"He's late."
"How very unfaithful of him," Kyojuro nodded, agreeing with me
"I agree," I said, nodding my head. "He should commit Seppuku."
"Wait n-"
Currently, we were parked on a wooden bench in the middle of a quiet town square, surrounded by idle chatter and the clatter of passing carts, waiting for one very specific idiot.
Tanjiro Kamado.
Five. Hours. Late.
''Beat his ass Kyojuro'
I leaned back, groaning aloud, "Agh, how long is he going to take? Did he fall into a ravine or something?"
"Hm," Rengoku hummed thoughtfully, ever the optimist. He raised a finger and pointed down one of the side streets. "How about we explore over there until he arrives?"
My eyes followed his hand.
A shrine.
"Absolutely not."
"I INSIST!"
"Kyojuro, I don't have the best experience with shrines."
Before we get into what's happening, let's first delve into why Aoyama detests shrines.
For reasons beyond him, every time Aoyama stepped into a religious site—be it temple, shrine, or church—he was either chased away with broomsticks and holy chants or, strangely enough, worshipped as some kind of divine entity. There was no middle ground. Even the scam artists posing as "spiritually awakened" couldn't help but tremble in reverence or horror when he approached.
Still, despite the chaos that often followed, Aoyama continued his routine. Just like any other day, he arrived at a modest local temple, hands tucked into his sleeves and expression unreadable. He wasn't expecting anything different this time—just a quick prayer before the inevitable drama.
In, out, and gone before anyone could notice, that was the plan.
Of course, that didn't happen.
Because, for some absurd, completely unpredictable reason—this time—the head priest took things to a whole new level. The moment Aoyama stepped inside, he was ambushed by a group of robed men chanting in unison. Before he could even mutter a "Wait, what", he found himself tied to a wooden pole in the center of the temple courtyard like some ancient sacrifice.
The temple promptly shut its doors to the public. Incense thickened the air. Bells rang wildly. And then came the worst part—every single priest, from the elderly high monk to the youngest acolyte, fell to their knees in reverence. They began chanting prayers not for Aoyama's salvation, but for the salvation of the world from the human impurities still clinging to their "divine vessel."
Yes. They were trying to exorcise the "human" part of him by having the priestess contain his divine essence within her to give birth to a new god.
"YES," The tied-up Aoyama shouted, his tongue hanging out as he watched the priestess undress."THERE IS NO SAFE WOR-'"
Tl;dr fucking him and giving birth to his child.
Safe to say, had the cops arrived even a minute later, Aoyama wouldn't have died a virgin.
'Not that I would have minded, she was insanely hot'
Still, last time it was a priestess, who knows if this time it was an ugly old man.
"Really? My apologies then." Kyojuro nodded, the warmth in his voice softening. "I understand. If it's not too much to ask, can you tell me about your experience?"
"I'd rather not,"
Kyojuro nodded as he heard the answer. Of course, what he was thinking and what Aoyama was thinking were extremely different.
'I see, he must have had a terrible experience if he is so adamant about not telling me. I pray that he can move on from his trauma. '
'Whenever I think about that missed opportunity, I fall into a terrible mood'
After all, it's not ra-
(For reasons I will not finish that sentence)
There was a brief silence. Not awkward—just… respectful. Kyojuro didn't press further. He simply nodded again, as if acknowledging a weight he couldn't see but chose to respect.
"I see," he said finally, his tone steady. "Everyone carries burdens they aren't ready to share. When the time comes, if you ever wish to talk, I'll listen."
'This isn't really a burden, but I guess that's fine'
…
Still
My eyes wandered over to the temple, filled with priests
'I can't deny that I am a bit curious'
I didn't know if gods existed back in my home world, but I know for sure they exist in this world.
We may have never directly seen a god, but in the manga, when Akaza died, he met his wife Koyuki, who was waiting for him in the afterlife. However, due to Akaza's sins that he committed while he was a demon, he was unable to go with her to heaven, so instead Koyuki chose to go with Akaza to hell just so they could be together.
Logically speaking, if heaven and hell exist, then gods must exist too. Which means… praying to a god in this world might not be a completely pointless endeavor.
Especially if it's this goddess.
Amaterasu—the radiant one who personifies the sun.
A central deity in Shinto mythology, Amaterasu is one of the most revered gods in Japanese tradition. According to legend, the primordial couple Izanagi and Izanami gave birth to the Japanese islands and a host of kami. But after Izanami died giving birth to the fire god, Izanagi descended into the land of the dead (Yomi) to retrieve her.
That journey failed. But upon his return, while purifying himself of the corruption of death, Izanagi gave birth to three powerful deities. Amaterasu was born from his left eye—the sun goddess. Tsukuyomi, the moon god, came from his right eye. And Susanoo, the storm god, emerged from his nose.
Among them, Amaterasu stood at the center of heaven's court, her light believed to guide the world and the emperors of Japan.
And…
Nah, that's all I know. I never got much into religion; all knowledge I have of religion is from instagram.
But in a world full of man eating demons that are weak to the sun, the goddess of the sun plays a damn important role.
"I guess, it wouldn't hurt to go see this shrine."
"Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Mm," I hummed as I started walking towards the shrine. "Curiosity, I guess. I mean, the goddess of the sun would be someone the Demon Slayer Corps revere, wouldn't they?"
"I see!" Rengoku nodded, catching up to me with that ever-burning energy. "Umu, your words certainly make sense. However, most Demon Slayers barely find time to pray—or are far too consumed by revenge to look toward the gods."
"Really?" I blinked, genuinely surprised. "I always thought people who risk their lives daily would be the most religious. But I guess… not us, huh?"
"I mean," I continued, "soldiers, politicians, billionaires—they're all superstitious as hell. They've got so much to lose, of course they'd pray to something. It's fear disguised as faith…"
My voice trailed off as realization hit me.
"Hm," Rengoku hummed as if expecting my reaction. "It seems you understand now."
"...Yeah"
It's the people who have a lot to lose that pray earnestly, but we Demon Slayers have already lost everything. Our families, our loved ones, everyone killed by demons, and our future life sacrificed in the pursuit of revenge.
"Demon Slayers have nothing to lose," I murmured. "That's why they don't pray, even if they might not see to live tomorrow."
The rest of the walk to the shrine was silent.
~~~~
"Welcome," an old priest in ceremonial robes greeted us as we stepped into the shrine.
I blinked, fingers instinctively loosening from the hilt of my katana.
'Oh?' I thought, narrowing my eyes slightly. 'He's not reacting at all. No flinching, no chanting, no trying to throw salt at me.'
It was… unusual.
Back in my old world, even the most oblivious people would react to the aura I carried, whether with unease, fear, or blind devotion. But here? Nothing.
'Come to think of it…' I glanced at the peaceful interior of the shrine. 'That strange aura I had in my past life hasn't shown up in either of these two new worlds. Did I… leave it behind when I died?'
The rest of the visit was uneventful, and yet it was this mundane routine that shocked me.
No gasps. No hushed whispers. No trembling hands pointing at me with fear. No robed monks trying to exorcise me or bowing down like I was some divine beast.
It felt... wrong. Unnatural in its normalcy.
'I'm actually in a religious place and no one is going crazy'
*Clap*
The sharp sound snapped me from my thoughts. Rengoku stood beside me, his hands pressed together in prayer, his eyes closed with a peaceful solemnity that somehow suited him perfectly. It was like the flames he embodied had settled into a soft, flickering glow—warm, not blazing.
'...Might as well try'
Following his example, I closed my eyes in prayer as well.
'Gods above, please, give me strength to save this world'
…
Nothing
No sudden warmth in my chest. No light from the heavens. No whisper of a divine voice echoing in my ears.
Just the rustle of trees in the wind. The creak of old wood. Rengoku's calm breathing beside me.
Usually, a god descends or some divine miracle happens whenever the MC of some fanfiction prays to a god, simply because they're from another world.
'Looks like I got my expectations too high'
There wasn't even the slightest rustling of a leaf for me.
*Clap*
"Hup"
Beside me, Rengoku, having finished his prayer, clapped his hands one last time before turning to me.
"Whenever you are ready, we shall leave."
"Then let's leave right now.
I turned away from the shrine without looking back.
'That was slightly disappointing, but then again,' I thought while walking away from the shrine, 'I don't want to get pulled in any divine nonsense when I'm not even the strongest in the mortal world.'
'But' I thought slightly wincing, 'What's this burning sensation in my chest?'
Unknown to the two of them, millions of miles away from Earth in the vacuum of space, a small eye on the sun was watching Aoyama.
And unknown to the sun, an infinite distance away, in the void between domains, something even more terrifying was watching the sun.
"Huh?"
My ears twitched as I heard familiar footsteps approaching.
'That's…'
"HELLO," Tanjiro yelled, his voice muffled from the breathing mask on his face., "SORRY FOR BEING LA-"
'Oh, so now he shows, after making us wait 5 hours'
"Kyojuro, let's jump him".
"What does jumping him mean?"
"I'll show you, just follow my lead."
~~~~~~
"I-I'm sworrwy"
"I can't understand what you're saying."
In front of us, Tanjiro was lying down in a dogeza position
(Dogeza- the classic anime pose where a person kneels down with their head and hands on the ground, typically to apologize or request something. This gay submissive pose is extremely common among Japanese for some reason.)
"Alright, that's enough, get up now," I said before turning to Rengoku. "You two should introduce yourselve-"
"Boy!"
"Uwaa?!"
Rengoku suddenly shouted, interrupting me and startling Tanjiro. In the blink of an eye, he dashed in front of him with such explosive speed that it looked like he had teleported. There was no sound, no gust of wind, to Tanjiro, it must've seemed like pure magic.
'So that's how he does it, huh?'
I narrowed my eyes, focusing on every subtle shift in Rengoku's posture and balance. His body moved with incredible precision
'It's a bit different than what I use'
As a Martial Artist, mastery over one's body wasn't just important—it was fundamental. I'd trained to the point where I could halt my heartbeat, slow my breathing, even stop digestion if I needed to. My silence came from internal control..
So naturally, the way Rengoku's body worked to keep his presence silent was completely different from mine, and in a sense, a slightly inferior method.
'I wonder how Tengeon does it, as a full-fledged Shinobi, his methods should be superior to even mine.'
Can't wait to steal them.
"Become my Tsugoku"
"Huh?"
"What?"
Both Tanjiro and I let out varying sounds of confusion as his absurd statement snapped my out of my thoughts.
"Your breathing style… it feels nostalgic to me. That's why I think you should come under my wing."
"Th-that's it?" Tanjiro blinked in disbelief. "You're going to take me as your Tsuguko just for that?"
He looked like someone had just handed him a promotion for breathing correctly.
"W-wait, what even is a Tsugo—"
"I will not take you as a Tsuguko," Rengoku interrupted with his usual warmth, a bright smile on his face. "Because I am not a Hashira yet."
Tanjiro blinked. Twice. What is a Hashira? Is he going to be encased in concrete and become a pillar?
"However," Rengoku continued, "I can take you in as a cultivator. And when I become the next Flame Hashira, then you may become my Tsuguko."
Such confidence.
"Um, before that," Tanjiro continued on "Can I know who you are?"
"Ah, of course, my apologies for forgetting such a crucial detail. I am Rengoku Kyojuro. I practice Flame Breathing. My official rank in the Slayer Corps is Kinoe.
Considering you asked me what a Tsugoku is, I assume you are not familiar with the Slayer Corps?"
"Yes, it hasn't been a long time since I started training, and Urokodaki-Sensei hasn't told me much yet."
"The previous Water Hashira? Then why does your breathing resemble Flame Breathing?" Rengoku said curiously, tilting his head and putting his hand up to his chin, before clapping his hands in realization, "Ah, I see, I get it now."
"You do?"
"He doesn't."
"It is because your flames of passion burn so bright, it cannot be extinguished even by water."
…
We were both momentarily speechless upon hearing that.
'What a Kyojuro way of thinking'
"...Um," Tanjiro continued, unable to formulate a response. "Thank you?"
"Shut up, you both."
Unable to handle this meaningless conversation that was giving me a headache, I finally snapped and told them both to zip it.
"How did we get from telling him about a Tsugoku to the flames of passion? Just do your introductions already."
"My name is Kyoj-"
"Not you, Kyojuro," I replied, turning to Tanjiro, "You"
"Yes, my name is Tanjiro Kamado," he said with a respectful bow. "I'm currently training under Urokodaki-sensei. I'm fifteen years old, soon to be sixteen. My senpai is Aoyama Yuito Daichi. I don't have a rank yet, since I haven't officially joined the Demon Slayer Corps. Pleased to meet you."
"Pssst," I whispered, "You left out your Breathing Technique."
"Ah! Right!" Tanjiro straightened up. "I don't know what it's officially called by the Corps, but my father called it Hinokami Kagura."
"What an exhilarating name!" Kyojuro shouted, eyes sparkling like a child's, "Hinokami Kagura—a sword dance once performed for seven days to summon the sun goddess Amaterasu! Just like how Demon Slayers draw power from the sun to defeat demons, your technique is steeped in divine symbolism. A truly fitting name!"
"Tell me, Kamado-San, was your father a Demon Slayer? I can tell that what you use is a proper breathing technique."
"I'm not really sure," Tanjiro replied, shaking his head thoughtfully. "I've never seen him fight demons—just wild animals, sometimes bears. But… he did use to warn me about demons, especially at night. So maybe… maybe he was one before he got married?"
"How interesting," Kyojuro mused, stroking his chin. "So you unknowingly come from a family of Demon Slayers, just like me—though in your case, it's limited to your father."
"That's not true," I chimed in. "Hinokami Kagura is a technique that has been passed down for generations in his family. It's just that none of his ancestors ever joined the Slayer Corps."
"Umu. How bizarre," Kyojuro said, his brows furrowing ever so slightly. "To know of demons, to possess a Breathing Technique, and yet never join the Slayer Corps… I cannot understand it."
"It's not that hard to understand," I said, genuinely confused by his confusion. "Not everyone wants to spend their life fighting demons, never knowing if they'll live to see tomorrow. Maybe… they just wanted a normal life. A quiet one. With their family."
Kyojuro fell silent for a moment, his eyes lowering just slightly as if searching for something he'd lost long ago.
"A normal life with one's family… without worrying about the future," he murmured. "So simple. And yet… for someone like me, how envious that sounds."
Suddenly, there was a shift in the atmosphere.
The amusement from Kyojuro's voice and face vanished as he took out his sheathed sword and struck the ground with it
*woosh*
A gust of wind stirred the clearing—not dramatic or supernatural, but sharp, sudden. Dust and loose leaves lifted briefly from the dirt as the pressure around us shifted, not magical, but heavy with unspoken weight.
Kyojuro's hair moved slightly in the breeze. His cape, pure white and simple, swayed gently behind him. There was no flash of fire, no theatrics—just stillness. Seriousness. The kind that makes your chest tighten even if you don't know why.
"Kamado Tanjiro," Rengoku replied seriously, the amusement in his eyes gone, replaced by a serious atmosphere.
'Wh-what is this pressure?' Tanjiro thought, his breath catching for a moment. His chest felt tight, as if the air itself had grown heavier. His lungs fought for space, and he realized—he was wheezing.
It wasn't bloodlust. It wasn't anger. It was something else entirely.
It was present.
The man standing before him didn't feel like a warm mentor or a friendly senior anymore. He felt like something forged in the heart of battle—like a blade drawn too many times to count.
The man standing in front of him was the next Flame hashira. The Kinoe ranked Kyojuro Rengoku.
'A seasoned killer', Tanjiro thought, swallowing dryly. 'Someone who's stood at death's door more times than he can remember… and walked away every time.'
'This is who he is…' Aoyama grimly thought
Most people never completely understood this guy's character. Many stories I've seen of him just have him laugh mindlessly and smile all the time, even during tragedies like a psychopath with no social EQ.
No, this is the man who has survived death countless times, the man who grew up with an abusive father who slandered his efforts and achievements no matter how grand, the one who lost his mother at a young age and had to fulfill the role of a parent for his younger brother.
This man was not born with happiness; he forged his own character as a loud-mouthed, joyful character to survive and to motivate others not to grow up as him, to give others the hope and validation he never received himself.
'And this is his real self'
The one who tests others' resolve, to see if a young boy like Tanjiro could truly fit the role of a Demon Slayer.
'If you cannot pass this test,' I thought, my eyes flickering to the shivering boy clad in his green checkered Haori, 'Then you're not fit to be a Demon Slayer.'
'I understand now,' Tanjiro thought, his eyes blazing despite the wobbling in his knees. 'If I want to become a Demon Slayer, if I want to turn her back into a human, I need to throw my humanity away.'
"I like the determination in your eyes, boy."Mizunoto, Mizunoe, Kanoto, Kanoe, Tsuchinoto, Tsuchinoe, Hinoto, Hinoe, Kinoto, and Kinoe. These are the ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps, with Kinoe being at the top.
Beyond the Kinoe rank are the Hashira, a person so powerful they cannot be ranked. The Hashira are the pillars of the Demon Slayer Corps. They serve as motivation to the rest of the Demon Slayers, a symbol of protection to humans, and destruction to demons.
The personal disciples of these Hashira are called Tsugoku. They learn their mentor's breathing techniques and succeed them as Hashira later on.
Your life was a happy one, Kamado, but just like many others, it was stripped from you by demons. The very reason for the Demon Slayer's existence is to protect the weak from suffering the same fate as us.
But to do so, we sacrifice everything. We will have no glory, no praise, no recognition. Our swords will paint us as criminals. There will be no future for you, no joy, no happiness, only killing and survival. It is very possible your family's bloodline will end with you."
"So tell me," Kyojuro exclaimed as his eyes shifted to Tanjiro, "Are you prepared for this? Do you have the will to throw away everything you have and will ever have, including your humanity, and become a killer? Can you take a life every breathing moment, even if it sometimes may not be a demon's? Give me your answer, and I will determine whether I shall take you as a Tsugoku or not."
'Wh-what?'
Tanjiro's thoughts went into a spiral, trying to make sense despite the panic within him.
'Not a demon's? Will I have to kill humans too?'
Fear, doubt, anxiety.
These are natural emotions that a person would feel when presented with the dark reality. To give up the future, to give up love, to give up his legacy, and become nothing more than a criminal hiding in plain sight, barely scraping by just to survive another day
'That's horrible'
And yet
Images of his family flashed by.
'No, how could I?'
His cheerful little brothers and sisters, who asked every day to come down the mountain with him, lay dead in cold blood
'I shouldn't even falter at something like this'
His mother, who had raised him since birth with a gentle and warm smile on her face, lay dead, protecting his younger sister.
'I will, no, I must'
And finally, his younger sister, who had once been the joy of the house, had turned into a man-eating demon and never woke up after.
''I MUST KILL MUZAN KIBUTSUJI''
Tanjiro roared as his body stopped shaking. His eyes, full of hate, looked directly into Kyojuro's cold, unfeeling eyes as if delivering a message.
"Your hatred is immense…You pass"
Just like that, Kyojuro Rengoku's expression turned back to his usual goofy smiling self, as if everything that happened just now was an illusion.
"Eh?"
Tanjiro, unable to keep up with the rapid change in atmosphere, could only let out a confused whine.
"Your determination and hatred towards demons are among some of the highest I've seen, even among the Hashira."
Rengoku's tone then slightly softened
"You must have really loved your family, Kamado."
"I…"
…
Tanjir,o who was unable to formulate a sentence, choked on his words as he clutched his chest.
"So, will you become my Tsugoku?"
"I-I'm sorry, Rengoku-Sama, but I must refuse."
"I thought so, welc- Eh? Wait, what?"
Rengoku continued on as if expecting Tanjiro to accept his offer, yet the immediate rejection left him baffled.
"Becoming your Tsugoku would mean succeeding you as the next Flame Hashira, right?" Tanjiro continued nodding on "if that is the case, then I'll have to reject Rengoku-Sama, because I cannot let go of Hinokami Kagura to learn Flame Breathing. It is the only legacy I have left of my family now."
"Hm, I see," Rengoku nodded, "it looks like I didn't explain what a Tsugoku was clearly."
"Huh?"
"Let me explain," I chimed in. "You'll probably start going off on another topic midway."
Seriously, though, does he have ADHD?
"Becoming a Tsugoku means that the Hashira will personally train the person they think has potential so they can become a Hashira themselves. You don't need to learn their breathing style, you can just use yours."
"Oh," Tanjiro murmured, "Then, I see no proble-"
"Hold it."
I stopped him before he could make a bad decision
"First of all, like Kyojuro said before, he isn't a Hashira," I clarified. "So you won't actually be a Tsugoku."
"Also, this guy is a Kinoe-ranked slayer; he has little to no free time to teach you, considering he'll be out on missions most of the time. Compared to that, it'd be much better to train under Urokodaki-Sensei, a former Hashira who can train you full time."
I paused for a moment
"Speaking of Urokodaki-Sensei, were you just going to change teachers without consulting him? That's extremely disrespectful."
"W-wait"
Tanjiro panicked as he flailed his arms around
"I'm writing a letter to Urokodaki-Sensei about this."
"N-no, please! Senpai, please have mercy!"
"Kasai?"
"CAW"
"Nooooooo"
Tanjiro wailed as he dashed at me, sticking to my leg as a fountain of tears spilled from his eyes
"PLEASE, I'M SORRY"
"Wh-wha" I said in confusion, violently swaying my leg around, yet Tanjiro still hung on like a dog. "What type of grip? Is this the so-called Anime Logic?"
Seriously, I was jerking my leg up and down at the speed of sound, yet somehow this guy wasn't affected in the least
"Ok, get off, I was joking," I said in desperation, seeing his snot inch closer towards my pants."S-seriously, GET OFF"
"AH! SORRY"
Tanjiro immediately jerked back as soon as he heard me yelling.
"HAHAHA, you both have a very good relationship as a junior and a senior."
"AND you"
Rengoku immediately jerked back as I turned towards him
"I'm going to tell your little brother, your student, and your father about you poaching students in the name of Tsugoku when you're not even a Hashira yet."
"W-wait"
"Kasa-"
This time, I couldn't even finish my sentence before Kyojuro leaped onto my leg.
However, this time, it wasn't a young inexperienced swordsman, but rather a grown man of the highest rank, so naturally, when he tackled me-
"Oomph"
-It blew the air out of my lungs
"I IMPLORE YOU, PLEASE FORGET WHAT I SAID"
"C-can't bre-"
"SENPAI"
"Wh-why" *WHEEZE* are you clinging to my leg" *WHEEZE* I already forgave you".
On one leg was a Kinoe-ranked slayer and a Hashira candidate, on the other was the only user of Sun Breathing.
And in the middle-
'Is this how I die?'
-was a man who couldn't breathe.