The World On His Shoulders | Demon slayer x Male reader

Chapter XXXIX

Y/N's POV

Y/N slowly picked himself up from the crater he had created on the wooden floor of the mansion.  He glanced at what remained of his sword - only the hilt, barely recognizable as if the rest had disintegrated during the final thrust. Remarkably, despite the severity of his fall and the extensive injuries he had already sustained, Y/N had managed to land in a way that spared his only good leg from further harm. It was a combination of his battle instincts and sheer luck that he had angled his body just right, absorbing the impact with a roll that dispersed the force across his more durable side.

As he steadied himself, Y/N's gaze drifted to a figure next to him. His breath caught in his throat at the sight. Sanemi, his brother, lay there. Y/N's heart raced, recalling the horrific scene he had witnessed - Sanemi being impaled by Ubume. But as he looked closer, he realized something astonishing.

Sanemi was injured, yes, but his torso, where Y/N had seen the fatal wound, was intact. Confusion and relief warred within Y/N as he struggled to make sense of it. His eyes locked with Sanemi's, both sharing a moment of shocked disbelief.

"Sanemi..." Y/N's voice broke, a mix of relief and lingering horror. "You're alive... But I saw that demon... stab you and..."

Sanemi, cradling Kumeno in his arms, glanced up at Y/N. His voice was raspy, strained by a cut on his throat. "An illusion...idiot...you...you fell for it," he managed to say, a hint of his usual brashness seeping through despite his weakened state.

Y/N's gaze lingered on the gaping hole in the roof, through which rain poured in. As he stood there, more of Ubume's blood dripped down onto him. Already drenched in gore, Y/N barely noticed the additional crimson stains.

Sanemi's eyes darted to Y/N's shoulder, his expression turning nauseous at the sight of the piece of intestine hanging there. With a scoff of disgust, Y/N nonchalantly removed the revolting remnant, watching it disintegrate, its origin now devoid of life.

"Is she..." Sanemi began, his voice weak.

"Dead... She's dead," Y/N confirmed, his tone flat and exhausted.

A sigh of relief escaped Sanemi as he cradled Kumeno closer.

Y/N's thoughts were clouded with guilt and pain. He remembered how he had been tricked by the illusion of his little brother being impaled, and how Kumeno had selflessly leaped in front to shield him from Ubume's attack. Now, Kumeno lay gravely injured, bleeding from a deep abdominal wound, his body ravaged by infection and mutilation.

Swallowing hard, Y/N acknowledged the reality: Kumeno was unlikely to survive. This realization weighed heavily on him, knowing how devastating this loss would be for Sanemi, who had become like a brother to him.

With each step a struggle, Y/N limped towards Sanemi and Kumeno. His remaining eye struggled to stay open as the swelling worsened. But he refused to allow himself to succumb, not until help arrived.

Kumeno's voice, faint and strained, broke through the heavy silence. "Sanemi..." he whispered

Sanemi's voice quivered as he tried to reassure his friend. "Shh, quiet, Kumeno... we won. People will come, right? Right, Y/N?" His eyes, filled with a mix of hope and desperation, turned towards Y/N, seeking affirmation like when they were children.

Y/N nodded, the action straining against his dislocated jaw. Speaking was an effort. "Yes... people will come for us," he managed to say, forcing a semblance of certainty for his brother's sake.

Kumeno managed a sigh. "Good... thank you, Y/N-san... for coming," he said, his voice a whisper of gratitude.

Y/N looked away, the guilt clawing at him. Another life slipping away because of him.