The Crow's Master (Kimetsu no Yaiba Fanfic)

Chapter 28

It has begun. In an attempt to kill Muzan, Oyakata-sama had sacrificed himself with his wife and two daughters. The news had been heartbreaking to just about everyone in the corps. Hisao cursed the demon to die a painful death as he braces himself for the long night ahead. He sent crow after crow to replace the ones that were dying and each time he had to let them go, it broke his heart even more. Gin stayed close to him with every release, allowing the leaving crows to nuzzle Hisao's neck before leaving and accepting the possibility of never returning. The demons are suspected to all be within the fortress but they needed to make sure the demons don't attack.

" Shinobu-sama....is dead...." Hisao told the girls with a heavy heart. The three girls started to cry in his arms as he held them close. Aoi held Moya's hands tightly as she tried to bear the news. Hisao knew very well that this won't be the end of it, not in the slightest. There will be more losses to bear as the pillars faced the upper moons head on.

" What's happening so far?" Kyo asked as he stayed next to Hisao, who was also observing the battles that were occuring to know which crows to replace and where.

" There's....Tomioka and Tanjiro are against the upper moon three, Akaza." He reported as he clenched his fists, this was the demon that killed Rengoku. " Muichiro....he's against upper moon one. Wait, the Wind Pillar and Stone Pillar have arrived." He sighed in relief for a moment. ".....Genya is also there." He managed to say before closing his eyes shut for a moment.

" Come on, stay strong. Focus." Kyo told him. " We need to get this done."

" I know." Hisao said as he continuously gripped his sword, frustrated to be unable to join the fight. " Kanao is fighting the upper moon two now." He said again. He tensed for a moment before relaxing. " Tomioka and Tanjiro have defeated upper moon three." He sighed. " Zenitsu is fighting upper moon....six." He knew there was nothing he could do to help the boy who was about to kill the very person he called brother. The person that forced their master to go into despair and commit seppuku not long ago. It wasn't too long before he started to shed a few tears after the fights had gone on for so long.

" Hisao-san?" Aoi sat next to him as he allowed himself to shed the tears silently. He said nothing and sent out two more crows.

" Upper moon six and two have been defeated." He muttered as he continued to watch the three demon slayers cry. At least, Inosuke knows who his mother was now. Right now he was watching the Wind Pillar and Stone Pillar fight upper moon one just as the demon had transformed and cut down Tokito and Genya. Even though he'd been cut in half, the fourteen year old boy still held his blade tightly and because of it, they were able to kill the demon. It pained him to watch what happened after. Tokito was dead and Sanemi, had woken up to see his own brother die and crumble to dust in his arms. Their cries were becoming too much but a gentle voice urged him to continue his duties, so he had to persist.

" No. No!" He screamed as he watched Muzan emerge from his nest and slaughter hundreds of the demon slayers. Aoi ushered the girls to leave him be for a while as he tried to keep up with his task. He hated every word the man spoke, every single sentence that came out of that wretched mouth made his blood boil. The man had killed so many people and showed no remorse, he ate the crows too. " You son of a...." He yelled in frustration and ran his hand through his hair and tried to calm down. He has work to do, they've come so close. Tanjiro and Giyuu are now facing the demon.

" Arakawa-san? Arakawa-san!" The Crow Master managed to snap from his vision and found himself gripping Kyo's wrists with one arm. His blade held at the man's throat with his other arm. Kyo looked at him in the eye, doing his best to control his breathing. " We need your help."

" I'm so sorry..." Hisao ran his hands through his hair and took off the seal. " I really am." He said as he looked at his own blade with disbelief. He had vowed that he wouldn't stain the blade with anymore human blood but he was close to killing yet another man.

" That's not important right now." Kyo said as he rubbed his neck. " There's a demon spotted at the foot of the mountain. It's killed two Kakushi already."