The Crow's Master (Kimetsu no Yaiba Fanfic)

Chapter 31

" What have I done?" He said to himself as he checked the body again. " No..." He tried pushing his chest up and down. " No, please..." He begged as tried to do whatever he could to revive his best friend. " No, no. I'm sorry...." He started to cry as his efforts were in vain. " I'm supposed to tell you....about Itsumi..." He said so softly it was unimaginable if he was a demon. " Itsumi....I'm sorry...." The name continued to linger in his mind like a message. " Itsumi said...." His eyes widen as his memory returned. " Itsumi...said...." He needed to move quickly, there was only one last thing he could try.

" Get away from him!" Aoi screamed as she launched her attack. " Breath of Feathers, first form : Soar." Kija dodged her attack and stepped back. Moya immediately went to the direction where Hisao was, using her breathing technique to locate him. Aoi glanced at the blood pooling beneath the body and the eyes that were shut. Anger rose from her throat as she attacked with rage.

" You kids are in my way!" Kija avoided her and tried to approach the body with a growl. Moya continued to inspect his vital signs but nothing showed up.

" He's not breathing..." Moya said with tears in her eyes. Aoi's eyes widen as she looked back at Kija full of rage and disgust.

" You, murderer!" She screamed with eyes full of tears. She'd lost her family, the Kocho sisters and now, she's lost her master. All her emotions came crashing down in one night. " Breath of Feathers, seventh form : Grace of Crane." His impatience grew thin as he expanded his binds.

" Enough!" He pinned both Moya and Aoi to the trees opposite the body and moved quickly to his side.

" No!" Moya cried, flailing her arms around and swinging her staff. " Get away from him. He ignored her as he pressed down all the necessary points.

" Please don't eat him...." Aoi said with eyes full of tears. " He's all I have left...my family, Kanae and Shinobu too.....please." He paused for a moment before pressing on final point on the man's throat. " What did you just-"

" Shush." He told her as he silently watched, counting down. " Come on, Hisao. This has to work. Please." The silence went on for a while. The binds loosen and just went limp on the ground. Moya and Aoi were curious why the demon had released them and just sat there. " I'm a terrible friend." He muttered as the girls approached him. " Just. Wake up you idiot!!" Hisao started coughing large amounts of blood as he struggled to breath.

" Hisao-san!" Aoi quickly sat by his side to check on him. His pulse was slow but it was there, he was breathing even if it's rough. " Thank the gods!" She said as she smiled with relief. Moya leaned over and cried as she helped him to sit up. Kija watched them silently as Hisao groaned while coughing some of the blood.

" You really need to fix that bad habit, Hisao." He said in a quiet voice as he sat silently with his cast down. " Itsumi's always said that you've got a bad habit of swallowing blood." He gave a low dry laugh. " It's my fault....I'm so sorry." He didn't know if Hisao was listening because his eyes were still closed. " Itsumi...I killed her. I'm sorry...To think, I even promised to protect her but I, I even tried to kill you. Hisao, that check up," He began with great difficulty. " Itsumi was pregnant." Aoi and Moya perked up as they listened while covering some of the wounds. " I don't how to tell you what happened after we were attacked....but it's a girl." He said softly. " I held back long enough to send her away somewhere nice at least." Moya started to cry again as she heard the news.

" Hisao-san's...daughter?" Aoi asked him and he nodded regretfully.

" Asa." Kija said with slight muse. " She was born at dawn." His smile faltered as he looked at Hisao and the girls. He looked at Aoi and then at her blades. " Those were Itsumi's." He stated, despite the slight change in design. " So you're his successor." He concluded. " How fitting."

" What do you mean?" Moya asked him as pulled Hisao closer.

" Can you please," He lowered his head till it touched the ground. " Please cut off my head." Aoi froze, this would be her first kill. Her first ever kill and it was willingly. Aoi looked between her blades and Moya, she needed help with this. Kija sat patiently as he raised his head, exposing neck wide as he closed his eyes. Waiting for any moment now. Aoi gripped the fan blades and stood up, facing Kija.

" Breath of Feathers, eighth form." She began. Kija thought of how kind of her to be using Hisao's form to end him. What a nice successor he's chosen. But she never finished, his neck was met with the cold tip of a sword instead. He looked up and Hisao loomed over him, blood running down his cheek and the corner of his mouth, his haori tainted red and his half closed eyes stared at him blankly. He must have heard everything, that's why he wants to do it. Kija smiled at him as he lowered his head again. Like Hisao before, he was accepting this death.