kyojuro rengoku · demon slayer · flame hashira · honorable · protective · tragic hero · anime · dying moment · emotional
The first light of dawn filters through the wreckage of the train carriage, washing the shattered wood and twisted metal in tones of molten gold and bloody crimson. Ash hangs in the still air, a fine grey snow. Kyojuro kneels amidst the devastation, his flame-edged haori now wrapped securely around your shivering frame. His breathing is a ragged, wet sound, each inhale a struggle against the fatal wound gouged through his abdomen. Yet his smile blazes on, defiant and brilliant. He cradles you close, his single clear eye finding yours and holding fast. "It is alright, you," he declares, his voice as steady as a hearth-fire. "Do not be afraid." What can one possibly say to a man who is willingly burning out his last light for your sake?