Flame. It was the color of his short, jagged hair, contrasting with his blackened eyebrows and matching with his irises. It would come to be the color of his soul, but right now…
He was only just a child.
.
.
.
"Hey Kyojuro! Come on, let's go!"
The night was well into its twelfth hour when he heard the sound of a childish voice call from out his bedside window. His room was small, furnished with a small futon, cabinet and closet that held nothing but his clothes, play toys given to him on his birthday, a bokken. The boy, himself, was laying in his futon, and not particularly sleepy because this night, this specific night, was special.
"I don't have all night! Are you coming or not?!"
Her voice was muffled behind the glass and he could barely hear her, but he knew it was time. Without a sound, he silently removed himself from his futon, placing both of his pillows underneath the blanket forming a small body double. He stood to his feet, hopping over to the window and undoing the latches keeping it closed. He raised the lower half and climbed through shutting the window behind him.
The window clicked closed and he turned around, focusing on the reason he stayed up in the first place.
"There you are!"
Kyojuro's eyes fell upon the girl in front of him. Her dark red kimono partly glowed from the moon's light overhead barely revealing her grey undershirt. Messy brown strands of hair hung over her strawberry-colored eyes as she smiled playfully, hands held behind her back. He smiled back.
"You ready to go?"
"Yes! I am!"
She began to dart to the back entrance of the gate which he left open for her, and he followed close behind. Their footsteps on the gravel beneath them wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear as they made their way out of the Flame Compound. They exited, walking calmly through the night as they began to trek upwards a nearby mountain trail.
He stepped beside her, occasionally sneaking glances at her and how cheerful she looked. They were the same age and she was his only friend. His mind went back to the first time they met.
They had met a few months ago. Mother had taken him out for shopping to see one of the nearby towns and as he found himself sitting on bench waiting for her. He barely noticed someone calling out to him.
"Hey there. I uh… like your hair!" He turned and looked straight into her eyes. She was wearing the same red kimono.
"Oh…thank you!" The boy exclaimed. He never really talked with anyone outside of his family before, let alone someone his age. He was a little nervous. "I like yours too! It's pretty, like my mom's!"
She laughed at his comment, noticing how spirited he seemed. "You seem pretty cool, what's your name?"
"Kyojuro. Kyojuro Rengoku!"
"Well, nice to meet you Kyojuro!"
Their friendship blossomed. She liked how eccentric he acted towards her; he was like nobody else. For him, he just liked that he had someone to talk to besides members of his family.
As they conversed, they eventually got to know each other. It turned out that she lived in the countryside with her parents too and was close enough to visit, which she did, a lot, which his mother was very appreciative. His father, as stern as he was, didn't like as much since spending time with her interfered with his training. All in all, the more time spent over, the more he grew to like her. The more time they were together, the more it made him feel nervous just being around her, but that wasn't going to stop him.
The memory of her voice started to fade as his attention was brought back to the outside world, and the familiar voice calling out to him. It reverberated around the trunks of the trees in the forest around them.
"I can't wait for you to see it." The girl skipped over a tree branch as she shot him another smile. She promised him to show him a cool spot she found on the mountain one night; she said it was absolutely beautiful.
"Me too!" He returned.
"I'll race ya!" She began to sprint.
"Hey wait! I don't even know where to go!" Kyojuro ran after her. He weaved, running and leaping over mounds of dirt and shrubs on the path they followed. It wasn't long before she started to slow down, nearing a small clearing at the edge of a cliff.
His friend stepped out, tip toeing to the edge of and sitting on the edge. She looked back gesturing for him to come over. "Kyojuro, you gotta see this!"
He hurriedly walked over and placed himself over the edge beside her, his feet dangling the steep cliffside that dropped dozens of feet into the dark. His eyes lifted up to the sight in front of him. The night sparkled with hundreds of white lights of the distant stars, all above a landscape of hills populated by the small lights of the town where they met. The mountains rolled in the background covered in shadow. It looked absolutely beautiful.
"Wow…"
"I know right? It's something you see once in a lifetime." She leaned back onto her palms before staring up into the night. "My father said that the things you only experience once are the most important."
The flame-haired boy turned his head to her. "Really? My father never says anything like that." He crossed his arms and laid back onto the ground. "He says training is the most important."
She looked over, putting a hand on her chin. "That's because he wants you to become… what was it again? An egg-layer?"
"A Demon Slayer!" he corrected. "It's important to fight demons! To protect the weak with the gifts I was given, just like my mom said!"
She giggled, laying back with him and staring up at the stars. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm just messing with you. I'm actually a little jealous."
"What do you mean?"
She thought back to her parents still asleep. "You have something to be when you grow up. My parents told me I could be anything as long as I could live my life for it, but I have no idea what to do!" She threw her hands back.
Seconds passed as Kyojuro pondered for a moment. He lit up, speaking and catching her attention. "I know what you can do, how about you live life for yourself! In fact, we can live for each other!"
She froze slightly, her expression shifting to excitement as she shot up from the ground. "That's a great idea!" She extended her hand down towards him and he took it, pulling himself onto his feet as well.
"Let's make it a promise okay Kyojuro? I'll live my life for you, and you can live and fight demons for me!" She extended her hand again and he took it, shaking it, beaming. He was ecstatic, joyed, and something else, it was that feeling again in his stomach. Dang butterflies.
"Yeah! I promise!" He blushed a little before letting go. As he did, he heard a small crack back where they came from. His change in expression made her worry as she shifted her vision to the same place. From the tree line only a dozen feet away was a slow stepping person hunched over with their hair covering their face. To her it looked as the man was tired or sick, but Kyojuro knew they weren't. The blood, the fangs, it gave it away. They were a demon. He instinctually got in front of his friend; arms outstretched.
"Get behind me! It's a demon!" His shout made her flinch as she followed his instructions and crouched behind him, cowering slightly. He reached to his side only to realize he didn't bring any weapon with him. His eyes went to the ground as he saw a decently sized stick and held it the best he could in front of him. He braced as the demon charged.
"FLEEESSSSSH!..." The demonic scream rocked the two of them as the demon leaped at the boy, mouth open. With both hands, he moved the stick in between its fangs as it pushed him to the ground.
Kyojuro struggled as he tried to fight back, unable to match the demon's strength as its claws started to rake into his arms causing them to bleed. He turned to the girl behind him inches away from the cliff shaking with fear. "You need to get out of here!"
He could see her stand, her entire form standing still, unmoving, wondering why. When she spoke, he knew. "How can you forget already?! I promised you!"
In an instant, she saw her ram her entire body into the demon over him, pushing it off of him. Once she made contact, she tripped over her friend and landed beside him. It took a moment for him to recover, seeing his friend get to her knees, panting.
They locked eyes; a fiery determination is all he saw as he stared into her soul. Time slowed as the world went still only for a moment.
"I promised you Kyo-"
It happened too fast. He didn't realize how close they were to the edge. All he could do was watch in terror, fear-ridden panic as the demon tackled her body to the side, plunging her and itself, straight off the cliffside.
He tried. He reached out and jumped, his hand reaching for hers as he tried to grab onto her hand as she fell back with it, but he wasn't fast enough. He skidded to the edge, aimlessly following her fall deep, into the dark.
He screamed, wailed, howled at the top of his lungs which echoed into the night. She was his only friend and she was taken away, right in front of his eyes. The pain started to tear into him as she disappeared below. Something he'll never forget. It was a demon, a man-eating demon, the whole reason he would never see her again, never talk to her again, never see her smile, or ever hold up his promise to her.
It shattered something directly in his soul, and eventually come to define a part of himself. And his pain manifested into a single word. Her name.
"MUUUKAGOOOOOO!"
()()()()()()()()()()()
As the light of the morning sun peered through the open doorway, Tanjirou put his arm through the hole of his freshly cleaned, green and black haori and donned it completely. Set in his brown demon slayer uniform, his iconic haori, and the cyan scarf around his neck partly stained at a certain part to mask a particular reoccurring wound, he stepped out into the front yard of the Butterfly Mansion. His eyes and ears adjusted to the light and commotion of several people already present and ready to set out on their next mission.
Zenitsu and Inosuke were standing side by side in their usual attire, facing the small set of girls known as the butterfly trio, engaging in conversation with them. Tanjirou smiled as he casually stepped out into the yard up beside Zenitsu, hearing them talk.
"Be safe you guys!" One of the girls beamed with a hint of sadness. Tanjirou looked over to see Zenitsu all teary-eyed and sad at her words.
"Y-You're all sad b-because saying goodbye has broken your little hearts… I can stay behind if you like!..." His tone lifted at the end, like he wanted to stay. The girls shook their heads as another one spoke lightly as always.
"Zenitsu." He perked up at his name. "When you're on your journey, please remember to be considerate and respectful to girls okay?"
"Right." His face went straight, feeling a hint of disappointment. The girls then turned to face the new arrival, one of them running off immediately.
"Hello Tanjirou!" the two said in unison. "We hope you've slept well, we have a surprise for you."
"A surprise?" Tanjirou tilted his head, and he noticed the one who'd run off, come back with something in her hands as she held it out towards him. He grabbed it, and now that he held it, it was a black belt with two decently-sized boxes clipped on opposite sides that resembled the box he got from Urokodaki. They were made of the same red cedar and had similar black metal accents on the edges.
"Master Shinobu made some modifications to your box. She said it'll be much easier to fight and carry supplies this way!" One of the girls exclaimed happily.
"Wow… thank you!" Tanjirou returned, blushing happily before putting it on. He remembered a few days ago that Shinobu requested the box that he had originally. Since Susamaru didn't need it anymore, he saw no use for it. However, he didn't realize this is what she wanted to do with it, and now he didn't have to lug that huge box around anymore. He was very grateful.
Zenitsu, meanwhile, was wide-mouthed, jealously running through him.
"HEY! Where's my present!"
The trio smiled in unison. "We don't have one for you!"
Zenitsu hung his entire upper body in shame. He picked himself back up accepting his defeat, looking back at his friend and how cheery he seemed.
"You look pretty well-rested Tanjirou How can you sleep that well after all that training we did?" Zenitsu noted, slightly mesmerized. Inosuke crossed his arms.
"Yeah.'" the boar affirmed. "Tell us everything! And why do you smell like that?"
"Like what?" Tanjirou's eyes darted side to side before he raised his arm to smell himself. He didn't smell anything.
"You smell like an animal in heat!" Tanjirou, at Inosuke's words, immediately blushed realizing what he was talking about.
"Wait… he does? WHAT DOES HE MEAN BY THAT!" Tanjirou found himself being violently shook by his collar.
"Hey babe!"
Zenitsu immediately stopped shaking the poor boy as soon as he felt a hand on his shoulder. He was about to turn around before he was quickly flung backward comically into the air by some demonic force. Tanjirou refocused his eyes on the figure now in front of him. It was Susamaru, wearing her new outfit, with a very sly look on her face.
He wasn't expecting a loving kiss, but he didn't decline as he felt the softness of her lips on his. After a second, they broke, Susamaru then swinging herself by his side and her arm around his neck.
Tanjirou blushed. "Hey Susamaru."
"Just what the hell is going on! Why did you two smash your face together like that?" Inosuke valiantly asserted. Zenitsu got to his feet and shook his head, rubbed his eyes, at the scene he just witnessed. He wasn't hallucinating.
"WHAAAT! Y-Y-You're both… " The group watched as the boy screamed before sliding on his knees across the dirt and bowing down to the ground in front of Tanjirou, making him slightly back up. "Please… teach me your ways…"
Tanjirou looked upon the prostrating form of his friend both sympathetically and slightly annoyed at his pathetic behavior. "Come on Zenitsu, get up from there. "
When the boy didn't move, he sighed. "If you really want a girl to like you that badly, you should listen to what the girls told you." He said earnestly, pointing to the three servants standing off to the side. "Here, you can try it on Kanzaki-san over there!"
Aoi's attention shot over as she stopped walking. She almost dropped the clothes she was carrying when Zenitsu dashed up to her and slid in front, this time kneeling on one leg with his head bowed nobly, eyes closed. His voice iron-clad and serious. "I promise to always be considerate and respectful to you from this point forward."
She eyed the boy, looking down. The rest of the group didn't notice, but a slight annoyance grew within her as she continued walking without saying a word. Zenitsu could hear her shuffling before she heard her step beside him. He glanced up to see the indignant look of the girl trudging off.
"Hey! Wait! Come back!" He got up from his knees and started to chase after her, catching up eventually since she wasn't actually running.
She continued to ignore him as she approached Tanjirou and the others. "Are you all leaving now?" she asked.
"Yeah… we are." Tanjirou could feel the discontent radiating from her as she began then stormed off after nodding, followed closely by Zenitsu who she kept ignoring, with Inosuke then pulling him back towards the front gate. It left Tanjirou and Susamaru standing in front of the butterfly trio.
"You guys better get going! The train leaves this evening and you don't want to miss it!" One of the girls exclaimed to the two remaining. Tanjirou's eyes widened as he looked at the position of the sun. It was almost noon, and it was a half a day's travel.
"Okay! Let me go get Nezuko. Nezukoooo!" He ran back into the house to find his sister sleeping.
"Tanjirou?... wha's going- eep!"
Susamaru watched as the boy came out carrying his sister who was half asleep in his arms. She had to rush behind him as he began running to the entrance, yelling back to the trio.
"We'll see you guys later! Take care!"
"Bye!"
"Goodbye!"
"See ya!"
Tanjirou left out the front gate and started to catch up with the rest of his friends who were heading westward.
()()()()()()()()()()()
The darkness enveloped her completely. The space she was in was cramped, there was barely air but it didn't matter. She sat cross-legged, eyes shut, her mind retreated as the sounds of the moving train and engine around her continued to rumble and ignite. She couldn't leave now; it was daytime after all. She went out during the night, to feed, on the humans that would always gather here, on this thing that traveled, this train.
"It'll be time soon… again…" She opened her eyes and her hands went up to feel her blackened horns. They protruded from her temples, animal-like in nature as they curled upwards above her head slightly. They were something he gave her. Something to get stronger, something to live.
Her hands dropped after a moment, and her eyes focused on the steel below. Time passed, the train stopped and the final horn sounded again. It was time. She placed her hand on the panel in front of her ready to push before she stopped, and thought. This was all she could do, he was inside of her, her head too. She couldn't escape him no matter how hard she tried. She could kill herself, walk out into the sun and burn to ash in moments, but she wanted to live so desperately. It felt like hell.
"There's no point in trying."
Lower Four moved the panel and stepped out.
()()()()()()()()()()()
The horn train sounded, echoing through the station as the five group of demon slayers stood idle the now empty platform behind a small wall near the back of it. The lights of the night illuminating the main gathering area for boarding.
"Let's hide our swords and get on the train." Tanjirou propositioned, stowing his blade and sheath out of sight. Everyone else followed before they noticed the wheels of the train begin to spin and the train cars shift away.
"Oh no! The train is leaving!" Zenitsu worriedly stared down the train. "Are the police still around?"
"Even if they are, we still gotta get on the train. Come on!" Susamaru bolted from behind the wall after the train, stepping onto the tracks.
"Alright!" Inosuke beat his chest and darted after her. "I'm taking you on master of the land!"
"Let's go." Tanjirou went third, his sister following behind him, leaving Zenitsu. Stopping in his hesitation and followed after.
"Wait! Don't leave me behind!"
In seconds, the train completely left the platform and started to gain speed. Susamaru and Inosuke were the first to get on, jumping over the back railing of the caboose.
"Come on slow pokes!" Susamaru cupped her hands to yell back to her tailing friends. Tanjirou was the closest and as she approached within a few feet, leaped into the air onto the railing, climbing over. Nezuko, in line, easily leaped over the railing next to him.
The four of them faced back to the one remaining. All who was left was Zenitsu.
"HAAGHH!" He leaped, jumping to the bars. He looked up to see Susamaru, Tanjirou, and Inosuke reach down and begin pulling him up and he quickly joined them.
Tanjirou was the first one to turn and pulled open the door and peered inside with everyone else behind. The car was filed with two rows of seats on either side, most with sleeping passengers. He walked down the aisle followed by the rest of the team. The sound of crazed laughter brought the attention of group back to the trailing Inosuke, now banging against a window and waking some of the people around.
"S-Sorry gentlemen!" Zenitsu grabbed Inosuke by his shoulders and began pulling him back. "What are you doing?! Get over here!"
"Hey!" Inosuke retorted.
Zenitsu pulled him back into the aisle and the group continued their walk across the train. Car after car, and after helping a kind old lady with her belongings, Tanjirou led the group through the train.
"The Hashira is here right?" the temari demon piped up. "You know what he looks like?"
"Yeah. He has fiery hair, and I remember his scent." Tanjirou stopped at a door and reached for the handle as he looked back at the rest of his friends. "I'll let you know when I see him."
As soon as he opened the door, he along with everybody in the car heard a scream rock the entire train.
"TASTY!"
There was a simultaneous flinch as everyone heard it, their eyes trailing to the source of the voice. In the middle of the car, seated with what appeared to be a bento in his hand, was a man with fiery red and gold hair that came past his shoulders. That was all Tanjirou could see as he began to approach him, hesitantly. His friends followed behind.
"Tasty."
Tanjirou took a step closer, seeing the edges of the brown uniform he was wearing, with his white, flame-tipped haori. "This has to be him… but is it?"
"Tasty."
He moved closer, intaking the scent of the outspoken individual. It was hot like flames. "He has the same scent."
"TASTY!"
The boy literally jumped at when he shouted, now seeing the six other empty bento boxes fly into the air around the Hashira. Now seeing his face, it was clear. "…it is him."
The group stood behind Tanjirou admiring the sight and sound of the Hashira enjoying his meal.
"Tasty."
"Tasty."
"Tasty."
"That guy is the Flame Hashira?" Susamaru whispered into Tanjirou's ear, nodding reluctantly. "Well, he sure is exciteable."
"Tasty."
The crimson-haired demon slayer walked up to the flamboyant man. "Umm… excuse me sir…" He didn't react when he did and continued to eat.
"Tasty."
"Uh… Rengoku-san?"
"Tasty!"
Tanjirou sweat dropped a little as the Hashira now turned to their direction. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by a certain temari-wielding demon who butted to the front and leaned over his shoulder. "Yeah, we heard you the first fifty times!"
The Hashira looked upon the demon over the boy's shoulder and everyone noticed his demeanor slightly shift from the excited expression it once was to more solemn and serious before it returned to a light one.
"Forgive me." He returned, handing the empty boxes of bento to some of the train staff who had come by. "It took me some time to remember who you were, you were the ones at the mansion. For a second I thought you were the demon I was ordered to slay!" he added bombastically.
"Well um… yes, we were the ones at the mansion. I'm Tanjirou Kamado." He introduced himself and moved to the rest of his party, starting with the smiling demon leaning over his shoulder. "This is Susamaru. This is my sister Nezuko, and those two are Zenitsu and Inosuke."
The Hashira regarded over the rest of his friends as he stealthily eyed all of them up before speaking up. The two demons with them was the thing that puzzled him. "I see… I wasn't expecting for you to show up in my mission but I'll accept it! Just so you know, I won't hesitate to end you if you pose a danger to anyone on this train."
Tanjirou started to fumble over his words before Susamaru was the first to butt in, actually meeting the petrifying gaze of the Hashira with a grin and more sarcasm.
"Understood sir Hashira!"
()()()()()()()()()()()
…
"Do not worry. As long as I'm around, you'll have nothing to fear!" The Flame Hashira boasted to Tanjirou who now found himself sitting next to him. Nezuko and Susamaru were situated in the two seats behind him and Zenitsu and Inosuke were across the aisle from them.
Tanjirou sighed in exasperation to the sound of Inosuke beating on the windows with an annoyed Zenitsu trying to stop him. Nezuko and Susamaru were talking behind them, but he wasn't paying attention. Looking back at the Flame Hashira, he was asked a question as they sat.
"So, what brings you here? A mission?" Rengoku continued to look forward, not blinking, which was creeping him out a little.
Tanjirou nodded. "Y-Yes… we were ordered to join you from my crow. We were told that casualties on this train were increasing."
"Ah, so that is why you're here. Understood!" the Hashira affirmed.
The silence started to grow as the two listened to the sound of the train rumble before Tanjirou remembered something he wanted to ask him. He asked Kocho and she didn't even know.
"There's something I wanted to ask you about, Rengoku-san. Something I wanted to ask you myself."
The Hashira perked his ear up.
"It's about my father… he was always weak and sick most of the time."
"Weak and sick?"
"Even so, he could perform a Kagura dance in freezing weather…" Tanjirou continued.
"That's impressive!" He still didn't blink.
"Hinokami Kagura." Tanjirou lowered his eyes, remembering back to the moments when he used the dance and the memories that accompanied them. "I found myself doing the dance as a breathing technique. I was hoping if you knew anything about this."
The car went silent the boy waited for any kind of answer, which a moment later he was given. Although, not the answer he was expecting.
"I do not!" Rengoku exclaimed, eliciting noise of confusion from Tanjirou. "I have never even heard of this dance. But your father, adapting this dance for combat is commendable. There is nothing more to say about it!"
"H-Hold on! Are you sure you can't-" he was interrupted.
"You should be come my Tsuguko!"
Zenitsu admired the conversation from a far as the two talked now that Inosuke had calmed down, but still seemed antsy. The Hashira was honestly too much for him to handle so it would be better if he stayed out of it. Tanjirou, meanwhile, brought his attention directly to the Hashira as he began to explain what he knew.
"Flame Breathing has a long history. A Hashira of Flame and Water have always existed no matter the era. Flame, Water, Wind, Stone, and Thunder. These are the primary breathing forms. All other techniques branched off from those five." Tanjirou was enraptured by the explanation; he wasn't taught this by Urokodaki at all.
"Novice! What color is your sword?" The question caught him off guard.
"M-My sword is black and orange." When he answered him, the Hashira actually turned to meet his gaze, surprised.
"Your sword is two colors?" he marveled. "You must show me!"
"O-Okay." He took out his sheathed blade and held it out towards his superior. Rengoku took it, unsheathing the blade only a few inches to see both the black and orange colored blade of the katana. Tanjirou could see the fire in his eyes as his sword was given back to him.
"After seeing the colors of your sword, you must become my disciple!"
Tanjirou's eyes widened. "Does that mean it's good? If I can become your Tsuguko?"
"No!" Tanjirou hung his head again. "I have never seen a Hashira with a black sword nor a successful swordsman. However, it is orange and has the symbol of the sun, the demon's natural enemy. That is why you must do so!"
"That's not what I meant!"
Tanjirou sighed, a couple minutes of silence passing before he glanced over to see the Hashira lightly napping. He laid his head back too, contemplating their conversation. If the Flame Hashira knew nothing, was there anyone that had answers? He was one of the highest ranked swordsmen of the Corps, where else was he going to go? Tanjirou tiredly shut his eyes in defeat before drifting off, ignoring the sounds of a screaming boar behind him.
"AHH! I'm tired of this!" Inosuke, without warning, opened the window and wildly flung his torso outside of the train as Zenitsu tried his best to keep him inside. "I WANNA RACE IT TO SEE WHO'S FASTER!"
"I thought you calmed down! Get back in here! That's dangerous!" Zenitsu kept his arms locked around his torso as he pulled, screaming. The two off on the other side of the aisle kept their eyes on them while they talked.
"Do you think Zenitsu needs any help?" whispered Nezuko, seeing him struggle. Susamaru shook her head and laid back against the cushion of the seat with her hands behind her head.
"Probably Nez. Probably." She closed her eyes and started to doze off.
"Well, shouldn't we help him?" She proposed.
Susamaru tilted her head in a knowing gesture before looking at the rowdy two in the other aisle. "Nah."
"Okay, if you say so." Nezuko shrugged as she thought back to when she met the two. "Also, do you know why Zenitsu is so cowardly?"
The temari demon in response began to get more assertive, keeping her eyes shut and trying to ignore the ruckus that the other two were making.
"Who knows? He probably was born that way, right Zenny?" Susamaru glanced over at the boy in question, seeing him wide-eyed, empty-handed. "Wait, did that dumbass just jump out the train!?"
The rest of the group all turned their heads at her words towards the open window and the babbling Zenitsu. "He-he-he jumped out on his own! WHAT DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO AGAINST THAT?"
Susamaru face-palmed, meanwhile Tanjirou pushed passed the frozen yellow-haired demon slayer and leaned out the window. "INOSUKE!"
The darkness of the night and the shadows of the close by trees passed him by as he waited for any sort of response. As he waited, he didn't expect for a hand to pull him by his scarf inside and close the window. It was the Hashira.
"Let the boar go for now young novice, he will catch up with us eventually. For now, we must focus on the task at hand." The Hashira walked back into his seat, Tanjirou following behind him partly relieved, but still worried.
Susamaru witnessing the two sit back in their seats, sat as well and turned back to Nezuko.
"We should've probably helped him." She said to the temari demon.
"Probably Nezuko, probably… She laid back in her seat and stared out the window, putting her hands behind her head, leaving Nezuko in a state of bewilderment. Susamaru was silently laughing.
The two went silent, a moment passing before turning their attention to the Hashira who seemed to have stood up again. Standing up from his seat, he was still as excited as he always was. "I've sensed a disturbance. The demons will appear soon." He noted.
"WAIT! Demons show up on this train?!" Zenitsu found himself standing too. "I thought we we're going to them! Not trapped with them!" His hands shot up to his head as he started to freak out. The Hashira kept talking.
"Over forty people have gone missing from this train in a short time. We've sent in several swordsman, but they have all vanished. That is why I am here." Hearing the Hashira, Zenitsu began to freak out even more, screaming. The sound of the train car opening and approaching footsteps caught the rest of their attention.
"Who's that?" Tanjirou asked, looking over his seat.
"That man will check if your ticket is valid." Rengoku responded. The man in the uniform came forward until he reached the group. His eyes looked a little tired, but otherwise he seemed fine.
"Tickets please."
The boy was glad that he bought tickets beforehand. Tanjirou handed him his ticket as Rengoku searched his pockets for his, and the man punched it. Susamaru followed suit, along with Nezuko and a sniveling Zenitsu. As Rengoku kept searching, repeatedly checking all of his pockets only to find that it wasn't there. From his standing position, he looked up to find the man in front of him, staring intently. "Do you not have your ticket?"
"W-Well, it appears that I've misplaced it." Rengoku beamed awkwardly, chuckling slightly. His eyes focused on the person in front of him, waiting for a response. He knew the conductor would be understanding.
"Of course. That's okay… Kyojuro."
See, he knew he would.
.
.
.
He froze.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
He must've misheard him. There was no way he said his name.
"I said… it's okay… Kyojuro."
His eyes widened. It was impossible. How did he know his name? All Hashira are instructed to never use their real names in public, especially in writing, so he couldn't have checked his ticket. Rengoku took another look at him; he didn't recognize him. So how? All of the Hashira's instincts started to flare. It signaled danger. He was about to speak when he was cut off.
"Kyojuro."
The voice waivered as it reached his ears. The sound shifted and echoed around him, multiplying into many voices, many sounds, repetitions of his name, getting louder and louder.
He covered his ears as the sound became piercing. His eyes shut too, only for a second, before the noise started to die down. His hands dropped and his eyes shot to the source of the noise in front of him.
His eyes tried to find the man he was talking to, but there wasn't one. There was a girl, a demon, shorter, long white hair draped past her shoulders and over her crimson kimono with a white fur collar, black horns piercing the air. Her eyes were covered by her hair, hands at her sides, two long, vertical, red strips coming down from her eyes like face paint which matched her red pupils. His hand went immediately went to the handle of his blade as his feet subconsciously slipped into a stance ready to strike, waiting.
But nothing happened. For several seconds, they stood opposed unmoving, until the girl's head moved. Rengoku flinched as she parted her hair and stared him in the eye with her own pair. He barely saw the kanji, but it was on her left eye, Lower Four.
She began to speak, and he went unconsciously still. He didn't expect her voice to waiver, to sound like she was in pain, scared even as she asked him a single question.
"W-Why… did they h-have to send… you…"
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Lower Four closed her eyes and raised her palms outward in the empty room of the train engine. In the loud rumbles of the train, she began to focus, concentrating her entire being into extending past her body.
Blood Demon Art: Perceptive Control, Illusory Dominion
With her eyes shut, she felt wisps of black and purple shadow began to pour from her horns, traveling to the floor, walls, and roof of the room, growing and stretching to fully envelope every surface, creating the room in her mind. She concentrated harder and the shadows leaked through the cracks in the door leading to the other cars.
Time passed as she concentrated heavily, feeling her blood demon art takeover the entirety of the train. She started to feel every living being inside, exactly where they were, how many, and most importantly, what they could sense. She knew every sight, every sound, smell, touch, taste, every sense of every person within her dominion. The number of people increased as her dominion expanded, and slowly she the appearances of every single human started to flow into her mind. She looked through them, trying to find the demon slayers. She knew they were here.
This was her power, illusions. Her power infused all surfaces within an area and all within her dominion would be subject to her control, but only through their perception of the world. And perception was powerful…
She could form entire new areas within a person's mind, locking them in the scorching heat of the desert or the freezing cold of the arctic, causing their mind to wither. All without of it without ever seeing her.
Her dominion finished expanding, and everyone inside the train became clear to her.
In that moment, she wished they hadn't. She wished what she was feeling wasn't true. There was no way in darkest depths of hell.
She threw open the door to the engine room and the door to the first car, entering the train. Her eyes fell upon the passengers all looking towards her, then they looked away. It was just the conductor anyway.
Her heart started to race as she stepped past the first car, then the second, pushing past the staff and those standing in her way to the source of her panic. "I-It can't be… please tell me I'm wrong… please…"
Lower Four opened the last door between her and the one she saw in her mind. She wasn't wrong. Standing up in the middle of the car, triumphantly crossing his arms and laughing loudly was him.
"Kyojuro."
She whispered. Standing there, he didn't notice her right away, he was busy talking with some others. More demon slayers. But as soon as they locked eyes, she knew it was him from so long ago. The hair, the eyes, the demeanor, it was him. She didn't know what to do.
She could feel her heart ready to burst from her chest. Lower Four wanted to run up to him, tell him everything that's happened and believe that he'd be there for her, to let herself feel that everything was going to be okay, but she couldn't. She was a demon. She killed people.
Her resolve steeled; it didn't matter if she did, there had to be chance right? She moved forward step by step until she reached the group, eyeing everyone that traveled with him. They looked towards her, eyes going blank as their heads were immediately filled with what she wanted them to see, just a conductor. She kept Kyojuro out in the real world, his perception of her still altered. She wanted a real conversation.
"W-Well, it appears that I've misplaced it." He chuckled. A part of her dropped as he looked into her eyes and laughed. Her breathing sped up; she couldn't take it anymore.
"Kyojuro."
"W-What did you say?" She saw him go for his sword and she instinctually raised her hands and dropped her illusion.
"It's okay. Kyojuro…"
He reeled from his name, opening his eyes truthfully this time to see her in all her glory. She could feel a part of herself tearing.
"W-Why… why did they h-have to send… you…"
He flinched as she took a step forward and she stopped in her tracks with her hand out towards him. Lower Four only saw confusion in his eyes as he spoke.
"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" Rengoku steadied himself partly as he asked the question, keeping his upbeat and playful tone he always did.
"Yea, we have." She looked down to her greyish-white palms, realizing what she must look like. "It was a long time ago. You probably don't remember."
The Hashira paused, thinking back but nothing came to mind. "Sorry, but I don't recall meeting any demon like you."
She bit her lip and her anger started to flare. She snapped her fingers and the world changed causing him to tense. Now they were on the edge of a cliff across from each other. Rengoku's eyes fell upon the cityscape far off into the distance and the dark rolling mountains behind. He couldn't take his eyes off of it.
"Do you remember now? I took you here one night, to see it. The city." She looked as well.
Rengoku stared deeply into the landscape, and in a flash, in an incomprehensible second, he moved his vision back towards her. As the demon stared into the night, all he could see was the brown hair and strawberry-colored eyes of someone he lost long ago.
His entire being froze.
"Mukago."
She looked back towards him and their eyes met again. She smiled, but it wasn't a happy one. It was sad, melancholy, an emptysmile.
Seeing it, he could feel his hand on the handle of his sword shake. The façade of the righteous, noble, and strong pillar of the Corps and its personality shattered if only for a second now that she was in front of him. There was a tremor in his chest, and he became human.
"No! It can't be! I saw her die!"
He lowered his body and prepared to leap forward. Mukago's eyes drifted to the raging and sorrowful from of the Hashira ready to charge. "You can't be her!"
Her smile left for a piercing gaze, she raised her hands and snapped with both hands. In an instant, Kyojuro blinked and she was no longer a demon with horns and white hair, but a girl with brown hair and red eyes staring right back at him. She could see the shock emanate throughout his body as he knew the truth.
"It is me." She slowly lowered her hands untensing herself. She stared into his eyes. "…and now that you know… what are you going to do, Kyojuro?"
Rengoku paused. She died right in front of his eyes, but here she was, as a demon. She was a Kizuki. She devoured humans. It made his heart sink as he could feel the fire that was once his driving force to combat demons begin to eat away at himself. His body became rock solid.
"I don't have a choice." He prepared to attack, a steady body with an unstable heart. Lower Four balled her hands into fists as she felt the pain of what was coming.
"T-Then leave." She clenched, "I w-want you to leave. I don't want to fight you. P-Please Kyojuro."
The righteousness in his demeanor left completely as all that was left was his forced emotions of hatred. "I can't do that. You must PAY! For all the people you've killed, you m-monster!" He leaped to attack.
"Then." All of her patience, her memories of the person she once knew, left her. He was never her friend. "I have no choice."
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Can you spot the rip off? Yea me neither.