Ice Breathing/氷の呼吸 (A Demon Slayer Kanzaki Aoi Fanfiction)

IV

Kiyo, Sumi and Naho were all shocked with the sudden silence of the usually talkative Aoi when they were treating her.

It was as unusual how Inosuke suddenly became the most hushed in the group of three during a short period.

Most of the time, Aoi would be convincing them that she was fine and that her fight was easy and she'd be ready for another one in no time but now she just lied down, ignoring anybody who approached her.

They decided the best person to talk to her would be either Shinobu or Giyuu but their separate recent missions were located pretty far away and it would take a while before they returned.

For the meantime, they had to find a way to comfort the hollow Aoi. They hoped her new state would only be temporary.

Genya informed them of what had happened and the three girls kept telling Aoi none of it was her fault but no one's words seemed to be loud as hers in her head right now.

A child. I couldn't save him. No, I killed him.

She thought of the night of the final selection.

She was about to die when her sword broke while trying to cut the demon's neck when somebody smaller than her cut the demon's arms, letting her escape and dying in an instant for her sake.

Her first instinct was to take his weapon. He wouldn't need it anymore.

She shamefully ran that night with her savior's sword in her hands and hot tears in her eyes. With her haori becoming red from someone else's blood.

If only I had been stronger.

She clutched at her head when no one was around because that was when it became the loudest.

"It's my fault."

"What are you doing here?"

She looked up and Inosuke was suddenly inside the room, wounded and all dirtied from fighting. His mask was wet from tears.

Why is he crying?

The same question was on his mind as he stared at the girl with sore eyes. She was the symmetrical woman in his head because of how equally distributed her facial features were. Her tight hair and white haori also fit that description.

Why was she crying?

Did she just hear about the news of the flame hashira dying?

"Wh-" She coughs, her voice sounding strange because she hadn't used it for a whole day. Or was it longer than that?

"What are you doing here? This is for recovering female demon slayers."

She roughly wipes her face with the back of her hand. Thankfully, the three girls aren't around to worry about her crying.

"You're not actually a girl, are you?" She tries to joke and neither of them smile.

Inosuke misunderstands this as a taunt though and is ready to shoot back a remark when he notices that her presence is starting to waver even if she's right in front of him.

Similar to how Rengoku's did as the sun was rising after his battle with Akaza.

"Did you come back alone? Where's Tanjiro-san and Zenitsu-san? Is Rengoku-san also injured?"

"Hah? You don't know yet?"

"What?"

He was about to tell her that the pillar had died when he stopped himself after thinking that any more emotional stress would make her aura worse.