Wild Flower (Bleach × Demon Slayer)

13 - Observers from Overlooking Gaze: Audience

Oh, right. There's a small change in 2 - Gazing Eye to Piercing Gaze to recontextualize Kanao's motivation/outlook. For those who are lazy, here's that small change I did (and a comparison):

-

Old:

"I didn't save you because you were special," she responded. "I saved you because I know you."

New:

"I didn't save you because you were special," Kanao replied. "I saved you because I was there when there was no one who wouldn't."

Because those people who suffered she saw had at least someone on their side. She simply lend a hand for those who can't stand up on their own.

-

In light of this, I don't mind constructive criticism. As long as it's not demeaning.

Anyways, happy reading! And sorry for the long author's note.

(Chapter unedited. There will be mistakes.)

...

How surprising.
So this one was the victim that everyone thought.
I know there was another one but that is a different story.
For this one was a familiar face who had somehow forgotten mine.

– excerpt of certain Shinigami's encrypted report

...

Observers from Overlooking Gaze: Audience

...

If Kanao's sense of time was right, it has been a week since she had started her training.

Her impression to the training was weird but somehow still helpful. It wasn't about going through trials and conquering to move to the next, it was about 'reawakening the former instincts', according to Kanroji's words. "Memories may be forgotten, but not your instincts. It is part of you, engrained on you, because you experienced what you've been through," Kanroji had told her.

Trial and error. That was their—no, her training about. Kanroji taught her the basics first, and was not surprised when Kanao immediately mastered it for a day only by seeing it. Next was fighting Zenitsu, who somehow surprised her that she was actually expecting a level of intensity from him compared to what she had been expected of him.

So they fought and fought. Each time she fell, she would stand up with proper stance as if it was natural. Each time she lost her grip of her wooden sword, she would grip it firmly as if it was ordinary. Each time she was defeated, she fought back as if it was what she should do. Each moment of the time she trained she learned that she never thought that she already had with her.

The tenacity to never back down.

Once again, Kanao and Zenitsu had fought, and find themselves on equal footing. She would block and retaliate, dodge and swing her weapon, and stabilize her breathing consistently throughout the fight. Kanao knew that this will have a different outcome compared to their prior fights. No one will emerge victorious.

But then something changed, Kanao noticed. Zenitsu changed his stance and the look on his eyes, almost closed to slits, was directed at her closely. Too closely. Kanao almost went still, realizing what was happening.

Eyes. Eyes that look at her. Intent. Intently. Eyes that look at her intently.

Directly at her neck.