Chapter Text
Every 6 months they come together at the demon slayer headquarters to have a meeting with their master, however, this time, they're greeted with a box that even Hinaki and Nichika don't know what's inside. It was haphazardly thrown in front of the upper platform, the box was the shape of Nezuko's but 3 times bigger, the framing similar to where no inch of sunlight could peak through any of the boards, nor smell. It seemed to be made of bamboo, and that's not even mentioning how it's locked and also has ropes tied around it. Shinobu already has a bad feeling about this but she pushes it down with a curious look as she smiles and watches the other Hasira toy with the box as if they were little children.
Mitsuri is crouched down in front of it knocking on the box only to find it hallowed as Obanai scolds her from a distance, she can tell he's worried though, it's not hard to read him or her (They also don't know what's in the box so of course, he'd worry.). Tengen challenged Gyomei to a lifting contest, the box easily being lifted with only a few fingers but as expected Gyomei politely declined, though Rengoku took up the challenge both of them dropping the box multiple times until getting yelled at by Obanai.
Muichiro stands in his usual place, watching the clouds and mumbling about the shapes and sizes. Sanemi tries to stab the box with his sword, he's stopped by Tengen who wants to use it as throwing practice, and then is stopped by her when she says that the box could have something that Oyakata-sama wants to show them. That's when they finally put the box down and instead settle for knocking on it and guessing what's inside.
While waiting for their leader's arrival she looked around, peeking over some of the frames of the taller pillars to do a headcount; she only counts 8 people including herself. Where's Tomioka-san, she asks herself before gritting her teeth when the realization dawns on her. Of course, he's not here, she bitterly thinks, or he's just late again, wouldn't surprise me at this point. The water pillar was a mysterious man, both aloof and serious at the same time, he never really showed emotions other than a dull glance and a disapproving comment about something someone did, he was like Muichiro in a way but the current mist pillar was actually likable.
She had seen him show a couple of emotions, rare, but she had seen it, but even then she hardly could call them authentic since they were usually brought on by some type of demon blood art that had been used on him or he was too out of it to realize. It was like anything remotely other than disdain was remotely foreign to him. He was a strange man for that, she teased him for it, it wasn't her fault he couldn't understand a joke if it was looking him straight in the face.
So no doubt that one of the strangest men she knew had decided that he was too good to show up for a meeting. She wondered what was so important that he had to miss a meeting when he's never missed one before. Before she can start making more assumptions the sound of the opening of the gate finds its way to her ears and their master's daughters start speaking.
"Oyakata-sama has arrived," The two girls say.
It seems as if wondering where Tomioka-san is can wait, the meeting is more important.
She makes her way and kneels down, watching as the two girls saunter towards their father and help him make his way towards the platform. Mitsuri leaves the box alone and Sanemi brings it front in center of them all. As he reaches his usual resting place they all bow, she opens her mouth to say something but Mitsuri beats her to it. "Good evening Oyakata-sama! It's so nice to see you!"
She wanted to be able to get her meal first, and it seems Shinazugawa wanted it too because she can hear him grumbling under his breath. She doesn't blame him one bit. "It's nice to see you too Mitsuri, it's nice to see all of you," His smile is full of mirth and she finds her own softening as warmth wraps around her heart and squeezes it. His voice has a way of calming her down, grounding her like how Kanae could, his smile is always genuine and despite whatever happens he always has hope. His voice eases the pain and makes her feel like she's floating on a soft, fluffy cloud and as if she's safe and nothing bad can happen.
"Well, it's nice to see almost all of you," That warmth squeezing her turns into a numbing cold that starts to claw at her, his voice is strangely off. She bites her lip forcing a smile, it's fine, it'd be fine she's sure it's nothing. It had to be. "I'm afraid I have bad news for you all," The squeezing gets even tighter until it feels hard to breathe. She remembers what Kanae taught her to do when everything was just too much.
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Breathe in.
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Breathe out.
Her chest is heavy but it's easier to breathe now. A foreboding presence looms over her. "As you can tell, one of your fellow pillars isn't here-" Tomioka-san, "I'm afraid I have an unfortunate explanation for that." wait- no. "If you haven't already noticed, Giyuu Tomioka, our former water pillar isn't here, he left on a mission 4 months and hasn't returned since." Please just say he's in a coma, please just say he's in a coma, I can handle that. "Now despite how you may feel about him, whether you hate him, feel indifferent about him, or like him, he was the water pillar for a reason and that reason was the same as the rest of you, he wanted to help protect those who couldn't protect themselves. To make sure no one had to die for no reason, despite how you all view each other, that is what we all stand for here." He said.
"Now the reason why I'm saying this is a week ago we had gotten unfortunate news about his current state," She held her breath despite knowing how much she shouldn't. "A week ago he was presumed dead, despite my better judgment I waited until now to inform you all so the proper burial could be arranged without any of you worrying about it, along with allowing you all to properly finish your duties. That is all you need to know about the situation, for now, I'll inform you all with a letter when the date of the burial is set to be, I expect you all to show up despite any previous ill will you may hold towards him if you hold any." Oyakata-sama informs them head held low.
She hears a distant "No..." as their master confirms that yes, he is dead, again. Times seem to slow down, as the realization hits her, it seems impossible. Something claws at her heart, something cold, desolate tears it into shreds as she hears the distant sounds of wailing. Is this really how everything for him is going to end?
"We never ended up finding his body, but his crow told us everything we needed to know,"
Is that how it'll really end? How they'll all end up like? To die with no one by your side. To die under the assumption that you had no one by your side all along, no friends? To not even know if someone will be waiting for you on the other side. To not even know who's sad about your death. Was his death painful? She hopes it wasn't.
Why did he have to die? Why him? He hadn't done anything wrong, he was only a little aloof but other than that he hadn't done anything wrong. Why did he have to die? Why him of all people?!
She remembers what her sister told her once, that pained smile as she tried to explain why their parents died. Why someone who was never deserving of death was taken from them.
The older teen cups her cheeks, whipping clear of the thick tears rushing down them. Her smile is bitter and the bags under her eyes are more present than ever. She's tired, she's so tired, tired of fighting, tired of waking up every morning and convincing herself that this is for the best and that it's not just a worthless fight for a neverending war. That she'll have managed to save someone at the end of the day and it's not with nothing after all, that someone won't end up like them.
She knows that the fight is worthless but she still continues to fight, she has to fight for her, her little sister. "Despite how much we make think it's cruel that's just how life is, death doesn't care who you are, it takes whatever it wants despite how much you don't want it to. But we have to keep fighting, keep fighting for those who can't. Stay positive for those who can't, and make sure that no matter what the last thing we say to someone isn't something hurtful, after all, we never know when they'll be taken away from us."
She had the luxury of being able to control the last thing she said to her sister.
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Breathe in.
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Breathe out.
What was the last thing she said to him?
Crossing her arms she doesn't even bother to gaze in his direction, she's mad at him, he got injured and didn't come to her, and now the injury is worse. She hated him so much at that moment that she let bitter words fall from her mouth as he took the punches without a single remark. Had she always been that angry, that mean to him? Had he always never responded and just stood there and took it? "If you get injured on another mission don't bother coming back since you obviously don't care enough about your health. Do you know how many people I could have helped save if I didn't have to deal with your right now? God, you wonder why you don't have any friends Tomioka," He walks away from her without saying a word.
Had she always been so cruel? Had he always been so silent?
Why did that have to be the last thing she said to him before he died. Is that going to be the thing she's remembered for by him? Is that what he was thinking when he died?
1 2 3 4 5.
Breathe in.
5 4 3 2 1.
Breathe out.
Who's going to speak of his accomplishments since he's gone? Was she supposed to do that since no one else would?
How can she speak good of him when no matter what happens it'll only paint her and all her mistakes, all the times she spoke ill will of him. How out of anger she spits out bitter remarks towards him, never giving him a real chance, none of them did. The last thing she said to him being how he was horrible a man who caused many deaths. It wasn't, she knows it wasn't but she was mad. Was this her fault? Could she have somehow prevented this? Maybe if she had kept him in for a few more days, didn't discharge him as early she did. She could have stopped this.
Her lip quivers and she blinks back the tears gathering in her eyes. Has he ever even gotten mad at her? Why was it when something was taken away from you realized how much it meant to you? She never realized how much she'd miss him until now.
She finds her hand on her blade as she tightens her grip on it. Muzan Kibutsuji better hides because when she finds him, she'll kill him. She'll rip out his throat, give him the slowest and most painful of poisons and watch him suffer. But will that be enough? Will she have had done enough?
She wants him back, she'll change she swears if she gets him back, she'll be better, she just wants him back.
Please, she doesn't care how he comes back she'll do anything. Just bring him back, please.
I want another chance, to make things right. Just one last chance.
"Oyakata-sama, a box arrived here for you this morning," And then they move onto the next subject like it's nothing because to them it should be nothing. It's not the first person they lost, nor will it ever be the last but it still hurts, it hurts so much. She can't say she didn't expect to lose him, but what she didn't expect is that he'd die so soon. Out of all of them, she expected either Muichiro or him to be the first pillars to drop dead. Despite their strength, talents, and skill they don't have that much focus, they space out too much and they've come close to death more than the others have. It's sad to see him go but she has no choice but to accept it and move on like she always has. He's in a better place, probably with his parents, and she knows she has to accept that he'll be happier there than here but... It's hard too. Maybe he'll say hi to Kanae for her if he ends up seeing her.
No wonder she had been seeing more butterflies recently, or maybe it was the fox she spotted laying down by the waterfall on one of her recent missions. Was reincarnation a thing? A possibility even? Maybe. She didn't know, maybe he did. Maybe he was in heaven with his family enjoying the afterlife or instead he was a butterfly or a fox living his life without a care. It must be nice.
"I don't remember ordering anything, did one of you?" They'll all have their time to mourn later, but it's clear Mitsuri already got a headstart on all of them. They all shake their heads, the lover pillar wiping away her tears as she does so and Nichika speaks up. "None of us have, it just showed up without any prior warning," Their master hums, tilting his head as he closes his eyes. His thin brows furrow slightly, a sign of him thinking, not noticeable to many but they've all been trained to notice things like this that she notices it against her own judgment.
They spend the next few moments in silence until their master speaks up. "Do one of you want to open it over here for me?" Before anyone can even try to open their mouths, Sanemi immediately speaks up, eyes glinting with some kind of emotion she doesn't understand. "I'll do it!" Their master nods and his eyes light up even more. She doesn't see what's so exciting about a box espically after the news that was just revealed to them.
Launching himself towards the platform, he heaves the box under his arm and slides onto the platform. He drops the box and unsheaths his blade, in one fell swoop he cuts the ropes as they fall to the side, but he isn't done yet he still has the lock.
Using his blade Sanemi tears open the box, breaking the lock, he grabs the side and roughly shakes whatever inside out, and to their surprise, something comes tumbling out of it, blood leaking out of the side of the box as it's thrown to the side. As soon as it's opened the thick aroma of different smells of demons fills the space, different smells mixing with another creating a pungent fume. She scrunched up her nose at the smell and she has no doubt the others are doing as she pinches her nose and coughs as the combined smells assaults all her senses.
She has no doubts that a demon is behind all this now, and the demon behind this is the one and only, Muzan Kibutsuji. Some cruel trick to play on them after he and his army managed to slay one of their own. She half expects either Giyuu's severed head or a bloodied haori and sword to come tumbling out of the box, but instead, it's a body that tumbles out instead, a body that's spasming every time his hands twitch, blood staining his clothes, and the ropes around the wrist.
Giyuu Tomioka, the current water pillar no one had seen in 4 months. The pillar their master had assumed was dead.
She had her suspicions that it was strange she hadn't seen him in months, she's not going to lie, especially since she had heard he had been sent on a mission but she had just assumed he went to the Wisteria Family House instead of the Butterfly Mansion. (Also because around the time she thought that he was smart enough to not be around her when she was clearly pissed off at him.) Although his estate was closer to her's she just thought he had enough sense to go there instead of here because he had gotten minor enough injuries that it wasn't needed; she never did a check-up and see if he ever came back from it. Death wasn't a foreign concept to her, she'd seen it over and over again, so him dying wasn't hard to accept, but somehow, him living was even harder to accept.
No wonder that crow had been coming here for food along with trying to say something to her while she was busy that day. The poor thing must have been so scared, she should have listened to it.
A loud gasp or two resonates in the room but it's all stopped when he starts to let out incoherent mumbles as his head lolls to the side, the damage left visible for everyone left to see. It makes her sick but it makes her angry, furious even but also sad. She bites back the bitter words threatening to leave her mouth, this is the worst state she's seen him in and she's seen him on the brink of death before. She's seen him almost fucking drown for god sake all because when he was unconscious he fell into a river, she's seen the worst things yet... This has to be the worse, it is the worse.
His eyes are half-lidded as he stares up at the ceiling, a glaze of glass covering them and his mouth is slightly agape as shallow breaths escape his lips. Total concentration breathing has been long forgotten, suddenly stopping it after so many years of doing it must have been painful. His hair is matted in blood that has long since dried along with more dried blood dripping down the left side of his face from a wound that frames it, and that's not even mentioning what looks like dried-up tear tracks on his cheeks.
It seemed the wound on his head had gotten infected, it was bright red and from the rosy red flush prominent on his pale face and his bang sticking to his forehead from no doubt sweat he was extremely sick from the said infection. She winced at the sight and then started to cringe as the metallic aroma of blood mixed in with the smell of demons.
Looking closer she winces more as she starts to see bruises around his neck in the shape of a hand, blue and purple bloom clashing against the pale skin, extremely hard to hide underneath the collar of their uniform, not to mention the random dots of dried blood along the skin as well, they look like bite marks. However, she knows that that's not all, it's Muzan Kibutsuji there dealing with there has to be more. She fears what's to come when she exams him up close.
Mitsuri lets out a gasp of terror, she assumes that she's finally seen the state he's been left in by them, and also because he's supposed to be dead. She looks over to her friend to see the reaction she expected. Her frame is violently shaking and she's taken a step back, she's covering her mouth with both hands, lime green eyes dilated and shaky. "T-Tomioka-san?" She said pointing at the body which was near Sanemi feet, he reeks of blood. "T-That's not him! Right? Right?!" Her head vigorously whips from side to side, eyes frantically darting around as her two braids hit the pillars on the side of her. The look on her face is desperate, searching for some kind of answer, any answer that isn't the one right in front of them, she looks like she's about to cry as her lip starts to quiver.
Muichiro is too busy looking towards the sky, mumbling about something. She wishes she had the ability to not care like him or not notice.
"Good lord..." She looks in the direction of the muffled voice to see it coming with the current serpent pillar, Obanai as he had physically reeled his body away from the water pillar. (She noted the slight shake in his step as he had stepped away. It's odd considering the two's relationship was very strained but so was her and his and the sight still frightens her.)
However, some pillars have other takes at this atrocious sight, for example, Tegen: He clenched his fist, and with a grin, he stares at the sight with an uncaring air around him. "Such a flamboyant show of power,"
She isn't sure whether he should be scolded for such a lack of disregard of his statement or just plain out ignore it since he's always been like that. Maybe he could flamboyantly shut up and not compliment the demons who did that to him in general. She's not sure what she expected though, although he usually has good intentions, he's just sometimes as bad as Tomioka-san when it comes to his words. This is the least flamboyant situation ever.
She's glad Gyomei is blind because she isn't sure his poor heart would be able to handle the sight.
But that's not all, no, because life hates all the hashira it gets somehow worse. She should have expected that this would happen. Without a warning, while their all gawking at the sight in front of them Sanemi unsheathes his blade and points it at the raven-haired pillar's neck, and presses it against it, beads of blood form against the blade as it drips down his neck. Giyuu lets out a whimper as he shifts away from the blade but the wind pillar just presses it harder against his neck with a scowl. With hazy eyes, he stares at the wind pillar, he doesn't look angry, nor betrayed, nor sad just... Confused?...
Tears build up in the corner of his eyes as he tries to slump away from the blade but it's just pressed harder against his skin and starts to skin into it, he lets out a pained incoherent noise as tears start to stream down his cheek but he doesn't move again.
Shinobu wants to scream at him, to push him away, to scowl, be angry, to grab his blade, snap it in half, and throw it to the side; but she can't do any of those things. She wants to cry, demand to know why he's doing this when after they just found out that no he isn't dead but alive, but she wants to cry, whether it be tears of joy or tears of anguish she doesn't want to smile anymore right now.
But she does and doesn't speak up and holds back all the deeply rooted anger boiling in her mind and it's about to spill out all over the edge despite the cover on it.
Thankfully, Misturi speaks for her. "Shinazugawa-san w-what are you doing?! You're hurting him!" She takes a step forward, fist clenched as tears dribble down her cheeks, her face has gone flushed red. Obanai in a harsh tone condemns him as well, she knows well that he and Giyuu don't get along but despite them not getting along he never liked people who didn't follow the rules.
But sadly neither of them are able to convince him as he just glares and pushes the blade deeper into his throat sinking into his skin. By now the floor has been stained with a sharp vermillion red. She fears the worse is to come.
"Put the blade down Shinazugawa, there's no need for infighting," Ah yes, the rare serious side of Muichiro that they barely ever see but it has its moments to shine. Yet as expected Sanemi doesn't listen and shoots him down in a single glower, a glower threatening to sink the blade deeper in the water pillar's throat. But before anyone can protest anything the mist pillar sends him the same stare and Sanemi tries to make true of his quiet promise.
Right as he's about to press the blade deeper into his throat, a pale hand with lilac purple staining the wrist of it stops him, laying their hand on his, Sanemi looks up and meets their master's eyes, she can see a strike of fear in his eyes. "Oyakata-sama," He said, he bows down his blade pointed away from Giyuu's throat but instead at his head. "Sheath your weapon Sanemi, Giyuu is no threat to us you're merely smelling the overwhelming scent of so many demons you can't tell one from another, and even if he was that's no wait to treat a friend who's done you no wrong. Especially one who's thankfully alive and not dead as I was told," She sees Sanemi physically back down, tucking his blade into its sheath and stepping back and returning into his place in line not without a regretful look.
"Are you okay Giyuu?" He asks looking down in the direction of the pillar who only lets out a groan, hand twitching setting off a chain reaction as his muscles spasm for a few seconds before they stop. She cringes once more, being trapped in a box for so long must have been so tense on him, especially with it being thrown around and dropped. That'll leave bruises, so many bruises. Their master nods and looks at her, she tenses, straightening up trying to look presentable even though she knows he can't see what she looks like. "Shinobu,"
"Yes, Oyakata-sama?"
"I need you to treat Giyuu for me," She nods and hears Sanemi muttering something along the lines of it not being necessary while folding his arms. It seems as if their master acknowledges his concerns in one fell swoop. "Whether he turns out being a demon or not, it's an order and just in case he turns out to be one I'd like you to try and shield him from the sun along with accommodating him as best as you can. As Muichiro said, there's no need for the unnecessary infighting," The mist pillar hums in response to his name staring off into the sky, as expected his once serious demeanor is gone and replaced by his usual air-headed stance.
Mitsuri seems pleased with his decision along with most of the other pillars, but then again that's them probably just ignoring the possibility of Giyuu being a demon and accepting the fact that his unusual behavior is just caused by some type of drug the being injected in him in the first place. She doesn't doubt that that's one of the causes, but she knows there's more, she just feels it. Or maybe it's just them being happy he isn't dead like they thought he was.
"Of course Oyakata-sama, we'll make sure he makes a speedy recovery," She bows and he dismisses the meeting allowing her to go on with her duty, saying how he has important business to attend to. The rest of the hashira spread out leaving to go, god knows where, as she's left with the aftermath of the situation. It's a cruel sight to see up close, to see the once calm, too silent for his own good, look so sad. Despite his stature he just looked so small, curled in on himself completely giving up. She wants to look away but she can't, the sight breaks her heart and she just wants to do away with it like a bad dream. Strangely enough, there are no bitter words she can say, only sorrowful ones.
Thankfully the kakushi arrive quickly, though she wards them off requesting towels and a few umbrellas to shade the injured pillar under, they stare at her confused but are quick on their feet. The next time they come back Kanao is with them, confusion in her eyes if you paid enough attention but still patient enough to wait for the situation to be explained to them.
All she can do is hope that Giyuu isn't a demon and the idea that she can only rely on hope makes her feel utterly helpless. She hates this.
Oyakata-sama has a soft smile as he wraps the paper around his crow's claw, his daughters are waiting by the door a crow on one of their arms. It tilts its head at him, silently asking where to send it, thankfully he doesn't need to see the gesture to know what to do. "Send this to the one of the former hashira for me, wouldn't you?" It lets out a shrill and turns flapping its wings and bracing to fly. "I'm sure you already know which one to give it to, correct?" It lets out a shrill of confirmation and flies off and out of the window.
He nods, able to imagine the crow majestically gliding through the wind, the ruffling of its feathers as it flies through clouds, the whole world is in its grasp yet it continues to serve him. It's a strange world.
He turns towards the direction of his daughters, although not looking directly at them, it's accurate enough. Extending out a hand the crow glides towards it and lands on his wrist, he reaches out for the other paper which his daughter hands to him already folded, tying it around the crow's claw he nods to it as words are not needed to tell him where to go.
The presence on his wrist now gone, he turns his head towards where the warmth of the sun is bathing his skin. He can imagine it as it glides through the air, and he can imagine her surprise when she's told that Tanjiro and Nezuko will be having to pay her one last visit.
He knows what Muzan is trying to do and he isn't going to give up hope that easily despite the trial and tribulations they face along the way.