Ch 26: Akaza

"Lava breathing,Fourth Form:Raging Lava Waves."

Akaza had to dodge the incoming lava by stepping to his right.

"Won't you give up Akaza?"We exchange blows.

'We either have to wait for the sun to rise or for a moment where he's off guard.'

"You have gotten stronger Haru!"

His eagerness of fighting strong opponents is coming out as he increases the power of his blows towards me.

I glance at Kyojuro who seems to be a little tired from the blows as blood runs down his face.

"Kyojuro-san, are you thinking of that move?"

"Ha, seems like you can read my mind."He smiles at me as I nod at him, a sign that I would cover for him.

We fight for a bit more until he had the chance of releasing the final blow.

"Flame breathing,Ninth Form."

I open my eyes to stare at him.

"Rengoku!"

A huge fire dragon formed as black electricity surrounds the eyes, rushing to deliver the blow.

"Destructive Death.."

"Annihilation Type!"

I gritted my teeth as they make contact, time seems to slow down as he aims for Akaza's head.

I widen my eyes in shock as he pushes his blade away from his head and instead, it went towards his right arm.

"Why you.."

He gripped his handle to manoeuvre back to his neck.

"Kyojuro-san!"I rush to his side to push him out of the way.

The dust slowly settles down as the 3 males now have a clear view of us.

"Haru-san!Rengoku-san!"Tanjiro shouted.

I coughed up blood under my mask as Akaza slowly came to realize that he that pierce through my left lung.

"Haru..."

Kyojuro looks around as he felt a force push him away having him land on the ground, before landing on me standing in front of Akaza.

"Haru-san!"

I shakily remain standing with the remainder of my strength.

"Lava breathing,First Form:Lava Fissure."I mumble as my blade rest against his neck.

His eyes widened before backing up to avoid the hit.

"You know, I always looked up to you."I pant as the aftereffects of my lung getting pierced catches up to me.

The sun began to rise behind me, making him retreat, leaving me to fall backwards onto the ground.

I face the sky as it begins to brighten up in different shades of pink and red as I cough up more blood.

"Man I am so tired..."I remove my mask, closing my eyes as the sun rises.

I could hear Tanjiro yelling at Akaza for retreating into the shade of the forest before coming over to me.

"Haru-san!!!"Tanjiro and the rest came up to me.

I open my eyes slowly to look at them.

"Why...are you crying?.."

I couldn't hear their voices as they sat next to me, their tears dropping onto the ground.

"Haha I won't die from this, just help me back to the Butterfly estate. I don't think I would survive from Shinobu's wrath when she finds out about this.."

I gently smile at them before coughing up more blood.

"Man I didn't think I would be this injured.."

"Right then, I shall be entrusting my body to you."I smile at them before blacking out.

Hashira's pov:

"Caw! Haru-san is gravely injured after fighting with Uppermoon 3!" The messager crow yells as it flew about.

'No..Haru..' Shinobu grips her haori as her eyes widen at the news.

"Haru...please be alive.."Mitsuri looks at the plate of dangos, losing her appetite.

"Haru..almost gone?.."Muichiro looks up at the clouds as he walks about in a bamboo forest.

"Tch what is she doing?"Sanemi angrily slices through the bamboos.

".."The two Water Hashiras and Makomo look at each other with wide eyes before rushing out.

"I don't believe this. Haru almost dying?"Obanai stares at the ground.

Himejima simply rubs his prayer beads together, wishing the best.

"So Haru got injured this time.."Uzui was sitting on a rooftop when the information came in.

Kyojuro's pov:

'This can't be it right?... Haru-san dying instead of me..'

'I never thought that anyone could bring our Lava Hashira down..'

His eyes wide as he forces himself to not cry.

Tanjiro's pov:

'Why did Haru-san have to do this? Risk herself for us?..'His tears didn't seem to stop with Zenitsu and Inosuke.

3rd person pov:

It's been weeks since the mission and now Haru is in the Butterfly estate, although she was now in a coma.

"Just when will you wake up Haru?.."Shinobu sat down and held her hand.

Her condition has gotten better when she was brought to the Butterfly estate for treatment, even Shinobu herself was amazed at the recovering speed and how she survived a damaged lung.