Multiverse Shenanigans: Raja's Journey

Daki vs Shinobu Kōchō & Kanao Tsuyuri

The streets of the Yoshiwara Red Light District were illuminated by the dim glow of lanterns, casting eerie shadows over the cobblestone roads. But the peaceful beauty of the district was shattered by the overwhelming presence of a powerful demon. Daki, the Upper Moon Six, hovered above the ground, her long black hair flowing behind her and her eyes gleaming with cruelty. Her ornate obi sashes danced around her like serpents, each one a deadly extension of her body, capable of slicing through anything with ease.

In front of her stood the graceful yet deadly Shinobu Kōchō, the Insect Hashira, with her ever-calm demeanor, and beside her, the determined Kanao Tsuyuri, her adoptive sister and the current Flower Hashira. Despite the danger, both women remained poised, their hands gripping their swords tightly, ready for the battle ahead.

Daki sneered at them, her voice dripping with disdain. "You really think you can take me down? You're nothing but weaklings compared to me, the Upper Moon Six!"

Shinobu smiled sweetly, her voice light but sharp. "We'll see about that. After all, it's not about strength… it's about precision."

Without warning, Daki's Blood Demon Art erupted, and her obi sashes shot forward, slicing through the air with deadly speed. "Eight-Layered Obi Slash!" The sashes, infused with demonic energy, moved like whips, tearing through everything in their path, aiming to decapitate both Hashira.

But Shinobu was already in motion. With a light leap, she evaded the first wave of attacks, her body moving as gracefully as a butterfly. "Insect Breathing, Butterfly Dance: Caprice!" She spun through the air, her blade glowing with a faint purple hue as she slashed through one of Daki's obi sashes, coating it in poison. Though Shinobu's sword lacked the power to decapitate a demon, her specialty lay in poison — a deadly concoction that could weaken and paralyze demons over time.

Kanao, with her sharp instincts, darted forward as well, her eyes focused and calm. "Flower Breathing, Third Form: Crimson Hanagoromo!" She twirled gracefully, her blade leaving a beautiful yet lethal arc in the air as she cut through Daki's sashes with pinpoint accuracy, avoiding their sharp edges while countering the attack.

Daki growled in frustration. "You pests! I'll tear you apart!" She unleashed her Blood Demon Art: Rotating Obi Slash, sending her sashes spinning wildly around her in every direction, making it impossible to get close.

Kanao's eyes flickered, calculating the movement of the sashes. "Shinobu-sama, we need to get close, but we'll need to synchronize our attacks," she said softly, her hand tightening on her blade.

Shinobu gave a small nod, her smile never faltering. "Leave that to me." With a burst of speed, Shinobu darted forward once more, her small frame making her difficult to target amidst the chaos of spinning sashes. She expertly dodged each one, her movements almost playful as she danced around Daki's attacks.

"Insect Breathing, Dance of the Dragonfly: Compound Eye Hexagon!" Shinobu struck in a blur, landing four precise thrusts into Daki's body. Each thrust injected her with a lethal dose of poison, specifically designed to weaken her regenerative abilities.

Daki hissed in pain, her movements slowing for a moment. "Poison? You think that will stop me?!"

At that moment, Kanao seized the opportunity. With a sharp breath, she focused all her strength. "Flower Breathing, Final Form: Equinoctial Vermilion Eye!" Her vision sharpened to an extreme degree, allowing her to predict the trajectory of Daki's movements. With flawless precision, Kanao weaved through the remaining sashes and closed in on Daki.

The two slayers moved in perfect synchronization. Shinobu kept applying her poison with swift strikes, weakening Daki, while Kanao, with her heightened reflexes, avoided Daki's retaliatory attacks with ease. Finally, Kanao saw her opening.

With a flash of steel, Kanao unleashed Flower Breathing, Second Form: Honorable Shadow Plum, a swift, spinning strike that cleaved through Daki's neck with deadly accuracy. At the same time, Shinobu's final thrust delivered a massive dose of poison directly into Daki's heart.

Daki's eyes widened in shock as her head flew from her body. "No… it can't be… I'm… too strong…"

As her body began to disintegrate, Kanao and Shinobu stood tall, their breathing labored but steady. But they both knew this was only half the battle.

Gyutaro vs Tengen Uzui & Giyū Tomioka

In another corner of the battlefield, the fight between Gyutaro, Daki's sadistic brother, and the two Hashira—Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira, and Giyū Tomioka, the Water Hashira—was unfolding with devastating intensity.

Gyutaro's body was a grotesque sight, covered in dark, decaying skin, with sickles embedded in his arms that gleamed with poisonous energy. His grin was unsettling, his sharp, bloodshot eyes filled with murderous glee as he swung his Blood Demon Art: Blood Sickles at the two Hashira.

Tengen Uzui, with his flamboyant presence, dodged Gyutaro's attacks with surprising elegance. "You're nothing but filth," he taunted, his twin blades glinting in the dim light. "But at least you'll give me a flashy death!"

Giyū, on the other hand, was silent, his calm demeanor contrasting with Tengen's boisterousness. He moved like a shadow, evading Gyutaro's attacks with precise, minimal movements. "Don't get careless," Giyū warned, his voice cold and measured.

Gyutaro cackled, his sickles spinning in a deadly arc. "You Hashira are always so full of yourselves! Let's see how you handle this—Blood Demon Art: Flying Blood Sickles!" Gyutaro unleashed a barrage of spinning sickles, each one infused with his poisonous blood, cutting through the air like deadly shrapnel.

Tengen's eyes narrowed as he calculated the rhythm of the attack. "Time for something flashy!" he shouted, leaping into the air. "Sound Breathing, Fifth Form: String Performance!" His twin blades rotated in sync, creating a vortex of sound and steel that deflected the incoming sickles with a loud, resonating clash.

While Tengen kept Gyutaro's sickles at bay, Giyū moved in for the counterattack. "Water Breathing, Third Form: Flowing Dance!" His movements were fluid and graceful, his sword slicing through the air like water as he closed the distance between himself and Gyutaro. His blade struck Gyutaro's arm, but the demon's regeneration was fast—too fast.

Gyutaro grinned wickedly, licking the blood from his lips. "You're fast, but not fast enough!"

Tengen landed beside Giyū, a smirk on his face. "He regenerates quickly, but he's sloppy. If we work together, we can finish this."

Giyū gave a slight nod. "Agreed."

Gyutaro let out a guttural laugh. "Work together? You're both dead!" With a furious swipe of his sickles, he aimed to sever their heads, but Tengen was ready.

"Sound Breathing, Fourth Form: Constant Resounding Slashes!" Tengen's blades whirled in a series of rapid strikes, creating shockwaves that disrupted Gyutaro's attacks and pushed him back.

"Now!" Tengen shouted.

Giyū didn't hesitate. He unleashed Water Breathing, Eleventh Form: Dead Calm, a technique that nullified all incoming attacks. The air around him seemed to freeze as he closed in on Gyutaro, his blade gleaming with lethal intent.

But Gyutaro wasn't finished yet. His blood sickles reappeared, spinning faster than before. "You're not getting away! Blood Demon Art: Rampant Arc Rampage!" The sickles shot out in all directions, creating a deadly dome of blades.

Tengen grinned. "You're flashy, I'll give you that." He raised his swords high. "But I'm flashier! Sound Breathing, First Form: Roar!" With a mighty swing, Tengen sent a deafening wave of sound crashing into Gyutaro's sickles, shattering them in mid-air.

As Gyutaro staggered from the sonic shockwave, Giyū struck. "Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!" His blade moved in a continuous, flowing motion, building momentum with each strike until it reached its peak.

With a final, powerful swing, Giyū's blade severed Gyutaro's head in one clean motion. Simultaneously, from across the battlefield, Daki's decapitated head hit the ground.

For the first time in centuries, both Upper Moon Six demons had been beheaded at the same time.

As their bodies disintegrated into ash, Tengen wiped the sweat from his brow and glanced