A Hashira's Demon

Fire vs Air

The tension between the two Hashiras was strong enough that either felt the air around them was choking up their lungs or the heat beneath them was scorching under their feet. Not one Hashira has ever seen Rengoku this infuriating. It became so bad that they were unsure of how to respond.

"Oh?" Sanemi replied. "So, you're the one who brought this monster in our headquarters, didn't you, Rengoku?"
"It was what the Master requested." I replied firmly. "Do not harm my love here in this place, Sanemi."
"Your love?" he scoffed.

I slowly started to get up, but the wounds were too much for me to handle.

"Please don't move, my dear." Rengoku ordered calmly, "it'll only make your wounds worse if you do anything."

In an instant, you could hear someone snicker from across the garden.

"You've got to be kidding me?!" snapped Sanemi. "You and... this demon?! Together??"
"Is that a problem?"
"We've been fighting against these demons for centuries and all you got to say, 'Is that a problem?' Yes, there's a problem! Do you know what we call that: Insane. We need to execute that being at all costs!"
"If you lay a finger on them one more time, I'll-"
"You'll what? Fight me? You know perfectly well, this won't work. You're a flame Hashira and I'm a wind Hashira. I could destroy you in an instant. Besides, I don't think the Master would like it if you attack me, a former Hashira all that well."

He growled in anger as he knew the moral code of the Demon Slayer Corps. It was mere taboo to fight a fellow demon slayer without provocation, but at the same time, he saw Sanemi hurt the one he was meant to protect. However, he prepared to unsheathe his sword and glared at Sanemi.

"And it seems fair for you to harm someone that didn't even lay a finger on you out of all that?"

The other Hashiras who heard about it realized in surprised. While they were focused on me being a demon in their midst, not once did they ever see me fight back at all.

"Rengoku," Shinobu spoke up, "Please sheathe your sword. We can discuss this in a morally calm matter. I know Sanemi did was way out of proportion, but you need to be the bigger person here."
"She's right, buddy," another Hashira named Tengen added, "we're sorry if we went out of line for this, but it was odd to see a demon here that we only responded with defense."
"Oh, so you're sorry?!" Sanemi snapped, "you're all sorry that a man-eating demon had to eat all of our fellow comrades all this time?! You're all sorry that we had to stoop so low for this monster? Or are you all sorry for this poor excuse of a demon doesn't have the balls to strike their meal for their energy to serve under Muzan?!"

That snapped Rengoku and started to fight Sanemi in rage. Shinobu and Mitsuri, who didn't want to see the outcome of the situation, went towards me in question, trying to tend to my injuries.

"Looks like their wounds aren't healing as fast as normal demons." Shinobu observed. "Which is quite odd."
"Well, what should we do, Shinobu?" Mitsuri asked.

As she tried to think about the issue carefully, I slowly raised my hand towards their sleeve.

"I need... food..."
"Food?" both of them asked in great confusion.

As the two were confused by my request, Rengoku and Sanemi were still fighting hard enough both would assume their pain would be drastic. However, Sanemi retained no scratch from Rengoku's sword attacks as if he was dodging them on purpose.

"What? Has the mighty Flame Hashira throwing a big tantrum because what I said was true? Wake up, Rengoku! That monster you're protecting has manipulated you completely!"
"That 'monster'," Rengoku retorted, "is my lover!!"

With one swing, he got Sanemi by the sleeve, leaving a bad scratch underneath.

"Oh ho! You got one hit on me!" Sanemi remarked, preparing to grab his sword right away, "Then this means a duel to the death!"

Just when the two were about to have the fight of the lifetime, Giyuu spoke up.

"Cease this! The Master will be arriving soon!"

Rengoku stopped for a moment, but Sanemi hit him hard with his fist, making him fall towards the ground floor.

"And this is why you will never be as strong as me!" he spoke up, but noticed something was off.

Somehow, throughout all that fiasco, the two Hashiras noticed me jumped out towards Rengoku and held on to his fist as tight as I could.

"You hurt him, now it's my turn."

Without a second moment, I swung my foot towards his head and blocked it with his other arm, leaving all of them in shock. A demon would straightaway use their blood demon arts or turn their targets into demons instantly, so seeing one fighting with their feet was very odd. Despite my injuries, I continued to fight Sanemi, making sure none of Muzan's blood gets infected by any of the Hashiras in question. Thanks to Akaza's training, I tried to fight as much as I could, but to my dismay, he hit me so hard my body collapsed into the ground.

"Looks like time's running out for you, Demon!" Sanemi responded as he sheathed his sword once more, this time, aiming towards the nape of my neck.

As he prepared the strike, I started to use my blood demon technique.

"Blood demon art: Fallen Stars!!" I yelled.

Just when the tip started to pierce through my skin, the flames from my body started to grow rapidly, making all the Hashiras stare at amazement. Sanemi, who thought the fires would harm his skin, backed away for a few feet to see myself fail at my attack.

"Ha! You missed!" he scoffed.
"I... wasn't... aiming... at you." I remarked calmly, trying to get back up from the pain.

Confused at my remark, he glanced at his Nichirin sword, realizing the tip of his sword was starting to melt easily from its full form. All but a few were astonished by this new power as Rengoku slowly started to wake up.

"You... can kill me... all you want," I spoke, with little strength I had left, "but... don't you dare... hurt... my... lo..."

Slowly, I fell to the ground floor and passed out.
Leaving everyone surprised at this new response.