Dance of Fire, Eyes of Sky
(KHR x KnY)
"Tanjiro-san, where are you going?"
Tanjiro finished putting on his shoes and looked back. "I have to go back, Kariya-ji-san." He answered. His usually serene, kind voice is unusually tight and strained.
Asari Kariya looked up at the dark sky dotted with stars before turned back to Tanjiro. "It's probably early morning. Please stay till dawn arrives. You were fainting earlier."
"I can't." Tanjiro grimaced. "My head... My Intuition... it went nuts. It hurts so much earlier and now it's wailing. Crying. I... can't stay. I have to go back. I have to." He replied. Hands shaking in fear and red eyes flashing orange with dim determination.
"Very well. If you insist, you may go." Kariya understand. The battle is lost before it begins. "Please take this with you." He presented Tanjiro with a tanto, with kanji "Fire" engraved on its blade.
Tanjiro accepted it. "Thank you." After making sure he has everything on his person and the Tanto secured safely on his side, he bowed to the head of Asari Family and ran all way home. He only slowed down when greeting the guards, and even then, he did not stop.
His intuition is crying. His heart feels like it was being crushed in an invisible claw. It was like something was robbed from him, leaving a huge gaping hole in his very soul. He... he hasn't felt like this before. Not after...
Pair of brilliant red orbs widened in shock and horror.
...not after... his father's death.
"Merda!" He cursed and running faster. Pushing his body further into the limit. Ignoring how his body crying in pain or how his legs nearly fell off or how his lungs and heart overworked themselves. His vision starts to blur, but Tanjiro shook his head.
'No! Don't stop! Family! Find!' He berates himself.
For once, he curses the fact Kamado family live high in the mountain. He curses more bigoted townsfolk who hated his Foreigner of Ojii-san because Jii-san allowed Otou-san, a poor Coal Burner, married Kaa-san who's the most beautiful lady in the town, instead of to wealthier prominent man. If only those people can get it over, his family won't have to live so far high in the mountain!
It was almost daybreak when he smells it.
Blood. Fresh blood. Hours old. Death.
Tanjiro staggered. His heart beating fast with anxiety. The second he arrived in the courtyard, his heart feels like stop beating.
"Okaa...san...?"
Laying lifelessly on the ground, was his mother. Her head cracked and her entire left arm is hacked off. The red blood stained the pure white snow like twisted rose blooms.
Nearly tripping over his own feet, Tanjiro approached her. His Flame sends out a message. Trying to intertwine with his mother's very kind flame, only to grasp nothing. Tanjirou choked. He quickly spread his Flames and trying to smell out his siblings.
Feeble, young. Rokuta. Fading.
No.
Sunflower. Sunny days. Hanako. Fading.
No...
Cracking lightning. Playful fireworks. Takeo. Fading.
No...
Boisterous. Tough outside, soft inside. Shigeru. Fading.
No...
Raging. Turmoil. Strong. Tough. A presence. A Storm. Twisted? Nezuko. Faint.
No! Not her too—wait. What?
Tanjiro whipped his head and looked around. It doesn't take him long. Laying a few meters from their mother, is Nezuko. Her body was laid face down, with one pale hand wrapped protectively around Rokuta and another lay limply with broken and bloodied knuckles.
Tanjiro checked her pulse. Faint. It's here. Her Flame simmering weirdly. It's raging. Raging, raging, and raging, like that terrible stormy week where everyone is forced to relocate and temporarily living in Asari Mansion, except worse. Because her Flame feels like fighting itself. Or rather, the dark, twisted Taint that somehow found a way to intermingle. A Twisted Sky. A Twisted Sky with a pungent, rotting scent like a boar cadaver covered in shit and left rotting for the entire summer. The scent of blood so many it could fill a TWO Lakes and still had more than enough to create ponds. A very twisted Sky it could barely call as such.
Tanjiro's hackle rises.
Jii-san once said, it was Very Rude and Offensive for another Sky to poached a Bonded Element. The offended Sky has every right to tear the insolent bastard to shreds and if Tanjiro found who's the son of a bitch who dares to touch HIS he will—
His musings were cut short when he felt movement.
"Nezuko?"
Red met red. And Tanjiro gasped.
Nezuko's pupils... are slitted!
Tentatively, Tanjiro reaches out with his flames. Intertwine it with Nezuko's tainted Storm (and oh doesn't that fanned Tanjiro's anger, that his sister was raped, not physically but in spiritual sense? That Bastard is so DEAD). There! It reacts. Nezuko's animalistic stance start to soften. The bulging veins on her forehead and arms start to heal up.
She blinked. Like that one morning where their mother is sick so Tanjiro and Nezuko had to wake very early to make breakfast. Like she was awake but not truly aware of her surroundings.
~X~
Tomioka Giyuu, the Water Pillar, curses himself and his glaring weakness.
When he patrolled in his assigned region, he heard a rumor about a strange man and a series of mysterious and gruesome death. If that was not Demon hopping towns and searching for prey, he didn't know what THAT was. So he listens to rumor and followed the trail in hopes of catching the Demon and kill it before it can kill more people.
As a Demon Slayer, being slow is a big no-no. Innocent's lives are on the line. Being slow on duty means another life lost.
Alas. Human body can only endure so much. Giyuu had to take a rest before resume his journey. And look where it gets him! At a house so far from the town, he found a family slaughtered, brutally, with one boy holding a newly turned demon girl.
Giyuu's heart sank.
Too late. He was too late. Again.
Giyuu was about to unsheathe his sword when his eyes saw something utterly different and... dare he say it, miraculous?
The Demon blinked and clarity return to her senses. "Nii-chan..." She murmured. Slow enough that Giyuu had to strain his ears. "Sky... nii-chan... il mio cielo..." She leaned forward and, instead lunges and takes a huge bite, she grasped the boy in a death grip. Desperation, Giyuu noted. Like a child lost and just now found someone familiar. A beacon in the darkness.
Demons attack humans, whoever survived the attack usually turned and become Demons themselves whose new meal is the leftover of their family or friends when the assailant was done with it.
That's the same story he knows. Over and over.
Was this the same old tragic story he knows? Or is it something different?
One way to find out.
"Boy."
Tanjiro turned, and his throat suddenly going dry and heat rising on his cheek. He barely notices Nezuko stiffened at the sight.
Pretty Rain.
The man before him... he's Pretty. So... so... so Pretty. From his dark, messy locks that slowly turned blue at tips when the light shone on him, to his deep blue solemn eyes (like the ocean, Tanjiro absentmindedly thought) to his fair skin, his lithe but compact body, to the way he carries himself (like a samurai. A knight. A Guardian). And of course.
Pretty Rain
His Flame. Unawakened as it was, it's strong. Solemn, crying, mourning, but strong as ever. More importantly, no claims from other Sky. So tantalizing. It so strong Tanjiro wants to try to connect. To see if they are compatible. He does have an opening for Rain. And with how his Hyper Intuition practically sings at the man's presence, they are not only compatible. The second Tanjiro touched his flame with his own, there's a high chance they will harmonize.
It was so tempting. Just reach out a little. Just a little.
But Tanjiro resists it. He gulped his saliva, fought his blush, and chained his Sky Flame deep inside him. Caging it and turning the key. It was not the right time to drooling like an idiot, no matter how much his heart and Flame yearns.
"E-excuse me." Calm down Tanjiro. Calm down. Breathe. Breathe deeply. Remember how Tou-san taught you. Breathe. "May I ask, who are you?"
Giyuu very pointedly chooses to ignore the blush on Tanjiro's cheeks. "The girl you hold. Are you aware of what she is?"
Had it been anyone but Pretty Rain who made Tanjiro's Flame sings, or the fact he can sense something wrong with his Sister's Flame, Tanjiro would have sucker-punched whoever made that remarks. So he takes a calming breath, and answers, "I do not know... but something had happened to my sister and she is not the same again no matter how much we wished otherwise."
Giyuu nodded. Good. At least the boy is not in denial. "She's a Man-Eating Demon now."
Tanjiro blanched. That... "You said now." He speaks slowly. Trying to not lose in despair and anger. "That means she can't be the culprit. Nezuko is—was human..."
"Demon attacks humans. For them, we are their food. A cattle to slaughter. Anyone who survived the attack, or gaining demon blood injected to open wound, would become a Demon themselves. That, is how Demon populates."
Tanjrou blinked. Once. Twice. His face is going blank but inside his mind?
'FUCKING DEAD BASTARD WALKING!'
He's anything but calm.
"Nezuko.." he gritted out, forcing himself to sound as calm as possible. "Is not the culprit. She just recently awake. She is clean."
Giyuu inclined his head. Yes. He knows. The Demon Girl, Nezuko, smelled clean, albeit there's a strange undercurrent that strongly reminds him of a stormy night. The blood on her head was coming from (now healed) wound, and the ones from her hand...
...did... did she just attacked the assailant demon barehanded? There's no other way to explain the scent of an older demon, most likely the culprit. No wonder she was turned. The blood must be sapping into her wound when she attacks. That... was either very brave. Or foolish. Or both. Definitely both.
"Your sister probably turned when she fought back."
"I know." Because the smell is so damn disgusting Tanjiro wants nothing but took Nezuko to the bathroom and scrub it clean. With sandpaper and tons of soap if he has to! But for now... "I... I should probably bury kaa-san and others."
"You and I will do it." Giyuu sighed. "Newly turned demon usually eat the first thing they see. The leftover remains corpse of their family or friends." The siblings look utterly horrified. "If your sister loses herself to hunger to smell of blood, she will truly become a Demon, a slave to her primal desire, and I must kill her whether you like it or not. It's my duty. This will be the ultimate test, should you bring her with us."
The siblings exchanged a look. Silent conversation spoke between them before they turned to Giyuu. Giyuu noted the demon's eyes is brighter as if it was glowing. A Blood Demon Art? Impressive for newborn Demon, but also a nuisance for him.
"...won't..."
"Hm?"
"Won't... eat." Nezuko rasped. "Family. Precious. Not food. Won't eat."
Giyuu raised an eyebrow. Well now... "You will hold back? Fine. Do as you please. We will see if you can back it up or not... for I've seen the same stories over and over again."
"...poor Rain..."
True to her word, Nezuko didn't lose to her hunger. Forget hunger, she didn't even give the corpse second look beyond initial mourn and sadness and grief. Giyuu may or may not playing with fire by deliberately passing her over while carrying a child corpse, and instead salivating, Nezuko turned green as if the mere smell, which should have been tantalizing to a Newborn Demon, made her sick to the stomach.
"Nezuko." Called Tanjiro softly. "Go pack your things, ok? We're leaving soon."
"...where are you going?" Inquired Giyuu, keeping an eye to the house as if Nezuko would lose control anytime now and attack them... or trying to run.
Tanjiro looks at him with unrelenting determination. "Hunting down the Bastard who did it, of course." He answered. "And if I found him I will..." the strong of death threat was impressive as it was terrifying. Tanjiro clearly could be creative if he wants to.
...Giyuu should have known.
"You sound confident you can found him." He said, trying to ignore how a thirteen years old boy muttering curse and torture under his breath. "There's hundreds, if not thousands of demons out there. And Japan is big to search by yourself. How are you sure you will find the demon, or if it was not slain by a Slayer first?"
"I have my way." Between his sense of smell and his Hyper Intuition, such thing is possible, even if difficult. "I have to find him. I have to find and kill the bastard who practically rapes my Sister into near insanity." Giyuu chokes at that.
"R-Rape?"
"Of course." Tanjiro nodded. "I can feel his presence on Nezuko. As we speak, it was dwindling, but that miserabile figlio di puttana," Giyuu's eyes rose to his hairline. Now, doesn't that language sounds familiar? "definitely left his mark on her. Farabutto may not touch her physically, but he definitely rapes her in spiritual sense. That," Tanjiro gripped, "will never be forgiven."
"That..." Giyuu was stunned. "... makes sense.. in a way..."
Because now he thought about it, yeah. Spiritually Raped definitely is a fitting word.
No wonder this boy is so damn pissed. Any self-respecting brother would! Had their role been reverse, Giyuu would grab nearby weapons and start hunt down the bastard. Consequences be damned.
"Boy. What is your name, and how it was spelled?"
"Kamado Tanjiro. It writes with Kanji "Charcoal" "To Heal" and "Male"." Answered Tanjiro. Fingers dancing in the air as if writing the kanji. "It's a tradition for family head to have Charcoal in our name. We are family of Coal Burners, with me being 18th head... and the last should I do not live long."
Giyuu pursed his lips in self-loathing. If only he was stronger, faster, the siblings won't lose their family. The sister won't have to be Raped and turned into Demon, and the brother won't have to worried about impending death.
Tanjiro frowned. There it goes again. Pretty Rain's flame is filled with self-loathing and grief it was thick and made the Sky in him crying in sadness. It was similar to granduncle Ugetsu's self-loathing after that Fire Incident, or Uncle Kariya after near-fatal kidnapping. He wonders if all Rain are prone to self-deprecating and blame themselves if something bad happens.
He doesn't like it when Pretty Rain gets sad, so he hugs Pretty Rain.
"?!"
"Not your fault." Said Tanjiro. "Never your fault. It's the Bastard Demon's fault. Not yours."
"...I should've arrived earlier. At least half a day earlier..."
"...and I should have straight gone home instead of spending the majority of the night on the town."
"You would've died. You can't... you can't possibly go against a Demon."
"And you would?"
"If I can't, at least I can give you time to run."
"...but you would die. And the Demon might just go after Kaa-san and others. And You can't protect them. Or protect his future victim. Or other Demon's. Or just anyone else at the matters. Is that a better alternative?"
"..."
"That's what I thought." Tightening his hug, Tanjiro buries his face in that surprisingly smooth hair. It tickles. "Don't give up."
Giyuu sighed. How pathetic is he, that he needs a pep talk from a boy younger than him? "Thank you..."
But he is right. If Giyuu is dead, he can't prevent future death. He can't aid other Pillars and Ubuyashiki-sama in fighting Muzan. Because he's dead and dead man can't do anything.
He will live.
"
Kamado
-san... Thank you."
"Please call me Tanjiro, Slayer-san."
"Mmm... my name is Tomioka Giyuu."
"Do as you please."
"...can I call you Giyuu-san?"
~X~
"You want to visit someone first?"
"Ah, yes, Asari Family and Gokudera Family are friends, almost relative, to us. They have the right to know. Asari also a Samurai Family. They can protect the town, now that they know the existence of Demon."
"Mmm... would they believe?"
"Trust me. A man-eating demon is not the weirdest thing in their history record. Asari Ugetsu-Ojii-san and my Jii-san has crazier adventure in their youth, if their story was anything to go by."
"...I... see..."
"Yeah."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Giyuu and Tanjiro agree to not talk about earlier, about how Tanjiro and Giyuu rested against each other and without knowing it, fell asleep with Tanjiro laying atop of Giyuu with the Slayer's hand wrapped rather protectively around his waist.
Needless to say, they have a minor freak out after coming out from their nap, complete with full-body blush.
Giyuu wants to slam his head to a nearby wall, or furniture, or trees. He isn't picky. How could he fell asleep in THAT embarrassing position?! Had it be in Pillar residences, he would NEVER live it down! Augh!
Tanjiro has worse crisis. He was so caught up in easing Pretty Rain's—Giyuu's—sadness that he unknowingly gave in to the temptation. It was only by sheer luck their flame hasn't mingled yet. Otherwise, they would harmonize and it would be a Bad Idea. Demon Slayer sounds like a very dangerous job, one with high mortality rate, and he can't bear the thought of losing an Element. He had just lost his entire family save for Nezuko! If he harmonizes and lost Giyuu, he will go crazy.
He have to keep his Flame lid tighter.
Nezuko, despite turned into Demon and her thought process de-aged into that of a child's, notice the tension and tugged Tanjiro's sleeve.
"Yes?"
"Nii-chan and Pretty Rain?"
Tanjiro chokes. "No."
"Mou... Keep Pretty Rain. Keep him Nii-chan. Pretty Rain is Pretty."
"..." Tanjiro sneaks a glance at Giyuu and noted how breathtaking his movement is and feel a knot formed in his throat. His Flame redoubled their attempt to reach out to Giyuu's, now that Tanjiro and Giyuu had shared close proximity and heart to heart short discussion.
He gulped down.
"...Yeah... he's Pretty. Really Pretty..."
Giyuu very pointedly ignores it. And if his cheek turned red? Well, nobody is going to say anything.
Didn't stop a part of him perked up at Tanjiro's interest in him.
