this will most likely be the only chapter for the next few days! sorry in advance!
off topic but i got my nose pierced yesterday WOOOO
it's a pretty opal stud :)
(edited as of 4.19.24)
WARNING : Swearing , Blood , Violence
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A searing, agonizing pain erupted in your abdomen, to which you painfully cried out.
Blood immediately seeped from the puncture wound, staining your brown uniform a deep maroon.
"Don't get in the way of my dreams!!" The conductor yelled defiantly, just before Inosuke tackled him to the side.
"Damn you!!" Inosuke swore, pinning the conductor beneath his body.
Your knees buckled beneath your weight, an aching pain ricocheting through your stomach. Your hands shot to provide pressure, far too scared to remove the knife.
"(Y/N)!!" Tanjirou yelled, rushing over to you in a panic.
"I— I'm fine! Focus on cutting this fucker's neck!!" You strained, cutting him off with a shaking tone.
Inosuke knocked the conductor unconscious, springing up from the ground and locking eyes with Tanjirou. In turn, they nodded in unison.
You desperately tried to restrain your panic, wincing as you glanced down at your bloody wound.
'Holy shit. Holy shit. Holy shit— I just got fucking stabbed!! Fuck, fuck, fuck!!'
Adrenaline rushed through your veins—which you were forever thankful for. At least, after the initial strike, it didn't hurt as much as it should.
Meanwhile, Inosuke called out. "Beast Breathing, Fourth Form, Slice 'n' Dice!!" In turn, he ruthlessly delivered diagonal slashes toward the bone.
"Dance of the Fire God, Clear Blue Sky!" Tanjirou shouted, launching into the air—just before he swiped down in a full circle. As he did so, embers danced around his jet black blade.
Entranced by his signature Sun Breath, you couldn't help but gape—this was the first time you'd seen it in the flesh.
'If I hadn't been stabbed, I would've enjoyed the sight so much more,' You snorted.
Finally, you came to a sudden realization—making your blood run cold; your heart dropping. "Shit! How am I going to help Rengoku?!"
As you fought to regain your footing, the train lurched—just before it jerked off the tracks completely. Enmu's agonizing screams filled your eardrums, causing a wince to escape your lips.
You quickly sheathed your sword as the train erupted in flesh—ensuring that you'd have your weapon for the final fight.
"We cut his neck and made him writhe in pain!! Gwahaha!! Terrific!!" Inosuke victoriously cheered.
"Inosuke, now's not the time to celebrate!! The train is about to— fuck!!" You shouted back, before cutting off when the pain in your abdomen spiked.
"(M/N)! A-Are you okay?!" Inosuke exclaimed, taking a step forward.
"(Y/N)!! Hold on, I'm coming!!" Tanjirou screamed in a panic, attempting to make his way to you amidst the chaos.
"Don't worry about me!!" You started, your voice strained. "The train is falling sideways!! Focus on protecting the passengers— FUCK!!"
As if you were a helpless rag doll, you were launched out of the train—catapulting toward the ground.
『✦』
Due to the momentum, you continuously skidded across the rough, rocky ground—which drew a pained whimper to escape your lips.
Crashing into a tree, you bit back your tears—inhaling deeply, and exhaling slowly in an attempt to maintain your composure.
You refused to cry.
"Take that, you bitch! Who's dead now? Fuck you!" You weakly mumbled in spite of Enmu, despite your condition.
After countless minutes of solitude, you eventually rested your eyes—exhaustion weighing your body down.
Soon enough, the sound of rushed footsteps entered your ears, followed by Tanjirou's panicked voice. "(Y/N)!! (Y/N), are you okay?!"
With a thud, he dropped to his knees beside you, cradling your upper body in his arms. He gently shook you, "Please— please wake up! (Y/N)!!"
You cracked open your eyes, weakly chuckling. "Hi," You whispered.
Tanjirou relievedly teared up, his grasp tightening. "Oh— oh god, (Y/N)! You're okay, you're okay..!"
"(M/N)!! KEEP IT TOGETHER!!" Inosuke bellowed, standing on the other side of you.
"Do me a favor.. will you?" You weakly croaked. "Before I.. Before I die, promise me that—"
"No! You're not dying! Please, (Y/N)!! Don't leave!" Tanjirou begged, tears pricking his panicked eyes.
You swallowed. "Promise me.. that— that you'll tell everybody.. I had the fattest ass.. ever." You forcefully closed your eyes, dramatically sticking out your tongue.
"Bleh."
Silence engulfed the atmosphere.
Tanjirou relaxed, blinking as he sniffled. "Huh?"
"Who's gonna tell her she doesn't have a fat ass?" Inosuke bluntly stated, breaking the tense silence.
Your eyes launched open. "I'll murder you, asshole!! I have the fattest ass— ow, ow! Fuck! It hurts!" You whined.
Tanjirou abruptly pulled you into a tight hug, his calloused hand clutching the back of your hair. "Don't ever do that to me, (Y/N). Never again. I was so— god," He shakily spoke.
Guilty, you pressed your lips to his dirtied cheek. "Fuck— Tanjirou, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that, I thought you would be able to tell I was kidding."
You then pulled back, reassuringly smiling. "I'm okay— I'm okay, see? I'm sorry."
You then shot a glare to Inosuke, "I'm not sorry to you, though. Unless you tell me I have a fat ass, after all."
"Hah?! No way!!" Inosuke argued.
"(Y/N)," Tanjirou urged.
"Fine! I'm sorry, Inosuke." You admitted, dejectedly slouching your shoulders.
"Hmph, you better be," Inosuke replied, crossing his arms. "Don't worry your Lord Inosuke like that ever again!"
Looking down to your stab wound, you hesitantly spoke up. "Hey— uh, don't freak out when I scream, 'kay?"
"Huh? What do you mean—" Tanjirou started.
As you abruptly yanked the knife from your abdomen, you threw it down beside you, releasing an agonizing yell. You immediately placed pressure on your wound, hoping to stop the bleeding.
"(Y/N)!! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO PULL IT OUT!" Tanjirou scolded, immediately helping you to apply pressure.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!! Gah!! It hurts, it hurts so much!!"
Inosuke reluctantly picked the knife up from the ground, grasping the sterile handle. "Hah?! Are you asking for a death wish, idiot?!"
"No— of course not!! I'm not that stupid!!" You argued.
You paused for a moment.
"Okay— well, maybe I am!! But.. never mind that, where's the damn train conductor?!" You quickly changed the topic.
Both boys froze in their places.
"Well, I think it's okay if he dies!" Inosuke exclaimed, just after he cleared his throat.
"Inosuke, no—! But.. ugh, it's tempting. I'm pissed," Tanjirou sighed.
"He stabbed (M/N)!! Besides, that guy got his leg stuck and he can't move! If I get him out, he'll die anyways!!" Inosuke huffed angrily.
"Inosuke, go help the poor dude!" You yelled, your eyes widened.
Inosuke warily examined you, just before he pivoted and stomped away. "Fine! Only because I'm the boss, and my underling asked me to!!"
As he disappeared into the distance, you awkwardly smiled. "Well, that was— something?"
You looked up to Tanjirou, frowning as he sadly eyed you. "What's wrong? Are you hurt?" You questioned.
"No, no.. I'm okay," Tanjirou started, shaking his head. "It's just.. why are you so reckless with your life?"
"I—" You paused, blinking. "Recklessness comes with the job. I'm bound to get injured every now and then, you know."
"I know that, but it's just.." He sighed, frowning. "I saw you jump in front of the knife, you know."
"I couldn't just— watch Inosuke get stabbed. Not when I saw what was about to happen," You replied with widened eyes. "Besides, I'm not bleeding that badly—"
You looked down to your wound, only to cringe when you analyzed your blood covered hands.
"Oh— well, never mind. But.. I won't die because of this wound, so it's okay." You then paused, sighing. "I'm sorry, okay? I.. I just couldn't let Inosuke take the blow."
"Just.. please don't do it again. I love you, (Y/N)— and I get that you mean well.. I just hate seeing you get injured. I can't lose you." Tanjirou replied, his tone soft.
As he brushed back a stray strand of hair of yours behind your ear, you softly smiled. "I love you too, Tanjirou."
"So, you both can use Total Concentration Breathing Constant, now! Impressive!" Rengoku abruptly appeared, exclaiming proudly.
You flinched upon his sudden arrival, "GAH!! R-Rengoku?!"
Tanjirou blinked erratically, alarmed. "Rengoku..!"
"You're bleeding in the abdomen," Rengoku stated as he turned to you. "Focus some more and raise your breath accuracy. Spread the sensitivity to every part of your body."
You slowed your breathing without another word, your lips pressing together as you concentrated.
That was, until Rengoku flicked your forehead.
You flinched, "Gah! What was that for?!"
"Focus. Stop the bleeding," He urged.
You fluttered your eyes closed, just before you peeked an eye open seconds later. "How am I supposed to—"
"Focus."
'Damn, okay then—'
With enough focus, the bleeding finally stopped. Along with it, the pain dissipated completely.
You gaped down at your now closed wound, surprised at how fast it healed—you still weren't getting used to your own abilities.
"You stopped it, good job! It seemed to go by faster, but it's probably due to your blood!" Rengoku praised.
"If you each master your breathing, you'll be able to accomplish various things! It's not like you can do absolutely anything, but you'll gain immense strength!" He continued.
You shared a relieved glance with Tanjirou, smiling at each other.
Eventually, you turned back to Rengoku, your tone hopeful. "And.. everybody's safe, right? And alive?"
Rengoku nodded, a bright smile expanding on his features, "Yup! Everyone is safe! There's a good amount of injured, but nothing life threatening! We all successfully protected the passengers!"
You and Tanjirou shared a relieved sigh.
"What about our friends? They're.. okay, right?" Tanjirou questioned.
"Yes, they're okay! The yellow boy and your demon sister are asleep, but the obnoxious and anxious boy are helping the civilians as we speak!" Rengoku confidently exclaimed.
"Thank god!" You exclaimed, slowly standing to your feet. "I was so worried.. but at least they're all awake and okay."
As you dusted the dirt off of your legs, you reached a hand for Tanjirou to grasp. He gratefully accepted, and as you pulled him to his feet, he smiled. "I'm glad the mission went well!"
But oh, was Tanjirou completely wrong.
For the mission was only just starting; it was the moment you were dreading the most—the very moment that had been plaguing your mind for weeks.
A loud explosion sounded across the plains, causing you and Tanjirou to stumble in its wake.
Your heart dropped as you soon processed what was about to go down.
Swallowing nervously, you whipped your head toward the smoky cloud; amidst the dust, emerged a muscular, pale white demon—his skin decorated with thick blue lines.
His short, bright pink hair fluffed around his head, accentuating his pink eyelashes. Beneath his abnormal eyelashes, were his bright yellow irises—reading: 'Upper Moon Three.'
It was Akaza.
In turn, your throat ran dry—your heartbeat pumping loudly in your ears.
He was so much more intimidating face-to-face.
Though, what you weren't expecting was for him to lock onto you specifically—lunging toward your unsuspecting figure.
You hardly had any time to release a gasp as his hand was mere inches from your face—your eyes widening in complete fear.
"Flame Breathing, Second Form, Rising Scorching Sun!"
Rengoku quickly came to your aid, slashing his fiery sword upward at Akaza's fist. As the blade made contact with Akaza's wrist, the atmosphere drastically burned hotter.
"Nice blade," Akaza spoke, licking his bloodied—now regenerating—hand, as he jumped back a good distance away.
"I don't know why you're targeting an unprepared and injured person," Rengoku spit, his eyes hardening.
"Oh, don't worry. I wasn't planning on harming her. Besides, I'm not into killing women," Akaza slyly smiled.
Rage bubbled up from your chest, and without thinking, you unleashed it.
"Hey, go fuck yourself!! You better watch yourself, because I'll beat your ass up if you ever try and pull that shit again!!" You shouted, shooting him the middle finger.
Complete silence soon followed.
"(Y/N), be quiet! You're going to provoke him!" Tanjirou hissed, his eyes wide with concern.
"Simmer down, young (Y/N)," Rengoku urged.
"Hah, you think I'm trying to kill you? Trust me, I have no benefit in that," Akaza scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Muzan wants me to bring you back—so that's exactly what I plan on doing. So, quit your whining."
"What?" You whispered to yourself, panic seeping in your bones.
"It's our first time meeting and I already hate you," Rengoku harshly spoke, his glare practically lethal.
"Is that so?" Akaza smiled. "You see, I really hate weak humans, too. When I look at weaklings, I can't help but feel utterly disgusted.
"It looks like you and I have completely different moral values in regards of things, then," Rengoku replied, stoic.
"Hm, I see. Then, I have a wonderful proposal," He rested his fist on his hip. "How about you join me? Become a demon, you know?"
"Fuck off! He'll never become a demon, because he's so much better than you, bitch!!" You shouted, interrupting their stand-off. "Rengoku is way better than you—"
"(L/N)." Rengoku seethed.
You immediately sealed your lips, swallowing nervously at his warning tone. He had even used your last name.
"No chance," Rengoku replied, redirecting his attention back on Akaza.
"I know your strength just by looking at you," Akaza hummed, his eyes slowly dragging over Rengoku's figure. "You're a pillar, right?"
He then redirected his focus to you. "And you— you surprisingly have quite a fighting spirit. But, it's nowhere near the pillar's.
You furrowed your brows, settling for silence as you glared at Akaza in return.
"I'm the Flame Pillar, Kyojuro Rengoku," Rengoku announced, proudly speaking up.
"And, I'm Akaza," He replied. "Kyojuro, I'll tell you why you're not crossing to your utmost power."
He narrowed his eyes, motioning to him with his hand, "It's because you're human, Kyojuro. Because you'll grow old—because you'll die. Become a demon, Kyojuro. If you do, you can continue to train for centuries."
"Growing old and dying is the beauty of being a human being," Rengoku started. "Because they grow old, they die. They are tremendous, lovable and beyond precious. What they call 'strength' isn't a term that is referred in regard to body."
"These kids beside me aren't weak. Don't you dare insult them," He announced, stern.
"I'll say it over and over again," He continued as both you and Tanjirou looked to him with surprised expressions, "You and I have very different moral values. No matter what kind of motivation I possess, I will never join you— I'll never become a demon."
"Huh, I see," Akaza said, completely unaffected. "Well, I really wish I could fight you—I bet it'd be fun, considering your tremendous fighting spirit— but, that's not what I'm here for."
You barely had any time to process what had happened next—you weren't sure what just occurred.
With lightning speed, Akaza appeared at your side, yanking your wrists behind your back. He then pulled you with him, jumping back into the middle of the field.
With his free hand, he tightly grasped your chin—keeping your gaze locked on Tanjirou's and Rengoku's.
You released a shaky exhale, fear running through your very bones themselves.
'Huh? Where— where did he.. come from?'
Your lips parted as you tensed.
'No.. no— this isn't how things are supposed to go! How am I supposed to save Rengoku, now?!'
"(Y/N)!!" Tanjirou's panicked screams made their way to your ears, even at such a distance. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his sword, running toward you.
Rengoku quickly pulled him back, his jaw clenched. "Don't move. This is a fatal situation, so don't make any sudden movements."
Torn, Tanjirou flicked his gaze to you, reluctantly dropping his sword to his side. He maintained eye contact, horror seeping off his expression.
You began to struggle in Akaza's grasp, determined to free yourself. "Let me go!! Let me go right now, you bitch!!" You roared.
"We were having a conversation," Rengoku snapped. "Let the girl go. She has nothing to do with any of this."
"Oh, Kyojuro! You're all so naive, aren't you? This girl," He yanked your chin upward, in which you yelped. "She has everything to do with this, you see! She's the key—her blood, if used properly, may serve as a benefit to us demons!"
You released a strained gasp. "I'll never help you! I'd rather drop dead right here! Rot in hell, you asshole!!"
Akaza tightened his grasp, hissing in your ear, "Quiet. I'm not talking to you now, am I?"
"Akaza, don't be such a downer! Say, what's with all this violence? Are you really this desperate for a fight?" A familiar voice beckoned.
You felt complete turmoil engulf you, your breath hitching.
'No. No, no— it can't be. It can't be him.'
Soon, a figure emerged from the train—casually stalking his way toward the battlefield. His curious, earthy, hazel eyes locked with yours—adorned with kanji: 'Upper Moon Zero.'
'Upper... Moon Zero...? That— that shouldn't even exist!'
Compared to the one you remembered, he now had short, jet black tufts of hair—matching his new personality.
"Hey, hey! Akaza! You know, you're dealing with my sister, there! Did you realize?" He informally announced—seemingly unaffected whatsoever.
You couldn't help the wave of tears that washed over you; no— you couldn't hold them back any longer. They dripped down your dirtied cheeks as you silently watched him with widened eyes.
"(B/N)—?" You croaked, your voice shaking and unsure.
In turn, he cracked an amused smile—his brows raising.
"It's been a long time, hasn't it.. sister?"
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Word Count: 3067
(edited a/n: none!)
PLOT TWIST >:)
I forgot who it was, but i remember i saw someone comment: 'Watch (B/N) be a demon' or something like that and i was like: '...😈'
zoo wee mama this is gonna be a rollercoaster to write once i have the time 💀
anywaaaayyss
what do you guys think?
surprised?
heartbroken?
flabbergasted?
all of the above?
see ya in the next update !!