The World On His Shoulders | Demon slayer x Male reader

Chapter LXXVI

Three years had passed...

As the Taisho era came to Japan, it heralded changes both big and small, touching all corners of the land—including the Demon Slayer Corps, which faced unprecedented challenges.

Shinazugawa Y/N, once revered as the Sun Hashira, is nowhere to be found.

His disappearance was just the beginning, as the Corps endured the loss of other Hashira, a series of events that shook the very foundations of their organization.

In the wake of these losses, the remaining Hashira found themselves at odds, their unity fractured. 

No argument found resolution, leaving tension in every meeting.

Yet in the middle of this, hope emerged in the form of new blood. For the first time in generations, the ranks of the Hashira were replenished, filled with new members who rose to meet the challenge. These fresh faces completed the circle of the nine Hashira, injecting a much-needed vitality into the Corps.

But the influence of Y/N, the former Sun Hashira, extended beyond the Hashira themselves. A new generation of young slayers, driven by varied motivations but united by a common thread, began to make their mark. Each, in their own way, had been touched by the legacy of the man who had once been a nexus for the Corps.

The missing Sun that had once illuminated their path.

The long-standing conflict between demons and slayers edged toward its climax, yet the outcome remained uncertain. No clear victor had emerged, and the future of this battle, which had raged for generations, hung in the balance.

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❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

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On the battle on Mount Natagumo, Tanjiro lay battered and bruised, his body pushed to its limits after unleashing the Hinokami Kagura against the demon Rui. Despite his effort, Tanjiro was crawling desperately toward his sister Nezuko.

In his mind, a vivid memory surfaced—his father, dancing in the falling snow, performing the ancient dance passed down through generations of their family. A sudden realization struck him, a connecting thread linking his father's dance to the battlefield: Y/N-san had mentioned using a similar technique for demon slaying. "Hinokami Kagura is... another form of breathing style?" Tanjiro pondered.

But his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sharp, ringing pain in his ears and an overwhelming throb throughout his body, the physical toll of his exertion demanding attention. His senses, heightened from the battle, picked up a change in the air—the metallic scent of blood growing stronger, not the dissipating smell of ash he had expected.

Lifting his head, Tanjiro's eyes widened in horror as he witnessed a scene that defied belief. Rui, whom he believed he had decapitated, stood before him, his head precariously attached by a mere thread of his own making. "Did you think that would kill me? Did your pathetic attempt bring you joy?" Rui taunted, his voice chillingly calm as he stepped closer.

Tanjiro's confusion and fear were palpable. "But how... I... removed your head," he stammered, struggling to comprehend the demon's survival.

Rui's response was cold and methodical. "I decapitated my own head before your blade touched me," he explained.