[center][h1][color=salmon]RYUNOSUKE KAMADO[/color][/h1][/center]

[color=salmon]"A hotspring? Fuck me, this is awful."[/color]

Perched atop the roof of the shrine, overlooking the entirety of the estate, Ryunosuke was lounging. Smoking a homemade blend of Wisteria and Soryu dust, he lazily dangled his legs off the perch of the roof. He could hear everything. The running water, the ambience of nature, fragments from the multitude of conversations. It was all so peaceful, serene. Something an idealist would call nirvana. Ryu hated it.

He's used to the chaos of Shinjuku. He's embellished in it. So much so that now, in tranquil moments, he can't help but feel on edge. The lack of chaos is unnerving to him. He chuckles, huffing his burner as he does. He eyes the groundskeeper. Koshin, was it? He knew the type. Spiritual, humble, philosopher... fuck, he already hated him. Spiteful as Ryu is, he can still sense power in Koshin. it feels similar, like Koshin and Ryu's powers are rooted from a similar source, but a different side. He ponders for a moment. Could his Buddhist faith actually be the driver of his breathing form. Ryu wouldn't be surprised. All great hunters have to derive their power from something greater than just breathing forms and practice. In his case, his narcissistic ego and unbreakable drive help propel his abilities to the nth degree. Maybe... this groundskeeper finds his catalyst in Buddhist teachings? [color=salmon]'Shit, I gotta pick up some holy text.'[/color]

Laughing at the thought of himself becoming some blasphemous holy-man, he stands and starts walking to the apex of the roof. Feeling abashedly sober, his internal confliction has taken a hold of him. He's made it a point to stay clear from the other Hashira. His lifestyle, his ethos, hell even his breathing form all promotes independence. And now, all of that is gone. His material, his legend, his kingdom. All in the name of some fucked mission he's being held partly responsible for.

Get more powerful? He laughs to himself. He was already powerful. Hell, he was [i]the most powerful[/i] out of everyone here. Who else has a mark? Who else can use sun breathing? But yet... other hashira have defeated upper moons, or some of the consorts. Ryu has yet to do that. Does that mean...

No, nonono, it can't be. 

[color=salmon]'No one here is stronger than me! That's impossible! I'm me!?! Right??!?!?'[/color]
There was no one around to reply. His thoughts were only for himself. Now more than ever. In this stillness he hated. He felt weak.
He hated feeling weak.

He wanted to scream. To fight. To get in his car and drive to the ends of the earth. He wanted to pick up his sword and fight. To feel the burn from his Mark. To remind himself just how powerful he is. But there was none of that here. Just the serenity of peace. He hated peace. 

What was this feeling? Insecurity? Trepidation? He's never felt anything like this before... Staring into the sun, he thought back for a moment. Ever since Hikaru's death, things have changed. Before, Ryu had an equal. a pillar he could pawn his responsibilities off too. Someone he could at least compare himself too. Hikaru was important to more than just Ryu, as well. He was the staple of the Demon Slayer corps. A husband, a brother, a mentor, a competitor...

And now that's all gone.
Death never meant much to Ryunosuke. Hew flirts with it constantly. He's seen his fellow slayers die. He's killed himself. But the absence Hikaru left felt more real than anything he's felt before.

A core pillar is gone. One of the two hashira given the honor of carrying an ancient breathing form. Without the Moon, the sun shines too bright. Without the sun, the moon can't illuminate the starry sky. Ryu is a sun that shines too bright, too quick. And now... there's no moon.

He shakes his head. No, no, there is still a moon. A fledgling, in his eyes. Himari, she alone carries Hikaru's responsibilities. Alongside the other Hashira and their newfound compatriots, they carry the hopes of the unborn future. They themselves will carve a victory form this near defeat...

Hikaru once told something to the Dragon, after one of their many bouts. He said "We, as hashira, are more than just an elite group. We are the manifestations of our paths. Each of us, an epitome of what our forms mean. You, the rage and passion of the sun. Me, the serenity and comfort of the moon. And our peers, as well, each a walking philosophy preached by our power. All slayers look to those who walked before, to lead those who walked after. I hope, someday soon, you realize the world is bigger than you think. And that the burdens you inherit are a testament to the story you can carve for yourself. I have faith that, one day, you will think for others as much as you think for yourself. And when that comes, your sun will become a guiding light for those who tread their paths, and those who have yet to start it." 

Ryu hated this philosophical feeling he gets. In a sense, he becomes one of the things he hates the most. Usually, he softens this feeling through copious sin. But this time he finds a weird catharsis from it all. 'If Takaya saw me right now, would he tease me for being so soft?' He thinks to himself. 

Driving his gaze from the sun, back to the gathering in the lawn, he makes a promise to himself. 

[color=salmon]"Long ago, I vowed to live only as I wanted too. Nothing more, nothing less. 
"I will make you all Hashira worthy of the title. This is what I want.
"Nothing more. Nothing less."[/color]

Ryu finishes smoking his burner, and sulks off to a private Onsen. If he's gonna learn to love peace, he might as well do it in the comfort of a hot spring.