A Clap of Thunder (Demon Slayer X Male Reader)

Chapter 32: Purpose

"Hinokami Kagura...!" Tanjiro leaped upwards to avoid Akaza's fist and slammed his blade onto his armpit. "Come on! Cut through! If I can, then that means I can fight him!"

"Hinokami Kagura: Fire Wheel!" Tanjiro sliced off Akaza's arm as he slid right behind him. "I did it! I was able to—!"

Akaza turned with immense speed, using his other arm, he launched a back fist, as it neared Tanjiro's right cheek, Tanjiro began to breathe in quickly.

"Hinokami Kagura: Fake Rainbow!"

Akaza only punched an afterimage as Tanjiro then appeared a few feet ahead. Akaza was enjoying this.

"Tanjiro..." Giyuu thought. "It's no joke to say your power matches that of a Pillar...You did so much damage even though your opponent is Upper Rank Three."

'That day...that snowy day when you fell on your knees and begged, the only thing you could do was cry for me to spare your sister's life...but now you can fight. So your life and dignity will not be taken away.'

"This boy isn't weak. Don't insult him." Akaza recalled Rengoku's words out loud. "I now accept that Kyojuro was right to say that. You truly are not weak, so I'll show my respect for you."

"Technique Development..." Akaza made a stance, a bright blue compass needle emerging under his feet. "Destructive Death: Compass Needle!"

"Water Breathing..." Giyuu charged in, adjusting his blade. "Third Form: Flowing Dance!"

Akaza looked to his right and began to dodge Giyuu's fast and serene speed swings as he smirked widely, and jumped back defensively.

"The Water Pillar?" Akaza questioned Giyuu. "It's been fifty years since I've faced someone good."

Akaza then prepared his technique as Giyuu braced for it, as Akaza lunged forward, keeping his fists outward as his feet slammed off the floor, leaving two small craters behind.

"Destructive Death: Disorder!" Akaza launched a barrage of fists as Giyuu began to dodge them, but some managed to scrape parts of his chin.

"Water Breathing: Eleventh Form: Dead Calm."

Akaza's fists and destructive power now extended far beyond Giyuu, but now not a single punch was able to land on the Water Pillar.

"I've never seen that one before!" Akaza exclaimed. "The last Water Pillar I killed never used that!"

"Hinokami Kagura...!" Tanjiro came from Akaza's side and swung his blade twice. "...Raging Sun!"

"...?!" Tanjiro looked behind him to see a karate chop aimed at his left cheek, Akaza was right behind him.

"Hinokami Kagura: Fake Rain—!"

"Second Form: Water Wheel!" Giyuu arrived just in time, and managed to slice off Akaza's arm before it could hit Tanjiro.

Akaza regenerated his limb so quickly that Giyuu forcibly turned his body around to face him, and the two opponents began to battle but Giyuu was slowly losing his footing as the struggle continued.

"Hinokami Kagura: Dance—!" Tanjiro aimed for Akaza's legs, but the Upper Rank then focused his attention on Tanjiro.

"Destructive Death: Leg Type: Crown Splitter!"

Akaza launched a backward axe kick at Tanjiro, who blocked with his blade as both Akaza's leg and Tanjiro's blade made a shattering impact.

"I blocked it! With my blade—!" Tanjiro then felt an immense blow on his nose, and it began to bleed. "He managed to scrape me?!"

Akaza turned back to Giyuu and began to chuckle loudly as he began to increase his fists' power and speed as Giyuu grit his teeth as he struggled.

"I must know your name! I want to remember you!"

"I will not give my name to a demon. I hate speaking,  so don't talk to me."

"Ah, okay, so you hate talking! But I love talking! I'll ask you again and again for you name!" Akaza aimed a kick at Giyuu as it collided with his blade. "Leg Type: Explosive Flurry!"

"Gah!" Giyuu was launched away by the barrage of kicks as he crashed onto a wall and slid down from the impact.

"Giyuu-san!" Tanjiro called out, then Akaza appeared in front of the Slayer, shocking him.

"Ah! So his name is Giyuu!" Akaza exclaimed.

"Hinokami Kagura...!"

"Destructive Death..."

Akaza launched eight fists as Tanjiro began to counter with his own form.

"...Burning Bones, Summer Sun!"

"Eight-Layered Demon Core!"

Tanjiro felt his body being struck by a couple of Akaza's attacks as he winced in pain and slid back from the impact as now he and Akaza stared at each other, only a few feet away.

"Nice movements. You've trained so hard in so little time. Let me praise you. But man, Kyojuro did an amazing job. You were nothing but a weakling laying on the ground that night."

Akaza waved his arms.

"But look at you now! Your growth makes my eyes pop out! I'm feeling pure happiness and my heart's leaping! I'm glad Kyojuro died that night. He most likely wouldn't have gotten any stronger, and he s would've had that dumb worldview about being human."

This made Tanjiro widen his eyes angrily, as he envisioned Rengoku smiling in his head.

"What was that...?" Tanjiro growled. "You ass. Don't talk about Rengoku-san."

"Why though? I'm praising you guys here." Akaza said. "Both you and Kyojuro."

"No you're not. You're just bad mouthing him." Tanjiro said, his shoulders trembling with anger. "You spit on everyone's faces, regardless of who you're facing."

"You misunderstand, Tanjiro." Akaza smiled. "The only people I hate are weaklings. I only spit in the faces of the weak."

"Yes." Akaza dropped his smile. "I'm repulsed by weaklings. They make me sick. The law of nature dictates that they must be eliminated."

"Everything you just said is wrong. And the fact you're still standing here is proof. Newborn babies are weaker than anyone else. Someone protected and helped you. That's why you're alive now."

Tanjiro held his sword upfront.

"The strong should aid and protect the weak. After that, the weak will become strong and they in turn, will protect those weaker than them. That is the law of nature!"

Akaza felt a hand on his shoulder.

'In the beginning, everyone's a baby at what they do. They get help from those around them, then remember what happened. You'll become wonderful if you keep going for ten or twenty years. And next time, you'll be the one helping people...'

Akaza swung a fist behind him, as Tanjiro was shocked. Akaza looked at the empty air, as Tanjiro looked at him confusingly.

"Did he just...swing at the open air?"

"Tanjiro..." Akaza turned back. "You really are unpleasant."

End of Chapter