Within Her Eyes - Kimetsu No Yaiba

22. Rengoku

"You are the demon slayer with the moon eyes aren't you?" Rengoku asks Tsukiko, his facial features made him look excited which made Tsukiko nervous. The girl demon slayer nods in return. "I have come to see you!"

"To see me?" Tsukiko asks surprised. The last time he saw her, he wanted Tsukiko dead.

"Yes," Rengoku declared in an excited manner, "I have come to inform you of some news and ask a favor of you!"

Tsukiko narrows her eyes at the flame hashira although he could not see the action. The last time she got involved with a pillar it resulted in her bashing a demon's head in until dawn.

"Please tell me your news and the favor then I will tell you if I accept." Tsukiko then grew worried about offending Rengoku. "I mean no disrespect! It's just the last time I was with a hashira it did not end well!" Her arms waved out in front of her.

Rengoku let out a loud laugh before patting Tsukiko on the head.

"It is alright Tsukiko. My news is that from now on you will no longer be going on solo missions. It's been decided that you should spend as much time with others as possible."

Tsukiko thought about this for a moment. It would make sense that could not go alone. Perhaps she would be sent with the hashira.

"My favor is this," Rengoku continues, "spend every third day with me for the next month. I wish for my fortune to be told as soon as possible."

The request surprised Tsukiko. She hadn't expected something like that. The hashira must be taking the desire of Ubuyashiki seriously. If Rengoku wanted his future, would the other hashira follow suit in asking for her time?

"I'll grant your request on one condition." Tsukiko stated once she had thought it over.

"What is it?" The flame hashira asks.

"I want to see your breathing style right now." Tsukiko spoke confidently.

She have given her temporary blindness some thought. The sun breathing style Tanjiro used to fight the lower moon five, Tsukiko wasn't supposed to see. Would the same happen with the flame hashira since the breathing styles were so similar in looks?

"Ah," Rengoku nods, "I won't question your request." The smile on his face that appeared made the hashira look more excited than he already did. "I would be glad to demonstrate my breathing style for you!"

Due to their proximity to the butterfly estate, there were no nonmembers of the demon slayer corps, meaning Rengoku was going to show off his skills on spot.

Tsukiko had to quickly take several steps backwards as the hashira drew his sword. It was quick but the girl managed to get the veil on her eyes pulled down. She was just out of range when flames erupted around him. They were beautiful, but those that had surrounded Tanjiro had been more magnificent before casting her into darkness.

When the flames were gone, it was quiet. Tsukiko waited for the pain she felt before to appear but there was none. With a hum of consideration, Tsukiko pulled her veil back up.

It was like she had thought. Only the breathing style that was the sun in its purest form would hurt her. She wasn't blessed by the moon god.

She was cursed by it. Tanjiro would the only one that she could not fight along side.

"Thank you," Tsukiko bowed to Rengoku when he approached her again.

The hashira patted her head again before telling her that someone would come to collect her in three days. Then, he was gone before she could even get a word in.

A small huff sounded from Tsukiko as she continued on to the butterfly estate. It seemed like her life was beginning to be controlled by the hashira.

The closer she got to the estate, the faster her feet carried her. Tsukiko felt that she had been away from Tanjiro for too long. Her heart beat quick with anticipation as the gate of the estate was close in front of her. Without her realizing it, her legs broke out into a sprint in desperation to be inside the estate.

It was mere seconds of Tsukiko crossing the gate before she saw Tanjiro. Her legs stopped dead in their tracks.

He had been training and was glistening with sweat. A large grin was spread across his face at the sight of Tsukiko. The letters they wrote daily to each other were not enough. They needed to hold each other.

"Tanjiro," Tsukiko ran to the redhead collecting him into an embrace, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Tanjiro held her back and stroked her hair. He found the tie of her veil and pulled it loose so that it came away from her face.

Tanjiro's thumbs traced over her cheeks and Tsukiko closed her eyes at his touch. His hands were so calloused but he stroked her face as if she would break apart at too heavy of a touch.

Tsukiko could feel his breath on her lips before he bent in to place a soft kiss upon them. It did not last long at all but it caused her to smile.

"This is right where I want to be," Tsukiko opened her eyes to gaze up at Tanjiro.

He looked confused at her statement, "At the butterfly estate?"

"No," a small chuckle bubbled up from Tsukiko's chest, "in your arms."

Tanjiro smiled before kissing her again. He released her and they walked hand in hand towards their other two companions.

"I was scared that you wouldn't come back," Tanjiro stated looking over at her. "You told me not to visit you at the serpent estate."

The yelling of Zenitsu and Insouke could be heard. They had started fighting since Tanjiro was not there to keep the peace between them.

"It's best if you keep away from Iguro. You're one of the reasons I refused to be his tsuguko," the girl laughs lightly as they round the corner to their companions, "and he knows who you are."

"Don't worry Tanjiro," she adds with a sly, knowing look as the others spot them, "not even fate can keep me from you."

Before Tanjiro can respond she runs to Zenitsu and Inosuke. The blonde catches her into a hug and the boar demands to know where she had been, despite being told various times.

"No where important enough for the great Inosuke to care about," Tsukiko told the boar. Surprisingly, the answer satisfied him and he stopped yelling.

"Please never go away again Tsukiko!" Zenitsu cried out as he continued to hold her. "We missed you so much! Even Inosuke!"

This sent Inosuke back into yelling with his arms waving about. Only this time it was about how he absolute did not miss her.

Tanjiro laughed at the scene before him before crossing the distance to the group.

As long as they were all together, nothing would stop a brighter tomorrow from coming.