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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So, I stole A LOT of images from Batman: Gotham Knight again (plz don't sue), just a heads up in case you see Batman in the images lmao

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Within the confines of this begrimed chamber riddled with filth and the nauseating stench of rotting flesh and dry blood, there sat a towering figure whose presence evoked terror and disgust.

Haji's revolting appearance was fitting for the surrounding, heinous defilement of this structure born from human ingenuity. The rusting pipes were all strewn with stains of vomit and blood, the pools of brown-colored water were contaminated beyond care, and dilapidated bricks were scattered across the floor—maintenance of such material had become a long-forgotten task.

Yet, this Demon prided herself on such an unsavory setting. In fact, she took pride in her own appearance; her tone of voice and apparent mannerisms all indicated that she spoke from a position of power and utmost confidence, not deterred by the conspicuous manifestation of sin built along the surface of her terrible body.

Indeed, with great power comes a great sense of overwhelming bliss at the control one now has over others.

Perhaps Haji was intoxicated by such ecstasy. Although, that is all predicated on the true extent of her powers—whatever they may be...

"Mr. and Mrs. Rena, it is truly a pleasure to have you and your family down here in my little dwelling~" Haji jeered with superficial delight.

The Rena couple were holding each other for support, as the emotional stress of this torturous situation was placing a toll on them—like weights hanging on their shoulders, their beleaguered mental state hampered their physical functionalities.

The mother, in particular, was quietly weeping, whilst the father's face was highly corrugated and tense beyond relief.

Another set of guards acted as a barrier between the couple and their daughter.

"Haji-sama, please... let our little girl go," Mr. Rena supplicated deeply.

"I beg of you! Don't kill my baby!" Mrs. Rena cried out, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Ooh? It appears we have very loving parents. You are one lucky girl, aren't you, Naho-chan?" Haji turns to the child in question.

Restrained by two guards, Naho was aggressively hauled to the anterior of the throne—where Haji was overtly perched.

The outward form of this creature was enough to petrify the innocent young girl into a mix of whimpers and heavy wheezing. After all, Haji's physical incarnation most nearly resembles the moral carcass of sin bereft of an ounce of rectitude.

As such, Naho was incapable of responding to Haji's prompt.

"M-Mama..." she teared up.

"Very loving parents indeed..." Haji smirked. "If it were not for the fact that they came to ME in order to cancel their debts!"

The parents were visibly distressed upon hearing this; they were reeling from the mere shame of their actions, fully realizing the tremendous mistake they had made.

"Yes... you were a poor family living in the city slums. Right when Naho was born, she contracted a very bad illness. Being poor, you couldn't pay the medical expenses, so you had to borrow money..." Haji took the liberty of explaining.

She continued, "But since the banks wouldn't loan money to a poor family with no credit history, they had to find... other sources—particularly criminal gangs. Naho eventually recovered, but you people remained under the yoke of these debt collectors. So... you came to me... Isn't that right, Mr. and Mrs. Rena?"

"Haji-sama! You said that there was no string attached!" Mr. Rena tried to emphasize.

"Indeed, I did say that," Haji replies. "But why would you believe something so obviously fabricated?"

"Wha..." Mr. Rena was at a loss.

"Did you honestly think that I wouldn't ask for something in return? I knew you naive fools wouldn't accept my 'gift' if I told you that little Naho-chan had to be a candidate for a sacrificial ritual. Of course not! So, what did I do instead? I LIED!" Haji reveled in this divulgence—as she does with all of her other prey.

"No... Please, not my Naho... Anyone but her..." Mrs. Rena entreated, trying her best to suppress the weeping.

"Oh great... the problem is that you are honest, hard-working people with virtuous hearts," the Demon of Shame leans her head forward as if to suggest that she was sharing some damning secret. "BUT, unfortunately, the world doesn't work like that. People are vile, cruel, and unforgiving. And yet, you still trusted the words of a DEMON! A being created by Izanami to act as the bastardization of human beings! Created by her to fulfill her promise to kill one thousand humans every passing day! AND YOU BELIEVED ME?!"

"Please... I beg you..." Mr. Rena implored once more.

"YOU HUMANS REALLY ARE STUPID! YOU FELL FOR SOMETHING SO SIMPLE! NOW REJOICE, AS I FEAST UPON YOUR DAUGHTER RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU! SHE WILL SURELY THINK HER PARENTS ARE CARING BY THEN!!!!" Haji openly mocked, her abominable voice screeching and reverberating throughout this open chamber.

"NAHO!!" Mrs. Rena sobbed, desperately reaching for her daughter.

However, the wall of guards obstructed such efforts.

"HAJI-SAMA! PLEASE!! LET MY DAUGHTER LIVE!!!" Mr. Rena prostrated deeply, attempting to persuade by any means necessary.

"Mama!! Papa!!" Naho, now crying, tried to free herself from the guards' grasp, but her feeble body was ultimately unsuccessful in accomplishing this arduous task.

Haji promptly faces the crowd of her devout supporters, "WHAT IS THE SENTENCE?"

"DEATH!"

"DEATH!"

"DEATH!"

The hordes of brainless puppets repeated over and over.

A synchronized chorus of judgment was handed without dissent.

"HAJI-SAMA!!" Mr. Rena begged again, but his final attempt was of no avail.

"NAHO!!!" Mrs. Rena continued to extend her hand to her daughter, though this measure was all in vain as well.

"Mama!! Papa!!" Naho let out a wail.

Haji couldn't help but be amused by this powerful and—at least, in her eyes—histrionic display of ardor and familial love.

She mused if her elder brother would exhibit the same degree of vociferous concern for her well-being.

Nah, that wouldn't happen in a million years.

"CAN ANYONE HERE SPEAK FOR THE POOR CHILD?" the Demon of Shame, entertaining herself in the performance of this kangaroo court, calls out to a non-existent defense.

Or so she thought.

"I can," a soothing, reassuring voice replied.

*Thud* *Thud*

The two sentries monitoring Naho were suddenly knocked out.

The sweet scent of Wisteria wafted through the air, overpowering the odor emitted from Haji.

A petite, elegant lady gracefully landed from high above, her haori delicately flapping momentarily before coming to rest. Her descent was akin to that of a butterfly's gentle landing on the soft petal of a leaf.

She adorned a genial expression on her face, exuding a calming sensation for the Rena family.

Naho felt a comforting, familiar presence overlooking her. She looked up to identify this individual.

"M-Miss!!" she quickly recognized.

Naho immediately embraced Shinobu in a reflexive measure, and a wave of intense relief caused her to cry uncontrollably—she now felt secure and sheltered from the evils of the outside world.

Shinobu smiled warmly as Naho clung to her leg from below.

"Don't worry, you're safe now," she tenderly patted the child's head.

"Naho!!" the parents concurrently yelled, beckoning for her attention.

"Rest assured, Mr. and Mrs. Rena," Shinobu inspirits, conveying to them that her intentions are good and honest.

The Insect Hashira's comments provided great consolation to the agonized parents, with their countenance noticeably relaxed and their emotional outbursts now controlled.

"Hm," Haji huffed, slightly annoyed by this disturbance, "I didn't detect your fall. How did you do that?"

Shinobu looked back up, "Oh no, you didn't notice? I thought you demons were all-powerful."

Haji felt provoked, "You're a sly one. I guess your overconfidence comes from your good looks—as is the case for most young women out there. How shameful."

"Says the Demon of Shame," Shinobu retorted.

"Well, Hashira," Haji snarls, "how do you suppose you'll get out of this one? There are over fifty humans here; humans you cannot kill, unlike demons!"

"Well, we've already figured that out," Shinobu simply answers.

As if by cue, another figure descends from the sky.

Except his landing was not graceful at all: he proceeded to alight on an area that encompassed a dense concentration of Haji's followers.

BAM

The impact of Giyuu's fall caused a whole mass of individuals to be struck unconscious.

The Water Hashira appeared, his sword sheathed, and his hands ready for close-quarters combat.

"Took you long enough!" Shinobu called out, feeling glad at the sight of her partner.

"You said to count to thirty," Giyuu replies blankly.

"KILL THEM!" Haji orders.

In accordance with directives, all the men pulled out a combination of sickles and pocket knives, aiming to mutilate their opponents.

Three men, armed with the aforementioned instruments, made a lunge at Giyuu.

Giyuu, who was crouching as a result of the antecedent landing, used one of his legs to trip the first of the three enemies.

*THUD*

The assailant collapsed and was subsequently immobilized by the impact of the fall.

Giyuu promptly upraised himself, now standing on his two feet. As he did, though, two more assailants rapidly made a thrust toward him—both were equipped with sickles.

The two attackers were approaching from the right and left, making the Water Hashira's strategic position quite inconvenient.

However, being adept at hand-to-hand combat, the Water Hashira was quick to react.

Before men to his left could strike him, Giyuu unsheathed his Nichirin blade and employed it for the purpose of parrying the attack.

*Clang*

His intricately-made, long steel blade easily countered the small sickle, going as far as flinging it out of the man's hand due to the sheer force exerted at collision.

Then, removing his scabbard from the belt and subsequently carrying it in his other hand, Giyuu lunges forward and makes a thrust against the man's stomach with the scabbard.

*BAM*

"Ach!" The man went flying.

'Since we don't know if they're being mind-controlled or coerced by Haji, we cannot kill them under any circumstances,' Giyuu internalizes his observations.

Indeed, the Hashiras surmised that the best course of action was to simply immobilize, not kill, the humans acting under the demon's orders.

And it's not like such circumstances are wholly unknown to them; there have been reports of humans working on behalf of demons due to threats or perceived benefits for such service.

Therefore, working under the same assumption, it is best if the humans are kept alive—after all, demon slayers are only supposed to kill demons, not humans.

Meanwhile, the man to Giyuu's right was close to impaling him with a knife, but the Water Hashira easily dealt with this threat.

Since his sword—and, thus, arm—was extended in the opposite direction from the enemy, as Giyuu had to address the previous assailant, the Water Hashira simply pulled his arm and entire body backward.

This sudden movement effectuated a strike against the attacker, as the Kashira (pommel) of the Katana's end smacked against the man's face.

BAM

Blood and spittle gushed out as the man was left utterly disoriented by the blow.

"AND KILL THIS STUPID, FUCKING COUPLE!" Haji further instructs.

Before the men could assail Naho's parents, however, Shinobu hastily leaped into the fray and—using a combination of various martial arts techniques and extemporized styles—began to inflict blows on the men enclosing Naho's parents.

Through her adroit agility, Shinobu makes quick use of men; the manner in which she delivers her punches and parries is visually similar to that of an elaborate dance.

BAM BAM BAM

As she moved nimbly and with mind-numbing speed, Shinobu was easily able to find blind spots along each of the men, thereby permitting her to incapacitate the enemy with minimal effort.

One of these men attempted to strike her with his knife, but the Insect Hashira dodged the attack with ease by slightly lowering her knees before impact.

As a result of this maneuver, the man was wide open for a strike to his stomach, to which Shinobu graciously exploited.

Shinobu forthwith punches the man straight in the denoted area.

BAM

Thoroughly stunned by this strike, the man is sent flying—all the while vomiting spittle and other yellow-colored substances, implying that he likely consumed food recently.

Three more guards thence simultaneously try their luck at killing the intruder.

However, before they could, Shinobu leaped into the air—effectively evading the joint assault.

*BAM*

The three men crashed into each other, essentially doing Shinobu's job by virtue of their stupidity and lack of coordination.

As Shinobu alighted on the ground, she swiftly addressed another company of guards charging at her.

Using the momentum built from her jump and subsequent landing, the Insect Hashira propels her leg upward several times as a means to brutally kick the accomplices.

BAM BAM BAM

Each time she kicked, she also initiated a mini-jump so that the next kick could accumulate a similar amount of momentum as the previous one.

Thus, Shinobu's body bobbed up and down like an oscillating spring system.

In doing so, she gracefully managed to launch consecutive hits on multiple targets, eliminating them from the field of battle without having to rely on her upper-body strength—which she is notably lacking.

She appeared ostensibly elegant in its execution, as it nearly always is with her tactical maneuvers.

All the while, she kept a close eye on Naho—ensuring that she wasn't endangered by either the men or Haji.

The Demon of Shame, much to the Hashira's surprise, remained sedentary; she continued reclining against the throne, seemingly deeming the situation not too serious so as to demand her immediate involvement.

"Mama!! Papa!!" Naho ran into her parents' embrace.

"My Baby!!" Mrs. Rena weeps tears of solace and joy.

"Naho!!" Even Mr. Rena was crying.

Thanks to Shinobu and Giyuu's distraction, the family was able to safely reunite.

Nonetheless, the battle was not yet over.

In the meanwhile, Giyuu was just as busy on his side.

A man charges toward Giyuu, readying his sickle for an incision.

The Water Hashira, however, quickly disarms the man via a knife-hand strike—colloquially known as a 'Karate Chop'—against his wrist. This incurred upon the designated ligament irreparable damage, consequently putting it out of use for an extended period of time.

As if that wasn't enough, Giyuu then grabbed the man by the collar and raised him from the floor beneath.

Then, right when a horde of guards advanced hither, Giyuu catapulted the man towards this oncoming group of aggressors.

*BAM* *BAM* *BAM*

The resulting collision engendered a sort of Domino Effect, whereby a chain reaction was created once the first victim fell—causing the others behind him to fall as a result of the individual in front collapsing backward.

Following this, another henchman endeavored to land a hit—a forlorn attempt.

As this individual lunged forward to Giyuu, the Water Hashira deftly eluded the maneuver by merely tilting his head at a slight angle.

Afterward, before the assailant could readjust his disposition to this new situation, Giyuu wrapped his right arm around the man's elbow, locking it so tightly that the enemy lost all sensation along his forearm—which then introduced conditions conducive for the man to unintentionally drop his weapon, as the blood-deprived nerves had lost faculty over the sense of touch on that particular hand.

When the weapon was eventually dropped, Giyuu made quick work of the enemy, and he stretched his arm forward such that his hand was latched onto the henchman's shoulder.

After accomplishing this, Giyuu employed just the sheer power of only his right arm to quite literally slam the enemy down onto the ground.

BAM

In doing this, Giyuu knocked him unconscious.

Shinobu, at the same time, ferociously swung her sword horizontally against three foes—each of them armed with either a sickle or knife.

The Insect Hashira aimed for the instrument itself, careful not to let the Kissaki—the point, or the tip, of the Katana—of her poisonous Nichirin Blade touch their skin.

*Clang* *Clang* *Clang*

This operation caused each of the men to lose hold of their weapon, depriving them of the means to effectively fight their opponent.

Shinobu, in a manner similar to what Giyuu undertook earlier, instead utilized her scabbard to inflict physical damage upon the three henchmen.

BAM BAM BAM

The Insect Hashira aggressively smacked each of the men at such a blistering pace that the moving scabbard appeared as a blurred object from an outsider's perspective.

Subsequently, the men were rendered immobile.

"Aggghhh!" a battle cry was heard from behind.

Another one of Haji's many acolytes came charging with a sickle, seeking to outflank Shinobu.

Taking notice of this, Shinobu triggered the knife concealed within the sole of her geta sandal into operation.

*Swoosh*

She swung her foot backward and succeeded in piercing the enemy's knee—automatically eliciting an immediate halt to their movements.

*Jab*

"ARH!" the man bellowed in agony as a throbbing, unadulterated pain permeated throughout his leg.

Due to this crippling affliction, the man inadvertently released his grip over the weapon—disarming himself in the process.

Shinobu then proceeded to turn around and seize control of the man's arm that was hitherto equipped with the weapon.

She then twisted and contorted the arm, all the while taking command of his other arm, such that the man was forced to rotate and face the complete opposite direction.

Then, with all her might, Shinobu hurled the enemy against a nearby wall.

BAM

The man's head smashed against the rocky surface of the wall, leaving the front of his head bloodied and battered—instantly knocking him out cold.

At this point in the battle, the number of Haji's minions was dwindling in number, leading to desperate, last-ditch attempts to somehow turn the tide of battle.

Returning to Giyuu, he came across one of the few remaining henchmen holding an elongated, metal pipe; it appears the man has concluded that petty weapons will do no good against these seasoned fighters.

"Arrhh!!" The man rushed forward with the pipe in hand—most likely hoping that the enormous weight and durability of the material would overwhelm the Water Hashria.

Giyuu, nevertheless, immediately came up with a remedy for this supposed predicament.

He unsheathed his Nichirin Blade and positioned it horizontally, with the sharper edge parallel to the pipe's corresponding horizontal diameter, and assumed a battle stance whilst remaining stationary.

The henchman, though puzzled at this seemingly innocuous course of action, continued the assault on his opponent.

SKREEEEEEEEEE

Upon contact, the Katana almost instantly begins slicing the metallic pipe in half.

Given the profound metallurgical understanding and skilled craftsmanship poured into the development of these highly-valuable katanas, thanks in no small part to the talents and experts of the Swordsmith Village, it's basically a given that the steel sword—built to last against a prolonged struggle against demons—would overpower a rusty metal pipe.

Combine that with excellent swordsmanship, as is the case for the Hashiras, then you achieve a weapon with immense potential and capacity for crippling the enemy.

Unfortunately for their foes, they have yet to realize this reality—and, in turn, to recognize the futility of fighting against the Hashiras of all people.

Although the henchman was alarmed by this unexpected development, he was steadfast in adherence to his original plan to trounce the Water Hashira with brute force.

SKREEEEEEEEEE

The high-pitched, grating continued to screech at an obtrusively loud volume—inducing dreadful headaches among the inhabitants of this chamber.

The abrasion between the metals singed the scenery with sparks of blazing-hot incandescent light, almost as if plumes of magma were emerging from the metallic friction.

SKREEEEEEEEEE

With every passing second, the Nichirin Blade effortlessly sliced through the tube, gradually reaching the end where the henchman was pushing.

And all Giyuu had to do was simply stand there.

Eventually, however, the demon's acolyte had used up all the pipe's length.

SKREEETTT

Right before Giyuu completely tore the conduit in half, he promptly launched a punch square against the man's face.

BAM

The man was thrown out of the battle. And the once-circular pipe was now torn into two pieces of elongated hemispheres.

Thereafter, the Insect and Water Hashiras continued their ceaseless, rapid defensive and offensive procedures against the rest of the followers without rest.

To onlookers, the two slayers appeared to be beasts that did not grow tired. But, this was actually easy work for them; compared to demons, fighting humans is easier by orders of magnitude.

In fact, they had to hold back their punches by a significant degree, as they didn't want to kill or mortally wound the humans.

Such is the untold might of the Hashiras of the Demon Slayer Corps.

In any case, it only took about a minute for the battle to come to a conclusion.

Giyuu scanned the area, looking for any bogeys that could pose a threat.

He then ambulated over to his partner, who stood guard by the Renas.

"Is that the last of them?" Shinobu asks.

"Yes," Giyuu confirms.

Multitudes of bodies—all alive, just maybe with a couple of broken bones—and men groaning in pain were all that was left of the battlefield.

They promptly looked at Haji, who was still seated on the throne. She was grinning widely.

The cult followers were a cakewalk. But Haji? The Hashiras knew this coming battle wouldn't be so easy.

Both raised and steadied their katanas as they braced their mind and body for any sudden movement on Haji's part.

"Mr. Rena, Mrs. Rena, please find somewhere to hide for the time being," Shinobu directs cooly, still keeping an eye on the smirking demon.

"Y-Yes, thank you!" Mr. Rena acknowledged.

"Thank you for protecting Naho! Thank you so much!" Mrs. Rena exclaimed, still shedding tears.

She then lifted Naho into her arms and the family began evacuating the premises.

To Shinobu and Giyuu's surprise, Little Naho gave her parting words: "Miss! Turtle-san!"

The Hashiras are silent, worried that Haji might impede upon the family's retreat.

"Stay safe!" Naho calls out.

This was certainly the morale-booster.

"Well, we can't lose now," Shinobu quips, grinning at Naho's comment.

"Yeah," Giyuu concurs fully, his previously tense countenance now easing up.

Thankfully, much to the pair's relief, Haji did not attack them or the family.

And yet, paradoxically, this is also concerning. If she doesn't feel the need to attack right now, right when the Hashiras are at a great disadvantage due to having to shield the Rena family, then what other vile machinations does Haji have in store for them?

Given what they've encountered thus far, it could include just about anything ranging from more dreamscapes or a terrifying display of strength and power.

Haji, who had been quiet for the most part, now spoke without warning: "Do you know who those people are? The people you just viciously beat like dogs?"

"Mind-controlled by you, that's for sure," Shinobu retorts.

"Heh," Haji scoffs. "Them? Oh no, they're just a little... lost in the head."

"And whose fault might that be?" Shinobu countered.

"HAHAHA!!" Haji abruptly breaks out into laughter. "You morons! You really think I can just manipulate whoever I want?"

"Are you responsible for the granting of wishes in these parts?" Giyuu suddenly interrogates.

"Oh? You know about that? Well, I suppose given what you might've heard here, it would be common knowledge for you by now," Haji was intrigued by Giyuu's inquiry.

The Water Hashira, fortunately, had access to such information long beforehand. Thanks to Old Man Hayashi and his drunken diatribes, Giyuu was able to attain a surface-level understanding of the plight troubling this city.

..

"That was the compromise. 'Wishes for sacrifices,' is the saying around here. It's kind of like a fucked-up business."

"Even so, people still do it anyway; they want to tap into the innumerable rewards granted by such demonic powers. Everyone wants a piece of that cake, even if lives are going to be at risk for it."

..

Tragically, it was this exact transferral of knowledge that ultimately led to Yamashita Hayashi's death at the hands of this demonic family.

Shinobu, on the other hand, was slightly confused by this exchange: 'Granting wishes? Did Giyuu ever tell me about this? Why does he even know in the first place...?'

Nevertheless, she was quick to connect the dots, 'Unless... that old man Fumiko killed told him—perhaps that's why he was killed in the first place. But is that what these demons do? If so, then that explains Fumiko, the cult following, and Haji mentioning canceling the Renas' debt...'

"Understand," the Demon of Shame continues, "that these pitiful folks are what you might expect from my followers."

"What do you mean?" Shinobu presses.

"Adulterers, whores, murderers, pathological liars, thieves, opium addicts, drunks, and other spawns from the lowest of society. The lowest common denominators. All shameful individuals," Haji expounds, taking satisfaction in being able to amass such a following.

"They are all lost people. Completely rejected by society. So, the only option for them is to come down here, into my kind and loving arms~" she adds.

"You grant their wishes, don't you?" Giyuu observes.

Haji smiles smugly, "You are sharp, Hashira. Unfortunately, the realization of wishes is only possible with both me and my now-deceased sister, Kanashimi."

She sighs heavily, "It's really been inconvenient ever since my dear sister had to go off and die without permission. Without her powers, I can't accept unrealistic wishes—like bringing back the dead or something. Oh well, I can rely on my own powers now..."

"Your sister created dreamscapes for impractical wishes?" Shinobu questions.

Haji turns her head to Shinobu, "I hear it was you who killed Kanashimi."

"You mean Etsuko," Shinobu corrects.

"Etsuko?" Haji's forged a look of bewilderment.

"Her human name."

"What nonsense are you even saying," Haji immediately dismisses it.

'It wasn't phased by it... and I don't think even the notion of her sister's death really bothers her... typical demon,' Shinobu mentally infers.

"What is your goal," Giyuu states plainly.

"Oh, I don't really know. I just delegate that to Father and Nii-sama. Ask them if you want answers," Haji nonchalantly brushes aside the question.

"BUT," she stood up.

Because it was her first major activity since they entered this chamber, the Hashiras quickly assumed battle stances and prepared for the worst.

"What I do know is that you two are very valuable. Especially you, Water boy!" she exclaims wildly.

"What?" Shinobu blurted.

"You see, a woman's blood—especially that of a virgin—is more purified than a man's blood. So, Insect girl, I will have a VERY pleasant time eating you piecemeal!" Haji explains.

Giyuu felt his temper grow exponentially at the utterance of those words.

"You're not getting anywhere near her," he snaps.

"As for you," Haji turns to Giyuu, "you will be duly added to my 'collection', so rejoice at my merciful policy!"

"Save your words for when you're begging for mercy," Shinobu sharply lashes out at the mention of Giyuu's fate.

"Oh, one more thing," Haji ignores.

Giyuu and Shinobu awaited the start of this confrontation, which they assumed would commence any second now.

"The Children of Father are all innately connected spiritually and mentally by the soul. In other words, whatever my brothers and sister see, hear, or feel, I also perceive," she explicates.

Neither of the Hashiras knew where she was going with this.

"Tell me, are you ashamed of your identity?" Haji queried ominously.

"..."

"..."

Giyuu and Shinobu didn't bother answering, as they were of the mindset that the Demon of Shame was simply stalling and nothing else.

"What about you, Water boy?" she beckons.

"..." Giyuu's mind and spirit were battle-hardened and fixed on defeating Haji at all costs.

"What did it feel like when you broke your promise to Satō Eito?" she suddenly says.

Giyuu's eyes widened.

Shinobu, now informed of his past, recalls the name, 'That's Tsutako-san's fiancée...'

"The promise to look after your sister? Oh how heartbroken he must've been when he was told that his beloved died THE NIGHT BEFORE the wedding!" Haji taunts. "And it's all because of you..."

Giyuu was visibly perturbed.

Seeing from her peripheral vision, Shinobu turns to face Giyuu.

"Giyuu! Don't listen to her! She's trying to throw you off!" Shinobu reminds her partner.

Haji didn't stop, though, "Or how about when you promised your best friend Sabito that you would protect Makomo at all costs! HOW IT MUST'VE HURT WHEN YOU'RE THE REASON WHY MAKOMO IS DEAD! YOUR STUPIDITY AND ARROGANCE KILLED HER!!"

Giyuu was beginning to hyperventilate, inhaling and exhaling at an uncontrollable rate.

"Giyuu! Giyuu!!! Stay with me!" Shinobu tries to assuage his condition.

"THE LOOKS OF DISGUST ON SABITO AND EITO'S FACES MUST'VE FELT TERRIBLE! OH, THE SHAME MUST'VE BEEN UNBEARABLE! YOU CAN'T BEAR IT—"

"SHUT THE HELL UP!!" Shinobu yells in defiance. "GIYUU DID NOTHING WRONG! I'VE SEEN IT MYSELF!"

"OH, BUT HE THINKS HE DID! HE KNOWS HE DID!!! THAT'S WHY YOU'VE ALREADY LOST, FOOL!!" The Demon of Shame is relentless in her harangue.

"Giyuu! Listen to me!" Shinobu appeals to her partner once again.

However, he was no longer wheezing.

Instead, he stood there in silence.

"Giyuu, remember what I told you? You've done nothing wrong! You have nothing to apologize for! Don't blame yourself for everything!" Shinobu desperately beseeched.

"..."

"Giyuu, please, talk to me!!" she cried out.

Giyuu finally reacted, shifting his head toward her direction—their eyes now meeting.

Shinobu thought she had finally gotten through, "Giyuu, I—"

He was completely staid in appearance. His emotionless expression did not evince a single semblance of the breakdown that had only just occurred seconds ago.

And there was no color in his eyes.

These were the first observations she made when the Water Hashira made a lunge toward her.

"Giyuu..." she said in disbelief.

He raised his sword.

Shinobu's eyes dilate with pure shock and dolefulness.

"Don't..." she choked on her words.

He was unresponsive to her sorrow.

"Please... Giyuu...!" she pleaded.

He swings his blade.

Due to her not foreseeing this, Shinobu only barely evaded the strike.

*Slash*

Nevertheless, Giyuu's Nichirin Blade grazed her torso, creating a left diagonal cut that tore her uniform and skin from the shoulder down to the hip.

Shinobu, however, didn't even notice the pain.

Instead, the pain was internal and it far preceded the physical cut.

Here was her fellow Hashira, her comrade-in-arms, and her partner in this mission.

Here was a man she trusts deeply, a man she has vowed to protect and save at all costs, and a man she loves deeply.

That man was now attacking her.

All the life was choked out of Shinobu's spirit, and she was left with just a hollow soul wondering why such events would precipitate in the first place.

How did it come to this?

What did she do wrong?

She failed to protect him again, was all she could think of.

Even after all those vows, all those promises, and all the strengthening of bonds that connected the two, she still failed.

Perhaps it was because of her selfishness.

Did she even try to understand him? Or did she learn about his past just to satisfy her own selfish desires?

She wondered.

Maybe that's why he didn't listen to her at that critical moment. Maybe that's why he was listening to Haji instead.

Because the Demon of Shame was speaking directly to Giyuu's inner conscience.

While Shinobu was too ignorant to even take notice.

She failed. 

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It was really fun writing this chapter—mainly cause of the fight scenes.

Fun fact: one of the primary reasons I wrote this book was so that I could have Batman: Gotham Knight scenes, except in a Demon Slayer context...   XD  (With GiyuShino at the forefront, ofc)

But yeah, hope you enjoyed my weird amalgamation between these two media. 

I think this is the last instance we're gonna see Gotham Knight in this book, so it was fun while it lasted (though I stole images in only like 5 chapters haha).