Unbound ♰ Kny x Fem!Reader

𝐱𝐢𝐢𝐢. Upper Moon Three / Akaza

When the smoke cleared a little, rubble was all that the eye could see.

Soot climbed shattered windows and metal walls, an ashy remainder of one of the many thousand blasts that had rattled the train's compartments – once a sight to behold, now sent tumbling down the pedestal of grandeur in the blink of an eye. Beyond the wreckage lay a forest of towering trees that allowed dappled rays of sunlight to filter into their surroundings, dwindling through leafy canopies of hunter green and sepia brown. Twisted and broken on the floor, the impressive Mugen Train didn't look so impressive anymore.

Another thing added to war's collection of many others — houses, buildings, people —the same: bits and pieces of its former splendor.

A voice called out through the now considerably thinner layer of smoke. "Y/N! Where are you?"

"I'm here," she coughed, her voice rasp. "Tanjiro?"

A boar mask made an imprint against the fog and appeared directly in front of her face, proudly wielding his blades in front to form a cross. "Monjiro's behind me. And so is mop head. We did it."

A smile crept onto her lips. "We did it," she agreed.

Tanjiro swat his hand back and forth in front of the smoke, creating a small square where the smoke parted. He stuck his face through it and grinned. "I can't wait to go back to the Butterfly Mansion and sleep," he began, watching Zenitsu trudge towards them and collapse on a rock. "We all deserve to sleep in tomorrow."

Rengoku walked over to them, practically beaming with pride. He gave them all a look that meant much more than proudness – he had hope in this future generation of Demon Slayers.

"You've mastered Total Concentration: Constant," he began, tilting his head towards Tanjiro, Inosuke and Zenitsu. "Doing so is the first of many steps to becoming a Hashira. I advise you to make your control and breathing more precise. Amazing job today."

"And Y/N. You delivered the final blow, didn't you?"

Y/N nodded humbly.

Rengoku grinned. "I knew you would be able to make a change. The determination in you is strong, and even stronger is your ability. Your brother would be proud of you." He laid a hand on her shoulder, and her heart swelled.

"Rengoku, are any of the passengers injured?" Tanjiro asked, holding his breath.

"No." Rengoku immediately replied, prompting the boy to release a sigh of relief. "Thank go–"

Boom.

The moment seemed to stop as a blast, much bigger than anything that had happened that night, erupted from behind them. Heartbeats slowed.

Dust, debris, and chunks of metal shot across the air as the remaining pieces of the train were blown to the ends of the forest's circle of empty space, leaving Rengoku and the four Demon Slayers painfully exposed. From a cloud of dust emerged a figure, and when Y/N cast a confused glance at Tanjiro, his face had paled a few shades. She glanced back.

Through the fog shone yellow eyes, their carved markings of the words Upper Moon Three clearer than day. The girl clutched her blade a little tighter.

A name had flitted across her mind. She didn't know anyone who had that name. She had never heard anyone say that name. Yet, as her eyes met with those of Upper Three's, she found herself realizing that she knew, she somehow knew, a word she had never known before.

Hakuji.

♱

𝕻𝖆𝖌𝖊 𝕿𝖊𝖓