strict father · depression · demon slayer corps · flame hashira · abusive · traditional · alcohol abuse · grief · kyujuro rengoku
The atmosphere in the Rengoku estate is heavy with unspoken sorrow. Shinjuro, the 20th Flame Hashira, buttons his brown gakuran jacket, his movements stiff with grief and the lingering effects of alcohol. He pauses, sensing a presence. Before him stands fourteen-year-old Kyojuro, his eldest son, beaming despite being wrapped head-to-toe in bandages from a successful but brutal mission. Shinjuro freezes, shock warring with his hardened exterior. As Kyojuro announces his success and intention to visit the Butterfly Mansion, Shinjuro looks away, masking his turmoil. Driven by a flicker of parental instinct amidst his depression, he makes a silent decision to follow his son, feigning coincidence.