One week after the funeral you find yourself in the middle of the forest, surrounded by huge trees whose leaves catch the moonlight.
It's been two hours since you set foot in the forest because a person in a town nearby told you Akaza just attacked the village. Together with a other demon slayers you helped the irritated villagers to calm down again and aid the wounded ones.
Then you said you had something else to do and followed Akaza's track as long as it's still fresh.
The perfect place to hide or eat would be in this area of the forest. It's dark and the trees are so close to each other that you can't see anything clearly. Even the moonlight can't get through.
However the forest is filled by suffocating silence.
Proof that a demon is here.
You just have to find out which demon it is.
And you'll definitely hear it if it moves.
With a deep breath you alarm your senses to work as precisely as possible and sneek over the fresh grass.
You change your direction every time you notice that animal sounds are audible in the distance. No animal is close to a demon meaning that you're taking the wrong path.
Whenever the trees aren't close together the moon is your only source of light which makes it difficult to distinguish rocks or weird looking branches from a demon's silhouette.
On top of that your own flat breathing sounds like a thunderstorm in the slumbering silence.
A few moments later you hear a rustling.
You freeze and scan your surroundings.
Something is here.
A shadow catches the glimpse of your eyes. You swirl around and see a silhouette disappear between the trees. You heartbeat speeds up.
Adrenaline begins to pump through your veins.
That thing walked on two legs not on four.
But if it was a demon, why didn't it attack you?
You decide not to think about it and begin to chase it.
Its steps are much quieter than yours. Branches snap and dried leaves crackle under your feet. Your breathing drums in your ears.
You turn sharp left and see the silhouette vanish again. Goosebumps appear on your skin.
Being able to flee at this speed proves your assumption that it's definitely a demon.
It looked smaller than an average male demon but had a very muscular build.
Without getting slower you dash through the forest with squinted eyes.
You come to a hold in a clearing. Pure moonlight shines down at the place and makes it look almost magical.
Moonflowers cover the ground and twinkle in the moonlight.
You don't have long to take in the scenery.
Close to the middle of the clearing stands someone.
It's a muscular young man with skin so fair it is in a bright green-tinged white. It's the color of a crystal clear lake when sunlight dances over its surface. Beautiful as such but unhealthy looking on a living being.
Apart from that the skin is decorated by a pattern of thick blue lines that make the creature melt into the haphazard surrounding.
It's a strong demon but you can't see his face clearly. It gets swallowed by the darkness.
You squint your eyes.
The demon wears a sleeveless purple haori that's cut off at his waist and exposes his chiseled chest. Below this, he wears a pair of baggy white pants that are rolled to just below the knee with a blue rope belt to secure them at his waist.
He's barefoot and wears a chain of large round pearls around each of his ankles that reflect the moonlight.
A center line runs directly down his chest to halfway down his stomach. His pecs each show three lines halfway to the center line. This three-line pattern also repeats around his waist.
Two lines embrace his biceps and another two lines meander their ways up to his wrists. Each of his fingers has a dark blue tinge.
The demon's toes also share this color.
Wait-
If you can see him that clearly ...
Your heart makes a jump.
He's looking at you right now, is he?
If you can see him he definitely knows you're here.
You gulp.
Maybe this is your chance.
You don't understand why you're hesitating. You never hesitated before Rengoku's death.
The description Tanjirou gave you perfectly fits this demon. This has to be Akaza.
So why are you dreading him?
As if he heard you the demon takes a step into your direction. The darkness covering his head gets replaced by moonlight.
Now you're able to see the short, bright pink hair that fluffs out around the demon's head as well as the lines on his face. They curve through each of his eyes from below his ears to over his temples. Another blue line runs from the center of his hairline to the bridge of his nose.
Pink eyebrows adorn his forehead.
The demon lifts his head and his golden eyes gleam at you. You shudder. They look like a predator's pair of eyes but on the other hand make you think of a sun in a clear sky. Full of hunger and life.
Pink eyelashes enframe the blueish sclera that looks like cracked glass. Even from here you can see what's etched into his irises: The kanji for "Upper Rank Three."
The Upper Moon Rengoku couldn't fight.
It's the first one you've ever seen and you are not planning on doing it again. Even from here you can feel the difference between strength, speed and abilities from normal demons.
There's no point in hiding anymore. The Upper Moon already saw you anyway.
Carefully, with your katana drawn you step into the clearing.
This is your chance.
An evil grin appears on the demon's mouth, exposing his pointed teeth.
"You're not seriously trying to fight me, are you?", he asks and laughs with a voice rich of poise.
The grip around your katana is tight.
You know why you're so scared and you abhor it.
"Are you Akaza?", you shout at him with all the confidence you posses.
If he were to say no you'd immediately flee.
However the demon takes another step into your direction.
"Don't tell me you're here to take revenge. The Hashira I killed last week? Is that it?"
You're not surprised that he is clever enough to sort this out.
But he just agreed to you. He is Rengoku's murderer. The demon who ran away as the sun began to rise.
You take a deep breath and focus on Akaza.
Hesitating will kill you. An unexpected attack will grant you an advantage. Hopefully.
You suffocate the fear lurking in your mind.
This. is. Rengoku's. murderer.
"Flame Breathing", you say to yourself, "First form, Unknowing Fire!"
You dash forward at tremendous speed and unleash a singular horizontal slash directed at Akaza's neck.
Seconds before your blade meets his steel hard flesh Akaza vanishes.
You absorb the impact of your unlanded blow and jump around to look for him.
Dread as cold as ice crawls over your skin when you feel a shadow towering over you. A cold hand is wrapped around your neck from behind a moment later. Akaza's body is so cold you begin to tremble. His teeth get dangerously close to your skin as he begins to whisper into your ear.
"You use the same breathing style as the Hashira. Tell me, are you his apprentice?", he asks and his long nails dig into your throat.
You gulp and hold back tears of frustration.
"I am", you hiss and hold onto your katana.
Although he didn't tell you you know that Akaza will kill you the second you lift your katana. With your aim being so close but yet unreachable you can't do anything apart from making sure you won't die.
"Interesting... your master was ten times stronger than you and didn't survive. Why do you think that you have a chance against me?", he sneers and opens his mouth.
The tip of his tongue begins to dance over your cheek and you whimper due to the disgust and humiliation. You don't want to know whose flesh got in contact with this tongue.
Akaza's grip around your throat tightens.
"Answer me!", he spats and slashes the talons of his other hand across your waist. You cry out in pain as the warm blood slowly leaves your wound. It's iron smell stings in your nose.
"I - don't care how long it takes me ... but I will kill you", you press out between your teeth.
Akaza doesn't do anything for a second. Then he let's go of you.
Surprised you stumble forward and catch yourself in time. Immediately you press your hand on your wound and snarl.
THIS BASTARD!
"You were the Hashira's apprentice but aren't the new Flame Hashira now. Instead of coming for me with a bunch of Hashiras you come here alone. Even though your master didn't win against me, you started a fight. Why?", Akaza sums up and sneaks closer to you.
You back away and fight the tears forming in your eyes.
"I can tell you why."
His grin grows wider and wider. His eyes begin to sparkle in delight.
He opens his arms as if he were to hug you.
"You're too weak. Kagaya Ubuyashiki doesn't accept you as the new Flame Hashira. And although you know that you're rightly accused of being too weak you come here because you think that your master just had a bad day. You think that I am weak and that someone like you could be able to hurt me."
His tone gets angry and feral.
His smile falters and he sighs. Both hands rest in Akaza's hips.
"To insult me like that would normally get you killed however I don't care what happens to weaklings", Akaza says lazily and turns around.
You stare at him and wished your eyes could burn him.
"Thanks for giving me something to laugh at", he comments and vanishes into the darkness.