Burn to ash

A Dark Soul

"I always wondered why that old geezer favored you so much. It was cause of your demon blood. I know now how great it is. Your demon blood makes you leagues stronger than any other demon slayer and our stupid teacher knew that didn't he. the rest of us didn't even have a chance at becoming a pillar while you were around." His laugh echoes , bouncing on the walls around us.  

" Now I'm stronger because i earned my place. Muzan-sama saw my potential and turned me. I earned my place in the upper ranks unlike you who's a waste of space and a thorn in his side." He slashes at me with the sword that should have been used to kill demons. 

" Nothing you say will justify the act of betraying the demons slayer's corps. Nothing you say will justify leading our teacher, our shihan, to commit sucide." I can feel the air rippling behind me. 

" He didn't have anyone to relieve his pain." I hear the boy behind me faintly whisper. 

"Houzuki-chan, I'll do it. He was my brother disciple so i should be the one to do it. You're too strong to be wasting your time with a wanna be demon." He says this so calmly that i almost don't notice his fists shaking with anger.  

" I'll leave it to you and watch from the sidelines. Shihan, that old man trained all three of us. As the current thunder pillar, it's my duty to watch over thus battle." 

I don't give a damn about the battle happening elsewhere at the moment. I trust the other to handle their own battles, I have to fill Shihan's shoes and be responsible for this battle. I must make sure that this stain in Shihan's legacy will not survive. 

He hasn't changed a bit since the last time we had seen him. Selfish, jealous, impatient, power hungry and stupid. He doesn't or hasn't even realized that he is Muzan's tool. He did not earn his place, he was lucky that Muzan needed more players for this battle. Muzan is manipulating his because he is easily manipulated.  I trust him, Zenitsu, i trust him because he has always been good. he may be a coward at times but he always pulls through. He's already saved countless lives and already has the heart of a demon slayer. Not only that but he loves our teacher, he loves life, he loves his friends, he loves so many things that he had plenty of things and people to fight for. 

Thunder Breathing; Seventh Form: Honoikazuchi no Kami. God of the flaming thunder. A form he'd come up with all on his own because he wanted to fight alongside us, because he wanted to be respected by us. That cowardice boy that hid behind everyone, the fearful boy that swore that he could do nothing, that poor boy that somehow became great. No, not somehow, it was through great effort and back breaking hard work. It was through getting the impurities beat out of him and working sleepless night fighting demons.

Honoikazuchi no Kami, a beautiful form that I'm sure would have been difficult for anyone to master, let alone learn and yet, here he is on his own retrieving our shishou's lost honor.

I run as fast as I can to catch him as he falls. He wanted to do this on his own, to beat his own bully, to overcome the obstacle that always got in his way.

This poor boy has achieved what most could not in their entire life time. To create a breathing form and, to defeat an upper moon.

" You've done so well Zenitsu. Shishou would be so proud of you." I whisper and he looks up at me so weak.
" Ji'chan," He mutters in a half dream state as I lay him down, a number of demon slayers surround us. The crows above us announcing his victory.

" Can I leave him here with you all. I have to keep going but unfortunately, I don't think he'll be able to keep up with me. " The boy, a demon boy I'm sure, nods with a scowl present on his face. 

" Girl." He started but I start running before he can finish his sentence. I can hear him screaming after me but soon, I find myself in a corridor alone, the same paper walls seeming to go on forever, as if someone has trapped me in an infinite maze. 

I can feel my blood pulsing, as if someone is calling me; a pull towards a greater being, a pull towards Muzan.  

I know where he is because he is calling me. I can't tell if it is my drive to kill him that is making me follow the call or if it is my need to follow him. 

I can't tell but I find him, I do. Where Tamayo-sama had struck him, she tries to kill him. 

" you're the girl. Born from a demon mother." His voice is smooth, and his smile is charismatic, a face any woman could fall in love with. Almost hard to believe that he is Muzan, he is the being who caused all the suffering, all of my suffering. 

"It's quite strange. I can't feel myself in you. Perhaps because you weren't born from my cells but you can feel it can't you. I am your master, like a bee to it's queen, you can feel the power I have over you." His words are haunting because they are true. 

A part of me is screaming to help him, a part of me wants to join him, a part of me wants to be praised by him. 

the human in me, it's screaming at me to run, that I can not win against him. It is screaming at me to run and hide, somewhere that no one can find me, even if that means hiding in death. 

My hand shakes even as I grip the hilt of my precious blade, my colorless blade. I feel a warmth in my chest and flame igniting in my soul. 

Kyojuro will protect my soul, Tengen will guard my mind, and I, I will defeat the demon that Muzan wishes me to be.