Chapter Text
Zenitsu looked back the moment he heard the spell being casted, seeing the trees turn into playing cards that fluttered in the air. He let out a shaky breath out of pure relief. They were okay. They were fine. His arms unwrapped around Ace as he set his hands on the other's shoulders. “Nngh?! What just-” Rosehearts let out, confused.
“Huh..? I'm still alive..?” Ace murmured, opening his eyes, head tucked against the blond's chest “…What's with all these playing cards?” he looked around, confused.
“Are you okay, Ace?” Zenitsu asked, looking at the red-eyed boy in concern. The redhead just nodded, still baffled.
“All the rose trees turned into cards?!” Deuce gasped. That, they did. And Zenitsu knew exactly the only person who could do this.
“Riddle, stop this right now!” Clover exclaimed, magic pen in hand and a frown on his face. His grip was shaky, but he looked no less determined. The blond felt his shoulders slump, seeing him use the spell again. The collar began to disappear, turning into playing cards as well, just like the rose trees.
“Wait, is that Trey's ‘Paint the Roses’?!” Diamond gasped “But... how?!”
“All the magic-sealin' collars are gone!” Grim gasped.
“That's because of how his Unique Magic operates! He can overwrite characteristics!” the blond said, standing back up to his feet.
“Exactly. Remember what I told you when we were baking the chestnut tarts? My magic can overwrite characteristics for a short time.” he explained “So I used it to make ‘Riddle's magic’ into ‘my magic’.” Zenitsu smiled. It looked like he was finally speaking out. And that was good.
“You can do that? That's some kinda loophole!” Diamond told him.
“N-no... Off with their heads! I SAID, off with their heads!” Rosehearts was waving his scepter, trying to cast a spell. And yet, nothing came out of it. The magestone glowed, but no magic came out of it. And yet, it was really dark. Darkened than Ace's or Deuce's. What was going on with it?
“Riddle, stop. Can't you see how you look right now?” Clover hissed at him, trying to keep steady eye contact as black liquid began to drip down the redhead's face. Zenitsu's eyes widened at that.
“He... He was really gonna do it!”
“He is completely out of control.”
“He's like some kinda monster!”
Whispers rang out throughout the area, fear and uneasiness settling in. Zenitsu focused on the cacophony of sounds that made up Rosehearts’ current melody. Outrage, disbelief, anger, a pinch of sadness- There was a wide variety of negativity that threw off Zenitsu, but the violent urge was a very obvious worry. His hand drifted, reaching for the handle of his katana. He could not have Rosehearts lunging at someone.
“What? Was my magic overwritten by yours?” the redhead gasped “Does that mean your signature spell is stronger than mine?!” he looked at Clover as if he were betraying him. Like if he had some sort of hope on him.
“Of course it doesn't!” the green-haired boy shook his head almost instantly “Riddle, take a deep breath and listen to us.” he pleaded.
“Are YOU going to tell me that I'm wrong too? After all I've done to protect the rule of law?!” Rosehearts didn’t listen “Do you know how much I've suffered for this?! I... I refuse to believe this!”
“Of course I know, Riddle!”
“Cease immediately, Mr. Rosehearts!” Crowley called “Any further attempt to use magic will leave your magestone completely tainted with blot!” That did not good. It did not sound good at all. Was that the substance dripping down his face?
“But... I'm right! I'M the one who's right! There is NO! POSSIBLE! ALTERNATIVE!” he shrieked, hands reaching to grasp and pull at his hair.
“Riddle, stop!” Clover cried out. Rosehearts let out a pained gasp, eyes widening as the blot continued to roll down his face. He sounded… He sounded in pain. His scepter- The weird liquid began to flow from the magestone before bursting out, splattering all over while the redhead let go of it. It clattered against the ground as a strange, black mist began to rise up.
Rosehearts was heaving, as if trying to comprehend what was going on. He curled up on himself slightly for a moment before he threw his head back and let out an agonizing scream of pain that made Zenitsu recoil in sheer terror. The mist began to cover him completely while the strange liquid began to surround him, as if trying to drown him in it.
“NO, RIDDLE!” Clover screamed in utter horror. The familiar words Off With Their Heads began to echo around the blond's ears only as the redhead was covered in the liquid before it dissipated, leaving behind a paler self. He had completely changed, with his arms being splattered with that strange substance. His neck had a strange tattoo on the skin, and so did his face. And then his attire was different. More torn, more strange, stained with the substance, and with a lot of… really weird motifs, too.
“Did his whole body just change?!” Deuce questioned in disbelief.
“Heh heh heh... AH HA HA HA!” his voice had become distorted, his fingers slowly dragging themselves down his face and cupping it. Suddenly, the image of Tanjiro as a demon flickered right in front of Zenitsu's eyes. He let out a ragged gasp. He quickly shook his head, slapping both of his cheeks. The stinging sensation was enough to bring him back to reality.
“What… What is…” Ace gasped, unable to get back up.
“You are fools to defy me! You are not welcome in my world. In my world, I am the law. I am order made manifest!” Rosehearts exclaimed “The only response I will accept from you is ‘Yes, Housewarden Riddle’. All who defy me will lose their heads! Ah ha ha ha ha!” he laughed like a maniac.
“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Grim screeched out of fear, curling further into Kanao's arms out of fear. His sister cradled him closer, eye wide and brows furrowed.
“What kind of magic lets you do that?!” Deuce found himself questioning out loud, head turned towards both of the juniors in the area. But Diamond and Clover… They looked utterly horrified.
“Aaah… What an incredible feeling!” the redheaded boy let out in utter ecstasy, creeping Zenitsu out “The power welling up inside of me is irresistible!” he said as he slowly floated down, landing down on the floor with such an unnatural grace, he almost looked like he wasn't human. Zenitsu felt goosebumps running down his skin.
“R-Riddle??” Clover called out hesitantly, staring at the redhead in disbelief.
“Trey. Will you still try to stop me?” the short boy asked “Such a shame… Your Queen will have ORDER IN THE COURT!” a puddle of black began to form on the floor, right around him. The ground began to shake at his words.
“Step back, no one get close to him!” Crowley warned. Zenitsu didn’t need to be told twice. The blond reacted almost instantly, grabbing both Heartslabyul students by the sleeve of their respective uniforms and dragging them back with him just as a monstrous hand shot out from the black puddle, slamming itself down onto the floor.
He turned his head and watched in utter disbelief as a monster began to rise up from the puddle while his housewarden laughed maniacally. “That- That looks like the monster from the mines!” Kanao exclaimed. This one, however, held a very eerie resemblance to the Queen of Hearts in attire. The only different was the heart-shaped glass head, and the tree filled with stained roses it was sporting on one hand.
“WHAT THE HECK EVEN IS THAT THING?!” Grim screeched.
“It is a monster born from Mr. Rosehearts’ blot.” the Headmage grimly spoke, head tipped down in what Deuce could only describe was shame “Dear me, what have I done? How could I have not foreseen this? I've allowed a student to overblot in my presence!” he lamented.
“Allowed to what?!” Zenitsu asked.
“Overblot is a dangerous condition that mages must avoid at all costs. All magic leaves behind residue of negative energy known as ‘blot’. A magestone serves to collect and process it as it accumulates.” he explained “If magic is used in excess, however, they will reach their capacity and rupture. At the moment, he is overcome by negative energy, and has lost control of his magic and emotions because of the blot corroding and overflowing him. That is overblot.” Zenitsu looked back at his fellow housewarden, who had a manic smile on his face. He felt a shudder run down his spine.
“My dears… Off with all your heads.” he grinned. He had said that so softly, and maybe that made him scarier.
“Okay, sure... but what does that mean?” Grim asked from Kanao’s arms after the Headmage finished explaining what an overblot was.
“Please explain!” Deuce nodded.
“To put it in layman's terms, he's in evil berserker mode!” Diamond told them.
“If he keeps releasing magical energy, we could be looking at a loss of life here - his included.” Clover added. Zenitsu's face paled at that. Rosehearts could die. He could die from this. The blond didn’t want that!
“Uh, WHAT?!”
“The well-being of my students is my top priority. Therefore, I must evacuate them immediately.” the Headmage nodded “As for Mr. Rosehearts, we must restore his consciousness before his magical energy runs dry. For as bad as losing him would be, there are scenarios that are far worse…” he trailed off.
“Kanao-chan and I can hold him off while you get the staff, Crowley-san.” Zenitsu suggested.
“What?! Zen-chan, are you insane?!” Diamond hissed “An Overblot is no joke!”
“No. Listen well: I need all of you to seek help from the other housewardens and members of the faculty-”
“ORDER IN THE COURT!” suddenly, the monster raised its rose tree before slamming it on the floor. The ground began to crack and shake as the earth moved, a ground attack. Zenitsu gasped, quickly pulling Ace and Deuce behind him as the Headmage put up a shield to stop the attack. A gust of wind that came from the contact the attack made with the shield was strong. When the shield came down, once the attack had stopped, Zenitsu couldn't help but gape at the damage. The floor was completely cracked, basically destroyed. Just like how the floor would be left after he used Thunder Breathing.
“He ruptured the ground?!” Diamond whispered in disbelief.
“In just one strike..!” Deuce breathed out, utterly shocked.
“That’s insane! Just how strong can a mage in Overblot be?!” Ace questioned.
“Rosehearts was already strong in base form…” Kanao whispered “Is this what it looks like when he pushes past his limits?”
“You shall henceforth only refer to me as Lord Riddle. And should you all instead defy me… THEN OFF WITH YOUR HEADS IT SHALL BE!” Rosehearts broke into a maniacal laughter at his own words, as if he found them amusing. Zenitsu didn’t. He looked at Kanao, who looked back at him.
“All out?” he signed. She nodded. Good.
“RIDDLE! YOU’VE GOT TO STOP-”
“I AM THE ONE WHO GIVES THE ORDERS!” the Housewarden shouted at Clover, who flinched. The monster raised its hands, which caused the pool of blot below him to begin bubbling. Slowly, rose trees began to rise.
“Come on, more trees?!” Ace complained out of sheer horror as the blond got into position.
“Now, BOW! BOW BEFORE YOUR QUEEN!” the Headmage quickly put up shields to try and stop the trees, but he couldn’t stop all of them. And that was clear. Zenitsu exhaled.
“Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Sixfold!”
Trey let out a yelp as he felt a gust of wind hit his face. He winced, taking a step back to close his eyes. When he reopened his eyes, he felt his jaw drop as Agatsuma sliced through the blot trees, thunder striking each and every single one of them and turning them into ash. “What?!” the green-haired boy gasped.
“ZEN-CHAN?!” Cater shrieked as the blond flipped into the air, his coat fluttering. And that was when Trey noticed the sheath attached to the blond’s belt.
“You fool! What do you think you're doing?!” Riddle exclaimed. Agatsuma descended with ease, landing on one knee. He got up slowly.
“Doing my job, and taking accountability for this.” he replied “Everyone who can move, evacuate! This is a danger zone, and it is not safe for you to remain! Help the injured get out of here!” he ordered, dodging another one of those powerful earth attacks by jumping high up into the air and landing onto the hedge, nearly losing his balance due to the surface he landed on.
“Right!” Aster replied “Basil, get the freshmen, I got the second years and third years!”
“Of course!” Basil nodded, picking up a few first years “Come on, get moving!”
“Mr. Agatsuma!-”
“He knows what he’s doing.” Tsuyuri said as she stepped forward “Crowley-san, please trust us. You know what we can do.” she looked at him with a determined look. The Headmage hesitated, lips forming a thin line.
“I cannot let you both fight him on your own.” he told them.
“Myah! Are you forgettin’ me?!” Grim chimed up, jumping on the girl’s shoulder “I’m here too! Wherever my henchmen go, I’ll follow and protect them! The Great Grim’s gonna make sure that we win!”
“And we’re here, too!” Deuce immediately stepped forward, Ace nodding along with him “We can back-up Zenitsu and Kanao! We did it before with the mines!”
“The what now?!” Trey and Cater both let out.
“It’s dangerous-”
“Do you want Rosehearts to die?!” Tsuyuri snapped at him “Because we don’t!”
“He has a lot to apologize for! Not just to us, but to all of the dorm!” Deuce stated, fist clenched in determination “I won’t let him die!”
“Yeah! I'm not givin' up till I hear him say ‘I was wrong and I'm sorry’ to us, and to Zenitsu and Kanao especially!” Ace parroted, hands on his hips “So whether or not ya like it, we’re going in!”
“Are you S-R-S?!” Cater questioned “You cannot beat Riddle!”
“So what, you're not even gonna fight unless you KNOW you can win?” Ace asked with a scowl “We don’t know how long reinforcements will take! You want him to die?!” Trey took a deep breath, his own hands trembling. All the good times, he, Che’nya and Riddle had as kids. All the smiles and laughter. All of that just before it was ripped away from them all by Riddle’s mother. His parents, apologizing to that damned woman while Riddle was clutching her coat, tearing up and apologizing. He had to make up for it.
“All right, let's do this. I can overwrite his magic for a little longer.” he told them, stepping forward “In the meantime, do what you can! Headmage, please evacuate the other students!” he pleaded.
“Clover… Thank you, senpai.” Tsuyuri smiled, giving him an encouraging pat on the back before nodding “Keep the sealing magic locked down. That way, we can have more man power on our hands.”
“Trey…” Cater whispered, reaching to grasp his hand “Really, none of us can beat Riddle. Especially not like this.”
“I know! But I can’t back down, not from this!” he exclaimed and turned to look at his fellow junior, his eyes stinging “Ace said it himself. It’s pathetic that I’m not going to fight unless I know I can win. And I…” he exhaled shakily “I don't want to lose him. There're too many things I've left unsaid. I’ve got to apologize for so much…” Cater’s gaze softened despite his wide eyes. His lips formed a thin line.
“Unless you have a better idea, this is the only way we can think of to snap him out of this!” Deuce nodded.
“Ugh, the things I do for you, Trey-Trey! I do NOT like or subscribe to this, but fine! I’m staying, too!” Cater exclaimed, taking out his magic pen. Trey felt relieved, having his fellow junior by his side was good.
“Thank you…” he whispered with a small smile.
“Ngh... I'll be back as soon as I've gotten the students to safety. Stand firm until then!” with that, the Headmage turned around, helping some students out of the garden. Trey let out a shaky breath, looking straight at Riddle. He looked utterly enraged.
“Such defiance, from every last one of you! I shall take all of your heads!” he roared, raising his hand up. From the pool of blot, arrows began to rise, all of the tips shaped like the different suits of cards.
“Riddle's body can't take much more of this. We need to stop him before it's too late!”
“Be careful with the arrows!” Tsuyuri advised “Ace, Grim, duo!”
“Got it!” they both nodded as the arrows all charged towards them. A flick of the wrist created a wind wall, and Grim provided a blue inferno that created a violent wall of fire that shielded them. The arrows flew into the fire, burning away into ashes.
“Woah, nice, you two!” Cater smiled the moment the wall disappeared.
“You dare challenge your lord?!” Riddle laughed, more arrows appearing.
“Dodge!” Agatsuma shouted from his spot as the barrage began to rain down upon them. The duo of magicless students moved like if they were in their element, using their swords to deflect the arrows coming towards them and Grim. Ace and Deuce, although both of their moves were more stiff, they were dodging well, too. Just like back in the duel. Trey was glad for that, even as an arrow grazed his cheek. He groaned, seeing the blot corrode his skin and a small, thin trail of blood began to roll down. Shit.
“GYAH! HELP!” he looked around, seeing Grim completely pinned by the arrows. His eyes widened, seeing the blot corrode the fabric of the creature’s bow.
“Grim!” Tsuyuri gasped.
“I got it! Paint the Roses!” he used his Unique Magic to overwrite the blot and turn it into clay that cracked and shattered. Grim let out a relieved breath.
“Thanks, specs! Your magic’s really helpful!” he let out as he got up.
“Treeeey…!” he looked back to Riddle, seeing his enraged expression. The taller felt a shudder down his spine.
“Confound it all! Still you dare to oppose me?!” the monster raised his rose tree into the air. Trey’s eyes widened.
“WATCH OUT!” he warned as the ground-rupturing attack came back with a vengeance. He and Cater jumped back, creating a shield at the same time that seemed to absorb one another and create a bigger one to try and protect the freshmen and themselves. And yet, one simple contact, and the shield broke.
“GAH!”
“UGH!”
“Guys!” both Agatsuma and Tsuyuri cried out at the same time as Trey felt something cut at his arm. He groaned, looking up. His eyes widened.
“DEUCE!” Ace screamed. The boy was on the ground, bruised and dirtied. He blinked, confused, unaware of the arrow heading his way.
“NO!” Tsuyuri screamed as Trey attempted to get up, his limbs aching. But then, everything froze. Because Cater had ran in and shielded Deuce with his body.
“CATER!”
Zenitsu’s eyes widened as he stared in horror. Diamond’s body crumpled and toppled over, Deuce catching him before he could fully fall to the ground. The arrow was lodged deep in his stomach, and for a moment, the blond saw Rengoku-sama.
“Cater! Cater!” Deuce let out in horror, a small twinge of guilt beginning to show in his face “Hang in there! Please!”
“N-Nah… I’ll be fine… You keep fighting, ‘kay..?” he smiled before his face tilted down. The blond felt his blood run cold, eyes widening.
“Cater! No! No, please!-” the boy cried out before Diamond was enveloped in a bright light and poofed out into playing cards. Deuce looked utterly befuddled, and so was Zenitsu, but that was before he realized it. Diamond’s Unique Magic.
“Wha..?”
“You silly! I’ve been here the whole time.” Diamond smiled as he poked the other’s cheek, with more of his clones appearing.
“Ah- Split Card!” he gasped, just now realizing it as well.
“You freshies sit back and recover for now, mkay? That goes for Zen-chan and Kana-chan as well!” he smiled “Cay-Cay gang gang, let’s roll!” he ordered.
“Aye aye!” Rosehearts looked even more angry, and Zenitsu didn’t know that was possible. More arrows came out of the pool of blot. They were never ending. But the more he used, the head was filling up more. He frowned.
“That has to be a limiter for how long he can stay in that form, right?” he looked at Kanao, who nodded. Zenitsu wondered if the monster in the mine had been a result of what happened to Overblot victims if they're not saved in time. If that was the case, then they could not let this go on for long.
“Cater!” Clover called. The green-eyed senior nodded.
“You ready, Trey?”
“Sure am. I’ll back you up.” Clover used his Unique Magic to turn the blot from the arrows into something else, and Diamond and his clones were using magic spells to destroy them, moving in tandem. No matter how many arrows were thrown at them, they were countering the attacks like nothing. It really showed how strong they were as juniors. Regardless of Zenitsu’s feelings towards them, he could not deny their strength.
“That’s the perfect strategy!” Deuce beamed.
“Let’s go in!” Ace told him. With that, both Heartslabyul students ran in to attack as well.
“I am absolutely, positively right - beyond any possible shadow of a doubt! I have to be! Otherwise…” Zenitsu felt his breath hitch “WHAT WAS ANY OF IT FOR?!”
“BE CAREFUL!” With that horrendous screech that came from Rosehearts, the pool of blot suddenly burst out like a fountain, trees with roses on them appearing again. Nobody had any time to react before they slammed the ground, causing it shake, before they were headed directly for the students.
“OH FUCK-”
“You can learn a lot of things from the flowers, for especially in the month of June! All in the Golden Afternoon!”
Zenitsu had closed his eyes and brought his sister close, ready to shield her. But nothing came. When he opened his eyes again, he let out a gasp. A ghostly figure had appeared, one he knew well. With black hair tied into a flat bun and held together by a butterfly hairclip, with a dark purple Demon Slayer Corps uniform, and with the kyahan that had the same butterfly pattern as the haori that should be blanketing her. “No way…” he gasped.
“Myah! Not another ghost!” Grim let out, scared.
“…N-Nee-san..?” Kanao whispered, eye wide. She didn’t look at them at all, and it was obvious why. She was struggling to keep the blot rose tree from hitting them. Zenitsu quickly reacted, rolling to the side with Kanao to avoid getting hit. Once they were out of the way, the ghost let go. The tree went through her spectral body, not hitting her at all, and instead hitting the floor.
“A-Aster!” Ace gasped. Zenitsu turned his head. Right around Ace and Deuce stood a barrier of thorny vines decorated by asters, enveloping them and covering all of them to ensure nothing would happen.
“Goldnoon-senpai..!” Kaano gasped. The older brother's arms had become vine-like, and he had slammed them on the ground. He had formed the barrier. That had to be his Unique Magic.
“I apologize… I could not get to Trey Clover and Cater Diamond…” he heaved, sweat rolling down his face. He looked exhausted. He must have been running around a lot to try and get people to safety.
“It's alright!” Ace assured as the barrier went down, and the older Goldnoon's arms went back to normal.
“Where are the upperclassmen?!” Deuce questioned, looking around. Zenitsu searched for their sounds, trying to focus. But then, he saw Kocho-sama pointing forward. Her irregular sounds were a cacophony of concern. So that was not good. He turned his head, eyes widening.
Thorny tendrils made out of blot held Clover by the throat, grip tight. The boy was desperately gasping for air, his free hand clawing at the tendrils and his legs kicking the air. Diamond' was unconscious on the floor, his arms were bleeding, the sleeves of his uniform completely torn and stained with both blood and blot. Zenitsu paled. The sight made him sick.
“Oh fuck..!” Ace whispered.
“Trey! Cater!” Deuce tried to go in, but the redheaded freshman stopped him from doing something rash.
“Sevens..! If only my reach was further!” Goldnoon cursed under his breath.
“Myah..! Specs’ not lookin’ good..!” Grim murmured. Zenitsu exhaled, quickly steeling himself.
“Kanao-chan, get Diamond-senpai!” he told her as he slid his leg back.
“Right!” she nodded, taking a few steps back.
“Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Godspeed!”
He roared as thunder struck the moment he moved. He aimed at the tendril, slicing it clean off. He reached and grabbed Clover’s hand, pulling him with and wrapping his arms around him once his blade was sheathed, carrying him in his arms as he quickly ran back, dashing back to the group. He slid back as Clover began coughing, the air being too much for him.
“Trey..!” Goldnoon gasped as he ran over while Zenitsu set the other down. The white-haired boy knelt down by his fellow third-year, while Kanao gently set Diamond down on the floor next to them.
“Please look after them.” she whispered. The third year nodded almost instantly, gently cradling Clover against him. With that, Zenitsu turned around.
“I have a plan.” Kanao told him as she stepped forward, unsheathing her katana “I just need you to distract him.” Kocho-sama hovered next to her, already imitating a position of hers that Kanao followed instantly. Zenitsu nodded.
“I trust you.” with that, he stepped forward, unsheathing his own katana. Rosehearts looked annoyed.
“Are you here to offer your head?” he scowled.
“No. I'm here to save you, and make sure you don't lose your way again.” Zenitsu told him, as he began approaching slowly. The overblotted boy growled, raising his hand. More arrows and tendrils rose from the pool of blot. The blond gripped his katana, swinging the blade. He cut through the tendrils and blocked the arrows from hitting him, not stopping his advances.
“What?!”
“…I got your back, Zenitsu!” Ace yelled as he used magic. A wind gust trapped a bunch of arrows that were headed towards him in a tornado as a way to protect him, keeping them still before a large cauldron dropped on them.
“Nice work, Juice! You wanna go again?!” Ace grinned.
“You bet I do!” Deuce nodded. Zenitsu continued his approach as more arrows lunged, but they were burnt away with Grim's hellish flames. The blazes created a circle around the blond and the redhead as he continued walking, his expression filled with nothing but determination.
“I don't know what you fully went through. I may never know.” the blond spoke “Your experiences and mine are different. But you can still change.”
“WHY DO YOU REFUSE TO OBEY ME,” Rosehearts roared as a sword similar to the ones the card soldiers sported in his and Kanao's dreams formed in his hand, made entirely of blot “WHEN BOWING YOUR HEADS WILL ONLY BENEFIT YOU?!” Zenitsu remained steady, the desperation in the other's voice evident to him. The second-year roared, running at him and swinging the blade clumsily. The blond easily parried the strike, pushing him back. Rosehearts swung again, Zenitsu blocking it.
“I've never been good at following orders,” he side-stepped with ease, dodging a swing “always getting yelled at for the minimum mistake,” he blocked a swing “and just getting in trouble a lot. Because I wanted someone to love me. You're the same, right?” he pushed Rosehearts back, seeing his eyes widening slightly. Ah. He struck a chord.
“You followed the rules, because you wanted to make your mother proud. Breaking them terrified you after what happened.”
“Stop..!”
“I know that experience. Doing what makes people happy in order for you to receive love.”
“Stop talking!”
“But that's not right. Because you became exactly like her, and instead are dishing exactly what she engraved in your memory as a child. And it doesn’t work for everyone!’
“STOP!”
“That's why!” Zenitsu swung his blade, cutting Rosehearts’ weapon in two “We’re going to set you down the right path again, and save you! We won't let you die!”
“Insect Breathing, Dance of the Dragonfly: Compound-Eye Hexagon!”
Kanao struck the glass head with several thrusts, supported by Kocho-sama's ghost. The glass surface shattered entirely, blot bursting out and cascading down upon Zenitsu and Rosehearts themselves. The boy's eyes rolled back, body slowly falling forwards. Zenitsu reached out, arms wrapping around him to keep him steady as the blond slowly sank down to his knees, slowly laying down the boy while the monster began to writhe and moan erratically, very obviously in pain. Zenitsu watched the monster with half-lidded eyes, an exhaustion he didn’t know he was feeling settling in his bones.
The last thing he saw before he closed his eyes was Kanao's choker with the magestone glowing, and she also closing her eyes and collapsing.