Fluttering Lotus Petals

Chapter 17: And the Petals Fall

Kibutsuji does not sleep, and as a consequence, he does not dream. Barred from their usual method, the spirits appeared to him whenever they pleased.

For centuries, the spirits of the ones he murdered appeared to him wherever he went. As he traveled the land, or quarantined himself in the Dimensional Infinity Fortress, or even when he disguises himself as a human.

Once they spot him, they trail after him. Some are silent, like the doctor that started it all. But the others sing, and they always speak the same words.

Everywhere he goes, he hears their voices sing.

"Two flowers of two breeds,

One blue, one white.

The one that started the beginning

And the one that will start the end

Will come together as one

Hidden in plain sight.

You hold the white tightly in your hands,

For the blue will always be out of reach.

But the white shall grow and grow,

Before conjoining with the blue.

The flame will grow and grow

And the day will start anew.

Your own hand sealed your fate,

But when you realize,

You will be too late."

Kibutsuji had briefly wondered if the song was a sort of prophecy, but he disregarded it quickly. What did these spirits know, anyway? He focused all of his energy into finding the blue spider lily and shoved it into the back of his mind.

That didn't stop the spirits from reminding him at every turn.

———

"Nezuko...we have to keep on going!" [Name] panted, lungs heaving. Behind him, Nezuko had already begun to slow. Her face broke out in sweat and her breathing had become ragged. [Name] still pulled her along with him, beckoning her to move quicker.

When he looked back, his mouth fell open and his efforts to drag her along stopped. Nezuko's left eye was still a pale pink, but her right eye returned to how it must have looked when she was human.

Its hue was still pink, though darker and a warmer tone. Like the center of a hot flame, only the edges of her irises were a pale pink. Her eye now closely resembled Tanjiro's and held the same burning flame of determination and ferocity as his.

She let out a strangled whimper as the right side of her mouth lost its fangs. Her uneven breaths filled the air and tears began to pool in her eyes. Slowly, her claws retracted to human nails. She clutched at her scalp and screamed, almost tearing out her now completely ebony hair.

[Name] had no idea what was happening inside Nezuko's mind, but he knew that he was also reverting back to his human form. He touched the shell of his ears and the glow around his body had long disappeared, making the night seem darker. Somehow, he could tell his wings were gone too, though they had not been exposed for a couple of hours.

His eyes must have returned to their original appearance as well, though when he caught sight of them in a nearby puddle, he realized one thing had not changed.

The kanji was still carved in his eyes. Fainter than before, but still very present. The white lines were still legible to anyone who looked at him. Upper Rank Zero would always remain.