[Demon Slayer] Snow at Night

"My name is Kuki Fuyuya. I'm a swordsman of the Demon Slayer Corps."

On a snowy night, a handsome young man with hair streaked crimson and white said to the charcoal seller's boy.

The blade flashed. Snow fell in silence.

"I've come on behalf of my mentor, Jigoro Kuwajima, to visit Mr. Sakonji Urokodaki."

"Meeting you and the girl behind you was just a coincidence."

The swordsman's hand rested on his scabbard.

And so the gears of fate began to turn, all the way to the end.

Looking back, we linger.

Even a fleeting moment can be unbearably cold.

That is the dark of night.

It is the fear and the escape, the reason he set out.

Selfless, egoless.

One who keeps burning, only to consume the darkness.

That is the morning sun.

It is the last ember left after all that happened on this journey.

Eradicate corruption and welcome tomorrow.

Please note:

This is a Demon Slayer-only fanfic. I'm not a professional writer; this is a work born of heartache after watching the movie. The premise is, "If everyone had been there for the final battle, things would surely have gone better." The whole story is an excuse to make that happen, and it is told from the protagonist's perspective. Even the original events will differ in some ways, and the story contains plenty of the author's interpretations. It's perfectly normal to have different opinions, but please don't argue over them. That's what matters most.

The protagonist's core traits (a strategist, ambidextrous, a modified form of Thunder Breathing, and so on) all serve the goal of "making amends for regrets as much as possible within reason." Details unrelated to that goal may not be thoroughly researched, as my time and energy are limited.

The main focus is on character relationships, with Giyu as the romantic pairing. The narration leans toward the pursuing partner's perspective, with only a very small amount of romantic tension. The plot comes first, with romance as a secondary thread.

Regarding setting issues (the new Pillar of Thunder), the protagonist's relationship with a controversial character from the series (Kaigaku) will be depicted, but he will absolutely not be whitewashed.

The protagonist is somewhat overpowered, mainly in terms of combat ability, but may have suffered traumatic experiences that could be upsetting, even leaving them with PTSD. This is not a power fantasy. There are painful moments, as well as a few original-series tragedies brought back for another round.

Key plot points (spoilers, but please bear with them to preserve the reading experience):

The Kamado family will die.

Himejima will still be imprisoned.

Tengen will still end up killing his own family.

Shinjuro will still fall into despair.

Tsutako, Sabito, and Makomo will die.

Shinobu and Kanae's parents will die.

Mitsuri will still be rejected.

Yuichiro will survive.

Sanemi's mother and family will die.

Obanai will still be disfigured.

Kanae will survive, but step down from her position.

Kyojuro will survive.

Ordinary swordsmen will die in the battles against the Upper Ranks.

Basically, tragedies caused by mismatched timelines or the limits of what one person can do can't be avoided. The rest will be changed as much as possible.

As for an ending where everyone survives, I plan to write a true happy-ending side story where they become demons and infiltrate the enemy from within, bringing them down from the inside (laughs).

Theme: The responsibility to protect others is a hope people give themselves