Breath of the Void

Breath of the Void: Chapter 11

WE'RE GETTING A RENGOKU STORY AFTER KIMETSU FINISHES AND IM EXCITED!

————————

When the dust from the explosion cleared, Musashi stood tall as the morning light peaked over the horizon. Blood and sweat dripped down her brow as she panted, watching as the last of the Upper Moon demon Akaza crumbled to dust in the light. She gazed up at the sky when the last of him crumbled away, letting the first rays of sunlight warm her face, and then suddenly she was falling backward.

Strong arms caught her before she hit the ground and a hysterical, yet delighted laugh came from the Flame Pillar as he swung her around.

"That's my partner!" he cried, as he set her down. Musashi laughed a bit, steadying her footing. She could feel her energy had hit zero and the black tendrils of exhaustion were already clouding her vision.

"If the bastard survived I think I'd give up and go home," she told him, eye half-closed as she laughed half-heartedly. The joke was a bit strained and he snorted, chuckling softly before blinking when he felt hands on his face.

"That eye of yours is gonna be messed up," she told him and he barked out another laugh, lightly poking her cheek in return as her hands fell back to her sides.

"Your injuries aren't much better!"

"Oh please, mine are hardly as severe as yours," she huffed before she smiled, gazing up at the lightening sky.

"We really did take down one of Muzan's Upper Moons, huh?" She asked as a gentle breeze ruffled her hair.

Kyojuro gazed at her expression, silent. He felt something click in his mind before he reached over, grasping her shoulders and turning her to face him. She blinked, a bit startled, before he crashed his lips into the swordswoman's own.

He heard her squeak against his lips as her eye widened and he pulled away, a breathless grin on his face as he gazed at her. Her cheeks had flushed bright red as she gazed back and he knew he had a short window of time before she completely shut down from exhaustion.

"Marry me, Musashi!" He blurted and she just stared. He felt a smug sort of satisfaction when he noticed her blush getting darker and her eye growing wider.

Then her eye rolled back as she passed out, unable to withstand the exhaustion any longer.

Well, maybe he could have waited until later, but he couldn't help it.

Watching her fight, knowing he had his back, and then seeing her come out victorious in the end? That look when she gazed at the sunrise?

Ahh, but maybe he should've just started with courting...

No matter, he decided as he picked her up and settled her on his back. His injuries protested, but he ignored them as Tanjirou ran up to them, holding Musashi's haori in his arms and Nezuko's box— with the demon inside, hopefully— on his back.

"Is Miss Musashi alright? Ah! You're both really injured!" the boy yelped, taking note of both of the Pillars' many injuries. Dark spatters of blood had stained and soaked into Kyojuro's haori and more was still drying slowly on his face. His left eye had been injured and he wasn't sure if it would ever be fully functional again. Musashi wasn't much better, dried blood smeared on her face and sticking her bangs to her forehead.

"No worries, Kamado, my boy! She's just exhausted!" He assured the young boy with a smile. "This happens quite often when she unleashes that final strike of hers! At least Shinazugawa wasn't the one here! She refused to let her exhaustion get to her and when they got back, Kocho said Musashi didn't wake back for at least a month! At least this time it'll only be a few days!"

He just laughed at Tanjirou's startled face as he slowly walked back to the other citizens. The children who had been working with the demon and the conductor were huddled together while the rest of the citizens who were conscious were dazed and in shock.

"The Kakushi will be here soon," he told him with a hum, "They'll be able to deal with everything else. In the meantime, we should head back! Preferably to Kocho's!"

"I- Isn't that far away?"

The Flame Pillar just waved him off. "Worry not, Kamado, my boy! Your Aniki'll be fine! How is the little demon? Did she make it to her box in time?" he asked instead and the boy nodded.

"Oh, yes!" he said and he hummed.

"That's good! I'll have to give her my thanks!" he told him as Tanjirou's friends ran over— Hashibira and Agatsuma, if he remembered what Kocho told him. He didn't exactly remember an Agatsuma in the ranks, but he must have been one of the new slayers— perhaps he had forgotten a name when he had heard from Oyakata-sama last time?

"Has everyone been rescued from the train?" he asked the boys, who nodded and he grinned in response. "Good! Then let's head back!"

The three boys cheered softly, falling behind him as he shifted Musashi, starting back towards the Butterfly Estate at a quick pace. Their crows circled above, cawing about a job well done and telling them to head back to the Butterfly Estate to check injuries and await further orders.

The Flame Pillar only smiled as he adjusted Musashi again, glancing at her sleeping face out of the corner of his eyes.

He knew deep down that it was a miracle that they managed to survive the attack on the train. It was even more of a miracle that they managed to fend off and kill the Upper Moon Demon Akaza.

Musashi was powerful, that was a fact that he had always known.

She was passionate and had a strong will, and though she had odd quirks and habits that he was sure she had adapted from never being in one place very long, she was a good person at her core. She was easily flattered and quick to state that any money she had always went to food rather than other possessions.

His expression softened as they walked towards the Butterfly Estate.

He wasn't sure when it was, but he was certain that he had fallen in love with Musashi a long time ago.

It was only when he saw her smiling up at the sky just moments ago when he realized it.

————————

Bit of a shorter chapter, but it's just the aftermath of the Train Arc. I'm very bad at romance, so I hope that in the following chapters this works out. This is sorta a writing exercise for me in a way. I hope that's okay.