Chapter 33: Kanashimi

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Disclaimer:

I do not own nor claim all the rights to 鬼滅の刃 | Kimetsu no Yaiba | Demon Slayer; all rights are reserved to its respective creator, Koyoharu Gotōge. This is purely a work of fiction; names, characters, businesses, events, localities, and occurrences are all extrapolated from the author's writings and imagination or utilized in a fictitious manner. As such, any direct or indirect references to actual entities, dead or alive, or events do not, in any shape or form, resemble the opinions of the author.

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"..." = Dialogue

'...' = Internal monologues

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"I've already won this game," Shinobu, despite being short of breath and utterly exhausted, managed to forge a countenance replete with confidence.

Kanashimi could only gawk at this seemingly haphazard pronouncement along with the expression of resolve resting on the Insect Hashira's lineaments.

'What is she saying...?' The Demon of Grief couldn't comprehend her opponent's statement. 'She's already won? Won what? You're beaten.'

Instead of dwelling on the words of a pitiful human, Kanashimi decided to cast her bafflement aside, "I suppose delusion is another coping mechanism for the intolerable condition you find yourself in."

"Hah... Hah..." Shinobu continued gasping for air, ignoring the demon's provocations in the meanwhile.

"I can only assume that you've rejected my offer once more, given your abnormal answer," Kanashimi further remarked.

"I don't need to be proffered anything from you," Shinobu replies. "After all, the outcome of this battle has already been decided."

"Ah, of course. You've realized that your forlorn attempts will not change the outcome. Good to hear that you hold some rational thoug—"

"Oh? I must've misspoken," Shinobu's cadence endorsed mockery of the highest order. "I didn't mean it for you."

"Don't fool yourself. How could you possibly be on the verge of winning? Look at yourself. Broken ribs, abrasions across your face, lacerations across your limbs and torso, blind in one eye, fatigue from constant combat, and, not to mention, extensive blood loss in spite of your best efforts in mitigating it," the demon immediately rebuked in a methodological and analytical fashion.

"I fail to see how or why you would lie to yourself. You've already won this game? With what? As things stand right now, you won't be able to last another 10 minutes!" Kanashimi shouted, almost feeling offended by what she perceived to be the absolute stupidity of her opponent.

Shinobu merely smiled smugly, "Oh my, I didn't think you would be so sensitive to the topic of losing. How callous of me, maybe I should've kept my mouth shut."

Kanashimi was completely aback by both the Insect Hashira's comments and mannerisms, 'What is she trying to do? Has she completely lost her bloody mind? Is this some chimera designed to ingratiate her nerves before fighting me again? I don't understand a single thing.'

"Don't be stupid, you of all people should know all too well that the battle is a guaranteed win for me. In what fantasyland should victory be handed to you?"

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