Heart Of Fire; Veins Of Ice | Kimetsu No Yaiba Fanfic (Kyojurou's POV)

Chapter 19

It's relaxing.

As Masahiko holds his left arm and he lays on the futon, and he closes his eyes behind the blindfold, as his healer carefully inserts the needles into his skin, as it loosens his tense muscles, and dulls the pain. It calms his nerves, quells his panic and walls his fear off from the rest of his mind, and he can focus on nothing but the aura the scent and the sound of those around him.

"So you're the flame pillar?" Masahiko hums beneath his breath as he listens to Kyojuro speak.

"I was. I know I died, but here I am, alive and a demon," His voice is laced with hidden spite and self loathing. Masahiko is silent, as he inserts another three needles. A part of him also wants to know how this man knows about the Demon Slaying Corps, but that was not important as of the moment. 

"If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen, " The healer's voice is inviting, yet soft and giving him the choice to choose if he wanted to reveal more about what were going to be some painful memories, and it gave him space. 

"I suppose it would help me. So, yes," Kyojuro replies, as he brings his left arm up and crosses it over his blindfolded eyes. He hears the cracking of burning wood, and the sizzle of the flames in the fire place. In his mind's eye, he can see a candle burning bright, its flame the colour of the sun.

"What happened?" 

Masahiko is neither intrusive, and yet he offers nothing but sympathy and understanding, not a tone of pity in his voice. The candle flickers, the bright white wax melting and dripping down its length, falling on the surface as it solidifies into hardened residue.

"I was fighting a demon. My student, or would be student, Kamado-kun, was wounded and unable to fight. The demon was an upper moon, one of the top three demons under Muzan Kibutsuji's command. I didn't stand a chance," 

He trails off, as the candle flickers crimson red, blinding and glaring, as the wax turns into a deep, scarlet red, and coagulated into rivulets of blood.

"It hurt, but I bought time for Kamado-kun and his friend to harm the demon and have him remove its arms. But by then, I already knew it was too late. I could tastes blood on my tongue, and my left eye was smashed in. I'm glad that I could pass on my final words to Kamado-kun to inform my family...." He pauses, as he runs a hand across his left eye.

"But it isn't that which pains me so. It's how I survived, and became a demon in order to do so," He speaks, voice unnaturally soft, as he reflects on his own thoughts.

"You shouldn't blame yourself," Masahiko speaks, as Kyojuro's free hand rests over his left eye. But why shouldn't he? He should have died, and he shouldn't have become a demon. He should have died on the battlefield, in a blaze of glory, saving hundreds of innocents. Died in the eyes of his mother, died a human.

Not become what he was now.

"Well, let bygones be bygones!" His throat hurts, as he lies with a smile. He knows Masahiko isn't stupid. He probably saw through his lies, but he didn't want to think about it anymore.

Instead, he focuses on the sensation of touch on his skin, of Ren's feathers in his palm, soft, silky and warm. Masahiko's touch is kind, gentle, soothing, like healing balm over wounded skin, or warmth over frostbitten fingers. It speaks volumes of his person, and while his fingers are rough, they are smooth and calming on his skin, wisps of warm flames on his left arm.

He's aware his skin is cold to touch, unnaturally so, as Ren nuzzles against him and his neck in an attempt to warm him up as well. He appreciates the gesture, and he feels more warm towels being draped over his neck and his body, courtesy of Masahiko, and he pulls the cloth closer to him.

If only he could use the breath of flames....

But he couldn't.

He needed to find out why and solve it.

A/N: In the future chapters there will be a lot of hidden information of sorts, and I'm wondering if anyone would like explanations to be given at the end of each chapter which can act as a summary of sorts. 

If you do want explanations, you can comment or pm me and I'll try to give as detailed of an analysis as possible, which can open up other paths or possibilities to what will happen in the story, as well as hint to future events. 

I'm more than happy to analyse and explain details in the story, so don't be shy! :)