ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴ sʟᴀʏᴇʀ: ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ғʟᴏᴡᴇʀs ʙʟᴏᴏᴍᴇᴅ "ᴋʏᴏᴊᴜʀᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴋᴀʀɪ"

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"He never left your side"

Kyojuro stopped on his tracks. Because of the crying, the screaming and the pure madness she was feeling, she reopened her wound that she stopped from bleeding with the use of her breathing, and as she started to feel dizzy, she fell. Gladly, Kyojuro was fast enough to catch her. He put a handkerchief on the wound and tied it tightly to stop the blood from flowing out of her body. It wasn't a major problem, but she was still exhausted and she wasn't herself. Kyojuro carried her all the way back to the Butterfly Mansion. He remained with her. She was pretty much wounded because of the fight, but mainly because she hurt herself from using too much energy and power, reaching her limit first. Kyojuro never left her side, until she regained consciousness the next day. "Mitsuma-san, you made us worry", Aoi says as she was wiping her clean. "Arigatō", she says as she smiles at the dark blue-haired girl, wearing two butterfly pins on both sides of her head.

Shinobu and the others were happy she wasn't majorly wounded. She was able to recover fully when noon came. Her body was a little bit sore, but over all she was okay to fight again. "Rengoku-san never left your side, even if you only passed out for a couple of hours", Shinobu says as she helps her big sister clean herself up. "It seemed like he was really worried about you", she added and chuckled in her sweet innocent voice. A voice she inherited from her sister, Kanae. "Shinobu", she called out. Shinobu turned around, her purple eyes met her brown ones. "I realized something during the fight and working with Kyojuro", she started, her voice was not the usual strong and aggressive, but it was soft and calming. "Would you be able to come with me to your sister's grave?", she asked the petite young girl as she nodded and smiled, both eyes and mouth.

They visited Kanae's grave with a food basket and a blanket to sit on. "Kanae, anata ga koishī. I have lost my way. I'm sorry. I wasn't there to protect you and so I blamed myself for your death", her eyes rained. Shinobu could only put her hand on her shoulder and cry with her. "I will take good care of what you left and of Shinobu, I promise you that. And I will try to regain my true self", she deeply sighed and let out a smile. Shinobu and Akari ate together in Kanae's grave. They enjoyed the scenery and the breeze; the smell of strong-scented flowers overwhelmed the gray-haired girl. She still wasn't the sweet Akari, but she was trying to be.

Days have passed and both Akari and Kyojuro haven't had the time to talk about what happened. They would pass each other, but avoided one another. She was embarrassed and didn't want anyone to see. He was rather feeling a bit nervous around her. Time came to be, and as she didn't want to wait any longer, she went to Kyojuro's house. "Yes?", a little boy, same to Kyojuro's hair answered the door. "Would Kyojuro be here by any chance?", she asked anxiously. The little boy called out to his older brother. He led her to the backyard, where a 5'10 guy was training with a pink and green-haired girl. "Akari, Anata wa nani o shi ni kita ndesu ka?", he asked putting down his nichirin blade and sitting down to rest. The girl and the little boy excused themselves to let Kyojuro and Akari have a private talk. "I wanted to talk about what happened in our mission", she looked at him and then looked at the ground. "Gomen nasai, Kyojuro Rengoku", he gasped softly. He looked deep into her eyes and saw sincerity. "I keep losing people who are dear to me, and that led me to be blinded by rage. I still don't believe that demons have feelings, but I will try and recover myself", she looked at the surroundings of the house. She seemed at peace and with the change of her tone, it was amazing to hear her talk. All of a sudden, Kyojuro hugs her and she was surprised by the burst of emotion. "Otto, naze anata wa watashi o dakishimete iru nodesu ka", her eyes twinkled. He hugged her tightly and buried his face on her shoulder. "Ureshīdesu Akari", he said. She sighs and hugs him back. She grinned ear to ear, but then the scent of a flower caught her attention. "Hmm, the smell of those flowers is inviting", she said interrupting the hug. They let go of each other. Akari smiled again so widely, along with her eyes, she smiled at the flowers. She looked happy. Then Kyojuro just staring at her, he thought of his mother. Akari reminded him of Ruka, the smile, the aura, everything about her seemed so much alike like his mother that it made him miss her. The two hashiras were interrupted when a sound coming from behind disturbed them. Mitsuri had fallen to the floor and it opened the door, revealing both of them, Mitsuri and Senjuro, who have been listening to the conversation. It made Akari chuckle and it made Kyojuro embarrassed. "Ani ga gomen'nasai and with Mitsuri", he looked like a tomato, he was so red and blushing some more, scratching his head while helping Mitsuri get up. "It's okay, hello there, Senjuro-kun and Mitsuri-chan", she giggles in the cutest voice you will ever hear. "I heard you created a new style of breathing, wow, that's so cool", she clapped her hands together. Mitsuri smiled as her eyes grew bigger in amusement. "You, Senjuro-kun, are you planning on joining the organization?", Akari asked and Senjuro was pressured. But then she assures him to not be pressured, it simply was his decision if he was to join or not. "You don't have to answer right away, follow your heart, okay?". Kyojuro invited her for dinner and she gladly accepted. All four of them ate together, except for Shinjuro-san who was still in his room not coming out. Shinjuro and Akari were really not that close. Their only encounter was when Akari first became a hashira and he had congratulated her, but that was it. No wonder she wasn't close with Kyojuro too. While eating, Kyojuro could not stop from staring at Akari. She could not even stop himself from saying, "Umai". There was something about her that keeps on getting to his head and imagine things he should not even imagine to someone he is not close with. Mitsuri noticed this. "How did you and Onii-chan meet?", asked Senjuro. Akari told them the story by her perspective, but with no lie. She told them how stubborn she was and how she did not give a damn. It was a bit weird to say, but she was honest with her words. And it seemed like she trusts Senjuro and Mitsuri not even getting to know them for a day and yet they've earned her trust. Kyojuro thought to himself, if Akari ever trusted him. It was unclear, but he had hope that she acknowledges him for even the tiniest bit. After dinner, Akari said her goodbyes. Kyojuro wanted to take her home, but she refused and said she wanted to be alone for a while. He respected her decision and waved goodbye until she was fully gone. It was already night, but a hashira doesn't worry about these kinds of things. As she continued to walk, memories of her talk with Kyojuro kept flashing back. He seemed so peaceful that Akari wanted to stay. Following days were awkward, at least for Kyojuro. Its not that Akari completely changed, but every time they would bump into each other, she would say 'hi' and it would make Kyojuro blush. Mitsuri and Senjuro teased Kyojuro about her endlessly, everyday when he came home, they would ask how Akari was. He would tell them that he hadn't seen her, but the truth is, he would always find a way to talk to her or just see her. One time, he saw her at the back of the mansion where the beautiful flowers grew. There were butterflies everywhere, but she wasn't focused on the butterflies, but to the flowers that had strange smells. Kyojuro even saw her in Kanae's grave in which Akari talked to the air about her day and what kind of demon she had fought. Akari was indeed close to the others, including Sanemi who embarrassed him in front of everyone. After battling with a demon, he saw Akari with Sanemi. He wasn't the jealous type, but it he felt a little sting in the edges of his heart. Meanwhile, Akari had been busy with protecting the people of her assigned region and she had been visiting Kanae's grave, reporting to her and telling her the great things she has done for the day. "I don't like change, and you know that. But I did, and for the worst. Maybe Kyojuro's words were right, and because of how it hurt me, it made me realize a few things", she said to Kanae, well more like to herself. She realized a few things, like no one really talked to her the way Kyojuro did. Maybe everyone just accepted the way she was, which is good, but it she needed to move on. She was thankful for Kyojuro's words to wake her up from the endless nightmare, but she still stood to what she believed, she killed demons without remorse before, now she only kills them to save the people. She never lets her anger get the best of her. It was an improvement. "May I join you?", Sanemi asked as he put his hand in her shoulder. She looked at him, deep in the eyes. Sanemi and Akari understood each other with just looking in each of their eyes. It was a telepathic communication. After Kanae's death, all of them went into the depths of darkness, having lost a good friend. To Sanemi, he had lost someone who was dear to him and someone who looked at him with such kindness and purity. To Akari, she had lost another sister she couldn't save. They both were down on their knees and looked at Kanae's grave. "I've never visited her before, after her death, it was too painful", he said looking down at the ground. Not wanting to shed tears, because he thinks others might see him as a weak guy and not respect him. He thinks he will be degraded if he shows love, that's why he pushes everyone. Even his own brother. "Me too. I couldn't bring myself to face the fact that I wasn't there when she died, nonetheless in the arms of her sister", they both looked down and Akari reaches for his hand. "She's happy, wherever she is. We have got to continue on living, for her, for everyone", Akari's words opened Sanemi's sad eyes. It was as if he was talking to his mother. She seemed gentle, not like the everyday Akari. "Are you sick? You seem different?", he joked to interrupt the serious moment they were having. She chuckled and rolled her eyes in humiliation, but in a playful way. "Maybe I am sick", he laughed with her for the first time. She stared at him in shock. He stopped from laughing and turned back into his usual gloomy self. "Don't tell anyone", he looked away and his cheeks turns red. She smiled and invited him to walk her to the Butterfly Mansion. He accepted and off they went walking together, her arm in his arm and the other in his right shoulder. Later that evening, she had wondered alone again, just enjoying the breeze of the cold night. She noticed someone from behind and drew her sword. She gasped upon seeing Kyojuro. "Why are you sneaking up like that? I thought you were a demon", she said as she puts her sword in its case. She wielded two swords, gladly she didn't draw both or she could have sliced Kyojuro in an instant. "I'm sorry. I wasn't sneaking, I was just wondering around", he apologizes and bows down. She held her chest and breathed slowly to catch her breath. She got really scared. They both sat in the empty bench on the street. Kyojuro laughed and Akari's expression changed into a serious one. "Why are you laughing?", she asked her eyes down and eyebrows in a neutral position. "I didn't know you scare so easy", he said and she curled her lips and glared at him. When he stopped from laughing, he looked at her and leaned in. "Nanishiteruno, is there something on my face?", she asked pulling away from his stare, her body slanting so she wouldn't smash her face to his. "Your eyes...", he said in such a passionate, but hesitant way. It seemed like he was thinking of words to say. "Your eyes look enchanting", Kyojuro didn't know why he said what he said. After realizing what he had said to her, his face turns red and Akari blushes because of the compliment. They both looked away from each other. Kyojuro laughed awkwardly. "Do you wanna eat something? I know a place", he said and offered his hand as he stood up. Akari looked at his hand, second-thinking her decision, but she then smiles gently and accepts his invitation. They walked hand-in-hand without even realizing it, they were still embarrassed with each other that they hadn't noticed their hands are now intertwined together.