at him with her sharp nails. His gi tore open as the nails scratched deep into his skin, blood leaking onto the ground. Refusing to back down, Kai used his injured arm to deliver an elbow to Nezuko’s jaw.

“NEZUKO!” Tanjiro cried, delivering a mean kick to Nya’s stomach to throw her off-balance. In the split second Nya’s attention was diverted, Tanjiro charged towards Kai, his sword held high.

Nezuko threw a powerful kick, which Kai blocked with a fiery foot of his own. The two were stuck in a deadlock, neither kick overpowering the other. Out of the corner of his eyes, Kai saw Tanjiro run towards him, aiming for his leg and swinging his sword downwards. In the blink of an eye, Kai brought his leg back, narrowly avoiding the sword swipe.

He stomped onto the sword, throwing a side kick and a punch simultaneously. The punch landed on Nezuko’s shoulder while the kick reached the middle of Tanjiro’s torso. Moving backwards to regain himself, Kai raised his arms into a fighting position, many parts of his body bleeding. His side, his arm, his cheek, but he refused to let the injuries hamper him. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, pushing him further than he thought he could ever go.

Nya pointed her arms at Tanjiro, building up the Elemental Energy in her hands. With an almighty grunt, she threw her hands up in the air. The ground beneath Tanjiro trembled, giving the Demon Slayer only seconds to react. But he was seconds too late, as a geyser of water erupted from the ground, carrying Tanjiro high into the air, raising him above the trees, high enough to see the miniature forest fire he and Kai caused.

“Kai! Catch!” Nya yelled, launching her spear towards her brother. As the spear sailed towards them, Nezuko tried to intercept its journey, but Kai was faster. He dropped to the ground and swept at Nezuko’s legs, throwing her off her feet. Shooting to his feet, Kai caught the golden spear in his right hand, moving to the side to prevent himself being skewered by it.

Spinning the spear around, Kai held it in front of him as the water geyser disappeared and Tanjiro fell to the ground, picking up his sword and holding it tightly, breathing calmly. Tanjiro and Nezuko looked at each other, before attacking Kai from either side of him. Kai turned to face the Demon Slayer, deflected a sword swipe with a swing from the spear, kicking backwards to release a burst of fire to keep Nezuko away.

Stepping backwards, he slammed the butt of the spear into Nezuko’s chin, knocking her to the floor. In a fluid motion, Kai thrust the spear forwards, catching Tanjiro’s blade between two of the spear’s prongs. Putting the pressure on, Kai pushed the sword closer and closer, inching the sword ever so closer to Tanjiro’s head.

Nezuko got to her feet silently, watching Kai slowly overpower her brother. Anger flaring, Nezuko pulled her foot backwards and slammed it into Kai’s calf. Groaning, Kai withdrew his spear, turning around to thrust his spear forwards, puncturing Nezuko’s stomach and forcing her backwards.

Rolling across the ground, Nezuko watched with bated breath as the two boys continued fighting. The boy wearing red ninja clothes was certainly more skilled in hand-to-hand combat. He blocked the sword swipes with nothing but his bare hands and strange fiery Breathing Styles. But as the ninja delivered a fiery uppercut that knocked her brother off his feet and onto the ground, she felt a different type of anger.

A hot, white, burning, protective anger. Images flashed in her mind. The bleeding wound on Tanjiro’s side. The ninja punched her face. The forest fire the boys started. Images of her brother in pain racked against her mind, wrapping her heart into a thorny branch of anger and worry. She had to protect her brother! She must! She wouldn’t let him be hurt anymore! Why was it always him who had to be hurt?!

As her anger grew, she tore the bamboo muzzle off her face and threw it on the ground. A white horn grew out from the right side of her forehead. Her breathing became more wild. A vein-like purple pattern slithered around her left eye, and green and red vine-like markings appeared all over her body. She looked…older. And dangerous.

Tanjiro looked over at her sister, who had stood up straight, her teeth bared.

“Nezuko?” Kai turned to face the Demon as well, taking a small step backwards when she looked at him. Nya let out a gasp, rushing towards the chosen demon.

“Nezuko-!” But before he could continue, Nezuko rushed forwards, screaming as loud as she could. She kicked Kai in the stomach, but this kick was magnitudes more powerful than before. The blow echoed around the forest, slamming Kai backwards like he was fired out of a gun. Screaming, Kai dropped the spear for his own safety, covering his head in his arms as he tumbled across the ground.

He slammed his back into a tree, the energy from the blow surging through the wood. The energy overpowered the tree, splitting it in half vertically and showering Kai in splinters. Tanjiro took a step towards his sister, but she ignored him, sprinting towards the ninja with a look of fire in her eyes. She looked at the blood on his arms and cheeks and ran faster.

Tanjiro was right on her tail, screaming her name. Nya followed suit, throwing projectiles of water in her direction. But if they affected her, she didn’t let anyone know and simply continued her approach towards Kai. Dizzied, Kai opened his eyes. The world was spinning, he didn’t know which way was up, but he did know that a very angry Demon was storming towards him.

Nezuko kicked at him again, but Kai rolled to the side, her foot crashed against the tree, slicing the two halves of the tree away from its base and forcing it to fall over with an almighty crash. Scrambling to his feet, Kai enveloped his hands in flames once more and twisted around to face Nezuko, this time on the backfoot. She swiped at him with her hands, but he ducked, throwing a right hook into her side. Nezuko let out a small noise, but kept up the pressure, throwing a kick forwards. Kai jumped to the side, but Nezuko deflected any sort of counter-attack by stomping at the floor, throwing him off-balance.

“Hey!” Nya cried, throwing a ball of water towards the enraged Demon. She turned towards the Water Ninja, who simply waved at the Demon in response. Stumbling backwards, Kai quickly moved out of the Demon’s reach, panting ever so slightly. With Nezuko distracted, Tanjiro struck, placing the dull edge of his blade in her mouth and pulling back, trying his best to restrain her.

“NEZUKO- NO! STOP IT!” He shouted over the horrific yells and snarls from her sister, who now wanted nothing but human blood. Saliva dripped from her mouth. Tanjiro yelled, but it was drowned out by the deafening yells of his sister. “NEZUKO!” But his sister was beyond reasoning. She fought against her brother, but her strength was overshadowed by Tanjiro.

Tears started to stream from his eyes as he desperately fought against his family and the person he cared the most about. Clearing his throat, he squeezed his eyes shut, and began to sing.

“Knock knock…little bunny from the little mountain. Why are your ears so long?” The words seemed to have no effect, as she continued to kick and scream and fight off the restraint. “When she was small, my mother ate the leaves of a tall tree, and that is why my ears are so long.” Nezuko’s thrashing and yelling slowed down. Her voice started to waver, and her eyes grew wide.

“Knock knock, little bunny from the little mountain. Why are your eyes so red?” Tears started to drip from Nezuko’s eyes as her horn started to shrink and the patterns on her arms and face seemed to retract just a little. “When she was small, my mother ate the fruit of a red tree, and that is why my eyes are so red.” And with that, Nezuko returned to normal. Tears spilled from her eyes and she seemed to shrink, curled up in a ball in front of Tanjiro and fell asleep. He removed the sword from her mouth and sat down beside her.

“Now!” Kai shouted. Tanjiro looked up quickly, only for Kai to kick him away from his sister. Tanjiro got to his feet, tears staining his cheeks. He watched as Kai placed the bamboo muzzle back on Nezuko, and Nya tied her up quickly, binding her so tightly she could barely even move her fingers.

“Ne-Nezuko!” Tanjiro gasped. Involuntarily, he gripped his sword tighter than he ever had, his knuckles turning as white as a ghost as he turned towards the Ninja of Fire, his body erupting with anger, boiling off and exploding in every cell of his body.

日にち暈うんの龍りゅう・頭かぶり舞まい Nichiun no Ryū Kaburimai/Dragon Sun Halo Head Dance!!

Propelling a yell so far that it breached the land below the cliff they stood on, Tanjiro held his sword back and rushed forwards, the screaming pounding in Kai’s ears as he turned to face his foe. He shot forwards at blinding speeds, leaving a blast of air to rush behind him, ripping branches and leaves from the trees that were caught in it.

His sword ignited into flames, trailing the sword and refusing to die away, suspended in mid-air like there was an invisible row of wood. The flames twisted and turned around his sword, growing and roaring louder and louder, mixing with Tanjiro’s as he charged towards the Ninja, who had nothing to defend himself with.

The fire grew into a shape that Kai recognised instantly. A dragon, completely constructed of solar flames, arcing around Tanjiro and his blade as he charged at the ninja at imperceptible speeds. And as he bore down on Kai and slashed, he saw a flash of gunmetal grey and a splash of blood. Skidding across the ground, Tanjiro came to a stop and turned to face where he had just slashed.

What he saw wasn’t Kai injured, but Nya. Slashed across the stomach. Kai rushed over to her, worry and fear spilled out all over his face. He dropped to his knees next to her.

“NYA! Are you okay?! What happened?!”

“This is your fight…” Nya sighed, crawling backwards, holding a hand to her stomach. “I’m okay…but go kick some butt, okay?”

“No! Let’s take you to Master Wu, he can help!”

“I’m okay, I promise.” Nya sighed, sitting up. “You’ve been a Ninja longer than I have.”

“Okay.” Kai nodded shakily, getting to his feet. He took another look at Nya, before turning back to Tanjiro, his eyes glowing red, and his hands white-hot. “What? Are we playing with dragons now?” Closing his eyes, Kai searched deep into his mind. He had to conquer that one fear that was holding his Elemental Dragon back.

The imagery of his sister on the ground, blood leaking from his stomach kept throwing itself to the front of his mind. He had to focus and conquer that fear. She said she was fine…She was a Ninja, she was Samurai X, she could do this. She’s discovered her True Potential, and she can get through this.

His heartbeat started to slow as he kept repeating this to himself. She could do this, and he could too. All he had to do was put his fears aside, and quell the fire that burned white-hot inside of him. Fire. Fire. Fire!

Enraged, Kai charged forwards, launching fireball after fireball towards the Demon Slayer, who deflected them with slashes from his own blade. Fireball after fireball rushed towards him. He slashed two fireballs out of the air, but was forced to jump to the side to avoid a volley of fire sent his way. Tanjiro’s heart was beating faster than he could have ever thought possible.

His breathing was becoming weaker. The constant use of his Breathing Styles secretly overwhelmed him and the wind left his body, leaving him stranded in the midst of battle. But he had to persevere! For his sister! He couldn’t let Nezuko go with these people!

Kai’s breathing was becoming sporadic as his anger overtook him. He furiously launched fireball after fireball. Tanjiro was managing to avoid them all, but his movements were becoming slower and slower every time.

In the heat of the battle, Kai’s fears about Nya slipped into the back of his mind. All he was focused on was Tanjiro. His blade, his body, his movements. His brain was analysing all of it while he fought and attacked, his breathing becoming more and more violent each time. He could do it now! He could summon it.

“FIRE!” He cried, leaping into the air. Below him, a flash of pale red light shone out from seemingly nowhere, forcing Tanjiro to cover his eyes with his arm. He took a step backwards, warily keeping his sword positioned to strike. But when the light died away, he realised very quickly that swords would likely be irrelevant.

A dragon. Huge, breathing heavily, and composed of what seemed to be pure elemental energy. It was made of fire, but was it? It was a mixture between energy and something solid. Seemingly just solid enough for Kai to be riding, who was sitting on the dragon’s back, smugly waving at the Demon Slayer and pointing to his new ride.

“Having fun yet?” The Elemental Fire Dragon looked down towards Tanjiro, and reared its head backwards. Eyes wide, Tanjiro dove to the side as the dragon’s head spewed a sea of fire to where the Demon Slayer would have been mere seconds ago. But when Tanjiro landed after his jump, he continued to run. The dragon followed his trail with a breath of fire, getting closer and closer every second.

The fire was getting closer and closer. Tanjiro couldn’t compete with a dragon! He needed a distraction! No matter how much it pained every part of him, Tanjiro sucked in another breath. In and out. In. And out. In. And out. In through the nose, out through the mouth. His body screamed for release, every one of his joints feeling as though they themselves were on fire.

He turned on his heels to meet the dragon’s eyes.

幻げん日にち虹こう Gen'nichi Kō/Fake Rainbow!

Ignoring the agonising screams from his body, Tanjiro rapidly twisted and turned, and the dragon hesitated for a split second. He continued to twist and turn, his muffled grunts slowly turning into pained yells, but still he persisted, twisting and turning.

“What the-?” Kai started. The dragon blew fire onto him. Tanjiro was suddenly surrounded in fire, enveloped in it. Submerged in it. Tanjiro kept a blank, shocked expression on his face, before the fire engulfed him. The fire died down, but Tanjiro was gone. Breathing heavily, Kai stood up and dismounted from the dragon, landing on the dirt with a grunt of pain, but there was no sign of Tanjiro.

Until a sword plunged through his back, protruding out through his abdomen. Screaming, Kai reached for the sword, but the Demon Slayer pulled it away. Kai fell to his knees, breathing weakly. He fell onto the ground face-first, warm blood leaking from his stomach.

His vision and mind became blurred. Groaning, he slowly pulled himself away from Tanjiro and crawled across the ground, his mind focused on only one thing: Nya. His dragon disappeared with another flash of light as fear started to overtake his mind. He squeezed his eyes shut.

“In each and every one of us, there are obstacles that hold us back. Only when you conquer that fear will your heart be free. Only then will you reach your True Potential.”

Wu’s voice echoed in Kai’s pounding head. Opening his eyes, he looked over at his sister, who was struggling to her feet. Turning back to Tanjiro, he closed his eyes again. The obstacles in his heart…his anger. He lets his anger get the best of him.

His foe…He breathed, in a rhythmic beat. And he could persevere through anything…Sucking in a deep breath, Kai followed suit. In. And out. Tanjiro let out a small grunt of surprise. Energy started to flow through Kai’s body and his head started to pound less. This was good. He wasn’t coughing up blood, so the stab likely didn’t hit anything important.

Kai’s anger started to subdue as he thought about his injuries and why they occured. His anger and hotheadedness left him open. That was the key inside him. And now he needed to turn that key. Slowly struggling to his feet, Kai continued to breathe. He opened his eyes to look at the Demon Slayer, who’s expression didn’t reveal anything other than determination.

His eyes…They’re glowing again…But he’s not angry! Tanjiro told himself, readying his blade for whatever may happen. But he stopped once Kai opened his arms out wide. The atmosphere seemed to heat up in a matter of seconds. Stepping backwards, Tanjiro also began to breathe slowly. His sides ached with the loss of breath, but he knew he had to keep going.

Kai’s eyes were glowing, but that wasn’t the only thing. His body began to glow red. Tanjiro could have sworn he could see right through Kai. As the ninja dropped his arms, a sphere of pure fire exploded into existence around him, throwing Tanjiro off his feet. As he got to his feet, Kai looked at him with an eerie calm.

Faster than Tanjiro could comprehend, Kai rushed towards him. The sphere of fire washed over him, drenching them both in the scent of singed hair. A mean right hook brought forth blood from Tanjiro’s nose as the Demon Slayer stumbled backwards. The ninja spun around so that his back was facing his foe and threw his elbow into Tanjiro’s chest, forcing him backwards.

These blows were stronger than anything Tanjiro withstood before. Tanjiro tried to suck in more oxygen, but the pure fire in the area almost made this impossible. His heart was beating at triple-time, so fast he was surprised no-one could hear it beating out of his chest. Every part of his body felt like it was burning up, screaming for release.

Jumping backwards, Kai snapped his fingers. Fire erupted from the ground below Tanjiro, showering him in red-hot flames and causing the Demon Slayer to let out a scream. Stumbling backwards, he kept a firm grip on his sword.

“What is this new power?! How did you get so strong?”

“This is my True Potential.” Kai told him. He looked down at his hands, a look of pure determination etched onto his face.

“And…I’m filled with…N…R…G.”

Twisting around, Kai summoned more Spinjitzu, but the tornado that spiralled into existence nearly threw Tanjiro off-balance by just appearing. The tornado rumbled against the ground, throwing the earth below them into what seemed to be a miniature earthquake.

Tanjiro’s breaths were slowly crossing the threshold into wheezing. He was at the end of his rope. And as the tornado swallowed him whole, his body reached criticality. The scar on the left side of his face oddly seemed to look like fire, something Kai noticed.

“IT’S NOT OVER!” Tanjiro roared, kicking Kai and leaping out of the tornado. This was his Demon Slayer Mark, and Tanjiro felt a new power over. His blade now seemed to turn bright red, and he knew it wasn’t because of the fire. Kai exited the tornado, getting into a fighting stance as Tanjiro readied his blade.

“You’re right.” Kai told him, fighting back the anger locked away in his heart. The two fighters charged, but as Kai only began to swing, the world seemed to slow down. Kai looked…transparent. And Tanjiro could see…everything. He saw Kai’s right arm muscles contract, he saw his quick breaths, he saw the joints in Kai’s arm move at a snail’s pace. One thing was clear: Kai was going to swing with his right arm.

As Tanjiro watched Kai’s body let out a strong exhale, he swung his arm in a wide arc with his left arm, deflecting the punch, much to both of their surprise. Still in what seemed to be slow motion, Tanjiro thrust his sword towards the ninja, who arced his body to avoid it, his heart beating at super-speeds.

So he was still fast. Tanjiro watched the muscles and joints in Kai’s leg move towards him in slow-motion. His stance wasn’t suited to block the attack, forcing Tanjiro to jump backwards. Kai let out a sigh. This kid seemed to anticipate all his attacks. Fighting back the burning pain in his abdomen, Kai clenched his hands and held them up.

He just needed to be fast. Running forwards, Kai dropped to the ground, sweeping at Tanjiro’s feet. Stepping backwards, Tanjiro swung his sword downwards, his sword guided by his nose, aimed right for Kai’s neck. But the ninja looked up to meet the sword, holding his hands over his face to shield himself and throwing out as much fire as he could.

The pressure from the stream of flames fighting against his sword briefly overpowered the power behind Tanjiro’s swing, slowly lifting it back upwards. Kai kicked out with his leg, smashing it into Tanjiro’s leg and rolling to his feet. Reeling backwards, Tanjiro sucked in a calming breath, stepping backwards. Not allowing Tanjiro any more openings, Kai rushed forwards faster than the Demon Slayer could comprehend.

The world slowed down for Tanjiro again, and Kai’s body became transparent. But Kai didn’t slow down with the world. In fact, he seemed to increase in speed, burying his fiery fist into Tanjiro’s chest. Both fighters were met with an ear-splitting crack, blasting Tanjiro backwards. His chest seemed to erupt in pain. Letting out a yell, Tanjiro fell to the ground, rolling across it painfully.

My ribs! He thought to himself. Some of my ribs are broken… He hissed in pain, struggling to get to his feet. My heart’s beating so fast…every part of me aches..! My body’s reaching its limit. I have to end this quickly!

Tanjiro slowly stood up, squeezing one eye closed as he processed the pain coursing through his system. But yet he stood, his sword drawn, his body and nose taking in as much oxygen as humanly possible. The blood leaking out of places on his body started to slow. The immense pain in his side lessened ever so slightly.

His wounds were slowed with his breathing. This gave him the resolve to move forwards. His chest ebbed in pain, asking for release. He slowly moved towards Kai, his sword held in front of him. Gasping in pain, he continued to move forwards. Their eyes met.

Squeezing his eyes as tightly shut as he could, Tanjiro resolved himself for what he was about to do. Sucking in the deepest breath he could muster, Tanjiro opened his eyes and began.

拾じゅう参さんノ型かた Jū San no kata/Thirteenth Form

Gritting his teeth, Tanjiro slashed horizontally, his sword and arm surrounded in a haze of heat, obscuring it behind a wall of heat. Kai moved backwards, narrowly avoiding the true slash of the sword. Tanjiro charged forwards nevertheless, jumping into the air and delivering a second move.

The fire from his next move surrounded the glowing ninja, preventing his movements. The fire threatened to overwhelm the ninja. He felt cuts dig into his arms, and moved backwards once more. Sucking in a deep breath of his own, the ninja spun twisted around, summoning another Spinjitzu tornado to pound against the ground, surrounding the ninja in a deadly vortex of fire.

Tanjiro jumped to the tornado, twisting horizontally to deliver a 360-degree slash, but a stream of fire from the ninja crashed against the Nichirin Sword, interrupting the form and throwing Tanjiro back down to the ground. Jumping to his feet, Tanjiro charged towards the ninja, undeterred.

Grunting loudly, Tanjiro leapt over the tornado in a frontflip. His sword ignited in flames, Tanjiro swung towards the ninja, his sword leaving a circular trail of fire around the Demon Slayer. The sword crashed against something metal, but Tanjiro landed on his feet and continued to pressure the tornado, delivering two horizontal slashes that Kai deflected with his hands, covered in flames, punching the flat side of the blade to knock it backwards.

Groaning, he raised his blade up high and slashed downwards. Kai, spinning faster than ever before, kicked the flat part of the blade, redirecting its fatal trajectory. Pulling his bright red sword back, Tanjiro slashed horizontally once more. However, this time, Kai leapt backwards, spinning back through the air and landing on his feet again.

“Ninja, go!” Kai shouted to the heavens, spinning himself into another tornado. The tornado advanced on the Demon Slayer, who sucked in a deep breath. He twisted and turned, his movements trailed by afterimages. Kai let loose a punch, but his fist phased through the image. Tanjiro thrust his sword vertically, clashing against a powerful stream of fire the ninja threw in his direction.

Tanjiro jumped and hopped around the powerful ninja, throwing many attacks that never landed, deflected by streams of fire and Kai’s own blows. The Demon Slayer backflipped over the tornado to deliver a slash, delivering a circular slash that forced Kai to move backwards to avoid being caught in the blow.

In the heat of the battle, Tanjiro’s eyes began to bleed. Tanjiro held his breath as tight as he could, pushing his body further than he ever thought possible. His stamina was reaching its limit, his eyes leaked the red substance that provided life.

Screaming out of adrenaline and pain, Tanjiro attacked wildly, the fire on his sword twisting into a dragon that soared towards the tornado. Kai’s foot met the blade, the dragon and tornado exploding into a blast of fire that threw both of them backwards. They rolled across the ground. Kai jumped to his feet, breathing heavily and holding back the yell of pain that threatened to burst from his body.

Tanjiro struggled to his feet, his eyes streaming in bloody tears. His breathing became painful. He needed to end this now, or he wouldn’t end it at all. He held his blade behind him, holding his breath and charging forwards. Kai charged back, a look of determination frozen on his face. His hands ignited into flames, and he started to let out a yell. His yelling became louder and louder, his fists clenched, throwing a punch forwards.

The two fighters met. Tanjiro screamed as he threw his Sunflower Thrust, pushing his blade towards the ninja with as much force as he could muster. Something struck his arm, knocking the sword out of his hands, but Tanjiro kept going. He clenched his fists, throwing a punch with a scream that rocked the heavens.

SHINK!

Kai and Tanjiro skidded to a stop. Tanjiro’s outstretched fist shook wildly as his breath became shaky. And his chest exploded. Slashed open, blood exploded from his chest, painting the ground in red. Falling to his knees, Tanjiro let out a scream loud enough to rip his throat raw. The pain became blinding. He looked back to Kai, and fell on his stomach, breathing shakily. His vision became blurry, his eyes leaking blood along with his chest.

Kai dropped his hands to his side, his right hand firmly clutched onto Tanjiro’s jet-black sword, coated red in Tanjiro’s blood. Kai fell to his knees and dropped the blade, looking over his shoulder to Tanjiro on the ground. Turning around, Kai watched Tanjiro writhe in agony. His body stopped glowing as his True Potential dissipated from his body.

Shuffling closer to Tanjiro, he closed his eyes sadly.

“I’m sorry.”

Tanjiro pushed himself onto his back. Tears flooded his eyes. These tears, however, weren’t made of blood. Tanjiro looked over, his eyes meeting with the ninja’s, who was also filled with sadness. His mind showed him both Nezuko and the girl who seemed to be named Nya. Sisters. Perhaps he and Kai weren’t so different. They just wanted to protect their sisters. And as the realisation flooded his dimming mind, he swallowed.

“I forgive you.” Kai nodded sadly, and stood up. He walked over to Tanjiro’s sword and picked it up off the ground, but when he turned back to Tanjiro, he was lifeless. His stomach wasn’t moving, he couldn’t hear any breathing. Sadness threatened to overwhelm him. Placing the sword on Tanjiro’s body, Kai turned to him and bowed.

Sucking in a deep breath, Kai limped over to the sleeping Nezuko and untied her. The ninja limped over to his sister.

“C’mon, Nya. We’re leaving.”

“But-The Demon-”

“Leave her.” Kai said, looking back at Nezuko sadly. Nodding, Nya slowly got to her feet and walked with her brother into the woods and away from the battlefield.

K.O!

Conclusion[]

Kaiya: Damn…

Counter: This fight was certainly unique. While Tanjiro was one of the strongest Demon Slayers, Kai just had everything he needed to cut him down for good.

Damien: Both Tanjiro and Kai’s abilities actually clashed in interesting ways. Kai’s unique martial arts were hard for Tanjiro to adapt and respond to, and his greater control of Fire allowed him to gain an advantage with his unexpected techniques. His Airjitzu allowed him greater mobility and allowed him to take to the skies. Spinjitzu was hard to counter with its fiery tornado, and his Elemental Dragon allowed him greater flight and a size advantage.

Hannah: Kai’s mastery over Fire allowed him to gain a greater control of the battlefield. Because, at the end of the day, Sun Breathing is essentially just sword fighting techniques, while Kai could actually control and create Fire however he wanted and to a greater degree. Kai’s experience and training in dealing with water users such as Nya also allowed him to have experience against many of Water Breathing’s techniques.

Kaiya: Given Kai’s greater experience in dealing with more varied foes, even those that are stronger and bigger than him, Tanjiro simply wouldn’t have many techniques that Kai would have absolutely no counter to. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, because Tanjiro did have a number of abilities Kai didn’t, such as his Total Concentration Breathing being able to slow wounds, his sense of smell gave him the ability to predict enemy movements and allowed him to sense even tiny openings in battle.

Counter: And that is not factoring in Tanjiro’s Demon Slayer Mark, which slows down his perception of time and shows him his opponent’s muscles and blood flow, allowing him greater proficiency at predicting attacks. In some scenarios, these skills alongside his swordsmanship would have granted him a victory. However, the scales start to tip when we start to look at their stats.

Damien: Tanjiro’s strength has been directly compared to a Pillar, and Tanjiro was capable of taking on Muzan, who could fight multiple Pillars at the same time. For the sake of the argument, let’s assume that Muzan could take on 10 whole Pillars. Through this and using Doma’s ice sculpture as a base, Tanjiro’s power would be around 3 kilotons of TNT!

Hannah: But even at low estimates, Kai had it beat. He’s survived Morro’s attacks, who can create storms worth over 7 Megatons of TNT, and Cole, who he scales to, has created earthquakes which, at a low estimate, is over 15 Kilotons of TNT. Even with a low estimate for Kai and an impossibly high estimate for Tanjiro, Kai would still be around 5x stronger, and with the 7 Megaton storm numbers, Kai would be over 2000x stronger.

Kaiya: So Kai is strong, sure. Big deal. If he’s anywhere even comparable in speed to Tanjiro, his Transparent World and sense of smell would allow him to predict any of Kai’s attacks and respond to them with a quick lethal blow, right?

Counter: Kai is comparable to Jay, who can manipulate natural lightning, and Nya, who can deflect light-based lasers from robots. Given Tanjiro’s speed of Mach 11, this would mean that at worst, Kai would be over 100x faster, and at his best, he would be over 79,000x faster. Fast enough to deflect anything Tanjiro could throw at him and deliver a fatal blow without Tanjiro even noticing.

Damien: But let’s be fair and scale Tanjiro to one of the fastest feats in the series, which was calculated at Mach 1830, so even with the highest possible estimations for Tanjiro, Kai just had feats that surpassed it and then some.

Hannah: Tanjiro fought like a champion and was a formidable foe, but Kai just had the techniques, experiences and physicality to take the win.

Kaiya: Tanjiro was definitely a cut above the rest, but Kai was just too hot to handle and slayed him!

Counter: The winner is Kai.

Kai winner

Results[]

Kai vs Tanjiro Results
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