Summary: "Move aside, Snake Boy. Kyojuro is my opponent."
"You don't get to order me around, demon."
or, before things can spiral downwards, Obanai and Mitsuri arrive at the scene of a derailed train and their injured comrade fighting alone against an Upper Moon.
A/N: Originally, this was posted yesterday on AO3 for the final day of Kyojuro Week 2021. However, since it's his birthday today, I decided to post it today.
Move aside, Snake Boy. Kyojuro is my opponent." Akaza was pissed beyond words when his fight against the Flame Pillar (which was, in the former's opinion, one of the most memorable battles he had fought in centuries) was rudely interrupted by the arrival of not one, but two Pillars, one of whom was a woman.Fantastic.
'Eh?! Did he just call Rengoku-san by his first name?'' Mitsuri was baffled and somewhat offended that an Upper Moon had referred to her former mentor so casually as if they were old buddies. Kneeling on the ground was the topic of discussion himself. His left eye was closed and bleeding heavily. There were broken ribs and shattered bones, and Mitsuri did not even want to think of the excruciating pain he must be in. It pained her heart to see such a powerful man, who was admired greatly and looked upon by the juniors, reduced to such a pitiful state.
"You don't get to order me around,demon," Obanai hissed venomously. Even with his small stature, the glower he sent towards Akaza was enough to cower low-ranking demons and send them scattering away from the Serpent Pillar. But, as Akaza was high up in the hierarchy, he only felt mild amusement at the dark expression on the shorter man's face.
"Look here now. I am not interested in going against a short weakling like you." The Third Upper Moon's retort had the dual-eyed swordsman twitching in suppressed anger. Coiled around his shoulders, Kaburamaru hissed, sharing her owner's sentiment. Ignoring the piercing death glare sent his way, Akaza turned to the only female of the group. "And besides, I don't fight women."
Mitsuri squawked, before puffing out her cheeks in umbrage. Did he think she was weak just because she was a woman? The audacity!
Akaza continued, head tilted to the side slightly, pointy fangs peeking out of his lips that were stretched in a smirk, "So, both of you move out of the way, and maybe I will make the Snake Boy's death as painless as possible. What do you say?"
"No chance, shithead." Obanai unsheathed his sword and took on a stance. "You aren't killing anyone here. Least of all Kanroji and Rengoku." Without turning back, he addressed, "Kanroji, make sure this idiot does not move from his spot."
With those words, Obanai pounced on the cherry-haired demon, intending to slay him and end it all. However, as predicted of an Upper Moon, Akaza simply sidestepped and aimed for the Pillar's head. Kaburamaru hissed in warning, and Obanai slithered away from the oncoming assault.
Blow after blow, the two clashed, Obanai making sure to steer the demon as far way from the carnage behind him. He wasn't the strongest Pillar Akaza had encountered by far. No, that spot was for Kyojuro only. But, the Serpent Pillar dodged and move out of his range of attacks like a slimy snake, slippery to the touch. It only made the situation more complicated as he was aided by the snake resting on his shoulders.
Speaking of which, who even kept a snake as their pet anyway? The world sure was growing weirder with each passing day.
Nevertheless, Akaza was getting annoyed as the Serpent Pillar toyed with him, goading him to attack, only to slip away from his grasp. It seemed like the human knew his limits. That he stood no chance against Akaza and was only waiting for dawn's arrival. How pathetic.
He was absolutely done with this cat-and-mouse game.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Kyojuro was desperately trying to regain his footing and join his adopted brother in taking down the demon. The only reason he was unable to stand was because of Mitsuri's unparalleled strength holding him down. Already weakened from both defending five passenger cars without rest and then going one-on-one against an Upper Moon was taking its toll on him.
But, he wanted to be of help. The thought of lying down uselessly while others fought his battle settled into the pit of his stomach uncomfortably.
"Kanroji, I'm fine. Let me go!" Unfortunately, his former student was taking none of it.
"No way! Look at you. Look at all those injuries! If you push your body ahead of your limits, there will be grave consequences! Besides, Shiobu-chan will be absolutely livid if she found out that you decided to aggravate your wounds further. Please, Rengoku-san. You have done enough already. Let us take it from here."
Kyojuro shook his head. "It's an Upper Moon, third rank, no less. How will-"
"We will manage, Rengoku-san! Just please..." Mitsuri's voice cracked, her head bowing. "What will happen to Senjuro-kun if something happens to you? How heartbroken will he be?" Kyojuro's face shuttered, his resolve crumbling bit by bit. Mitsuri took his hand in hers, and with the softest voice she reassured, "You don't have to shoulder the entire weight all by yourself, Rengoku-san. Depending on your comrades does not make you useless. We, the Pillars, are Oyakata-sama's blade, the hope of mankind. We have known each other for a while now. There is an unspoken promise between us: to have each other's backs through thick and thin. You have always watched my back, protected me from that Lower Moon Two. Let me repay you, Rengoku-san, not as a favor, but as a friend."
With each word he latched onto, Kyojuro felt something inside him break. This helplessness was killing him. The heavy guilt choked at his lungs, suffocating his air passage and leaving him breathless. He was a Pillar. This was his battle. The one to lie down his life while fighting was supposed to be him. Relying on his comrades and having them risk their lives in his place did not sit well with Kyojuro. If something happened to Obanai or Mitsuri, he would never to able to forgive himself. Never.
So why...?
A single drop trekked its way down his face, and Mitsuri, with her free hand, gently wiped away it away. Oh, he was crying.
When was the last time he had ever cried? He couldn't remember it and he did not want to. Kyojuro had always strived to be the pillar of support for others, for the despaired to find solace in his warmth, for the weak to cocoon themselves in his reassuring smiles and words of comfort. He had put up a brave front for those that looked up to him and relied on his strength and protection, all while ignoring his own griefs and troubles.
Unable to be of service to humanity, and having neglected his own wellbeing, the sturdy fort that held him firmly began to crumble apart. It was just one teardrop, but at that moment, it spoke volumes about what kind of man was Rengoku Kyojuro.
A broken individual trying to look at the world through optimistic lenses.
Mitsuri's heart shattered at the sight of the Flame Pillar: exposed, vulnerable and looking like a young, broken child. Giving his hand a gentle, firm squeeze, Mitsuri let go of the warmth, ignoring the soft call of "wait" from the latter.
(She knew he wouldn't move from his place.)
Unsheathing her sword, she turned to the direction of the fight. Under the dim moonlight, her hair seemed to glow softly.
"If you can do it, then so can I and Iguro-san. After all..." She inhaled, taking up a fighting stance. "I am the luckiest woman alive to have been trained under the most wonderful teacher, who guided me and corrected my flaws and weaknesses. If not for him, I wouldn't be here in the first place."
She leapt into the deadly fray.
Apparently, today was a very unlucky day for Akaza. As he flipped backwards and punched the empty air, creating powerful shockwaves to knock the short Pillar off-balance, the other had managed to deflect most of them. However, some of the shockwaves had managed to cross past his barrier. Obanai had to leap backwards to avoid getting hit by the ruthless attacks. Akaza took full advantage of the momentary distraction to cover the distance between them and loop the weakling's head off.
Obanai realized a second too late when the demon's grinning face was centimetres away from his own, too close for comfort. The only thing he could do was raise his sword in a feeble attempt to cut off the approaching arm. Not that it would have worked. He braced himself for the impact, only for the heavens to grant him mercy and send an angel in the form of one Kanroji Mitsuri to rescue his life.
Human or not, there was no denying Mitsuri's strength was way above than an average human's. It was delighting to watch the pink demon reel from shock as his arm was ripped off by the Love Pillar.
A female human, no less.Unbelievable!
"Good timing, Kanroji." Obanai allowed for his racing heart to calm down. That was a really close call! He had almost died.
"Iguro-san, how are you holding up?"
"Fine. That piece of shit is making my head hurt. Anyway, what happened to Rengoku?"
"He is resting, don't worry. I convinced him to stay back and not to strain his injuries further."
"Good to hear then. That idiot doesn't know when to back off from a fight." Despite the biting remark, there was no heat in Obanai's voice. Underneath the unintentional snarky tone, there was barest hint of relief tinging in his voice. Mitsuri allowed herself to smile widely. No matter how unapproachable and unfriendly he seemed to be on the surface, on the inside, Iguro Obanai was a good man with a noble heart, wanting only the best for others and help create a demon-free world.
When Obanai had stumbled upon the carnage of the Mugen train and found Kyojuro fighting a losing battle, at that moment what mattered to him was the latter's safety and pull him away,faraway from the Upper Moon. Screw it if Obanai did not stand a chance against such a powerful opponent. Nobody hurt his 'younger brother', least of all, afilthydemon.
He would never admit it, but seeing Kyojuro dressed in grave wounds had Obanai dreading for the younger man's life. His left eye was smashed badly, blood was seeping through the black uniform. And even in pain, that moron had the gall to smile.
If it weren't for Kyojuro looking worse for wear, Obanai was inclined to give him a harsh reprimand for being so careless and not putting the effort to look after himself. Knowing the other man, he would still stand up and participate in the battle. As if Obanai was going to let that happen.
Hence why, he had asked Mitsuri to ensure that Kyojuro would not attempt to interefere in the battle. He had done his part. It was time for theirs.
The two faced Akaza, whose hand had already regenerated by now. He looked perturbed, eying Mitsuri with wary and caution.
'It seems I underestimated her.'A well of grudging respect bubbled in the confines of his heart. Akaza appreciated strength, and this female Pillar was the pinnacle of one. Seriously, she just ripped his arms off!What a monster.
Regardless, the situation was already looking unfavorable. Akaza carefully weighed his options. He could just unleash 'Annihilation Type' and kill every single person in the vicinity. However, there was a woman standing between him and his destructive goals, and Akaza did not want to break his moral code of inflicting harm on women. But, if he resisted, then the female Pillar would probably find an opening to cut off his head and let him burn under the rays of dawn. Neither option seemed feasible.
Akaza cursed the high heavens.
He instinctively dodged when he sensed the killing intent. Charging at him was Obanai, poised and about to strike. His female companion was nowhere to be seen. He parried the human's attacks effortlessly. Every now and then his eyes would roam around, trying to discern the location of the strong Pillar. Where was she?
A slight breeze ghosted upon his neck, and Akaza instantly leaned backwards to avoid the weird-shaped nichirin blade from separating his head from his body. A sneak attack. Mitsuri had crept up from behind, leaving her male companion to lure Akaza towards him and drop his defenses to allow an opening for the pinkish-green haired slayer.
Despite having an advantage over them both, Akaza had to praise their flawless teamwork. The girl had monstorous strength. The boy had speed. Combined together, they made for a deadly force. Where Obanai made to swipe at him and failed, and as a result had to distance himself to avoid receiving fatal injuries, Mitsuri would hop in immediately and nick off the limb (be it an arm or leg) or counterattack the invisible shockwaves with her 'Breath of Love'.
Neither party was willing to go down. Obanai was sure that the reason why he was even alive and standing in the first place was because of Mitsuri. For an evil killing machine, the demon had onejustgood thing about him: he refused to attack the female Pillar. Obanai swore that if that bastard ever laid his filthy hands on Kanroji, he was definitely going to lose it and do something very stupid in blind rage.
But he didn't. And that alone was enough for Obanai to believe in Mitsuri and have her deliver the killing blow.
"You are pretty strong." Akaza observed as he dodged the Love Pillar's attack. "Most women I have encountered so far are timid and frail. You, though, on the other hand, are different. Tell me your name. It would be an honor to acknowledge such a worthy female opponent."
Mitsuri might have blushed at the high praise after having been scorned by so many men for having brute strength and her ridiculous hair color, but the compliment was coming from a demon, one who hurt her former master and a dear friend. So, she won't grace him with an answer.
Akaza merely raised a brow at her silent rebellion, but decided to continue pestering her for her name.
"Shut up, you whiny bitch." Ticked off at Akaza's boldness to even dare ask Mitsuri for her name, Obanai snapped. The demon had no right to look infuriated when Obanai was only stating a fact.
Akaza charged at him again, Mitsuri trailing after him hot on her heels and Obanai slashing and ducking. It was starting to become like a cycle now. Obanai had lost count of how many times the demon had slipped past his defenses, the number of times he was hit by the shockwaves. Exhaustion was eating at his bones and his body was screaming for him to rest. His stamina was draining out. The only reason stopping him from collapsing was the vow of 'protect, defend, destroy'.
It seemed like eternity before Kaburamaru quietly relayed to him that dawn was approaching. Obanai cut down the relief creeping in his veins. He would only celebrate when the demon's ashes were fading away to dust. Akaza noticed it too, and his face betrayed the absolute look of horror and dread.
Instantly, he moved to head for the cover of the forests. The twain Pillars tried to stop him by cutting off his limbs. Cue,tried.
Because apparently the demon was a fucking cockroach and his regeneration was still incredible as before the fight. His body still had copious amount of energy stored inside. As humans, Mitsuri and Obanai did not have that privilege.
With defeat, they watched the demon leap backwards into the safety of the shade where sunlight wouldn't reach him, and exit the scene.
As Akaza retreated into the shadows, Obanai and Mitsuri decided it was pointless to chase after him. The battle had drained all the energy from their system. Recuperating their strength was a more logical reason. The duo pushed down the disappointment and guilt at the lives that would be lost now that the demon had escaped. They would make up for their failure later. Right now, their first and foremost priority was Kyojuro, the ragtag group of rookies and all the injured civilians.
Making their way towards the familiar group, they were greeted by a dandelion-haired boy. Was he even there in the first place?
"The demon... I heard it was an Upper Moon. I-Is it true?" His voice sounded really small, edging on borderline terror. Obanai scowled.
"That bastard got away. Next time, if we ever cross paths again, I am going to skin him alive." Zenitsu swallowed. Could anyone really blame him? Snake Guy looked ready to commit murder. And his heartbeat sounded like the angry hissing of vipers, mingling together and sending chills down the blonde's spine. It did little to help that there was a snake coiled around his neck. A live, breathing snake. Zenitsu felt faint.
He would be careful not to get on the man's bad side.
"It can't be helped. The fact that an Upper Moon decided to show up is alarming. Muzan definitely has something up his sleeve." Mitsuri's statement brought a grim atmosphere to the surrounding. Not even Inosuke dared to make a comment.
Mitsuri switched to another topic. "What about Rengoku-san?"
"A-Ah, well..." It suddenly dawned on the others that Kyojuro was out cold, his head leaning against Tanjiro's shoulder. The younger slayer had his arms wrapped around his senior's torso, preventing him from falling over. Mitsuri hastily knelt down and checked for a pulse.
Relief seeped into her tone, "He is still alive. His pulse is weak, but it's still there. He must have passed out from the blood loss." She glanced at Obanai, and a silent agreement passed between them. Mitsuri turned to Tanjiro.
"Kamado-kun, right?" A nod. "Listen, I am going to take Rengoku-san to the Butterfly Estate. The Kakushi will be arriving to clean up the mess. Worry not, Iguro-san will be here to watch over you three." She paused when she noticed the box strapped on Zenitsu's back. "Four, I guess."
Obanai glared at the direction of the box. He wanted to say a few words of his own, but decided against it, lest Mitsuri become disappointed in him.
"O-Okay." Tanjiro hesitantly let go of his superior. Mitsuri hefted the injured Pillar on her back. Without sparing another glance, she made a beeline for the Butterfly Estate.
'Rengoku-san, please hang in there. We will save you no matter what.'