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I forced myself to crawl through the rubble. My body was all healed from everything, so nothing had really hurt now. I found Tanjiro a few feet away, his body curled protectively around his sword. He was breathing—thank god, he was breathing. Nezuko was sitting next to him as if nothing had happened.

Before I could say anything, a familiar snarl brought me back to reality. Dogpool trotted over, his tail wagging like we hadn't just survived a near-death experience. I laughed weakly, collapsing back onto the ground. "Of course you're fine... indestructible little bastard."

In the distance, the smoke began to clear, revealing the aftermath of Gyutaro's final attack. The battlefield was unrecognizable, the ground scorched and cratered.

It was over. Finally, it was over.

I flopped onto my back, staring up at the smoke-streaked sky as my body screamed in exhaustion. "Next time," I muttered, "remind me to let the main characters handle this crap. Because, clearly I'll end up having too much fun and I'll end up getting too distracted..."

Dogpool barked once in agreement, plopping down beside me. 

I reached over and scooped Dogpool into my arms, holding him close like he was the only thing tethering me to reality. His fur was warm and reassuring, even though it smelled like ash and blood. "Yeah, you're the only sane one here," I muttered, pressing my forehead against his. "Or at least the only one with half a brain who knows when to sit a fight out."

Dogpool gave a soft growl, almost like he was offended, but his tongue licked my cheek anyway. I chuckled, the sound breaking through the heavy silence around us. For a moment, it felt like everything wasn't so horrible. Like we'd all actually made it out alive.

The faint sound of Nezuko's "mm-mm's" snapped me out of my bubble. I turned my head to see her waving happily, pointing toward Tanjiro, who was starting to stir. Relief flooded through me again. "Look at that," I whispered to Dogpool, my grip tightening around him. "We made it. They made it."

The sky was still choked with smoke, but somewhere above, I could see a single star twinkling faintly. I let out a shaky breath, feeling the weight of the battle start to lift. "Next time," I murmured again, clutching Dogpool like he was my anchor. "We'll keep it low-key. Maybe just sit and watch from the sidelines. I don't need this kind of cardio..."

Dogpool yawned in agreement, his tail thumping lightly against my leg. For once, I thought, we'd earned the right to rest. But than I heard Laura running towards me.

Her footsteps were frantic, crunching over the debris as she closed the distance. "What the hell were you thinking?" Laura's voice cut through the air, sharp and furious. "You could've gotten someone killed!"

I sat up, still clutching Dogpool, and managed a lopsided grin. "But I didn't, so you're welcome."

Laura's glare could've melted steel, but her hands were shaking as she grabbed my arm, hauling me to my feet. "You don't get to pull that kind of stunt and brush it off like it's nothing. Do you even realize—" She stopped mid-sentence, her eyes scanning me for injuries, even though she already knew I was fine because of my healing factors.

"I'm okay," I said, softer this time. "Seriously, Laura. Everyone's okay."

Her expression softened for a fraction of a second before hardening again. "That doesn't mean you get to play the hero. Leave that to them," she said, jerking her head toward Tanjiro, who was now fully awake and looking around with wide, confused eyes.