The air is thick with their presence.
Kasumi Matsunaga and Midnight Winter stand ten steps apart.
Eyes locked. Breathing measured.
No one moves. Even the trees seem to lean back.
A drop of blood slides from Kasumi's temple… trails down his jaw… and falls. The instant it hits the dirt—
The ground explodes beneath their feet.
They vanish.
A shockwave tears through the clearing as they collide mid-air.
Midwinter's fist slams into Kasumi's face—
Bone cracks. Blood sprays like mist. Kasumi's blade flashes in the same heartbeat—
A clean slice across Midwinter's cheek.
They land, skid, pivot.
Midwinter launches a brutal side kick—
BOOM.
Kasumi is blasted backward through two broken stone pillars. He rebounds off debris—
Leaps. Spins once—
Twice—
The air howls as he completes a full 720° rotation, katana carving a silver arc meant to bisect Midwinter from shoulder to hip. Midwinter slips under it—
Uppercut.
A cannon blast toward Kasumi's jaw. But Kasumi never intended to strike.
Mid-air—
He twists.
The uppercut grazes his chin instead of shattering it. He flips behind Midwinter and lands soundlessly.
Without turning—
He kneels.
The blade rests low behind his back.
Midwinter's eyes narrow.
Wait. That stance—
Kasumi rotates his wrist. The katana scythes backward without him even looking—
A perfect decapitation line.
Midwinter jerks sideways at the last possible fraction of a second.
The blade touches his neck. Skin parts. Blood erupts.
His head tilts at an unnatural angle—but doesn't fall.
He regenerates instantly, flesh knitting as he spits blood.
His leg sweeps low—
Kasumi's feet are ripped out from under him and he crashes across the battlefield.
Miyuki, watching from beneath a distant tree, thinks. "Their fight is getting more and more intense… but it looks like Matsunaga-kun is at a disadvantage."
Midwinter stomps down—
And launches himself skyward like a missile. He hangs in the air for half a breath.
His shoulders distort.
Arms split.
Metallic growth erupts from flesh.
Barrels unfold.
Rotate.
Multiply.
">——BLOOD DEMON TECHNIQUE: INFINITY AMMO GYRATION——<"
The sky roars.
Hundreds. Thousands.
Bullets tear through the air, breaking the sound barrier in a continuous scream. The forest disintegrates. The ground erupts in craters.
Kasumi inhales. "MIST BREATHING — FIFTH FORM: SEA OF CLOUDS AND HAZE."
He dissolves.
His body becomes motion without outline. A phantom slipping between trajectories.
Bullets graze him. Pierce him. Punch through muscle.
He doesn't slow. He doesn't flinch.
Steel flashes.
Bullets split mid-flight.
Others ricochet.
Some tear through him—
Blood trails in the fog—
But his eyes never waver. Kasumi thinks, "His bullets are much faster than any weapon humans have ever created…"
Midwinter lands. And in that instant—
Kasumi materializes directly in front of him. Their clash detonates the earth.
Blade against reinforced limb.
Kick against steel edge.
Punch against guard.
Again—
Again—
Again—
Each impact sends fractures racing across the battlefield.
Midwinter blocks a horizontal slash and smirks faintly. "I misjudged you. I thought you were a mimic."
Kasumi's blade slides off his guard and comes back faster.
"But you're not copying anyone." Midwinter pivots, counter-kicks, forcing distance. "Your strength spikes with your emotions."
Another exchange.
Metal shrieks.
"So tell me—" He drives a knee into Kasumi's ribs.
"Why does the mere mention of Lord Jigen change your breathing?"
Kasumi's blade locks against Midwinter's shin. Veins bulge in his neck. Their faces inches apart.
"Don't take his name in front of me."
Midwinter's voice remains steady. "You still haven't answered."
They break apart—
Collide again—
Fists and steel blurring. "Why do you hate him?"
Kasumi's teeth grind. His strikes grow heavier. The mist around him thickens, unstable.
"You know nothing about us. It's none of your business."
A brutal downward slash splits the earth between them.
Midwinter pivots. His body rotates horizontally like a blade—
WHAM.
A brutal spinning kick caves into Kasumi's ribs. The impact detonates the air.
Kasumi is launched across the battlefield, skidding through rubble, tearing a trench in the earth before crashing into a shattered stone.
Silence.
Dust rises.
Kasumi coughs blood and forces himself upright.
Midwinter walks toward him, his steps deliberate. "You're fighting because you want to. You chose this. But I'm fighting because I have to."
Kasumi wipes the blood from his mouth. "I'm not here to look cool. I'm here to kill you."
Midwinter's eyes remain level. "That's the difference."
He stops ten steps away. "You're driven by desire. I'm driven by necessity. And you should know…"
Kasumi lunges—
A vertical strike meant to split him in half.
Midwinter sidesteps effortlessly.
"…that orders are the supremest."
His leg whips around—
A full-powered reverse roundhouse to Kasumi's face.
BOOM.
A shockwave explodes outward. The trees behind Kasumi snap in half.
Miyuki's breath catches. "That… would've killed anyone else…"
Kasumi staggers. Blood streams from his nose and mouth.
Midwinter doesn't press immediately. He lets the damage sink in.
"I have a reason to win," he says. "That's why every movement I make has weight." He steps forward. "You? You want validation. You want to prove something."
Kasumi's vision blurs. His hearing rings.
Midwinter's voice cuts through it cleanly. "That's why even a simple kick nearly ended you."
Kasumi tightens his grip on his blade. Midwinter continues, his voice cold. "My motive is clear. That clarity lets me read you. You hesitate before every committed strike. You react emotionally when I mention his name."
He stops inches away. "Look at yourself. I'll offer you a final chance. You're around my son's age when I left him… You're talented. Impressive for your age. But you're still a child. You're not even as strong as that girl."
A pause.
"If you understood Lord Jigen… truly understood him… you wouldn't dare speak the way you do."
Kasumi's eyes flare. "Fuck your Lord Jigen!"
He surges forward again.
"What do you even know about us?! He's the worst existence imaginable! A traitor! He corrupts everything he touches! I've known him!"
Midwinter moves faster than thought. A sharp front kick drives into Kasumi's chin.
CRACK.
Kasumi's head snaps back violently.
"No, you don't."
Kasumi tries to retaliate—
But Midwinter is already inside his guard.
Elbow to the sternum.
Knee to the liver.
Palm strike to the throat.
Each impact was perfectly placed. Kasumi can't even track him.
"You had the opportunity to walk away," Midwinter says as he drives a fist into Kasumi's abdomen, folding him in half. "But you chose confrontation."
He grabs Kasumi by the collar. Lifts him—
And hurls him skyward.
"I cannot lose."
Midwinter vanishes—
Reappears above him mid-air. "I serve something greater than myself."
He drives both hands down—
Smashing Kasumi toward the earth.
"And the one you despise—"
He descends like a meteor—
"—is the absolute order."
BAAAAAAAAAAMM!!!
The ground caves inward.
A crater blossoms beneath them. Shockwaves ripple through the forest. Dust devours the battlefield. When it clears
Kasumi is kneeling in the crater, legs trembling violently. Blood pouring from his mouth. His sword barely holding him upright.
Midwinter stands before him.
Miyuki grips her spear, panic rising in her chest. "He's going to die… I have to—"
Then it hits her.
Ren Hajime's voice in memory.
Do not interfere. Even if it looks fatal. Trust him, Miyuki-Chan...
Her grip tightens. "But… he can't even activate his mark…"
Her mind races.
Two hundred heartbeats per minute… body temperature over 102… none of it matches…
Realization dawns. "He can't use it…"
Back in the crater—
Kasumi's vision flickers. His ears ring. His fingers twitch against the dirt.
I can't lose here…
His leg threatens to collapse.
If I fall now… how do I keep my promise? How do I kill every demon… How do I kill him?
His teeth grind so hard blood seeps from his gums.
"I'm sorry… Hajime-san…" His voice is barely a whisper. "I underestimated him… I ignored your warning…"
His fingers tighten around his sword. "I won't make that mistake again."
A flashback hits him hard—
———————————————————————
5 years ago.
A mountain.
At night.
The wind moves gently through the trees. A small figure sits beneath one of them.
Kasumi. Nine years old.
His knees pulled to his chest, arms wrapped tightly around them. He looks smaller than he should. His body is thin, his fingers trembling. His eyes…
Empty. Distant.
As if something inside him had already left.
Footsteps approach, light against the frost. A warm blanket settles over his shoulders.
Kasumi doesn't look up.
"…Why are you helping me?" he whispers.
Ren stands behind him, moonlight resting softly on his face. "Didn't you say you wanted revenge?" he asks gently.
Kasumi's fingers tighten in the fabric. "I can't trust you," he says quietly. "I can't trust anyone after that incident. There has to be a reason… People don't help without reason."
Ren walks around and kneels in front of him. The firelight catches his eyes. There is no calculation in them.
No ambition. No hidden intent.
"I don't need a reason to help someone." He pats Kasumi's head softly.
Kasumi's eyes widen just a little. Something flickers there.
Some moments later.
The sound of steel striking wood echoes through the forest.
Kasumi swings the katana again. And again. And again.
His grip is wrong, his breathing chaotic, his strikes desperate. The tree barely dents. His small arms tremble violently.
Still, he keeps swinging. Until his body collapses first.
He falls to his knees, gasping, dirt sticking to his skin.
Ren watches from a short distance.
Not interfering.
Not praising.
Just observing.
"I told you," Ren says calmly, "forcing your body like this will only exhaust you."
Kasumi pushes himself up again, stubborn.
Ren approaches quietly. He adjusts Kasumi's feet, shifts his shoulders, tilts the blade slightly. His touch is precise but gentle.
"Strike now."
For a moment—
Something feels familiar. Like a memory he doesn't own.
Kasumi swings. The blade hums.
The tree splits cleanly in two.
Kasumi's eyes widened.
Ren smiles faintly. "It's weird… But it seems like your potential is extraordinary. Also, you've already got some skills."
He turns and begins gathering wood.
Moments later.
A small campfire burns between them.
Ren says, "See… This is how you can set fire to warm yourself."
Ren carves a bowl from wood with steady hands. He adds mushrooms, wild herbs, roots into a small pot. The smell is earthy.
Simple. Human.
Kasumi sits by the fire, staring into it. "But why are you teaching me this?" he asks quietly. "I don't want to cook. I just want to fight."
Ren stirs the stew slowly. "You'll be living alone from now on. So you must learn how to survive on your own."
He hands the bowl to Kasumi. "Take it."
Kasumi drinks. He winces. "It tastes bad."
Ren smiles softly. "But you need to do it for survival. You can't seek comfort when you're barely surviving…"
Kasumi stares into the bowl. "Do I have to live like this? Poor. Homeless. Eating this… struggling every day."
He looks at the flames. "Death would be easier."
Ren's expression doesn't change. But something ancient moves in his eyes.
"Death is not an option. It is an escape from responsibility. And you are not someone who runs."
The firelight makes his face look almost divine.
For the first time, Kasumi doesn't argue.
A few moments later.
Kasumi lies on the ground, bleeding.
A demon approaches slowly.
Kasumi tries to lift his sword. His arms won't move.
Why am I still weak…?
The demon reaches for him—
A flash of silver.
The demon's head falls. Its body collapses in front of Kasumi.
Ren stands there. Silent. Calm.
He wipes the blade. "You need to breathe first," Ren says softly. "Strength does not bloom overnight."
Kasumi struggles to sit up. "I don't have time," he says. "I will die in nine years. I can't afford to rest."
Ren kneels in front of him.
He looks directly into Kasumi's eyes.
"If you wish to become strong," Ren says, "you must first accept that you are weak."
Kasumi's breathing slows.
"If you pretend you are already strong, you will never grow. Everyone is weak at some level," Ren continues. "Acknowledging it is not shame. It is the beginning."
Kasumi's body trembles.
Not from pain. From something else.
He falls to his knees.
"I'm sorry…" his voice cracks. "I was consumed by rage."
A tear falls. Hot against cold skin.
"I trusted him the most… and he betrayed me."
His fist clenches into the dirt. "Teach me. Please. I want to make him pay. I want to destroy him. I want to hurt him the way he hurt me."
The wind moves through the trees. Ren stands slowly.
"The fire inside you is vast," he says quietly. "But your direction is wrong."
He looks toward the dark horizon. "The demon you wish to face… is not like the others." His voice grows softer. "He cannot be measured by ordinary hatred."
He turns back to Kasumi.
"Whether you succeed… depends on the path you choose. And the person you become."
Hours later.
The fire crackles softly.
Kasumi's small figure is curled beside it, finally asleep.
His breathing uneven even in rest.
Ren watches him. The boy's fingers are still clenched. Even in dreams.
Ren smiles faintly.
This child… He reminds me of her. Same fire. Same desperation. But for different reasons.
And just like that—
A memory rises.
Years earlier.
It was raining that day.
Not a storm. Just a steady, tired rain.
A small village at the edge of nowhere. Mud roads. Wooden houses barely standing.
Ren stood beneath the eaves of an old shrine. Silent. Unmoved.
She approached him barefoot. Dark-skinned. Calloused hands. Hair tied messily, strands sticking to her wet face. Not beautiful in the way stories describe.
Not radiant. Just worn. Very worn.
She knelt before him without hesitation. Her forehead almost touching the mud.
"Please teach me… O Heavenly Boy. Legendary Slayer…" Her voice trembled, but she didn't stutter. "I beg you."
Ren said nothing. Rain tapped softly against wood.
She lifted her head. Tears mixed with rainwater.
"I'm only doing this for my child." Her hands pressed into the dirt. "I'll do anything. I'll endure anything. I can't keep depending on others to protect us. Especially not my son."
Ren's gaze lowered to her shaking shoulders.
———————————————————————
Now. In the current time.
Midwinter stands over Kasumi.
Kasumi kneels in the dirt, head lowered. Blood drips from his chin in thin, quiet lines.
His eyes are dim. Empty.
Midwinter approaches slowly. Measured steps. "You fought recklessly," he says. "Had you fought seriously from the start… you would not die meaninglessly."
He raises his leg. Shadow falling over Kasumi.
"This is your end."
His heel crashes down—
The earth explodes. A shockwave rips outward—
But—
There is no impact.
Midwinter's foot meets nothing.
Dust swallows the crater.
His eyes widen.
"What—?"
The air behind him shifts. Soft. Cold.
Mist begins to gather. Kasumi stands with his back to Midwinter. Perfectly upright. Perfectly still.
Their backs facing each other.
His voice comes low. Steady. "Thank you."
Midwinter freezes.
"For reminding me of reality."
The mist thickens around Kasumi's feet. "I won't repeat that mistake."
A faint pattern spreads across his cheeks—
Like drifting clouds etched into flesh. A mist-like Demon Slayer Mark blooms on both sides of his face.
His presence changes completely. His breathing stabilizes. His shoulders relax. The trembling stops.
The battlefield feels smaller now.
Miyuki exhales. Her voice is calm, final. "Finally… The battle is over."
Midwinter turns—
But he's too late.
Something falls beside him. A wet sound.
He looks down.
His leg— severed cleanly at the thigh. Blood erupts. His body collapses slightly before regenerating violently.
"When did he—?!" he breathes.
There was no swing. No step. No sound.
Midwinter regrows his limb instantly and spins—
Launching a full-power punch straight at Kasumi's skull. Kasumi does not turn.
He simply bends backward—
The fist misses by a hair.
He flips into the air—
Weightless. Floating. Time feels stretched thin.
Midwinter looks up—
A flicker.
A thin silver line glides through the air.
His arm drops—
Cleanly severed. He didn't even see the blade drawn. Kasumi lands behind him again.
Wind brushing lightly against his uniform.
Midwinter staggers. Regenerates. His eyes tremble slightly now. His gaze fixes on Kasumi's cheeks.
"A… Demon Slayer Mark?"
But it's not just that.
The air around Kasumi feels different. The mist coils around his feet like it's obeying him.
For a split second—
He doesn't see Kasumi. He sees something else.
A presence layered over him.
Ancient. Steady. Like a sun behind clouds.
Ren Hajime.
Not physically there… but felt.