[Author's Notes]

Usually I'm the type to leave notes at the end of a work, but seeing as this piece deserves some context, I'd figured I'd change things up a bit.

This here is a one shot collection that's a companion piece to my larger Kimetsu no Yaiba fic, walk steady on this cruel world's path. A bunch of these pieces are gonna be AU/extra scenario based, so having the context of the main story is very much recommended! Of course, if you wanna read this first and then meander your way into the main story, I won't stop you, but you can't say I didn't warn you.

This particular one shot is an off shoot of my wonderful beta Punk Trash Noiz's own Dead by Daylight AU that they wrote for me, "run for your life on this twisted world's path." I adore it, so I also recommend you check it out when you get the chance. Noiz is also amazing and will be betaing this collection for me, and I couldn't do it without them.

I have a couple of other completed one shots to add to this collection, the next of which will be in January for the new year (maybe on walk steady's anniversary coming up), so I hope you'll look forward to that. Other updates will come when I get in the mood to finish the like twenty side stories I started while drafting the main fic. (Also there might be some nsfw in there, so lemme know if you readers actually want to see that or if I should make a separate collection for that or keep it to myself haha whoops.)

And lastly I'd like to express thanks to ForgeandGred4Ever, dreams and reality, rav-'-mar, Ost13, vbmenzel, Zerufuke, rengokuus, jekentmnnaamniet, gaddo, Lenskio, and JFLouiseRen for the faves, follows, and reviews left on walk steady since its completion. I'll be rolling any such thanks for the main fic and this one into these author's notes from here on out, because I have to express my appreciation somehow, holy shit. Happy holidays, everyone!

I hope you enjoy reading,

-Avi

[12.24.2022]

wandering road, wherever you are

By: Aviantei

Beta Noiz's Dead By Daylight AU:

"Thunder and Lightning, Displaced"

This is some right bullshit is what this is.

Kaigaku has been through a lot in his life, from the demon slaughtering everyone at the temple when he was a kid all the way up to becoming a Slayer and fighting those very demons himself. But for every Fucking Bullshit Blood Demon Art he's ever encountered, this one has to take the cake, because one day he opened his eyes and he was stuck in a building unlike anything he'd ever seen before, with dark, metal walls and busted electric lights, the kind he's seen in just a handful of cities. It should have had a sense of newness to it, but, no, the place was run down as all hell, rust everywhere, and there didn't seem to be any way out.

But the side effect of going through a lot in life is that you know how to handle it when things go bad—in that you pick up and forge forward. The lack of his Nichirin blade doesn't help matters, but it seems he can still use Total Concentration, which will help, and Kaigaku learned how to brawl long before he ever learned how to wield a sword.

So when the killer came out of nowhere and cornered him, managed to stab its blade through the material of Kaigaku's Corps uniform and gave him a bad enough wound that he knew on pure instinct that I'm going to die here unless I get help, he felt a surge of rage unlike anything he'd felt in the long time.

Until you die, you haven't lost. That's been the rule Kaigaku's lived with for the longest time, and, here it is, the moment where he loses. Except that's not the case at all, because even though he dies, bleeding out on the floor of that rusty building, strung up for whatever sick reason, the next moment Kaigaku opens up his eyes again—not back in the bed of the Wisteria House he fell asleep in, but in a different field altogether, and it seems the game is the same as before—and no matter how many times day breaks or Kaigaku dies, it's the exact same thing, one revival and reset after another.

So, no, death doesn't mean loss anymore, but it also sure as hell doesn't mean winning.

In time, he finds out that he's not alone in being stuck here. There are others, total strangers, who have also been dragged into this shit by something called the Entity or whatever—and it's possible to survive. Each bizarre place he wakes up in has a set of five generators, and if you turn them all on, a path to escape will open, however the hell that works. It's not a game you have to lose for all of infinity, so now he just needs to get the round where it all comes together.

It hasn't yet, and that pisses him off even more. The first few times, Kaigaku rushed on ahead, not giving a shit about the others trapped with him. He's sacrificed people before for his own survival, and he'll do it again, because what does it matter if you just get brought back after you die? He didn't manage to pull it off, though; dawn would come, or the inevitable monster of choice would catch up with him, dragging him back to the start all over again. So he changed tack, working together with others, just in case that was a requirement for making it out alive, but no—same results every damn time, either because the monster showed up at the wrong time or because some other asshole betrayed the group.

But until you die, you haven't lost. And since Kaigaku's still alive, he's going to make sure he wins this fucking bullshit game, no matter what.

It's the start of a new game, and Kaigaku takes off running through the woods. Even without a blade, Thunder Breathing is all about speed, and the faster he can get to the generators, the faster this whole thing will be over. If he runs into someone else, he'll enlist their help, but it's easier to manage things on his own, he's found; last round, he almost won the whole damn thing; he's getting used to the killers and their different tricks, so it's just a matter of time before he has the perfect game.

Except this one is different, because as Kaigaku's running, he sees the last figure he ever wanted to encounter here: his senpai, Rairi, wearing their unmistakable lilac haori over their Corps uniform and also sprinting. Kaigaku starts to slow his pace, but Rairi catches up to his side in no time and snatches his wrist, dragging him along. "Don't stop running!"

The reason why is obvious a handful of seconds later: the killer of the round is right behind them, and it's gaining ground. The chase ensues for several minutes, but, after navigating some obstacles the monster can't cross, Rairi and Kaigaku have shaken it off. Neither of them is out of breath, but they still take a moment to gather themselves, and Rairi's grip is a vise on his wrist, not letting go as they stare at him, as if processing that he's real. Kaigaku can't even blame them, because he's feeling about the same way.

"Are you… you…?" Rairi asks, though they don't finish the sentence.

"Yeah," Kaigaku says, unable to look them in the eye for the fact that he's checking over their body for injuries. They don't have any, but if they've been here just as long as he has, there's a chance they've died before—and the idea of that just makes Kaigaku sick. "Do you know what's going on?"

"I mean, I know about the Entity or what the fuck ever it is." Which is about as much as Kaigaku knows, so there's no point in wasting time on that when they'd just be rehashing the same old same old. "I managed to turn on two of the generators before that fuck found me."

"I got one." It stings a bit that, even here, Rairi's one step ahead of him, but it doesn't matter, not when they're so close, because if Rairi's around, Kaigaku's sure that they can beat this shit game or whatever, and this is the perfect setup to do it in. "We should be able to get out of here, then, let's—" But Rairi's expression is set, with just the perfect trace of a sad little smile, and Kaigaku can guess what their goddamn bleeding heart is going to say before they even open their mouth. "Why the fuck not?"

Rairi chuckles, caught in the act with no excuse. "Zenitsu and Shimizu-chan are here, too," they say, and Kaigaku holds back his groan. Because Agatsuma Zenitsu and Urokodaki Shimizu have to be Kaigaku's two least favorite people ever—but Rairi cares for them both, and they won't leave those two behind, no matter what. "They're not here with us now. It's some of the others. But I won't go back until I know they're safe, too."

It's such a Rairi answer that Kaigaku's not surprised—not that it stops him from being pissed off by it, and his anger explodes out of him in the first argument since the one in the peach orchard all those months ago. If shouting wouldn't attract the killer's attention, he would do it, but instead he puts all his force into his words. "So you're just going to let yourself die over and over until you fucking find them?!"

"If I have to, yeah." Rairi is dead serious, and Kaigaku both hates and loves that about them, and he doesn't know which feeling is stronger. They smile, though, patting Kaigaku's shoulder. "But we do have a perfect opportunity here. If we win, you can go back, and I'll stick around to help Zenitsu and Shimizu-chan. Come on, we don't want to waste time and get sacrificed this time around."

And with that, Rairi trots off into the trees, and Kaigaku has no choice but to follow them. In whispered exchanges, they figure out which generators they've already taken care of and figure out their best shot at finding the next one, sticking close as they go. It's smooth sailing through generator number four, and there's still plenty of time, which would have Kaigaku in a good mood if it weren't for the fact that Rairi's planning on staying behind. He knew, he knew that one day their kindness would get the better of them, and this is the proof of it here, right in front of him.

It shouldn't bother Kaigaku, it shouldn't, because he's never had a problem with sacrificing other people if necessary—if Zenitsu or Shimizu were here and they decided they wanted to stick around, Kaigaku would take the out and let them do whatever the fuck they want, but Rairi is different, because part of Kaigaku loves them, and he can't bear to leave them behind.

If I have to, I'll pick them up and drag them through the exit, he decides. Rairi might outpace him when it comes to swordplay, but Kaigaku's willing to bet he's more experienced when it comes to hand to hand, and he can knock them out if necessary.

On the way to the fifth generator is when they come across it: the remnants of a sacrifice on a hook, too far gone to be able to save. It's one of the strangers from this place, but Rairi still frowns, looking upset at the loss of life, even in a setting where everything resets in the end. Kaigaku urges them along: if there's one less person to hunt, that makes it all the more possible that the killer will come after them instead, and Kaigaku's not going to waste this opportunity to get Rairi the hell out of there.

When they find the last generator, though, the killer is patrolling the area, and Kaigaku holds back a curse. This is a common strategy, and it makes the most sense, but it pisses him off every time. If they charge in now, one of them will end up on a hook at the very least, and that won't help at all. Kaigaku's about to suggest that they watch the timing to sneak by, but Rairi's already stretching their legs, ready to run, and Kaigaku catches onto the sleeve of their haori before they can step away.

He should call them a dumbass, remind them how stupid this sacrifice is, but there's a lump in his throat that stops him from forming complete sentences, and all Kaigaku can get out is a whispered "Don't" that makes him the most vulnerable he's felt in his whole goddamn life. Rairi looks at him, and Kaigaku adds, "Please," for the fuck all it's going to do.

Rairi puts their hand on top of his, the skin soft where calluses haven't hardened it, and they give him that infuriating smile. "I'm just going to make a racket to distract them. I know you can handle fixing up the generator. And as soon as I'm clear, I'll head to the exit to meet with you. Besides, I'm faster than you, so I'll make the better distraction." Kaigaku can feel the vein all but pop in his forehead in competitiveness, and Rairi takes the opportunity to slip out of his hold. "Don't take too long. We don't have that much time left, oh precious kōhai of mine."

And with that, they've dashed off, shouting, "Hey, fuckface, over here!" and the opportunity must be too good to pass up, because the killer takes chase, and Kaigaku has no choice but to settle down with the generator and fix it, because otherwise what good was letting Rairi run off in the first place? His hands are shaking, but Kaigaku manages not to fuck it up, and soon there's the satisfying hum that signals he's done his job and the exits are open.

For a moment, Kaigaku considers running off after Rairi to find them, but there's no guarantee he'll be able to do it. No, it's better to wait by the exit, because Rairi will make their way there, and then he can drag them along and get the fuck out. It sucks to admit it but it's true: Rairi is faster than him, even here, and of course they'll be able to escape the killer, he just needs to keep an eye out for them, but where are they, where are they, where are they—

Kaigaku's heart is beating too damn loud for him to hear anything, not even the sign that the killer is close, and it would sure figure if he just got knocked the fuck over here and now. Still focusing on the rhythm of running, Kaigaku tries to get himself to calm down enough to focus—and he does, just in time to sense the approaching person coming up behind him.

Kaigaku takes a sharp turn, trying to gain enough ground to counter if he has to try and get away from the killer. In the next moment, though, the tension drains out of him, because it's Rairi that's caught up to him, and Kaigaku lets out all his air in one great big breath as half the tension drains out of him: Rairi whole, Rairi safe, Rairi alive—

"Sorry I took so long," they say, slowing to a jog but still moving. "I went and made a lot of noise in different places so they'd have a hard time figuring out which way we were going." This time, when they catch onto him, their fingers wrap around his, and Kaigaku squeezes back, far harder than he should, but he can't get himself to care. "You're almost through this, Kaigaku. Come on, just a bit longer—"

Rairi's words cut off in a gasp, that short, sudden sound that precursors pain but doesn't sound like they've been hurt at all. The killer did catch up to them, and it's just because Kaigaku yanks Rairi out of harm's way that they don't take a second injury. There's no time to recover, though, and Rairi's pressing a hand into their stomach to stymie the blood, for what good it's done, but Kaigaku doesn't let go. If this were with anybody else, he would have dropped the body and went; he's done that already in this stupid sacrificial pit the Entity's built, but this time he wouldn't even dream of it, because this time it's Rairi, and what if, the thought cycles through his mind, what if they can only die so many times before they don't come back at all, what if this is Rairi's hypothetical last shot at surviving, and he can't take that risk.

"We're almost there!" he shouts, because if he doesn't he'll cry; because the killer's already on their trail, so it doesn't matter how much noise they make anyways. "You can't talk big about being better than me if you can't even keep going! Sensei would kick your ass if he saw you now!" Rairi's breath is ragged, too ragged for them to give a response, and, as they rush through the trees, the blinking light of the functioning exit comes into view. "Don't you fucking give up on me, Rairi-senpai!"

This is great, Kaigaku tries to convince himself, because in this state, Rairi won't be able to argue whenever he pulls them through to the outside. And when they breathe with purpose, Kaigaku thinks they're catching enough of a second wind to help cross the final stretch of meters to the way out all the way up to the moment whenever Rairi uses all of their Total Concentration enhanced strength to push Kaigaku away.

He stumbles, reaches out to try and catch ahold of them again, but Kaigaku slips on the underbrush, and Rairi is already out of reach. "Go ahead, Kaigaku."

"I won't!" he screams back, not even caring that the killer is gaining on them, that at this rate they'll both be hung up for the slaughter. Please come with me and live, he wants to say. "Don't keep dying for us! You're better than this, so stop being an idiot!" is what he does say.

"Heh, you still don't get it, do you?" Even in the dark, Kaigaku can see the dark color of the blood as it leaks out over their fingers. "I'm your senpai. Of course I'm going to keep dying for you, until you're safe." They nod towards the exit in the distance. "Even if the killer decides to chase you after he knocks me down, I know you're faster. So please get out of here. I promise…once I save Shimizu-chan and Zenitsu, too, I promise I'll come home, so go, Kaigaku."

Kaigaku's out of breath, but a sound still worms its way out of his throat, starting as a groan but turning into a scream, one that just gets louder as the shape of the killer approaches Rairi, and then Kaigaku's running, not towards them like he should, but in the direction of the exit, because Kaigaku's never changed, he's still the same coward that let everyone else die in the temple just so he could survive, and here he is again, sacrificing someone that's supposed to be his family for his own godawful life, and it's the first time that he's ever experienced such a hot and shameful rush of self-hatred as intense as this.

He does not look back, does not have to. Rairi, because they know it would break him, does not scream. They go down in silence, and Kaigaku jumps over a fallen trunk and dodges around trees to make it harder for the killer to keep up, but the sound of pursuit does not follow, which means the killer took the bait and Rairi's going to be the next sacrifice to the Entity, simple as that.

Kaigaku makes it to the exit, using the edges of the open gateway as support as he pulls himself together. There's not much time left, no, not with the way the dark of the night is slipping away towards the dawn, and it would just take a handful of steps to make it to safety once and for all. He's seen a gate open before, but that time he got attacked before he could get too close, so this is the first time he's able to appreciate it, though it doesn't look like much: just the end of the woods, open grass, and that's all it needs to be, because this should be the path home, and he's going to make it after all the hell he's been put through.

Until you die, you haven't lost, but—

This doesn't feel like a win at all.

It shouldn't matter. It shouldn't fucking matter. How many people has he trampled on before? How does he think he has the right to be a hero after all this? How in the world does he think he's even worthy of standing at Rairi's side if he leaves them behind here?

Take the step. Take the fucking step.

The light of the dawn breaks over the night, and Kaigaku stands still.

And as the Entity takes him, all Kaigaku can think is that this is some right bullshit is what this is.