Work Text:
Kyojuro could feel his life slowly slipping away. All the wounds he sustained during the battle with Akaza were beyond treatment.
He didn’t have much time left to live.
“Young Kamado… Come here; let’s talk one last time.” Kyojuro said, still smiling even when met with the face of death.
Tanjiro got up from where he was kneeling and sat in front of Kyojuro. The sight of all the wounds made Tanjiro cry ceaselessly.
“You should go to my house, the Rengoku estate. There should be some notes that the older Flame Pillars left behind. My father read those often, but… I never have, so I don’t know what its contents are. But there may be records of this ‘Dance of the Fire God’ you were talking about.”
Kyojuro was showing visible signs of struggle as he spoke, often coughing every now and then. Tanjiro’s eyes pooled with even more tears out of worry and sadness.
“Please don’t talk anymore, Rengoku-san… Can’t you stop the bleeding? Is there a way to plug up the wounds with your breaths—”
“There isn’t. I’m going to die very soon. I’m going to talk while I still can, so please hear me out.”
As much as Tanjiro wanted to protest, Kyojuro was right. By the looks of it, there wasn’t anything they could do to save him. Feeling helpless, Tanjiro sat back up straight and quieted down to listen to what the man before him had to say.
“I want you to tell my little brother Senjuro… To go down the path that his heart thinks and tells him is right. Tell my father to take care of himself. And…
Young Kamado, I believe in your sister. I accept her as a member of the Demon Slayer Corps.
I saw her protecting the humans inside the train despite her bleeding out. Those who risk their lives to fight demons and protect humans are Demon Slayers… No matter what anyone else has to say.
Live with your head high. No matter how devastated you may be by your own weakness or uselessness… Set your heart ablaze. Grit your teeth and look straight ahead. Even if you stop in your tracks and cower, time won’t wait for you.
Don’t feel bad that I’m going to die here. It’s the duty of Hashira to shield their juniors. Every Hashira would have done the same thing. We can never let the young buds get plucked out.
Young Kamado, boar-headed boy, yellow-haired boy… Keep on learning and growing. And then, become the next Hashiras supporting the Demon Slayer Corps.
I believe in you. I believe in all of you.”
The entire time, Kyojuro never once lost his smile. But even though he was deeply touched by the Flame Pillar’s words, Tanjiro felt something was off.
“Rengoku-san…
…
Why won’t you cry?”
Kyojuro’s eyes blew wide open at what Tanjiro said.
“I always see you smiling and cheering up other people. And from the moment I first saw you in the Hashira Trial meeting, I could smell from you a strong sense of responsibility and a happiness that never dies down…
It’s still the same right now, but… I can sense a bit of sadness that wants to come gushing out like a waterfall but is trying its best to keep itself in for the sake of others.
Rengoku-san… You’re dying.
Please, just… Cry already. Please think of yourself more for once, stop bottling your feelings in for everyone’s sake. You’ve helped us all more than enough. Please don’t die with a mask still on your face.”
Tanjiro hit the nail on the head with everything he said. Kyojuro smiled once more. But… A few tears were now trickling down the face of who always seemed to be the happiest man alive.
Kyojuro laughed faintly. “You’re quite the perceptive boy, aren’t you, Kamado?”
As Kyojuro’s eyes were fixated on the boy in front of him, he suddenly caught a glimpse of what seemed like his mother looking right at him blankly, standing a bit far behind Tanjiro.
‘Mother… Did I do well?’ Kyojuro asked his mother and himself. ‘Was I able to perform my duties?’
His mother’s expression shifted from a blank one to one of happiness.
‘You did a wonderful job.’
Kyojuro melted into a smile of relief, a faint laugh escaping his mouth. Both his smile and his head thus began to slowly fall.
There, Rengoku Kyojuro, the Flame Hashira, took his last breaths and passed on from the mortal world.
Never will his name and legacy be forgotten by all the people that he’s helped during his wonderful life despite it being cut short.