Chapter 33

Nobody saw how Ali had appeared behind Sanemi. One moment he was standing firm against a barrage of rocks, and in the next, his hand was embedded deep within the Hashira's chest, piercing his flesh with deadly precision. Sanemi groaned, a sickening sound escaping his lips as his body was dropped like a rag doll. Ali, standing over the dying man, stared down with cold, unfeeling eyes-eyes that had long since abandoned any trace of empathy or remorse. He watched, detached, as Sanemi's life slipped away.

Veska's marking burned fiercely on his forearm. Only a small fragment of the rectangle remained unfilled-a mere sliver of Origin away from completion.

Mark, now in his Iron Man suit, hovered momentarily in the air before launching himself at Ali with blinding speed. Simultaneously, Zenitsu, using his Thunder Breathing, shot forward like a bolt of yellow lightning, the sound of his movement cutting the air.

BOOM!

Zenitsu's sword collided with Ali's blackened fist, the impact reverberating around them in a shockwave of force. Ali feeling the pressure of Zenitsu's strike. 'The boy has improved considerably-his attacks are dangerous!' thought as he flipped backward just in time to evade a small missile from Mark.

He had barely touched the ground when Inosuke lunged toward him, twin serrated blades swiping viciously through the air. Ali twisted his body mid-flip, narrowly dodging the sharp, jagged edges aimed at his torso.

BANG!

Mark's repulser blasts hit Ali squarely in the chest, driving him back. He raised his arm to shield himself from a second volley.

BANG!

A stone pillar erupted from beneath him, catching Ali in the stomach and sending him skidding backward across the floor. A bruise momentarily darkened his abdomen before vanishing entirely, his body healing as fast as the damage appeared. The burns from Mark's blasts faded in seconds as well, leaving no trace of injury.

"Water Breathing: First Form-Water Surface Slash!"

From behind, two voices shouted in unison. Ali turned, unimpressed, as twin streaks of blue shot toward him-Tanjiro and Giyu, swords gleaming with deadly intent. Ali's midnight eyes showed no hint of concern. He breathed in deeply, centring himself, before moving with the fluidity of a master. His hands darted out, expertly striking the weakest points of their attacks, redirecting the blades with flawless precision, nullifying the technique entirely. However, a small grin crept across Tanjiro's face even as his attack was parried.

CRACK!

Behind Ali, the floor shattered as Leo burst from the ground, kunai in hand, aiming for the back of Ali's neck. The ambush was swift and calculated.

"Now!" Ali's cold voice cut through the moment, and the unmistakable twang of a Biwa string filled the air.

The floor beneath Ali vanished in an instant, and Leo's kunai found nothing but empty space. Confusion and shock spread through the group as they frantically searched for Ali's whereabouts.

"UGH!"

A painful groan echoed, drawing their attention. To their horror, Ali had reappeared, now standing next to Lila. Her kunai was buried in his palm, but Ali held her arm firmly in his vice-like grip, effortlessly stopping her attack.

Leo's heart sank, his eyes widening in terror as he realised how close Ali was to his sister. His chakra flared violently, reaching its peak as he rushed forward with everything he had, Mark soaring beside him at full throttle.

Desperate, Lila attempted to form a hand seal with her free arm, but Ali, with a cruel smirk, yanked her other arm backward, the sound of bone snapping sharply echoing through the chamber.

"AAAAAAAAAH!" Lila's scream pierced the air as pain flooded her senses, her arm hanging uselessly at her side.

Leo and Mark were closing the distance, their minds racing. They couldn't risk throwing projectiles for fear of hitting Lila, who stood as a living shield between them and Ali.

"LILA!" Leo's anguished voice carried as he neared, his heart breaking at the sight of his sister's tear-streaked face, her lips trembling as she forced a smile for him.

Leo's world seemed to slow down, his gaze locked on his sister. He could feel Ali's malevolent intent as the monster raised his marked right hand, the dark energy swirling around his fingers, ready to strike.

With deliberate malice, Ali flicked his middle finger against the back of Lila's head, his breathing technique amplifying the blow.

"NO0000000000!" Leo's scream erupted from the depths of his soul.

PLACK!

Lila's head exploded in a grotesque display of force, the fragments of her skull and brain matter splattering onto the wooden floor. Her decapitated body crumpled to the ground at Leo's feet, lifeless, mere inches from his grasp. He had been a single second too late-one agonising second that could have saved her.

But life, as it often was, proved to be merciless, and Ali was even crueler.

Leo stood frozen, his eyes locked onto the mutilated remains of his sister. The floor beneath him began to crack as his chakra surged uncontrollably. Mark, sensing the boy's breaking point, tried to approach him, but was driven back by the violent eruption of Leo's chakra. Blue energy pulsed around him, fierce and unrelenting. He was burning through his life force for power.

Ali, unfazed, casually pulled the kunai from his palm, tossing it aside as he walked back toward his black spear, still embedded in the wooden floor from an earlier clash. With deliberate calm, he grasped the spear, his dark eyes never leaving Leo, who had now started frantically weaving hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Titan," Leo growled, his voice laced with fury as he completed the final seal, slamming his hands onto the ground.

Massive chunks of stone erupted around him, coalescing into a towering golem that surrounded Leo. The earthen titan loomed over Ali, its enormous stone hand rearing back before slamming down toward him. The platform trembled as the force of the attack obliterated the ground beneath them, leaving a crater in its wake.

Ali's eyes gleamed with excitement, his entire body itching with the desire for more power.

'I can't wait to wield abilities like this, he thought with a twisted grin.

'Power like that—l want it.'

He dodged the descending stone hand, leaping into the air with grace, his spear twirling in his hand. The golem's maw opened wide, firing deadly spikes of stone toward him, intent on skewering him mid-flight.

With expert precision, Ali swung his spear, shattering each spike before it could reach him. As he closed in on the golem, its second massive hand rose, preparing to crush him while more spikes erupted from the creature's mouth.

Ali's mind calculated his next move in an instant. With a powerful throw, he hurled his spear toward the golem's head. The weapon sliced through the air, obliterating the spikes and striking the golem's head with such force that the entire structure rocked backward.

The black markings on Ali's fist swirled, forming a black tornado around his hand as he charged up for a devastating blow.

BOOOOOOM!

Ali's fist collided with the massive stone hand, disintegrating it into countless fragments. The shockwave from the impact sent the debris hurtling into the air, demolishing nearby sections of the Infinity Castle.

His hand, now pulverised, dangled limply at his side, healing rapidly as Ali sprinted up the remainder of the golem's arm. Reaching the cracked head of the beast, Ali raised his fist high and slammed it down with unrelenting force, shattering the stone skull completely.

Ali dropped into the hollow interior of the golem, landing before a bloodied and broken Leo.

Leo sat slumped on the ground, blood pouring from his body. Chakra overuse had ravaged him, leaving him drained and barely conscious. His bloodshot eyes met Ali's, the monster who had taken everything from him.

Ali extended his hand, his spear fell from the golem's destroyed head into his grasp. He gazed down at the defeated boy, who could no longer summon the strength to speak.

"You did well, kid," Ali muttered coldly. "Now, you can join your sister."

With one swift motion, Ali swung his spear, decapitating Leo. The boy's head rolled lifelessly onto the ground as his body collapsed, another victim claimed by Ali. The battlefield grew eerily quiet as Leo joined his sister in death, another name added to the mountain of corpses left in Ali's wake.

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Author here, first I wanna thank u all for the massive support, seeing my ff grow makes me wanna write even more. This chapter might be one of the best iv'e written so far, I just put sad music on and wrote this from the perspective of the twins, I think it came out really good.

As always please contribute your power stones as it helps my ff massively.

Five chapters ahead on patreon.com/Rondo312