Chapter 10: Breaking Dawn.

"Rengoku-san, pass me the blade!!" Roared Zenitsu.

Rengoku tossed the blade with the last of his strength, the fight put too much strain on his body and the hits Akaza could connect were heavy. His ribs were broken on many points and the last kick broke the sternum. The broken bones were caved in, hurting the lungs with each breath, yet he held on, threw the blade to Zenitsu with last of the strength he could muster.

Zernitsu grabbed the blade and gave chase, clenching his teeth, he inhaled loudly.

"KAMINARI NO KOKYU~ JYU NO KATA—RAIJIN NO NAGEKI."

Zenitsu threw the sword like a spear which pierced Akaza, right through the heart, he flickered in and grabbed the blade and slashed right through, slicing his head up vertically. Then without missing a beat he brought down the blade on Akaza's neck severing his head off, ending his life.

The sun rose as Akaza's body vanished off into ashes with the passing breeze. Zenitsu dropped on the ground and lay down gasping for air, Avalon slowly healing his body. The damage Akaza did was nothing to be shrugged off, each hit did substantial damage while the stress of fighting at such a pace kept piling on.

Adrenaline might have helped during the battle, but now when it was over, the fatigue rushed in. In an hour or so, Chuntaro came flying and following him were KAKUSHI and DEMON SLAYER cadets.

"RAIBASHIRA-sama, are you alright? Where is the demon?" the slayers asked after a quick bow of respect.

"The demon was slayed, one of you guys stay back and help me walk. The others, help the civilians and Rengoku-san, provide medical and emotional aid and send a crow to OYAKATA-sama and tell him that today we killed Akaza, third of the upper moon." Zenitsu sat up, his fatigue was recovering slowly as Avalon's aura healed his body.

"Thank you for your hard work, RAIBASHIRA-sama!!" The slayers roared with vigour, what sort of a concept was the Hashira? The Upper Moon Demons, they were unchanged for centuries and to remain alive to tell the tale was considered the best outcome, when one crossed path with them.

Today, the demon ranked third in the Upper Moon was slayed by the Flame and Thunder Hashira, a great cause to celebrate. The Lower Moon One and the Upper Moon Three demons slayed on the same day, what a day, the slayers were off to celebrate while Muzan was raging up a storm in his lair.

Somewhere in a location:

"I want names, two ranked demons die in the same place. One from the Upper Moon, I need names, I need answers, find out who did this and bring me their heads." Muzan, who was in his female version raged.

"Enmu was the demon with potential to enter the ranks of the Upper Moon Demons, while Akaza was ranked third among you, I want to know who was behind this. It was already enough when Kyogai, Rui, Kaigaku were killed by some unnamed bastard, but now this? Find me the ones responsible or leave your heads behind!" Muzan was growling like a tiger whose tail was stepped on, ready to tear the offender apart.

"Muzan-sama, word is that the Flame Hashira and the newly promoted Thunder Hashira were the ones in that fight and had killed Enmu and Akaza, the Thunder Hashira is the one who had killed Rui and Kaigaku." Nakime, the demon with the biwa answered Muzan.

"What is he called?" Muzan asked in a voice laced with venomous fury and hatred.

"His name is Zenitsu Kuwajima, the Thunder Hashira." Nakime answered.

"Fine, I'll do it myself!!" Muzan stormed off.

....................................

Back at the Demon Slayer's Head Quarters,

The Demon Slayer Corps celebrated generously, the new dawn brought them hope as the gentle rays of the sun blessed the land with another day.

Rengoku and Zenitsu were taken to the Butterfly manor to recover and celebrate along with Tanjiro and Inosuke. Shinobu, was the same as ever, seeing that Zenitsu only needed a little bit of bandaging and rest to recover from his wounds, she manhandled his wounds.

Revenge was a dish that was best served cold, she never forgot about Zenitsu wrapping her up like a dumpling. The sour expression of Zenitsu cringing from the stinging wounds was a sight for her sore eyes, a little more of teasing and she had forgiven Zenitsu after she knew how strong he was and how he slayed more upper and lower moon demons than all of the Hashira in their generation put together, including the Upper Moon Demons.

He broke the myth, the upper moon demons were not impossible to kill, he killed Kaigaku when he was just a HINOE, his battle record were not worse than any of the Hashira. Seeing that Zenitsu was better left on the field, Oyakata had decided not to charge him with an office. The Thunder Pillar will be the immediate assistance force while not hunting demons personally.

"Shinobu-san, please bring me some sweets. These bitter medicine three times a day might kill me before Muzan, I promise to help Aoi-chan with kitchen work. Please~" Zenitsu spoke with an earnest face like he was about to confess his love, and spoke of his undying love, for sweets. [A/N: tehe~]

Even Rengoku, who was resting beside Zenitsu started laughing till his chest hurt from the wounds again. Seeing Rengoku, Zenitsu pushed it a bit more, "even Rengoku-san doesn't shout UMAI! when he drinks his share of the medicine. It's already two days I have not seen a sweet, let alone touch or eat, please Shinobu-san."

Seeing the mature Zenitsu throwing tantrums like a child, Shinobu could not help but chuckle. "ARA-ARA~, who would have thought the Demon Slaying prodigy, the strong REIBASHIRA would secretly have such a weakness, how cute~."

Being teased like that, a vein popped on Zenitsu's forehead, "I will run away if you don't bring me sweets, do you believe it?" he growled.

Shinobu gave her patented kind smile with a rope in her hands. Zenitsu's face twitched, "if you continue being like this, you will never make Tomioka-san like you, humph!"

Zenitsu had a smug face, while Shinobu lowered her head and looked him in the eye, she spoke in a demonic voice that sent chills down Zenitsu's and Rengoku's spines. "And where did you learn that I like him?"

"Well, your heart beats faster around him, even when you tease him, I am not deaf you know." Zenitsu folded his arms and did a 'praise me' pose.

But the praise never came and he was chased around the Butterfly manor by a blushing and enraged Shiobu, swinging her blade on Zenitsu who dodged the slashes and stabs and kept running as he apologized for something that he did not understand.One thing that he did know was to immediately apologize, if you find a kind woman mad at yourself. He did just that and after a few rounds he was asked that if he was truly repentant, he nodded but his grumbling was heard by Shinobu which resulted in him being chased around some more before he was forgiven, but banned from sweets for a week.

What can you say, doctors are powerful people, it's always in your benefit to listen to their instructions.