Ayanokouji Kiyotaka The Demon Slayer

『A Welcomed Surprise?』

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else, is the greatest accomplishment.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

—————————————————

A scent of blood.

That was the last rational thought I had before dashing through the snow-covered forest’s trees, running as fast as I could to reach our home.

The snow crunched beneath my boots, and my heart pounded in my chest. Each beat synchronized with the rhythm of my frantic footsteps, and each step was muffled by the thick blanket of white that covered the forest floor. The air was frigid, stinging my lungs with every breath, but the urgency in my chest kept me moving forward. The scent of blood still lingered, a metallic tang that seemed to grow stronger with every passing moment.

I pushed through the dense snow, my senses heightened by the adrenaline coursing through my veins. The trees loomed like sentinels, their skeletal branches reaching for the overcast sky. Finally, I saw the familiar outline of our home ahead, nestled amidst the snow-covered pines.

Relief washed over me, but it was short-lived.

■■■

“Your hands off my sister!” screamed a raging Tanjirou as he ran towards Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. The former had a sharp axe in his hands, while the latter’s hands were busy restraining Tanjirou’s little sister, Nezuko.

Deep inside, Ayanokouji was thankful that they shared the same language. Just visualizing the hassle he would have to go through if it wasn’t the case made his stomach imaginary curl up in pain.

Pondering his choices, between clearing the misunderstanding or letting the situation explain itself, he decided that neither was the correct decision. The answer Kiyotaka arrived at was that he would make Tanjirou understand by force.

Ayanokouji quickly delivered a heavy blow to Nezuko’s neck and threw the unconscious girl flying in Tanjirou’s direction. The latter’s shock was perceivable on his face as clear as day, as he threw away his axe and tried to catch the flying figure of his younger sister.

“Is that truly your sister?” Ayanokouji spoke up coldly while maintaining eye contact with the boy, who, was sharp enough to grasp the situation with just a glance at his sister’s expressions, realizing that she had become an Oni. It was then that he noticed the lying bodies on the wooden platform. When the realization hit him, his face quickly lost its colors, turning pale instantly.

Taking the chance, Ayanokouji released a series of psychological attacks. “When I arrived here half a day ago, everyone was already dead,” after a moment that felt like an eternity, “Your sister was the only one breathing. I treated her with what was available, however, she is no longer human,” the boy was still in denial, and Ayanokouji had to wake him up. “That wasn’t my doing. It was yours,” taking a few steps forward, he continued. “This was all your fault, and you know it.”

Tanjirou, frozen in place with grief and regret, trembled. His strength was leaving his body, and eventually, he fell to his knees.

Have you ever lost something valuable? Something you considered irreplaceable in your life?

That day, Tanjirou did.

In those moments of absence, when the void left by what once was weighs heavy on the heart, humans come to understand the fragility of their attachments. The remnants of what they cherished linger in the corners of memory, a bittersweet reminder of what was and what might have been.

But, just as the shattered pieces of a stained-glass window can be reassembled into a new form of beauty, so too can the fragments of their shattered experiences shape the mosaic of their ongoing journey.

“A doctor! There has to be someone who can cure her!” he screamed, as loud as he could in order to pull out the blame off his chest, but to no avail. This was his own way of convincing himself, of lying to himself, to gain hope. Ayanokouji, seeing through all of this, decided to lend a helping hand not to break Tanjirou’s spirit, with no ulterior motives.

What a nice person.

“I am faster than you. If you want, I can carry her on my back. All you have to do is show me the way, that was why I was waiting for you.”

In response to his offer to help, Tanjirou hesitated. As much as he wanted to, his doubts didn’t allow him to accept. This, was his sister, after all. “No, thank you. I will take her myself.”

With that, he quickly made his way towards the village. Ayanokouji, knowing that it’s better to stick close, followed shortly after him. In a few seconds, he was already side-by-side with Tanjirou. “You know, I don’t think your reactions say it’s normal for people to turn into whatever that is,” he said. While he was talking like it’s your everyday thing, Tanjirou was already out of breath. “Hmm.... I told you I am faster. And it seems I have greater stamina than you, too. Would you reconsider handing her over to me?”

“Ne…*inhale*…Never!” he shouted.

It was at that moment that the sleeping beauty’s sleeping pills had worn out, and she woke up, throwing her brother into an unbalanced state and together they fell down the cliff.

Ayanokouji stopped in his tracks and took a look at the scenery below. He deduced that the snow should protect Tanjirou and his sister from the impact of the collision, but he was not sure if the boy would survive Nezuko’s attacks. Of course, he could also jump down and try to save him, gaining his temporary trust, but Ayanokouji was never the type to take unnecessary risks. If Tanjirou died, he died. What was important was not his life, but his sister’s. The girl who defied the laws of nature. To Ayanokouji, she was the unknown, the thing that humans were most terrified of, and ironically, also curious about. But Ayanokouji only shared the latter sentiment, however, as he didn’t feel any fear at all.

Making his way towards the two siblings, multiple ideas crossed his mind. At any rate, if his previous theory that he was in a new world was true, then he would finally be free from his old world, from his father, from the White Room.

There was no chance he would find his father here, right? Right?

Only time can tell.

Eventually, he arrived at the location. What he saw was the 2 unconscious bodies of the siblings on the snow, and before them, stood two men with a katana on their belts.

One was Giyu Tomioka, the Water Hashira. He had a distinctive appearance. He was a tall and lean young man with striking aqua-colored eyes. His long, jet-black hair hung loose around his face and down his back. He wore the standard Demon Slayer uniform, which consisted of a dark blue haori with a white diamond pattern, a white kimono, a black belt, and a black hakama. He also carried a Nichirin Sword, the signature weapon of Demon Slayers, on his left hip.

The other was a tall and well-built young man with a commanding presence. He had short, neatly combed black hair and sharp, discerning eyes that conveyed his intelligence and determination. His facial features were defined and gave him a mature and serious look.

Although there were two new people on the battlefield, Ayanokouji’s attention was all focused on the 2nd person, he even ignored the other one entirely. The reason behind that doesn’t need to be explained, as the surprised face of the one and only Ayanokouji spoke for the identity of the remaining individual.

“...…. Horikita Manabu.”