Chapter Text
The Flame Hashira breathed heavily as he stood before the Upper Moon, Akaza. The demon flashed a grin as he stood straight, tilting his head slightly. Kyojuro had been injured quite enough as the battle went on. They were only moments away from the break of dawn. Should he keep the demon he was fighting in front of him, he would end an Upper Moon.
“Come on, Kyojuro,” Akaza hummed, “if you continue, you will die.”
The Hashira grit his teeth, tightened his grip on the Sword. “I will never give in and turn into what you’ve become.” He stated, positions his Sword in front of him with two hands.
The Upper Moon rolled his shoulders back with a sigh. “You already have injuries that you’ll never heal from, whilst all I’ve suffered are no longer a concern.” He says, pointing at the cuts and wounds that have seamlessly put themselves back to perfect. No bone fractured, no limb missing.
“It’s a part of what makes humankind beautiful.” He replied. Akaza scoffed, “what beauty is there if it’s broken and a mere shell of what it could’ve been?”
“Demons like you will never understand what being human is,” Kyojuro said. The demon stared blankly at the Hashira, his smile dropped. “The memories of such were forgotten, there’s nothing worth remembering.” He said.
Akaza outstretched his hand once more, “Become a demon, Kyojuro.”
The blonde shook his head, lowering his stance. “Never!” He yelled, charging forth. The demon’s eyes widened as the smile grew again, wider this time. “Such a fighting spirit!” He exclaimed, rushing towards the Hashira.
Kyojuro swung his Sword, releasing several Breathing Techniques at Akaza. His arms were slowly beginning to feel like lead yet he kept fighting, the people on the train depended on it. The young Kamado and his friends depended on it.
His Sword finally struck true, impaling the Upper Moon through his chest, yet the demon only let out a laugh. His eyes crazed. “Such strength even at your human exhaustion!” He grinned.
Kyojuro twisted the Sword, pulling it up, slicing up Akaza’s chest. He pushed as hard as he could, dragging the heavyweight blade towards his neck. Flames and dust flew around them as he continued to reach the demon’s neck.
“Rengoku-San!” Tanjiro screamed, reaching his free hand out uselessly, his other arm wound around his stab wound. Inosuke stood frozen still, barely breathing as they waited.
The dust cleared, revealing Kyojuro holding his blade over Akaza’s neck, but the demon’s arm went straight through the Hashira’s stomach.
Tanjiro’s eyes widened as he let out a guttural wail. “RENGOKU-SAN!” He screamed again, though it went unheard by the Flame Hashira.
Kyojuro coughed out a bit of blood, the left over slowly dripping down his lower lip and chin. His arm, weighed by a Sword, shook faintly. His eyes wide as he stared back at Akaza.
“Become a demon Kyojuro! Or you’ll die here!” Akaza warned once more, stilling his arm. Kyojuro’s eyes flashed with fear.
Fear of death and dying. He still had Senjuro to look after since his father has resigned from aiding his sons. He still had things he wanted to say, an end he wanted to see.
His arm fell, dropping his blade onto the ground. The exhaustion was beginning to drag down on him. “Make a choice, Kyojuro,” Akaza said quietly, his eyes never leaving the Hashira’s.
Kyojuro grit his teeth, giving a subtle nod that made Akaza grin. “This’ll only hurt a bit,” he added, slicing a nail into Kyojuro’s wound. The Hashira let out a gasp, clenching his eyes shut as Akaza slipped his blood into the Slayer’s veins, allowing it to flood his system.
“RENGOKU-SAN!” Tanjiro yelled, charging forward despite the clutching wound. The boar-headed Slayer followed from above.
Kyojuro’s eyes flickered blood red for a moment before he clenched them shut, letting out a scream of agony. Akaza sent a destruction wave of energy towards the other two Slayers, knocking them far away from the two.
Kyojuro soon enough had blanked out, collapsed on the ground beside Akaza. The wound had sealed well enough, not fully but enough for him to make it until Master Muzan shows up and sees the overall goal and plan.
Muzan’s blood pulses through Akaza’s veins, almost as if in question of his decisions. “Let him go, bastard!” Tanjiro yelled in a second attack attempt. Akaza gave him a minute glance before vanishing into the woods, hiding away from the light of the dawn’s sun.
Tanjiro rushed to the edge of the trees, lifting his Sword, he thrusted it into the darkness blindly. Akaza dropped Kyojuro onto the ground before turning around and snatching the whizzing Sword midair. He threw it into a nearby tree before looking down to Kyojuro.
A black hole like portal opened up, slowly flickering into the main floor of the Infinity Palace. The Upper Moon stopped down, holding half of Kyojuro’s weight over his shoulder as he carried him into the Palace, right to the steps of Muzan Kibutsuji
~
Finally Tanjiro ran out of things to say and collapsed onto the ground, barely caught by Inosuke, and let out another cry of pain.
Zenitsu slowly trudged to them, Nezuko’s box strapped behind his back. “So he’s really gone?” The blonde said softly. The boar-headed boy crouched next to Tanjiro silently.
“He’s gone, and it’s all my fault.” The scar marked boy said to nobody in particular. “If-if I had been stronger, maybe I could’ve helped Rengoku-San.” He muttered.
Inosuke clenched his dual Swords tightly, gritting his teeth under his boar headpiece. “Oi! Shut up, will ya?” He snapped, tossing his Swords to the side. “He didn’t risk his life for ya to be sniveling around and sobbing! Get your damn act together and we’ll find him!” Inosuke said, pulling Tanjiro up on his feet before looking to Zenitsu.
Tanjiro wiped his tears against his haori’s sleeve before giving a subtle nod. “You’re right, we have no time to grieve.” He replied, nodding to the blonde. From the distance they saw the Kakushi, the attendants to the Demon Slayer Corps, running towards them.
The sun was rising, blending the black night skies with shades of red and orange.
~
Kyojuro jolted up, immediately regretting said action as a numbing ache down his chest. He winced, clutching his gut as he sat up. His side felt oddly empty. His hand went down to grasp his Sword, startled when he realized it wasn’t there.
Now realizing it, he wasn’t dead. Despite remembering a demon’s fist piercing straight through his body. His eyes widened as he took in his surroundings, pushing himself onto his feet.
“Good evening,” a voice said. Kyojuro jumped, turning his head left and right to find where it came from. “Rengoku Kyojuro.” The voice added.
The Hashira grit his teeth, clenching his fists. “Who are you? Where are you?” He yelled. He was surrounded with walls that continued to twist and turn, making new openings and closing others.
From the shadows, something began to form into a physical shape. Kyojuro jumped back, his eyes widening as he felt the dark and draining essence that came from this being. Kibutsuji Muzan. The head of all demons.
He stood, leaning back slightly. He was wearing a simple black suit with a white tie and a white fedora hat. His hair was as black as midnight, short and curly near the end.
He crossed his arms, studying the Slayer with a slight tilt to his head. “Akaza, my Upper Moon Three, saw potential in you. Such potential that he asked me to come to see for myself.” He said finally.
Kyojuro was slowly beginning to regret agreeing to the demon in the first place, death would’ve been a rather better choice. Within death’s grasp though, he made selfish choices.
“So I’ve brought you to my palace. At the current moment, my blood courses through your veins, it’s the only thing keeping you from dying right here, right now.” He continues.
“So I’ve become a demon now?” Kyojuro questioned. Muzan let a small smile stretch on his porcelain pale face. “Not quite, I still have to fully finish the process, I first off want to see what you’re worth giving my blood to.” He replied.
Akaza appeared right next to Muzan. His expression no longer flashes the excited grins and amused flickers in his eyes. The Leader of the Twelve Kizuki barely spared a glance to the Upper Moon.
“You seem to regret your decision,” Muzan hummed, “perhaps I can persuade you.” The demon raised his hand and then clenched it into a fist tightly. It felt like life was draining out of the Slayer. He gasped, his legs giving out as he fell to the ground, clutching his gut as it felt like fire burning through. It felt so much worse than when he was physically impaled.
“Without my blood, you will be reduced to your human weakness,” Muzan went on to say, walking towards Kyojuro. He reaches down, taking his chin into his hand, forcing his head up. “You’ll die like any other worthless and useless mortal.”
“There has only ever been one other Demon Slayer who was taken up to become a demon, and he has made it to quite high ranks.”
“He betrayed the Corps, he’s no longer one of us.” Kyojuro spat. Muzan tilted his head, letting go of the blonde’s chin. “Well then, neither are you,” he said, taking a step back as he watched Kyojuro struggle to breathe.
“You’ll become a demon, as Akaza has explained that he sees quite potential with you,” Muzan concluded. The Demon King released his grip of the blood, allowing it to take its full course through Kyojuro. He gasped as he felt all pain and exhaustion leave him.
Along with the physical struggles, he felt his grip on his humanity slip away as well.
Akaza watched as the once-Hashira became a demon, just like himself. Kyojuro’s eyes flickered blood red as he grit his teeth, trying to hold himself as the transformation continued. Two horns sprouted on the top of his head, his hair grew longer, the colors making it look like flames.
He lets out a defeated breath, his head bowed down in what one can assume as shame. Muzan smiled easily, turning to leave. “I entrust you’ll keep him in line,” he says to the Upper Moon.
Akaza tensed, lowering his eyes before giving a short nod to him. The wall disappeared, leaving only Akaza and Kyojuro in the empty room.
The Upper Moon sat down across from the newly formed demon. His legs crossed, his elbows rested on his knees. He observed the newborn, grasping his every movement. He noticed a single tear slip from his eyes.
“Welcome to your new life, Kyojuro.”