Fatal Detour (Tanjiro x Kanao, Giyu x Shinobu non-canon Story)

Chapter 3 - The Fallen Hashira

"Tomioka-san..." Kanao mumbled quietly, taking one step forward before the other, finally letting go of Tanjiro's hand and sprinting to where Tomioka was. "Tomioka-san!" She shouted out before her crow got the clue and flew back to the butterfly mansion in the hopes that Shinobu hadn't left for her next mission. 

She forgot everything about being stealthy and went straight to Tomioka's aid, knowing how much he meant to her older sister Shinobu. No, knowing how much he meant to all of them, to Kanao herself. 

Tomioka was always a brother to Kanao and the other butterfly mansion girls since he was almost always around the residence, especially when Shinobu was home. Tomioka and Shinobu had been paired up quite often on missions, making the two quite the inseparable duo. 

Kanao just couldn't imagine what it would look like without having Tomioka around again, she couldn't bear seeing Shinobu's smile being taken away by the death of Giyu Tomioka.

No! Kanao stop! Kanao!" Tanjiro exclaimed as he ran after her. His heart was pounding against his chest, part of it was from the shock of seeing the Water Hashira and his friend, who felt more like an older brother to him, laid pale on the ground with puddles of blood surrounding him. 

But it was more from the fact that he can smell a very familiar scent, the scent of a demon he had encountered in previous endeavors. There was no time to cry or to collect thoughts. With his hand on the hilt of his shining black blade, he drew his katana out to effortlessly land a slice on the demon right behind Kanao. 

 An arm fell to the ground, but it took the demon merely 2 seconds to fully grow a new one. "Kamado Tanjiro... So we meet again." The demon with short red hair turned around to face him instead of continuing to chase the terrified girl. 

"Kyojuro was right. You are nowhere near weak. And more importantly, you are stubborn." A small smirk grew on his face as he cracked his knuckles before getting back to his battle stance.

 "It's such a shame Kyojuro rejected my offer, he ended up losing because of that. Imagine the immense po-" 

"Nonesense!" Tanjiro interrupted him as he slowly approached Akaza, his grip on the blade got stronger with the burning rage inside of him. "You do not have the right to speak about Rengoku san! You ran away, you coward! He never lost his battle, he saved all of us, the whole train, Inousuke, Zenitsu, Nezuko, and me! Not a single soul was lost on that night except for his own! You lost Akaza! Rengoku-san was the winner and he will always be one!" 

 He knew it wasn't the right time to get emotional but everything at once just felt too much. Holding back his tears, Tanjiro went for one blow after the other, only for all of his attacks to be deflected by Akaza's rock solid arms defending his only weakpoint, his neck. 

"Don't let your emotions get to you, Kamado-shonen." Akaza spoke knowing these simple words would affect him.

Akaza calling him by Rengoku's little nickname for him only added more fuel to his burning anger. A small flashback of Rengoku's voice spoke to him, one of the many things he left for Tanjiro to pass on to future generations of Demon Slayers. '

Kamado-shonen, hold your head up high, strengthen your grip, and set your heart ablaze!' These were the words of the former Flame Hashira, Rengoku Kyojuro. 

 "Do not call me that! Do not put yourself at Rengoku's level. You will never be my mentor. I will never join your side. Not now, not ever, so don't even think-"

 "Tanjiro!" A female voice joined in as a pink blade slashed Akaza's neck preventing him from landing a punch on Tanjiro's chest, only for it to be stuck just a few centimeters deep. 

"You brought a friend, how nice. I don't hurt girls so would you kindly wait under the willow tree?" He turned to Kanao as he removed her stuck blade and dropped it to the ground, the wound from it closed in just a few seconds.