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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Giyuu

This murky, gloomy day was coming to an end.

The mind-numbingly chilly air remained as unwelcoming as ever in this winter season.

The dull clouds and light flakes of snow evoked a melancholic and despondent outlook; as if the clouds were silently weeping, the teardrops freezing into snow as it carefully alighted onto the cold ground.

The innumerable rituals, obsequies, and other traditional practices had been duly observed with the utmost care.

The funeral procession has concluded.

And now, everyone was gathered in a large room, waiting for the cremation services to begin in earnest.

Everyone, from family, friends, and even the local townspeople, was present.

For, the death of a young, good-natured woman was an occasion for mourning; such a pity it is, they whisper, that she had to die the night before her wedding—the night before the happiest moment of her life.

As for me, I stood in a hushed requiem.

Too much has happened. I still can't process it all.

My heart has been submerged in a sea of grief and sorrow; yet, my eyes are too dry for me to shed any more tears.

I can't make sense of any of it.

Why? Why did this happen?

Why did I yell at her on that awful night? Why did I forsake the bond that had kept us together for so long?

The unbridled anger and frustration that hitherto corrupted my mind have all but swept away in light of the recent events. Now, I just feel hollow.

Why did the world condemn us to this fate? Why did it leave me with a pain worse than death?

Why us? Why her?

She deserved happiness more than anyone else. She worked restlessly in order to care for me, she bottled up her sorrow just for me, and she always kept a happy smile just for me.

So, why did you take her? Why was she punished?

Why not me?

She did not commit a single sin—I was the one who did. She sacrificed everything for me, but I was too selfish.

In what world would the innocent be condemned but the sinner is left to their own devices?

What am I supposed to do now? How am I supposed to make sense of what Kami-sama did to her?

I don't know...

The pain is too great for me to contemplate too deeply.

All I know right now is that Nee-san is dead. Sadness now seeps into my soul, decaying its once-bright spirit.

How I wish to turn back the clock. How I wish to tell her 'I love you' one last time, instead of running away like a fool.

How I wish to see her smile again.

I miss her.

There was a stream of idle, subdued chatter amongst this congregation.

It was hard to make out most of it, but I managed to discern some of the clandestine exchanges.

One of them was between members of my mother's side of the family.

"Did you hear?" one of them, a man, whispered. "The boy thinks an evil monster killed his sister."

"Oh no, he must be beset with grief," a woman answers with pity.

"No wonder it's the boy; he's always been an odd one..." another man replies wryly.

"He was very insistent about it being a demon or something," the first man adds.

But It WAS a demon... I saw it with my own eyes...

Why can't they believe me?

"The boy must be so devastated," the woman sympathizes.

"Except he keeps repeating the same nonsense even during the funeral proceedings. I can't tell if he's actually serious or joking around. Either way, he's only embarrassing himself and his family's name," the second man responds.

It's not nonsense! I'm not joking around!

Why won't anyone believe me? How can just one wild beast mortally wound Nee-san so badly?!

Only something as terrifying as a demon could do something like that!

"It appears he takes after his father..." the first man mutters.

"Tomioka Isao? The naval officer?" the woman asks.

I slightly shift my gaze towards them, slightly curious about the subject of that old geezer.

"The disgraced naval officer whose entire patrol boat crew was wiped out, yet he was the only one to survive," the third man clarifies.

"How shameful. A captain always goes down with his ship, but it appears he wasn't courageous enough to die alongside his men," the first man spoke nastily.

Disgraced...

"What's worse, poor Tsutako-chan was forced to deal with his drunken antics when he came back home. Eventually, she had to kick him out because he was being so disruptive," the woman expounds.

"Tsutako-chan and her mother were the only sane people in that family. And yet, they had to die first. Now, there's a drunken father out there somewhere—the bastard didn't even bother attending the funeral of his daughter—and a young boy whose delusions are getting the better of him," the third man grumbled.

The sudden mention of my late mother—for whom I have never gotten the chance to meet—made me lean my head closer, hoping to catch more of what they were saying.

"Oh dear, Tsukiko-san? Their mother? I always warned her to not marry a soldier, yet she didn't listen. And now look how tragedy has befallen the family!" the woman lamented.

"It's a shame we're just left with the boy. Everything about that boy has been attended by bad omen: his birth led to his mother's death, his face resembles that of his disgraceful father's, and now, like his father, he's also gone mad," the first man elucidates, much to my contempt.

"A demon? As if! There's no such thing! I can't believe would lie through his teeth like that, especially on the day of his funeral!"

BUT THERE IS!!!

"He's definitely going crazy. Why would something as unrealistic as a demon be the first thing on his mind?"

IT'S NOT FAKE! IT'S REAL!

"Oh dear, he might need some help then. His sister was his only family, after all. We should contact his uncle, and see if the Tomioka family ought to institute him in a mental asylum."

I felt a heavy weight suddenly pushing down on my shoulders.

What?

They're gonna send me to an asylum? Just because I told the truth?

Why? Why? Why?

WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS TO ME?

WHY IS ANY OF THIS HAPPENING??

Nothing makes sense anymore...

"You're right, he might need treatment. He still hasn't ceased his mindless spouting about the demon."

Why are they like this?

What am I doing wrong?

"Right, he needs to stop telling fairy tales. Otherwise, it will ruin the name of both families. And neither can have that, even if we intensely dislike the Tomiokas for ruining our beloved Tsukiko's life."

Ah... I see now.

These faceless relatives—most of whom I have never seen—elicited the visceral image of a swarm of mindless puppets, always hiding within their own echo chambers and not able to exhibit a shred of compassion or understanding for the misfortune of others.

Instead, they are all worried about the reputation of the family, whatever the hell that amounts to. They're worried about how Nee-san's death will affect THEM, and not the people it matters the most!

They're all spineless, ignorant, and morally ugly people without an ounce of human dignity!

"There's no way Tsutako-san died because of something as absurd as a demon, after all."

I hate them.

I hate everything.

I hate this situation.

I hate this cruel world.

I hate that demon for killing Nee-san. I hate that our mother had to die so early. I hate that Nee-san had to carry all of her burdens on her own.

I hate this family, my reprehensible relatives, my drunken father, and... most of all... I hate myself...

I hate myself...

"A DEMON DID KILL HER!!!!" I yell at the top of my lungs.

Silence.

The blank, inscrutable faces—which displayed no warmth, no color, or no light—stared at me with a mix of expressions.

Shock, anger, and disappointment.

It was as if they were looking at a foreign entity.

As if they were staring at a strange creature beyond their realm of understanding. Even if it was someone from their family.

It appears they have already disowned me.

"Ah, Giyuu-kun, you must be tired. Shall we get a glass of water?" one of my aunts spoke.

"NO!" I angrily rejected her proffer. "What don't you old geezers and hags don't get? I've been saying the same thing over and over! A demon killed Nee-san! I saw it myself!"

"Giyuu-kun, you must be having a headache," she instead suggests.

"I don't! I'm perfectly fine!" I immediately repudiate it.

Silence again.

They either didn't know how to respond, or they were trying to decide the best manner to 'discipline' me into shutting up.

"Don't you have any shame, boy?" one of my uncles excoriates. "Doing this in the middle of your sister's funeral? How shameless can you be?"

I shoot a glare at him, "No, you guys are the shameless ones! Refusing to acknowledge that Nee-san was killed by a de—"

"THERE'S NOT A WAY SOMETHING AS FAKE AS A DEMON COULD'VE KILLED HER!!" the uncle vociferates.

All eyes were directed at this exchange, with not a single word being uttered. In lieu of sound, however, the family members' opinions were conveyed through their countenance.

Some of the women had their hands covering their mouths in shock, others were simply frowning—either expressing basic pity or disapproval for my outburst.

Meanwhile, the men simply expressed vitriol or disgust through their frowns.

"You lie! I saw it! I keep saying this, but you people won't listen! Why can't you believe me???" I reiterate.

"You little shi—"

"That's right! Call me however you want, but it won't change the fact that Nee-san was killed by a demon!" I grin almost maniacally.

I continue, "I can't stand the stupid shit you guys are spouting. A wild wolf killed Nee-san? Hah! As if! There's no way her guts would be pulled out like that if it were a wolf, I would know because I saw her fir—!"

"Everyone, please," someone interrupted me, "forgive Giyuu-san for this. He didn't mean to disrupt the ceremony; he's just tired and frustrated."

I looked to my side and bore witness to Satō Eito—the man Nee-san was due to marry—supposedly speaking on my behalf.

What is he doing...?

"Ach, you can't keep covering for him like this Satō-san," the uncle replies.

"I apologize," Eito-san bows deeply. "Just give the boy some time to overcome his sorrow."

What?

Why are you apologizing?

Why are you apologizing to THEM?

We have nothing to apologize for, especially for these crooks!

"You're too soft, Satō-san," the uncle ripostes.

"Please, accept this apology," Eito-san supplicates sincerely.

Why is he acting cowardly in front of them? He knows just as well as I do that they're all slimy, inconsiderate pieces of shit!

He, too, should know the circumstances surrounding her death—I went to him first after the incident.

I couldn't watch this anymore.

"Eito-san, what are you doing?!" I protest.

"... Giyuu-san, please retire to the anteroom," he answers staidly.

"No, why are you apologizing to these people? They won't accept the truth!" I refuse.

"Giyuu—"

"You and I both should know how Nee-san died! It was from a demon! A dem—!"

"GIVE IT A REST ALREADY!!" Eito-san's face furrowed and he was gritting his teeth.

My eyes dilated with shock.

Why did he yell at me?

"B-But, it's true... You should know as we—"

"Giyuu-san... don't speak of her death anymore..." he was seething.

This, however, did not deter me.

"What?! Why?! Why not?! Why doesn't anyone want to understand this simple fact? The simple fact that Nee-san was killed by a demon—!"

Eito-san aggressively grabbed me by the shoulders, whilst crouching so as to permit the two of us to be looking at each other face-to-face.

"Giyuu...!" he growled. "Don't speak of her anymore...!"

"I don't understand..." I muttered. "Why are you siding with them... You said you believed me that night—you said you believed me when I told you that a demon killed Nee-san! Why are you—?!"

"GIYUU!!!" He tightened his grip on my shoulders. "DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK OF HER!!!"

I was too disturbed to respond.

"I don't understand why you keep insisting on this... Tsutako is dead, and yet you want to keep bringing it up over and over and OVER AND OVER AND OVER!!!!" he was shedding tears.

"Eito-san..." I managed to get out.

"Can't you see? There's no point in knowing what happened that night. All that matters is that Tsutako is dead... Why do you feel the need to cry about it incessantly? We've all shed tears, yet you think you're so special just because you're her brother..." he snarled, the inflection of his voice endorsing a combination of unbridled malice and wistful misery of the most potent kind.

"Wh-What are you saying...?" my voice quivered.

"Giyuu, stop embarrassing yourself..." he murmured softly. "You've already done much damage to yourself and your family's reputation... Don't think for a second this is what Tsutako would've wanted..."

"I don't care about reputation! I only care about Nee-san—!" I tried to emphasize.

Eito-san, however, was quick to respond: "If you truly cared about Tsutako... then you wouldn't have let her die..."

My insides sank, "What do you mean..."

"You said you would protect her..." he whimpered. "You promised me..."

That's right... I did...

And I broke that promise.

Eito-san then promptly stood up and turned the other way, proceeding to walk to the exit without further elaboration.

"Wait, Eito-san! Eito-sa—" I beseeched.

"Get away from me, you coward."

And he was gone.

Leaving me in this abyss of soulless creatures.

The wandering eyes were now all fixed upon me, a whirlwind of negativity was directed towards me.

It was like each eye was shooting a poisonous needle at me, and I was completely and utterly at the mercy of such ignominy.

The shame was too great.

I was cowardly, insane, and someone who couldn't read the room.

Every one of these puppets gazed upon my whittling spirit, mocking it and depriving it of legitimacy.

The shame was dreadful.

I could feel the tension in the room crushing my skull, eating away what was left in the bottomless pit of my soul.

I was ashamed.

I failed to do anything. Even now, all I can do is rave hysterically about a monster with no corroborating evidence.

The shame was unbearable.

Eito-san has given up on me.

I broke my oath to him, and I'm making excuses now.

I felt ashamed.

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..

..

..

I was standing in an office room.

It was relatively dark, with a crimson-like shading encompassing the general coloring of the setting.

Wait a minute...

This is the Butterfly Mansion.

And this room is Shinobu's—

"Giyuu ~" a familiar, yet seductive voice called out.

I turn my head in the direction of the source.

"Shinobu..." I say absent-mindedly.

The scintillating irises in her eyes were glowing purple, and she had this aura of enticement much unlike I've ever noticed from her.

"Oh my, what business does my dear Giyuu have here~" Shinobu smiles almost lasciviously as she begins ambulating towards me.

I begin pondering her question, "I'm... not sure..."

She walks up to me, casually closing the distance between us.

She whispers into my ear, "Perhaps Giyuu has a specific purpose here? A more stimulating purpose?"

I felt a strange sensation brewing in my chest.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand—"

Before I could finish, she placed her hands on my chest.

*Shove*

She pushes me.

*Thud*

I land on the ground.

"S-Shinobu, what's wrong?" I asked in confusion, with her actions leaving me with no hint of her intentions.

"I know you want me~" she sits atop me.

My senses are out of control. I can't seem to rationalize her actions or think logically at the moment.

What's more, upon closer inspection, her voluptuous body is even more well-defined than previously observed, with the curvaceous shape of her hips and breasts arousing my bodily senses.

Her plump, red lips only drew me in closer, heightening my desire to more carefully scrutinize her.

Has she always been this attractive?

Shinobu leaned into my ear again, close enough so that I could feel her lips barely touching it.

"It's fine... Do as you wish~" she said.

I was feeling dizzy, and my internal body temperature was being ratcheted up to an uncomfortable level.

"I... I can't..." I tried my best to say.

"Don't worry about it," she grabbed a hold of my hand.

Then, in a gesture that completely overwhelmed me beyond reasonable doubt, she placed my hand on her round breast.

It felt soft...

"Don't think about anything else right now... Just focus on me~" she instructs.

Wait... Eito-san is leaving... Everyone is looking at me...

I should feel ashamed...

Ah... I should just forget about it...

I don't want to dwell on that...

Shinobu looks stunning... I really want her... I want her so much...

I want to forget everything...

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Shinobu

*CLANG*

I parry an attack with my Nichirin Blade.

Giyuu...

*CLANG*

I block another one.

Giyuu...!

*CLANG*

I ward off a third one, all the while making sure the poison doesn't touch him.

Giyuu!

*CLANG*

"Giyuu!" I called out.

*CLANG*

It's no use, he's not responding to my appeals.

*CLANG*

Each attack is putting strain on my arms and Nichirin Blade, as Giyuu's upper body strength far exceeds what I'm able to conjure up there.

However, his fighting style is completely unorthodox and haphazard; he seems to be fighting mindlessly without a thought given to strategy, Breathing Techniques, or even simple katana skills.

That proves it, he's being controlled by Haji.

But how do I get him out of this?

*CLANG*

This arrangement can't last forever, as Giyuu has the advantage in terms of endurance and stamina. Meanwhile, I can only rely on his shortcomings—his uncoordinated, impromptu movements that I can easily outflank and land a hit.

But this is likely what Haji intended.

Either I'm caught in a protracted exchange where Giyuu slowly chips away my defenses, or I attack him right now and either injure or incapacitate him—either option does not bode well for the upcoming engagement with Haji, as we need to fight her together.

"Argh!" I can feel the wound on my chest stinging.

Right, I also need to be cognizant of this laceration here along my torso.

I'm definitely in a pinch...

Kill two birds with one stone, huh?

Haji is one conniving bastard.

*CLANG*

Another parry, but the drag force made me temporarily lose my footing.

Giyuu swings his blade again, supposedly taking advantage of this opening.

*CLANG*

I block it again, but each successive strike is getting more and more difficult to fully fend off—if my arms grow tired enough, then the following strike could potentially throw me off completely, and leave me very much exposed.

This can't go on forever.

I need to somehow make Giyuu snap out of it without having to hurt him.

Besides, if I do hurt him, I will never forgive myself.

*CLANG*

"Giyuu! Please, listen to me!" I implore again.

Giyuu lunges forward again, initiating a Right-Diagonal cut.

*CLANG*

I position my katana such that it's perpendicular to Giyuu's, permitting me to halt the motion of the blade.

Unfortunately, the sheer power exerted by Giyuu was enough to push me back several inches.

With each attack, I'm slowly starting to lose my grip over the assumed battle stances; if I can't maintain a proper stance, then my parrying techniques won't be as effective—which, in turn, will mean that I won't be able to block as well, thereby fracturing the battle stance even further.

It's a vicious cycle, and I need to somehow extricate myself from it without having to resort to injuring Giyuu.

The foremost priority right now is rousing him from Haji's powers.

*CLANG*

I deflect another assault.

I need to wake him up!

"Giyuu, listen to me! You've done nothing wrong! I've seen your memories, and I KNOW you aren't responsible for the deaths of your sister or your best friends!" I try again.

*Swoosh*

He swings his sword, but, this time, I simply dodge the attack.

"You were never responsible! You were only a child back then, no one expects you to do the impossible!" I continue.

*Swoosh*

Another strike.

I deftly elude the attack, shifting my footing such that the blade doesn't hit me.

He's still not reacting to my pleas.

Why did he listen to Haji but not me? Did I miss something? Is it because of the properties of the spell itself?

Is there something about him I didn't catch? Something I failed to understand?

A lingering notion then enters my mind, a thought I had subconsciously pushed to the periphery but now was only beginning to unravel.

What if he doesn't fully trust me?

After all, I was the one who deceived him after all these years. I wonder if he's still terribly hurt by the revelation of my plan.

Is that why he isn't listening to what I'm saying? He doesn't trust me with his scars?

Even after everything I told him? I made it a point to stress how much I care about him, how much I want to see him healed, and how I want to help guide him through that journey.

I've openly renounced my intentions of mindlessly pursuing revenge. I've committed myself to living a fulfilling life without any regrets.

I've resolved to stay by his side...

And yet, even after all that, he doesn't trust my convictions? Is that it?

Giyuu raises his sword, aiming to land another strike.

On the other hand, I am readying myself for a parry this time.

*CLANG*

As the steel katanas ricochet off each other, I felt my body being pushed even further.

In fact, I could've sworn that I was about to slip, which would've been really bad.

Dammit! These weak arms of mine! I can't fully absorb the stress of the impact!

What's more, my Nichirin Blade isn't designed for this type of combat; the whole point of the stinger is to poison enemies in a quick, efficient manner—not get drawn into attritional warfare! This blade-to-blade collision isn't going to last for my sword.

But I can't blame the blade itself; it was designed to compensate for my weaknesses, so it's more of an asset for me—just not in this particular situation where I'm caught between a rock and a hard place, since I cannot end the battle as quickly as I please.

It's all because my arms are weak! It's because I lack the capacity to chop a demon's head off!

Shit! If only I was stronger! If only I was strong enough to protect—...

"Oho? What's wrong, Insect Girl?" Haji, still standing adjacent to the throne, taunts from afar.

I remain concentrated on the battle, choosing to ignore her for the time being.

"Ashamed that you're pathetically weak?" her voice croaks eerily.

My eyes widened.

"Ashamed that you're incapable of protecting anyone? Protecting your loved ones? Ashamed that you're the weakest of the Hashiras??" Haji jeers.

That's right... I'm the weakest Hashira...

And, because of that, I couldn't protect anyone...

Nee-san... Giyuu...

"THAT'S WHY YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO SAVE HIM! YOU'RE TOO WEAK! HOW DID YOU EVEN BECOME A HASHIRA, HUH?! SOMEONE AS INADEQUATE AS YOU ISN'T WORTHY OF THAT TITLE!!" Haji continues her polemic harangue against me.

My feeble, petite arms are no good when it comes to fighting demons. It's nothing short of a miracle that I became a Hashira in the first place...

Yet, even then, I still couldn't save him. I couldn't save much of anyone. I only have my pharmaceutical knowledge in Wisteria compounds, but, when it comes to everything else, I'm no good.

Even in terms of speed, which I sometimes pride myself on, I'm not the fastest.

Even with this weak, light body, I'm not faster than the likes of Uzui-san, Shinazugawa-san, or Himejima-san—who, by the way, dons a massive physique.

In the end, I have no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

Among my peers, I'm not particularly special or talented.

Why am I... so weak...?

..

..

..

..

I was out of breath, panting heavily. Large beads of sweat drench my face, which left me gasping for water.

"That's enough. We'll stop here."

"W-Why..." I say, still wheezing.

"There are no viable breathing techniques suitable for your specific physiology," the cultivator, an elderly woman who had previously trained Nee-san, sighs.

"What... do you... mean...?" I answer weakly, still trying to catch my breath.

"Your form is near-perfect, and your swordsmanship is proficient. However, you lack strength in your blows—too little, in fact, that I cannot possibly recommend any of the existing breathing techniques for your use," she expounds. "Not even Flower Breathing, which your sister employs."

"Just give me more time!" I insisted. "With more training, I can add more power!"

"Not possible," she immediately refutes. "The bones in your arm cannot possibly support that level of force."

"I will strengthen my upper body strength!"

"That will not be sufficient," she answers curtly.

"Then tell me what I have to do! I'll do it!" I state firmly.

"Shinobu-chan... It's not that your arms aren't fully trained, it's just that they've reached their limit."

"What do you mean...?" I felt uneasy.

"I'll say it once, and only once. You won't like it, but it's for the best," she frowns.

"What are you saying—?"

"You will never become a demon slayer, not with those arms."

I could feel my heart imploding upon hearing this.

This can't be right... I know there's a way!

"T-That's not right..." I mutter.

"Please, don't take this too harshly. The life of a demon slayer is a hard one. Think of it as an opportunity to—"

"I don't care about that!" I angrily interrupt. "I know being a demon slayer isn't easy, but I've already promised to commit to that life! I can't give up now!"

She, however, replies plainly and without emotion, "Shinobu-chan, the duty of a demon slayer is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. You won't be able to protect anyone with those arms."

No...

No!

Nee-san is already a demon slayer!

I've already promised her! That we would save people together!

I can't just turn my back on this life like that! Not after everything that has happened!

Not after Otōsan and Okāsan are both gone! How am I supposed to carry on their legacy?! How am I supposed to make sense of the pain inside me?!

I feel tears swelling in the corners of my eyes.

Why?

Why am I like this?

Why can't these arms protect anyone?

Why am I so weak...?

..

..

..

..

Wait... What just happened?

It felt like I was being pulled into something, and that something was trying to lull me into sleep.

This... must be Haji's power.

*SWOOSH*

The sound of a sharp edge cutting through the air reached my ear. Giyuu was launching another attack.

Oh shit! I forgot about the battle!

I was too distracted by the spell for me to properly notice this maneuver.

I don't have the reaction time to address this! I'm going to get another, deeper gash along my torso—and, this time, it could be life-threatening.

The blade was slowly approaching me, leaving no spare time for me to contemplate an immediate remedy.

Instead, an idea overtakes my thought processes.

With no time to muse, I put it into action without additional consideration.

*Ting*

I drop my blade.

I then face Giyuu head-on, looking him directly in the eyes.

His Nichirin Blade was seconds away from impaling me.

But I didn't pay attention to minor details.

Instead, I was more worried about the uniquely odd revelation I came to. A revelation that made me comprehend what exactly was the issue I failed to address after all this time.

Haji asked us if we were ashamed of our identities.

And, with how easily the two of us fell for her verbal provocations, it's plainly obvious that we are.

I only just happened to realize that.

Giyuu's katana inched closer and closer by the second.

I smile warmly, "I'm sorry I didn't understand..."

..

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..

..

..

..

"Hm, Giyuu? Why are you letting go~" Shinobu remarks as she watches the Water Hashira let go of his grip over her pectoral region.

It had only been seconds since Giyuu's mental state was about to enter a deep paralysis.

However, he was bestirred by some feeling—or, rather, a suspicion—that made him fully aware of his surroundings.

"Something's not right..." Giyuu whispers.

"Please touch me, I want you to touch me~"

"Shinobu, please get off me," Giyuu states blankly.

"Why would you want that? Don't you want me~" the Insect Hashira—or at least, what appeared to be her—answers.

"Are you... even Shinobu...?" Giyuu abruptly questions.

Shinobu stops.

For a moment, her smile broke before she reverted back to the odd mannerisms.

"What are you talking about~"

"Shino—no, Haji. I know you're trying to trap me here," Giyuu replies.

The figure was now frowning conspicuously, "How astute of you... Water boy..."

"Unfortunately, this is my mind, and it isn't the first time someone's tried to infiltrate it," Giyuu says with indignation.

"Oh... So you do know how to escape~"

"Yes. And I will commence now."

"Well, have fun coming back to the real world," Haji chuckles. "You won't be liking what you'll see."

..

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..

..

"I'm sorry I didn't understand..."

The sharp edge was just centimeters away from hitting Shinobu's shoulder.

But Giyuu was quick to halt its trajectory.

"Hah..." Shinobu felt a wave of relief overwhelm her—never, in a million years, would she have thought to have concocted such an obviously stupid and risky gamble.

But here she was, still alive and standing.

*Thud*

She landed on her knees, exhaling deeply, "Thank god..."

Giyuu looked up and, much to his horror, saw Shinobu with an elongated, diagonal laceration across her torso.

His entire being folded into two when he realized the implications of this image.

"Shinbou!!" he cried out, dropping his weapon.

Giyuu crouched down as well and tended to her.

"Thank god you're okay," Shinobu smiled tenderly.

"Was... Was this my fault...?" Giyuu's voice violently quivered.

The Insect Hashira didn't respond, instead choosing to clasp one of his hands with both of hers.

"I nearly thought I had lost you. This happens way too often, doesn't it, Giyuu?" she says lightheartedly.

But all the comforting words in the world could not wipe the guilt and shame the Water Hashira was feeling right now.

He had vowed to protect her.

So why did he hurt her? Why did he cause her pain? Why did he not break from his dream earlier?

It was because he was being seduced by Shinobu—or, rather, a replica made by Haji.

His weaknesses, once again, have brought harm to the people closest to him.

It was like that room again, that room full of family members, with all the disapproving eyes staring down into his thankless soul.

He had never felt this much remorse since the days of old.

He failed again. Just like every other time.

"Shinobu... I'm so... so... sorry..." he gave his apology.

It was an apology not only given to her, but also delivered to everyone else—to Sabito, Makomo, Tsutako, and Eito.

He had failed them.

And now, he has failed Shinobu in the worst way possible.

He has hurt the single most important thing in his life. Every scratch that is incurred upon her body only serves to make him flinch. With every injury she sustains, he feels the exact same pain in his heart.

He can't forgive himself for this. Not for an eternity.

"Why are you apologizing?" Shinobu suddenly replies.

"I-I... hurt yo—"

"Giyuu, listen to me," she tightens her grip on his hand.

He looks at her.

"It doesn't matter what others think... Only think about me. And I think you've done nothing wrong. You never had, and you never will..." she spoke softly.

"I'm sorry..." he apologized again.

"No, I'm sorry for failing to understand then. For letting you fall into her spell, I should've known better," she reciprocated.

This scene of heartfelt apology and remorse between two warriors who care deeply about each other—in more ways than one—would've otherwise persisted if not for the dire situation at hand.

Indeed, Haji had other plans for the two.

*Clap* *Clap* *Clap*

Giyuu and Shinobu glance at the demonic figure applauding—in a manner they can only assume to be sarcastic—from yonder.

"How lovely of you two to express such genuine, powerful feelings!" she exclaims.

She continues, "However, since neither of you is willing to fall victim to my mental tricks, I'll have to resort to more... tangible means."

Seeing this sudden declaration of hostility, Giyuu and Shinobu instantly picked up their Nichirin Blades and automatically assumed battle stances.

*Shuffle*

They were now on their two feet and readying their blades for combat.

"Watch out for her words. They're as ugly as her appearance," Shinobu warns.

"Sorry, I won't make that mistake again," Giyuu duly acknowledges.

"NOW THEN!" Haji unveils her armory of idiosyncratic weapons for each of her arms.

For two of her arms, one left and one right, she carried a black-colored double scythe.

For the other two, each accordingly on the sinistral and dextral sides, she equipped a long, rusted katana.

"LET THE FUN BEGIN!!!"