Kyoku unleashed a small tornado, its fierce winds roaring as it whipped around the holding cells. The swirling vortex spiraled upward, crashing against the roof with a deafening clamor. Mitsuri and Iguro stood firm, their swords gleaming under the dim light, ready for whatever came next. Nearby, the remaining escorts frantically tried to break through the cell doors, desperation etched on their faces.

The tornado's chaotic winds caught the metal cell door Mitsuri had previously hurled at Kyoku. The door spun violently within the vortex, its sharp edges flashing dangerously as it was flung back toward Mitsuri and Iguro.

With swift reflexes, Mitsuri leaped gracefully over the airborne door, her movements fluid and controlled, eyes locked on Kyoku without a hint of fear. Simultaneously, Iguro's blade flashed through the air, slicing the door in half with precise strikes. The two halves clattered to the ground harmlessly as he resumed his defensive stance.

The tornado raged on, its relentless pull threatening to drag the fighters into its center. Mitsuri and Iguro braced themselves, their focus unyielding as they navigated the treacherous winds.

Mitsuri tightened her grip on her sword, sweeping it in a wide arc. The attack forced Kyoku out of his hiding place behind the wall. Startled, he leaped away, clinging to the stone with his sharp nails like a spider. His muscles tensed as he hung there, claws dug deep into the rock.

Without missing a beat, Mitsuri retracted her sword, the blade gleaming as it returned to a defensive position. The motion disrupted Kyoku's balance, causing him to lose his grip and plummet to the ground with a startled cry.

Kyoku landed hard but quickly regained his footing, his eyes narrowing with fury. A sneer twisted his lips as he prepared to strike again.

Mitsuri and Iguro remained poised, their senses on high alert. Mitsuri's sword glistened ominously in the dim light, ready to counter any move. Iguro, with eyes sharp and calculating, stood beside her, his blade at the ready.

With a growl, Kyoku's aura flared with dark energy. He summoned a more concentrated and powerful vortex at his feet. The swirling winds coiled around him, allowing him to dodge Mitsuri's relentless attacks with alarming agility.

Then, with a sudden motion, Kyoku created a second vortex in his arm, its power surging violently. He swung his fist, directing a powerful gust of wind toward Mitsuri and Iguro. The blast struck them with tremendous force, sending them crashing into a nearby wall. The impact shattered the wall, debris exploding outward as they were hurled through the air and into the forest beyond.

Mitsuri and Iguro tumbled through the dense undergrowth, their bodies battered and bruised. They struggled to regain their bearings as they crashed through the trees, the forest floor meeting them with a painful thud.

Disoriented but determined, Iguro pushed himself up, brushing debris from his armor. He glanced at Mitsuri, who was already on her feet, her expression fierce despite the pain.

"We can't let him get away," Iguro said, his voice strained but resolute. Mitsuri nodded, checking her sword to ensure it was still intact, then prepared to rejoin the fight.

They navigated through the tangled undergrowth, every sense on high alert for any sign of Kyoku. The forest was dense and shadowy, but their resolve was unwavering. They knew Kyoku's mastery over wind could give him an advantage, but they were determined to overcome it.

As they approached a clearing, they spotted Kyoku standing in the center, his dark aura swirling around him. He was preparing for his next attack, his gaze fixed on the two demon slayers with a menacing glare.

Iguro drew his blade and positioned himself strategically. "Let's focus on disrupting his vortexes and closing the distance. Once we're close enough, we can take him down." Mitsuri nodded, her grip tightening on her sword.

With renewed determination, Mitsuri and Iguro charged forward. Kyoku's eyes narrowed as they approached, and he began to summon another vortex. But this time, Mitsuri and Iguro were ready. Using their agility and teamwork, they closed the gap, moving as one to confront the demon.

"You should have run when you had the chance. But even if you did, I would still kill you," Kyoku taunted, his voice echoing ominously as two small tornadoes formed around his feet, lifting him off the ground.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Iguro shouted, leaping back just in time to dodge a massive rock hurled by Kyoku's vortex.

Mitsuri, unfazed, launched her sword with precision. The blade sliced through the boulder Kyoku had thrown, and she used its split halves as cover. With a powerful leap, she closed the distance between her and Kyoku, aiming directly at him.

As her sword neared, it was abruptly redirected by the vortex around Kyoku's feet, wrapping around his leg instead of striking him directly.

Kyoku's eyes widened in shock as the vortex inadvertently aided Mitsuri. Before he could react, Mitsuri's blade sliced through his leg with a decisive cut. The sudden loss of balance caused Kyoku to crash violently to the ground, his vortexes sputtering and dissipating.

Wincing in pain, Kyoku struggled to regain his composure, but the damage was done. Mitsuri and Iguro, seizing the opportunity, closed in. The battle was far from over, but the tide had shifted in their favor.

Panicking, Kyoku summoned small vortices around his uninjured limbs, propelling himself backward. The sudden burst of wind sent him crashing into Iguro, knocking the Hashira to the ground. As Kyoku was propelled into the air, he tried to regain control of his spiraling vortexes.

Kyoku launched himself into the forest, hoping to buy enough time for his leg to regenerate. The trees blurred by him as he sped away, mind racing with strategies for escape.

But his hopes were dashed when a familiar white snake with reddish-pink eyes, Kaburamaru, launched from the trees. The serpent bit into his leg, its fangs sinking deep. Kyoku's face contorted in agony, his scream echoing through the forest. The pain was so intense that the vortexes swirling around his limbs dispersed, causing him to plummet to the ground.

Kyoku lay there, seething in pain and struggling to move. The sight of Mitsuri and Iguro emerging from the treeline filled him with dread; he knew his time was running out.

In a desperate bid, Kyoku lifted his arm, his claws glinting in the moonlight. "You wretched snake! How dare you—" His words were cut short as Mitsuri's blade coiled around his neck, silencing him.

Kyoku's eyes widened in terror. 'No... No, this can't be how I die!' His gaze locked onto Kaburamaru's unyielding eyes, his thoughts frantic. 'I don't want the last thing I see to be this snake!'

Mitsuri's blade cleaved through Kyoku's neck with a swift, fluid motion, sending his head spinning through the air in a ghastly arc. Before it could hit the ground, Iguro sprang into action, slicing the severed head into multiple pieces. The fragments dissolved into ash mid-air, disintegrating into nothingness before they reached the forest floor.

A heavy silence settled over the clearing, the once-roaring battle now replaced by an eerie stillness. Mitsuri and Iguro stood amidst the remnants of their fight, their breaths labored but triumphant. They had won, but the cost of the battle—the shadows of their struggles—remained etched in their minds and on the scarred earth around them.

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- Back with Sasori -

Sasori turned his back on Azura, walking over to where his sword lay embedded in the ground. As he grasped the hilt and pulled the blade free, he heard the faint sound of Azura's body dissolving into ash. Just as he was about to sheath his weapon, an unexpected explosion of sound waves erupted from where Azura had stood, each pulse radiating outward in chaotic directions.

The shock of the attack jolted Sasori into action. Moving with the fluid grace of a seasoned warrior, he deftly dodged the first wave as it swept past him. A sharp, piercing tone, reminiscent of a woman’s scream, resonated within the wave—a haunting melody that struck at his core, though the words were indistinguishable amidst the cacophony.

Regaining his footing, Sasori noticed more sound waves emanating from Azura's remains, rippling outward like shockwaves from a bomb. Each wave moved unpredictably, scattering across the clearing in erratic patterns. Sasori stayed alert, weaving through the blasts with precise movements, narrowly avoiding their chaotic paths.

What struck Sasori as odd was that each wave carried a different voice. Some were high-pitched screams of terror, filled with fear and desperation, while others were deep, booming shouts—commands or pleas for mercy. The overlapping voices formed a chaotic symphony that echoed through the forest, making it nearly impossible for Sasori to distinguish any individual words.

He paused, trying to make sense of the auditory chaos. It was as if countless people were trapped within the sound waves, each voice capturing a fragment of a story—a moment of agony or a desperate cry for help. The forest seemed to amplify the voices, their echoes bouncing off the trees and reverberating in the still night air.

Sasori's eyes narrowed as he focused intently, his mind racing to understand what he was hearing. Were these the voices of Azura's victims? Had she somehow absorbed their final moments, releasing them in a chaotic burst upon her death?

Whatever the case, Sasori knew he couldn’t afford to be distracted by the haunting sounds. He steadied himself, pushing the eerie chorus to the back of his mind. There was still a mission to complete, and the mystery of the voices would have to wait.

Sasori moved forward, leaving the chaotic echoes behind, but the disembodied voices lingered in his thoughts—a haunting reminder of the strange and dangerous world he now found himself navigating.

- Mitsuri and Iguro -

MITSURI RAISED HER HAND FOR A HIGH-FIVE, HER FACE LIGHTING UP WITH A TIRED BUT TRIUMPHANT SMILE. IGURO, CATCHING HIS BREATH, MET HER HAND WITH A SOLID SLAP, THE SOUND ECHOING THROUGH THE NOW-QUIET FOREST—A SMALL SYMBOL OF THEIR HARD-FOUGHT VICTORY.

"Nice work, Mitsuri," Iguro said, his voice heavy with exhaustion but tinged with pride. Kaburamaru slithered back up to Iguro's shoulder, coiling around his neck. The white snake regarded Mitsuri with what seemed like a nod of approval.

Mitsuri let out a relieved sigh, glancing around the battle-scarred clearing. The ground was littered with debris, and the trees bore deep scars from the fierce combat. The scent of blood and ash lingered in the air, a stark reminder of the danger they had just faced.

"What do we do now?" Iguro asked, looking around. Mitsuri shrugged, unable to speak. "Right. You still can’t talk," Iguro muttered, scanning their surroundings. "Let's meet up with Sasori aga—"

Iguro's sentence was abruptly cut off. A sudden force hit him like a physical blow—a sound wave that seemed to come out of nowhere. Though the impact wasn't strong enough to knock him down, it was enough to send a violent tremor through his head. Almost instantly, he collapsed to the ground, clutching his ears and screaming in agony as blood began to trickle from them. The shrill, high-pitched noise resonated in his skull, amplifying the pain with each passing second.

Mitsuri’s eyes widened in panic. Ran to his side. As she reached out to grab him, another sound wave slammed into her with even greater force. For a moment, everything went silent in her head. Then, suddenly, she felt a surge of something breaking free within her.

The shock of the impact jolted her vocal cords, and the silence that had gripped her since the battle began was shattered. Her voice, raw and desperate, burst forth from her throat as if it had been trapped for far too long.

Her scream was loud and unrestrained, the sudden return of her voice filled with both pain and relief. It echoed through the trees, a sound so piercing and intense that it seemed to cut through the very air around them. The sound wave had somehow restored her voice, but the return came with agony, her throat burning as if the pent-up scream had scorched her vocal cords.

Iguro, still reeling from the pain in his ears, managed to look up at Mitsuri. Even through the haze of his own agony, he could see the shock and confusion on her face. "Mitsuri… you’re… screaming…" he gasped, clutching his ears tighter as the pain pulsed through his head.

Realizing what had happened, Mitsuri tried to speak again, her voice coming out hoarse but audible. "I… I got my voice back," she whispered, her hand trembling as she touched her throat in disbelief. But there was no time to celebrate. The disorienting pain from the sound waves continued to ripple through them, threatening to knock them down again.

“We have to… move!” Mitsuri rasped, her voice cracking with the effort. She grabbed Iguro's arm, pulling him up with what little strength she had left. They needed to get away from this place, from whatever was causing these relentless sound waves. Together, they stumbled forward, each step a struggle as they fought against the lingering pain and disorientation.

As they moved, the forest seemed eerily quiet, as if the trees themselves were holding their breath. Mitsuri knew they had to find Sasori. Whatever was happening, they couldn’t face it alone. The lingering echoes of their screams haunted them as they pushed through the trees, desperate to escape the invisible force that had brought them to their knees.

As they stumbled through the forest, Mitsuri noticed something odd about Iguro. His movements seemed slower, more deliberate as if he were trying to keep himself steady. When he finally spoke again, his voice had changed dramatically.

“What… what just happened?” Iguro said, his voice now noticeably higher-pitched and softer. Mitsuri’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden shift in his tone. The once deep, gravelly voice she was used to hearing now had a distinctly feminine quality.

“Iguro, your voice…” Mitsuri said, her voice still hoarse but audible. She instinctively touched her throat, feeling the unfamiliar vibrations of her regained voice. “It’s… different.”

Iguro’s eyes widened in confusion. He touched his throat and spoke again. “What… do you mean?” he asked, but as the words left his lips, he froze. His eyes grew even wider as he heard the unfamiliar sound of his voice—a soft, almost melodic tone that replaced the roughness he had always known.

“This is… what?” Iguro’s face turned pale, and his free hand clenched into a fist. He cleared his throat, trying to force his voice back to normal, but it remained unchanged—feminine and gentle as if it belonged to someone else. “What happened to my voice?” he asked, sounding more alarmed with each word.

Mitsuri shook her head, just as bewildered. “I don’t know… but it must be those sound waves,” she said, her voice wavering. “They did something to us.”

Iguro’s expression turned grim as he processed what had happened. The realization that the sound waves had somehow altered his voice was unsettling. “This is… strange,” he muttered, trying to come to terms with the change.

Mitsuri reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “We’ll figure it out, Iguro. Right now, we need to find Sasori and get out of here. Whatever’s causing this… it’s not safe.”

Iguro nodded, though the confusion and discomfort were still evident in his eyes. “Right. Let’s go,” he replied, his new voice still catching him off guard. Despite the bizarre transformation, he focused on the task at hand. They couldn’t afford to be distracted by whatever had happened to them—not with danger still lurking nearby.

Together, they pushed forward, each step taking them farther from the chaos of the sound waves. The forest began to thicken around them, the trees growing denser and the underbrush more tangled. The eerie silence that had settled over the area was broken only by the rustle of leaves underfoot and the occasional snap of a twig.

Mitsuri kept her senses alert, her eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of Sasori or danger lurking in the woods. She couldn’t help but glance over at Iguro now and then, still adjusting to the strange, unexpected change in his voice. But no matter how different he sounded, she knew he was still the same person she had fought alongside for so long.

“Iguro,” she said softly, her voice more certain now, “We’ll get through this. We always do.”

As they made their way through the dense forest, Mitsuri’s voice broke the tense silence. “Sasori!” she called out, her voice still slightly raspy from the effects of the sound waves.

Sasori turned to see them approaching, his expression unreadable. "Oh, there you two are... Why did you leave these guys alone?" he questioned, pointing at the escorts who seemed to have taken advantage of the distraction to escape while Mitsuri and Iguro dealt with Kyoku.

"Good to see you all made it out," Iguro said, his voice now carrying that strange, soft pitch. The escorts stared at him in shock, and even Sasori raised an eyebrow in confusion at the unfamiliar sound.

“We got hit with a sound wave, and now his voice is like that,” Mitsuri quickly explained, her voice still slightly shaky. The escorts exchanged puzzled glances, clearly not understanding, while Sasori gave a small nod of understanding.

“Let’s get out of here,” Sasori suggested, clearly eager to leave the eerie forest behind.

“But what about the kidnapped victims?” one of the escorts asked, a note of desperation in his voice.

“They’re probably dead,” Iguro replied bluntly, his words hitting with an unexpected harshness despite his softened voice. The group fell into a heavy silence, the weight of his words sinking in as they began to leave the forest.

The path out was lined with the evidence of the intense battle they had just fought. Scorched earth, broken trees, and splatters of blood marked their way, but none of it compared to the tension that now hung between them. Mitsuri and Iguro exchanged glances, both silently acknowledging the unsettling changes they had undergone.

As they walked, the air grew colder, the autumn chill creeping in as the sky above them began to darken. They knew they had survived this encounter, but the consequences were far from over. The strange effects of the sound waves lingered in their minds, a reminder that their journey was only growing more dangerous and unpredictable.