Icy Flames- Rengoku Kyojuro-Demon Slayer/ Kimetsu no Yaiba

82

Thanks @NanaBanana1507 and @Aiddy_The_Fox

Six months had passed since Rengoku left. Six months of restless nights and days filled with duty. The people of Hokkaido had grown accustomed to my presence, and I had, in turn, found a strange comfort in the quiet resilience of this land. But even with the passing of time, his absence was a wound that refused to heal. 

The laughter that once echoed in my mind had faded to a distant memory. The warmth of his touch, the embers in his gaze—I clung to those remnants, but they slipped through my fingers like ash. 

"You've been quiet lately, Lady Y/N." 

Daisuke's voice pulled me from my thoughts. He stood beside me, his dark eyes watchful as he helped secure the last of my belongings. His devotion had not wavered, always at my side, ensuring I ate when I forgot, reminding me to rest when exhaustion clung to my bones. And yet, I saw the concern in his eyes, the way his brow furrowed whenever he caught me staring into the distance. 

"Have I?" I murmured, fastening my sword to my waist. 

Daisuke gave a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "The house has been... quiet. Too quiet. Even the people have noticed." He hesitated. "They miss you. And him." 

A pang struck my chest, but I only nodded. "Rengoku has always had a way of brightening a place." 

"And you as well, my lady," he said softly. 

I turned to him fully then, searching his expression. "Daisuke, do you not think of your own happiness?" 

His eyes widened slightly before he looked away, his fingers tightening around the fabric of my traveling cloak. "My happiness is in serving you. Ensuring you are safe, cared for. That is all I need." 

A part of me wanted to protest, to tell him he deserved more than to follow my shadow. But what could I offer? I was leaving, bound for the south of Japan, following whispers of increased demon activity. And if Rengoku's words from that morning six months ago still held weight—if he truly wished for us to marry within the year—then I could not ask Daisuke to linger in my life, only to be left behind. 

I exhaled. "You deserve happiness too, Daisuke. Promise me you will find it." 

He was silent for a long moment before he gave a small bow. "As you wish, Lady Y/N." 

The journey south was long, the landscape shifting from the snow-dusted peaks of Hokkaido to the temperate forests of Honshu. The air grew warmer with each passing day, but the unease in my chest did not fade. It had been present since the night Rengoku left, an invisible weight pressing against my ribs. 

Then, one evening, as I crossed through the outskirts of a quiet village, that weight turned into something tangible. A presence. 

I stopped in my tracks, my hand moving instinctively to my sword. The wind carried the scent of blood, faint but undeniable. 

And then, a voice. Smooth, chilling, and laced with amusement. 

"You wear a different name, yet you carry his blood." 

A figure emerged from the shadows, stepping into the moonlight with an elegance that made my skin crawl. His pale skin gleamed under the night sky, his piercing crimson eyes settling on me with predatory interest. 

Kibutsuji Muzan. 

My grip on my sword tightened. "You're speaking nonsense." 

His lips curved into a slow, knowing smile. "Am I? Upper Moon One seemed quite convinced otherwise. Tell me, Y/N—how does it feel to bear the weight of Yoriichi's bloodline?" 

My heart pounded, but I refused to show fear. "And when, exactly, did you hear that from him?" 

Muzan chuckled, taking a step closer. "Does it matter? What matters is that you are not just a woman carrying a Hashira's name. You are something more." His gaze darkened. "Something that should have been eradicated long ago." 

The night stretched around us, thick with the promise of bloodshed. My fingers curled around my hilt, my muscles coiled in preparation. 

But Muzan only smiled. 

"How unfortunate for you," he murmured. "No matter where you run, the past will always find you." 

And then, in the blink of an eye, he was gone. 

The air remained heavy, the shadows seeming deeper than before. My breath came in slow, steady exhales as I forced myself to loosen my grip on my sword. 

The past will always find you. 

I had left Hokkaido behind. But no matter how far I traveled, fate had already set its sights on me. 

And for the first time, I wondered if I was truly ready for what was to come.