Dispassionate

32

32) Akaza

Tanjiro felt his back hit the ground rather harshly. He inhaled as much air as he possibly could. Was a needle going to kill him? That MUSTY, DISGUSTING, FINGER LICKING— I MEAN PLAGUE INDUCING needle.

He gripped his abdomen in pain and used total concentration breathing to stop the bleeding even though it makes no sense in my tiny, micro sized brain.

He glanced to the side to see Zenitsu running towards him. Tanjiro stood up, wobbling a bit. "Are you.... Okay?" Tanjiro greatly fought the urge to tell him to piss off. Why wasn't he helping the passengers that could be injured?

Tanjiro nodded his head, and looked over to the people either stuck under the train or injured next to it. He looked back to Zenitsu. The blonde didn't seem too focused on him, rather staring off into the dusty distance.

Tanjiro let his eyes trail to where Zenitsu's were. He smelled something now. Looking into the distance, he saw those glowing yellow eyes from when he was on the train. Shit.

In the next moment, there was a fist nearly touching his face. Tanjiro may have not had enough time to react, but they were with a trained Hashira. And I'm not putting a hole through his head just yet.

The demon's arm had a neat line slicing through it that went to its head elbow, severing the half's. It jumped back about twenty feet, letting the dust from their crash disappear.

He healed his arm and licked the leftover blood from his hand away. "My my, that's a fine sword." He grinned, showing off his pearly white canines. Rengoku's happy expression faltered slightly.

"Why go after an injured person first?" He asked. The demon's smile turned back into a more nonchalant expression. "Just thought he might get in the way of our chitchat is all." He answered.

"I can already tell you're of a high placement in the demon slayer corps. A Hashira, right?! What's your name? I wish to know it!" The demon asked with a big to much excitement. Rengoku looked at him with a calmer expression than before, as if hesitating. Should he tell him?

"Kyojuro Rengoku, I am the flame Hashira." He finally answered. The demon gazed at him through thick, pink eyelashes that I wish I had.

"I am Akaza, and I don't like weak people. I find them repugnant. Always needing to be protected but never protecting others. So I'd appreciate it if you could move so I could kill those boys." He started at Zenitsu and Tanjiro with malicious intent. (Devious (¬‿¬))

"Those boys are not weak, do not insult them." He demanded. The demon only seemed to move his gaze over to Rengoku again. "Hey, here's an idea! Why don't you become a demon!" Akaza said, completely disregarding the Hashiras words.

Rengoku's expression changed to one of shock as he replayed them in his head. Say yes, say yes, please say ye—

"I don't know where you got this idea, but I refuse your offer." He said. Goddamn it. Akaza frowned. "If you don't become a demon, then I'll have to kill you."

"Then I shall die fighting!" He pointed his sword at Akaza, aiming to cut off a limb, and maybe his neck.

Flame breathing, fourth form, Blooming Flame Undulation

The man cut through Akaza's torso, the demon jumping away before the blade could ever reach his neck. The demon laughed. "Become a demon, Kyojuro! Or all that talent will go to waste! Your body will grow old, and that spark you have within you will soon die out! Come on! Become a demon!"

He attempted yet again, his voice making it sound a like he was pleading with the Hashira. Rengoku grimaced at his words. He shot forward to attack again, but Akaza disappeared from his line of sight. He looked up to see Akaza had jumped in the air to avoid the metal of his blade.

Destructive death, air type

Akaza threw many punches at Rengoku, he blocked as many as he could with his sword. Tanjiro took a step forward before being stopped.

"No! Stay there! You're injured!" He Man yelled as blood seeped from his lower lip, which had unfortunately been busted open. Tanjiro stopped in his tracks, looking at the scene in front of him.

He had been contemplating what to do for a while before Rengoku objected. Why? The man had said it himself. He's not weak. So why isn't he allowed to help?

Akaza kept jumping around like a fucking bunny, throwing punches and kicks at the worm out Hashira. "I've said it once and I'll say it again, become a demon, Kyojuro. Your eye is destroyed and you have internal wounds you could be easily killed from," he said, voice to call for the current situation.

"A human can't heal those right away. It takes time. But if you became a demon, you could heal them right away! No worries of dying in battle when you can regenerate a lost arm! A human would be killed!" Akaza yelled, voice regaining its excitement once again as Rengoku coughed up blood.

"And what caused these injuries of mine? A demon. I refuse your offer!"

Akaza sucked his breath in. "Shame."

☆彡

What happened? They disappeared into the tree line, I can't see them. It seems Tanjiro can't either, is Rengoku going to die? No, don't be silly. He's a Hashira.

Way stronger than both of us. There's no way he could lose, even if he's up against upper moon three. He'll win. I'm sure of it!

I see something. I can hear it to. Tanjiro is walking away now, but why? I followed him with my eyes to see him picking up his chipped sword.

"Tanjiro, he told us not to interfere!" I grabbed his shoulder and he just stared at me. Creepy! Where's Seiko when you need him?!

We both looked back to the battle. But Rengoku is really struggling. Maybe Tanjiro should help him? He's really strong, after all. I mean, he's already beaten a Hashira while sparing. And two lower moons. Maybe it would be best to just let him go.

"That's quite the fighting spirit you have! It must have taken years to perfect! It would be a shame to lose it all in one night! Please, Kyojuro! Accept my offer! Become a demon!"

Rengoku declined again, slicing through his shoulder, before being forced to bring his blade back out of Akaza's skin. Akaza had his face so close to Rengoku's that their noses were touching. He needs help.

I leg go of Tanjiro's shoulder and let him dash forward.

☆彡

Akaza had been seconds away from punching through Rengoku's stomach, before his arm had been cut off. He looked at Rengoku and smiled, before it turned to confusion. His blade hasn't moved. Who cut his arm off?

He felt eyes glaring at him, he turned his head to see Tanjiro with his head cocked to the side. "Aw, has the cat come to play? Be careful I don't just tear your throat open and rip out your tongue." The demon threatened.