Eclipsed (Demon Slayer)

sudden

His blood, I smell it so strongly. My wound finally slowed a bit, I stand but but I'm still shaking. I need to help him, he can't take anymore, he'll die. This power flame comes from the Hashira's body, my eyes lit up. The power that this man holds....

"I--- I will fulfill my duty! I will not allow anyone here to die!" He shouted as he got in position, an airtight stance.

He chuckled. "You have to become a demon, after all, Kyojuro! Let's fight each other for all eternity!"

"I am the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku! Ninth form... Rengoku!"

"Destructive death, annihilation type!"

"No!" I say as their powers collided causing an explosive experience as dirt and rocks flew at us. Rengoku's sword slices through the demons shoulder and then through his chest, then slicing up through his throat.

The dust clouds moved away from the scene to reveal the demons arm through Rengoku's chest, my face drops as he chokes on his blood.

"You'll die! This will kill you, Kyojuro! Become a demon! Say that you'll become a demon! You're strong and one of the chosen ones!"

"You don't get to win!" I shouted at him, stomping my foot in the dirt. "He is a Hashira! The Flame Hashira! My love for being a human is stronger than my will to live as a demon!"

Rengoku grunts as he lift his sword shouting out as he sliced into the demons neck. He lifts his free fist at him but he grabs it, the most unbelievable strength I have ever seen. I looked up to see the sun beginning to rise, the sun will kill him!

"I won't let you escape!" Rengoku yells at him.

Tanjiro stands up and runs behind me. "What are you doing?"

"I have to do something!" He says.

"His wound." I ran after him.

"There's no way I'm ever letting go!"

Akaza screams. "Out of my way!"

"Inosuke, do it!" I tell him as he jumps into air, a gust of wind blows him back as I cover my face. The demon tore his arms off to escape the sun, taking off into the forest. Tanjiro runs to the forest lifting his sword high, he throws his so hard I could here the demons skin being sliced through.

"Don't run away, don't run away you coward! Don't run away!"

I turned till my eyes landed on Rengoku, I grabbed him before he hit the ground, gently falling to our knees, Tanjiro continues yelling into the forest. The blood smelled but it didn't bother me, I could never taste it. He looked down at me as if he was thanking me, I put my head under his chin.

"Stop yelling already." Rengoku tells him. "You'll reopen that stomach wound. You're badly injured, too, remember? If you die, young Kamado, it'll mean I'm the loser."

"Rengoku..." He says teary eyed.

"Come over here. Let's talk a bit, one last time."

Those words made my eyes well up, but I don't want it to be the last time that we talk to this amazing man. He rested his head on my mine to look at Tanjiro who is behind me.

"There's something that I remembered...while I was dreaming. You should go to my parents home, the Rengoku residence. There should be some notes left by the preceding Flame Hashira. My father read them often, but since I never did, I don't know what's in them. There might be some kind of record of that Hinokami Kagura you mentioned."

"R-rengoku, please don't talk anymore. Please stop the bleeding with a breathing technique! Isn't there a way to close up your wounds?"

"No. I'll be dead soon. I'm going to tell you all I can while I still can talk, so listen will you? Tell my little brother Senjuro...to follow his heart...and to walk down the path that he feels is right. Tell my father...that I want him to take care of himself."

Blood surrounded my hands on the ground, I moved one hand on my lap and the other gripping Rengoku's Haori tightly.

"One more thing. Young Kamado, I believe in your little sister. I accept her as a member of the demon slayer corps. I saw her bleeding as she protected the humans inside the train. Anyone who risks their lives fighting demons to protect humans...is a rightful member of the demon slayer corps no matter what anyone else says. Go ahead and live your life with your head held high!"

"No matter how devastated you may be by your own weakness or uselessness...set your heart ablaze. Grit your teeth and look straight ahead. Even if you stop and crouch down, time won't wait for you...or snuggle you and grieve you along the way. Don't feel bad that I'm going to die here. As a Hashira, of course I would shield my juniors. And other Hashira would have done the same thing. We never let the young buds get nipped. Young Kamado, boar head boy, Yellow boy."

He lifts my head by my chin to look at him with my teary eyes. "The angel Akari...Keep learning and grow. And then become the next Hashira supporting the demon slayer corps. I believe in you. I believe in all of you."

His eye looked deeply into mine as I let out a sob."I don't want you to leave."

"What I've seen with my own eyes in that train cart, the power that you have is incomparable to others. You need to continue fighting."

I wiped the blood from his lip as I placed my lips on his and he didn't hesitate to press back as tears ran down my face. I think I fell in love with his fire. I pulled back as I felt his hand resting on my back

"I'm sorry." I cried.

"It's the best parting gift a man could ask for." He says placing his lips on my forehead. He looks off into the distance for a few minutes, this is the end, isn't it? I held onto his face as he looks back at me, his eyes slowly closing. His body falls limp on my shoulder as I started to cry harder than before. I hugged into his body as if he were still alive, I don't want to see his body in the dirt.

"I can't believe he's gone." I heard Zenitsu's voice. "I mean did an upper rank demon really show up?"

"Yeah." Tanjiro answered.

"Why would an upper rank come here? Was it that strong...I mean..."

"Yeah. I'm so frustrated! As soon as I master one thing, I find another thick wall right in front of me...while more powerful people are fighting far beyond it. I just can't make it there yet! If I'm still stumbling around in a place like this, can I...can I even become like Rengoku?"

"Stop it." I sniffled.

"Stop whining already!" Inosuke shouted. "Stop saying dumbass things like 'Can I or can't I be like him'. He said he believes in you, so just think about how you're going to measure up to that! All living things to back to the earth when them die! Sobbing or sniveling won't bring them back! Don't cry even if you have regrets! Now matter how pathetic or humiliated you feel, you still have to go on living!'

"But you're crying!" I sobbed. "The tears are flooding out of your headpiece."

"I'm not crying! You could have helped him more! You're supposed to be super strong!"

"I'm not!" I wailed. "Stop yelling at me!"

He runs away crying and I bury my face in Rengoku's still warm chest.

"Get over here! We're gonna train!" Inosuke cries.

This is the first time I have cried since my mother died, fully. But he didn't die for nothing, not one of these 200 passengers died. He was... absolutely incredible.