Demon Tamer

Chapter 35: Labyrinth: Akaza

"Tomioka!" Tanjiro yelled, Tomioka beside him, the boy had fought for openings for Tamayo for what felt like only a few moments. Tomioka beside him as he pounced for Muzan. Tanjiro did wonder where Zenitsu was, the boy should have been there by now. The pair both leapt for Muzan.

After the explosion, both arrived at the scene before a crow could report the findings. They were the second set of people there - Kanroji being there before them, tense as stone. And though every cell in their body screamed for them to run away, they stood their ground and battled as they waited for the rest. When Tamayo arrived - she demanded openings. And Tanjiro, knowing she would have something, since Nezuko was indeed turning human, obeyed. And since then, they all fought the demon, who had grown spikes around him impressively.

But when they all got ready, as his body weakened from the third drug Tamayo gave him - the sound of a biwa rang and with Tomioka beside him, the pair fell into a door which opened below them.

They both tumbled into the next room and Tanjiro hit the wall, groaning. Tomioka was already standing and looking at the exit close up, now stuck in the traditional Japanese room. He helped Tanjiro recover and looked at the door, then at the boy who had finally processed their setting.

"Where are we?" Tanjiro looked around, Tomioka let him go and took a hold of his sword, before scanning the eerily derelict zone. Not a sound to be heard elsewhere.

"Whatever the place... let's go." Tomioka began to walk towards the door.

"B-But... go where?" Tanjiro asked obliviously and caught up to Tomioka quickly. As he got closer to the man, he picked up the scent of demons - strong ones. And weaker ones close together. Close together and close by.

He inhaled shallowly as he pulled Tomioka away from the door and faced it himself, smelling and knowing they would burst through the door. As he saw the door twitch with the force of the demons ready to burst through, he paused. Only to have the demons burst through the door. He called out a move and Tomioka from behind him did as well. The demons evaporated to nothing.

Tanjiro sat there surprised at the teamwork. He had never blindly complemented someone before, but Tomioka did it with ease. What a scary man, to simply know how to complement in a fight. Tanjiro couldn't see his face, but he wondered how he looked at that moment.

"...Let's go." He walked off.

"Yes!" Tanjiro obeyed as they walked down the halls.

The pair reached a large bridge, which from below, nothing could be seen. Any demon which approached them was promptly killed by any two of them. Tanjiro's reflexes had grown even better since the Hashira training, so he could react to at least an eighth of what Tomioka could.

Tanjiro picked up the strong, familiar smell of a demon. One he had met before. Behind a door, he waited. Tanjiro covered his nose and held onto Tomioka who was about to open the door. Tomioka looked at him and Tanjiro shook his head violently.

"What's wrong?" Tomioka whispered and leaned closer to Tanjiro so the boy could hear in the heavy silence.

"The demon behind there... nearly killed Rengoku..." he replied in a hushed tone. Tomioka looked at the door and clutched the sword.

"Then we fight." Tomioka returned nonchalantly.

"I..." Tanjiro looked at Tomioka with a shrivel of fear. He nearly lost Rengoku, and you weren't there to save Tomioka if the same thing happened. But Tanjiro inhaled deeply and shook away the fear. It was disrespectful to underestimate someone as great as Tomioka. He knew it. And the situation was different. Both were prepared for Akaza; he himself wasn't injured so he could help; both trained rather vigorously until that point. They didn't need you, they'd both be able to survive. "Let's go." Tanjiro nodded and pulled Tomioka down. The door broke open and Akaza stood on the other side, looking at the pair.