My Brightest Flame (Rengoku X Reader)

Chapter 36 - Would you?

A/N: I'm proud to say I now have the rest of the book planned out! It's motivating so be on the look out for double uploads in the coming days! Hope you enjoy!

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Jumping back, y/n's eyes widened. She was lucky to dodge that attack as the flame hashira attacked with what felt like no hesitation. He was faster than she had remembered. Was it always like that?

"I don't want to fight you..." The demon confessed, looking at the former colleague with regret.

"And I didn't want to fight you either but you left me no choice!" Y/N bit her lip in worry as she barely dodged another attack. She didn't have a sword and a sword was her main way of fighting. "You most likely killed hundreds of innocent people. Why? Why couldn't you have been strong enough to resist it, y/n?" The hurt in his voice as he yelled cut through y/n clearer and more painfully than any physical weapon could. She only wished she could have stopped herself from consuming humans.

"I didn't want to become this...thing!" Y/N admitted, eyes watering as she wasn't able to dodge quick enough, blocking her face with her arms. She had moved backwards just enough that the blade only burned through her arms, which grew back instantly. Most demons would be happy about that, but y/n couldn't. It only made her hate what she had become, the speed of her healing evidence of how many humans she had eaten. "I just wanted to save you..." The female demon had no idea if her words would get through to him, she doubted they would. He had a job to complete and she knew for sure, he would. He proved himself as such by not being phased by her ability to regenerate so easily, he'd just keep attacking.

The only way she thought to throw him off was to place him in the dark cloudy abyss that she had used previously, using his attack once more as a way to dodge and disappear. It gave her a moment to remember what she was doing...killing him. Right...

Kyojuro frowned as he watched his surroundings, everything so quiet he couldn't even hear his breathing. He was hard of hearing anyway so it made no difference to him. Still getting used to one eye, there was a delay before he noticed the black cloudy horse charging towards him out of whatever blood demon art this was. He gritted his teeth as he focused on the animal, aiming for it's neck with unknowing fire. The chances of that animal being y/n were slim but he didn't take any chances, the horse falling into a puff of smoke after his strike. The light of the flames lit up the area just enough for him to see y/n approaching with her fist in the air, taking advantage of his blind side. Effortlessly he cut off her arm again, the black clouds disappearing as he did. The snowstorm wasn't that much better but at least he could kind of hear again.

Y/N didn't back down this time, gaining more courage as she glared at him fiercely. She could keep up with him, it would just be challenging. Of course, the flame hashira would never make it easy for a demon to kill him. It was obvious to y/n that she'd have to use her blood demon art to kill him, not having much luck with direct contact while her main experience was with a sword. It was now her goal to juggle the maintenance of distance between them while she used what tricks she had to fight him.

Anger burned through Kyojuro as he kept closing the distance only for the woman to keep opening up the gap again. She had gotten better, he observed. She had good footwork now, better than before, she was faster and had more strength. If only she had worked for that as a human than as a demon who feasted for power. While his mind remained aware that she was a demon, his heart was screaming at him to stop. Maybe she never wanted to be a demon, but it didn't excuse her for the life she took.

Even the red and white ice crystals that attempted to stab him didn't phase him, using more of his forms of fire to melt them as they approached. He couldn't help but smirk at y/n as her attack failed. She was going to need a lot more than sharp ice to beat him. However, he wouldn't give her the chance.