yokai | t. giyu, douma & k. muzan

二十

Inside the Ubuyashiki Estate, Giyu kept quiet and listened intently on how Muichiro acquired the marks on him. But despite listening to how he got it, he wondered what is Seriya doing as of the moment. She was alone in his estate and hollowing herself in dark places where the sun can't reach her. He didn't liked leaving her all alone. What if slayers were to come into his estate and attack her? Giyu made a mental note that once the meeting is through, he'd come quickly home.

"No matter who it has appeared for, and there will be no exceptions." Were Amane's last words before she and her two other children left the meeting.

As the crows kept cawing on the roofs, Giyu stood up from the flooring. "Now that Amane dono is gone, I'll be taking my leave." He says, catching everyone's attention.

"Whoa. Hold it there, man. Don't think you can just leave yet." Sanemi says, eyes trained on the water pillar. "We gotta make a plan for this, right?"

Still standing in his spot, Giyu turned his head away. "Then you six can talk about it. It's got nothing to do with me."

Hearing his words made Obanai annoyed, eyebrows furrowing at Giyu. "What do you mean 'nothing to do with you'? Do you even understand your position as a pillar? Or have you completely lost it when your demon lover finally returned to you?"

As Obanai brought up Seriya in their conversation, he was quick to wield his blade out, the tip poking the skin of his throat. "Don't bring her up." Mitsuri tried to calm Giyu down but it was no use.

"Tomioka san, please just tell us why. You're leaving out a lot of details and you're quick to leave meetings too."

Taking his sword back and bringing it back to his case, Giyu answered Shinobu's question. "I'm not like you guys." He replied.

"You're really pissing me off." Sanemi says, getting up on his feet as he tried to get close to Giyu. "I don't envy the others anymore. Your little demon lover may not have a number but she's an upper moon right?" Sanemi chuckles, placing a hand on Giyu's shoulder.

"Demons are a threat to our kind and you're keeping her holed in your estate. What if she loses her mind and goes on a killing rampage? Will you blame us or yourself if she eats you?"

A vein popped on the side of Giyu's head, turning around to face Sanemi as he took a hold of his collar. "Seriya will not hurt humans!"

"How can you be sure, idiot?! You've only seen her last week and you're talking like you've been with her all along!" Sanemi shouted.

As their argument kept going, Mitsuri tried to calm them down. "N-No fighting you guys!" She stammered before hiding her mouth with the back of her hand. "I...I actually have to say something."

"What is it?" Shinobu asks.

"I would like to hear you out" Gyomei says. Obanai only turning his head to look at Mitsuri.

"I-It's only my theory...I don't have solid proof yet but please hear me out." Mitsuri says, looking like she was on the brink of crying. "MY HEART REALLY FLUTTERS WHENEVER I SEE TOMIOKA AND SERIYA TOGETHER! THEIR LOVE MAKES MY HEART GO BOOM BOOM BADUM!"

The five other pillars inside the room looked at her with black beaded eyes. "What-"

"WHAT I'M SAYING IS" Mitsuri begins to shout, "WE CAN'T KILL HER!"

"And why not?" Sanemi asks, clearly annoyed. "Were slayers tasked to kill demons. Not home them!"

Mitsuri kept quiet and blank twice before speaking again. "...So that means...I'm the only one who saw it."

"See what, Mitsuri san?" Shinobu asks

"When we look into it very well, we see a silver thread when cutting a demon's neck, right?" Mitsuri begins to say. "But...whenever I see Seriya, I don't see a silver thread to her neck." Mitsuri then raises an index finger, pointing at Giyu.

"Instead, I see the silver thread on Tomioka san's neck." She finishes.

. . . . . . . . . . ♡

Although everyone is pumped and motivated upon hearing the mark and preparing for the upcoming battle by training hellishly every day, one particular person was not exactly as enthusiast as them. And it was Giyu.

Though he was quiet for the most part, Seriya could read his mind even if he spoke to everyone in a blunt manner. And it saddened Seriya to know that there is nothing she could do to help him out. Her actions were limited, she'd die under the sun and can only appear freely at night. But on particular nights where Giyu was silent and wasn't facing her, Seriya would kneel behind him and wrap her arms around his neck, hugging him.

Seriya still couldn't quite grasp who Giyu is to her back then. Were they friends back in her human life? Or where they more than that? Whatever they were, she transformed into her human self again. Once pink and white ombre hair color became black and her kimono color returning pink and green.

"....Are...you troubled?" Seriya tried to ask him, unsure if he would speak to her or not. But she noticed a small smile painting his lips and then he placed a hand on top of hers.

"Thank you...for holding me like this, Seriya chan." He spoke to her, turning his head to face her. "I really want to keep you safe. I still feel like I'm in a dream." He said, slowly turning his body so he could face her. Heart beating fast and a hand cupping her cheek as he faced her.

"It's like...you never left me years ago." He said, lower lip quivering as tears began to pool in his eyes. "I've turned my back on a lot of people for you, Seriya chan." He begins to say, bringing her face closer so he could press their foreheads together.

"I've...left my pillar spot for you." He spoke. Seriya's eyes widened and immediately pulled away from Giyu's hold, holding his hands in hers.

"Why? How could you?" Seriya questions him, her slit beige pink demon eyes looking at him. "You...you're supposed to be training! Not here with me!"

"I don't care about them anymore, Seriya." Giyu says, smiling. "Let's...spend our mornings by waking up next to each other." He says.

Seriya quivered upon hearing his words, her mind filling with an image of the two children - a boy and a girl playing together.

"Please...go back and train. You're worthy of your position." Seriya says, wiping away a tear that slipped out of his eye. "In return, I'll help you defeat Muzan!"