The room was quiet.
Only the soft sound of cicadas outside the window filled the silence. Tanjiro sat on his futon, hands resting on his lap. Jinwoo sat across from him, calm but attentive, waiting for Tanjiro to speak.
Zenitsu peeked from behind the door, wiping tears already.
Inosuke sat cross-legged, pretending he wasn't crying.
Murata quietly listened, clutching his knees.
Tanjiro inhaled deeply.
"…It started on the Mugen Train."
The air around them grew still as he continued.
---
THE STORY BEGINS
"The Mugen Train… was supposed to be a simple mission. So many people had disappeared. And Rengoku-san… he smiled the entire time."
Jinwoo nodded slightly.
He'd seen it — that famous, unbreakable smile.
Tanjiro continued softly.
"At first, we were trapped in a dream by a demon named Enmu. He made people sleep… and tried to destroy us from the inside. But Rengoku-san—"
Tanjiro clenched his fist.
"—He saved all of us. Again and again."
He swallowed, the memory still painful and warm.
"Then Me and Inosuke cut through the demon's neck while the entire train was moving. He was… unbelievable."
Inosuke nodded silently.
Zenitsu bit his lip
Tanjiro continues
"And then…"
Tanjiro's voice shook slightly.
"Akaza appeared."
Jinwoo's expression sharpened.
Stone-hard.
Focused.
"Akaza?" he asked quietly.
Tanjiro nodded.
"He was Upper Rank 3. His aura… it was overwhelming. It felt like a mountain crushing us."
The memory replayed in Tanjiro's eyes like a flame.
"Akaza gave Rengoku-san two options:
Become a demon…
or die."
Zenitsu covered his mouth.
Inosuke's hands shook.
Jinwoo lowered his gaze.
"…And Rengoku refused."
Tanjiro whispered:
"He said humans become stronger because their lives are short. He said that growing old… dying… is beautiful. That it gives meaning to life."
Jinwoo felt a deep heaviness in his chest.
Those were words he understood far too well.
Life was fleeting.
That was why he fought.
That was why he protected.
Tanjiro continued, voice trembling.
"Rengoku-san fought Akaza alone. His ribs were broken. His eye was crushed. His stomach was impaled."
Zenitsu sobbed loudly.
Inosuke wiped his eyes aggressively.
"I'm not crying, shut up!"
Murata sniffed.
Tanjiro looked down at his hands, tears forming.
"But he still protected everyone. He kept fighting until sunrise."
Jinwoo nodded slowly.
"That's the kind of man he was."
Tanjiro's voice broke.
"In the end… he smiled. And he told me… that I had the ability to keep moving forward."
A tear rolled down Tanjiro's cheek.
Jinwoo placed a hand on his shoulder gently.
"Tanjiro… he didn't die meaninglessly. His strength didn't vanish. You moved that boulder because of the flame he left in you."
Tanjiro inhaled sharply, trying to stay strong.
Jinwoo continued softly:
"That fire… is still burning."
Zenitsu nodded, eyes red.
Inosuke whispered, "…Yeah."
Murata agreed, voice shaking.
---
Jinwoo leaned back slightly, hands folded together.
In the anime… in Jinah's words… he always knew Rengoku was strong.
But hearing it from someone who stood beside him…
who felt that warmth…
who watched that sacrifice…
It hit differently.
"He fought like a hero," Jinwoo said quietly.
Tanjiro nodded firmly.
"He was a true Hashira. Even Akaza… feared him and his strength."
Jinwoo's eyes narrowed with a cold spark.
"So Akaza… killed him."
Tanjiro lowered his head.
"…Yes."
Jinwoo exhaled.
A faint, dangerous aura flickered behind him.
A king listening to the story of a fallen warrior.
"Then one day, Tanjiro…"
Jinwoo said softly.
"If destiny lets me face that demon…"
His expression hardened.
"I will make sure Rengoku's fire reaches him, I will avenge for rengoku."
Tanjiro's eyes widened.
Zenitsu gasped.
Inosuke clenched his fists.
Murata trembled.
But Jinwoo's face softened again immediately.
"…But for now, this is your story. Your growth. Your fire."
He looked at Tanjiro with genuine warmth.
"Tell me more about him. What else did Rengoku teach you?"
Tanjiro smiled through tears.
"He taught me that being strong… means being kind. Protecting others. Smiling even through pain."
Jinwoo nodded.
"That's something you do naturally."
Tanjiro's eyes widened in gratitude.
---
THE SCENE ENDS GENTLY
The lantern flickered.
The room was quiet again.
Tanjiro sat with a peaceful expression…
still sad…
still trembling…
but also stronger.
Jinwoo leaned back, finally understanding the flame behind Tanjiro's heart.
Zenitsu sniffled.
Inosuke tried to stop him.
Murata quietly hugged his knees.
Outside, the wind passed through Gyomei's garden…
carrying the warmth of a flame that would never go out.
---
END OF CHAPTER 19
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