The skies over Osaka turned red as if the heavens themselves were bleeding. Smoke and ash painted the city like a graveyard frozen in time. Buildings lay shattered, and the scent of death hung in the air like a thick fog.
Back in Tokyo, Kenta turned to Suzune with urgency burning in his eyes.
"Sahiru's away… in the far north. He's handling a separate mission," he said. "You'll have to go without him. Something unnatural is happening in Osaka."
Suzune's brow furrowed. "What kind of unnatural?"
"Demons—more than we've ever seen. But not just that. The sky's changed… the birds have fled. The scouts we sent haven't returned. I've asked Osaka Corps to send reinforcements. You'll go with them."
She nodded firmly, already gripping her parasol.
Hours later…
Suzune stood among thirty Demon Slayers, half from Tokyo, half from Osaka. The moment they arrived… silence.
Carnage.
Osaka's streets were painted in blood. Slain civilians, crushed rooftops, and eviscerated soldiers lined the cracked roads. Fires flickered against the blackened skies. It wasn't a battlefield—it was a mass grave in progress.
And then—
They appeared.
Like gods descending from the pit of hell, six figures stood tall on the scorched street.
The Eclipse Moons.
Getsugan, hooded and still, with glowing golden eyes. His staff hovered, and the air warped around it.
Kurozora, monstrous and massive, flexing as his four burning eyes scanned the corpses hungrily.
Yakusha, wild and cracked with energy, grinning like a madman.
Kuragami, skeletal and grinning with his rusted scythe already dripping with blood.
Shizume, poised and graceful, watching Suzune like a spider waiting for the final twitch.
Zankuro, flames roaring at his feet, his bloodstained teeth bared.
Behind them stood a horde—a demon army of one hundred.
The thirty slayers charged, roaring with fury and resolve.
They were slaughtered.
Torn apart, burned alive, shattered by power they couldn't comprehend.
Within minutes, Suzune stood alone, panting, her kimono torn, blade trembling in her hands.
"No..." she whispered, tears building. "All of them...?"
The Eclipse Moons stepped forward in unison, towering above her like a wall of death.
Shizume tilted her head, smiling cruelly. "You must be the girl he trained."
Suzune's breathing sharpened. Her eyes burned with grief and fury.
"You'll have to kill me too…"
She stepped forward, drawing in a deep breath.
Mystic Breathing – Third Form: Crimson Cascade.
Ribbons of red and pink light danced around her as she charged—alone against six.
Meanwhile…
Far to the north, Sahiru paused mid-strike.
His blade stopped inches from a demon's throat. His breath hitched.
"Suzune…?"
His heart pounded.
He turned.
The wind shifted.
He ran.
He didn't even look back.
"I'm coming."
But it would take five… maybe six hours.
And everything now…
depended on her.