Doom & Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Xover

Chapter 31

.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

.
.

.
.

The Slayer crouched down in the middle of the crater that formed during his moment of blind rage. He dug his hands through the dirt in search of any remaining wreckage from the Super Doom Hunter's sled but had very little luck. Accompanying him was Sagetsu who was very eager to help the Hellwalker search for futuristic technology. Sagetsu, however, was uncertain they would find anything despite his excitement as he expressed his concern, "You sure we're going to find anything? I'm pretty sure you punched that thing into oblivion based on what I'm seeing here." The Slayer said nothing in response, continuing to dig through the crater in the hopes he can find even the smallest piece of technology.

The warrior didn't explain to Sagetsu why he was looking for the parts. The swordsmith was currently under the assumption they're going to make more weapons out of what they find but that wasn't the Slayer's intention. He was hoping to create a beacon of sorts with whatever he could find. Only the technology from his dimension has the capacity to pull this off, nothing here would get the job done. He thought about Tanjiro and what happened to the boy and couldn't help but take responsibility for what happened. The Slayer felt responsible for being the one to cripple Tanjiro. Had he been stronger, had he not been so careless during his fight against the Doom Hunter, Tanjiro would still have all of his limbs. The warrior felt sick on the inside for being the reason a child is now crippled, he never wanted it to happen yet it did on his watch. He wasn't going to allow anyone else to harm Tanjiro, he already failed to protect him once and he wasn't planning on failing a second time. After a bit of searching, the Doom Slayer finally found a small piece of hardware used for the Doom Hunter's sled. He tossed it into the carriage Sagetsu brought and the two men got back to work.

.

.

.

.

.

Tanjiro fought to open his eyes but they wanted to stay closed because it hurt to open them. It was simply more comfortable to keep them closed but he refused to succumb to comfort. His eyes shot open against their will and he quickly squinted them following this as he adjusted to the light. He immediately recognized the infirmary room of the Butterfly Mansion and felt a blast of deja vu as he feels like he's been in this situation before. He tried to rub his eyes with both arms but only his right arm showed up. He tried commanding his left arm but he felt nothing there. He tried to wiggle his legs as well but they, too, would not bend to his will. He barely managed to lift his head up and his eyes widened at the sight of his damaged body. His left arm and both legs were gone and he was fortunate he had any shred of his torso left. From the top down, he was covered in bandages and tubes like Rengoku (minus most of his limbs).

Tanjiro didn't know how to feel, he wasn't sure how to process the fact that he had lost the majority of his limbs. They were all a part of him, something he used everyday but now they're gone. He didn't regret his actions, he did what he had to do. Everything turned out alright and the Hellwalker was alive but at what cost? The boy's thoughts wandered to his goals, to his sister, Nezuko. Can he still save her and defeat Muzan even in this damaged body? No, there was no way, it just wasn't possible. No one can fight with just their right arm, no matter how hard they try. The tears slowly welled up until he heard the quiet snoring of Kanao next to him. She was sleeping with her head resting on the bed, buried in her arms. He looked around to the best of his ability and saw all of his friends there. Zenitsu slept comfortably in the bed next to Tanjiro and Inosuke slept against the wall while sitting. Nezuko was curled up in a ball inside of her box which was positioned next to Tanjiro's bed. Rengoku sat directly in front of Tanjiro with his signature smile plastered on his face. The man was awake and waiting for Tanjiro to regain consciousness and spoke with little regard to everyone else sleeping, "You're awake at last, Kamado, my boy!"