𝕃𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕤 𝕚𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 // Akaza x reader (+18)

Chapter 1 | Deadly promise

The news spread like wildfire thanks to the Kasugai Crows.
The Flame Hashira perished.
The three companions survived.
One demon was killed because he fought.
One survived because he ran away.

Silent as the grave you stand in the middle of nowhere enveloped in endless rice fields and look after your Kasugai Crow.
With strong flaps of its wings it flies back to Oyakata-sama's estate.
Soon the midday sun is swallowing it up completely and your gaze returns to the path in front of you.

A fresh breeze shifts the long, thin stalks of rice in a wave motion. Their rustling fills the peaceful silence and soothes your grief.

Loose strands of your hair blurr your vision as you listen to nature's sounds.

You breathe in.
Rengoku's dead.
You breathe out.
It's been three days now but you still can't accept it.

Your Kasugai Crow just told you that the funeral will be tomorrow evening.
And then?
It's over.
Everyone will move on.
You will move on.
But how could you ever forget you master's wide smile?

Five months did you live alongside him and train with him almost every day. Five months did you practice your Breath of Flames only to be put in the shade everytime Rengoku showed his skills.
Five months ... weren't enough.

No time would be enough to bid the Flame Hashira goodbye forever. Unlike most other hashiras he always supported his students. He always had a smile on his face and stopped at nothing.
He was an idol for most young demon slayers and his kindness was know beyond the demon slayer corps.
Everyone knew Rengoku.

You shouldn't be so shocked. Naturally demon slayers have a high chance of dieing everytime they go on a mission. Hashiras as well as lower ranked ones. However Rengoku's death was more than unexpected.
It was unfair and his murderer cowardly.

The young Tanjirou was kind enough to share the events with you in detail.
It was frustrating. Tanjirou himself burst into tears while apologizing for not being able to help Rengoku.
Just as you did.

With your master dead you're now completely independent again. However it doesn't feel nice. You long for the shouted orders and fixed weekly plans for training. For evenings in the garden and lunch breaks in the mountains.

Of course you've been independent before but you were so comfortable with Rengoku in your life that you feel like a newborn now. Thrown into the cruel, cold world all alone with no sense at all.
Just live. That's what it feels like.

Anger starts to boil inside you and you clench your fists.
If this coward of a demon ever crosses its way with yours you'll make sure he'll regret appearing that day. You'll torture him until the sun is rising and burns him alive.
And then you'll put his ashes into a pig trough so one will eat them and he'll eventually end as pig's shit.

Because that's what he is and deserves.

You've never loved Rengoku romantically. You simply respected him and looked up to him. Nevertheless you experienced a heartbreak when receiving the news.

This shit head of a demon took him from you.
He didn't even fight him respectfully but hurt him in a way that wouldn't allow him to die immediately and ran away lest he won't get touched by the sun.

You wish this coward the most painful death in this universe.

You close your eyes and take another deep breath.
The demon won't die by thinking of it.
What you really have to do is search for trails.

***

With aching legs you return to your base. It's a small town house at the edge of a village. It was for sale and you had saved enough money to buy it. It's not beautiful but practical.
You were allowed to stay at Rengoku's estate but you'll only get a heartache staying there.

You place your katana next to your bed and lay down on it.

Tanjirou was the last one who saw Akaza. He already told you which direction he fled to but it's impossible to find anything. Especially during daytime. Even at night it's difficult to find a specific demon.
You thought about using Tanjirou's nose. Rengoku told you about the boy's talent to distinguish demons by their smell.

However you don't want aid with your mission. It's your revenge thus you will do it on your own. Having no such skills you're forced to listen to hearsay and rumors.

The most important rumor you picked up was that Akaza likes to dwell around dōjōs and overall places that inherit strong fighters. This gets you to a starting point but there are a lot of such institutions in this area.

You take a look at the giant map nailed to the wall opposite to your bed. It shows the biggest cities. You marked where Akaza could be and where he already was. There's not that much left but enough to keep you on track for a month at least.

The names of the cities linger in your mind as you stare at them for a couple minutes.

Your gaze darkens.
After the funeral you'll start your journey. No city will be unvisited, no stone unturned. No demon will escape you.

The hunt will be dangerous and exhausting. But that's what you trained for. Your katana, skills and faith will guide and protect you.

And you will only return when Akaza suffered the worst death of all.