It was late afternoon at the Flame Mansion, and the youngest of the Rengoku; Senjuro, stood out in the courtyard, striking the air over and over with a mere practice Katana. For some reason, the show of Higashikata's strange new ability had invigorated him. He had nearly given up all hope when the couldn't match the standards of his brother, nor live up to the expectations of his father. But now; knowing that there were other methods out there than just the art of Breathing Techniques... he wondered- no, he dreamed that; perhaps he could find a way to live up to what everybody asked of him.

With a final strike, Senjuro halts his swings- face firm with tension now releasing into that innocent and, at times; timid expression. A sigh escapes him when he wipes the sweat from his brow; not entirely too sure on how he was to acquire such power for himself... Maybe it was just wishful thinking, he knew that he wasn't strong enough to carry on the name of 'Flame Hashira', so he had given up trying- Yet even so.. he continued to practice and push himself.

Senjuro wanted to help as much as he could - but it had been nothing but struggles ever since his Final Selection. He barely made it through those seven nights; and to the scorn of his father, he felt weak for even trying to attempt a feat as succeeding Kyoujuro. Was there truly no way he could overcome this hurdle in his life? There was little point complaining about it now, sometimes you just had to be happy with what life gave it. It was fun to dream, but at the end of the day- that's all it was... a dream.

"Senjuro! Your form is absolutely excellent today!"

"H-Huh..? A-Anuie?! T-Thank you...!" It was his older brother, the infamous Flame Hashira, having returned from a mission of his own. It was quite a feat to be sure; seeing as it only took Kyoujuro a little less than two days to complete his assigned mission. For now? He was just awaiting his next one, So he figured he'd spend the time back home,

"Come! Have some food with me!" They're always the cheerful one, just as bright as the fire they represented. And even more welcoming to the younger sibling, showing a true feeling of brotherly love as Kyoujuro slapped a hand on the younger Rengoku's shoulder, guiding him off to the dining room with; as usual, a large grin on their face.

They had food prepared for them, a delicious settling of Katsu Chicken with a bowl of nice fluffy rice texturing beneath. The covering of the meet had been slewed in a nice white glaze of kewpie mayonnaise that was, in itself; mouth-watering to say the least. The two brothers sat across from each other, enjoying the solitude of their settled rest. It was no surprise that when Kyoujuro took a piece of that delicious chicken into his mouth with a crunching chomp, he'd exclaim with pure joy.

"UMAI!"

Senjuro smiled with the tilt of his head, just happy enough to spend this time with his brother. There were times when the younger of the two would not see the elder sibling for weeks on end. Of course, it worried him, but he had seen Kyoujuro's strength first hand; he didn't think that there was a single Demon alive that could best his brother. The Flame Hashira; to Senjuro? Was the strongest of them all.

"S-...So! ...How long are you going to be home, Anuie?"

"Huh! I have no idea! I think that the Corps had not the slightest idea I would finish my assignment so quickly!" They interrupt themselves with another mouthful crunch of that crisp chicken, munching away with a bright beaming grin, quick to swallow and follow up with, yet another; "...UMAI!"

"Do.. Do you think that maybe you could teach m-"

They're interrupted, abruptly and quite rudely as well; by the clattering smash of pottery from another room. The look on both of their faces changed, to varying looks though. Senjuro was, to a degree, uncomfortable. He knew what that sound meant, he also knew what they were quick to deal with following such an act.

Kyoujuro however, his face had turned into a firm scowl, swinging his glance in the opposite direction, a clear emotion of irritation- It's obvious that they weren't too pleased now; enjoying the short time they could spend with Senjuro. It's an older male, sharing a large striking resemblance between the two brothers. This must have been their father; though the state he was in was clear to show how different he compared when coming to his children.

The moment wasn't long-lasting- The Father was merely passing through the room, on his way in the search for some more liquor to drown his troubles. He stunk of alcohol, the entire of his robing was just an ungathered mess too, all too obvious that he showed little consideration of his appearance anymore.

It falls quiet, the sound of Shinjuro, their elder; fading from the hallway, not even sharing their offspring a single note. No, it was all too obvious that their relationship was strained, perhaps even fractured.

"...AH! I ALMOST FORGOT!" as quickly as it had changed, it reverted back to a loud blurt from Kyojuro, dropping his chopsticks to the table with a bountiful clatter. It looked as if he was searching for something now, rummaging around in his robe and Haori for something he obtained, a gift; actually.

"Tengen-san showed me this! Higashikata-san left it here! We were going to return it to him, but I think that it must have slipped our thoughts with all of the commotions! Here, you should hold onto it." In the Flame Hashira's hand, was the very same arrowhead that had been produced at their previous Hashira meeting, concerning the young Josuke. A part of his effects

it was forced into his palm, examining it with a look of awe "H-Hm..? It looks like a lot of work went into this... Is it jewelry?.. W-Wait! sure I should-"

"Of course! You're always so careful with how you take care of your things, I don't think anybody else could have such a grand assignment than my younger brother!" Senjuro didn't seem to have much choice in the matter. Yes, he technically DID, but he wasn't about to refuse the responsibility of aiding his brother with such a small matter.

"H-Hai! I'll make sure to keep it safe until I see Higashikata-san again." Senjuro's glad that; now, there was a reason for him to meet the towering teen again; hopefully on much better terms than before.

"KAWWWH! KAWWWWH!" What's that? It's a crow, a Kasugai crow to be exact. They were given to each Slayer; as a form of communication between the corpsman. This was Kaname, the companion assigned to the Flame Hashira... it looks like they had another assignment for Kyojuro, just in time too! He had completely finished his food with prattle of spouting 'UMAI'

"Kaname-san..!"

"KAWWWWH! YOU HAVE A NEW ASSIGNMENT IN THE TOWN OF KUZUTOKA! PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY THERE AT ONCE, FLAME HASHIRA! KAAAWWWWH!" These types of crows were trained to speak; it's how they delivered their important notices. It's not as if Telephones weren't a thing, but the Cellphone wouldn't be around for at least another seventy years. Besides, Telephones were only situated in Government Buildings and Police Stations- very expensive, and sadly the Corps preferred to use the Crows due to their reliability.

"Well! It looks like I have to head out again-"

"I'll walk you to the village! I have to get a few things there anyway" spiked Senjuro, reaching for a nearby wicker basket backpack and slinging it over his shoulders. In all honesty, he just wanted to get out of the house- it was suffocating sitting around doing nothing but menial chores.

"Oh? Well, I don't mind the company, Haha!" And Kyujuro could sense that as well. He wished he could help his brother in some capacity, always going out of his way to show his softest of sides to his sibling. He couldn't begin to imagine how hard it must have felt to have a dream, and for that dream to be taken from you. To feel so helpless and weak... Kyujuro knew how much it pained Senjuro.

The younger of the two wanted nothing more than to be like his brother; the Flame Pillar. To him, Kyojuro was a firm example all Slayers should live up to, strong and bright without even the slightest of fear. But there was just no changing how everything had fallen into place. Sure, he had passed the Final Selection before and was truly on his way to becoming a member of the corps himself. Yet, when it came time for him to wield his Nichirin Katana, the color refused to change, signifying that he had little potential to actually take up the role. It was such a disappointment... not only to him but to his father, who wasn't light on the distaste he had for such a weak member of his bloodline. He may not have been as cruel as to beat the youngest of his kin, but he didn't show him the slightest form of respect either.

It was a constant battle for the young Rengoku, searching for some small semblance of hope that would rest his soul. He wanted the chance to help- but everything he tried seemed so mundane and simple. He wished so desperate to have the strength to fight; always checking his weapon each night in the hopes that it color would brighten. He was always left in despair, always crushed under the weight that he had reached the peak of his potential and would advance no further. The two brothers were silent- Senjuro's brows firm in thought, watching the pacing steps he took, as his brother; Kyojuro; was mulling over anything that could at least brighten his spirits.

But it was fruitless, their entire journey seemed so dull and quiet; as if one wanted to say something to the other but they just couldn't find the words. It was painful to watch, awkward even. And when the time came for the two to part, finally; Kyojuro appeared to take the lead on this, trying to live up to the responsibility and offer some words of encouragement to the young boy, but he was beaten to the punch when his brother looked him right in the eye. Nothing needed to be said, The Flame Pillar could see it clear as day- it was the look of somebody that was struggling to hold back all of their emotions. Pain, Sadness, Disappointment... even hate. They wanted to let them free in an explosion of expression... but they just couldn't.

"...Senjuro, Listen-"

"Senjuro-kun! Here for some of my fresh catch?" the two were interrupted by a nearby fishmonger, It had to have been at the worst of times too, taking both brothers by surprise.

"A-Ah.. No, sorry! I'm just here for-"

"Aaaaah come on! It's top-of-the-line fish! caught this morning!" But the man didn't want to let his best customer go, even holding up one of his recent catches; a large trout.

"...I.." Senjuro hesitates. Deep down, he was grateful for the interruption. He was worried about what Kyojuro would say, frightened that he would be told to take it easy; that he had done enough to help and to let the Slayers take care of business.

"Here, I'll even give you one, on the house!" There was little time to refuse, the fish had already been wrapped up and placed in his backpack basket

"T-That's very generous of you, Utobi-san! Thank you very much! I-I'll come back soon, I promise!" But by the time Senjuro turned back to face Kyojuro, they were gone - already had they left, leaving him by the village gate, off on another crusade against whatever Demon was issued for extermination. Senjuro could do nothing but watch the fading white fluster of Kyujoru's haori flutter in the wind, their trek had begun one way, and now the young boy had to return the other.

It's a slow and far ending walk back to the mansion, already had the sun began its descent behind the distant forest peaks that littered the valley of their home. It wasn't all too bad- the fireflies were especially joyful, fluttering about the young flame-haired boy in a dancing display of glowing beauty, brightening his low mood for just a small moment of freedom from his thoughts. Their green glow lit up the shrubbery around them, the floating bundle of lights curling around his form before dispersing in a vibrant show of carelessness.

He brought himself to a nice stop, setting his things aside by a rather large rock, settling down on his knees to watch the pretty shine of the delightful insects, carrying away his painful thoughts of self-loathing, even cracking a small smile to his lips when he started to make out an abundance of shapes they were crafting for him. Why was this so calming to him? just moments ago he was having a match of emotions that left him feeling inferior - yet as he stared at the trickling brights about him; he felt a sense of... relief. It was making him so sleepy.. so tired.

More and more of those glowing insects started to appear from the shrubbery, an unusual abundance that was coiling about the young Rengoku; eyes heavy from the hypnotic concert. Maybe he should shut his eyes, only for a moment.. it's so peaceful.. so relaxing... he shouldn't worry too much about things, in fact - he shouldn't worry about anything at all... nobody would miss him, nobody would worry for his well-being... It'd all be okay-.

Wait, what's this.. what's this feeling? That's didn't sound right... but why did it FEEL right? He had to struggle just to open his eyes again, it felt as if something was forcing him to ignore any rational thought and merely give in to the state of bliss he had been lured into. All of it was nothing more than a ruse, a quick realization hitting him at what lay before him. No more fireflies, no more swaying trees, and certainly no more moonlight; No, what stood before him was an enormous row of jagged teeth, a maw that had been slowly enclosing around him akin to a defenseless animal. The stench of iron was thick in the air- the smell of lingering blood from anyone unfortunate enough to find themselves trapped in the luring trance. If it wasn't for Senjuro's will alone, he wouldn't have even noticed the deathful embrace.

Whether it was survival instinct or a mere reaction to the dreaded realization; his body moved without his consent, folding his body down in a heavy crouch at the last possible second before a loud tooth clattering snap broke out around him. The young man wasted no time fleeing, not even bothering to grab his bundle of groceries, just flying off into a fearful sprint in any direction he could find- literally losing himself in the forest in the hopes that whatever had tried to devour him would lose their trail.

But the further he ran, the louder he could hear the sound of thundering footfalls, like a stampede of animals chasing him through the thick thicket of forest bush. He couldn't even think right now, his legs were working on their own, arms pushing and tugging fauna from his view, even a cold sweat breaking across his body. How could he have been so careless, especially at night! He wasn't some mindless civilian, he knew the dangers of the dark more than anyone! So why did he seem so easily lured in by the notion of a rest? Everybody was right, he had no right to join the ranks of the corps if he was so willing to let himself fall into such an obvious trap, he mentally slapped himself for such a mistake; still desperate to escape his pursuer

"G-GAAAH!" his leg catches a root and down he falls into a decline shrouded by foilage that tears and scrapes at his garb, He doesn't stop until the splash of water hits his face, saturated by a flowing creek that did little to soften his landing. He can still hear that approaching bundle of steps, fast trailing behind him- he couldn't think anything aside from hiding behind a near structure of rocks off to the side, curling up behind them with his arms swung around his knees, a short moment for him to gather his breath.

"CoMe OuT WhErE eVeR yOu aReEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeE~" it's like a dozen voices mushed into one, he didn't dare sneak a peek, too terrified to even attempt such a thing. He wanted to fight, he wanted to do all he could, but the very memory of the day he received his blade was still rooted firmly in his head. He felt so cursed, so conflicted. Why couldn't he be like his brother? Why was he so WEAK.

He can hear the shifting crunch of an amass of legs clattering across the river path, the water wading out of the way of what he could only assume to be a gigantic man-eating monster, currently on the hunt for its chosen choice of prey, every passing moment was more heart nerving. Senjuro was utterly terrified, unable to stop the thumping in his chest- he tried everything he could to stop it from giving him away, even raising his fingers up to his chest in a clutching grasp that tightened with every exhale.

He must've forgotten about the Arrowhead in his robe, cutting the middle of his palm on the sharpened tip by complete accident when his palm peaked at its tightening tug. It drew blood almost instantly, Senjuro reactively pulling his hand back with a hiss. The slice of his hand ejects a spray of red into the water beneath him, melting into the river's running spring. It's at that daunting moment that the clattering sound of splashing stops, an eerie silence sweeping over the cold dark night unlike anything before. Senjuro shuts his eyes tight, feeling that- perhaps if he focused entirely on a calm mind, he might be able to keep his presence hidden

It's at that inopportune moment that two curved and sharp appendages start to curl from the sides of his cover. They looked like a pair of insect mandibles but were gigantic in size. The young boy didn't even realize that he had been found, and this monster knew all too well that the anticipation of such a young human enticed a fueling drool from its hidden mouth. The brown curves halt, extending a good few inches apart before they clattered together, slicing through the rock like a knife through warm butter. Surely it was over, the game of hide and seek was over, and the Demon appeared to be the victor in this case.

But there was nothing to follow the severing of stone. No geyser of blood, not even the fumbling topple of a decapitated head sinking into the river stones. Something had forcibly stopped the death taking severing. Senjuro curves up a lid, confused as to why nothing had happened. His vision, however, is met with the sight of two floating plates, holding back the piercing mandibles within inches of his collar. They were bright and orange, glowing with some sort of radial glyph he couldn't make sense of.

"WhAt iS tHiS...?!" The Demon was in a state of confusion, just enough time for Senjuro to stumble onto his behind at the sight of this beast, the look of fear in his eyes was all too welcoming to the monster. This creature held the form of a giant centipede with a very human face embedded in the front of its carapace. Where its eyes were supposed to be; where nothing but unending voids of black; its teeth mangled and disjointed, even sticking out of the flesh of its face - if you could call it that anymore.

To the deadly predator, it saw nothing but the shivering boy, too shocked to even run - but to Senjuro, he could see a bright glowing figure standing in front of him, as small as a dog with three swaying tails. It clearly wasn't normal; the entirety of its body was in a burning orange except for its eyes which were an even brighter yellow that shined deep into the night.

The Demon had to relent, pulling itself away from Senjuro's sprawled spot. If precision and stealth were out, it'd need to resort to some sheer overpowering strength to take his prize. Its body reared up against the back number of legs beneath its form, nearly a full ten meters in height into the air at a full stand. Beneath its body, where its soft underbelly should have resided, was nothing but a dark void of gums that hid beneath an incredibly large number of sharpened fangs that twitch and articulate with an ear-deafening scream that cries deep out into the night

It dives for Senjuro who, in return, threw up his hands in clear instinctual action, unintentionally forming a much larger circle in front of him that hit the Demon with a powerful crunch against its chitin. Over and over the monster would throw its body against the cover, trying to break the invisible barrier with only small headway in the form of sharp little crackles in the glowing glyph.

He had to leave, he needed to get away before this thing ate him whole- unsure of what timely intervention had saved him from a swift death. The singular moment he thought of leaving, the small Kitsune creature darted past Senjuro, hopping into the air. It lands on a much smaller copy of the glyph, turning to him with the tilt of its head, as if it were beckoning him. This was the only chance they'd get, he could feel his arm skin tearing more and more.

Standing to his feet, he made a break for the hovering platform, clambering onto it just as the shielding plate shattered into glass-like pieces. Immediately, he felt thrown to the hard surface of the platform, beneath him - a burning flame that had exploded beneath, now launching him high up into the air. It was only a short second or two, but in that time he had already cleared most of the small ravine he was trapped in; now cluttered to the leaf cluttered floor of the forest.

The poor boy had no idea what was happening, but with the fast-thinking mind of somebody who had trained most of their life- he broke out into another sprint; eyes trained on the glowing little spirit that led him through the trees.

STAND NAME: FOX ON THE RUN

STAND USER: SENJURO RENGOKU

STAND ABILITY: A small Kitsune stand with three tails that grants the user the ability to create round glyph-like discs that take on normal physical properties. Their main function, however, is the ability to fire a stream of flame from the bottom of the sigil, creating a propulsion-like effect beneath the circular platforms

POWER: D

SPEED: C

RANGE: B

DURABILITY: B

PRECISION: C

POTENTIAL: B