Chapter 88: Blossoms of the Other Shore, Goodbye Until the Next Life

Looking at the decapitation he had already overcome, Zero merely sighed softly.

Things unfolded exactly as he had anticipated, as if everything had been foreseen.

He then retracted the Nichirin Scythe into the Nanospace, preparing to continue fighting Akaza directly.

But Tanjiro did not think so.

Seeing Zero retract the Nichirin Scythe, he assumed Zero had given up.

The Upper Moon demon had overcome decapitation—what now?

Aside from sunlight, there seemed no way to kill him, yet dawn was still far off…

Inoosuke also thought this way.

But it was Rengoku Kyujuro’s next words that made them realize they had overthought it.

“Don’t worry, Tanjiro boy, Boar Boy—Zero will handle it. I believe in him!” Rengoku Kyujuro explained.

Then they saw Zero punch forward, colliding again with Akaza’s fist.

Destruction Art. Annihilation Form!

Akaza’s headless body, still clinging to its obsession, swung a devastating punch that met Zero’s fist, triggering a massive explosion.

The shockwave whipped up a colossal cloud of dust.

When the dust cleared, the three saw Akaza’s lower half shattered, then rapidly regenerated.

Yet though Akaza had overcome decapitation, he remained at a disadvantage.

Zero swept him with a spinning kick, sending him flying again, then darted behind him and kicked him skyward.

He then pushed off hard with his leg, leaping upward and striking him down once more, slamming him into the ground.

Boom!

A crater formed; Akaza rose from it, his head fully regenerated!

“I haven’t lost! I can still fight! Again!” Akaza roared.

Zero said nothing, charging forward again and unleashing a flurry of punches.

Rainlike fists hammered Akaza’s face!

Instantly, Akaza’s face turned black and swollen, yet healed itself almost immediately.

But precisely because of this assault, strange memories surfaced in his mind…

He vaguely recalled that long ago, someone had once beaten him this way.

“I’ve already punished you, the sinner, so it’s fine…”

“What is this…?” Akaza was utterly confused.

When Zero’s final punch landed on Akaza’s face, he was shoved backward, as if plunged into some memory…

“Akaza! Didn’t you say you hadn’t lost?! Then fight! Strike back! Have a proper battle!”

Akaza stared at Zero, as if seeing a blurred figure merging with him…

But Zero gave him no time to think—he charged again.

The stormlike assault returned; Akaza ceased overthinking, summoned the Luo Zhen beneath his feet, and activated his technique!

Destruction Art. Final Form. Azure-Silver Chaotic Afterglow!

In an instant, hundreds of azure missiles converged and surged toward Zero!

Meanwhile, he prepared to flee.

Dawn was nearly here! If this continued, it would be disastrous for him!

Though he had overcome decapitation, he still feared sunlight!

Yet Zero would not let him escape.

All the attacks struck Zero’s armor—yet failed to halt his advance!

He surged forward, seized Akaza.

He gripped his throat with one hand and lifted him up.

“Let me go!”

Destruction Art. Void Form!

Akaza, suspended by his throat, swung both fists in rapid succession at Zero.

Zero remained unmoved.

He spoke: “Akaza… no, Komaji. How long will you cling to delusion? Your fiancée, Renshui… she has waited for you a long time…”

Zero was gambling, applying his earlier hypothesis to Akaza.

“Komaji… who is that? Renshui… who is she… I…”

Then Zero hurled Akaza aside with a violent swing, slamming him into the ground.

Akaza rose, preparing to attack again!

If he couldn’t escape, he’d kill everyone present!

Suddenly, Akaza felt his hand pulled.

“Please stop, Komaji…”

Akaza turned and saw a young woman in a kimono, with peach-blossom eyes, gripping his hand, tears glistening.

“Who are you?” Akaza asked, confused.

He didn’t know her, yet seeing her filled his heart with unbearable sorrow.

Everyone present wondered why Akaza reacted this way.

There was nothing beside him.

“Let go! Let go of my hand!”

“Please stop. Come with me to the other shore…”

“No! I must kill them!”

“Why… why do you crave strength so desperately?”

“Because without strength, I can’t bring medicine home for Father! Without strength, I can’t win against revenge! Without strength, I’ll be captured by the Goken! Without strength, I can’t protect…”

Here, Akaza fell silent—memories flooded his mind.

“I… I…”

Akaza suddenly remembered why he despised weakness so much!

Because the weak never fight fairly!

Because the weak resort to lowly poison tactics!

Because the weak…

“I… I remember now…”

Lacking endurance, giving up at the slightest setback…

Using the “protective fist” to kill, staining his master’s sacred Shurui Dojo with blood…

He had failed to honor his father’s final words…

“It’s alright, Komaji. Thank you…”

An elderly figure appeared beside Akaza.

At that moment, Akaza’s form seemed to shift into another.

He became a man with short black hair, blue eyes, pale pink lashes, and three deep blue tattoos on his wrists—marks of a sinner.

This was Komaji in his human form.

“Father…” Komaji knelt before his father, weeping: “I’m sorry, Father. I… I couldn’t start over. I couldn’t…”

“You’ve done well enough…”

At that moment, the elderly figure transformed again.

“No matter what you become, son is son, disciple is disciple—I will never abandon you, even in death. Though I cannot take you to heaven.”

“Master…”

“Komaji, thank you. It’s enough.”

“Renshui… Wuwu … Aaaa …” Komaji could no longer hold back—he embraced his fiancée and wept: “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I couldn’t protect you! I wasn’t there when you needed me! I’m sorry! I broke every promise… forgive me… Wuwuwu …”

“It’s wonderful you remembered us. It’s wonderful you’ve returned to who you were… Welcome back, my love…”

The horizon began to lighten.

The sun rose slowly; Akaza… no, Komaji, slowly emerged from his grief.

He stood, bowed deeply to Zero, and said: “Thank you…”

Zero deactivated his [Armed Gear], retracting the [Dark Alloy Armor] into the [Nanospace].

He said nothing, only smiled and nodded at Komaji.

And perhaps it was an illusion, but Zero thought he saw beside Komaji another woman, also bowing to him.

She opened her mouth and spoke a single phrase.

Zero read her lips and understood—smiling, he nodded back.

Then Komaji turned and bowed to Rengoku Kyujuro and the others: “I’m sorry…”

Warm sunlight fell upon Akaza’s face.

Finally, holding Renshui’s hand, he smiled—and turned to ash beneath the sun.

This night’s battle had been relentless.

If Akaza could have turned back time, perhaps none of this would have happened…

People who love each other…

Zero watched the rising sun and thought: “May you both begin a new life in your next incarnation… May the red flowers bloom on the riverbank, and may we meet again in the next life.”

In that instant, Tanjiro smelled the genuine gratitude and apology emanating from the Upper Rank Three, and could no longer hold back his tears.

Inosuke, voice trembling with sobs, asked: “Fish cake Zenjirou, why are you crying! Waaahhh…”

“Aren’t you crying too, Inosuke?”

“I’m not crying! How could I… how could I possibly cry… He was a demon… a demon who ate many people… I… I…”

Rengoku Shinjuro felt the events of the night weighed heavily on him, but soon he let go.

Though Upper Rank Three had harmed so many…

It reminded him of what his mother had once told him: as a strong one, you must protect the weak.

In that moment, behind Zero, he seemed to see his mother, Rengoku Ruka, smiling beautifully at him.

“Mother, I will keep our promise—I will protect everyone!”

“I believe in you, Shinjuro. You’ve done well!”

The sunlight shone upon them all.

Zenitsu, carrying the wooden box containing Nezuko, walked up from afar.

Rengoku Shinjuro gathered himself and said cheerfully: “Boys, it’s time to return to the Demon Slayer Corps! Hold your heads high and keep moving forward!”

Soon after, members of the Hidden Division arrived on the scene, brought stretchers, and placed Tanjiro upon one.

Zero supported Rengoku Shinjuro as they followed them away.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something.

He asked Tanjiro on the stretcher: “Tanjiro, where is your sword?”

“Sword?” Tanjiro glanced at his scabbard and realized the blade was gone.

Helplessly, Zero ordered several other Hidden Division members to search for Tanjiro’s sword—he knew well the temper of Kotoha.

Moments later, the Hidden Division members found Tanjiro’s sword—inside the wreckage of the runaway train’s front car.

Holding a sword…

Or what was left of one—just the hilt and a fragment of the blade…

It had been crushed into several pieces by the train.

“It’s… over… the sword’s broken again…” Tanjiro lay on the stretcher, tears welling but not falling—he knew Kotoha would never forgive him now!

Seeing this, Zero sighed and said: “Tanjiro… you’ll have to accept your fate. There’s nothing I can do about this…”

These words plunged Tanjiro into despair—he felt as if a white soul had slipped from his mouth.

“It’s over… over… my sword…”

He even wondered why Zero, who wielded weapons forged by Kotoha, had never damaged one, while his own kept breaking, one after another…

………

Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.

“Gaaah! Zero Pill Zero and Flame Pill Rengoku Shinjuro jointly slew Upper Rank Three! Flame Pill Rengoku Shinjuro injured! Teammates Tanjiro, Nezuko, Inosuke, and Zenitsu jointly protected all 200 passengers on the Infinite Train—no deaths! Gaaah!…”

“Gaaah! Zero Pill Zero and Flame Pill Rengoku Shinjuro jointly slew Upper Rank Three! Flame Pill Rengoku Shinjuro injured…”

The Hashira crows announced the battle results three times in succession at the Demon Slayer Corps.

The Demon Slayer Corps erupted once more—swordsmen, upon hearing the news, experienced an unprecedented surge in morale!

Butterfly House.

“Ara, Zero is truly impressive~ Another Upper Rank demon slain!”

“Sister, how do you know it was your husband who slew the Upper Rank demon and not Rengoku-sensei?”

Kanao was puzzled.

“If it had been Rengoku-sensei who slew him, he wouldn’t have been injured…”

Kanao didn’t finish her sentence—Kanao already understood.

After all, Upper Rank demons were so powerful…

Zero’s residence.

“Really? Really?! Zero and the others slew another Upper Rank demon?! That’s amazing! Everyone’s safe—that’s wonderful! Tanjiro and the others worked so hard too!”

Mitsuri, upon hearing the news, longed to rush to Zero’s side and hug him tightly, kissing him endlessly.

Kamado Kie, upon hearing the news, burst into tears of joy.

“Zero, Tanjiro, Nezuko… I’m so glad you’re all safe!”

“Mother…” Takeo and the others, seeing their mother cry, thought something terrible had happened.

“It’s nothing, I’m fine. Come quickly and help—Zero and the others are coming back soon.”

“Yes, Mother.”

……

“So long as they’re alive, that’s enough,” said Tomioka Giyu, smiling upon hearing the crow’s report.

“Amitabha—what uplifting news! Even this monk must strive harder!”

Hinokami Gyomei, upon hearing the news, prepared to intensify his training.

Beside him, Shinobu Genya heard the news and his resolve hardened—he would prove himself to his elder brother.

He also planned to seek out Zero when he had time, and ask him to teach him how to grow stronger!

“Tch… I never thought Zero would keep getting stronger… I won’t lose to you! I’ll slay an Upper Rank demon too!”

Boom!

Shinobu Genya swiftly slashed, cutting down every wooden post before him.

“Upper Rank Three…” Ikki Koyanagi stood on the rooftop, lost in thought.

Muichiro listened to his crow’s report, expressionless as ever, staring blankly at the sky.

………

Meanwhile, in the rear garden of the Ubuyashiki residence.

Ubuyashiki Yoriichi and his wife were tending to the graves of the fallen swordsmen.

Upon hearing the news, Ubuyashiki Yoriichi trembled with excitement.

“Again… again they’ve slain an Upper Rank demon! My children, you’ve worked so hard… cough… cough…”

“Husband, don’t get too excited—Zero-sama said your curse is cured, but you must still take care of your health!” Ubuyashiki Tane whispered beside him.

“I… I’m fine! Tane, when they return, come with me to visit them…”

Ubuyashiki Yoriichi was so overcome, his words grew halting.

“Yes.”

………

【Rensnow: Thank you!】