Tsunami of Dead Tears: Part 1

Chapter 8

"CAW! CAW! CAW! SHINOBU KOCHOU AND GIYUU TOMIOKA! WITHDRAW FROM YOUR CURRENT MISSION AND REPORT TO OKAYATA-SAMA!"

The absolute worst time for that command.

Shinobu didn't falter. "Screw the bird! Douma is right there!"

"Kochou, wait!" Giyuu shouted. "If Okayata-sama is asking us to withdraw, it must be something important!"

Shinobu ignored this. She stole a horse from the stables and rode off to chase Douma's carriage. Giyuu, desperate to protect Shinobu, got on a horse as well.

Shinobu forced the horse to run as fast as it can. Eventually, she caught up with the carraige. There were a few straw hat demons with horses surrounding the carraige. In a swift motion, Shinobu rode beside one of the demons and cut off it's head. The demon's horse was still moving, but the rider was headless, blood spurting out like a fountain in the wind.

Shinobu sliced a few more demon's heads off and rushed to Douma's carraige. She leapt off her horse and landed on the back. After a struggle, she managed to get up to the roof. She drew her Nichirin blade and started stabbing through the roof, attempting to hit Douma from above.

"DOUMA!" Shinobu screamed below her. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

Shinobu used her blade to slice a small hole on the roof, and without even looking down, dropped down the hole and into the carriage.

It was empty.

Shinobu sat there, confused. She checked the seat, she checked the back, nothing.

She looked at the rider in the front, and the rider's head turned to her.

It was the same disgusting grin.

Douma, disguised as the rider of the carriage, burst his hand through the opening connecting the rider's seat and the carriage seats. His hands wrapped around Shinobu's throat and squeezed.

Shinobu tried to rip his hands off her neck but to no avail. She was choking now, and she struggled to breath. Douma pulled in his arm and brought Shinobu's face to his chest.

He was absorbing her.

Instead of fear, confusion, or even fury, Shinobu felt peace in her final moments.

I did it, Kanae. In a few minutes, all the wisteria in my system will transfer to him.

Her body was slowly consumed, bit by bit. She loved every second of it. From the corner of her eye, She could see a hand reaching out to her.

Kanae? Is that you?

The hand grabbed her back and started pulling her away from Douma.

Wait, Kanae, what are you doing?

She felt herself being torn out of Douma's embrace. None of her body parts were permanently absorbed.

Douma hasn't consumed the wisteria yet.

Kanae, wait! He won't die if he doesn't absorb me! What are you trying to do?! Kanae, why am I failing again?!

As her final limbs were freed from Douma's body, her eyes met a face holding her sister's eyes. They were so close to her face that she almost got lost in them.

The face shouted something at her. For some peculiar reason, she heard two voices. One voice, which was her sister's, and also another, male voice.

They both shouted, clear as day...

"YOU MUST LIVE!"

. . .

Giyuu grabbed Shinobu and jumped out the carriage. Both of them met the ground in a rough manner, rolling along the ground, clouds of dirt puffing and sharp stones scraping their faces. After their momentum waned, their bodies stopped rolling. Giyuu pushed himself up, a stinging sensation on his cheeks. There were wounds on his face, blood dripping down, mixing with dust. He paid no attention to it.