𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 // Akaza x reader (+18)

Chapter 5 | Savior

Once again your legs freeze in the movement of a potential attack and you use your katana just in time to survive.
The demon's breath almost kills you though. It reeks of death and decay as his face gets too close to yours. You gag and press your katana against the demon's hands but it won't cut through.
"BAHAHA, YOU'LL NEVER DEFEAT ME", the demon yells and presses its wrist against your weapon, too.

Okay. There's no reason why your katana shouldn't cut through now. The demon is literally asking for it. this starts to look like comedy.
If Rengoku would see this-

One second the demon smiles at you, awaiting you to beg for mercy.
The other, his headless body slumps onto the ground. Blood splatters across the ground but the disintegration already begins.
You shriek and look for the source of its dead.

Unfortunately you find it.
Holding the demon's head, Akaza stands in front of you, his back facing you. His cropped haori peacefully waves in the wind.
With his muscular arms he lifts the head of the young demon by the hair and spits on it. The demon is just about to complain when Akaza throws the head as far away as possible where  it will eventually turn to dust, too.

Your hands shake and you despise it. It's not clever to point your katana at Akaza's back but it would be a shame if you would run. Those blue stripes begin to terrorize you not the other way around.

Akaza lazily turns his head over his shoulder and examines you with a bored expression. His eyes gleam in the darkness and don't even acknowledge your katana.

"I wanted to kill it", you comment when the silence is too much to bear and it gets clear that Akaza won't be the one talking.

"Sure", Akaza's raspy voice shatters through the village.
He begins to walk away from you.
Somehow it provokes you.

"Why did you kill your own kind?", you shout after him and clench onto your weapon.

The chains around his ankles clatter with every step he takes.
He doesn't turn towards you to answer.
"Because I wanted to."

Surprisingly your legs begin to move again. Against the law of nature you stumble forward, closer to the murderer of your master.

"Why don't you kill me, then?", you ask a little bit quieter regardless of the dumbness and risk of the questions.

Akaza's laugh stops you from moving. It's cold and sharp like icicles.
Now he turns around.
You shudder as his eyes pierce into yours. Those deadly promises etched into his irises remind you of your own stupidity.

"You really don't know me at all", he says almost disappointed and leaves you with that.
"If you can't even fight an underdog like that demon I guess our parts won't cross again."

Anger spreads inside you.
"I would have made it if you hadn't interfered", you lie. Once again you couldn't fulfill your task and it's terrible.

Akaza shrugs his shoulders.
"Sure", he says again and keeps going.

You search for words but can't think of something useful. Obviously Akaza doesn't want to have a conversation with you. AND YOU SHOULD THINK THE SAME.
Therefore you can't do anything but watch Akaza's toned back getting smaller and smaller until the darkness swallows him up completely and it feels like he has never been here.

You fall onto your knees with shaking hands. Your katana rattles in them.
What have you -

Cheers interrupt your self loathing.
You lift your head in surprise. The windows in the houses around you are all opened as well as the doors. People of all ages cheer and wave at you. Some even throw paper cranes at you who are told to bring fortune.
Children clap in their hands and dance on their doorsteps with bloodshot eyes.

No. NO!
They think you killed the demon. Due to their lack of ability to see at night they hadn't noticed Akaza. They also don't notice the missing blood on both your katana and your uniform. All they know is that you appeared and a few hours later the demon turns to ashes.  Naturally they think you are their savior.

The cheering continues even though it's the middle of the night and it wrenches your heart.
This is the worst punishment you ever received.
How are you gonna tell them that they are wrong?
They won't believe you. They won't want to believe.
What about Oyakata-sama?
Should you tell him the truth or live in a lie?

The truth is that you're not worthy of being a demon slayer anymore. You failed twice and this one was so miserable that you can't return. Oyakata-sama will remove you from your rank. Even send you away for training with the beginners.

What should you do?
Who's gonna help you?

Tears fill your eyes and silence the crowd.
Your gaze is fixed upon the shadow of Akaza's action.
You don't know why he did it.
Was it a coincidence or is Akaza bullying you? Why would he do that?
You realize that you really know nothing about the striped demon.

***

Eventually the cheering stops and the people peacefully return to their awaited sleep. You need another moment to get rid of the burden of lies until you can stand up again and stare at the paper cranes bedecking the floor. You catch yourself hoping that the tales about them are true.
For whatever reason your life keeps getting worse and you don't know how long you'll be able to continuing like that.