"Do you know why you were born stronger than other people, Kyojuro?" He remembered his mother asking him once upon a time — a question his young self never even thought about before his mother asked.
"People who were born and blessed with greater abilities than others," he still remembered her sharp yet soft red eyes gleaming down at him as she serenely explained, "Have to use their power for the world. The people."
Kyojuro chuckled half-heartedly as he remembered the shock of his mother admitting soon after how she wouldn't be alive much longer because of her sickness, making him realize how fragile life can be — how even a strong woman like her could crumble in front of the nature of death.
"It is a blessing to be the mother of such a strong, gentle child."
"Same goes for me, Oka-san," Kyojuro murmured softly as his eye followed the rays of Sun falling on his hands through the window beside him, "It is an honour to have someone like you give birth to me..."
'Did I...' he closed his right eye as he lowered his head, feeling a strange kind of conflict in his chest as he thought to himself, 'Did I do everything right, mother? Was I able to fulfill everything I was supposed to carry out?'
He shook his head as the strange ache in his chest grew — that question didn't matter right now. He was alive and still had a lot to do to keep his promise; especially after what happened a few days ago... especially after what happened to Miyasha because of his incapacity.
'But still,' he thought absent-mindedly as he used his right hand to weave through his now shorter and even more unruly hair, 'I can't help but feel like this was supposed to be my end... like I wasn't supposed to see the Sun beyond that day.'
And Kyojuro honestly didn't know how to feel about that.
Surviving wasn't a new thing for him, but this strange feeling like he wasn't supposed to, was a new one for him — maybe it was because Sarota took most of the brunt instead of him? Would she even wake up with all the injuries she has? Is this his survivor's guilt acting up?
It was a sudden knock that interrupted his thought process, making him look towards the door of his private medical room where Kocho stood with a sympathetic smile on her face.
"Gomene, Rengoku-san," she slowly entered as he tried to sit up to greet her, "Did I disturb you?" She noticed him struggling with his one arm to get up, "Do you need my help?"
Kyojuro nodded mutely as she quickly stepped in to help him sit up — his left shoulder was completely shattered from his collar bone, making movement severely painful and difficult while his impaired vision due to his left eye being smashed disabled him from even having a proper vision to adjust his position.
'It'll be a matter of time before I get used to these.' His mind told him as he thanked Shinobu for her kindness — he knew his body might heal him a bit while most of it might stay as permanent, but that didn't mean he didn't struggle right now.
And that certainly didn't mean it didn't remind him of his incapacity to save Sarota while she dived in to protect him. And he had even promised to save everyone there.
"Rengoku-san?" He turned to Kocho and slightly tilted his head upon noticing her violet gaze already on him, "Are you... ready for the report meeting? If you're too much in pain, we can arrange it in here, for your convenience."
Kyojuro mused his options for a minute — as much as he wanted to get out of this room, he knew his injuries were far more severe to actually ignore them. However, would it be fair of him to ask Oyakata-sama to come here to visit him again?
"I think you might have to arrange it here, Kocho!" He admitted as he leaned back a bit to adjust his gaze on her, "I don't think I'm well enough to work up that much distance yet, I'm afraid!"
Kocho nodded as she got up from her position beside him; he didn't miss her look of relief as she smiled at him kindly, "I'll inform Oyakata-sama about it. Till then, please rest some more before the Hashiras come in to visit."
A wry smile appeared on Kyojuro's face as his mind flashed back to the Hashiras rushing in to meet him just after he was admitted to the Butterfly Estate for his injuries — it was chaos, to say the least. The chaos that caused was even greater than when Kamado and his friends came to visit him and hugged him from all sides.
"I'll be sure to do that!" He replied earnestly as he remembered Tengen's shenanigans during his visit.
Honestly, he missed the times when he worked with the Sound Hashira just as a normal slayer — all the troubles they used to get into while saving the lives of the people involved. Especially when they did it once while being half-drunk.
The smile on Kyojuro's lips stretched further as he was reminded of that particular incident again. It sure was a carefree time of his life that he enjoyed.
'Maybe we can go out drinking again, once I'm healed?' He mused off-handedly, his eye moving over to look at his injured arm now that he was sitting and had a proper view.
His whole left shoulder was bound with thick white bandages, rendering his arm completely incapable of moving — the wooden splints used to give his broken shoulder and upper arm structure was also a very big contribution to his overall inability to move.
'Almost makes me look like I gained extra mass at one side.' Kyojuro mused half-heartedly as his eye wandered over to the door in his room, 'I hope Sarota gets well soon, too.' And with that thought, the tightness in his chest returned.
Sarota, as far as Kocho and the Kakushis have told him, had been in an unconscious state since they were brought back to the Estate. And while Kamado, Hashibira, and Agatsuma visited her as well as himself daily, reports of any improvement in her condition were yet to be heard.
'As a Hashira, it is my duty to shield my juniors.' Kyojuro thought somewhat bitterly as his eyes focus on his own injuries again, 'But I failed this time — I failed her, and I even failed Kinomiya...'
And that ached him more than anything.
He knew the feeling of loss, and even worse — the feeling of seeing one's loved one slowly slipping away while one can do nothing.
He didn't want Kinomiyas to go through the same and yet, he failed them. And now, they had no choice but to sit beside her and wait for the news—
'Calm down, Kyojuro! She hasn't died yet!' He shook himself out of his thoughts to remind himself that; just because her chances of waking up are low doesn't mean there aren't any!
He still remembered the fire in her eyes when she yelled at him to not do it alone — begging desperately, almost as if it physically tore her apart.
And yet those eyes had still burned a fire so fierce and it almost reminded him of his mother's; a mixture of strength and stubbornness with a hint of an untouched kindness that made him want to dive deeper just to feel if it's real or just an illusion.
Kyojuro sighed as he leaned back on his bed; he really really hoped, against all the odds, that she would be able to beat her current situation and get back up just like before.
God, did he hope.
"I'm happy to see you in better health, Kyojuro." Oyakata-sama's soft voice echoed through the quiet room as everyone stood silently around him.
The room was small for so many people to be present at the same time — but that didn't stop the Hashiras to assemble and work out enough space for each to stand in accordance to their comfort while giving Oyakata-sama a respectful space beside the injured flame pillar.
"Hai, Oyakata-sama!" Kyojuro couldn't help but smile as their leader 'gazed' at him with his usual kindness, "Although, I apologize for not being able to come to the Headquarters! It seems it'll need more time for my injuries to stabilize!"
Oyakata-sama smiled as he kindly dismissed Kyojuro's apology — his focus instead shifting on how his recovery was going. The atmosphere in the room had a strange serenity that helped to calm Kyojuro's nerves after days of the heavy feeling sitting on his chest.
"So, what happened on the mission?" Iguro asked after all the inquiries about his health ended, "Why weren't we made aware that you were going on a mission with a Demon Moon involved?"
"Because there wasn't supposed to be a Demon Moon in this mission!" Kyojuro answered as he focused his red-gold gaze on his fellow Hashira, "At least, not an Upper Moon! In fact, he didn't appear until after we were done with the mission and killed the Lower Moon!"
"Wait, wait, wait—" Hitoshi interrupted him as his wide-eyed gaze fixed on him, "You are telling me that you fought two Demon Moons on your own?!"
"Two Demon Moons, yes! But not on my own." Kyojuro relayed honestly as he looked at the twins guiltily, "Kamado, Hashibira, Agatsuma, and Sarota helped me a lot on the mission! The train itself was possessed by what Sarota deduced as a Lower Moon, which Kamado and Inogashira killed while the rest of us slayers focused on protecting the passengers of the train — including Kamado's sister!"
"So, it was the Lower Moon that was killing all the low ranking slayers?" Iguro mused loudly.
"No, it was another demon, I think!" The flame Hashira turned sheepish as he answered Iguro's question, "There was more than one instance of demons — one was a lower demon while the other two were Demon Moons! I think it was the lower demon that was hunting on the trains while the other Demon Moons just... appeared!"
"So, from what you are telling me," Shinazugawa started, his gaze hard and analyzing, "That the Demon Moons were not related to your original mission?"
"Yes," he agreed as he threw in his own theory about it as well, "I think they appeared once they got to know that a Hashira was involved with the case! Or, it may be Kamado and Sarota's ability to attract them!"
He noticed the twins tense at his comment, knowing very well that they still are not over the fact that Sarota had injured herself so harshly just after recovering from a serious injury before.
"Do you think it is because of Miyasha's status as a Dokuchi?" Hitoshi inquired cautiously, "Do you think that's why you all were targeted?"
Kyojuro shook his head as he denied, "I don't think so, Hiroshi! Neither of the Demon Moon recognized her when we engaged!"
A beat of silence passed as everyone processed the information they received, giving Kyojuro enough time to readjust his position and start the briefing of facts about his mission.
Kyojuro didn't waste much time on the unnecessary details about his mission — he mostly focused on how Sarota deduced the demon's position and how everyone divided into groups to either annihilate the demon or protect the passengers.
"Kamado's sister didn't hesitate to protect any human despite bleeding several places herself!" Kyojuro decided to highlight this as Oyakata-sama gave him a gentle smile, "I approve of her as a Demon slayer! I apologize for my previous doubt on your decision, Oyakata-sama!"
He noticed how Shinazugawa and Iguro looked away, confirming his belief that Kamado and his sister still had a lot more to do before they could prove themselves. But the approving expression on other Hashiras gave him hope.
"What was Kamado doing during that time?" Iguro questioned back, "Was he able to kill the Lower Moon, or did you have to do it?"
"Kamado and Hashibira were the ones who annihilated the Lower Moon!" Kyojuro confessed as he fixed his red-gold gaze onto the heterochromatic ones, "In fact, I and Sarota were busy handling the last six coaches of the train before it derailed and we successfully managed to escape!"
"You mean to tell me they managed to kill a Lower Demon already?" Tengen asked in amazement, to which Kyojuro answered affirmatively.
"As far as I am aware, it was a Lower Moon! Or a demon at least as stronger as one! Even Miyasha deduced it to be as o1ne but we weren't able to meet the demon directly!"
"So, you cannot confirm if the demon was surely a Lower Moon or not, Rengoku-san?" Kocho inquired softly.
"I'm afraid not!"
"What happened after that?" Tengen asked eagerly as he looked down at Kyojuro's injuries, "Did the Upper Moon appear after you got out of the train?"
"Yes," Kyojuro proclaimed as he continued summarizing the rest of his mission — how he guided Tanjiro to use the concentrated breath to reduce his bleeding while the Upper Moon appeared. He mentioned how others were still engaged in getting the passengers out of the demonic train before the Upper Moon attacked him.
And how Sarota cut in between their fight, bringing a strange dynamic that made the Demon Moon avoid attacking her, for some reason.
"The Upper Moon was... avoiding her?" Iguro asked in disbelief, making Kyojuro chuckle at his expression.
"Yes, he was — initially, at least!" Maybe it was strange to hear for those who weren't there, "He seemed to have a strong belief that females and children shouldn't be in a fight! That seemed to be the weak spot Sarota exploited, making him fall back whenever he tried to outright attack!"
He noticed how the twins' eyes softened as he talked about her; their lips displaying a proud smile that he could understand the emotion behind.
After all, he was an elder brother himself too.
"How did she get injured, Rengoku-san?" Kocho asked bluntly, making the twins tense again at her question.
"We had pinned down the demon when it happened." Kyojuro confessed as he looked back at the twins, his eye unwavering as he continued, "We both were injured from our fight with the Upper Moon Akaza — I got my shoulder injury just a few minutes before that, making my strength limited as Sarota helped me detain the demon."
He explained how they both had Akaza pinned down, trying to behead him when he regenerated his hand back — to which he lodged the sword from his neck to his arm, making the demon's blood splatter onto him and Sarota.
He realized the weightage of his mistake as soon as he heard Sarota scream and curl in on herself in pain just a few seconds after.
"I hadn't realized the blood had gone straight into her eyes." Kyojuro admitted as he explained how he instantly grabbed her whimper figure and rolled off from Akaza.
Meanwhile, Akaza attempted to attack him but Tanjiro and Inosuke intervened, making the Upper Moon retreat back as he noticed the Sun up the horizon.
"We all were too injured to engage with the Upper Moon as he ran away from the Sun." He justified, a bitter smile playing on his lips as continued, "Although, Kamado and Hashibira's intervention had resulted in the Upper Moon to be left injured as well; even if it wasn't as severe as Sarota's was."
Kyojuro's smile turned a little more genuine as his mind flashed back to when Kamado threw his sword through the Upper Moon, screaming how the Demon was a coward to run away in the presence of Sun while the demon slayers fought in their territory of the night.
He remembered feeling proud yet so empty when he heard Tanjiro claim his and Sarota's fight a victory while the said female bled and shivered in his arms.
He was extremely lucky that the commotion they caused led to Kamado's sister coming to check on them, and upon seeing Sarota's bleeding state, she immediately set off to burn the demon blood off her eyes — a task that took some time and calming down to do as Miyasha had curled herself into a fetal position, not letting anyone touch her until Kyojuro rubbed her back and whispered in her ear.
He could still almost feel her in his arms, trembling and mumbling things in a language that he didn't understand. He was infinitely grateful for the Kakushi that arrived there to clean up and took her with them because if she had stayed with him any longer, he wasn't sure he would have been able to give her to someone else.
'She looked so fragile and small.' He absent-mindedly thought, 'So small and afraid that it was almost impossible to believe that she was the same woman who fought so flamboyantly by my side.'
"Sarota lost her consciousness once Kamado's sister burned the demon blood off her eyes." He relayed soberly, the scene still playing in his mind while spoke about it, "Other than me and her, I don't think anyone was injured." Even though she had been the one who had stepped up to take most of the brunt of the fight.
Kyojuro sighed and readjusted his position again as silence fell among the Hashiras.
"Thank you," Hitoshi suddenly started, startling everyone out of their thoughts as broke the uncomfortable silence no one wanted to speak in, "For helping Miyasha as you did. I doubt she would even be breathing right now if you hadn't helped Kamado's sister somewhat heal her."
"Hitosh—"
"Not to mention," Hiroshi interrupted Kyojuro as he tried to speak, "No one died — a very big achievement in itself, considering how you faced three demons in the same night; two of which were Demon Moons, or at least one was and the other was as strong as one, from what your report entails by."
"It indeed is a miracle that no one died." Oyakata-sama agreed to the twins' statements, slowly turning his head around the room, as if looking at the Hashiras with his unseeing gaze, "For more than the last hundred years... there hasn't been a single Hashira who came back alive from a confrontation with the Upper Demon Moons, my children. This instance... It fills me with hope."
A smile played on his lips that made everyone's gaze fixed on their Leader.
"As I had said before, among you Hashiras, I believe I have assembled the finest unit since the First Breathing swordsman of the feudal era." Oyakata-sama said with a serene certainty, "And today, we very well may have seen a sign of it. I have a feeling, that this unit would be the one to end Kibutsuji."
Kyojuro smiled as a warm feeling washed over him at Oyakata-sama's words; however, his heart thundered in his chest when he called his name suddenly.
"Hai, Oyakata-sama?"
A sympathetic smile crossed his Leader's face as he relayed his next words, "I apologize but I'll have to ask you to retire after your recovery, my child."
Kyojuro's mind turned blank for a few seconds as he heard Oyakata-sama's words; the very words that he never believed he'll ever live to hear in his life.
"I— but—" he took a deep breath, taking a moment to collect himself before he continuing, "Although I respect your words, I... I oppose it! I still have fight left in me and I haven't died yet, Oyakata-sama! My retiring would be unnecessary and uncalled for!"
"Kyojuro, death is not the only end for a Hashira." Oyakata-sama replied patiently, "Many Hashiras have retired due to their physical body being injured beyond repair and I'm afraid, your condition is no different."
"But, Oyakata-sama—" Kyojuro instantly shut his mouth when he noticed Oyakata-sama press a finger on lips, effectively simmering down the buzz his earlier declaration had caused.
A few moments of silence passed as Oyakata-sama started speaking again, giving Kyojuro time to actually notice how some of the other Hashiras supported him on his refusal, "I appreciate your sentiment of wanting to continue and serve to Corps but my child, your shoulder is broken beyond repair. It may heal, but not in a way that you might get your previous mobility back. Other than that, Upper Demon Moons have killed several Hashiras working together in the past; which makes your current condition a blessing that I may have never expected."
He knew Oyakata-sama was right. His being alive after a confrontation with Upper Demon Moon was a miracle in itself.
"I... I understand, Oyakata-sama." Kyojuro answered softly as he knew how true his words rang; however, he felt a sense of... like he was undeserving.
"Kyojuro," Oyakata-sama continued as if he could see his downcast expression, "You can still help train future slayers than force beyond the capacity of your own health. It wouldn't be fair to you nor to the people you want to protect."
He understood that as well, but it didn't mean he liked that fact any better.
There was another beat of silence in the room after he agreed to his... retirement, making the atmosphere quite uncomfortable for him till Oyakata-sama turned to Kocho and asked about Sarota's condition.
"The demon blood has damaged the inner tissues of her eyes," she somberly relayed, "I'm not really sure if she can... recover from this. She may wake up, but with her injury, her sight might be permanently impaired."
"Can you," Tomioka suddenly spoke up, making everyone blink in surprise as he continued, "Tell us more about her injury?"
Kocho silently nodded as she explained how the demon blood had affected Sarota's eyes, making it hard for even Kocho or the other doctors to know how much it actually damaged her sight. However, she and most of the doctors were speculating that she most likely would not have any sight once she wakes up.
"But if she does," Kocho added after a moment, "Her sight will worsen over time since the demon blood had put a lot of strain on her eyes as much as her whole body."
Kyojuro noticed how the twins stiffened at her diagnosis; however, it was Tomioka's reaction that surprised him the most, with how his posture tightened and his face took a more saddened look than he ever expected to see on him.
It made him wonder how close those two actually were.
"I can't," Kyojuro watched as Hitoshi shook his head in disbelief, "I just can't believe Miya just rushed in like that! She must have felt his aura and knew she was an Upper Demon Moon, but she still stepped between you two fighting — it's just..."
"What's the unbelievable part there?" Tengen casually asked as he leaned on Kyojuro's bed, being mindful of his injury as he occupied the right side of his bed instead of the left, "She rushed in, so?"
"That's the thing," Hitoshi stressed his point, "She never does that! She's a strategist, not a head-on fighter like me. I just, I can't believe she just changed like this in a few years. I refuse to believe that."
"Maybe she thought acting fast would be the best option!" Kyojuro provided helpfully, his eyes scanning the three Hashiras still there with him after the meeting ended, "And I agree! She plans a lot! She kept her bottles of blood ready, just in case!"
"Bottles of—" Hitoshi sputtered, "What?"
"Blood!" He repeated, "She had vials and bottles of her blood that she used to sprinkle and pour over the demon parts of the train! That helped us curb them easily and for longer than we could have done with swords alone!"
"That sound's very flamboyant!" Tengen commented as he sat up beside him, wrapping his arm carefully around Kyojuro's shoulder as he continued, "Your sister is very smart, Kinomiya!"
"Sh-She's not our sister," Hitoshi blurted out, making Tengen very confused as Hitoshi explained how she was only their junior and not related by blood or even called them her brother.
"Just admit it that you want her to call us Aniki, Hito." Hiroshi quipped, making his twin immediately fix him with a glare, "It's getting increasingly obvious to everyone that you want that."
"I don— you are acting as if you don't!"
Hitoshi shrugged as Tengen laughed rowdily, making Hiroshi light up in a blush while Kyojuro felt a little confused at his embarrassment.
"You should tell her if you want her to call you her brothers!" He suggested, "When I told her how you both address her as your sister, she was very surprised!"
"You told her?!" Hitoshi was the reddest anyone had ever seen him, "Are you— Kyojuro! Why did you betray us like that!"
"How did he betray 'us' when he just told her the truth?" His twin egged him on, making the louder of the two groan and cover his face with his arms.
The room lit up with ruckus laughter as Tengen and Hiroshi teased Hitoshi while Kyojuro tried to help him feel less embarrassed — even though he didn't completely understand why the elder twin was feeling this shy, making the whole situation even more chaotic as Hitoshi was ready to leave the room in embarrassment.
However, the sudden knock at the door made them settle down quickly.
"Kamado, my boy!" Kyojuro loudly greeted once he noticed who was at the door, "Come in, come in!"
"Don't worry, we don't bite." Hitoshi joked, but the way Kamado looked at him made Kyojuro think that he didn't quite believe that.
"You are... Kamado Tanjiro, right?" Hiroshi asked once the younger slayer entered and took a seat, his bluish-green eyes observing the room from his position against the wall beside his bed, "You were there when Miyasha was injured both the times, right?"
"B-Both?" Kamado stuttered out, making the brown-haired twin explain how he was talking about Sarota's injury from the Mountain mission as well, "Oh, no, I was... I wasn't there when Aneki was—"
"Wait," Hitoshi immediately interrupted, "Miyasha lets you call her Aneki?!"
"They called her that when we were sparring too," the younger twin added, making the older one even more confused as he added, "Miyasha has been travelling with them for months."
The twins stared at each other for a few seconds, making Kyojuro very confused at their antics. He knew they were very in-tune with one another, but seeing it work in real life was very confusing.
"Anyway," Hiroshi spoke up as he broke off his staring moment with his twin, "You weren't there the first time?"
Kamado shook his head, "Inosuke was. I was... um, I was fighting with the Demon Moon."
"In the Mountain mission, too?" Hitoshi raised an eyebrow up, "Damn, I see how you got your reputation, kid."
"Well, Sarota does share that reputation too," Tengen added from his position on the bed, his eyes glinting under the sunlight, "And wasn't Tomioka the one who carried her onto the Hashira meeting? Why don't you ask him!"
"Wait, Tomioka carried her?" The twins chorused.
"Yes!" Kyojuro decided to reply, "Apparently, he knew her from before!"
"Wait, wait, this is all very new information to me," Hitoshi took a moment to collect himself and continued, "You are telling me that Tomioka met Miyasha before and didn't tell us?"
"Oyakata-sama asked him to follow the slayer who was going rogue and doing random missions," Tengen explained, "It was a few years back, when you both didn't even reach Hinoto rank, I think?"
"That's way back," Hitoshi frowned as he commented, "I mean, you are talking about a good three-four years here. Are you sure it was her?"
"She took my missions, of course, I'm sure!" Tengen huffed, "In fact, she had been messing with many slayers' missions — which wasn't exactly bad, but it did confuse us a fucking lot when we reached and there were no demon occurrences."
"That's why Oyakata-sama had asked us Hashiras to look out for the rogue slayer!" Kyojuro added his own part, "But he soon told us to stop — we thought it was because the issue was resolved, but it seems it was because Tomioka was told to keep an eye on her instead!"
"She had been the most active in his area, after all." Tengen explained, making the twins almost shake their head in unison as disbelief rolled from them in waves.
"I can't believe that idiot was doing this for so long," Hiroshi grumbled, "That's why she was so confident at the meeting about her solo mission."
"Mmhm! Unfortunately, she said she didn't get much information on Kibutsuji beyond his disappearance when I asked her about it!" That made both the twins sigh while Hiroshi went as far as to rub his forehead.
"I wonder how widespread her network is," Tengen absent-mindedly added as his eyes focused on the twins, "I mean, for her to know where even was Kibutsuji, she sure must have had a very extensive network!"
"...that sounds more worrying than it should be." Hiroshi shook his head as he got up from his leaning position on the wall, "I'm leaving; I need to clear my mind before I visit her."
And with that abrupt sentence, Hiroshi left — leaving his twin to do the properly farewell and follow after him as both Kinomiya went out to clear their heads.
"How is she doing, anyway?" Tengen asked Kamado once the twins left, "She didn't wake up yet?"
"No," Kamado answered truthfully, his shoulder sagging as a guilty expression crossed his features, "Aneki... her health is better but she hasn't woken up, yet. Shinobu-san isn't sure if she—"
"Keep your hopes high, Kamado!" Kyojuro cut his negative line of thought, his eyes softening as he felt exactly what he was going through at the moment, "Giving up would do no good, my boy. I believe Sarota wouldn't want you to feel so down or guilty for her condition, either!"
"Hai, Rengoku-aniki," Kamado nodded, though his expression was still one stricken with guilt, "I just, I felt like I couldn't do anything there to help. My eyes couldn't even follow the speed you three were fighting at!"
"That's 'cause you're not experienced," Tengen replied before Kyojuro could, drawing their attention to himself as he got up from the bed and lightly patted both the males' shoulders, "We Hashiras learned through a lot of work, kid. If you want to be as flamboyant as us, practice and work! Guilt has no place in greatness!"
"Tengen is right! Guilt wouldn't help you learn and improve! Only your determination to help would so chin up, my boy!"
"Exactly," the Sound Hashira agreed before he stepped off and turned to the door, "Anyway, I have to leave! I'll sneak in that sake again when I come back to check you, Kyojuro!"
"B-But," Kamado stuttered as Tengen strolled past him to the door, "Isn't that unhealthy in your condition!?"
"Nothing is unhealthy when you can drink as flamboyantly as me!" Tengen laughed as he clapped a hand on the back of the young slayer, making him buckle from the suddenness of it, "And Kyojuro can!"
Kyojuro laughed as he watched the two interact — Tengen leaving Kamado confused and very worried was something he found much amusement in.
"Rengoku-aniki, please tell me you're not drinking in this condition!"
It was about three days later when Rengoku heard about Sarota's condition again.
After the urgent Hashira meeting in his medical room, most of the Hashiras either wrote to him or visited him — especially Kanroji, the Kinomiya twins, Kocho, and surprisingly enough, Tomioka.
Although Tomioka visited quite less than the others, he still stayed and sometimes chatted with him. It was very interesting to hear him talk about his missions and Sarota's condition in his quiet voice.
Despite all the excitement since the day of his last mission, Kyojuro felt a very strange sense of unease surround him — something that he couldn't quite decipher even when he talked about with his Kohai, Kanroji.
Was it worry? Or was it his guilt acting up again?
He was wondering about all this in the evening, his mind again wandering back to Sarota and her lack of consciousness when he noticed the commotion happening outside his room.
He heard a few of the Kakushis rush through the hallway, making him curious as he thought he even heard Kocho's voice saying something to them.
Was someone injured? Or did... or did Sarota finally wake up?
He waited patiently with an odd sense of excitement that rose in him with his hopeful thinking — in fact, he was thankful he waited since the chaos took some time to die down and once it did, Kocho came in with his medicines and the news of you waking up.
"That's really great news!" Kyojuro couldn't help but proclaim, his smile stretching ear to ear as his chest felt lighter than it did in days, "Did someone tell Kinomiya about it yet?"
"Oh, they were there when Miyasha-san woke up," Kocho answered softly, a small smile playing on her lips as she continued, "Everyone is so relieved that she finally gained consciousness! Even Tanjiro-kun and his sister went to visit her, but she fell asleep before they could greet her."
"Oh? Is she sleeping for now?"
"Hai," Kocho handed him a glass of water along with his medicines, "The medicines I gave her makes people sleepy when taken, so there's no surprise."
"Ume! Her body is still recovering! She should sleep as much as she can!" Kyojuro immediately drank his medicine — it was of a very peculiar taste, but not as worse as the one he was given for the past few days, "Say, Kocho! Is this a new medicine?"
"Mm?" She turned to him before smiling and nodding, "Hai, it's one of the medicines Miyasha-san taught me the recipe of. She said it heals faster and is very rich in iron."
Kyojuro blinked in surprise; for a second, he actually forgot that Sarota was a travelling doctor rather than just a slayer.
"That's amazing! You and Sarota are incredible!"
He watched as Kocho chuckled, both of them feeling rather relieved now that Miyasha woke up. No one died in the encounter with an Upper Moon and it was a victory that no one expected but needed all the same.
Kocho thanked him and stepped up to leave the room before he called her name, making her turn to him from the door.
"Did Sarota say something when she woke up?" He asked after a little hesitation, his mind going back to when she was whimpering in his arms in a language he wasn't exactly familiar with.
"Oh?" He watched as Kocho tilted her head, her eyes observing him as she answered, "I'm afraid she didn't say much; she woke up for only a few minutes before she went back to sleep. Although, she did ask if you and the younger slayers were okay."
"Me?" It surprised and strangely made him feel warm at the same time that he was one of the first things she asked about as soon as she woke up, "That's... That's very unexpected!"
"Indeed," Kocho smiled, "Anything else you wanted to ask, Rengoku-san?"
"Yes!" He immediately piped up, taking his chance to ask if he could see her whenever she woke up next time.
It was the next morning when he heard she woke up again, making him determined enough to get off his bed to go meet her. Well, try to get off since with his injuries and the thick bandages, it sure was difficult to even maintain his balance properly.
That, and the fact Kocho and the twin-tailed girl found him struggling made it difficult for him to leave his room as he got an earful of scolding from the blue-eyed young slayer.
"Hai!" He non-committedly replied, making the young slayer look back to the Insect Hashira in exasperation, "Can I visit Sarota now?"
He watched merrily as Kocho shook her head at his antics, "Hai, Rengoku-san. Just give us a few minutes, and we'll guide you to her room~"
And while he waited for them to help him to Sarota's room, his mind wandered back to his previous thought of whether she would fault him for her injuries.
He knew it was stupid — he had chatted with the female slayer enough to know that she was not the type to blame others. However, he still couldn't get that thought out of his mind — even when they almost reached her room that was right across his own.
"Hey! I'm not dead, yet—" Kyojuro heard Sarota's voice before they even opened the door, making him wonder who she was talking to.
"Yet?!" Oh, Hitoshi! Looks like the twins visited her as soon as she woke up — did they even leave in the first place?
"Yes, because I'm alive."
"Thank you for that." He heard Hiroshi's dry comeback as they reached the door.
"You're welcome!" Was the reply they heard before the door opened, their eyes widening as they noticed Hiroshi smacking the blindfolded girl lightly over the head.
"Hiroshi!" His twin yelled before Kocho cleared her throat beside him.
"Please try not to injure Miyasha-san more than she already is." She calmly relayed, making the twins look at her offended.
However, before they could say anything back, Miyasha's breath hitched as she turned directly towards where he and Kocho were standing.
"Ren-Reongoku-san?" She quietly breathed his name out, "I'm so glad you are okay..." The way she said it struck his heart in such a way that it stunned him.
"H-Hai!" He forced out a laugh to cover his stuttering, wondering how it came to be that she was happy about him being okay while he didn't even ask how she was feeling, "I'm feeling alright, Sarota! How are your injuries?"
"Eh, they are alright, I guess?" He watched her shrug as Hitoshi stepped up towards him and Kocho to help him settle down, "The most that troubles me is the constant itch and burning I feel on my skin. I swear, it's like I still have demon blood all over my cuts that I don't even know how I got!"
Kyojuro watched amusingly as the female ranted about her small cuts and injuries rather than the very obvious one, her irritation dripping heavily from her voice while the twins looked rather bemused and amused at the same time.
"And that's why we don't go looking for trouble," Hitoshi quipped, his posture way more relaxed than Kyojuro had seen in days.
"First of all," He found it cute how despite a major portion of her face being covered, she still managed to portray her emotions quite well with how expressively her face twisted, "I didn't go looking for trouble!"
"You went to visit a Hashira who was on a mission unauthorized—"
"And second of all!" She loudly interrupted as she adjusted her sitting position to 'look' at the older twin who was sitting at the left bedside chair while Rengoku occupied the right one, "I'm not looking anywhere now, so."
The flat expression the twins gave her made him burst out in laughter.
"Are you seriously joking about your injury?!" Hitoshi asked in absolute bewilderment, making the injured girl grin cheekily.
"Why not? I mean, judging by Rengoku-san's laugh, it was funny too!"
"May God help this girl." Everyone shared a laugh at Hitoshi's misery, releasing the tense feeling right out of everyone's system.
"I need sleep, not God." Sarota boldly replied, scowling as she turned to the twins, "And you two are not letting me do that! It's still too early for anything!"
"It's eight in the morning, Miyasha-san," Kocho quipped, her voice laced with amusement at the injured female's antics, "And you need to have your medicines, too."
"Cruel," Sarota sulked, making Kyojuro chuckle, "Every single one of you are cruel!"
"But Sarota," he started, his smile stretching further as he teased her, "I didn't do anything yet!"
"But you're laughing at me~" she stretched the last word into several syllables before huffing, "Have some sympathy!"
"We don't have sympathy for idiots in Demon Slayer Corps." Hiroshi deadpanned, making Kocho laugh out loud while the other female sputtered in offense.
"Hey—!" Sarota was, however, interrupted when the door opened, making her freeze as three figures called her name and jumped in to hug her.
"Miyasha-aneki!"
"Boys." Sarota laughed breathily as she hugged Agatsuma, who was literally at her lap, hugging her.
Kamado was just behind him, hugging her arms while Hashibira jumped above the two, barrelling into Sarota who laughed even louder. Kocho, on the other hand, wasn't amused as she tried to calm the chaos that was taking place.
The twins and Kyojuro, however, were too busy laughing to actually help the older girl in her endeavour.
It took Kocho a good few minutes to make everyone settled down, the twin-tailed girl helping her midway through as their ruckus' noise reached out in the hallways.
"Hey, hey, hey," He heard Sarota softly mutter as she patted the younger slayers and their demon companion who refused to budge from her lap, "I'm fine, dearie. Trust me—"
"I thought you'll never wake up!" Agatsuma blurted out, making almost everyone in the room stiffen with the truth behind his words, "I-I—"
"Hush, my child," Sarota tugged the crying blonde slayer into her arms and placed her chin over his head as she caressed him to calmness, "I'm here for you — don't worry, I'm not dying that easily. Also, I'm awake now, yeah?"
"That doesn't mean there wasn't a high chance of you dying, though." Hiroshi mumbled as he watched the young slayer still hugging the injured female, his voice ringing clear in the silent room, "What you did there was very reckless, Miyasha."
"And yet I'm not dead," The injured female pointed out, her posture somewhat relaxed yet even Kyojuro could see that she was forcing herself to remain calm because of the kids around her currently.
"By a sheer amount of luck, that you have no hand in — is that how you fight all your battles?" Hitoshi bit out sharply, making Kyojuro frown as he didn't exactly approve of his way of approaching the topic.
As an elder brother and (former) Hashira himself, he knew pretty well how this whole incident must have made them feel — helpless, afraid, and extremely wary. But he personally thought this indirect way of approach was not a good one that the twins were taking.
"I—" Sarota turned to reply but was interrupted by Kamado, who shouted rather loudly.
"It's not Aneki's fault!" Kamado's words made a hush fall over the occupants of the room, "I... I should have done something to help her! But... But I wasn't..."
"Kamado," Kyojuro immediately interrupted, hating the depreciating and rather negative tone the boy had taken for himself, "You fought the demon train rather flamboyantly if I say so myself! And you were already injured when the Upper Moon appeared! Your fighting wouldn't have benefited anyone!"
"Exactly," Kyojuro watched as Sarota reached out to pat down the burgundy-haired slayer who was sitting on her right-hand side, "Your involvement has nothing to do with mine, Jiro-kun. Not to mention, it wouldn't have been safe for you to even try to intervene."
He watched as her smile stretched into a bigger one as the young slayer clearly leaned towards her for more of her touch.
"But it was safer for you to intervene?" Hitoshi asked, a frown highlighting his face, "That demon... He was an Upper Demon Moon, Miya! You just barely even started and just — what were you thinking?!"
"That Rengoku-san promised no one would die in that mission," came her instant reply, making Kyojuro blink in surprise as she continued without the knowledge of how surprised everyone in the room felt at her words, "And that I was going to make sure he included himself in it."
A laugh bubbled out of Kyojuro at the unexpected answer, making everyone in the room look at him strangely while he couldn't stop laughing at the very irony of that statement. It was almost too ironic how she made good of a promise that he made — how ironic was it that, in the end, it was her who made him feel like he almost failed his promise and perhaps, his mother?
And how ironic was it that he felt somewhat envious of the very familiar strength she held in her eyes and her words that he felt he could never achieve?
"Sarota-san!" He finally managed to call out her name after laughing for a couple of seconds, his thoughts still revolving around how much she was similar to his mother — or maybe, it was her strength that was so familiar to him? "He was a Demon Moon! I assure you I would have been able to handle him well on my own!"
He watched silently as she shook her head, "I have no doubt that you would have handled well — don't get me wrong, Rengoku-san," her expression darkened as she explained, "I have no doubt in your abilities but... I simply didn't trust that demon. His presence there was very unexpected considering Demon Moons do not usually work together unless asked by a certain someone."
Everyone stared at the injured girl as she turned towards her hands in her lap despite her sightlessness, "And while I have no doubt about your abilities, I didn't trust Muzan and his frisky decisions. Not to mention, we both did work on protecting the citizens on the train for hours. That must have taken a toll on you; especially considering you were cutting them down while I just used my blood."
"...It was still very reckless." Hiroshi finally commented after a beat of silence, "You almost died from that, Miyasha. And your sight—"
"—is only temporarily gone." Sarota raised an eyebrow at the general direction of the twins, "And even if it is permanently damaged, I think my ability to sense aura would aid me well in detecting demons."
Kyojuro observed as the Kinomiya twins stiffened, knowing full well the turmoil of emotions they were going through. And while he very well wanted to help them and advice how to approach this whole issue, he knew very well how they would rather avoid talking to anyone about it — maybe, except their Kohai.
After all, despite how open they seemed, they were rather private and closed off about some things that they only allowed the female laying on the bed in front of them privy to — a fact that made them seem rather... closed off as if living in their own reality.
Maybe that reality came with being twins?
"You are not going back to demon-slaying again." Hiroshi suddenly claimed, making Kyojuro blink at the very authoritative tone he suddenly took.
However, Sarota did not take it well as she looked at him in disbelief, "That's not for you to decide!"
Kyojuro absent-mindedly noticed how the younger slayers were now slowly detaching themselves from the injured female as they tried to give her space to sort things out.
"As a Hashira, it very well can be." Hitoshi backed his brother, his expression slacking once he noticed the female's distraught face, "Look, it's for your—"
"It's not!" Everyone in the room jumped as she yelled unexpectedly, "I'm fine and I will be fine, how many times do I need to tell you that?!"
"Mi—"
"Didn't you want me to be a demon slayer in the first place?! Then why the hell do you keep trying to get me off from it!"
"Miyasha, it was years ago—"
"It doesn't matter," he watched as the girl snapped, her whole body becoming rigid for the time first time upon their arrival, "Let me get this fact very straight — it's my body and my life. If I want to continue as a slayer, I will!"
"Even if it causes your death?!" Hiroshi snapped, causing Kyojuro's eyes to widen as it was the first time he ever heard the quieter twin being this loud.
Kyojuro almost went to intervene before a hand on his shoulder stopped him from doing so.
Kocho looked down at him and Kamado, who had stood up from his position on the bed and was now standing beside his own chair, her eyes darkening slightly as she shook her head at both the males.
"Isn't that the motto of Demon Slayer Corps?" Sarota's levelled voice pulled Kyojuro back into the conversation, "Isn't that what is expected when you go out on every mission?"
"Miyasha... you need to understand—"
"No," she shook her head strongly, "You need to understand this, Hiro-senpai, Toshi-senpai. I am a dokuchi — Even if I'm not a slayer, I still would be hunted down by the demons, if not the Demon Moons, because of my blood. It's very naive of you to think I'll be safe if I'm not in the Corps or not in the frontlines because I'm not."
It was quiet as her words sank in everyone's mind, the twins' expression turning unreadable for Kyojuro as he observed them.
He honestly understood the twins' sentiment over Sarota's apparent dismissal over such grave injuries but restricting her completely like this was not something he personally approved. And although he agreed with their point of her intervention being rather thoughtless and reckless, he couldn't disagree with the fact that he most likely wouldn't have been standing here if it wasn't for her either.
"I'm honestly born for this, senpai." Sarota broke the silence that her words had left the room in, "My blood, my body — it was for demon annihilation. I know why you are worried but... It's no use."
"We know that." Hiroshi quietly replied, his eyes meeting his twin's before he continued, "But that doesn't mean you being so reckless and idiotic helps it either."
A smile tugged at his lips as he watched the injured female sputter, making the whole atmosphere lighter as she intentionally took the very obvious bait.
"How dare— That's very rich coming from you two!" She accusingly pointed in the general direction of twins but since her eyes were still wrapped, her angle was a little off — making Hitoshi cheekily grab her finger to correct it.
Sarota looked exasperated with them as she slapped his hand away and scowled, "Oh, you cheeky bastards! I'm so bloody glad I don't have to see your shit faces—"
"Aneki!"
"Mi-Miyasha! A girl shouldn't use such language!"
It was very funny how fast the room erupted in chaos again — this time with his and Hiroshi's laughter mixed in the whole ruckus as Sarota looked very unamused at the two different scolding voices being directed towards her from both Hitoshi and Kamado.
"Get out of my room, every single one of you!"
Kyojuro sighed silently once his back hit the bed, his eyes closing on their own violation as a strange exhaustion took over his body.
Today had been emotionally exhausting, strangely enough.
"Thank you for helping me walk to my room, Hitoshi, Kocho!" He thanked the two loudly as he forced himself to stay awake and straighten up.
"No issues, my friend!" The Snow Hashira clapped his uninjured shoulder, the bright smile on his face widening as he continued, "It was my pleasure to help! And thanks to you too for visiting Miyasha — it meant a lot to us that you visited despite your injuries."
Kyojuro laughed merrily at his friend's politeness, thanking him back once again before the male Hashira left. Now it was only Kocho and him in the room as the former prepared his medicines and change of bandages.
"Thank you for not saying anything when I asked you not to." Kocho started once she was sure the elder twin was out of earshot, "I didn't want them to be interrupted."
"Interrupted?" Kyojuro asked bluntly despite know what she was hinting at.
"Yes, interrupted." She handed him his cup of medicine, her eyes oddly narrowed, "Kinomiya-san... they don't usually open up when they don't like something. It's only with Miyasha-san that I've seen them being so vocal and yet..."
"It's difficult to make them actually address the issue?" Kyojuro helpfully provided, a wry smile emerging on his lips as he continued with his own explanation, "I think it's because they are very comfortable with one another! So much so that they don't know how to address their emotions to other people than themselves!"
"That... might be so." Kocho shook her head as she gestured him to drink his medicine, "It's quite sad that it's only Miyasha-san they open to but even she is not quite sure of their intentions."
"Ume!" He handed her back the medicine as she instantly gave him a glass of water to wash out the aftertaste, "Can't say I can fault her! They are very vague with their thoughts, after all!"
He watched her sigh before she replied, "And that is where the problem arises, doesn't it? Miyasha-san, in the end, isn't a mind reader as the twins' must have been unintentionally treating her as."
"Ume! All the need to do is talk with each other about it!"
"Oh, Rengoku-san, I don't think that would do much good unless they actually learn how to state their feelings properly." Kocho pointed out bluntly, making Kyojuro nod in agreement.
Maybe all they did need was to sit and talk it out — and while Kocho was right about her assessment that nothing would actually solve the issue until the twins come forth with their emotions, Kyojuro wondered if they themselves realized the issue at heart.
After all, while Hitoshi was loud and more expressive than his younger twin, he didn't seem to prefer confrontation — meanwhile, Hiroshi was too sharp and direct, confronting matters in a way of attacking that might sound offensive to anyone who didn't know them.
Even Sarota seemed offended halfway through the conversation, making him wonder if he could push her a little bit in the right direction. However, the question of whether it was even his place to intervene popped up in his mind again as Kocho kept changing the bandages on his shoulder.
"Say Kocho," Kyojuro started as his eyes shifted to her hands working on his shoulder, "Do you think Sarota will...?"
He watched as her eyes focused on him for a few seconds before they shifted back to the task at hand, "Will what, Rengoku-san?"
Kyojuro wondered for a second if he should ask about this or not, "Do you think their issue would resolve before anything drastic happens?"
"...I hope so, at least."
Well, Kyojuro hoped so as well, but how Sarota avoided continuing the conversation by taking the very obvious bait they provided made him think otherwise.
"Well," he absent-mindedly looked at Kocho as she continued, "I think it may be the best if we leave it to them! It isn't our place to say anything anyway~"
And while Kyojuro absolutely agreed with that, he somehow felt there was something he was missing between the three of them — something that oddly made his mind wander back to Sarota again and again.
And that wasn't even his attraction to her speaking.
However, what it was he didn't know for now — and while his mind was stuck at the currently injured girl, he sincerely hoped she gets well soon.
Heya!
Yeah, I'm not dead, and sorry for the lack of updates for the past few months. The assignments and exams crept on me silently and while I dealt with them, internships laid the final blow to kill me completely.
Anyhoo~ here's Kyojuro's POV! Many of the readers guessed right in the right chapter and I hope I did him justice in this one!
The manga has very low screentime for our beloved Sunshine, so I slightly gave a twist of my own to him! I tried to not make him too OOC, but I really wanted to give him more depth than the manga portrays.
Also, I'm not really sure when I'll be uploading next - though, rest assured, I ain't giving up on this fanfic. I enjoy writing fluff a lil too much to give that up.
Also, lots of incoming fluff and angst coming, so be ready ;)
》Taishou Secrets《
Miyasha has many hobbies; though, most of them revolve around cooking and making medicines. She has a talent for sewing and playing the Koto, but had given them up since she left the brothel.
Now, onto the review replies—
Kayumeee: Hey! Don't call our poor girl out on her name-calling skills xD And yeah, you are probably right, lol. And well, her blood is thicker than normal blood, so it makes her easier to that... sprinkling motion? And yes, I approve you imagining that Catholic sprinkle cause our girl sure was aggressive while doing it xD
ren kageoshi: I absolutely agree! She gets her ass hurt everywhere and even I'm tired of it, lol. And don't worry, she ain't gonna die this soon ;)
MehScrewIt: I'm glad you liked the fight! It was a mess when I was working on it and the number of times I had to read Rengoku dying was torture TwT And yeah, the twins are so waiting to chew her out, lol
Procrastinatingismyforte: Awwie, your review honestly made me smile so hard TwT I'm glad you liked the story so far and I'm so sorry for the late updates! I hope you enjoy this chapter tho!
Guest: I so feel ya even tho I was the one writing that fight, lol. And I hope your questions were answered in this chapter! I'll explain her injuries in a more detailed way at a later date, but I hope this chapter does a good job of getting the basics clear!
JustSk8n: Awwie, I'm so glad you liked this fanfic so far! Thank you so much for giving this lil story a chance and I hope you get some more good reading out there with kny fanfics!
GiyuuWife: Aw, thank you so much! I really hope this chapter soothes your heart after the movie — and I'm so sorry for the late update!
Guest2: I absolutely get where you are coming from, tbh — Miyasha very well may seem bipolar to many due to how frequently it seems that she changes her mind, but if you think about it then it just seems like that to us because we are reading her views of YEARS in a span of minutes through a few hundred words. She is not bipolar, but rather confused, scared, and a rather big hypocrite that even she agrees with, lol. Also, I don't know what kind of reincarnated fanfics you have been reading, dearie, but do know that being reborn is no less of a trauma, and Miyasha's reaction to it being more severe than losing her second family she wasn't even much attached to it is completely valid. Also, different people deal with emotions differently!
Tsuki: I'm so sorry for the lack of updates for the past few months :( and I really hope this chapter answers at least a few of your questions for now till I get to the next ones!
Light Seeker 001: I'm really glad you liked the fanfic so far as well as our paranoid girl over here! And I absolutely agree — her trying to 'stay in character' is very ironic, lol
Hoot58: Aw, thank you so much for reviewing and I'm so glad you liked the fanfic! I won't spoil you much about her injuries, but there are sure some Giyuu fluff coming soon ;)
fashionroar13: awwie, I'm so sorry for the late update TwT I don't exactly have a schedule (unfortunately) since whenever I try to make one, life messes it up. However, I hope you enjoy this chapter and I'm so sorry for the wait!
natonatonii: Jaysus, the echolocation part made me imagine her as a bat and now I'm dying xD Thankfully enough, our girl here is more in tune with her aura-sensing abilities, so she currently planning on relying on those — but with how shitty she is with them currently, who knows! And I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! I hope this one turns out as well as the last, lol
Cadmus8: Ooh, I think I need to note the Indian food introduction down for my future plans — the only issue with that would be the absence of spices. Dude, let's see. Also, you guessed her weapons spot on, lol. And yeah, her involvement was one of the main reasons the twins ended up as Hashiras — also one of her main regrets cause she's scared that they'll die.
starrat: I'm really glad you liked the fanfic so far! And I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!
ObservantMushroom: Can't say if she's blind or not for now, but yes! Aura vision all the way!
jadeisa31: Oh, hello hello! Thank you so much for giving my fanfic a change and it's so cool that people from France are reading my fanfic xD I hope you enjoy this chapter!
And that'll be all for this chapter! Thank you so much for your kind and SO MANY reviews! Istg, y'all spoil me so much TwT
Please review this one as well if you want to— I love reading from you guys, and honestly, it motivates me like no other ^^
Stay safe and stay healthy!