NOTE:

Ryu is a Kimetsu no Yaiba/Demon Slayer fan OC! It’s a is a popular manga/anime about an organized group of demon slayers in Japan during the Taisho era. Ryu and Haruka's storyline is not canon-compliant: the young main protagonists of the original story don't exist in this AU. Ryu’s story is entwined with an other slayer named Haruka, who belongs to @perisceris!

General

His full given name is Ryunosuke, but he goes by just Ryu. He's a cheerful and easy-going person, a good listener, and someone who is very passionate about his work and hobbies. He takes most things in stride and always makes an effort to look on the bright side of things. He takes good care of himself, and always shows up with a fresh face and shiny hair! If he were an animal, he would be a tiger.

Ryu is a flame breath user who takes over as the flame pillar after Rengoku dies. He's very confident and energetic, and though he does enjoy lounging and enjoying the finer things in life in his downtime, he loves the excitement of going on missions. While his cheerful personality makes him seem like a carefree person, he takes his job very seriously, and is very capable when it comes to the art of killing demons.

He is ambidextrous and very agile, which allows him to effortlessly switch his sword from one hand to the other to throw off his opponent. His fighting style is very showy, and incorporates a lot of elaborate spins and backflips. 

He’s quite a flashy guy in general! He thrives off attention, and wants to be a beaming ray of light and hope and inspiration to people. Being a demon slayer gives him a strong sense of purpose, and he truly feels like he was born to protect people. He probably has a bit of a savior complex.

STORY

Ryu is from a wealthy family, and has a taste for luxurious things and fancy food. He got his scar when he was a little kid, and had his first brush with demons. His town came under attack and his family was murdered in front of him, but a demon slayer — Rengoku — swept in and saved Ryu at the last moment. Ryu immediately knew that he wanted to be like that man; someone with a presence that instills hope in other people, and who is dependable and strong enough to protect others.

He starts training under Rengoku, who uses a flame breathing technique, breezes through the final selection, and becomes a demon slayer using the same sword style as his mentor. After some time he ends up going on a mission with an other slayer named Haruka. Haruka is a quiet and serious person who hides his emotions, and is very much Ryu's opposite — but they complement each other really well, and they soon form a team. They both develop feelings for each other over time, but they never confess.

Ryu is the kind of person who wants to commit himself completely; he doesn't want to make any compromises, or make any promises that he can't keep. He won't confess to Haruka, because he knows that as long as he's a slayer, his job will have to be his first priority, and he knows that if Haruka and him become romantically involved, his heart will be divided. If he ends up in a situation where he has to choose, he won't have time to hesitate. And as long as he has his duties, he can't choose Haruka. Similarly, he believes that Haruka deserves someone who will always choose him first.

Ryu eventually meets his end while on a mission. He gets severely injured during a long and difficult fight, but manages to deal the finishing blow to the demon before collapsing from blood loss. He dies in Haruka's arms with a smile on his face, comforted by the presence of the person he loves, and the knowledge that he saved a town and fulfilled his duty. He dies with no regrets.

Reincarnation

Ryu & Haruka’s story didn't end well in the past, but they are both reincarnated later and given a second chance. In the modern universe storyline Ryu has no recollection of his past life, but Haruka sometimes has strange dreams that seem more like memories.

Because Ryu died feeling content — in the arms of the person he loved, and knowing that he fulfilled his duty as a demon slayer — those feelings carried over into his next life. So when he is reincarnated, his soul is at peace, and when he meets Haru, Ryu's feelings for him return almost immediately.

Haru on the other hand didn't realize his feelings for Ryu until Ryu died, so Haru lives the rest of his life filled with regret. When he is reincarnated those feelings are carried over, and because his soul is unrestful, he's plagued by nightmares about losing someone important, and a feeling of wanting to do things differently this time.

Reincarnated Ryu has his own character page, and you can read more about his future life there!