Demon Slayer; Kyameron Kamado

Chapter 56.

Midnight strikes the butterfly mansion. Its cold, dreamy, yet dreary atmosphere embraced the building in a dark hug. Kyameron gazed out of the window which was free of snow, locking eyes with the night sky. Cloud cover still poisoned it, but the moon's brilliance and luminance broke a hole through, just barely visible among the void of black. Its majesty transfixed him, even with just the tiny ray visible. 'Hello? Kyameron, are you awake?' Someone asked.

Grimacing, Kyameron sat up from his slump, 'Yeah, I'm up, Tanjiro. Come in,' He said.

The door creaked open and Tanjiro slinked in, quietly closing it behind him, 'H-hey,' he mumbled, 'H-how are you?'

'I've been worse.'

'Good...,'

The awkwardness was beyond cringe-worthy. Painful, even. 'Not really good. My pec is torn and my ucl is torn. I've had worse, but this isn't good.' Kyameron said, 'I think I know why you're here.'

Tanjiro seized up, 'L-lady Shinobu said I should come.'

'She really sent you already?' He grumbled, 'I only just told her about it. Listen, there are plenty of things I need to tell you, but I'm not ready for that, okay? Give me some time, then I'll explain everything. Can you do that?' He asked.

Tanjiro smiled as hard as he could, nodding his head, 'However much you need.'

Kyameron returned his smile, though much weaker because of the gashes littering his face, 'Thank you.' Tanjiro said you're welcome and stood up to leave, but Kyameron stopped him at the door. Spinning around, his brother had his arms as open as he could have them, 'You deserve this much. Just watch my chest, please; this torn pec really hurts.'

Tanjiro agreed, practically diving into his brother's arms though careful around his chest. The first genuine embrace between the brothers since before Rengoku's demise was full of loving warmth, chasing away the darkness outside. Neither was willing to release the other until Kyameron's injuries prevented him from sitting up any longer, forcing them apart. 'Thank you.' Tanjiro said, a look of pure relief and joy on his face, 'I missed you.'

Kyameron snickered, 'I know you have. Now get some sleep.'

'I will.'

Tanjiro again turned to leave, but Kyameron stopped him again, '... tell Nezuko I love her, and thank her for saving my life.'

Tanjiro beamed again, 'I will.'

And with that, he finally departed the room, leaving Kyameron alone in the silence. The silence, combined with Shinobu's remedy gave him what he needed to slip into uninterrupted rest. It wasn't 'till sunrise the next morning that he woke, fully energized after the first self-induced long sleep since his master's death. Upon waking, the sound of bubbling was flying around the room, as was the clinking of glass. After adjusting his vision to the light, Kyameron peered to the other corner of the room where Shinobu stood at her desk, brewing something. 'Good morning, Kyameron,' She said in a bubbly tone.

'Good morning,' He replied, rubbing his eyes, 'How long was I out for?'

'A week.'

Kyameron sprung to his feet, 'A WEEK?!' He shrieked, 'I'VE BEEN OUT FOR A WHOLE WEEK?!'

'Yes,' Shinobu answered in the same tone.

'HOW?! WHY?!'

'That agent I gave you the other day was meant to induce a regulated coma. In that state, your wounds and injuries would heal much quicker than normal. It was a test run, but I'd say it was very successful. I'm making another dose right now, matter of fact.'