With Ope Ope no Mi in Marvel (Resident Evil, Marvel, Harry Potter)

"Destructive Death: Disorder."

"Flame Breathing, Fifth Form: Flame Tiger."

"Flame Breathing, Second Form: Rising Scorching Sun."

"Destructive Death: Air Type."

Upper Rank Three Akaza and Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku engaged in an intense battle immediately after the fight began, each using their respective techniques to attack the other.

Both focused their entire attention on each other. In battles between experts of their caliber, a single moment of inattention could result in fatal injury.

"It's surprising to see someone in the Demon Slayer Corps who has reached such a high level. You're much stronger than the others," Akaza remarked, excitement and admiration in his eyes as he looked at Kyojuro. He paid no attention to his severed left arm.

Kyojuro didn't respond to Akaza's words. He concentrated on recovering his stamina using Flame Breathing. If one looked closely, they'd notice his arms, which held the Nichirin sword, were trembling slightly.

Since the battle began, Kyojuro had inflicted significant damage on Akaza, even severing his arm again. However, as an Upper Rank demon, Akaza's incredible regenerative abilities meant that any injury not resulting in decapitation was ultimately meaningless.

Even with the enhanced stamina from Breathing Techniques, human stamina paled compared to that of a demon, especially an Upper Rank demon. In a human-to-human battle, the injuries Akaza sustained would have been fatal long ago.

"Although you're strong and close to reaching the highest realm, as a human, you'll never attain it. Humans are weak; they age and die. But if you join us, you can continue training indefinitely," Akaza tried to persuade Kyojuro after his arm regenerated, hoping to turn him into a demon.

"Shut up!" Kyojuro shouted loudly. A coward might have been swayed by Akaza's words, but not Kyojuro. He launched his attack, his body erupting with a thunderous roar as he shot towards Akaza like a meteor. His red Nichirin sword seemed to dye the entire space red with his ultimate technique, Flame Breathing, Ninth Form: Rengoku.

Akaza felt a surge of intense danger, the most lethal threat he had ever encountered. He responded with his strongest attack, "Destructive Death: Annihilation Type," swinging his fist with all his might towards the incoming Nichirin sword.

The collision of their attacks created a massive explosion, forcing the observing Demon Slayer Corps members to cover their ears. The power of their clash transformed the ground beneath them into a large crater.

Kyojuro knelt on one knee, his Nichirin sword embedded in the ground, his right hand resting on its hilt. His left arm hung limp and bloodied by his side. Akaza's right arm was cleaved from the middle, extending to his neck. His head drooped onto his left shoulder, connected by a thin strip of flesh.

Kyojuro's ultimate attack had come within a hair's breadth of decapitating Akaza, but that slight miss turned the tide of the battle instantly.

"What a pity," Akaza said, pressing his head back into place. His regeneration quickly mended his near-severed neck and arm injuries. That's the nature of demons—unless their head is severed, any battle, no matter how grueling, ultimately becomes futile.

"Such a waste for someone as strong as you to die. Join us," Akaza once again extended his invitation.

Kyojuro's response was to continue fighting, expressing his refusal through his actions. Even with only one functioning arm and severe injuries, he would not yield to a demon.

"Flame Hashira!" The Demon Slayer Corps members rushed to Kyojuro's side, having come despite the danger out of concern for the battle.

"Is it for these weaklings?" Akaza coldly glanced at the Demon Slayer Corps members and launched an attack, kicking towards the nearest one.

"Watch out!" Kyojuro shouted, rushing to block Akaza's kick with his Nichirin sword, saving the corps member.

"Leave, now! I'll handle this," Kyojuro ordered, aware of his critical condition. Killing Akaza was an impossible task now. His goal was to hold Akaza off long enough for the others to escape.

"Flame Hashira, you should go. We'll hold him off," one member insisted, valuing Kyojuro's life over their own. They believed their lives were expendable compared to Kyojuro's, who had no replacement.

"You can't stop him. Go now and report this to the master. That's an order!" Kyojuro shouted, understanding that only he could buy them the necessary time.

"Since that's the case, you all die. Destructive Death: Annihilation Type," Akaza, losing patience, decided to end it all and executed his deadly move.

"Watch out!" Kyojuro screamed, throwing himself forward to intercept the attack.

Among the Hashira, Kyojuro was the kindest. Other Hashira like the Wind Hashira and Serpent Hashira might not have gone out of their way to save corps members, instead seizing opportunities to kill demons. Similar to how the Sound Hashira, Tengen Uzui, intended to use Aoi as bait.

But Kyojuro was different. In battles he participated in, the Demon Slayer Corps had zero casualties. To kill others, one had to go through him first.

Just as Kyojuro prepared to sacrifice himself to block Akaza's attack, a figure intervened. A blue light flashed through the air.

Akaza's powerful strike was neutralized by the blue light, which then sliced through Akaza's neck. The figure, revealed as Water Hashira Giyu Tomioka, stood behind Akaza.

Giyu's Water Breathing, Eleventh Form—a technique that combines offense and defense—was what had saved them.

Moments later, Akaza's head fell from his shoulders. Normally, Akaza wouldn't be taken down by one strike, but his focus on Kyojuro made him vulnerable.

"We won."

Seeing Upper Rank Three decapitated, the Demon Slayer Corps members breathed a sigh of relief and began to cheer. Despite the high cost, they had defeated a powerful Upper Rank demon.

Kyojuro, seeing Giyu, finally relaxed. This relaxation caused him to collapse, no longer sustained by his Flame Breathing.

"Flame Hashira!" The members quickly supported the fallen Kyojuro.

"Take him away quickly; the demon isn't dead yet," Giyu urgently warned.

"What?" The moment Giyu's words fell, all eyes turned to Akaza's still-standing body. Despite decapitation, his body did not collapse. Instead, it emitted a soundless scream, wandering headless, refusing to disappear.

"Get Kyojuro out of here. I'll handle this," Giyu ordered, understanding the gravity of the situation.

Despite his usual cold demeanor, Giyu was equally shocked. But his stoic exterior concealed his inner turmoil.

"Water Hashira, be careful," the members said before quickly leaving with Kyojuro, some rushing ahead to report the situation and call for reinforcements.

"He can regenerate," Giyu muttered, seeing Akaza's head begin to grow back. He attacked the headless Akaza, but this time, Akaza fought back. Even without a head, his compass needle technique allowed him to counter Giyu's moves.

Water Breathing is known for its balance of offense and defense, but this also means it lacks specialization in any one aspect. It doesn't match Flame Breathing in attack, Thunder Breathing in speed, or Stone Breathing in defense.

Giyu's surprise attack had decapitated Akaza, but now, with Akaza's guard up, the difference in power was evident.

Of course, this balance also meant Water Breathing had no obvious weaknesses, making it less exploitable. Since decapitation failed, Giyu aimed to stall until sunrise.

Giyu excelled in buying time compared to Kyojuro.

"Damn," Akaza muttered, sensing dawn approaching. Despite his anger, he had to retreat. Though he had surpassed the decapitation limit, he wasn't keen to test his resilience against sunlight.

"Cough, cough," Giyu collapsed in relief after Akaza fled. Despite his evasion, the power gap left him severely injured. Had Akaza persisted, Giyu might have died.

Had Akaza not broken the decapitation limit, Giyu might have stood a chance. But with Akaza's newfound strength, Giyu was outmatched.

Even Kyojuro's previous near-decapitation attack wouldn't be as effective now.

"Water Hashira," the corps members, who had stayed to watch, rushed over after Akaza fled. Though ordered to leave, some had remained hidden.

Shortly after, the corps' logistics team arrived to handle the aftermath, retrieving the bodies of fallen members for burial.

The Demon Slayer Corps always sought to bring back their fallen, unless the bodies were unrecoverable.

"We encountered Upper Rank Three. It seems Flame Hashira survived," Daniel Davis remarked, seeing the injured Kyojuro and Giyu.

In the original story, Kyojuro died at Akaza's hands. But this didn't mean he was weaker. At that time, Kyojuro had exhausted himself saving others, defending several train cars before facing Akaza.

In a fair fight, Kyojuro was stronger. But fighting demons was never fair. Akaza's talk of battle was just a pretense for using his demonic powers to bully humans.

As Tanjiro once said, the Demon Slayers dared to fight demons at night, but demons never dared to fight humans during the day.

Nighttime enhanced a demon's strength significantly. Their superior vision alone gave them a considerable advantage, not to mention their skin as tough as steel.

"Decapitation doesn't kill them anymore. I didn't expect this," Kyojuro and Giyu's reports caused Kagaya Ubuyashiki to frown deeply.

This was the first time the Demon Slayer Corps had encountered such a situation.

"It seems the Upper Rank Six didn't exhibit this ability. Could it be a power unique to the Upper Rank Three, or is Akaza special? If Muzan has this ability too, it would be problematic."

Humans were already at a significant disadvantage compared to demons. If decapitation no longer worked, they would have to rely on sunlight to kill demons. Under these conditions, fighting Muzan, the Demon King, would result in heavy casualties.

"It looks like we have no choice but to rely on him. It's a pity the Sun Breathing technique hasn't been passed down. Otherwise..." Thinking of Sun Breathing, Kagaya Ubuyashiki sighed deeply.

Sun Breathing—Ubuyashiki's clan once had the complete training method. After all, the current mainstream Breathing Techniques were derived from it. Without the method, such evolution wouldn't be possible.

However, the Sun Breathing technique was destroyed by the Ubuyashiki clan, leaving only fragments. No complete training method remained.

"Also, why hasn't his power manifested yet? According to records, his strength should have shown signs of change by now."

As the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, Ubuyashiki had extensive knowledge about Breathing Techniques, including the Mark. They had long awaited a swordsman who could activate the Mark. Despite its significant side effects, the Mark greatly enhanced a swordsman's power.

Moreover, once one swordsman activated the Mark, it triggered a butterfly effect, causing others around to awaken their Marks.

"Regardless, we've finally found Muzan's trail. We must kill him at any cost this time."

---

As dawn approached, Giyu and the remaining Demon Slayer Corps members retreated. Akaza had escaped, but they had survived, and Kyojuro was still alive.

At the Butterfly Mansion, Kyojuro and Giyu received medical treatment. Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira, treated their injuries, her hands moving swiftly and precisely.

"You're lucky to be alive, Kyojuro," Shinobu remarked, applying a salve to his wounds.

Kyojuro smiled weakly. "I'm grateful to everyone. It was a close call."

Giyu, silent as ever, nodded in agreement. "Akaza has grown stronger. We must be prepared."

Shinobu's eyes darkened. "Yes, this new development is troubling. We need to inform the others and adjust our strategies."

Daniel Davis joined them, his expression serious. "We've sent out messages to all the Hashira. We must regroup and rethink our tactics against Muzan and his Upper Ranks."

The gravity of the situation was clear. The Demon Slayer Corps faced a new and formidable challenge. Muzan's demons were evolving, becoming even more dangerous. But with renewed determination and unity, they prepared for the battles ahead, knowing that the fate of humanity rested on their shoulders.

---

Elsewhere, in a dimly lit room, Muzan Kibutsuji stood before a group of his demons. His eyes glowed with a mixture of anger and anticipation.

"Akaza," Muzan called, his voice cold.

Akaza knelt, his head bowed. "Yes, Lord Muzan."

"Your encounter with the Demon Slayers was a disappointment. You failed to eliminate the Flame Hashira," Muzan's voice dripped with contempt.

Akaza clenched his fists. "I apologize, Lord Muzan. I underestimated them. It won't happen again."

Muzan's eyes narrowed. "Ensure it doesn't. The Demon Slayer Corps must be eradicated. They are growing stronger, and we cannot allow them to interfere with our plans."

Akaza nodded. "I understand. I will not fail you again."

Muzan turned away, his mind racing with thoughts of the future. The Demon Slayers were becoming more formidable, and he needed to strengthen his ranks. The time for caution was over. He would unleash his full power and crush them all.

"Prepare yourselves," Muzan commanded his demons. "The final battle is approaching. We will show the world the true power of demons."

The demons bowed, their loyalty unwavering. They were ready to follow Muzan into the depths of darkness, to fight and kill for their king. The stage was set for a cataclysmic clash between the forces of good and evil, with the fate of humanity hanging in the balance.

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