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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A memory:

It was a relatively dark, muggy day.

The dull, lifeless clouds had occluded the skies with their ubiquitous presence. This inclement weather promulgated a sense of subjugation that has scathed the very spirit of each wandering soul. The scorching heat of the summer months coalesced with the murky, oppressive humidity of a rainy day to deliver a climate of the most egregious kind. It was as if the gray overcast symbolized how the heavens looked down upon the material world with utter disdain.

And who could blame them?

For, misfortune has struck this very Earth. The ethereal beauty that once enticed the individual and galvanized the warrior was now dead. Tragedy has struck the very core of the Demon Slayer Corps.

..

..

Giyuu had arrived at the Butterfly Mansion.

He took a second to look up at the edifice and examine the configurations.

The once mesmerizing and grandeur, yet humble and welcoming structure had now evoked only a bleak ambiance.

The atmosphere of humility and soothing embrace had all but dissipated.

The torpid Butterfly Estate stood there, harking back to the days of comfort, to the days of old, but unable to bring salvation to itself or its residents.

He slowly proceeded towards the entrance, unmoved by the puddles of rainwater and mud he had to tread through.

Soon enough, he was already situated right in front of the door.

He rang the doorbell.

Giyuu wondered whether it was appropriate for him to be here in the first place. After all, it has only been a week since the obsequies and burial.

He knows that she is at her lowest point.

But he asked himself: Should I leave her be? Or should I intervene?

All he knows is from what he can extrapolate from his past experience. When his sister died at the hands of a demon, he didn't have anyone; he was either abandoned or ostracized.

It was a mentally torturous tribulation that could've had adverse consequences for his prospects.

And she's going through that right now.

He hasn't spoken to her for nearly a month now.

He's only been watching her from afar. Watching her lament, grieve, weep, and shed tears. Watching her prostrate in front of the Kocho family grave—unperturbed by the pouring deluge—as she expresses her sorrow.

He's been watching for days.

*Click*

The locks to the door were unfastened, and Tsuyuri Kanao—the girl adopted by the Kocho sisters—appeared before him.

"Water Hashira-sama," Kanao, though a little surprised at first, bows with the utmost composure.

Giyuu briefly nods his head in response.

"No appointments today," she curtly imparts such information to the guest.

"I am well aware of that, Tsuyuri-san; she's been rescinding all her business activities for nearly a month now," Giyuu replies.

"Shinobu-sama's orders," Kanao answers with pithy, a hint of dither is evident within her cadence.

"... How's she?" he suddenly asks.

Kanao doesn't answer, her face—usually monotone—exuding a look of regret and sadness.

"I have an urgent report from Oyakata-sama that I must convey to Kocho Shinobu immediately," Giyuu says with a commanding voice.

"Orders—"

"Urgent. Report." Giyuu reiterates.

Kanao lets out a small frown but remains vigilant.

'She's supposedly stoic all the time... This is probably the most I'm ever going to see out of her,' Giyuu notes.

Unexpectedly, Kanao then pulled something out of her pocket.

It was a coin.

She momentarily stares at the object present in the palm of her right hand. It was like she was wistfully reminiscing about something.

She then positions the coin onto her thumb and flips it.

*Ring*

The vibration of the coin's ejection echoes throughout the foyer.

Then, it alighted onto the back of her hand.

She glanced at the impending result, "Heads..."

Giyuu silently observed her and the coin, unsure of what exactly was happening. Though he had been to the Butterfly Estate plenty of times, he had rarely seen Kanao—it was either Shinobu or Kanae who would greet him, the former more often than the latter. Therefore, he wasn't exactly au courant with Kanao's special circumstances or her reliance on this particular coin.

"She's in her study," Kanao promptly informed.

Giyuu, though somewhat taken aback, merely nods, "Thank you."

He unties his footwear at the Genkan section of the household—where removing such items was a prerequisite for entry into the building—and then subsequently makes his way to the designated area.

As he was walking down the halls and corridors of the mansion, he noticed how it was all drained of color; there was a sense of dread that had enveloped the entirety of the proximity.

It left a bad taste in his mouth.

Within due time, though, Giyuu had finally reached his destination.

Standing right before the entrance, Giyuu takes a moment to sort out his thoughts.

'Kocho-san is behind this door... I reckon she'll either be confused or angry at my presence. In any case, though, I cannot watch any longer.'

"Pardon my intrusion," he swings the Shoji screen—a door or room divider in Japanese architecture—leading into the designated room.

The study was a mess.

There were piles of paper, a sporadic concentration of bottles, and books strewn everywhere across the floor.

Without a doubt, there hasn't been any form of maintenance for weeks now.

This was not the room he knew; where he had his medical-check ups with Shinobu. This did not look like the room of a resolute, unwavering girl he knew. No, this was the habitat of someone going mad. And its implications are dire if Giyuu's prognostication is true.

"Ara? Water Hashira-sama," a feminine, but weak voice called out.

Giyuu turned to identify the source of this sound.

It was Shinobu, perched onto a chair right next to the table. She was accoutered in the standard-issue Demon Slayer Corps uniform. There looked to be a bottle of medicine she was holding.

'Water Hashira-sama? Too formal,' Giyuu is left perplexed by her sudden formality.

"I'm afraid I can't schedule an appointment today, might I recommend that you try some other time?" she added.

Something's wrong.

She seemed way too composed. Her deportment appeared to be extreme in terms of maintaining absolute, unmitigated compos mentis. Her smile, though very well contrived, was either feigned or greatly exaggerated. Additionally, her phonetic pattern, while seemingly cheerful at first, didn't give the subtle impression of being genuine at all. Her eyes were devoid of any life, of any characteristics that would animate the inanimate and bring color to a gray world.

But what gave it all away was not the mannerisms, but her very appearance.

Her eyes were red and puffy, and there existed a large bump under each of her eyelids—something that was indicative of her sleep schedule. Additionally, she seemed to be slightly frail, as if she was experiencing a lack of proper nutritional intake. The corners of her smile and the peripheries of her face were twitching to a certain extent—she's deliberately forcing her facial muscles to formulate this expression. And finally, the butterfly ornament on her head was missing; her hair had descended downwards and was all untidy and disheveled.

'What is she doing...? This isn't like her at all. This isn't the Kocho Shinobu I know... it's more like the Flower Hashira... It's like I'm talking to a ghost.'

"I didn't come here for a medical check-up," Giyuu replied as he grabbed a chair and sat down in front of his interlocutor.

"Oh? Then what's your purpose, Water Hashira-sama?" she asked with that fake intonation of her voice.

"Calling me 'Tomioka' will suffice," Giyuu answered.

"Oh dear, why would I do such an impudent thing towards a Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps?" said Shinobu.

".... Nevermind...." Giyuu acquiesced.

"So, Water Hashira-sama, what is your business here?" she inquires, her words almost seemed to imply an insinuation.

"You look horrible," Giyuu points out.

"Well, that's what you get when you're cooped up inside all day," Shinobu forces a smile.

'I hate that forced smile. It makes this whole conversation seem fake...' Giyuu internally complains.

"You're wrong, though," said Giyuu.

"Hm?"

"You said you haven't been outside, but you have," Giyuu expounds.

"Oh? Is that so? Where to, then?" Shinobu challenges his assertion.

"The cemetery..."

For just a mere second, Giyuu could've sworn he saw Shinobu's return to her resting face—the corners of her mouth, for a short-lived second, temporarily descends and rests onto a specific expression. However, she quickly reverted back to her embellish countenance.

"I suppose I go out every once in a while," she smiles.

"No, you go there every day, twice per day. The first time, early in the morning. Then, after a few hours, you take your leave. The second, late in the evening. You're there till midnight," Giyuu explicates.

Shinobu takes a moment to take all that in before responding, "I didn't know you were a stalker, Water Hashira-sama."

'I don't like that. I don't like it when she calls me by that formal title,' Giyuu mithered.

"I only have good eyes," Giyuu quips.

"Well, you mustn't worry. I am perfectly fine," she says cheerfully—though Giyuu knows otherwise; her mannerisms are all but a ruse.

"Have you been eating, Kocho-san?" Giyuu abruptly asks.

"Oh, of course, I have. Otherwise, I would've been dead by now!" The undertone of her statement, especially at 'death', espoused remnants of her rage, grief, and regret.

"I meant if you've been eating a sufficient amount," Giyuu clarifies.

"What is your purpose here, Water Hashira-sama?" she asked once again.

"... You look frail," Giyuu touches on.

"And?"

"That's a sign of your deteriorating health," Giyuu answers.

"You misunderstand me, Water Hashira-sama. I'm simply saying that this isn't something you ought to concern yourself with."

"I can't watch while a fellow slayer goes down a self-deprecating cycle while she slowly destroys both her mind and body," Giyuu delivers his witty rebuttal.

Shinobu is provoked. She had a scowl on her face; she wasn't even trying to maintain a smile any longer.

"Answer the question," her 'cheerful' attitude is starting to unravel.

"You skip most of your meals, don't you?" Giyuu insinuates.

"That doesn't concern you, now, does it?" she opines.

"What you're doing is unhealthy," Giyuu answers calmly.

"Why do you care?" Shinobu's voice is now deeper and more ominous.

"Because you clearly don't," Giyuu retorts.

"And none of that is your business," Shinobu replies.

"You don't get to decide that," says Giyuu.

"Hah! Since when was that the case?"

"Since I walked in here," said Giyuu

"You're real funny, you know that?" Shinobu emphasizes the sarcasm in her tone.

"..." Giyuu remains silent.

"Are you listening to me?"

"I'll go make something for you," Giyuu suggests.

"Why are you here, Tomioka-san?" she asks sternly.

'Huh, now she's no longer using formal language...'

Giyuu lifted himself from the chair, "I'll assume you haven't eaten breakfast yet. I'll procure some eggs and rice for you."

"That won't be necessary," she says succinctly.

"I beg to differ."

"Why are you here?"

"How much are you eating on a daily basis?"

"Are you LISTENING to me," she slams her fist on the table.

"I am."

"Then answer the fucking question," her hostile comportment is now conspicuous.

Giyuu, ignoring her question, turned around and began walking towards thither.

"Oh? You're just gonna ignore me now?"

Giyuu paid no heed.

"You're quite the insensitive prick, Tomioka-san," Shinobu hurls an insult.

"..."

"Who sent you here?"

"..."

"Why are you here?"

"..."

"Answer me!" she yelled.

Giyuu could see bitterness within her—the raw emotions which slowly claw away your trust, your perception, and your feelings. An obstinate feeling of resentment that makes you despise the world more than anything else.

He was once just like her. He could see where all of this was going. And he wasn't going to stand idly by while the state of her fragile mind continues to be exacerbated by forces beyond her control.

Giyuu stops, ".... Once you've come to your senses, I will tell you."

In a spontaneous outburst of fury and frustration, Shinobu immediately threw the bottle of medicine she was holding towards Giyuu.

SMASH

The glass bottle irreparably shattered into a copious number of tiny, irretrievable pieces.

Giyuu felt a sharp pain, a stinging sensation, at the back of his head. He extended his hand to touch the area in question. He withdrew his hand back only to find blood stationed on his fingers. The bottle had invariably made contact with his occipital bone. Nevertheless, he was able to endure the pain with relative ease—this was nothing after all.

Even Shinobu realized that she had gone too far. A pang of deep, unrecoverable guilt continued to gnaw away what was left of her spirit, "S-Sorr—"

The door suddenly opened wide.

Kanao appeared before them—a small, but a discernible look of worry manifested itself on her face.

"It's all right, Kanao-chan," Shinobu reassures.

"But—"

"It's okay, I only dropped something," Shinobu adds.

Kanao reluctantly yields. She bows and then slides the Shoji screen shut.

Giyuu promptly turns around to face Shinobu.

"Well, looks like I need to be treated, doctor," he says plainly.

Shinobu gives out an exasperated sigh, "You're one cheeky little bastard, you know that?"

..

..

After removing all the shards of glass and applying some alcohol in order to stop the flow of blood, Shinobu was wrapping a couple of bandages around Giyuu's head.

"Your hands are shaking," Giyuu observed.

"I'm fine," Shinobu answers.

"If it's too much, I suggest you take a break," Giyuu proposes.

"I'm good. It's only because I haven't been doing this for nearly a month now," she murmurs.

"All the more reason to—"

"I'm fine, okay?!" she raises her voice.

"Okay..."

Shinobu frowns, "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it," says Giyuu.

'Her behavior is quite capricious,' Giyuu makes a mental note.

"How is the mansion's condition?" Giyuu attempts to make small talk—something he isn't exactly proficient at.

"Haven't tended to it for a while now," Shinobu answers.

"I see..."

"And the Hashiras? How are things there?" Shinobu queries.

Giyuu took notice of innuendo in her words, "There's been an increase in the level of alertness. For the past four weeks, we've been assigned to more patrols, since Oyakata-sama fears that the enemy is possibly on the move."

"Oh..."

"Why... are you trying to force a smile, Kocho-san?" Giyuu hesitantly inquires, unsure of whether his question will be even answered in the first place.

Shinobu is a little stunned at the utterance of that question, but relays her response anyway: "My... sister... was a good-natured person. She had an easygoing personality and always had a gentle smile on her face. She was so kind... She even had a dream for the future. That someday, after all the bloodshed and all the carnage have ceased, humans will be able to live alongside demons. That they will be able to forgive each other, and uncover who they truly are beyond the blinding mask of hatred and the desire for retribution..."

Giyuu simply nodded.

"So... I guess, since I'm the only remaining member of the Kocho family left, I ought to... pass on her legacy," she struggled to find the right set of words to amplify her rationale.

"There's no point in imitating the late Flower Hashira if you truly don't harbor the same goals as her," Giyuu suddenly posits.

"Huh?"

"A world in which humanity and demonic beings will be able to live side-by-side. That's not your ideal world, is it?"

Shinobu doesn't comment, she only grits her teeth—because he was right. She really doesn't believe in such a world. But after all her beloved sister had done for her over the years, this is what she believes is the best way to honor her sacrifices and her memory.

To become something she was not. To transform the very essence of her being in order to fulfill a role she otherwise could not.

Kanae was a stabilizing factor in her life. But, with her gone, everything has gone awry. So, the solution was to maintain that stability—to become the quintessence of Kanae, as represented through her values, words, and actions.

Shinobu had to be set aside because she wasn't strong enough. Only Kanae could guide her.

"..."

An uncomfortable stillness consumed the room and its two inhabitants.

"I attended a meeting today," Giyuu sharply initiates a new subject, "exclusively for the Hashiras at Oyakata-sama's request."

Shinobu's interest was piqued.

"There, Himejima-dono, the Stone Hashira, presented an official report to the assembly. According to that document, one of the Upper-Rank demons of the Twelve Kizuki was spotted 5 kilometers east of the village of Takayama in the Gifu Prefecture."

"..."

"It was Douma."

"..."

It was quiet once again.

Before long, though, Shinobu spoke: "Isn't this something you should be keeping a secret?"

"It is confidential information, yes," Giyuu confirms.

"Then... why are you telling me this...?"

"Because, one way or another, you'll find out."

"And why's that?"

"I know you've clandestinely accessed the Corps' Archives. So, either way, the information would've been disclosed to you through archival records," Giyuu explained.

"How did—"

"I have a good eye, that's all."

"Then why inform me of this now?"

Giyuu begins, "Because I know what you're thinking right now. You're going to buy a ticket, hop on a night-long train ride to Gifu Prefecture, and then—with your infinite determination along with what little strength you can muster—hunt down the demon who murdered the Flower Hashira. But you won't find him. Because, believe it or not, demons aren't stationary. So, you'll be in a cat-and-mouse chase that will see no end. From that point on, you will disobey orders, neglect your duties, abandon your comrades, and reduce your life to a wasteful endeavor for something you will never obtain. You'll be chasing that demon until you reach the ends of the Earth—which is essentially nowhere, to begin with."

A large vein protrudes from the upper-right corner of Shinobu's forehead, "You son of a—!"

Giyuu raised the volume of his voice even higher to prevent Shinobu's sound from overtaking his, "And even if you do find the enemy. Then what? Do you expect him to be as weak as any other low-ranking demons? You expect to subjugate the Second Rank of the Twelve Kizuki with nothing but your burning passion for revenge? Is that your plan? As things stand now, you will not even be able to lift a finger once you fight that demon. You're far too weak, too immature, and too irresponsible to have the audacity to claim that you'll exact your personal vendetta against someone for whom even the Hashiras are unable to kill."

"I know that! I don't need you to tell me all that!" Shinobu fired back.

She was pissed. But only because Giyuu had deconstructed her wishful thinking. She knew it was silly, but refused to acknowledge such an axiom. The unpleasant realities of this world are truly hard to swallow at times.

"Then you should be able to think this through," Giyuu replied with a grim expression.

"I am, and I DID! I don't need someone to tell me something that I already know!"

"In that case, you'll realize that it's better for you to stay here."

"It's better here? HERE?! Where all I can think of all day is Nee-san and how utterly pathetic I am! I couldn't do anything when she was courageously fighting against that monster! I'm just as useless around here as I was back then! I can't do anything if I stay here!" Shinobu countered, Giyuu's statement provoking her ire.

"That thing killed your sister, the Flower Hashira. If you're thinking of going up against him, you are going to die," Giyuu emphatically states.

"Look at all the shits I give!!! I COULDN'T CARE LESS!! That monster took my sister, it took away my only kin! I have nothing anymore!" she yelled back.

It pained Giyuu to see her like this. The once confident girl who had high hopes for the future was now at her wits' end.

It hurt because he saw himself within her.

Maybe that's why he was trying to help her.

He saw that same 10-year-old boy who cursed the world for its cruelty. The same boy who thought he had lost everything. The boy who was forced to sever all his familial bonds with the loss of an elder sister. Who had blamed himself for everything that had happened thus far; he excoriated himself and his perceived cowardice.

That same boy who would never be the same again.

He saw a 13-year-old novice slayer who was permanently scarred. Who had truly lost his innocence and could no longer redeem himself. He had betrayed his friends just as he had betrayed his sister. Who would endure a lifetime of guilt, self-loathing, and misery.

And yet, he wondered... Can he really look back on the past when he himself has never moved on?

It matters not. Because he's watching someone else fall down that rabbit hole as well.

Because he witnessed it all right in front of him. Right in her eyes, in her facial expression, and her rage. He saw a younger version of himself fuming with contempt for this savage Earth.

He was looking directly into a mirror.

He saw himself.

"You... haven't lost everything," Giyuu whispers, but Shinobu—unfortunately—is unable to hear that.

Shinobu expeditiously stood up and began walking straight for the exit, "Our little chat is over, Tomioka-san."

Giyuu swiftly straightened up as well and briskly grabbed her wrist, "No, it's not."

"Let me go, Tomioka-san."

"You know I can't do that."

"You won't be able to stop me," said Shinobu.

"No, I will."

"Why..." Shinobu mumbles. "Why do you care so much?!"

"Because I understand the rage that drives you. That impossible anger strangling the grief until the memory of your loved one is just... poison in your veins. And one day, you catch yourself wishing that the person you loved had never existed... so you'd be spared your pain. Your anger has great power... But if you let it, it will destroy you..." Giyuu speaks softly and soothingly as if he's trying to caress the wounded spirit inside of her.

"I know your sister meant the world to you—the same way she meant a lot to others. I've seen some of the Hashiras shed tears for her passing. I've observed the likes of Shinazugawa-san, the Wind Hashira, regularly visiting her grave. Don't think that you are alone in this," he added.

"How would you know, huh?! What it feels like to lose everything, to wake up every day knowing that the world around you won't be the same again!"

"... I do. Very well..." he simply responds.

"Then you have to understand why I must do this," Shinobu replied indignantly.

"No, the very fact I do know is the reason why I cannot allow this," Giyuu ripostes.

"..."

"It hurts, doesn't it? That pain can motivate you to do things you can't imagine. But it can also lead you down a path of self-destruction."

"​​I don't need your pity," she scolds in a gust of vitriol.

"It's not pity, it's empathy," Giyuu corrects.

"I know I'm hopeless. I know that I'm weak... But I can't help it..." Shinobu, with a doleful look, said melancholically.

"I know."

"I want to kill it, Tomioka-san. I want to relish in a pool of its blood, of its internal organs. That's all I've been thinking about since then—how to kill it."

"I know."

"I can't rest as long as that thing is alive. I hate it so much. I want it gone. I wanna be the one to kill it," said Shinobu.

"Yes, I understand."

"Then what am I supposed to do...? I—I... I just... don't know what to do anymore..." Shinobu said tentatively, tears started flowing down her cheeks.

She allowed her emotions to be disclosed, to spill out into the outside world. For Giyuu to see up close.

Giyuu gently lets go of her wrist, "There's only one thing you can do."

Shinobu turns around and looks up to meet his eyes.

"Become stronger. Become a Hashira," he propounds.

"Hashira...?" Shinobu was taken aback.

Hashira. For Shinobu, that was asking for the impossible. Reaching the status of Hashira is so unbelievably difficult that only nine out of possibly hundreds of qualified candidates are selected. There's no way in hell someone like her could be a Hashira.

"There's a vacant seat in light of the Flower Hashira's passing. The nomination process will begin soon. If you put in the effort and time, you'll likely be able to do it. You have a lot of potential. I've seen you. You're extremely talented, shrewd, and—most of all—you have the willpower. You have a natural aptitude for this," Giyuu explains.

Shinobu's confusion was soon eclipsed by her low self-esteem, "But, I'm weak..."

"Yes, you are. But remember what I said: Nominations for Hashira candidates are evaluated holistically. Strength is appreciated, but not the sole determinant. In other words, you may be weak, but you also have the immense capacity to be incredibly strong, Kocho-san," Giyuu concludes.

Shinobu is still in a state of vacillation with regards to Giyuu's proposition.

"If you want to honor the memory of your sister, ​​channel all that pain, all the grief, all that hatred, into a tangible result. Into a force for good. Take her spot amongst the strongest and carry on her legacy. Find your purpose," Giyuu, speaking directly from his own experience, employs pathos to add an emotional exigence to this proposal.

"..." Shinobu failed to reply but cogitated the implications of Giyuu's statements and the path she would ultimately choose to take thereafter.

For a brief interval of time, no word was spoken, no sound was contrived, and only the reverberation of rain pouring outside was the primary source of any discernible noise.

"I'm a hindrance to you and everyone else, aren't I?" Shinobu suddenly asserts.

"Hm?"

"I've been a pain in the ass, is what I'm saying. To the Corps, to the Hashiras, to Oyakata-sama, and to you. The reason why the report presented to the Hashiras was kept undisclosed is simply that they didn't want me to uncover its contents..."

"You are correct."

"You probably hate me now. After all, I've done nothing for you over the years. And yet, here you are, trying to lift me back up. And what do I do? I yell, throw things, act like a petulant child, and wrongfully release my pent-up anger towards you..." Shinobu, remorseful for her conduct and her inadequacy, says to Giyuu.

"Not at all. I came here of my own volition. I'm asking for nothing in return except that you remain in a healthy condition," Giyuu replies.

He further remarks, "But nobody sees you as a hindrance. The Flower Hashira was highly venerated even amongst the most intransigent of the Pillars. They carry sympathy for you. You still have people who are there to support you, Kocho-san. Tsuyuri-san is there for you. The denizens of the Butterfly Estate are there for you. Oyakata-sama has deemed it his utmost responsibility to help you in any way possible. It's even possible for you to confer with Shinazugawa Sanemi; he was close with your sister. You're not alone, Kocho-san."

Shinobu stared intently at this man. This man who had given so much, but asked for little in return. She still couldn't understand him. Why would he do all this? What's his goal here?

He was an enigma; there was still so much she didn't know about him. He was a curious case for her. She could only see a taciturn individual who seemed to be carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders—holding all the suffering, all the scars, all the burdens, and all the pain within himself.

"Why do you want to help me? Why... are you so kind...?" she queries, hoping for him to reveal his motive.

Giyuu pondered the question. He didn't see himself as particularly kind or extraordinary in terms of his altruism. But maybe that's because he's biased towards this girl.

'What would Nee-san say...' Giyuu wondered.

After some thought, he finally answered Shinobu's highly-anticipated question, "For you, a thousand times over."

Shinobu's eyes widened. He didn't exactly answer the question nor did he provide a satisfying justification. He just conjured up an old, succinct saying that only poets would regurgitate nowadays.

But it made her happy for some odd reason. For the first time in a while, for the first time since that god-forsaken day, she felt elated.

And that's all that really matters.

"You're not like the others," said Shinobu.

"Huh?"

"You're not like the other slayers. You're... different.... You like to help people, and you don't act like you're above everyone else," Shinobu whispered, but just loud enough for Giyuu to hear it as well.

Then, her face exhibits a wide, natural grin, "And I think that's a good thing, Tomioka-san."

She was smiling, but this was neither feigned nor was it someone else's smile. It was genuine. It was real. It was all hers and hers alone.

Giyuu quietly exhaled in relief, 'My work here is done.'

"I will be taking my leave now," Giyuu states.

Shinobu's smile vanishes, "Why so soon?"

"I have a meeting to attend to," he answers.

"Oh... alright," Shinobu replies, hiding the hint of disappointment in her tone.

Giyuu begins walking.

He was satisfied with the outcome. He has completed what he had set out to do—to rejuvenate Shinobu and persuade her not to go after Douma.

He was content with the result.

Until...

*Tug*

Using her index finger and thumb, Shinobu clasps the sleeve of Giyuu's haori.

"Don't leave... Stay..." She speaks softly.

The gesticulation took Giyuu by complete surprise. He didn't see any of this coming. What should he do?

There was a different kind of tension within the room. One unlike the cold, unwelcoming atmosphere from before. Rather, this was an ambiance of warmth and passion; a joyous sensation that would only transpire on very rare occasions. The only similarity between the two atmospheres, however, was the continued presence of that feeling—a feeling of trepidation and uneasiness about the future.

Giyuu, however, can't read the room or her feelings. He fails to reciprocate her gesture.

"Until we meet again, Future Hashira," he simply replies.

He frees his haori from her fingers.

He promptly extricates himself from the room, leaving only an invigorated, but sullen Shinobu on her own in the study.

A grave error.

His only miscalculation in the duration of that exchange. His only mistake.

Things will never again be the same.

The world has changed, and so have its inhabitants.

The heavens look down upon its creation with a bleak sense of anguish.

Dark days were nigh upon them.

Will they fall into despair? Or will they rise to the occasion?

Only the test of time will tell.

..

..

On that day, a burning flame ignited within Shinobu's psyche. Her goals had not changed—she still coveted revenge—but the manner in which she would execute her plans took on a more logical and analytical outlook.

She was now adhering to a new set of beliefs and forged ahead along a new path.

There was, unfortunately, one catch to all of this.

Neither of them would suspect it at the time, but that was to be their last conversation for an extended period—two years to be exact.

Giyuu would never again return for his medical appointments—a fatal mistake. And the only thing on Shinobu's mind and soul was the lengthy period of extensive training in preparation for her Hashira status—she didn't have the confidence to face Giyuu again.

When they would inevitably meet once again as fellow Hashiras, they were like complete strangers. As if all the memories, all the exchange of words, and all the goodwill never existed. She was a completely different person and he was still lost in his eternal predicament.

One could consider the infinite counterfactuals that would've happened between them.

What if Giyuu didn't leave that day?

What if Shinobu summoned the courage to visit the Water Hashira?

What if they actually spoke once Shinobu became the Insect Hashira? Instead of Giyuu avoiding her—as he falsely presumed that Shinobu's new facade promulgated the idea that she was a completely different person from the one he knew—and Shinobu misconstruing his intentions; she assumed that he genuinely didn't want to speak with her.

What if the misunderstanding were cast aside?

What if they realized that their destinies had become intertwined?

What if they had found salvation within each other?

What if they had found happiness in each other?

What if...

What if...

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Author's Notes:

Initially, I sought to write this sequence as the sort of 'preamble' or 'introduction' to the rest of the chapter.

However, this 'short' introduction ended up being over 5,000 words. And I still had an entire chapter left to go!

Thus, I decided to split this thing.

Now, this chapter is a bit odd since it deviates from the main storyline and is entirely written in a fashion that would suggest a flashback sequence—which it is.

The reason being that I felt as if Shinobu and Giyuu still had not gotten enough development—or, in this case, context—for both their present or future relationship and interactions.

I needed to build a strong foundation in order to justify their actions into the near future.

In order to remedy this perceived problem, I wrote this entire thing.

So, I hope that the stuff I wrote was good haha.