Yoshizuru Asato never felt like his story was anything special.
He was just like everyone else—like most members of the Demon Slayer Corps.
His family had been killed by demons, and he was the only one who survived. Afterward, he was taken in by the Corps, trained in swordsmanship under a cultivator, and eventually became a full-fledged Demon Slayer.
That was it.
It was the same story shared by so many within the Corps. Asato never spoke of his past; he simply carried the weight of his hatred for demons in his heart.
And so he killed them—killed demons again and again, with no thought of stopping. He would keep slaying until the day he died.
He had never once regretted it. Not until he met that strange kid—Takeo Kamado.
But what happened half a month ago… that was something Yoshizuru Asato still regretted.
A team member had died.
Truthfully, Asato had been in the Corps for many years. He had seen many comrades die. He had led more than a few missions himself—missions in which young Demon Slayers lost their lives.
It shouldn't have shaken him.
But this time was different.
Because that day… he should have been the one to stay behind.
For those comrades who had fallen in battle, Asato had always accepted that their deaths were unavoidable—inevitable, even.
He had done everything he could. And while he mourned them, he never regretted those sacrifices.
Until now.
Only Sakoma Iori, a fifteen-year-old girl, should have been assigned the task of escorting the wounded team member to safety that day.
But in the end, she chose to stay behind.
Yoshizuru Asato's only mistake was not insisting—he should have made her go while he stayed.
There had been plenty of reasons at the time.
The demon, the dirt child demon, was incredibly powerful, and they couldn't afford to waste any more time. The injured person had already been hanging on for a full day. His condition was deteriorating rapidly, and he needed to be taken to the Kakushi for immediate treatment.
But no matter the justification, in Yoshizuru Asato's heart, Sakoma had died because of him.
That incident left a scar in his heart—one he still hasn't been able to move past.
So when Takeo invited him to stay and become Flame Hashira Kyojuro Rengoku's apprentice, Yoshizuru Asato refused.
He believed he was unworthy—he didn't have the talent to be trained by the Flame Hashira.
He chose to continue slaying demons, thinking it was the only way he could atone for his guilt over what had happened.
Then came a mission: he was assigned to lead a team to Mito to investigate the case of several missing scholars.
And then—
He encountered the Shadow Demon—Lower Rank Three of the Twelve Kizuki!
It was immediately clear that this wasn't an opponent they could handle.
They didn't even manage to catch sight of the demon's true form before they were nearly wiped out.
In the end, only Yoshizuru Asato and two other team members survived.
The Shadow Demon had already taken control of the other two team members and initially intended to control Yoshizuru Asato as well. But because Asato resisted too fiercely, the demon chose instead to torture him publicly—to break his spirit in front of the others.
That torture lasted for more than a day. Just as Asato was beginning to lose hope, Takeo appeared.
The moment he saw Takeo, a flicker of joy passed through his heart.
Because he knew how powerful Takeo was—this red-haired kid might really have the strength to kill a member of the Twelve Kizuki.
But that joy quickly turned into fear. Because while Takeo was strong, Asato also knew that he had never experienced something like this.
Takeo could be deceived by his comrades.
He might hesitate to act because of them. Asato thought.
Reality proved Asato's fears correct. Takeo chose to save him… and walked straight into the Shadow Demon's trap.
He was injured.
Because of Yoshizuru Asato.
Neither regret nor guilt could fully capture the turmoil in Asato's heart. He should have realized—he should have known—that the moment he was rescued, the only right choice was to take his own life.
Only then could he have prevented Takeo from stepping into danger.
But hesitation… and the instinct to live… held him back from making that choice.
He had made the wrong decision again.
So now, he stood before Takeo and took the fatal blow in his place.
That, at least, was something he could do right.
"Takeo... can you still move...?"
His body was wracked with pain, his life ticking away, but Yoshizuru Asato could still fight.
He turned his back to Takeo and asked the question.
Takeo gritted his teeth and forced himself to his feet, activating his Breathing Technique to accelerate his healing.
"Well enough," he replied.
"Give me a sword..." Asato said.
Without hesitation, Takeo handed him one of his Nichirin blades. It was water-blue in color—the blade shimmering like a calm river. The handle was also a deep blue, and the tsuba resembled flowing water.
It was Sakoma Iori's sword.
Asato froze for a moment when he saw it, recognizing it instantly. But he quickly collected himself and looked at Takeo.
"You trust me?"
"Oh, of course."
"Then… I'll leave the Twelve Kizuki to you. As for the rest..." Asato shifted his stance. His gaze locked onto another possessed Demon Slayer Corps member. "...Leave them to me!!"
Asato shouted as he charged forward, sword slicing through the air like a gust of wind!
Only then did Takeo understand what he meant by "leave the rest to me."
Takeo stared at Asato's back without saying a word. He tightened his grip on his sword and charged straight toward the Shadow Demon hiding within the wall.
"Kehehehe~~ You think adding one more person will be enough to defeat me?! Foolish! Go to hell!"
The Shadow Demon's voice cackled from the wall as countless tendrils of darkness shot toward Takeo, already battered and bleeding.
A wolf's howl echoed through the room, and spectral wolves swept through the air with the wind. Takeo's blades slashed through the oncoming shadows, cutting them down one by one.
Weaving between the darkness, Takeo closed in on the wall where the Shadow Demon lurked and raised his sword high.
Wolf Breathing, Fifth Form – Eightfold Fang!
His slashes came faster than the eye could follow—eight strikes in the blink of an eye, all targeting the precise location where the Shadow Demon was hiding.
But… it was useless.
The demon had melted deeper into the wall's shadows, unharmed.
Then—he struck back.
A surge of shadow exploded outward, slamming into Takeo's midsection.
Bang!!
The blow landed directly between his chest and abdomen, fracturing bones and mangling organs. While not fatal for someone like Takeo, it was enough to severely disrupt his movements.
No…
Mid-air, Takeo clenched his teeth as he glared at the Shadow Demon's twisted face, still laughing wildly from within the shadows.
This isn't working. No matter how strong the technique, it means nothing if it doesn't land.
I have to force him out of the shadows… but how?
Flame?
Would Flame Breathing work?
Fire Breathing... should he try Fire Breathing?
Takeo turned his blade, preparing to switch to Fire Breathing—but then, a faint voice drifted into his ears.
—It's Kagura.
What?
—It's Kagura, Takeo.
"...Kagura...?"
Suddenly, a series of images flickered before his eyes—a memory that didn't seem to belong to him. A scene he had never lived through appeared vividly in his mind.
A boy, slightly older than Takeo and resembling him in appearance, was dancing around a flame in the snow. He wore a ceremonial kimono, like those used in festival rituals.
"This is the Kagura dedicated to Lord Kagami."
A gentle hand rested on his head. Takeo turned and saw a man—frail, emaciated, as if he were wasting away—but smiling gently.
"This is Kagura, Hinokami Kagura — the Dance of the Fire God," the man said softly.
That was how he introduced it to Takeo.
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