Demon Slayer: A Different Path

Chapter 2: You're Awake!

Tanjiro slowly swam back to consciousness, the lingering remnants of nausea and dizziness washing over him. He cracked open his heavy eyelids, confusion blurring his vision as he took in unfamiliar blue uniforms surrounding him.

He looked around the destroyed district as smoke filled the place.

He coughed violently.

"Is e-everyone okay...?" he croaked, his throat ragged and dry.

"Yep! He's alive all right." One of the kakushi said curtly.

Tanjiro looked for the demons to find both of their heads departing with hatred filling their eyes and a small hint of regret.

He sighed in relief, glad that the battle was over.

"Quickly, this boar headed guy needs immediate medical attention! Start with first aid!" One of the Kakushi said.

"Huh...?" Tanjiro mumbled.

Tanjiro's gaze fell to his left, landing on a familiar boar-headed figure lying motionless on the ground. His stomach dropped, a cold dread creeping up his spine as his mind struggled to process the scene before him. Inosuke lay in a pooling of his own blood, blood pouring out of Inosuke's chest, swollen purple marks around his body, showing that Gyutaro's poison was taking effect. His chest was deathly still, his face ashen and wan. A bunch of kakushi surrounded him, nursing to save his life.

"Inosuke!" Tanjiro cried out, desperation lacing his voice. He scrambled towards his friend on unsteady limbs, grasping Inosuke's limp hand between his own and cradling the boy's head in his lap.

He removed the boar mask, revealing his delicate face all bloody, cuts covered his face.

Tears spilled unbidden down Tanjiro's cheeks as he gazed into Inosuke's closed eyes, hoping- pleading - for some flicker of life.

They all looked at Tanjiro in pity.

"Inosuke...?" Tanjiro said.

He gazed at Inosuke's motionless chest.

"He's... he's not breathing..." Tanjiro mumbled.

Tanjiro scooted closer to him, placing his hard-working, rough hands on Inosuke's chest. He lifted Inosuke's head up and hugged him, sobbing uncontrollably.

"No... please, god, I can't lose my friend too..."

"No, no, no... please, NOOO!"

"INOSUKE! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! PLEASE, I'VE LOST TOO MUCH ALREADY!" He sobbed even more.

"First, my father..." Tanjiro started as he remembered Tanjuro's soft smile.

"Then my family..." He continued, getting a flashback of the day he returned from coal selling, excited to embrace his family, only to find their bloody, cold corpses laying lifelessly on the ground.

"And then Rengoku-San..." Tanjiro said as he remembered Rengoku's final words.

"Set your heart ablaze." Rengoku smiled.

"After that, Uzui-San..." He said, as he remembered Uzui's dismembered head.

"And Nezuko... she transformed into a full demon... and escaped..." Tanjiro said.

"Nezuko! Please! Don't leave me too! You're the only one I have left... Please... I beg of you... don't leave!" Tanjiro begged as tears streamed down his face.

Nezuko, who seemed unfazed by his words and tears, quickly delivered a vicious punch to his face that sent him crashing through another building, knocking him out. She continued running until she was nowhere to be seen.