❥❥ Renewed Love ❣A RenKaza Story❣

Punishment

Word Count: 1146

It sounds like a Smut chapter, but I swear it's not 😭 😭 😭

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The sun was setting. Akaza would soon be able to leave that cave. He would have to report to Lord Muzan immediately. He was dreading it. He knew almost exactly what would happen. Muzan would be so disappointed to know that he failed to kill both the flame hashira and the boy with the hanafuda earrings. Lord Muzan would hurt him. Akaza knee this much... His stomach did flips at just the thought of confronting his master.

He took a deep breath, preparing himself for what would come next. Akaza slowly left his cave once the sun had fully set. The moon was just rising above the treeline. Akaza knew to just run to Lord Muzan's estate. It would be worse if he came late.

Finally, the giant mansion came into view. Lord Muzan was doing his research here in disguise. He looked like a kid, but all the upper ranks knew who he was...

Akaza jumped onto the balcony and kneeled before his king. He could see his master inside the library, flipping through pages of his book.

"Reporting in as requested, Lord Muzan." The boy turned to look at the demon. He looked so normal, no one would have known he was none other than the demon king.

His eyes turned red and slit. "Were you able to find what I asked for?" He asked in a silky voice. Nothing as you'd expect.

Akaza cringed on the inside. He had not been able to find that damned flower anywhere. It was as if it didn't exist. He spoke, "I looked into it, but came up empty-handed. I couldn't find the blue spider lily... There wasn't even a trace of its existence."

It was silent for about 3 counts before Lord Muzan spoke again. Just one word. "And?"

"I will try to live up to your expectations, forgive my unworthy efforts." I tried to apologize hoping it would ease the pain I knew was coming.

It was silent for a longer period this time. Lord Muzan spoke again, his anger rising. "And what of the flame hashira? Did you at least eliminate him...?" He spoke slowly and calmly but Akaza could tell his master was starting to get upset.

Akaza tried to break the news in the best way, "I was unsuccessful in killing the flame hashira. My deepest apologies Lord Muzan... I will do better next time..."

Muzan snapped. The glass windows behind Akaza shattered as Muzan sent a wave of pain through Akaza's body. He started to crush Akaza's cells. Akaza's vision swarmed and he swayed as he struggled to stay kneeling. 

"Akaza... You have failed me once again. You are upper moon 3, yet you've somehow failed at the simple and easy task of eliminating a hashira. I expect a demon to be able to kill a mere human. You have failed at doing so. You are useless to me."

As he said this he ripped the pages of his book out, tearing them to shreds as Akaza tried to keep himself from puking blood all over the hardwood floor. Muzan's cells threaten to destroy him from the inside out. Still, Muzan continued to berate him, "You have not found the spider lily nor have you found any useful information on the blue spider lily. You have not found the master of the demon slayer corps. You can't even kill one hashira. I expect you to wipe out the Demon Slayer Corps altogether. Four demon slayers were on the train and you let all four live. You are a disgrace to the upper ranks."

There was a short pause where all you could hear was Akaza wincing and grunting in pain. Muzan stared deeply into Akaza's soul. Akaza wanted to die at that moment. He was in so much pain.

Muzan resumed his verbal and physical beating, "How far you have fallen uppermoon three... I am disappointed so." The whole shredded book fell to the ground. Slowly Muzan lifted the curse off of Akaza. He stopped trembling once the pain was gone. Muzan spoke one last time, "You are dismissed upper moon 3. I wish to not see you for the rest of the year... You have greatly disappointed me..."

Akaza got up off the floor with great struggle, then took a little bow before he jumped back off the balcony. As he walked away from the mansion he held back tears.

He couldn't believe it. All he could think was "At least I'm still alive..."

Why couldn't he kill that hashira... Thinking back on it, he was faster than Kyojuro and he could've easily overpowered him... So why didn't he..?

One thing Akaza knew for sure though, he was going to stay away from the upper ranks his embarrassment was immeasurable. If he saw any upper moon he probably would've run away.

Akaza walked through the woods thinking silently to himself. Something was changing inside him... He didn't quite know what, but he was aware of this change. The feeling that he felt when he was with Kyojuro. It was linked. It had to be...

Akaza stopped walking. He sat down on the forest floor. He listened to the sound of the bugs and other forest animals around him. He sighed before he leaned against a tree. He looked up at the dark sky. The stars were especially beautiful that night. The moon was almost full. The stars were shining brighter than usual, they even lit up the forest.

Akaza sighed deeply before concluding...

"I need to find Kyojuro..."

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Kyojuro lay in a hospital bed in the butterfly estate. The insect hashira was doing her best to stabilize his condition. Kyojuro was nearly blind in one eye. He had internal bleeding and needed to be carefully watched. 

Kyojuro opened his one eye that still worked and looked around the room. His brother Senjuro sat in a chair by the bed. When he noticed that Kyojuro had awoken, he shouted for joy.

"Brother! You're awake!" Tears streamed down the little one's face. Kyojuro chuckled a bit before he tried to reach out to his brother. Senjuro gladly took his hand.

"You fought upper 3! Was it scary? Are you okay now?!" Senjuro bombarded Kyojuro with questions while all he did was beam up at his brother.

Just then, Shinobu comes rushing into the room and pushes Senjuro out. "I have to inspect Kyojuro now that he's awake. You can talk to him after, alright?" She smiled down at the kid before closing the door.

Kyojuro was still very much out of it. The good news is he felt no more pain due to the amount of painkillers he had in his system. Thanks to Shinobu Kocho, Kyojuro was on the path to full recovery.

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