BUTTERFLY : SHINOBU KOCHO (PART ONE)

Part 0: Chapter 4; Breath of Rage

"Well.....yeah, I do."

"Pfft, he's the polar opposite." The Kakushi scoffed, "He's cruel, ruthless and maniacal. The other Hashira detest him, and he detests them. He only has respect for three people in the corps, Oyakata-Sama, Master Himejima, and Master Kocho."

The Kakushi leaned into Tanjiro's ear and whispered, "Between you and me, I think Master Kari only has a soft spot for her~"

"Huh?" the duo mumbled.

With a grin hidden beneath his mask, the Kakushi chuckled, "There are rumours going around that Master Kocho and Master Kari are-

"Hey! You, Kakushi! You don't have any other reason to be here, so get going!" Aoi suddenly appeared and screeched.

Much to Tanjiro and Zenitsu's disappointment, the Kakushi shrieked in fright and bowed furiously to the navy-haired medic, before running away as fast as he could before he could finish his sentence.

"W-Wait, come ba- oh, he's gone."

Tanjiro slumped onto the bed on Zenitsu's left with a heavy sigh, flopping onto his back and staring up at the cieling, deep in thought.

Sakusa Kari, the Rage Hashira...I don't understand him....

"Hey, Tanjiro," Zenitsu said, turning his head towards the boy beside him, "What do you think Kari-san did that made Inosuke think that he was awesome? He must have done something amazing for a self-centered airhead like him to call him something like that."

"I'm not sure, to be honest." Tanjiro hummed in thought for a moment, "But I do know that he's a very strong Hashira, I could smell the strength coming off of him. He even blocked a nichirin blade with his bare arm!"

"WHAT!??!?!?! HOW DID IT NOT GET CUT OFF?! THAT IS DANGEROUS, HASHIRA ARE SCARY!" Zenitsu shrieked, falling off his bed.

Inosuke, however, heard none of this. Everything around him was background noise, he was only staring blankly at the ceiling, repeating the exact same lines to himself over and over again.

You're weak....you needed saving, you didn't help anyone....you were going to die....

And then he came.

The coolest guy I had ever met.

It hadn't even occurred a day earlier, and Inosuke could still remember the exact events that happened, and how he had discovered the Breath of Rage user, Sakusa Kari.

I can't win.

This is where I die.

How can I even fight this thing?

I'm...too weak to finish him off....

These were the thoughts going through Inosuke's head as his sword-clenched hands dropped to his sides, his pride shattered and his will to fight faded away in the face of the strongest demon he had ever encountered.

Ten feet tall at the very least, with midnight black skin, dense muscle and armor lining his hulking frame, with the face of a sixteen-eyed spider and fangs large enough to be kitchen knives, just the sheer pressure of the Father Demon was strong enough to crush him.

Inosuke had enough trouble simply cutting through its arm, but getting its neck, after it had shed its skin and almost doubled in size?

Even Lord Inosuke Hashibira, God of the Mountains, could not beat him.

As the Father Demon brought his hands up over his head and let out a sickening roar, all hope was drained from Inosuke's body.

I'm gonna die.