Tsunami of Dead Tears: Part 1

Chapter 5

Giyuu and Shinobu both camped out at a hillside overlooking a small dirt road stretching from the east village. It was deep in the night, and they were contemplating on how they were going to break into the fort in Mount Yoshino. Unfortunately, they couldn't find a good place to slip in undetected. Infiltration was off the table as their schedules and routines were extremely strict, and if any guard acted even remotely suspicious, Douma would get straight out of there. There was a large unguarded cliff on the left side of the fort, but scaling it without any proper tools would be impossible.

"If only that old fart helped us," Shinobu scoffed. "we would be over that cliff right now."

Giyuu stayed silent. He agreed just as much. Having Urokodaki-sensei would have been extremely helpful.

Shinobu's face brightened as an idea clicked in her mind. "Hey, what if we kill Douma when he isn't in the fort?"

"You mean when he travels from Mount Yoshino to Mitsue?" Giyuu asked.

"Exactly."

"Hmm... that actually could be a good idea."

Just then, the two Hashiras heard rustling. Two demons from the east village were walking through the dirt road. Shinobu and Giyuu both layed on their stomachs and watched from the cliff above. The demons were quite loud, so Shinobu and Giyuu could hear every word.

"-rustrating." A fat demon said. "Absoloutely frustrating. How the hell are we gonna stand here and let that Upper Moon take 80% of all our food? Good food, too! Kids, women, y'know, the ones that actually eat. We're left with the skinny farmer boys and men. I'm sorry, but I can't handle it!"

"Watch your mouth!" The other demon, a muscular demon sneered at the fat demon. "Talk that sass again, and I'm telling Lord Douma."

"Like I give a crap." The fat demon replied. "I'd rather die than have to eat another farmer boy. That Douma guy doesn't even eat them anyway! All he does is store them in that fort of his, not harming a single one!"

Giyuu's eyes widened at this news. Women and children? All alive? In the fort?!

Giyuu turned to Shinobu. "We need to slip into the fort to free those people."

Shinobu just shook her head. "No. Too risky. We stick with killing Douma on the road."

"Risky?! If we leave them there to rot, they all die! If we kill Douma before freeing them, the other demons won't be restricted with rules, and they'll still all die!"

"So?"

Giyuu was so shocked from her answer that he had to ask her again. "I'm sorry, what did you say?!"

Shinobu snapped her head at Giyuu. "Look, I came here to kill Douma. Nothing else. If we raid the fort and free those people, Douma escapes scot-free. I can't let that happen."

"Human lives matter more than personal grudges!" Giyuu yelled. "We're demon slayers. You have to learn to push all your emotions aside and focus on what's right. Imagine how many people will suffer your pain. The pain of losing someone they love. Do you want that to happen?!"

Shinobu stared at Giyuu for a moment. This was the most he has ever said to her, and for the first time ever, Shinobu saw genuine emotion in Giyuu's eyes. Emotion that was reawakened from a tragic past.

The feeling of losing someone you love...

But she shook away these thoughts. Douma was her only priority! She's willing to die to avenge her sister, no matter the cost. It was her entire purpose! That's why she kept consuming wisteria...

The memory. The pain. The wisteria. These emotions only made her more furious. Her consideration for all other human life was completely gone, replaced with unrelenting hate for the demon that took her sister away from her.

"You do it, then!" Shinobu said to Giyuu. "If you really feel like a hero, if you really think it's the 'right thing to do', if you can't understand how important this is to me, go then!"

Giyuu grit his teeth. Yes, technically he could let go of Shinobu and save them, but not only would that let Shinobu descend further into hate and vengeance, but it might also lead to her own death.

Okayata-sama's words came back to him.

As strong as she may act, she is still stuck in that perpetual state of rage she felt when she lost Kanae...

So I trust you to protect her. I know you're more than capable...

He would be failing Okayata-sama if he let her go.

But the people..

"SLAYER!" One of the demon's shouted. Shinobu and Giyuu dropped their conversation and looked at them, ready to slice their heads off, but for some reason the demons weren't pointing at them...

Suddenly, a loud explosion and a flash of light came from the trees, blasting the ground where the demons' feet stood. Their legs were blown off their torsos, and soon the dirt, rubble, and body parts fell back to the ground.

A dark shadow quickly swept through the muscular demon, chopping his head off. The fat demon, without legs, tried crawling on the ground to escape, but his weight made his movements sluggish, and ultimately, the shadow lobbed the fat demon's head off as well.

The moonlight pierced through the trees, revealing the shadow's face.

It was Urokodaki.

He looked at the two Hashiras, and despite there being a mask covering his face, he quite invisibly smiled.

"I changed my mind, Giyuu." He said. "I'm coming with you."

Shinoby sighed. "Finally! Some good news."

Giyuu walked over to Urokodaki.

"What's with the change of heart, sensei?"

"Ah, it's nothing." Urokodaki replied. "We can talk about it later."

"You know that I'm not satisfied with that answer, right?"

Urokodaki sighed, then looked up at Giyuu. "I had... connections with people in the west village. They reminded me of a much simpler time, when I wasn't a slayer. I heard that people were gathered in that fort, and I know where all those people are coming from. So I'm here to save them."

Giyuu stared at Urokodaki. Judging from the clenching of his hands, and the subversion of his gaze, he was definitely hiding something.

But he decided to let it go for now. "Well, good to have you."

Urokodaki nodded. "Good to be back."

END OF CHAPTER 5

Woah! Tense argument, moral dilemma, and a mysterious Urokodaki! What could possibly happen next? 🤔

Thanks for sticking with this story. It really means a lot. Leave comments down below!

-Mr. Veyrum