Giyu darted into the woods. His heart raced as he forced his legs to pump harder. His head was filled with a droning, buzzing noise, but he told it to shut up, and when it didn't (as expected), he pointedly ignored it. Following pure instinct, he veered to his right and skidded to a stop. A woman sat on a rock, surrounded by trees. When she saw him, her eyes flickered. Her voice was sweet, but her words were vicious. "It has been a while since I have been angered so. You've just freed the girl from my control, and now I must find another child willing to lure other children into the woods. Just after I kill you!"
The demon swung its sword at him, and he parried. Wait, sword? He glanced at the blade. A Nichirin Blade. She must've been a Demon Slayer before she was turned into a demon. She was awfully agile, and she avoided most of his attacks using Moon Breathing. He narrowly missed when she ducked and he severed her hair where her neck was just a second ago.
The demon swung her blade at him fiercely, and he jumped to the side just before she plunged it through him. His breath was coming in ragged gasps now, and his vision was blurred. In a normal state, he probably could've defeated the demon after a short battle, but now....maybe his time had finally come. No, he told himself sharply. Snap out of it. You still have much more to do. You made a promise.
The demon swiped at his feet, and he jumped over the blade. A sense of déjà vu came over him and a memory replayed in his head.
The boy with sandy, peach hair slashed his sword at his ankles, and Giyuu was forced to jump in the air about two feet. When he landed, an attack came immediately, and he stumbled a little, losing his stance. One slip-up, and the boy had his sword point to Giyuu's neck. Giyuu surrendered, and the boy sheathed his sword.
He remembered that there was no smugness on the boy's face. He was just calmly regarding him as he fell on all fours, gasping for breath. He'd pushed himself to his limit. They'd begun battling the previous night, and it was evening now. Twenty-four hours of non-stop fighting. He couldn't do any more.
His ears rang deafeningly and his heart hammered against his ribcage. His face was coated in sweat, and he couldn't move a muscle. The past twenty four hours, he'd strenuously exerted himself, and now he couldn't do anything but pant. His face burned; he was so ashamed. After all he'd done....he'd still lost.
The boy looked exhausted too. His pale face was dripping with sweat, and he was trembling slightly. He managed to curve his lips into a smile, then held out his hand to Giyuu.
Giyuu grasped it and the boy hauled him up. Supporting each other, they staggered back to Urokodaki-san's hut.
Giyuu blinked hard, bringing his focus back to the present. How could he possibly beat this demon? It was a rash decision to head directly into the forest after nearly two days of nonstop travel and battle, he realized that now. But he could not have. It was his duty to go to battle immediately when called. Anyhow, there was no turning back time. If it was his fate to die now, he would, but he would fight with every bit of his strength before he did.
Their swords clashed and sparks flew in the air before they both leaped backwards. Focus. Use as little energy as possible or you'll unnecessarily exert yourself. They circled each other, each one waiting for the other to attack. Giyuu's senses were peaked, and he apprehensively watched his opponent for even the slightest hint that she would make a move.
It played out as if in slow motion. The demon launched itself at him, sword coming down on him from above. But Giyuu had already predicted what she was about to do, and he threw himself out of the way, but the blade managed to make a deep slash to his shoulder. The demon, because she had used all her force to come at him, staggered and fell to her knees. Before she could regain her composure, Giyuu rushed at her, reciting under his breath, "First Form: Water Surface Slash." The demon turned, her hair flying, at the exact moment his blade reached her neck.
With all his strength, he forced his blade through her flesh. Her blood splattered onto his haori, but he just stood silently, watching her disintegrate as her cries of agony pierced the still air. It was when only the eyes were left that Giyuu realized he had been facing a Twelve Kizuki. The words, 'Twelve Kizuki,' were engraved in its right eye, while the other eye bore, 'Upper Rank Five.'
He hadn't battled an Upper Rank before. Giyuu felt suddenly light-headed, and his vision began to darken at the edges before he blinked rapidly to make it recede. He looked up at a branch abruptly, and could've sworn a certain peach-haired boy with gray-lavender eyes and a scar on the right side of his face was smiling at him. His heart warmed, and he felt his lips curve to return the smile. Then, he shook his head. He had to get out of the forest. But first, he had to find Kochou. Hopefully she'd already made it out of the forest, but he had to check.
Giyuu decided not to race through the woods and exhaust himself more, as he could barely stand as it was, and instead tried to maintain a brisk pace as he walked. Until then, he hadn't realized how beautiful it was outside, even at night. The sky was blanketed in a dark veil, dotted with gleaming stars that shone in contrast. It was cloudless, and moonlight flooded through the tree branches, lighting his path ever so slightly.
His head was still filled with an empty buzzing, but it had cleared a bit and he could hear himself think. Near the outskirts of the forest, he spotted Shinobu, struggling to carry the still-unconscious girl as they walked, slug-paced, out of the forest. He quickened his own pace and caught up with them.
Kochou looked like she was ready to buckle under the weight of the girl, so Giyuu wordlessly took the child from her. Kochou shot him a surprised but grateful look, and something in his chest fluttered and his heartbeat quickened. His spirits slightly lifted, he walked in front of her to hide his smile. It was definitely past midnight, and it was all they could do to drag themselves to the inn the women had mentioned.
The inn, surprisingly enough, wasn't closed, but the owner was sitting at a desk, fast asleep with his head in his hands. Giyuu gave Shinobu an I-suck-at-talking-so-you-go look, so she rolled her eyes and walked up to the man. "Moshi Moshi? Excuse me, sir?" she asked, tapping the man's shoulder gently and looking slightly guilty for waking him up.
The older man shot up. "Oh, forgive me, I must have dozed off again. Would you lovely couple like to check into a room?" Giyuu felt his face flame as he realized how this must've come off, and his uncomfortable gaze shifted to the the ground. Shinobu's face was also scarlet despite her embarrassed smile, and she quickly protested,"Oh no, it's not like that. We are siblings." Still sticking with that, Kochou? "But before we check in, do you know who's child she is? We found her unconscious." Shinobu pointed to the girl in his arms. The man picked up his glasses from the desk and squinted through the lenses at the girl.
"Hmm, I believe that is Tanaka-san's little girl." The innkeeper smiled at them warmly. "He will be very pleased. The child has been missing for several weeks, and the poor family has been devastated." "If you don't mind, would you please tell us where he lives?"
"Of course. Very near, actually. Third house from here." Kochou thanked him, and they walked out of the inn. Giyuu knocked on the door of the small house, then waited as footsteps were heard approaching the door. A man opened the door. Before Shinobu or Giyuu could say anything, he saw his daughter.
As tears flowed down his cheeks, Giyuu handed his child to him, knowing this was indeed Tanaka-san. "Thank you," he whispered, his cheek against the girl's hair. "Thank you so much." A boy and his mother appeared behind him. "Dear, what-Sayuri? Sayuri," the woman and the boy were crying now too. "I swear I'll play with you all the time! I won't ever say you're too little again!" the boy cried. The girl stirred, and rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Mama?"
Giyuu smiled inwardly. Feeling intrusive, they excused themselves and left. He looked up at the giant moon hanging over them. Tomorrow would bring more missions and excitement. But for now, they had to sleep.
To find out what happens tomorrow, vote and comment below. Thanks again to everyone who reads this, it means a lot to me :).
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The Butterfly That Saved Him-A GiyuShino Story
Fanfiction"You're the one....I love." Tomioka Giyuu doesn't expect to fall in love with the Insect Hashira. And Kochou Shinobu doesn't expect to fall for the Water Hashira. In a world where all they know is demons, death, and despair....shockingly, the cold...
