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When Leo/Need had gotten the news that Saki was returning to the hospital, they’d all been understandably worried. After all, the memory of Saki’s hospitalization and the long years of separation weighed deep in their hearts, even after years of dating.
Ichika had immediately panicked and worried about Saki’s health.
Honami had jumped and rushed to reassure Saki, and then Shiho and Honami afterwards.
Shiho had simply asked Saki for details, and then sighed with resignation afterwards.
However, despite what others thought, Ichika would do anything to see Shiho, Honami, and Saki as happy as possible. No matter what it entailed.
She doesn’t want to see them alone and without each other like those years of Junior High, and she doesn’t want Saki to repeatedly head back into the hospital and live with the constant fear of death.
But she had not been expecting for Saki to return with her pupils in cat-like slits and sharpened teeth and claws. Nor had Shiho or Honami.
So now all four were in Saki’s room, talking about what had happened at the hospital. Ichika was currently lying down in Honami’s lap as they sat on one end of Saki’s bed, while Saki herself was sprawled across the bed and Shiho’s torso, arms waving around wildly as she described the process.
Ichika looks at the clock. It’s 10:00 PM.
They’ve been here for roughly one hour now, and Ichika’s starting to feel a deep, primal sense of fear and tension. She’s not sure on why, but some part of Ichika knows that it’s from Saki.
“And then Doctor Yushiro gave me this medicine! I drank it, and it felt really painful and started to burn my entire body!” She exclaimed, excitement evident in her voice. “But afterwards, my body felt great!”
As to prove her point, Saki leaps up and picks up Shiho with a joyful laugh, before leaping down and placing Shiho onto the floor, eliciting several shouts of panic and surprise from anyone. “See!?”
Ichika stares, and a slight shudder of fear runs through her body. The medicine Saki took was…. powerful, evidently. Judging by Shiho’s flustered expression, none of them had expected for Saki to so easily just manhandle Shiho like that. Not to mention, Saki’s eyes now had an inhuman glint to them, and the energy around her had become dark and heavy, like an ancient power unsealed from the depths of history.
“Giyuu. Sanemi. You two are the only pillars left.”
“As of here on out, the Demon Slayer corps are officially disbanded.”
Words from people Ichika has never met, from a person who she’s only seen in vague dreams, now are at the forefront of her own mind.
But at the same time, Ichika quickly shoves those thoughts out from her head and berates herself for even considering them. So what if those weird memories are there? She’s here with her girlfriends. Which means she’s safe. Protected.
Some part of Ichika wants to say unfairly, but she tries to push that away. Right now, Ichika’s own thoughts aren’t important. She doesn’t matter. All that matters is Saki, her health, and the possibility of her being able to live a normal life.
Shiho rests a hand on Ichika’s shoulder. It’s reassuring, and Ichika finally manages to speak.
“I’m happy for you, Saki.” She says, hiding her nervousness, “You don’t have to go to the hospital, anymore."
Saki nods, bouncing up and down as she leaps back onto the bed. Ichika takes not of how her claws are digging into the mattress and making deep lacerations, instead trying to focus on Saki’s face. “Hehehe, yep! No more checkups or surgeries!” The apparently healed girl says. However, her face then briefly turns nervous. “But Doctor Yushiro still says that I need to do blood tests if something weird happens to my personality.” She notes.
Then, remembering another detail, Saki seemingly brightens and exclaims “And when he’d said that, his face was really, really pale. Paler than it was! And his face is super pale, with really weird purple eyes that are like what my eyes are like now!”
Huh. Suspicious. Ichika doesn’t know if anyone else has picked up on it, but Saki’s description of what Yushiro had been doing felt like fear. Like a fear of a disease returning.
“That’s interesting to hear,” Honami now butts in and wraps an arm around Saki’s waist, dragging her back to the bed and letting the latter rest herself on the former’s shoulder. “And the doctor sounds nice. I hope he wasn’t rude.”
Saki frowns, and Ichika looks up. “Mmm…he wasn’t rude. Actually, he was pretty nice! Grumbled a bit, but he gave me a good explanation on what the new medicine does! Apparently, it’s something he’d taken back in the….Edo period and had retroactively tested it? He’s only let terminally ill patients use it, and they’re all super healthy!”
Super healthy may be an understatement, but Ichika’s brain now starts connecting Saki’s new features to a distant memory of stories told by her great-grandmother, of her great-great-grandfather Giyuu’s life.
“You know, Ichika, your great-great-grandfather was a demon slayer before he died.” A really old lady said, stroking five year old Ichika’s hair. “It’s because of people like him that demons are now a thing of the past, left to disappear from history.”
Saki continues, but now some of that energy has disappeared. In its place is…disappointment, and Ichika’s heart drops at her next words. “But now, I have to drink human blood to live,” she mutters. “And other foods now taste like dust.”
Shiho’s eyes narrow. “Like…a vampire?”
On Honami’s shoulder, Saki nods sadly. “Yeah, a vampire. But Yushiro called it “demonization”, but in a literal sense.” She mutters while snuggling her forehead into the crook of Honami’s neck, as if searching for something to comfort herself. "Like in the old stories my grandma used to tell!" She finishes her words with a hesitant cheer, as if trying to push down the bile of negative emotions building up within Ichika's chest.
For several moments, Ichika is no longer looking at her girlfriends.
Instead, she's plunged into a dark wooden closet. All around her, the sounds of their conversations are blurring into the panting of a young boy. Between the closet's cracks, the boy
At some point, the screams start to blend together.
And Ichika screams, right as a creature with dull, grey skin and the same cat-like slits as Saki turns toward the closet.
"Ichika!?"
Huh?
Oh, right. This is reality. Ichika had suddenly plunged into a daydream, right as Saki was talking about being turned.
Ichika opens her mouth, and then pales as no words escape them.
Why?
Is it because Saki is the exact same thing that had killed her-no, Giyuu, her great-great-grandfather's older sister?
Dimly, Ichika notes that there are tears falling down her cheek and dripping down onto the floor.
"Sorry. I just...I just saw something in my head, and for a second there, Saki was something else." Ichika whispers. "It's like an inherited memory, you know?"
Saki is trying to say something, but Ichika doesn't see her move or speak. A strange, cold sensation begins to slip up her spine and send Ichika even deeper down the spiral.
Honami frowns. "Mm, I believe so. My mom used to tell me of how my Great-great-grandfather Inosuke had been a demon slayer. Maybe your relatives were demon slayers in the past?" She asks Ichika.
The black-haired girl can only shake her head nervously in response. "Yes, my great-great-grandfather Giyuu."
In Ichika's peripheral vision, she sees Shiho's eyes narrow. Probably out of suspicion and disdain at how Ichika's so easily equated Saki with a human-eating monster.
She's about to continue talking when Shiho puts a hand on her own shoulder. “Ichika, my own Great-great-grandfather was a demon slayer, too.”
Shiho’s hand drags Ichika back from whatever memory-induced panic currently running through her head and directs her attention to Shiho’s face. “He was the final Wind Pillar. Sanemi Shinazugawa, I think, was his name.”
Her voice is like an anchor, dragging Ichika back to reality.
Turning to Honami, she lets out a sigh. "But that's in the past now, and worrying about demons and demon slayers won't do us any good."
Ichika gasps lightly, turning to Honami, who is patting Saki on the back soothingly. “I see. Then what about you, Honami?”
Her girlfriend’s blue eyes sparkle, and Ichika can briefly see the image of a girl with black pigtails tied up with two butterfly hairpins. “I was a descendant of a corps member. Not a slayer, but she was in the corps.” Honami whispers.
Honami gives Saki a kiss and sets her down on the bed. “Ichika-chan, it’s fine,” She says to Ichika. “Saki is still very much herself. Not a bloodthirsty monster. She probably will never be.”
Saki laughs, and Ichika feels a pang of guilt when she notices the glassy look that signified tears. “Icchan, don’t worry about me! Yushiro himself said that I don’t have the original Demon King’s blood inside me, so chances are low!”
However, she then sniffles, and Ichika remembers another detail of demons. They’re immortal. Undying.
Which means that Saki will live for far longer than Ichika, Shiho, or Honami. Centuries longer.
And the possibility terrifies Ichika. Saki’s going to go from not being able to spend time with any of them to being left behind after they die.
“Oh. I’m sorry.” She whispers instinctively. But Ichika feels like it isn’t enough. Simply apologizing isn’t enough. Not when this is the possibility of Saki spending an eternity without any of them.
Shiho, however, growls instead. “Ah. I see.” She thinks for several moments before looking up, and her next words are a bombshell.
“Then, can you turn people into demons?” Shiho asks. “Because if you can, then turn us into demons as well.”
Saki looks at Shiho.
“Eh?”
Shiho nods. “You heard me. Turn us into demons, if you can.”
Ichika stares.
Become a demon? To be with Saki?
Her mind thinks. Turning into a demon alongside Honami and Shiho would be…great. Ichika doesn’t have any close siblings or family members beyond her parents, and by this point she would do anything for her.
And with that, maybe she’ll be fine. Maybe Saki will be happy, and not be alone anymore for all eternity.
Back in reality, as a half-aware Ichika watches, Honami frowns. “But what about Shizuku? And what about my younger brother and family? What about them?” She asks in reply to Shiho. Ichika sighs. Right, Honami and Shiho have an actual family that love them, unlike her. Yeah, she’s loved by her parents, but they’re not close. She doesn’t go to them for advice, often.
There’s a brief pause, but Shiho just sighs. “It’s…not like we’re leaving them, forever. They’ll get to live peaceful lives. Even if we outlive them, there’s still the chance that they’ll be reborn in their next lives.”
She looks at Saki. “But if we’re reborn, Saki will have to watch us all forget. So the best solution is to turn everyone here.”
At that, Saki frowns. “Ah, I think…I can turn people. So…should we….”
She’s unsure. Everyone is. But Honami shakes her head. “No, it’s fine. We can think about that possibility later. After all, demons are said to be able to control their physical aging. We can just turn after a few years, once we’ve graduated.”
To Ichika, the possibility sounds…better.
She smiles. “Yeah, that’s fine. We still have some time to figure out. Together.”
Maybe the issue of Saki being a demon will come up in the future. Maybe Ichika will turn, to be with Saki. Those are all distinct possibilities. But Ichika knows that no matter what choice she goes with, it’s going to be fine.
And as if to accentuate her thoughts, Ichika sees Saki leap down and embrace Shiho and Honami in a weird sprawling position, eyes glinting with excitement. “Yeah!” She says with a brief pause, “And we should go on a date to celebrate me not being sick anymore someday, after practice!”
Ichika laughs. Looks like Saki’s not worried about anything, anymore. At least, not on the surface. “Sure,” she says. “But let’s make sure we have our next performance finished before, okay?”
Shiho nods. Now, with the tension mostly dissolved, there is a sense of peace that has settled down in the space. Ichika feels relaxed, now, and lets herself lay down on Honami’s shoulder, staring down at Saki.
“Of course, Ichika-chan.” Honami says reassuringly. “Let’s focus on enjoying everything going on right now, and worry about the future later.”
Ichika nods and reaches down, stroking Saki’s hair and letting herself feel her girlfriend’s soft, silky hair. Saki’s skin is warm, alive, and not at all dead or demonic.
For now, she can just enjoy this moment, enjoy the time they’ve all just gained.
Saki reaches up and gives her a kiss.
It’s warm, like always. She pulls away after several seconds, and Ichika is once again blessed by the faces of her always supportive girlfriends.
“Okay, Icchan."
She sighs, her heart weakening. As always, the only thing she needs is her girlfriends' words and presences to calm down.
Tomorrow…right. There’s always going to be a tomorrow. They’re always going to be here with me, when tomorrow comes.
We’re always going to be together, no matter what tomorrow brings.