Zayla Eternal Devari's Immortality

Plan Interrupted! Tanjiro's Missing!!

Tanjiro wandered the Calba Forest following the tracks of Rex. He looked around noticing the tracks stopped beside a large tree, he looked up, "Rex? You up there?" Rex looked down at him, "Tanjiro, what are you doing here?" Tanjiro frowned, "are you okay? You sound different..." "Do I?" He watched Rex lean his head back and chuckle, "interesting". "Hey uh, why don't you come down here and we can have a chat?" "You can't climb a tree?" "I didn't say that..." Tanjiro climbed the tree with ease to sit on an opposite branch to him, "talk to me Rex, why are you up here?" Rex sighed looking out, "this scenery, it takes me back". "Hold on!" Tanjiro steadied himself as he wobbled the branch, "you remembered something!?" "It was back when I was twelve, my father brought me into Calba, he was here on a mission". "So you remembered your father, what was he like?" "He was very skilled, he loved me more than anything in the world, but we were always on the move, I can't really remember why. All I know is that the last time I saw him was in this forest, on his last mission". Tanjiro sat back, "oh I'm sorry..." Rex finally looked at him, "it's not your fault Tanjiro". "What was his mission...? Did it cause him to- is that why he... died?" "Yes, he was hunting someone", Rex looked away, "someone special". Tanjiro gave him a look as he continued, "she was this magical girl who couldn't die". "Zayla..." He muttered involuntarily. "I was never told her name, I was just to come along and learn from my father. Do you know what happened Tanjiro?" "N-no... what happened?" "We ran into a warrior, Boe Ren, the greatest swordsmen in the world!" Tanjiro's heart raced, "greatest swordsmen? Then you met Bodoku's father?" "Correct, he was supposedly protecting the girl and he fought us, the only thing I learned that day was the color of my fathers blood... he wouldn't kill me though. No he let me go with a warning that if I ever came for the girl again then he would make sure I died". Tanjiro tensed as he looked at him, "so I trained, I mastered my powers. I met Boe Ren outside a place called Gonaga. He injured me, but I killed him". "Y-You killed Bodoku's father??" Tanjiro gulped. "Yes, but not before his title of greatest swordsman had already been stripped from him, turns out his eight year old son had already bested him. So I searched, I looked for a way to fight him so that title would be mine- I would take everything from him including the girl!" "But you came across Devari", Tanjiro surmised. "Exactly, I didn't know he was the girls uncle so I began spouting my revenge story to him and wouldn't you know, he had a problem with it. He brainwashed me. Made me forget my fighting abilities, my powers, my very existence! He made me a slave..." Tanjiro glanced at the bottom of the tree searching for a quick way down, "when you were thrown through that wall. You remembered, that's why you were acting funny with Bodoku, right?" "You really are a smart one Tanjiro, which is why I'm sure you believe me when I say, you shouldn't try to run". "Run? Why would I run, you're beef isn't with me..." "True, but you know I can't well let you scamper off to the others and tell them I have a grudge that needs settling". "Do you though? I mean, Boe Ren killed your father so you killed him, to me it looks like you settled that vendetta you had, why risk what you have now. We can all be friends, I won't tell anyone about your past, no one will know-" Tanjiro flinched as he yelled, "I WILL KNOW! I wanted to take everything from Boe Ren because he took everything from me! Just killing him wasn't enough! I wanted to be the greatest swordsman! I wanted to take his family like he took mine! I wanted to kill the one he was protecting!" Rex leant back again and relaxed, "I don't really want to kill you". Tanjiro stared at him, "a lot seems to have changed since then Rex, how do you know you can?" Rex adopted a small smile, "I like how you're trying to threaten me though you know you'd lose". Tanjiro straightened seeming more confident, "you're out of practice Rex, I won't let you go back and hurt my friends". They stared at each other for a brief moment before Tanjiro attacked, he used his power on the tree trying to grab Rex as he jumped back. "Don't presume you know my limitations boy! I have none!" Tanjiro gasped as Rex threw a green ball of energy that knocked him out of the tree. He thudded with a groan as he landed on his back, smacking his head. The shock jarred his movements and ability to think, Rex approached him and held his shoulders down. At his touch Tanjiro was paralyzed, "sorry about that, but you did attack me first". "Why... why can't I move..." "Don't try to talk, it'll make breathing harder", Rex picked him up into his arms and began walking in the opposite direction to the cabin, "you see, it's the paralyzing power I inherited from my father, as soon as I touch you, you can't move. It doesn't last very long, but it's long enough", he approached a short cliff, analyzing every possible way down. "Quite frankly I was surprised Bodoku didn't recognize me, he did see me once". "Please..." Tanjiro muttered. "Don't worry, I'm not going to drop you", he laid him beside the cliff then raised a foot and stamped on Tanjiro's shin breaking his leg. "AHH ughh.!" Tanjiro cried, Rex tensed, hearing him cry out made him feel bad so he knocked him out. "Easy does it..." Rex surrounded Tanjiro with his energy power and carefully lowered him to the bottom of the cliff, "there..." He sat down for a moment thinking about what he was doing... and what he wanted to do next...