Hearing Enmu’s declaration, Mitsuri’s grip on her sword tightened. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, but she quelled the growing anxiety.
Alex is helping those children while I’m up here, and this demon thinks he can threaten him? Her grip on her Nichirin Blade tightened.
"Love Breathing, Second Form: Love Pangs!" Mitsuri murmured, her voice filled with determination.
With a burst of speed, she closed the distance between herself and Enmu. Her blade danced like a ribbon in the wind, striking with precision and grace. The sharp edge sliced clean through his neck in one fluid motion, separating his head from his body. For a moment, Enmu’s head tumbled through the air, his expression frozen in shock. Mitsuri landed gracefully a few feet away, her chest rising and falling with steady breaths.
"Not so confident now, are you?" she said, her voice low and resolute.
But something was wrong. Enmu’s head didn’t disintegrate as it should have. Instead, his lips curled into an eerie smile, even as it lay severed from his body. His headless form didn’t collapse either. Instead, it stood unnaturally still, the movements jerky as his body picked up the fallen head and reattached it.
"Did you really think it would be that easy?" Enmu chuckled, his voice dark and mocking. "I’m no ordinary demon, Mitsuri Kanroji. You see, this body isn’t truly mine. It’s just a fragment of my power."
"What do you mean?" Mitsuri demanded, her eyes narrowing.
Enmu gestured to the train beneath them. "This train... is my true body. I’ve fused with it completely. Every engine, every carriage, every seat—it’s all a part of me now. And all the passengers within? They’re mine to toy with." His grin widened, his tone dripping with malice. "You think you’ve won by cutting my head? All you’ve done is ensure that I get to show you the depths of my power."
Mitsuri’s heart sank as she realized the gravity of the situation. She glanced at the train, her mind racing. If Enmu truly was the train, then everyone inside was in mortal danger. She couldn’t let him harm them—not the passengers, not the children, and certainly not Alex.
"I won’t let you hurt anyone else!"
Enmu cackled, his laughter echoing in the night. "Oh, but you can’t stop me, little Hashira. You’re strong, yes, but you’re still just a human. And now... I’ll show you what happens when you stand in my way."
The train beneath her began to shift and groan, the metal warping unnaturally. Tendrils of flesh-like material sprouted from the sides, writhing and pulsating as if alive. Windows shattered, and grotesque eyes opened across the carriages, staring at Mitsuri with malicious intent.
"Let’s see how you handle this!" Enmu sneered, his voice booming from all around her.
The tendrils lashed out, aiming to grab Mitsuri and pull her off balance. She dodged with her characteristic agility, her movements a blend of speed and elegance. Her blade sliced through the grotesque appendages, but they regenerated almost instantly.
Mitsuri’s mind raced. I can’t keep cutting these things forever. I need to find a way to stop him at the source—but where is it?
As if sensing her thoughts, Enmu taunted her. "You’ll never find my weak point, Mitsuri Kanroji. Not before I crush you and everyone on this train."
Mitsuri’s blade flashed as she sliced through another wave of Enmu’s grotesque tendrils, but the onslaught was relentless. Each severed appendage regenerated almost instantly, growing back thicker and stronger. Her breathing became heavier as the strain began to take its toll. She leaped back, landing precariously on the edge of the train roof.
Enmu’s mocking laughter echoed all around her. "You’re slowing down, Kanroji. How long do you think you can last against me? You’re just delaying the inevitable."
Mitsuri gritted her teeth, refusing to give in to despair. She crouched low, her muscles tensing for another attack, but a sudden lurch of the train threw her off balance. The entire locomotive jerked violently, sending her stumbling toward the edge. She tried to regain her footing, but the slick surface of the roof betrayed her. With a startled gasp, Mitsuri slipped and plummeted into the night air.
The world seemed to slow as she fell, her pink-and-green hair billowing around her. Below, the jagged tendrils of Enmu rose like a predatory wave, ready to impale her midair. This is it, Mitsuri thought, her heart sinking. I can’t dodge in time... I’m going to die.
She braced herself for the inevitable, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and regret. But just as the tendrils were about to reach her, a blur of motion intercepted them. A sharp crack echoed through the night as the tendrils disintegrated, and before Mitsuri could comprehend what had happened, she felt strong arms catch her.
Time seemed to stop.
Mitsuri found herself cradled in Alex’s arms, held securely in a flawless princess carry. His crimson eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight, and his expression was calm, almost amused, as though he had been expecting this all along. The chaos of the battle faded into the background; the roaring train, the writhing tendrils, Enmu’s taunts—it all disappeared in that single moment.
"Got you," Alex said softly, his voice steady and reassuring. His gaze met hers, and for a second, Mitsuri forgot to breathe.
Her heart pounded in her chest, not from fear or exertion, but from something entirely different. She could see the faint outline of his sharp jawline, the effortless confidence in his posture, and the way he carried her as if she weighed nothing. He’s so strong... so dependable.
Mitsuri felt her cheeks flush a deep red, her mind a whirl of emotions. Everything feels so slow... Why does this moment feel so... magical?
"Are you alright?" Alex asked, tilting his head slightly, concern flickering across his features.
"I—I’m fine!" Mitsuri stammered, her voice higher-pitched than usual. She clutched at her Nichirin Blade nervously, trying to steady herself. "Thank you, Alex. I thought... I thought I was done for."
Alex smiled faintly. "You were doing well up there, but you need to be more careful. Falling off a train mid-battle isn’t exactly ideal." His teasing tone made her blush even harder.
Before Mitsuri could respond, another tendril lashed toward them from the side. Alex’s eyes narrowed, and with a flick of his wrist, he conjured an invisible force that obliterated the appendage in an instant.
~~~
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