#共生 ; 「 ʀᴇɴɢᴏᴋᴜ ᴋʏᴏᴊᴜʀᴏ 」 v. four.

[kyousei]

          ɢʀɪᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛᴇᴇᴛʜ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏᴏᴋ sᴛʀᴀɪɢʜᴛ ᴀʜᴇᴀᴅ.

     Following the battle against Akaza, the arm impaled through his solar plexus does not disintegrate upon the sun rising and is kept shadowed by Kyojuro’s haori and the rest of his body. This keeps his bleeding to a minimum and, while he does lose consciousness after speaking with Tanjiro, the Kakushi are able to reach him in time to provide life-saving support. Kyojuro does not expect to wake and the number of injuries sustained cause the initial outcome report to describe him as deceased.

     Shinobu is the first to find out the truth and is called to assist with Kyojuro’s surgery while the other Hashira and Kyojuro’s family are notified. Kyojuro’s left eye is completely destroyed and is removed along with the entirety of his left lung and part of his right. The procedure is successful, But Kyojuro does not wake. He spends two weeks at the Butterfly Mansion before he is brought back to the Rengoku Estate where Senjuro cares for him with the guidance of Shinobu.

     Kyojuro does not wake for five more months and they are not an easy five months for Senjuro. There are times when he stops breathing or vomits thick, black, clotted blood that he must be turned on his side for in order to ensure he doesn’t asphyxiate himself. Senjuro cares for him in a way a younger brother should never have to care for his sibling, but he insists (because this is Kyojuro) with little to no help from their father.

     He eventually regains consciousness, but his weak spiritual core now matches his weak body. Kyojuro is bedridden for another month and cannot catch his breath entirely most days. Total Concentration Breathing sends his body into painful spasms and even when he tries to stand or do things for himself, Senjuro chides him for pushing himself too hard.

     No longer capable of being the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro is forced into retirement. He can no longer protect the weak like his mother wanted for him, he can no longer take care of Senjuro, he can no longer encourage his father to stand up again.

     Kyojuro falls into a deep depression.

     Notes:

Too much physical activity or excitement will cause Kyojuro to cough up blood. (Think All Might from BNHA.)

He wears an eyepatch to cover his scarred eye socket. It is plain and black, with three straps that connect in the back.

The scarring on his chest and back is awful and concave and never really looks fully healed.

He will put on the very same happy face for anyone who visits him after he is able to take visitors. His eyes do not shine like they used to, though.

Mostly he is carted around in a wheelchair, but he has a cane that he can walk short distances with if he’s careful. Once his stamina starts returning more he begins relying on the cane. It looks relatively simple, but there are outlines of flames carved into the wood near the handle. It was a gift from Senjuro.

He no longer wears his Demon Slayer uniform and instead wears simple yukata that are easier for him to put on himself. He goes back to wearing a plain white haori; the Flame Hashira one is returned to its display. His sword is reforged with a new tsuba (Tanjiro still receives his old one from Senjuro) and he still wears it at his hip once he is more comfortable walking.