Kimetsu no Yaiba: Song of Time

Chapter 12 - A Man-Eating Bear

These events happen shortly after Giyu first meets the Kamado siblings... 

"A man-eating bear?" I asked, leaning in closer to the old woman. She jumped slightly, surprised at my curiosity. I flicked my fringe out of my face and looked outside the window.
"Yes," said Kumo. She sipped her tea and looked outside the window, too. "A bear has been eating all the men in the Matagi mountains... one example is my son."

I looked at her sorrowfully. "You should head back, Ai-chan," said Kumo, holding my hand.
I smiled at her. "Taking care of man-eating bears in very within my sphere of work," I said calmly, straightening my kimono. 

"Is there anything else you can tell me--?" I started but was interrupted by a sharp cry from outside. 
"Why did you go to the mountains alone again?" a man was shouted at a young girl with long black hair. 
"I wasn't alone!" the girl retorted, "I was with Taro!"

"What is going on?" I asked Kumo.
"That girl's name is Yae. She witnessed her father's death in the mountains and she's been going to the mountains every day ever since."

A man came from behind and quickly took the gun from Yae's back. She whipped around and started shouting at him to give it back. She raised her elbow but was stopped by someone grabbing her arm. 

"Giyu! Wait!" I yelled, pulling his arm back. He looked at me in surprise. 
"I thought Shinobu would be here," he told me. I felt a stab of jealousy. Had he asked for her?
"Shinobu let me take the mission," I replied, glaring at him, "Let go of her."

"We're with the Demon Slayer Corps," said Giyu to the small crowd forming around us.
"Are you with the police?" called out one man. I shook my head, and they started whispering. Some people pointed at my sword, which had been hidden in the folds of my yukata, but now it was poking out. I sighed and put my sword down, Giyu copying me.

"We should call the police," whispered a young woman.
"The person responsible for the deaths of the coal-burning family wore a half-and-half haori!"
"What about the other one?"
"She's in cahoots with him, obviously."

I rubbed my neck, sighing. Someone pointed a gun at us and another fetched some rope to tie us up. "You're going to regret this," I growled to the person tying the rope around my arms. As soon as he stepped back, I nodded at Giyu and the ropes broke apart. 

"That feels good," I sighed in relief, rubbing my wrists. The villagers stepped back slightly. The girl Yae suddenly fell to the ground shivering. 
"This girl has a fever," I announced, checking her temperature. Burning hot. The villagers looked less suspicious and let me take her to the pharmacy.

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The girl woke up just as I was checking her temperature again. She cried out in shock and sat up, grabbing her gun.
"Don't shoot," I warned lightly, "Please."
She calmed down, and I pushed some herbal tea towards her.

"You've been sleeping for half a day," I told her calmly, "Drink the tea, it'll make you feel better."
She looked at it suspiciously but drank it. I peeked outside. Giyu was wrestling with a dog that was biting his hand. I sighed. It wouldn't kill him.

"I'm sorry! Taro, stop biting his hand!" yelled Yae. "Will your husband be okay?" she added.
I coughed. "Wait, what? You believed we were married? Have you seen our teamwork?" I spluttered, laughing.
"Oh," Yae said, looking embarrassed. 

I decided to tell her about the Corps. "I am part of an unrecognized organization called the Demon Slayer Corps. We slay demons."
"Wait, shouldn't I be telling her this? I'm the one wearing the uniform!" Giyu called to me, hopping towards us while trying to shake Taro off.
"You're also the one being attacked by a dog!" I called back to him, and he backed off.

"We must've been wrong with this case," I sighed, glancing at my sword, "It really does seem like it was a bear. Doesn't hurt to check, though."
"I'm going to go. Thank you for taking care of me," Yae said suddenly, standing up. I blinked at her.
"No, no, you have to rest!" I said, but I knew it was futile. This girl had an indomitable will.

She left, and Giyu sat down next to me. 
"Is your hand alright?" I asked, holding it between my hands. His hand only had a shallow bite mark. I sighed in relief. 

I let go of his hand and we sat in awkward silence for a while.
"So should we get--?"
"Do you wanna--?"
"Yeah. Lemme go change into my uniform."

I quickly changed and stepped outside. "Ah, that feels good," I said, smiling. 

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"Poor creatures. They must be den-deprived," I said, thinking of the bears. Bears were pretty cute sometimes. 
Giyu was silent. 
"If we leave Yae alone, she'll die, if what killed her father is a demon," I told him, patting his head, "But you decide."

I jumped. I felt the aura of panic all around me. Panic, discord, blood. I looked up to the mountains.
"Yae's going to be in trouble."

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: yes... the moment you have been waiting for... a new chapter of Song of Time!!! This chapter was based off the events in Giyu Tomioka: Gaiden :>