kny oneshots

Headstrong (Akaza)

The idea of being defeated foreign to me, hell I once thought being defeated was impossible, yet here I stand corrected, a bloody, tired and sore mess fallen to the dry soil looking up at upper three.

My breath heavy, I look up at upper three in anger, anger that I've been forced to the ground, awaiting my death. His eyes laid expressionless, him looking down on me.

"Well, what are you waiting for demon! Kill me already!" I spit.

He just stood there, his mind seemingly elsewhere, until he focuses once more. Crouching down his extends his hand.

"You fought well human. You lasted longer than most," he says proudly, extending his hand further, gesturing for me to take it. I simply swat it away.

"Shut up, just kill me... I've lost!" I spit trying to hold back tears, due to the fact I've lost, the fact this next breath could easily be my last, a breath not being used to say goodbye to those I care about. I can't help but wonder what my wonderful friends are doing right now, Giyu is most likely looking for another demon, Sanemi quarrelling with Tengen over something stupid, Shinobu teaching Kanao something new, Iguro yet again watching over Mitsuri, Gyomei in a villiage helping young children, Muichiro looking up at the night stars only to find them hidden by the cloudy night sky. 

Rengoku... at rest.

"Why... why Rengoku," I look once more towards the demon, my eyes slowly filling with tears that threaten to fall.

"He was so kind, lively and loving, why did you kill him," My glare saddening. 

"You really think I would have just let him kill me? He wouldn't have left me alone without one of us dead, if he simply stayed away and didn't save that boy, he just might've been alive today," He fully pulls his hand back, looking at my seriously.

"I know why you came after me, to avenge him, how you found me I have no clue. You have strength and potential, why waste it all on someone who has already passed," He stands up this time. 

"I don't need your empty complements, and answer to the last part, it's because he was a brother to me. Family," I look down, defeated emotionally and physically. 

A hand rests on my head, undoubtedly the upper moons.

"I'm sorry for your loss but you need to know I have just as much as a will to live," he says softly.

"Get up human," he says.

"Whats the point, just kill me now," At this point the tears are pouring. Accepting death wasn't even that hard, the hard part was knowing I will never avenge Rengoku, never getting the closure of knowing he didn't die for nothing.

"I don't intend to kill you," He grabs my hand pulling me up, forcing me to my feet. 

I stumble for a second, my joints instantly aching due to the battle that took place less than twenty minutes ago. Surprise written on my bloodied face. He simply turns away making his way deeper in the forest.

I want to charge at him, try once more. Though I know its futile, he will undoubtedly win against me, I'm weak and he already looks to have regenerated all his strength and energy. What else to do, I will die of exhaustion before I make it out of this forest, before I come across another human. What left to do than follow the demon....

He was walking slow, seemingly waiting for me to catch up. Hesitantly I limp after him, being sure to grab my chipped and battered sword beforehand. 

'Won't do much, but it's something,' I think. 

~

The walk was maybe thirty minutes, but it felt like hours, my body buckling and threatening to fall almost every step of the way, the sight of an old dojo brought me joy, short lived though when I realized this is where upper one likely stayed for, he instantly went inside.