Seventh Moon

Rengoku Kyojuro: Don't Miss Out on Growing Old

What I saw earlier wasn't just a dream. I also saw a vision of a future that I would never allow to happen – a future where Kyojuro dies. Their fight took forever and just a moment... Somehow, I was able to keep up with them. Kyojuro, no matter how amazing of a fighter he was, was still human.

And for all the kindness he's shown me, Akaza-san... he was a monster. He kept on praising Kyojuro's fighting spirit and technique but then belittles him due to his humanity. I can't believe this!

He looked so bloody and beaten, but Kyojuro was still smiling, and voice still booming cheerfully and energetically around us. "I will fulfill my duties. I won't let anybody here die!" My vision came back to my mind... this. This was how Kyojuro – I won't let it!

They both went to attack, kicking up dust around them. That was the only moment that I was thankful for becoming a demon. I pushed my body to move as fast as it could, and I felt something pierce my chest as I frantically tried to cover Kyojuro's torso with frost – hoping it'd serve as some sort of armor.

Simultaneous calls of my name rang around me, the one taking most of my attention was the call from the man whose arm was piercing through me. "Y/N!" It was the name Kibutsuji called me years ago. The name Akaza-san knows me as.

"Y/N-chan!" Kyojuro... "I can't let you... die!" Talking with someone's arm piercing through your chest was not great and was very painful, as I discovered. Still, I didn't stop. I just had to tell Kyojuro... "Kyo-kun – ah. You said... growing old and dying..." I realized it was much too long, the speech I had in my head so I went right to the point. "Don't miss out on the growing old part!" I willed my blood demon art to work, locking Akaza-san's arm in place.

I thought Akaza-san would become angrier – more murderous, but he reacted as if I was the one whose arm was piercing his chest. It made me hesitate as if this was all something we could resolve with a friendly chat.

"You're standing between me and another hashira? You're protecting him?" It was a quiet whisper that showed how dejected he felt. I never imagined I'd ever go against Akaza-san, and he seemed to have thought the same. I want to say I felt guilty... but all I felt was anger. I was so angry at him for hurting Kyojuro.

Behind me, Kyojuro mustered his remaining strength and went for Akaza-san's neck. Fear flashed in his eyes, and his free arm went for Kyojuro's face!

I turned, scared to see what happened. "You... s-stopped 'im?" Suddenly, I can feel Akaza-san trying to tug his arm off me, well out of me, I guess? "Y/N, let go! Let go or we'll both die!"

"I won't let her die! And I won't let you go either!" It was a complicated struggle. One of Akaza-san's arm was frozen in me, both of my hands trying to keep him in place. His other arm was in Kyojuro's hold and I know he won't be letting go as well, while Kyojuro's other arm is pushing his sword through Akaza-san's neck.

Seeing it up close... I'm letting Akaza-san die. My first friend as a demon, the one who showed me kindness... I was angry, but I still didn't want him to die.

"Inosuke, move! Move for Rengoku-san!" Panic was on Akaza-san's face when – Ah! It was akin to an explosion! In a desperate move, Akaza-san somehow managed to blow his arms and cut himself free from our hold before running off.

"She'll burn – Argh!" Was all he managed to say before Tanjirou's sword pierced through him and darkness enveloped me. Kyojuro wrapped his haori around me, trying to cover me from the rising sun. Making sure my back was at the sun, I stubbornly lifted the haori enough so that I could assess Kyojuro's injuries.

"Y/N-chan, cover your face."

"You're hurt!" I tried to raise my voice, but Akaza-san's arm was still piercing through me. Trying to remove the frost, I began to pull it out. I know I won't die no matter what kind of injury it is, but the pain made me feel like I was dying anyway.