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Who thought one could find love amidst nothing but bloodshed?
He’s cut down demon after demon standing between him and conquering Final Selection. Both him and his blade are covered in blood, some of it his, and some once belonging to demons and comrades that died in his arms. This is the nature of the test of will.
He felt lost as he trudged through the mountain scape. Not long now, at least one more day of heading east and he’d survive this hell. Yet he knows there’s worse out there; worse demons and other creatures straight out of hell. There’s always worse.
His dark thinking is saved as he parts rough undergrowth, opening to a clearing, the moon shining down from between leafy branches to illuminate a fellow slayer cutting down a demon, the visualizations of waves wrapping around them in a torrent.
As Kyojuro lays his eyes on you for the first time, a strange tugging sensation on his heart pulls him forward, seeing blood trickling down from your scalp and wanting to stop the bleeding before it could seriously hurt you.
Collapsing to one knee, out of breath and muscles groaning under the efforts of holding yourself up, your blurry vision searches your surroundings, seeing a beautiful gold as bright as the sun coming towards you. Is it an ally? Is it a foe? With a furrow of your brows and a deep inhale, you rise on wobbling feet, knees giving out sending you tumbling to the ground. Warm arms catch you, holding you in a strong, protective embrace.
“Its okay now,” a deep voice rumbles, sunlight peaking through the trees lighting up the man holding you in a heavenly glow. Fiery hair catches the rays, golden eyes staring down with more kindness than you’ve ever seen. “You can rest.”
Those three words alleviated all the tension in your body, sleep wrapping around you like a friend’s hug. Going limp in the man’s arms, you’ve never felt safer, knowing sunshine itself is holding you close.
As Kyojuro gazes down at your sleeping form, he holds you close to his chest. Its still far too dark under the trees, the man adjusting his hold on you to a princess carry, strong legs carrying him up to a leafless thick branch, releasing a slow sigh as the sun bathes him in its comforting warmth. Settling down, he adjusts the sleeping girl in his arms so your back is flush to his chest, resigning to get some rest himself.
Fatigue weighs heavily, eyes slowly closing shut, darkness kindly enveloping him.
~~~
At first, you were alarmed to find yourself sleeping in the arms of a man, more so that it was so high up in the trees. He holds you tightly, even in his sleep, so that you won’t fall, the warmth he’s radiating heavenly as the cold’s fingers try to wrap its frigid hold around you. What a warm person…
Feeling the nameless man shift, you gasp in surprise, turning to get a better look at the stranger’s face. You’re frankly alarmed by his handsomeness, still a young boy but maturity and wear beyond his years momentarily present in the sunset hues of his eyes.
The man instantly perks up, hair fluffing, bushy brows rising and a smile that rivals the setting sun stretching his lips. “Hello! I’m glad you’re awake!” You’re startled by the volume of his voice, jumping slightly, squeaking as strong arms once again shoot around your waist to pull you close once more. “Careful! We don’t want you to fall, now do we?”
“Erm, no,” you say slowly, shuffling to create some space between you and this other swordsman, his arms falling away, and sadly, as well as his warmth. Trained eyes scour your environment, concluding he must’ve brought you up here out of the shade of the trees to get some much needed sleep. Its done you good, your tired muscles burning happily, decently rested, as well as your mind. Blinking your worn eyes, your senses gradually return, sensing demonic auras scattered around you now that your shining protector vanishes behind the horizon.
“I’m Kyojuro!” The stranger announces proudly, a hand on his chest. “I think it would be best for us to stick together for the final day! What do you think?” Hesitating, your expression betrays your doubt. “There can’t be many of us left by now. I think it would be in our best interests to continue east together.”
“Right…” You very well could travel with this beautiful stranger, but you have your strength to prove to your family, a need to show your father doesn’t need male heirs, that you alone will be enough to carry the family mantle. “I apologize, Kyojuro, but I’ll be continuing by myself. Thank you for helping me, I wouldn’t be alive if not for you.”
Kyojuro’s expression falls slightly, but with an encouraging “hmph,” he’s smiling brightly once more. “I understand! Some of us have the most to prove, don’t we?” His words make you gasp. There’s no way he read your mind. “I hope to see you again then, as it would be a shame not to have someone who makes cuts appear as beautiful as yours in the Corps.”
Flush spreads over your cheeks, making you turn away to hide your embarrassment. “Thank you. I hope to see you by the end of this as well. May the gods be with you, Kyojuro.”
Just like that, you hop from the trees, skipping from branch to branch, your agility greatly impressing the man watching after you.
Leaning back, Kyojuro releases a heavy sigh, already missing the feeling of holding you in his arms. There’s pain in your eyes too, he’s noticed, and he’s determined to find you again after Final Selection, all so that he may take you out to eat. You’ll both be so worn after the exhausting exam, some warm food will do you both some good!
Its this moment as Kyojuro is leaping from branch to branch he internally berates himself.
He forgot to ask your name!
~~~
What a peculiar ritual.
Kyojuro is overwhelmed with joy seeing you’ve survived - with just a few additional injuries. As the ore is presented to them, he watches curiously as you step up to the display, hands hovering delicately above the ores with your eyes closed, seeming to reach out to sense something, anything. A smile curves your lips, picking out the ore that seems to shine the most, surprising him as you turn to place it in his palm.
Eyes flitting between your eyes and the rock, he arches an inquisitive brow. Your smile widening, “Makes sense the brightest ore goes to the brightest person, no?”
A smile of his own seems to light up the whole world, stepping forward, calloused fingers running over each other individual ores. You watch him carefully, wondering what he could be searching for. He seems to find it, boisterously laughing as he presents you a clump of ore, your cheeks hurting from your overjoyed smile as you find you can’t help but accept it.
“The kindest ore for someone with the kindest eyes!”
“Kindest…?” You echo. With a shrug, you laugh, stepping down from the display with him to allow the other survivors a chance to pick theirs. “How did you arrive to kindest?”
“I see both pain and happiness in your eyes,” he replies, rough hand taking your scarred one. “You’re the same as I am. I’d be honored to know your name.”
What a gentlemen! Suddenly overcome with shyness, your eyes find your feet as you reply, “I’m (Y/N).”
“Nice to meet you!” The sun itself seems to radiate from him, a perfect glowing smile. “This ore has seen a lot. I can tell. I hope it protects you well from this point on!”
“I hope yours does too, erm, Kyojuro was it?”
With an enthusiastic nod, he claps both your hands between his. With a sparkle in his eye and a sudden volume that shocks your eyes wide, “Please come have lunch with me!”
You blink, stunned by such a bizarre ask. With a brief shake of your head and furrow of your brows, you frown. “I’m sorry, but I need to get home.”
“Where is that?” You gently tug your hands, but his hold is unrelenting. You relent your home town, and you’re not sure if you’re happy or dreadful that he seems to sparkle even more. “That’s on the way to my own home! Please, may we stop at a noodle house along the way?”
“I-I’m not sure there’s any-“
“But there is! Just a town away!”
“Oh, I don’t know,” you say meekly. You’d prefer to get home as soon as possible. You’re never sure when your father is going to try something. You don’t know what it could be, but you know it won’t be anything good.
“Please! And then I’ll escort you home.”
“But you’re injured!”
“So are you. I’ll even pay for the noodles! I eat so much, how’s your appetite? I’d feel bad eating seven bowls if you can only eat one!” And the man laughs, just laughs and laughs; big, loud, beautiful, full of so much joy your face heats up.
“I haven’t even said yes.”
“Then please do me the honor!”
As you continue to find polite ways of turning the blonde down, you’re making your way down the mountain path, Kyojuro on your heels coming up with different polite ways of asking you. Yet you can’t be annoyed with him, not when he feels as warm as the sun. He can talk as loud as he wants, you’re not bothered by it. He continues to take your hand in his, but his touch is so comforting, you can’t turn him away.
At the base of the mountain, you’re still saying no, but Kyojuro is relentless. He’ll find a way to get you to say yes one way or another. But finally you turn around, in the middle of a dirt road splitting wet fields. Blinking at your abrupt change, he gives another dazzling smile.
“Are you okay, Miss (Y/N)? How’s your ankle?”
“My ankle is fine.”
The cautious look in your eye has him worried now. “Then how about some warm food?”
“Why do you want to eat with me so bad?”
The adorable tilt of his head as he looks down to you curiously makes your questions burn more. Why would someone who’s so much more colorful than you, kinder than you, brighter than you bother with pestering you so bad?
“Its an easy answer.”
“So?”
Holding both your hands in his, he glows as he boisterously laughs, bringing your knuckles to his lips. Heat washes over your cheeks, sputtering over yourself as you watch his lips dance over your hands, a delicate kiss placed on each knuckle. Kyojuro smiles up at you, expression softening, red and gold irises catching the late morning sun.
“Is it not what friends do? Don’t friends go out and eat with each other?”
Your jaw drops. No one’s ever spoken to you like this before. So caught up in your desire to prove your father wrong, you’ve shut out most people from your life, training with no end in sight not just to be a worthy swordsman to carry your family name, but to be a perfect wife as well, the later duties you’re willing throw to the wayside to help innocent people. The last time you had a friend, someone who might be able to understand…you can see it, a pain behind his eyes similar to yours.
Tears sparsely roll down your cheeks, his frown for a moment confusing you before his thumb wipes them away. “Why do you cry?”
“I’ll…” With a sniff, you return his dazzling smile, “I’ll tell you over lunch!”
Kyojuro’s hair fluffs, eyes sparkling, color in his cheeks and a firming grip on your hands, he laughs so joyously as he scoops you into his arms, carrying you the rest of the way to town despite your protests.
But as you sit down over noodles, his adorable habit of exclaiming “delicious” quickly catches on with you, cheering it with him after every bite, a strange comfort you haven’t felt in years washing over you. This is what its like to have a friend, someone who can listen and comfort you when there’s no one else around to do it.
Hearing of his own struggles makes you feel closer to him than you have anyone else, and his willingness to just hold your hand as you sob years of frustration out right there in the noodle house healed something in your heart you didn’t know needed healing.
However, all good things must come to an end. Kyojuro stands beside you outside the gate to your family’s estate, laying a comforting hand on your shoulder as you take in a deep breath.
“Reach out to me by crow if you ever need anything,” he says, a softness in his voice you didn’t think possible. Fully turning to you, he exhales a soft gasp, finding the light radiating around your face, illuminated by the setting sun, shapes you into the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen. A gentle smile, he takes you into an embrace, protectively holding your head to his shoulder. “Anything, (Y/N), and I’ll be there.”
“Thank you…” Your lip wobbles, voice almost giving away both the sadness and relief you feel from his words. “I’ve only known you a day.”
“Many beautiful friendships begin with one day! One day turns to two, two to three, three into a week, a week a month, and so on. I know in my heart,” he steps away, both hands on your shoulders, a bright smile glowing on his lips, “that we’ll be friends for many, many years!”
You feel a small fire light in your heart, one that sets your blood boiling with passion, a warm wave washing over your heart, body and soul. You feel it, right there, in your heart an indisputable fact.
One day, you’re going to marry this man.
Taking his hands in yours, you give them a gentle squeeze, a dazzling smile of your own making his brighten. “Many years indeed, Kyojuro.”
An adorable blush adorns his cheeks, his shoulders bouncing as he laughs. “Farewell then! We’ll meet again soon!”
“Farewell, Kyojuro. Travel safe.”
You watch his figure grow smaller and smaller, your heart feeling more and more lonely the farther he gets. To its delight, he turns around and waves, you enthusiastically returning it before he disappears beyond the horizon.
Your heart may feel heavy with his departure, but a new strength fuels you, inspired by his brightness and determination. Turning to the gate, you put on your best smile, marching past the doors to face your father with no intention of backing down. Your passion has been ignited and there’s no force on the planet that will quench it!
Rengoku Kyojuro has set your heart ablaze.