#mugen spiral

[dragontamer05]

Probably the most obscure manga to add to my collection but so glad I could find it (found on Thrift Books- fantastic site to find both new and used books - and I think also games too? But all kinds of books for sure and often for pretty decent prices too,)

Always wanted to re read it but finding it was next to impossible not even online.

(Also reading the price listing on the back is wild- only 12.59 CAD / 9.99USD for a Manga bruh)

[sailorstarr-chan4]

Note: Yes, there is technically a Library Wars anime, however, it doesn't adapt the manga so much as the light novels.

Let's give some love to lesser known titles! ❤

[shoujo-memory]

Mugen Spiral by Kusanagi Mizuho

[amidoobles]

Part five of my 3x3 best girls series: Yona

For my fifth piece I have drawn Yona from Akatsuki no Yona or Yona of the Dawn. I first watched the anime for Yona in 2018 (I believe) and, like Akagami no Shirayukihime, instantly fell in love with it. Except, Yona actually had English publications at the time, so I was able to start collecting the series. I am quite fond (and biased) of Yona of the Dawn. Yona has been there for me through changes in my life, so it being in its final arc kinda hurts. Everytime I read a new volume, I kick, scream, laugh, and internally sob — needless to say it’s my favorite manga series of all time. I just wish there was more merch. Please Viz give me an art book.

Anyhoo, for this piece I wanted to focus on learning how to layer watercolors more, which I think I achieved. I wanna get better at making more “finished” looking pieces. To me, my art always feels as though there are still some rough patches to it because I grow lazy at the end, so I want to fix that. Overall, I think I did good on this piece, but I need to learn to figure out how to keep the watercolor from bleeding into sections I don’t want it to. Also, Yona's armor was the hardest part. I'm not used to drawing details. Man, the hand though, that's a good hand.

Finally, if you like Yona of the Dawn I’d recommend Kusanagi’s other series Mugen Spiral and NG Life. Especially NG Life. Someone please republish it in English.

[iluvluvnutella]

Mizuho Kusanagi 20th Anniversary: Akatsuki no Yona Original Art Exhibition

A press preview for Mizuho Kusanagi 's 20th Anniversary, "Yona of the Dawn Original Art Exhibition'', was held on December 21st at Ikebukuro Sunshine City in Tokyo. The original art exhibition, the largest in the history of the series, will feature over 220 original drawings and color illustrations, as well as life-sized stands created through crowdfunding in advance.

The entrance features key visuals and messages from Kusanagi to the visitors, followed by a large introduction panel of the main characters, chronological chart of events in progress, and a continental map diorama set that takes place in "Yona of Dawn."

This was followed by a display of original drawings and color illustrations. The exhibition was divided into chapters in chronological order of the story, and a video introducing the chapters was played, and panels with Kusanagi's comments were displayed here and there. According to the event organizer, Kusanagi supervised not only the selection of the original paintings, but also almost everything from the color of the wall surfaces for each chapter to the interior design and framing of the original paintings. The lanterns and other items displayed in the exhibition hall were faithfully reproduced from the original works, and Kusanagi's attention to detail shone through in the exhibition of original drawings.

A life-size statue of the main characters created by crowdfunding appears in the center of the venue. Yona, Hak, Suwon, Yoon, Ki-ja, Shin-ah, Jae-ha and Zeno were three-dimensionalized in their respective costumes. The three-dimensional images can also be seen from each exhibition zone through a grid. Crowdfunding achieved a 389% achievement rate, and other impressive sub-characters in each chapter have also been made into acrylic stands. A total of 17 characters were made into acrylic stands, 15 of which were illustrated by Kusanagi.

There are also a variety of photo spots. The photo spots are modeled after the frequent encampments of Yona and her friends in the "Fire Tribe" story, the color illustration of Yona and Lili looking out over the water in the "Water Tribe" story, Hiryuu's mausoleum in the "Yonghi Memoirs" story, and the window of Suwon's office that appears on the manga cover. Visitors can sit on each of them and try to recreate scenes from the manga.

Then, visitors will go to a gallery of the anime's Blu-ray and DVD jackets and color illustrations posted on SNS. In the same zone, a diorama of Pukyu's forest, created through crowdfunding, is also on display. The diorama shows Pukyu relaxing in the water and eating acorns. Lastly, color illustrations of Kusanagi's past works and the art materials she usually uses are on display. The color illustrations included Kusanagi's debut work, "Yoiko no Kokoroe", "Mugen spiral", "NG life" and other works.

The original art exhibition will be held from tomorrow, December 22nd until January 9th, 2024. Advance tickets are available at Lawson Tickets and Loppi until today, December 21st.

Article and images: https://natalie.mu/comic/news/554154

[xxlady-lunaxx]

⚠ Spoilers: ✔ (mugen train arc) ⚠ TW: mentions of suicide/suicidal thoughts,, giyuu and tanjiro's relationship is strictly platonic/kinda parental? hurt/comfort type :3

- Requested ! 

×××

They had been put to bedrest after Kyojuro's death. Which was expected, of course, all three having been injured at some level. Nevertheless, Tanjiro despised it. He didn't put his thoughts into words but he needed to get out and do something, anything! But he couldn't, Shinobu and Aoi forbid him of any activity that exerted his body right now. And he really was in no position to argue. But his thoughts were slowly dipping into a rabbit hole and it was all he could do to keep them from spiraling out of control.

One thing was Kyojuro, of course. He felt almost guilty for not having done enough to save the Hashira, despite knowing full well he would've only gotten in the way if he'd tried anything. But there was another thing that he'd never told anyone about, not even when he'd recounted the mission to Shinobu. He knew the information would be helpful to them, but there was something about what had happened that unnerved him. Of course, it would put anyone at unease. Having to kill themself. Even if it was just in a dream. But it wasn't that. It was the slight thrill that had accompanied his katana as it pressed against his neck. The thrill that maybe, if he had evaluated it all wrong, he would finally be free of it all. He would meet his family in death, he would no longer be subject to the burdens of everything and everyone he'd collected along the way. But the very notion of them being a burden to him made him feel an instant horror. How could he even think that? They weren't a burden, they could never be! But even that was a lie. He could feel their weight on his shoulders, though he made an effore to hold his chin up high. He knew that one day he may crumble, unable to sustain the amount of pressure they were inadvertently placing on him. It wasn't their fault. He was just not strong enough to support it all. And knowing that maybe, if even just a part of him, was willing to let it all go, to die at his own hands? It terrified him. Because what if he did break? What if he decided he could no longer do anything and his katana strayed to his neck again? And what if it was real?

He was suddenly glad that he was taking longer to heal than the others. That way they were sent off to training and he was alone in the room. It was a large room, meant for about half a dozen people. It was empty, however, and he was free to break down by himself, curling into a ball and gripping the blankets tightly, not allowing tears to flow. His eyes would become red and puffy and there would be no hiding it.

There was a gentle scuffling sound and he turned towards it, realizing Nezuko must've sensed his discomfort. He slipped out of his cot, bending down and angling the box to turn away from the sun. He opened it and her head popped out. She nudged him reassuringly, wrapping her small hands around one of his and pressing it to her head. At least his smile wasn't completely forced as he patted her. 

"You should sleep," he murmured. "You lost blood at the train, right? Zenitsu told me. Sleeping will make you feel better."

She looked reluctant to leave him be but eventually settled back into her box, eyes fluttering close. He waited a beat, making sure her kimono was all tucked in, brushing the hair from her face before he closed the box, setting it back next to his bed. A door behind him unlocked and he flinched. He wasn't being as attentive as before. Usually, he would've noticed someone approaching by now. He turned, hit by Giyuu's familiar scent as the Hashira made his way towards him.

"Giyuu-san? What...?" Tanjiro hadn't seen him in a while. Giyuu had stopped by once, briefly, after they had been delivered to the Butterfly Estate after the mission. But he had barely spoken Tanjiro at the time so it hardly counted.

Giyuu didn't speak until Tanjiro had settled back into his bed. Then, Giyuu sat on the edge of it, the mattress dipping down slightly where he was perched. "Are you okay?"

The question was delivered calmly yet abruptly and startled Tanjiro, so much so that he forgot to answer until it was repeated, with slight more conviction. 

"Ah- Yes, sorry, I didn't- The question was unexpected, I forgot to answer," Tanjiro mumbled hastily. "I'm- I'm good, really. Are you alright, Giyuu-san?"

Giyuu's frown seemed to deepen. "Are you sure?" 

"I- Yes, yes, I'm sure," Tanjiro said, too quickly.

"You seem tense."

Of course. Giyuu was probably already evaluating everything, from his posture to his voice. It came as second nature to the Hashira and Tanjiro was frustrated at himself for not having realized this sooner. Despite the fact that it would doubtfully change anything, he made an effort to relax his muscles, trying to bring some light to expression. It seemed only to dampen his own spirits, at least any he had acquired at Giyuu's arrival. In fact, it only broke down the dam that had already been struggling to keep hold against the flood of emotions he was holding back. His body sagged yet he fought against the sudden wave of weariness and plastered a smile on his face.

"Tense? It's just, ah, a bit lonely with Inosuke and Zenitsu already starting training. But it's for the best. Aoi said I can join them soon, though! She said I'm on the way of healing fully. She just doesn't want me to open a wound during training, but she promised my recuperation wasn't going to last too much longer, at most a week," Tanjiro rambled, trying to divert the conversation. He continued a bit about how the other two's injuries had been more minimal compared to his own having accidentally made his wound worse after Enmu's death. He carefully avoided speaking much about the demons, however, and Giyuu seemed to be catching on.

After a while, they lapsed back into silence. Tanjiro fidgeted with his blanket, unsure if he put on a good enough show. Giyuu was mulling over something, gazing intently at Tanjiro. He spoke again after a couple minutes. "Alright. I thought maybe Rengoku's death would be weighing on you, but I'm glad to see it's not," he said, although uncertainly. "If you need anything, send a letter?..."

Tanjiro nodded, though he knew already he would only send a letter if anything actually worrysome came up. "Of course! And you can always send me whatever's on your mind," Tanjiro added with a smile. "I'm glad have talked to you a bit."

Giyuu nodded back, slowly, and stood. Then, tentatively, he leaned forward, wrapping his arms awkwardly around Tanjiro in an embrace. Tanjiro, surprised by this uncharacteristic show of affection, hesitated for a moment. Interpreting this incorrectly, Giyuu started to pull away, but Tanjiro quickly returned the hug, pulling him back in. He felt this was a mistake as tears seemed to well up in his eyes the second Giyuu's arms tightened around him. He had relaxed his guard and now everything was going to come pouring out and Giyuu was going to be irritated at this, not having wanted to be comforting him so, and-

But as Giyuu registered the tears, despite his shock he managed to compose himself, sitting back onto the bed and holding Tanjiro reassuringly, trying to dredge up memories of having this done to himself and delivering the affection back to the boy. He rocked him gently, unsure if he was doing this right. He supposed he should speak but felt it wouldn't be appropriate in this situation, not knowing what it was. So instead he simply let Tanjiro cry into his shoulder, running his hand up and down the checkerboard pattern of his haori. Eventually, the crying dwindled to hiccups, and unsteady breathing and Giyuu pulled away, though he kept hold of Tanjiro's hands. He knew there had been something wrong yet was unable to breach the topic any further after he realized Tanjiro was trying to avoid it. He'd never been good with talking about feelings and he'd wondered if he was only making things worse, especially since Tanjiro had started crying. Instead, however, Tanjiro seemed to look truly relaxed, as if something had been lifted off his shoulders.

He smiled thankfully at Giyuu, rubbing furiously at his eyes. "I'm sorry, Giyuu-san... I didn't mean to break down like that, I was just... I guess I couldn't... I don't know," he mumbled, letting out a sigh which sounded somehow more content than anything else.

"It's fine. I hope you feel better," Giyuu said stiffly. 

Tanjiro laughed and Giyuu froze, wondering if he had gotten it all wrong. "I'm surprised you went along with it, I thought you would be disturbed by my sudden crying," Tanjiro said. "But I'm happy you didn't pull away, I really do feel better. Thank you. You sort of reminded me of, I guess, a father? And it was a comfort."

Giyuu felt touched by this, almost, and he allowed a smile to ghost his lips. "I'm glad, too," he murmured. "I hadn't expected the reaction but I'd come here because I wanted to make sure you were okay, and you didn't seem very okay when I first asked you."

"I'm sorry for that... But I can assure you now, with full confidence, that I'm fine! I feel better! It might not be permanant but you truly helped a lot. I know Giyuu-san can have that effect, you seem to always be there and save me. Hopefully I can return the favor," Tanjiro hummed, smiling genuinely now.

"I'm sure you already have," Giyuu said, standing. "You should get some rest or Kanzaki may be upset if you exert yourself. I'll leave you to sleep, now."

Tanjiro nodded. "Bye, Giyuu-san! I hope to see you again!"

"I hope so, too," Giyuu agreed as he left.

 ×××

« Word count: 1,701 »

 i fully expected maybe 500 or something words so damn

i need more tanjiro angst it's healing almost

[the-chaotic]

「— A Stranger Savior 」

「Resume ― 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐟 a mysterious stranger appears and saves Tatsuya and Tsukumo from the accident? 」

「pairing ― Kohaku, Tatsuya and Tsukumo. 」

「カオス ― Writing from Kohaku's perspective is so difficult, I hope I did it well and didn't mischaracterize him. I also tried to keep a consistent chronology of events. 」

Kohaku is still trying to understand what happened.

He thinks that it was all just a hallucination induced by stress and anxiety, but seeing Tatsuya and Tsukumo being checked by paramedics and giving statements to the police, he knew that none of it could just be his imagination.

Everything about that week was sending him into a collapse; first Tsukumo talking about how Tatsuya was worried about him and Mugen and then the fight against the Amamiya brothers among the other many problems. Kohaku felt like she was going to explode at any moment.

When Tatsuya asked to meet with him the day after the fight, Kohaku didn't expect much, he knew that his friend would talk about the path Mugen was taking and he thought he was ready to hear everything that could be said.

But when Tatsuya, the person he valued most, confronted him with the truth, he knew he had enough.

Tatsuya was right, he was scared. Afraid of change, afraid of his friends slowly leaving, afraid of being alone after everything. And all of this led him to be trapped in a spiral of constant anxiety that was preventing him from see what's really happening around you, especially with Mugen.

His breaking point was when he arrived at the Mugen base to relax and by chance overheard a member who was there with another person using his name and that of his gang for dark things.

It was at that moment that Tatsuya's words reached Kohaku and led him to an epiphany.

The next moment, it was as if a part inside him said that he was ready to start accepting the changes that were happening around him, that even though it was difficult, in the end, he was not alone because he had friends who were there for him and that they wouldn't leave him behind. He hopes it's not too late.

Collecting her thoughts, Kohaku decided to go after Tatsuya to apologize about his behavior and the things he said before.

While looking for his friend, from afar on a deserted street he saw him with Tsukumo by his side, which was a perfect opportunity to apologize to him too.

“Tatsuya!” he ran to a stop in front of the two and took a minute to gather the words, “I…”

Kohaku couldn't finish before Tatsuya forcefully pushed him to the side and that was when he no longer knew if he had hit his head on the ground and passed out or if he was delirious because he had no idea how to explain what he saw.

He saw a car coming at high speed about to hit Tatsuya and Tsukumo when, without him knowing from where, a figure appears in the middle of the two, pushing them to the ground and, with inhuman strength, slams both fists on the hood of the car completely kneading.

The brute force of the pack causes the car to fly over the three, skidding frantically with a sharp sound at least 60 meters away, completely crushed and destroyed.

Tatsuya and Tsukumo looked as shocked as Kohaku at this moment. Looking back, the car was completely destroyed and smoking with a strong smell of gasoline, there was no way in the world that whoever was driving it could have survived.

Still in shock and a little desperate, Tatsuya called the police while Tsukumo looked for any injuries on the other. Kohaku got up to go to the other two when he quickly remembered the mysterious savior.

He looked around the space looking for the person when he saw them standing far away. Even with the distance, he tries to record what he can of his appearance, which isn't much. What made him even more incredulous was that even with the loose clothes, the figure didn't seem to have any muscles that could justify its strength.

In the end, none of the three came away with any serious injuries other than a few scratches on their hands. When the police asked for their statement, Tatsuya took the lead and said what had happened but not telling them about the person who saved them, he just said that at the last second the car lost control and overturned. The police officers accepted this excuse.

Neither Kohaku nor Tsukumo questioned him about why he didn't tell the truth, because they also didn't know if they should. Besides, who would believe it? Maybe it would be better this way.

They were walking away after being released when something caught Kohaku's attention. On the sidewalk, there was a blue and white bracelet with a broken clasp. He quickly picked it up without the police noticing and put it in his pants pocket. That accessory probably belonged to that mysterious person and was the only clue he had, so he decided to keep it. Something told him that it would be important to keep that belonging.

You punch the wall behind you in frustration creating a large hole.

You almost ruined everything.

You took a few deep breaths to regain control and stabilize yourself. You weren't sorry for saving those guys, but that action would have consequences and it didn't help at all that two of them were wearing the vest of the infamous Mugen gang.

I hope dad doesn't get upset.

You knew that as soon as you got home you would get a lecture from your father for being reckless, for exposing yourself like you did, but trying to think positive, your identity was safe thanks to the large hood of the sweatshirt you were wearing.

You take off the sweatshirt you were wearing and put it in the backpack that you had left hidden in an alley, although those guys had left by a different route than you, prevention was never too much.

Your phone vibrates and when you pick it up and turn it on, a simple and straightforward notification of a message from your father saying 'I'm waiting at home' glows ominously.

Well, Shit.

After putting away your cell phone, as a form of consolation, you touch the beloved bracelets on your wrist only to notice that one of them was missing.

Please, somebody kill me now!!

[absolutelynotsanebaby]

Demon Kyojuro and Senjuro AU!

First off tho! Credit! This design was inspired by @lokh ‘s demon Kyojuro design! Which can be found here. It's extremely cool please go reblog it!!!!

Explanation of my AU is under the cut :)

Okay! so!

this AU begins after Kyojuro's survival of the Mugen Train.

He takes months to begin to get near fully healed but he'd never be healthy enough to become an active demon slayer again, much less a hashira.

Then Senjuro gets diagnosed with the same disease that killed their mother and it all spirals.

Akaza makes a startling appearance and becomes a frequent visitor.

Akaza isn't stupid, he knows he can't convince Kyojuro to become a demon willingly, convincing him to turn his dying little brother while hes vulnerable in multiple ways (physically, emotionally etc) on the other hand ? He switches tactics. It works.

They run, because Kyojuro knows the consequences of what he's done and isn't willing to face them.

Because of Kyojuro's presence Senjuro was able to retain his memories and full autonomy.

The same cannot be said for Kyojuro later, who is turned unwillingly (note: NOT by Akaza). He looses his memories and most of his speech (he can talk, its just choppy and mostly one word sentences). All he remembers is his love for his little brother and dislike of Akaza and other demons.

He becomes a sort of...demonic vigilante? He does eat, but only when he needs to and tries very hard to only attack and eat those he deems morally corrupt. When it comes to demon slayers, those he considers innocent or morally just he preforms quick, 'mercy' killings.

I'm not quite sure what his demon blood art would be yet but I'm thinking its something simple like him just setting alight and burning people (which, when slayers begin to find bodies of people who were clearly killed by a demon but burned it mystifies them. Demons aren't know to 'cook' their food). Knowing the Rengoku name means Purgatory you could say it's a form of hell-like punishment. He only burns those he considers morally corrupt.

A note about Senjuro: he refuses to eat and it worries Kyojuro to no end.

Senjuro wants to tell his brother about who they were and why whats going on is wrong but hes under strict instruction and threat from Akaza to not. (the threat being Akaza tracking down and attacking people like Tanjiro, their father, Kocho and such).

Another thing about Senjuro is that even as a demon he's weak. Well comparatively to humans he's much stronger but he's still nowhere near useful in combat. This angers both him and Akaza.

and...that's it so far! this has been a lot of rambling but i've fallen in love w this AU so i hope u can forgive me :)

There is a short playlist for this AU! You can find it here <3

[demonslayedher]

Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Training Arc OP “Mugen” (MY FIRST STORY x HYDE) TV Size lyrics

(Transcription and translation are my own; I don't bother following any specific romanization system when I'm having fun. Japanese is a context-heavy language and any translation you see will vary greatly, but in my case I had fun with Pillars on the brain with my filling in of some English gaps.)

Japanese + Romaji + English

永遠の意味　知らぬ君に

答えを示す時だ

夢幻に続く螺旋の先へ

言い訳に聞こえた理由は

儚い未来手繰った弱さ

それを強さとはき違えている

憎い　憎い

醜い　醜い

月を隠すほどの

黒く　黒く

淀む　心

君さえ居なければ

ゆらいでる　ゆらいでいる

花のように意思をつなぐ

奪っていく　奪っていく

嵐のように心を裂く

永遠の意味　知らぬ君に

答えを示す時だ

夢幻に続く螺旋の先に

待つのは誰

-------

Eien no imi   Shiranu kimi ni

Kotae wo shimesu toki da

Mugen ni tsuzuku rasen no saki e

Iiwake ni kikoeta riyuu wa

Hakanai mirai tagutta yowasa

Sore wo tsuyosa to chigaeteiru

Nikui   Nikui

Minikui   Minikui

Tsuki wo kakusu hodo no

Kuroku   kuroku

Yodomu   kokoro

Kimi sae inakereba

Yuraideru   yuraideiru

Hana no you ni ishi wo tsunagu

Ubatteku   ubatteku

Arashi no you ni kokoro wo saku

Eien no imi   Shiranu kimi ni

Kotae wo shimesu toki da

Mugen ni tsuzuku rasen no saki ni

Matsu no wa dare

-------

It's time to show my answer

To you, who do not know the meaning of eternity

It's at the end of a spiral that leads into dreams

My reason sounds like an excuse

Because weakness that hauled in an empty future

Is something you’re mistaking for strength

Abhorrent and ugly

So much so that it could hide the moon

My heart would be black and stagnant

If you weren’t here

Swaying and unstable

We have to maintain our determination like trembling flowers

It gets snatched away

And our hearts get shredded like in a storm

It's time to show my answer

To you, who do not know the meaning of eternity

Who is it that’s waiting

At the end of a spiral that leads into dreams?

[watermelinoe]

Sorry if you've been asked this before, but I was curious since you mentioned manga - what are some of your favorite shoujo works? Thank you in advance and have a nice day.

i have been asked this before but you have no idea how desperate i always am to talk about shoujo 😭 so i'm gonna split my recs up kinda by genre and i'll note whether it's completed or not, i'll try to include some of the more recent ones i'm reading

my fav shoujo manga is kimi ni todoke (completed), i especially love the female friendships in this manga and it's an incredible coming-of-age story, i think this one is more well-known but it deserves it!!

another well-known shoujo with a great female protagonist is of course kamisama hajimemashita (completed), i would die for nanami

something that i love abt shoujo is that the female leads may not be physically powerful but their actions shape the narrative and they are shown to be powerful because of their qualities, i think for girls you want to see girls kicking ass of course but you also want to see that girls are not passive, that they will do what they can and that their actions are powerful

my fav isekai manga, kanata kara (completed), has a protagonist like that, it's a really underrated gem that does a lot of world-building and the female lead even has to learn the language of the world she's teleported to, she can't communicate with the male lead or anyone else at the start, and i love her she's so clever and resourceful and compassionate, it's one of those "good beats evil" stories

i am so behind on it but i also love akatsuki no yona, incredible world-building, intricate character relationships and growth, it's so so good i need to get caught up, but if you like this one i also enjoyed kusanagi's other work mugen spiral (completed, short and cute demon/shrine maiden romance)

other recs: watashi no shiawase na kekkon is a cute cinderella story, colette wa shinu koto ni shita (completed but not online yet ;_;) is a touching persephone/hades style story where the female lead finds new appreciation for her life and her skills as a doctor, sayonara rose garden (completed) is a historical shoujo yuri where you really root for the couple...

isekai manhwa recs (somewhere between shoujo and josei imo) :

for better or for worse (completed) is classic shakespearian romantic dramedy imo, the miscommunications are a genre standard, it's fun and the female lead is drawn with fangs like a rough and tumble anime boy and i love that for her the villainess is a marionette, closer to josei probably, kayena is a certified Girl Boss and hellbent on revenge and she has a lady squad backing her up + devoted pretty moid a wicked tale of cinderella's stepmom, female lead is almost 40, lots of focus on the daughters coming of age and who they want to be, "cinderella" not wanting to be with the prince the villainess flips the script, i just really love judith she's so funny and she's athletic and accidentally kills a guy not-sew-wicked stepmom, snow white story, deals with misogyny and disordered eating and also it kinda looks like there's gonna be yuri on the side rn ?? two female characters confirmed to be into women master villainess the invincible, our girl is so badass.... and the original heroine is also bloodthirsty and she rocks too, also i personally think the male lead is hot tbh and usually it's just some guy to me the crow's prince is just really funny to me, how did they make that crow so expressive... and if i had a nickel for every isekai where the female lead spends a good chunk of it as a bird i would have two nickels which isn't a lot but it's weird it happened twice but anyway the falcon princess is also a lot of fun with birds

and i'm also really into how to hide the emperor's child bc astelle is insanely cunning but the male lead does not deserve her at all

my anilist is miniblin and i have logged basically every manga i've ever read on there lol so if ur curious

[wdymtheanimeisfinished]

Buckle up because this is one heck of a spiral.

A friend of mine recently got me to watch Demon Slayer. And after finishing that (I was emotionally wrecked) I decided to try and watch a nice slice of life series. I had already watched Sasaki and Miyano so I decided to watch Given because it was in the “more like this tab” (btw thnx so much for THAT Crunchyroll 👀😫)

Now here it is a week and a half later, I’ve read the entire manga series up to the most recently released chapter, gone on an internet scavenger hunt to find the Hiiragi mix with subtitles, and have listened to the sound tracks on repeat.

Tried to watch Twilight Out of Focus because I thought that might help. It didn’t, I have so many questions.

I’m spiraling. I get that, truly, I do.

I have an entire project that I’ve been unable to even think about because my brain is too busy worrying about the following

1: WTF IS GONNA HAPPEN WITH DEMON SLAYER??? I could read the manga sure, but my friend introduced me to the series and I promised I wouldn’t look up spoilers so that’s out of the question.

2: Sasaki and Miyano. Miyano and Sasaki. I just wanna put them both in bubble wrap and never let anything bad happen to them. If my thoughts are a hurricane, this is the eye of the storm. The calmness amongst the chaos. The manga is so good, I can’t wait for the next chapter.

3: uuuuummmm …. Umi E please? Gimme? Pleeeeease? PLEASE¿please? Umi E, for me?

4: how is twilight out of focus the least of my worries right now? I definitely had some thoughts and questions and concerns. But they seem insignificant compared to the rest of it.

(I don’t have a gif for this one 🤷🏻‍♀️)

5: the mugen train arc ripped out my heart. The entertainment district arc beat me over the head with it but then gave it back. The swordsmith village arc kicked it around like a soccer ball for a bit there but then also gave it back. Then the hashira training arc picked it and acted like everything would be okay until the last fucking second when my heart was just absolutely pummeled to oblivion. And yes this all comes back to demon slayer.

So in conclusion:

*the small ray of sunshine that is Sasaki and Miyano*

Spiral over? If I’m being honest probably not, but what the hell can I do right now? Nothing. Not a damn thing except for make this post and hope someone gets it.

[yepperoniro]

Yandere Senjuro Rengoku Gemstone Prompts.

[Romatic! Aged Up AU!]

Art not mine...

Alexandrite- what brings the yandere the most joy?

It depends on if it's their earlier days Pre-Kyojuro's death or post. If it is before his death, Senjuro's favorite thing was to spend his time watching you train, eat, and goof off with him and/or his big brother. His favorite thing is your smile. If it is post Mugen Train Arc... His favorite thing is you playing along with his delusions. Aka, call him Kyojuro, tell him you're proud that he gave up on being a Demon Slayer so he could spend time with his wife and father. Never ever ever bring up the reality that he isn't Kyojuro and Kyojuro is dead, Ever.

Angelite- how calm is the yandere and what aggravates them?

Senjuro is a worshiper type yandere and very calm due to this.

However, after Kyojuro Dies he spirls down into a slew of delusions. He changes from your calm and very manageable yandere to an overly protective and possessive yandere solely due to his delusions. As everyone is trying to yank him from his created happy world.

In this happy little fantasy world he created. He is Kyojuro, and he fell in love with his tsugoku Y/N. However after realizing that while they're in the Demon Slayer Corp they couldn't be together the two of them decided to retire early get married and begin there own family while watching over his alcoholic father. Where is Senjuro in his own little delusions? Good question! Bringing up Senjuro usually will cause him to spiral into aggression and confusion.

Aventurine- does the yandere's plans run smoothly or are there obstacles that get in the way?

Hahaha hahaha yeah no. His entire plan was completely uprooted and completely altered/removed once Kyojuro died. His whole plan was to watch from the side-lines as his brother, whom he put on this god level pedestal, marry and have children with a woman he also put on that same level of pedestal. So once his brother died, his psych was afraid of losing two gods instead of just one. It began with him being consciously aware that he wasn't actually Kyojuro and only acting like him to keep you from leaving him. But it delved deeper. Until where it is now...

Black Tourmaline- does the yandere want to protect darling or harm them?

Senjuro wants more than anything to protect you but he knows he isn't going to be able to with him not being able to do Flame Breathing nor wield a sword like his brother could. 'Kyojuro' is the same wanting to protect you from everything in the world. But the difference is that 'Kyojuro' is strong enough to do so. [How is this possible physically? Well it was inside him all along. The real Kyojuro would almost be proud.] 'Kyojuro' isn't above corporal punishments. Keep bring up Senjuro or keep trying to pull him from his delusions and expect to be bent over his lap and spanked with his belt.

Blue Lace Agate- how truthful is the yandere?

To a man who doesn't even know where the real world begins and his fantasies end I don't know if he is able to be truthful. Simply because he doesn't know what is truthful. However 'Kyojuro' will always tell you how he feels about every little microscopic thing. The scary bits of his identity crisis is that he swears up and down to having memories he physically can't have [because the didnt exist]. Such as remembering when his mother went through Kankagari and she had problems with bloody noeses.

Carnelian- how does the yandere deal with their darlings strong will?

Which ones is stronger his delusions or her will? If it's the later he might not know what to do and go to his father for advice. Who honestly has no idea what his son is talking about and blow him off. He might try to reach out to the 'other' Hashira's for advice but none of them humor the crazy ramblings of the young man. After no one offering him advice he might whip out his hidden trump card drugs. When 'Kyojuro' was Senjuro he took care of any wounds his brother would get as well as taking care of his own. He also took multiple months of Kakushi/EMT training courses. In a drugged out state Y/N definitely won't put up as much of a fight about 'Kyojuro''s presence.

Charoite- how does the yandere learn more about darling?

Senjuro just asks. "Y/N, I am going to begin cooking lunch for you and brother what is your favorite foods?" "Hey, Y/N, What Is your favorite color? I'm just curious is all... no reason!" "Y/N-san, do you have any siblings? I'm just curious I'm sorry!"

The worst part of it is that before Kyojuro's Death he was very blind to his brothers strangeness/noesiness. "Senjuro is annoying you with questions you say? I apologize my brother is a naturally curious boy I'm sure he ment no harm."

How does 'Kyojuro' know so much about you? "A husband should know his wife like the back of his hand." Honsetly he doesn't even know...

Chrysoprase- how does the yandere deal with heartbreak?

He is delusional! De-lu-sion-allll!!! You can't reject him because your rejection won't sink in, and he will probably spank you for attempts to reject his reality. "A wife shouldn't speak like that to her husband." If you run away from him... he'll blanket burrito and scream for hours until his vocal cords are destroyed. Then he'll hit the bottle... but he is doinging because in his delusional reality, you were killed by a demon... he would say he is ashamed he a former Hashira allowed a Demon to take his darling wife from him. So no, he isn't going back to being Senjuro just because you're gone... if he saw you after he had already come to the conclusion you were dead. He would just start screaming and holding his head as he was trying to contemplate how this would have happened. He would either come to the conclusion that you are a ghost and he had to join you in the afterlife. Or the conclusion that you are a Demon, he would report it to the Slayer Corps, then commit Seppuku because as a hashira, he let his wife become a demon. who wouldn't even come out to investigate because they see Senjuro as the boy who cried wolf. If you got sick and died... and he watched you die he would just like the other scenario to become an alcoholic. If you two have children... you might notice that he is reliving his life through his son...

Diamond- what does the yandere want from their ideal darling?

Her Obedience. Her Love. Her Loyalty. Her Devotion. Her Smile.

Emerald- how does the yandere show their love?

His love language is physical affection and verbal affection. He also is big into gift giving but he doesn't have the former Hashira pension that his father has or brother would have. He doesn't really question why he doesn't have the money he thinks he should have because he assumes that due to his early retirement dequalified him for it.

Garnet- what is the yandere's ideal future with darling?

He wants the American Dream. He believes he is a retired hero who deserves an obedience and beautiful loving wife and two children.

Kunzite- is the yandere's motivations love, lust or something else?

Love and Delusions.

Lapis Lazuli- is the yandere controling or manipulative?

He is as controlling as one would expect from a man from the 1912/1920's. He doesn't mean to be manipulative... he's too Delusional for that...

Moonstone- are there things that the yandere will hide from darling at all costs?

So... don't judge him, but... when Kyojuro first died, Senjuro began eating and feeding you his ashes... also, the gem in your wedding ring is actually him.... oh, and that glass Olisbos he uses on you when you're being sexually punished. Yeah, that's actually.... /he even made a tasteless joke about it. While spanking you he puts the Olisbos in your womanhood while saying, "No no no y/n Kyojuro isn't gone. Actually he's closer to you than he's ever been."

Opal- what makes the yandere tick?

Calling him Senjuro. Telling him he isn't Kyojuro. That Kyojuro is gone. You don't love him. He'd get angry and spank you.

Sapphire- does the yandere believe that they are the one that darling should praise or do the believe that darling deserves theirs?

Senjuro is a worshiper. But 'Kyojuro' wants to be praised not worshipped. But like head pats and snuggles. He wants you to thank him for giving up his position as Hashira to br with you.

Rhodonite- does the yandere want kids and would they force darling into having them?

Absolutely! At least Two. Would upsettedly settle with one but wants two or more. As for force... that's complicated. Because it is the 1912/1920's. And common idea is that a wife is the property of her husband. So yeah he does force himself on you but no he doesn't see it as a bad thing because it's what wife's do for their husband's. Also he is naming his son Senjuro. No matter if you give birth to a Male or a Female...

Unakite- does the yandere have a point of no return or will they eventually realize how dire the consequences of their actions?

See the heartbroken response.

[kitcattales]

Something There - Akaza x Fem! Reader Chapter 1: Something There

Author's note: So, I'm trying this for the first time, please bear with me for any mistakes, but PLEASE read the warnings and tags before reading as this fic d o e s touch on very mature and sensitive topics in mental health ;w; My purpose in writing this series is to tell a story as well as to give readers a relatable, realistic experience with bad mental health struggles along with a loving message in regards to that, so please be sure you're doing alright enough to proceed ;w; <3 I've never shared any of my fanfics on Tumblr before nor am I super apt at using this platform, so I'm not sure how this will turn out, but I thought maybe I should give it a try ;u; I hope you guys like the first chapter to my Akaza fic! ;w; <3

If you'd like to continue onto the next chapters available so far, you can find the rest of my fic cross-posted on AO3, FFN, Wattpad and Quotev! Links are down below! c: <3

Synopsis:

Loneliness and guilt can lead people down a painful spiral of darkness which is often times difficult to crawl out of. It can be suffocating to the point of which your thoughts are no longer your own. At least, they're not what you would recall them to be now that the person you once were is gone. Mourning and grievances can escalate and deepen the slope of self-destruction and self-loathing, pushing you further into an abyss of quicksand your fingers can't claw into no matter how hard you try to pull yourself out to make things right.

No matter what _______ did to reconcile for her mistakes, nothing ever made the emptiness and hurt within her go away. Life lost its meaning, and with it, the Slayer's will to continue had faded as well.

She had become so desperate, she convinced herself a demon of the twelve Kizuki was her only solution to make the torment end; to pull her from the quicksand and let her slip in a senseless dream.

To most, it would have been crazy, but to her? It was the last chance she had to make things right and to pay for the sins she could never undo.

Funny how a demon was the answer to prayers like that.

Rating: M for Mature.

Warnings:

THE FOLLOWING FIC CONTAINS THOROUGH DIALOGUE ABOUT SUICIDAL THOUGHTS AND TENDENCIES ALONG WITH DIALOGUE OF SELF-LOATHING. IF YOU'RE IN A DARK OR VULNERABLE PLACE RIGHT NOW, PLEASE DON'T CONTINUE PASSED THIS POINT.

This fic also contains depictions of violence and gore. Don't know to what extent I should label it, so I'll just say that it's definitely in there (not that it would really stand out in a series like Demon Slayer).

The fic also goes into details about the Mugen Train arc so, spoilers ahead. It also slightly hints to stuff about Akaza's background - not in tons of detail, but there's hints.

CHAPTER TWO

Word count: 9,671

Cross-posts: AO3, FFN, Wattpad and Quotev (I am most active on AO3! <3)

Chapter 1: Something There

There was a light breeze this evening, blowing with the lovely scent of not-so-distant blooming wild flowers. The sky was cloudless, unobstructed and ornamented with an endless array of dazzling stars which freely blinked with detached innocence amongst their vast, endless world of obsidian depths. The moon – large and full – rested right in the middle of the spectacle, shinning its soft, ethereal light onto the earth’s plane of existence like a blanketed gift from Heaven. Underneath its brilliant light was an open plain of grass, long and feather-like with the blades which fluttered and danced hand-in-hand with the wind whom swept them from their rooted dance floor. All the while, from a distance, an audience of ancient cedar watched, their leaves restlessly enthused to join and encourage the ballet from where they stood so admiringly.

In all respects, the setting was awe-inspiring. A place most people would envision when thinking of a landscape bathed in peace and serenity. A place one could run away to so as to fall amongst the swaying blades, to roll along with them in their reality and giggle out joyous fantasies with the nearby cedar in a private, heavenly world of their own. A place where one could lay back, arms splayed, eyes to the sky, dreaming of an exciting, blissful (maybe even euphoric) future.

It should be a place drizzled in otherworldly wonder.

It should be a place of refuge.

A place people can go to by choice for a night of delight and mindful wondering – but there on the ground, viewing it all from a perspective so polar opposite from the view from Heaven, the scene came off in a completely different light.

The grass was coarsely grabby, edged with sticky little weeds which clung at her clothing as she dragged her feet across the hardened soil. Her body screamed cries of overexertion, protesting wildly and cacophonously against its owner, begging for a rest like the one the stars and moon dreamed of, but she knew she was beyond that point of grace.

The soft, white glow from the seemingly engorged moon only served to illuminate her path. It was leading her towards a destination every sane thought in her head told her to run away from, but the stronger voice in her edged her to strive for even beyond the painful exhaustion she felt seeping into her very bones.   

The stars may as well not even be there. To her, they certainly weren’t. She never bothered acknowledging them when she stepped onto the plain. She knew they were there, by logic, but to see and actively acknowledge them would be a cruel reminder of the beauty of life that was so fleeting.

The sweeping wind reminded her of that sense of inescapable mourning for something that was lost long ago, the way it pushed through the spaces between her fingers even as she let them hang loosely by her sides, mocking her weakness and fragility. It reminded her of the things and moments she allowed to slip through those very gaps time and time again before this very moment in time within that desolate field.

The audience of cedar, much closer now than they had been before, swayed in precarious gestures, almost as if whispering amongst themselves before – suddenly – waving at her with urgency as a warning not to enter the land they shielded her from.

She, however, paid no mind to the warnings they attempted to heed her. Her eyes, though vacant and void of emotion, simply stared forward beyond the gaps in between their thick, barky bodies into the inky black deep within the land of densely packed cedar. The only time she listened to her aching body to stop for a moment was when she reached the edge of the forest.

Her right hand weakly pressed against the bark of the nearest tree, rough against her palm. Her body greedily leeched off of the support the chivalrous cedar provided by collapsing against it a mere second or two afterwards. She whimpered pathetically as her battered side collided with the rough bark, her breaths coming out heavier for a moment while she tried with the miniscule amount of willpower left in her to compose herself.

Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic.

Her teeth gritted painfully, her eyes shut tight, but she focused her breathing. She focused effectively, just as she had been taught and trained to, successfully alleviating some of the pain which screamed from deep within her core. When the world around her began to make more sense to her sightless senses beyond that of the pounding in her ears is when she allowed herself to gaze into the darkness once more.

Likewise, it was then that she had picked up on the pungent scent of blood creeping into her reality like invisible tendrils of poisonous vines come to destroy the idea of anything like a flower in a world like hers.

Flowers.

HA!

What a silly idea for something like that to exist in a moment like this.

Still, she was undeterred by the iron-noted scent. She had grown eerily accustomed to it over the course of time she had dedicated within her uniform. It was simply a sign of a cruel world; a reminder of how temporary everything was.

She was well aware the scent typically spelled out ‘danger’ and a definite threat within the near vicinity, and for a person like her who was so worn and tattered, it urged for her to turn back to run almost in an audible whisper.

Was it the cedar talking in the blood’s behalf? The chitter-chatter of their leaves fluttering deterrently, begging for her to reconsider?

Blatantly, she ignored.

She pushed herself off of the tree she leaned against and forced her body to continue forward. Quickly, as she slipped beneath the thick canopy of the forest, the moon and stars ceased to exist. Though she hadn’t actively acknowledged them when passing through the field, their absence was prevalently notable as soon as the branches of cedar roofed her within their mysterious home. The world around her grew as dark as the one thriving in her head, teeming with a life she was unaware of and instinctually afraid of.

Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic.

The fear was quickly swallowed up by the inky sensation of disassociation. It had only served to exist a few moments in the back of her head, wondering aloud what she might run into on the way to the finish line she had drawn for herself, but it just as quickly fell to a numbing silence. Her head filled with fog and quiet, aiding in the subsiding of the gooseflesh which had momentarily sprouted along the length of her arms.

There was nothing to be afraid of. She had planned this shortly after she found out about what dwelled in this area. For a long time, she had been dreaming of a way out of the nightmare that is her daily life she could not escape from, and just like that, as destined by fate, the solution had fallen onto her lap through speculating whispers and murmurs from people in the nearby village about the things which sometimes dwelled in the cedar forest. It had been a hunch, a possibility with an equal possibility of it being something else entirely which the villagers spoke of, but something inside of the young woman told her this was definitely what she had been hoping for since everything had first started going downhill.

As she dragged her feet and trudged deeper and deeper into the abyssal world she walked through like a stranger in a town she didn’t belong in, she picked up on the sounds of creatures moving in the dark. Creatures she didn’t come here to see today. She could sense their presences in her flesh and bone, humming and vibrating with their being to force her awareness on them. She, however, chose to force her awareness of them into silence.

No, she didn’t come here for just any demon.

She came here tonight for a very specific one.

One she knew was stronger than any other she had ever faced or heard of thus far.

The one that would be the perfect and quick solution to her problem.

I could just stop walking, she thought as she dragged the top of her foot along the dirt beneath her to force it in front of her for another agonized step forward. It hurts to walk, anyway. I could just stop here, let any of the ones following me right now do away with me. End the nightmares already…She shook her head, forcing her steps to gain a bit of haste, though she made no move for her Nichirin sword sheathed at her side – her only true form of defense in the midst of an infestation like the one she ventured into. No. The weaker ones are cheekier than all hell. They like to play with their prey and food. They’ll make it worse for me than it needs to be. No, I’ll get to him and have him do it fast. I’m fairly certain he does it for sport, and with a demon as ridiculously strong as him, I probably wouldn’t even feel it when it happens. If the worst happens and the rumors are wrong…well…the others still remain an inescapable option at this point. One way or another, I’ll be able to pay for my weaknesses. I’ll make it up to them all. The nightmares will end and I’ll slip away like I should’ve so long ago.

The thought caused her brow to furrow as the sorrowful emotion she seemed tied to the hip with washed over her. It felt suffocating, like she had been forced down a waterfall and the harsh waves just kept battering onto her over and over, leaving her sore in every possible way. Before everything got as bad as it had, when everything was still so fresh and explicit in her mind, the feeling would’ve caused tears to surface in her eyes. She would’ve collapsed and bawled, a soul-raking kind of cry that shook her to her very spirit, rattling the human frame caged within her skin. A mournful sound and act of hopelessness to help her cope and allow her body to wash out the pain that was so endless and vast.

Not this time, though.

She hadn’t cried like that in a very long time.

The last time she had shed those kinds of heartbreaking tears was when her best friends had died on the field, a small group sent out to protect the very village she trekked from right now. There were demons terrorizing the villagers for weeks, people going missing in the forest leaving nothing behind but their screams in the night. Her squad arrived, eager and confident in their abilities to aid the people they had been sent to save…Yet, in the end, the ones who needed saving were them.

She could remember it as though it had happened just yesterday. The blood of her friends slowly dripping from her hands as she had desperately tried to stem their bleeding when the demon had coward off because of the rising sun. She could remember how loud she had cried for help to the point that her throat felt bloody and raw, how desperately she had begged with her friends not to die on her. Not to leave her. Not to let her weak and feeble attempt at protecting them and the villagers be the reason they were going.

Not to let them jumping in to save her be the reason they died in her arms.

Unfortunately, it was a request neither of them could fulfill for her.

By the time help arrived, they were gone. Nothing left but corpses in her arms staring blankly towards dawn.

She cried harder than she ever had that day. The only people she had ever considered family – the only people she had close to her left in a world so bleak – had been ripped away from her when they came to her aid; all because she couldn’t defend herself.

All because she allowed herself to believe she had the upper hand.

All because she allowed herself to get cocky.

All because she left her blindside wide open.

PATHETIC, PATHETIC, PATHETIC! You don’t deserve to be alive! It should’ve been YOU who died that day, not THEM!

Her head lulled from side to side as the harsh thought rang in her mind, reminding her time and time again that she wasn’t worthy of their sacrifice; that they had bestowed a value on her insignificant life she had no clue what she did to earn.

“I know…” She sucked in a harsh breath, her eyes fluttering for a moment from the pain radiating in her with each step she took. The recent fight to defend the village from demons had left her body a tattered and bruised mess beneath her uniform, barely able to do anything without nearly collapsing every few minutes. It had been going nonstop for many nights now, these harsh, numerous battles. Battles she felt tied to finish in memory of the ones she lost during the original mission. A sort of reconciliation she was aware would never amount to wash away the sins she’s committed towards the ones who loved her most, but the beating her body received every night…it felt well-earned.

“I know…” She repeated, her lip quivering as the shaken breath left her. “I-I know I don’t…”

The forest around her began to giggle and chuckle through the dark. Cheeky, mischievous whispers floated from cedar to cedar as the sensation of a million pairs of eyes staring her back down crept through her veins. By instinct, her senses had heightened again, becoming more and more aware of the things following her and gossiping about her, laughing about how easy it would be to rush in and end her right there, but deciding to play around with their food to prolong the inevitable through a torturous mind game.

I’m not scared to die. I haven’t been for a long time. I’m not afraid. None of this scares me. They can’t do anything to me I haven’t felt already in a million different ways. I. Am not. Afraid.

The laughter in the woods grew louder, almost as though they had peeked into her mind and read her thoughts. Mocking her. Gossiping about the reality she tried to hide behind her lies.

She tried her best to ignore the gossip. Her nails dug into bark as her hands pressed and pushed her feebly from tree to tree, each one she passed by close enough aiding on her course of self-destruction despite their previous warnings. The grass and weeds around her feet clung to her clothing just as they had done on the open plain, tugging at her harder and with more persistence the deeper into the void she propelled herself. Her dragging feet pulled away from them each and every time, deadest on reaching the end of what the woods attempted to protect her from.

Nothing could deter her from her quest, and the only thing which caused her pause and hesitation in her trek so deep within the darkness was the sound of a collapsing cedar a short distance away.

The timber was dissonant and jarringly crackling like booming thunder. When the massive cedar collided with the ground, the entire forest appeared to shake and tremble in protest of its fallen extremity. The living cedars chittered and waved in anxious, shrill cries before the world around her plummeted into deafening silence. Even the laughter and gossip had ceased from the demons she knew remained close by. She was sure they had been toying with her, but from the sound of the collapsing cedar, it appeared she had found what she sought, and the affirmation of his existence deep within the desolate forest forced them into fearfully respectful silence.

She stared ahead, leaning against a tree once more, watching intently through her vacant gaze for further movement. Her panted breath was all she could hear for a few moments, and her heart had plummeted into the abyss of her stomach when a thought crossed her mind.

Maybe it was just a random tree that was about to fall. Maybe nothing really caused it to fall other than an old injury to its bark. Maybe the rumors are just that: rumors. Maybe I’m stuck with my terrible plan B after all.

The thunderous sound of yet another falling cedar, however, told her she was wrong. The quick succession didn’t sound natural, nor did the way the woods reverberated with the collapse. There was something else there, something else that caused a third tree to quickly fall right afterwards as well.

Her heart jumped to her throat with anxious hope that the rumors were true after all. The silence around her from the demons whom followed her up to this point also inclined her to believe it to be so.

It has to be him. She pushed herself off of the tree she rested against, quickening her steps towards the trembling trees and earth-shattering commotion ahead. Please let it be him. Please don’t be another lesser demon. Please don’t play with my emotions like this. Not now. Not again.

Her breaths puffed out faster now, shaken with the effort from her quaking, hobbling form. She could barely keep going. If this wasn’t him, whoever it was would have to do away with her, because her body couldn’t carry her much further. No one would miss me, anyway. The village would be better off with a different Slayer there to defend them. I’m useless to them. I’ve been able to keep the demons at bay thus far, but I can’t anymore. They’ll be fine until they send someone else tomorrow. I would be a hindrance if I had stayed behind. At least with me being here, the demons can entertain themselves watching me with him instead – or coming after me themselves if it really isn’t him. GOD, please let it be him.

Unsettled by her desperate thoughts, she shook her head as firmly as she could before forcing herself to focus once more so she may sense the beings in her surroundings. As soon as she did, the vibrations in her bones shook her like an earthquake, nearly toppling the already beaten woman onto the forest floor like the falling cedar ahead. She reached out, clawing her nails deeply into a nearby tree one more time, her arms hugging tightly around it as her knees buckled beneath her. She whimpered with struggle, trying with all her might to stay on her feet against the mighty cedar, but through it all, her eyes had stayed fixated on the area the fallen trees were plummeting from. The strength of the demon ahead was…terrifying. She knew he had to be, considering he was of the higher ranks of Muzan’s twelve Kizuki, but that it felt like this without any kind of confrontation? For a second, it caused the thought of reconsideration to cross the woman’s mind as freezing fear raced through her being to solidify her in place. Her eyes were widened despite their vacant state and her teeth clattered and chattered together with her trembling.

Remember what’s waiting for you outside of this forest even if you do somehow manage to make it out alive. The life you chose to leave behind. None of it is worth it anymore. You’re pitiful to feel this damn afraid of something you’ve plotted so thoroughly, but it’s a natural response. I can’t think of many people who wouldn’t shake at the sense of this ridiculous amount of demonic presence…

She took a deep, calming breath at the thought, the sound of the falling cedar becoming background noise to her. Nodding slowly to herself, she pushed forward one last time and began to drag her feet towards the man she now had no doubt was there. No lesser demon would even come close to the essence she picked up on, so at least that thought was calming in its own regard.

Keep walking. Keep going. You’re almost there. You won’t feel this pain or fear for much longer.

She pushed herself through a few bushes now, her shoulder bumping against another cedar as a small clearing gradually came into her line of vision through the foliage ahead of her.

Within the clearing was the finish line.

The demon she had come here to see.

The end of her quest.

The answer to her prayers and the consequence of her sins.

Akaza.

The name rang in her mind from memory at the sight of his muscular frame and head of short, disheveled salmon-toned hair. His back was facing her, his concentration mainly set on the cedars before him which his fists continuously connected with, causing for them to fall one after the other. Sometimes, he’d mix things up with kicks as well, his form rock solid and unmovable with each strike he landed. It appeared as though he were training a form of martial art which, in retrospect, came off rather odd to her if she really thought about it. A demon training his skills as though he were human when the amount of strength he actually harbored was beyond humanity in all definitions of the word? Maybe it was just something he enjoyed to do, beating the life out of tree after tree. Whatever it was, it didn’t really matter. What mattered is that he was really there. The rumors were true and the finish line was now within reach.

She had heard of his battle and unfortunate victory against the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, through her Kasugai Crow. It had been widespread news when it happened. It spread like wildfire from Slayer to Slayer, the heartbreaking loss of a man so kind and great like Rengoku leaving a gaping hole many knew not how to fill.

In all regards, she should hate him. This demon. This disgrace and mistake on the face of the planet which only lived to cause pain and suffering to humanity. She should despise him with every fiber in her being – and when the news first reached her, she did. She wanted nothing more than to gain news of his defeat and demise while she mourned the death of the Hashira amongst fellow Slayers at the time.

Right now, however?

He was an antidote to her.

A sweet remedy she was desperate to taste.

A consequence she knew she fully deserved – and the desperation she felt for him to give it to her already only made her feel even less worthy of living on than she already did.

How could she want this so badly?

How could she be this desperate?

How could she be so disrespectful to the memory of Rengoku and the entire Demon Slayer Corps as to seek this demon out for the sole purpose of taking away the breath from her lungs?

Something anyone who knew him would quickly give up in return for Rengoku’s life.

If I could, I would trade places with him in a heartbeat. I wouldn’t even have to think about it. I know I’m unworthy and completely incomparable to him, but if it were possible, I would give my life in exchange for his. He deserved to live. He deserved a happy life. He deserved a lovely future. He deserved every good thing in the universe because of how much of an amazing man he truly was. So, why is it fair that an extraordinary person like Rengoku had to die, but a pathetic excuse for human life like me is allowed to keep going? It isn’t fair. God…please let me trade…Take me instead. Give us back Rengoku, let me rewind time, put me on the Infinity Train and let me take his place against Akaza. Let me give the world that kindness before I go…

Alas, even if it were possible to do as such, she knew Rengoku would’ve never allowed it. He would have saved her just like he had everyone else on that train.

Just like he had given his life to accomplish for those who couldn’t fight for themselves.

I’m sure if he were alive, he’d probably scold me for the thoughts I’m having. He’d probably start giving me one of his zealous pep talks, too, about not giving up so I can keep moving forward in the memory of them…He always had such a warm energy to him…So much hope, courage and perseverance in a world so bleak and scary. I wish I could’ve been like you. I’d like to believe I might be lucky enough to meet you in the afterlife…but…I don’t feel like I deserve to go where you’ve gone.

Her head lowered in shame, the quivering of her lip returning with vengeance. It was then she noticed just how many fallen trees were scattered in this clearing Akaza was training in. So much so, it made her believe the small clearing only existed because of him now, quickly growing in size with each massive cedar he brought to its knees. From up close, the shattering wood caused her ears to ache, the actual quaking fall forcing a flinch from her out of reflex.

Looking up from the litter of fallen trees, she watched as the demon stood up straight and rolled his shoulders after the last cedar he had beaten into submission. He turned his head to one side with a satisfying crrrrrack before turning to the other with the same result.

In his momentary pause, she found the will in herself to force her feet to walk forward again. She found it a bit difficult to maneuver around the fallen trees, her aching body screeching at her now with painful protest each time she jumped herself over one of them. There was no way at this point that the demon of the Upper Moons hadn’t become aware of her presence. She was sure he knew she was there long before she even showed up at this clearing he was making, but if he hadn’t, the raucous of her fumbling over logs and crunching leaves and twigs beneath her feet had certainly alerted him of her approaching presence.

She could tell, because he made no move to continue his training against the cedar no matter how much closer she got to him.

No, he didn’t move until she was right behind him, having somehow managed the hurdle of the final cedar at their feet.

If she hadn’t been before, she was definitely passed the point of no return now.

From up close, she could take in his details a lot better. Markings ran all across his skin, many of which disappeared under the cover of his baggy clothing. From behind, the ones which caught her attention most were the rings encircling his throat, visible still from the back of his neck. That, and the stained ends of his fingers and bare feet, his nails all tinted in a deep red color. All of it contrasted heavily with his pale skin tone and softly colored locks of hair which swayed just the smallest bit with the light breeze sweeping through the woods, offset even further by the reddened pearls ensnared around his ankles.

It was an odd thought, but the combination of his natural colors was a pleasant one. It was a strange sentence which floated in her mind for several moments because of how bizarre it actually was.

She supposed if she would give herself up to a demon, she would rather he didn’t look as terrifying as they come.

At the very least, there was something soothing about the softness in his palette. It almost felt like he belonged in this landscape, really, jumping out of the scenery like a painting in a black and white book.

“This is a surprise,” His rough, masculine voice broke through the silence, causing for the woman’s eyes to shift sharply to the back of the demon’s head. “You Slayers sure are interesting. Coming after me in my own domain like this? Can’t say you’re very good at sneaking up on the enemy, though. Might want to work on that.” He remarked, noticeably disinterested.

Why would he be interested? He didn’t even need to look at the Slayer to know they were weak. Their sounds of struggle as they traversed the fallen trees behind them told him all he needed to know. He had never been interested in fighting weakened opponents. Where was the fun in that? No, he wanted a challenge. Always seeking a new rival to combat and train with for years to come.

It’s a shame those damn Hashiras never chose to turn.

They really would’ve made the centuries so much more fun.

“I’m not interested in facing off, if that’s what you came here for.” He blatantly remarked. “You’re not worth the time, I already know that. If you want to pick a fight, have at it with any of the others in the woods, human.” With that, he readied his fighting stance once more, just as he had prepped himself with earlier. A few seconds after, quick as lightning, he struck the tree directly in front of him with his fist. No sound of effort emitted from him, but the mighty cedar fell backwards with agonized creaks and shatters from the single strike.

She, once again, flinched from the sound of the fall, her eyes turning to look at the defeated cedar before turning back to Akaza once more. A part of her was somewhat surprised that he didn’t care that a human was standing behind him as a perfectly easy target, but another part reckoned that might have been to be expected from someone of his prowess.

It simply reaffirmed the facts she already knew to be true.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to do next. Something in her hadn’t expected to make it this far. She had been convinced, in the back of her mind, that the night would end with her devoured by some random lesser demon in the woods before she could ever hope to stumble upon Akaza. Somehow, someway, fate had listened to her begging and delivered, but now that she found him, what exactly was she supposed to do? Wasn’t this supposed to be as easy as she always envisioned it to be? Wasn’t handing herself over to a demon supposed to quickly fall into the same pattern of blood, violence and gore?

Another tree fell in the midst of her thoughts, this time vanquished by a curt kneeing from the demon. This time, she didn’t flinch, stuck in her head, her eyes focused on the markings on the back of Akaza’s neck.

“You’re still here.” He remarked with a deep sigh, annoyance laced in his tone as he straightened to stand up tall. “Why are you still here? You’re no challenge to me. I assume you got business with me, but let’s be real here, you and I both know how things will end if you really want to try, little Slayer.”

“I…I-I do. That’s why I’m here…” She finally found her voice, deciding she would follow the flow life decided to toss her way right now.

Akaza’s entire demeanor shifted at the sound of her. He startled in place, stiffening from the unexpected feminine voice which carried itself so dimly through the breeze. By instinct, he had assumed the Slayer whom came to so (stupidly) boldly stand before him was a man looking for a fight. He had made a few short guesses in the moment he had spoken to her, wondering if maybe it had been someone from the Corps come to avenge someone he had taken down. He wouldn’t have been surprised; it’s happened before. Nevertheless, he certainly did not expect a woman to approach him for battle tonight.   

Slowly, he turned on his heels, his odd, golden hued gaze, marked by the beast, coming to meet with hers. It didn’t take him long to take in the state she was in and to guess she was in no condition to put up any kind of fight, let alone with him if that’s really what she came out here to achieve. She had a noticeably heavy limp, most of her body weight balanced on her left foot. Her facial expression looked worn, spent and drained of all energy. Her Nichirin sword, a blade lethal to demons like him, remained sheathed at her side and she showed zero interest in pulling it out in any form of defense. Her uniform was one he was all too familiar with, having already guessed she was a Slayer long before he ever came to face her because of the distinctive scent of the cloth and the sound of her blade hitting her leg with each move she made.

Despite the roughened exterior, she was extremely feminine. A woman in all forms of the word. Her face was full, cheeks lusciously round with large doe eyes adored by long, fluttering lashes. Her lips, though pulled into a desperate frown due to the state she was in, were plush and pink, lightly pursed with the face she was making. Her hair was thick and tinted in (hair color) which shimmered in the light from the moon he had allowed entrance into the forest within their plain. Her uniform consisted of a knee-length skirt and the typical top he was accustomed to seeing on the Slayers, though it definitely filled out more with the curves of her womanly figure, the color of her legs contrasting heavily from her attire as well.

A woman. He thought to himself, dumbly.

He remained silent, completely taken aback by this predicament. He simply stared at the woman with his widened dual-colored eyes, trying to figure her out from where he stood.

“I know I’m no challenge for you,” She eventually spoke up again, her voice quiet, just there for him to hear. “I know you could…so easily do away with me…You could just…j-just end it all in a second if you wanted to, really…” She muttered, trailing off for a moment as her gaze shifted to the side despondently. “But that’s why I’m here. I…I-I don’t want to put up a fight…” Her gaze shifted back to look him in the eye, her composure quickly faltering and falling as she, quite literally, stared death in the face.

“I want you to kill me…Do what you will, eat me or just do it for the sport of it, b-but…kill me…”

Tears were beginning to surface in her eyes now, quickly blurring her vision before overflowing down the curve of her cheeks. All the while, her expression fell with them, her lips pulling into agonized whimpers as she forced the words out of her raw throat.

“I-I don’t want to be alive anymore,” She openly sobbed at the demon, a creature she knew wouldn’t care, but letting out the thoughts that had been screaming in her head for so long to anyone who would listen was better than letting them die in her head with her. “I d-don’t deserve to be alive, s-so just do it…Do it…!” She was sobbing now, her knees buckling heavily, causing for her sword to clatter loudly at her side. Out of desperation, she reached out to tightly grip at the demon’s loose haori in both of her fists, her legs finally giving out from underneath her.

Just like the mighty cedar, she collapsed with a loud thud that caused her world to quake, and through her blurred vision, she stared up at the man who would finish the job to let moonlight shine through when she was gone.

“K-kill me, take away my breath, wipe me out of existence! P-please, just make it stop! M-make the pain stop! I should’ve died ages ago, but I’m here and it isn’t fair! I don’t deserve to be here! Please, p-please…! I came to you myself, o-on a silver platter, it w-would be so…s-so easy to make it all end here tonight…! PLEASE! DEVOUR ME!” She pulled tightly on his haori, her eyes never leaving his in her pathetic state. She pleaded with him in all ways she thought she could, hoping to elicit some excitement and thrill of the kill in the powerful demon she clung to.

Anything to make the pain stop.

Anything to do away with the agony.

Anything to make the nightmare end.

Anything to stop the loneliness and guilt.

Anything to get what she so rightfully deserved.

Akaza, in turn, stared down at the human woman feeling an uncomfortable sense of foggy nostalgia. It wasn’t in the things she was saying or the desperation in her pleading, but from the tears and the hopeless look in her eyes. There was something…there. It was just out of reach in his mind, tickling his memories, whispering to him of times that never came to be nor came to exist. Yet, the nostalgia still rang.

Why did the nostalgia ring?

He didn’t know, so he continued to stare at the young woman, at a loss on how to react or respond. He made no move to touch her, simply looking down at her with an unreadable expression which more so teetered in the direction of bewilderment. After a moment’s consideration, he raised his hands hesitantly, confused on what he was supposed to do about the sobbing woman who now lowered her head deeply towards her chest as her body curled closer to the ground. Her arms remained outstretched above her, clinging to his haori as she openly cried her tears into the grassy ground of the woods.

He thought about removing her hands from his haori, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His hands lingered just above hers, his tainted fingers slightly trembling with indecisive energy, but he couldn’t bring himself to place them on hers to pry her off of him. In all his years of living as a demon, he had never had anyone so desperately seek him out to kill them like this. In battle, sure, when his opponent was mangled yet conscious enough to feel it all, but never so forward, out of the blue nor on purpose like this.

His lips parted with the attempt of speech, but no sound came from him. His mouth simply remained slightly agape before coming to a close a few seconds afterwards. The woman’s sobs had grown louder now, letting everything out she had buried within, and the sound of her heartbreak and loss of a will to go on caused for him to feel an incredible sense of growing unease and discomfort.

Was it pity he felt? He didn’t know, but he definitely felt something through this moral code of his.

Despite her distraught and the odd sensation it caused to bubble in him, Akaza had still caught on to the stirring of life in the woods around them. The sound of the woman must have caught the attention of the demons nearby. Did they really think it was such a good idea to encroach in his space? Apparently, at least one of them did. His eyes darted to the left as it shifted fast through the foliage before leaping out a second after in a bellowing flash of mindless hunger.

The sound of its heavy footsteps and soul-shattering bellow reached her viciously, jarring her in place as her eyes widened to stare at the ground beneath them through her constant tears. She only had seconds left to look up and see the beast that was running towards the two of them on all fours, all sense of sanity completely lost from the monstruous maw it held outstretched and salivating for her flesh.

Its fingers dug deeply into the ground each time its palms slammed onto it, booming repeatedly like massive drums straight out of the deepest depths of Hell. Its skin was covered in bulging, bright red blisters, pulsing and shifting with its savagely brusque movements. When its feet propelled it forward, it caused the fallen trees in its way to scatter wildly on either side of its massive rampaging form, slamming into the sides of the standing cedars near its position. It had three eyes – two where you expected them to be, and the third on its forehead, all of which stared wildly ahead of it. It sunk and registered in her the moment she saw them that its sights were primarily set on her, the only human in the forest, frail and vulnerable like a newborn lamb with a broken ankle left for dead.

Plan B was literally stomping towards her at the speed of sound and brutally forcing itself into her reality, whether she wanted it to or not.

In those split seconds before the collision, Akaza had moved before either of the two could notice. He had found the nerve in him to push her hands off of his haori for the sole purpose of planting his feet wide and strong on the ground in front of her. The sound of the earth cracking beneath his soles filled the air as his face morphed to one of sickened anger and his breath steadily left him through his nostrils. His hands moved so quick, their figures seemingly disappeared into thin air until they came to grapple onto one of the charging, deranged demon’s reaching arms. Without flinching, he lifted the massive creature into the air with little effort, the veins in his muscular arms bulging underneath his skin as he turned and slammed the beast into the cemetery of fallen cedar beside himself and the woman at his feet. A massive crater formed beneath its bulky, writhing body when it landed, the impact forcing the shattering of the earth beneath them to deepen and worsen dramatically.

With ease, he tugged strongly on the demon’s arm until it riiipped and tore from its socket. The atmosphere filled with its ear-shattering screech as blood splattered through the air with his curt yank of its enormous arm, but Akaza was unconvinced. He tossed the dismembered appendage into the woods as the beast roared in outrage and began to stand itself up, but before it could get itself very far, he had stomped his foot down ruthlessly on its chest, crushing bones beneath its skin from the force of the leisure blow. He pushed and pushed until the struggling monstruous being was buried in crackling earth. Meanwhile, its remaining arm attempted to reach for him and the woman while the other slowly began to regenerate at the bloodied stub. Promptly, Akaza gripped at its wrist, his fist crushing the bones in the demon’s arm as he, once again, ripped it from its socket as easy as ripping a paper in two.

“You’re new,” He let out in a low, husky, rough tone, eyes wide and staring into the mindlessly violent gaze the demon stared back into his as its own blood steadily began to pool in its crater. “So, I guess your stupidity in thinking you can rush into my space to take something from me is something you can do without an issue makes sense – but that isn’t the case anymore, is it?” He cocked his head to the side, raising his foot and stomping it back down onto the struggling, incoherent demon beneath him. Its bellows had never stopped from the moment Akaza had pinned it to the ground, the sound rattling the foundation of the forest, but it didn’t affect the Upper Moon in any way other than through annoyance and rage.

“I should give you a warning,” He mused, tutting as his foot stomped into the beast once again, forcing its chest to cave in on itself, blood pooling much faster in its crater; a morbid puddle of grotesque proportions. “Let you off with a tap on the wrist,” He reached down, eyes widening up further as the frown on his face deepened when his hand came to grip at the demon’s scraggly head of hair. It came off as though it had been a man before it was turned, and naturally, that made it even more enraging to him. Roughly, he tugged on the demon’s hair, forcing it to raise its head to properly look at him in the midst of its feral, bloody struggles. “That sounds fair, doesn’t it? Maybe I would have if it had just been me. Maybe I wouldn’t have thought twice about you. Maybe I would have let you scurry off without a second thought – but it’s not just me, is it? No, it isn’t. You came out here and charged at her, didn’t you?” He nodded his head, answering his own question as he reached down with his free hand to grip onto the beast’s jaw which hung wide at its snapping, open maw.

“Yeah, you did.”

Mercilessly, his grip tightened on its jaw and yaaanked backwards, tearing the bone and flesh right off of its skull in his iron grip. “You wanted to attack her, didn’t you? Eat her alive? Swallow her whole? Alleviate that disgusting salivation dripping from your mouth? Can’t say I’m surprised, but really,” He laughed humorlessly, tossing the bloodied jaw in his hand into the forest. “You should seriously know better with me here.” Pulling his bloodied foot out of the demon’s concaved chest, Akaza let out a heated breath and scowled deeply. “You sicken me. I hope your regeneration is quick,” He remarked, looking towards the stubs of the demon’s arms and the unnatural groove in its chest where his foot had once been. They were yet to heal, leading him to believe its regenerative abilities were not that strong. A lesser demon in all regards. “You’re gonna need it. Now,” He reached down and grabbed at its twisting body, listening to the gurgled sounds it produced with the lack of a lower jaw. Lifting the beast into the air on both of his hands, Akaza planted his feet firmly on the ground once more, facing the forest ahead.

“Get the hell out of my sight!”

With a mighty heave, he sent the demon hurtling forward through the air, quickly colliding with a path of cedars, easily smashing right through several rows of the thick, ancient trees long before the beast came to a brutal stop a good distance away. Akaza maintained his readied fighting stance, bringing his hands to the ready in front of him in case the demon was senseless enough to look for an actual fight.

It seemed that the beast was smarter than he thought, though, because as soon as it landed, it scrambled on its pathetically bubbling limbs before rushing into the forest to disappear in the dark.

After that, the world plunged into silence once more.

Not even the sound of insects minding their business in their microscopic world could be heard.

The young woman stared up at the Upper Moon’s back with a widened, horrified gaze. She was a crumpled heap on the forest floor, completely at this demon’s mercy, and the spectacle he had shown the Plan B demon was something that caused ice to crystalize through her veins. If he could be that vicious to one of his own kind, what’s to say he wouldn’t be equally as cruel with her? What’s to say he wouldn’t toy with her and inflict as much pain on her as he could just to watch her writhe and cry until he eventually got fed up with her enough to let her die? He was enraged so easily, so quickly…How would it feel? To have his strong hands wrap his ink-dipped fingers around her extremities similarly to how his pearls ensnared his ankles until he crushed her bones? To have him stomp down on her until parts of her caved in? To have him hurtle her through bark and cedar until she was nothing but a mess of human flesh and blood being soaked up by the soil?

She came to Akaza for a quick, painless death – but had she miscalculated?

Would a lesser demon like the one he just pulverized into submission have been more merciful?

Will a confrontation with him be unbelievable agony?

Would she feel every single thing he did to her until the life seeped out of her, or would adrenaline sink in and numb some of the pain by the time things got that bad?

The tears started flowing again, dripping down her chin and clinging to her eyelashes until she blinked them away. Her body started trembling violently as Akaza straightened to stand normally once more. When he turned to face her, a pitiful whimper forced itself out of her lips, her instincts making her kick her heels into the dirt to push her a few feet away from him uselessly.

COWARD, COWARD, COWARD! THE OTHERS HAD IT A MILLION TIMES WORSE THAN YOU! FACE YOUR FATE! ACCEPT THE CONSEQUENCES YOU SO RIGHTFULLY DESERVE!

When he started walking towards her, easily stepping over the carnage of blood and cedar, her heart sank for the millionth time tonight. It was happening. It was finally happening. He was going to heed to her request. He was going to give her what she came to him for – whether it was for better or for worse. Her crying came out broken and choppy now, her chest quickly puffing in and out from how hard it was for her to maintain a composed breath. When he was standing right in front of her, she shut her eyes tightly and allowed her head to hang low again, her shoulders heaving as she waited for the inevitable.

Several long, agonizingly slow seconds passed where nothing happened. She felt nothing, sensed nothing, heard nothing. She didn’t know what was scarier – the actual act of the kill or the anticipation for the blow that was to come. She supposed it wouldn’t matter either way soon enough.

The sound of crinkling leaves is what first broke the silence. The sound of movement. It was abrupt and didn’t last very long, but it was there and it was definitely caused by Akaza. Then, all of a sudden, in the dark of her tightly blocked vision, she felt his hands gently brushing his fingers along her wet cheeks until her face was cupped in a pair of roughly calloused, warm palms slickened with blood. A moment after, the feeling of his thumbs brushing her skin and painting it red tantalized her senses, causing for the eruption of gooseflesh to spread all over her arms. Despite the morbidity of it, the gesture from the demon somehow felt so…gentle. Soft. Tender. Almost…kind.

Could that even be real? Could that seriously even happen? A kind demon? A demon kind towards a human?

She knew of Nezuko’s existence, but from her vague understanding of the circumstances, she was a special case.

Akaza was in an entirely different category all on his own, not to mention his ranking with the twelve Kizuki.

No, this kind touch has to be a cruel joke…His palms, rough-skinned from his training and stained crimson from his brief, sadistic fight, cupping her tear-stricken face with this level of…compassion? Comfort? She didn’t even know how to label the feeling, but it was definitely something she had never envisioned herself labeling upon a demon’s touch.

Was he toying with her? Giving her a false sense of safety before he’d rip her head clean off of her body the way the Slayers’ blades cleanly sliced those of the demons off of theirs? After all, through the touches, she still felt that blood being caressed softly on her face, a cold and honest reminder of what exactly she was dealing with. Though the thought terrified her of the unknown oblivion which waited beyond living, curiosity bested her fear and willed her to open her eyes to look upon the world one last time.

Before her, Akaza had gotten on his knees to better stare down onto her frightened expression with a look of perplexed curiosity of his own. She struck what felt like olden memories in his head by the way she cried and sniveled. The sound strummed cords in him he didn’t know existed, long since dissolved in a past he couldn’t be entirely sure was once reality or something his dreams came up with when he rested in refuge away from the light of day – and now, as he gently stroked the skin of her face out of his own curious nature, the feeling brought other unknown instincts to life in him.

It had always been his moral code not to involve himself with human women. He wasn’t to fight with nor eat any of them, because that was simply the way he chose to live his life. It was a moral code he fiercely followed – what first brought it upon him, he wasn’t so sure. When he looked at the Slayer before him now, however, the image of her crying, frightened state answered a few of his questions in choppy phrases. Nothing linked quite well just yet, but he knew from the look of her that she came off…defenseless. He knew there had to be something strong in her by human standards, of course, that would amount to her becoming a Demon Slayer, but it was more than that. It was just…something else he couldn’t put his finger on. A strong desire to save the life she was so desperate to throw away.

Why would I want to do something like that? His brow furrowed slightly at the thought, his perplexed expression deepening. I don’t know you. You’re just some random human woman who stumbled into me with a ridiculous request. Why would I care? If you were anyone else – any other man I’d faced – I would have ended you on the spot…but there’s something in your eyes. Something…there.

But it was gone before he could grasp it in his mind. The memory dissipated like dust, drifting into the dark of his subconscious, leaving him only with the woman in front of him to make sense of the strange, growing protective feeling he had swelling in his chest.

“No.”

“…N…N-no…?” She repeated meekly, her voice forced out of her throat in a cautious, shaken tremble.

“No, I won’t kill you.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion and her lips parted, taken aback, surprised by the sudden answer to what she had begged him for. She stared at him for numerous, silent moments through the blurring tears in her eyes, unable to shake off just how bizarre that sentence sounded coming from a demon’s lips. Any demon would’ve leaped at the easy catch she came to offer tonight – one of which quite literally did. She had been completely positive that Akaza would have been similar. Maybe not as mindless nor deranged, but she had been convinced he would’ve reveled in the chance to play with easy prey. So…

“W-why not…?”

Akaza didn’t respond. He simply stared at her, one of his bloodied hands sliding further back on her cheek to allow his fingers to weave through her (hair color) locks. His striking dual-colored eyes practically stared right into her soul from how intently he observed and drank her in.

“Relax,” He spoke in a soft murmur. “I won’t hurt you.”

As the words left him, he pulled his hand back from her hair and stiffened it tightly, fingers straightened, before bringing it down firmly over the back of her neck.  

She barely had a moment to really register what had just happened. The only thing she was able to notice in those few seconds before she lost consciousness was the powerful blow to her neck and the gentleness in the demon’s eyes. After that, the world slipped out from under her, gravity taking its toll and greedily pulling her towards its core. Akaza, however, caught her against his chest, having brought his arms down to wrap them around her waist so he could properly hold her to his larger figure. For a moment, he just held her, staring at the forest floor as his bloodied hands stained her uniform and her head lulled onto his shoulder. Again, there was something there. Something poking at his subconscious. Knocking at the door of his mind, cooing at him in seductive whispers to open up, but the door disappeared as soon as he attempted to reach out to let it in.

He turned his head to look at the woman in his grip and he squeezed her in closer to himself. This human woman felt…soft all over to hold. Warm. Plush. It was something he was unused to in contrast to his rigorous training, finely toned physique and all of the battles and missions he had been sent on over the course of the centuries he’s lived through. She was the complete polar opposite of everything he knew, really.

Not wanting to dwell too long in the confusing thoughts, he shook his head clear of them, bringing his focus back to the here and now. He stood up with her in his arms, shifting her in his grasp until he had her cradled in both of his arms up against his chest with her head resting on his bicep. Once he carefully settled her in, he began walking deeper into the forest of whispering cedar.

Any other demon would’ve devoured her on the spot, but he had no such desire.

For now, he had to get her the hell out of the forest to start saving her life.

Saving her life…What a strange thing for a demon to consider.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you so very much for making it this far! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter to my fic! c: I appreciate it tons and I hope you're all doing well on your ends of the world and that you guys have loving support systems <3 Much love and hugs, God bless you all! \nwn/ <3

[shinjurogaiden]

Masterlist - Shinjuro Gaiden

Welcome to "Shinjuro Gaiden", a Demon Slayer/Kimetsu no Yaiba prequel comic focusing on Shinjuro's life. On this post you'll find tags/warnings, index, FAQ and other info. Please feel free to send asks about anything!

Tags/warnings: Mostly canon compliant. Canon like gore and violence. No canon character death. No smut. Very slight romance at one point, except for canon established romance in the epilogue. Very much tragedy and sadness tho. If you don't cry at least once I have failed. For teens and up. Will have an extra warnings for implied SA for one scene, but I'll make sure it gets proper warnings and tags when we get there.

Index

Chapter 1 - Intro

Pages: 1-9, 10-13

Chapter 2 - Yasuyama

Coming soon

Chapter 3 - Miko

Coming soon

Chapter 4 - Anjuro

Coming soon

Chapter 5 - Sei

Coming soon

Epilogue - Shinjuro

Coming soon

FAQ

What up with the name?

It's called "Shinjuro Gaiden" because I couldn't come up with any better lol. I think it's quite on point tho.

How did this comic come to be?

I was planning to make another KnY comic that was shoehorned in between the gang leaving Butterfly mansion and the Mugen Train. It included some OC's tho and I got questions about them that couldn't really be answered without telling the background they have with Shinjuro (and the Rengoku family in general) so things spiraled and here we are.

What is it about?

It's about Shinjuro Rengoku and what happened with his family when growing up (trying to answer the question about "Why aren't there any more Rengoku relatives around in KnY?") We will follow his point of view, from being a little kid to growing up to be the Flame Hashira and how it was living in his family.

When will it update?

Whenever I have time. I'm struggling with health and sometimes motivation loss, as well as having a fulltime job and a family to take care of. So I don't dare to set deadline, but I'll work on it when I can. I'm planning to post complete scenes rather than one page at a time, so the update might be slower but there will also be more story with each update.

How long will it be?

If I counted correctly from the script it should be about 230-240 pages long (this is gonna take me years lol)

Why is the style/things inconsistent? Why is this plothole here? Why was this left so vague?

Yeah it'll be like that lol. I'm a very noob comic artist and I struggle with keeping a consistent style, especially as I get more practice and development. This is nothing professional, I'm just doing this for fun and to get some practice, and to get the story out. I'm also a sucker for analyzing stories and characters, as well as metaphors, symbolism and whatnot, so some things are deliberately left quite vague for people like me who like to figure out some background stuff by themselves lol (feel free to ask me for clarification about it however). Somethings seem to be established and then dropped, and that's because it's something that probably would come up in the "original fancomic" I've had in plans, that takes place later.

Who's making this?

It's me! @artbyerry A very noob and nerdy comic artist.

Feel free to send me messages or asks either here or on my main blog for whatever is on your mind :) I love to discuss my stories and anything in the fandoms I'm in with people!

[muchadorks]

I recognized that I have missed so many (there's a lot out there lol). I didn't want any sequel to ones that are animated, so here are some others I thought about but didn't ultimately include:

The Water Dragon's Bride

W-Juliet

From Far Away (Kanata Kara)

Zettai Heiwa Daisakusen

St. Dragon Girl / St. Dragon Girl Miracle

Sakura Hime

NG Life

Shoujo Tenshi Milcute

Mugen Spiral

Demon Love Spell

[cai-tan]

KouyaLen.G is truly the greatest MUGEN character of all time.

It really isn't enough to have one of the top defensive abilities in the entire hypernull category (withstanding F1, forced changestates, variable tampering, statedef overflows, etc). It's not even enough to be capable of penetrating the defenses of the likes of Oaev and Thunder Sword's You (which is a FUCKING POSTMAN-TIER? HOW THE FUCK DOES SHE DO THAT?!).

Nah, let's be real, there's a decent selection of MUGEN cheapies that have all that. KouyaLen.G doesn't even have any visual effects demonstrated on the character select screen, despite having the functionality. Plus, no Postman batch file or special EXE or other method of straight up deleting the character she's up against. (as far as I'm aware of, that is)

So what does KouyaLen.G have?

Well, once the hyper-edgy, ultra-spooky, black/red particle showering character on the other side gets done playing one of the same five fullscreen animations you've seen in like twenty other Donald clones...

KouyaLen.G casually (I cannot stress that adverb enough) sprints up to the opponent and knocks them away with a bat, playing a Smash Bros Homerun Bat sound effect. The edgy, creepypasta music that the other character played as their intro is completely replaced by an entirely upbeat, non-intimidating pop song, and some Japanese baseball commentary.

Should the target character have the compatibility, they are shown comically spiraling off into the sky, like a Smash Bros. Star KO, to add further insult to injury.

Does KouyaLen.G celebrate this victory by hovering in place, exuding myriad afterimages, chuckling with a chorus distortion effect applied onto a stolen Iori KoF voiceline, like most Donalds? Does she fill the screen with an obnoxious screamer, or some borderline hentai of an underage Touhou character, followed by a gratingly loud test pattern??

Nope. She just casually jogs a home run across the frontal parallax layer, then strikes a pose.

All that stuff that the other edgier supernulls do is just far and above overplayed, and cannot be taken seriously at all. So KouyaLen.G playing it simple and carefree, and making a real casual mockery of the others, is a breath of fresh air. This is something I can take seriously.

KouyaLen.G may look silly and non-threatening, but she makes literally the entire hypernull roster look far sillier... and that's better than any Postman or Assembly tier character can ever manage.