[Kochou Kanae X OC] Kimetsu no yaiba -Twin Butterfly

Chapter 74 - Guilt

Akaza gritted his teeth furiously. Suddenly the sun starts to shine from the horizon, Akaza feels terror seeing that light. He hurriedly cut the steel wire start running into the woods. Naoto frowned, he takes out his Mauser gun and start to open a shoot.

The bullet pierced right through one of Akaza leg and he stumbled to the ground. The leg quickly healed and he continues to run again.

Just when Naoto tries to shoot again, no bullet won't come out.

"Dammit! It got jammed!? Why now!? Sigh, forget it then... He will escape..."

Naoto knows he won't be able to pursue Akaza like last time he pursue Douma.

Suddenly Tanjirou runs to the edge of the forest and throws his Katana like a spear. I pierced Akaza chest, he glanced back with resentful eyes. Two people keep bothering him when he wants to escape, he keeps running with katana still stuck in his chest.

"Don't run away you coward! Don't run away! The demon hunter will always fight you in the darkness of the night when it's advantageous for you! We're humans in flesh and blood! Wound don't just simply close up! And the limbs we lose won't ever come back!"

Naoto looks at Tanjirou who keeps shouting with sad eyes.

"Tanjirou..."

He takes out his golden pocket watch and stare at the picture on it. The nightmare he saw before still haunt him, he feels a bit calmer every time he stares at this picture.

"Don't run away you damn dolt! Damn dolt! You coward! Compared to the likes of you-"

Rengoku pat Tanjirou shoulder with a smile.

"That's enough Kamado my boy. Today is our victory."

Tanjirou reluctantly nodded.

Both of them sat on the ground weakly, for now, it's safe as the sun already up. Naoto stands beside Kyojurou and Tanjirou with a concerned face. Tanjirou lie down on the floor with a pale face, there is a lot of blood flow from his stomach. Inosuke and Zenitsu also sit down beside them.

"Tanjirou... your stomach."

Kyojurou explains.

"There is a hole in his stomach. This foolish boy, why did you move after I tell you not to? The bleeding already stopped before, now the wound opened again."

Naoto looks surprised. Hole in the stomach? That's very dangerous.

Tanjirou weakly says.

"I'm sorry... it's a heat of a moment... Thank you Rengoku-san, for saving me."

"It's my job to become a shield for my junior."

With panicked face, Naoto quickly takes out a small bandage and clogs the hole on Tanjirou stomach. As Naoto giving him a first aid, Tanjirou look at Naoto worriedly with his pure eyes.

"Nii-san... I can smell sadness coming from you, why?"

Hearing what Tanjirou said, his eyes widen and his hand stops moving. He quickly calms himself down and smiles forcefully before continue treating Tanjirou injuries.

"It's nothing Tanjirou, you don't need to worry about me. I just feel sad that you're in this condition."

Tanjirou knows that Naoto feels sad because of his condition, he's not lying but there is another reason. Because the sadness he feels from Naoto is too big to be caused by his injuries alone.

"Hey, Tanjirou..."

"Yes?"

Naoto really want to tell Tanjirou to retire from demon hunter, he feel pained seeing Tanjirou getting hurt like this. But he can't bring himself to say it, because Tanjirou also got his own reason to join demon hunter. He, who already failed protecting them don't have any right to tell him what to do. Naoto can only swallow what he wanted to say.