koi no yokan | inosuke hashibira

𝟑.𝟏

At first, it felt like I was free falling. My limps felt like it was being pulled back, yet there was something so soothing about it. I could compare it to being more of sinking in water. Even when I closed my eyes, they still fluttered open every once in a while. I don't know why they were halfway open like that as I fell back.

My hair started to sneak into my mouth and eyes, prickling my sight with a stinging touch. My throat burned like a heated metal rod was stuck down my mouth. Maybe it was because I was overusing my breathing? I was doing Total Concentration the whole time.

I didn't feel tired at all. The bruises on my arms may make you assume I ran at least a million miles or trained all week. No, I wasn't tired. I could defeat more demons if I wanted to. My arm hurt a tad. I'm guessing I pulled it while I pushed Inosuke to the other side of the train car.

Ohhh, that's right.

Looking forward as I fell backwards, they were in front of me. Tanjiro was clinging onto Inosuke, pulling him back with tears peaking in his scarlet red eyes. He had a stab wound in his chest, bleeding out and seeping through his clothes. If only I could tell him about Rengoku's method.

Inosuke was kicking his hind legs on Tanjiro, his arms waving as they were stretched out towards me. I could see he had a bruise on his arm, one from his shoulder to elbow. He jumped to my side, but I threw him to the other so he wouldn't get hurt. If I had just grabbed onto him and both jumped with him, maybe we could've been standing there.

It was all unfolding to me in slow motion. I was aware of what was happening. Very much.

I was still conscious, being able to think on my own, breath, and look around.

My sight started to blur as the demon meat started to gurgle and spread over me. With one swipe of my sword, I wiped all of the meat away from me. Yet, I still couldn't get up correctly with my whole body slammed to the wall as the train car fell back.

I had to save myself now.

"(Y/N)!"

Quickly, I flipped my body over by kicking my leg off the wall. I felt a fleshy arm grab my side. Wincing and harshly flinching, I twisted my arm back just to slice it off. A shot of pain rushed down my arm. I probably sprained it. Damn it.

I was just about to jump up and out of the train car, but it was already too late.

There was another train car coming up from in front of me. It was going to ram into this one and completely crush me.

Killing me.

I've never been scared of death. At some times I even begged for it to come. But now, now that I looked around at everyone around me. I had- I had something to live for. Perhaps, I can live a little longer if I can just dodge this train car.

Yet, the walls started to close in. Bit by bit, it was like I was being suffocated right from where I laid.

I could hear small buzzes and rings in my ear. I could faintly hear the sound of crashing train cars and cracking fire. Perhaps more train cars have been colliding behind me.

"Water Breathing First Form: Water Surface Slash."

Though I couldn't hear my own words, I could see exactly what I had done.

Slicing open the wall beside me, barely visible from afar was the train tracks. I smiled a bit, knowing that there was still a chance for me to jump through.

With only a second left before the train car crashed into me, I burst through the wall as quick as I could. With my arms in an X-formation protecting my face, I still felt chips and clumps of wood make it into my skin. Even a nail was lodged into my leg.