Day & Night

Horrors of a Hashira

TW: Death by Suicide

Tsukie's POV

"Call me if you need back up," Kyojuro said over the phone, a hint of worry in his voice.

I couldn't help but chuckle "worried about me?" I asked teasingly.

"Of course, my precious flame, but call if you need me. I'll send someone close or-"

"Kyojuro," I had to cut him off. "If this was a crucial mission, one of our friends would be here."

"I know... I know that," he said, sighing. "I just..."

"I love you, Kyojuro," I said, smiling.

"I love you too, Tsukie. But, please be careful," he said as I hung up to call the other demon slayer I was supposed to meet with.

I kept calling the number of one of the demon slayers assigned to the mission, but they weren't picking up. Continuing to walk through Nikko, the city frozen in the Edo-era, there were fewer and fewer people. This was a tourist town filled with many travelers and tourists regardless of the season. Trying the number again, the voicemail filled my ear again. Something wasn't right.

Gathering my thoughts and refocusing, I made my way to the temple reported as having demon sightings. Using the ability of demon slayers, I hopped to the nearest roof and sped to the destination. Finally getting to the temple, I felt a tug on my soul as if my ancestors were trying to communicate with me. Looking at the old building, I could see why the demon chose this place. Hidden space to do their dirty work during the day and gather trespassers at night. Before I got closer, I tried the number again, and the faint sound of a ringtone made my blood run cold.

My eyes widened, not wanting to witness what those hidden areas consisted of. There have been too many times, as a Hashira and even as a Mizunoto, that I have seen comrades I knew and those I never met slaughtered at the hands of the demons we took an oath to fight against. Eyes burning, I knew I couldn't cry until the evil hiding inside that building was destroyed. Making my way up the stairs, I was on high alert. Unsheathing my sword, I prepared for the worse. If this mission required a Hashira, regardless of whether it was me or not, there was no telling what I would find once this was over.

I sensed it before it hit me. Dodging out of the way, the massive slithering body circled me. From the waist up was the body of a beautiful woman, hair as shiny as oil in the night sky. The rest of the body resembled a snake. Perfect for sneaking around the temple picking its prey off one by one no matter the time of day.

"Well, if it issssn't a Hasshira," the demon hissed out, each word dripping with the venom that dripped from its mouth. "Oh, what a lucky day! I've dreamed of you coming into my grapssss."

"What a terrible nightmare," I said, keeping myself from grinning.

The demon's body bent backward, the head dangling right in front of me. The smell of death filled my nose, and it took everything in me to not throw up.

"Nightmaressss, dreamsssss... aren't they all beautiful?" she continued to hiss, its snake-like body still twisting around me.

"Dependsss on who you ask," I mumbled, mimicking the demon's hiss.

"Maybe I wassss wrong, no Hassshira in their right mind would ssstand before me and inssssult me," the demon's breath hissed in my face. I tried not to puke from the death and decay smell filling my nose. "But I'll ssstill kill you and the other demon ssslayer I've captured."

The stone-cold mask I wore never faltered, but the corp member was still alive. Silver linings. The demon's body closed in, and I had to wait for the perfect timing.