So the demon slayer movie was quite possibly my favorite animated movie ever! The animation was so beautiful, and I am a whore for Rengoku.
Pairing: Rengoku Kyoujurou/Kamado Tanjirou
or
Rengoku Kyoujurou & Kamado Tanjirou
Rating: T
Demon Slayer belongs to Koyoharu Gotouge.
After killing himself time and time again to escape the hellscape that was Enmu's Blood Demon Art, Tanjirou felt detached from his reality.
Nothing felt real anymore.
But even if it was a dream, even if the battle raging between Upper Moon Three and Rengoku was all fake, Tanjirou will be damned before he let anyone get hurt on his watch. He could smell the pain Rengoku was in, he could practically smell the death beginning to waft in the air. His own blood began to spread through his clothing as he stood, using his Nichirin blade as a crutch.
Hmm. Haganezuka-san would be mad if he found out, Tanjirou thought with a glaze over his eye. But this is a dream, it had to be. All he had to do was...
He could see it, how Rengoku held himself; his stance was impeccable despite the blinding pain he must be in. Tanjirou was in pain also, but if Rengoku could hold himself together despite it all then so could he. All of the sudden the only thing that Tanjirou could hear was silence, and it was deafening in a way that it damn near hurt.
The charge that Rengoku made towards Akaza would have killed any lesser man, it was explosive. It scorched the earth and shattered the air, the swift movements of Rengoku's blade through Akaza was slicing the very reality they were in apart. Akaza's own retaliating punch was like knocking a whole through a wall, bones shattered and blood splattered the ground.
Tanjirou's charge was like light spilling through shadow.
Instant and without sound.
When Rengoku pulled his sword back for another swing, Tanjirou moved with fire flashing in his wake. When the Hashira's Nichirin blade struck Akaza's neck for the final time, Akaza punched a whole through life itself.
Somehow, Rengoku was still standing Tanjirou realized dully. His head lolled backwards to stare blankly at the Flame Hashira, and with his one good eye Rengoku stared back. It was like a bad dream, one that Tanjirou was certain he wouldn't awake from. In all the previous dreams he woke with the slice of his blade through his neck, but with a demon's arm skewering him like meat Tanjirou was merely waiting.
For what he didn't really know.
Somewhere in the distance he could hear Inosuke screaming, roaring his anguish and ready to jump in. Ready to save them both.
"K-Kamado? What-?" Tanjirou heard Rengoku ask.
The elder man's eyes were wide in horror, and then he heard a small chuckle devolve into a grizzly laugh. Tanjirou used all his strength to pull his head back up and to look into the eyes of Upper Moon Three. The kanji stared back into a pupil widening with death, "How pathetic! You interrupted our glorious battle only to what?" Akaza laughed, "To die?"
Tanjirou smiled, blood dribbling out of his mouth, "I've died many times to- to escape that demon's dream. I-I'm not dying, just waiting to wake up."
Akaza grinned down at him, despite the blade digging into his forearm and neck Akaza could only feel humor.
"Aww, look at that Kyoujurou, he thinks he's still dreaming! This weakling thinks he will wake up soon, but it's a shame he will only die. I expected the boy with the Hanafuda earrings to be better than this," Akaza smirked and winced at the increasing pressure coming from the blade.
Rengoku's eyes were narrowed, and if Tanjirou concentrated hard enough he swore he could see fire burning in Rengoku's eyes.
"Do you honestly think I will allow you to hurt anyone else? I will kill you for what you have done to Kamado-kun."
Tanjirou had to hold on, for a little bit longer, the sun was going to come up. He could feel Rengoku's body push against him as the Flame Hashira drove his blade centimeter by centimeter into Akaza's neck. He could feel the pulling sensation of Akaza trying to yank his arm out, but Tanjirou merely held onto the arm piercing his body and smiled sadly.
"Ren- goku... the sun..." Tanjirou coughed up blood and gasped as the arm in his jostled him more in its attempt to leave.
"No, not the sun! I won't die here! Let go, LET GO DAMN YOU," Akaza roared. Tanjirou's nose twitched at the sudden smell of fear, terror, and anguish welled up around him.
The teen shook his head, "..can't..."
He was waiting for when he was going to wake up, then he could help destroy the demon controlling the train. Then he could go back to see if Nezuko and Zenitsu were all right.
.
.
Nezuko...
.
.
That's right, Tamayo-san needed blood to make her an antidote.
Tanjirou's fingers dug into the flesh of the demon and as fast as he could he sliced at Akaza to with the knife Yushiro gave him, the small container filling with blood effortlessly. Then it was as if someone cut the strings on a doll, and Tanjirou slumped forward. All his strength depleted as he let go of Akaza, his other hand clinging desperately to the demon blood.
He heard the dull thud of something hitting the ground and the tugging on his body ceased. Tanjirou's knees hit the ground and it was all he could do to not fall over, he watched with a detached gaze as the demon tore his arm from his body and managed to fall away from Rengoku. It happened so fast that Tanjirou couldn't keep up, one moment Akaza was making a dash for the forest behind him and in the next Rengoku was standing over him with his blade held aloft behind him and Akaza's head rolling.
Every time Akaza's body twitched, Rengoku struck.
Each slice of his Nichirin blade, cut a regrowing appendage from the demon's body.
There was no kindness, no mercy in Rengoku as he prevented Akaza's body from regrowing. Even as the demon's head screamed as the sun slowly rose into the morning sky, Rengoku merely kept him incapacitated. Never once going to finish off the Upper Moon.
"The lives of my fellow slayers are not yours to play with, Kamado-kun is not a toy for you to discard when convenient."
Rengoku blazed in a glorious light, flames erupting from his very being, "Kamado-kun set his heart ablaze, and has more integrity than you could ever imagine. He fought bravely to help protect all the passengers on this damned train! I will NOT see you extinguish his flame before it can grow! He will live and thrive in the sun," Rengoku glared as he stabbed his blade through the Upper Moon, spearing him to the ground.
He stepped over to the head and ground his foot against the demon's skull, "And you will perish in the light of day."
The Hashira looked back to where Tanjirou was kneeling, Inosuke finally coming up to his fellow slayer and kept him upright. The boar headed teen yelling at Tanjirou, at him, and at Akaza. Rengoku felt a tear trail down his face as the warmth of the sun finally bore down on them, he ignored the wails and screeches of the dying demon as he disintegrated in the light of day. When his foot hit the ground he was already by Tanjirou and Inosuke.
"Kamado-kun, my boy stay awake, can you do that?" Rengoku asked, but Tanjirou looked so lost.
Rengoku saw how small this boy really was, this child that was forced to grow up too fast. He saw how Tanjirou's eyes slid open at his command, but drooped again.
"B-but...I'm gonna wake up...right? It's all...a dream...right?" and Rengoku's shoulders shook as he forced himself to stay upbeat for the younger slayer's sake.
"No, no you are awake. You did good Kamado-kun," and Tanjirou's face relaxed in relief.
"Nezuko..."
"Don't waste your strength! That golden boy is with her!" Rengoku boomed.
Tanjirou shook his head, and the meow of a cat caught his attention. Instead of waiting for Tanjirou to put the demon blood vial in its pouch it merely grabbed it with it's teeth and took off. He watched as it ran off behind Rengoku, and he blinked suddenly. And again.
His face once lax with relief pulled up in the most beautiful smile Rengoku Kyoujurou had ever seen since his mother died, "Tou-san...Kaa-san -!"
Even as Tanjirou fell forward, a hole in his chest and blood pooling around them. Suddenly Rengoku felt as though he was watching his mother die, he watched as the embers of life were being snuffed out. One at a time.
But not completely extinguished.
He would no see this boy, this beautiful boy die on him. Not after Tanjirou threw himself between a Hashira and an Upper Moon, not after he risked his life time and time again to defeat the demon in the train.
Not after promising to take the boy on as a Tsuguko.
Not after Tanjirou had such hopes that his little sister could be human again.
Rengoku looked to the boar headed boy and nodded, "Look after the passengers, the Kakushi should be here soon to remedy the situation!"
Then, Inosuke was left all alone.
Both Rengoku and Tanjirou were gone, as Zenitsu climbed up and over the train with Nezuko safely in her box all he saw as the Flame Hashira's Nichirin blade plunged to the hilt into the earth and a pool of blood around Inosuke.
This can be read as Tan/Kyo, but its merely up to interpretation. I'll prob end up writing another chapter to this but it won't last more than a few chapters.
Ragehappy Mavin Fan