Road to Hashira

-10-

As the dawn broke into the eerie, mist-mingled sky, two sisters sat embracing one another. Their eyes locked and laced with tears, hands cold and trembling, and lips with broken words and a darker shade of red. Soon, sunlight is over them, the only warmth and safety they could feel, but as the fleeting darkness and cold, so is the life of one most beautiful person. 

"NEE-SAN! NEE-SAN! KANAE ONEE-SAAANN!!!" Tears mingled with blood, Shinobu Kocho cradles her sister in her arms. 

"S-Shinobu-cha-an, you reall-y *cough* do shout.. a lot... I t-told you to be mo-ore ladylike, r-right?" Kanae Kocho, brushes her palm on Shinobu's cheek who clasps her cold hand tightly in response. 

"D-don't leave me, please! You're the last person I have! I-I'll save you!" As Shinobu reaches into her pouch, rummaging for something to bandage her sister with. 

"Listen, Shi-no-bu... T-that demon..." 

Shinobu turns to her sister, her eyes burning with rage. "I'LL KILL THAT FU-!"

"I pity him..."

Shinobu's face loosened and she found herself stumped at her sister's statement. "Huh?"

"I've n-never seen anyone so emp-ty... and dead, inside."

How could you pity the demon who did this to you?! 

Kanae smiles at Shinobu for the last time, eyes ever so beautiful and shining like the glittering moonlight. "I-if only... humans and de-mons c-could live *cough* together in peace..." 

*One Month Later*

"Kahk!" Blood gushed out from her throat, as she stared up at the person who's pinned her to the ground with an oddly shaped katana, one that had a four-petaled flower guard. As the clouds reveal the soft, blue moonlight, her patterned, white haori seems to glow. She twists her blade, further inflicting pain on her target who's squirming like a mouse caught by a snake. 

"How could someone so pretty once, end up looking like an ugly, filthy prick." She narrows her eyes as she watches her victim struggle, lashing and kicking to no avail. She stomps on the demon's stomach and it coughs more blood. "You demons really are pitiful after all~." 

Purple veins appear on the demon's pale, nearly translucent skin, and she feels as if her life's fading away, slowly and painfully as the poison eats at her. "St-stop, p-plea-asee!" 

Shinobu furrows her brows in disgust, piercing her sword deeper. "What are you saying? I'm doing you a favor. I'm relieving you of this pitiful state you're in. I hope we could be friends in the next life because I'll be the one to send you there." 

"N-no!!!" The demon could barely scream, her voice drowned in a pool of blood, and soon, she died and crumbled to dust. 

Shinobu breathes a sigh, sheathes her stinger, and walks away. "Killing demons is the most merciful thing I can do for them." She smirks within herself, but she soon breaks into laughter. "Ahahaha, Nee-san, I care for the demons so much that I'll never rest until I've sent them all to the afterlife! I'll free them from their filthy prisons of anger, hatred, and violence! I'm the one saving them! Please watch over me, Nee-san!" 

"Are you done giving yourself a pep talk?" 

Shinobu unsheathes her katana and points in the direction of the voice. It was a young man, leaning behind the shadow of a tree nearby. He reveals himself and his mismatched haori immediately catches her attention. 

"Tomioka Giyu..." She lowers her blade. "Have you been sent here too?" 

"No, were you?" 

Shinobu snaps back. "Tch, I hope you're not following me, you creep!" 

Giyu crosses his arms and looks up. "This is my turf, Kocho, you shouldn't be here if you weren't sent."

"I simply took care of a demon you overlooked, you're welcome." They exchanged glares. 

But Giyu simply turned back. "Go now, I'm responsible for this area. This isn't the first time you've breached a Hashira's territory, Kocho." 

"Tch, quit acting like you're the boss of me!"

Giyu glances back over his shoulder. "You're needed somewhere else, aren't you?" 

She was caught off guard by that statement, and immediately, the mismatched haori Hashira melts into the shadows. Shinobu understood immediately, and without hesitation, she left. 

The Butterfly Estate is packed with people. Since an upper moon appeared a month ago, many corps members were injured in the encounter, but even more, were diseased. Among the ones who've passed on was the late master of the estate, Kanae Kocho, who has since left the care of the mansion and its people to her younger sister and tsuguko, who is nowhere to be found. 

In the meantime, Aoi is handling everything, along with a few Kakushi. Treating newcomers, replacing bandages, reminding and bringing medicines, and cleaning after the occupants, all were laborious tasks, but Aoi is more than capable. Among the newcomer patients is the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa. While he doesn't need any special care, a man of his rank is naturally treated with special attention, hence, the busy Aoi caters to him. 

"Shinazugawa-sama, please have a seat." Aoi gestures him to a stool, with some herbs and bandages on her other arm. 

Sanemi looks around, seemingly concerned. Nevertheless, he sat down and Aoi proceeds with the treatment. 

"Pardon me for saying this, but although your wounds aren't very deep, you've always been too brash, Shinazugawa-sama. Just as how that person always described you." They both fall into silence shortly. 

"Her sister, where is she?" 

"Out slaying demons again, I suppose."

"I see."

Soon enough, Shinobu enters in, and as soon as she saw Aoi treating Sanemi, she bows her head politely, then proceeds to observe the rest. Sanemi watches her carefully. She's angrier than before. 

Sanemi thought deeply within himself, and somehow, he reminisced the times when he sat in front of her like this, as she carefully and lovingly stitched him and bandaged him up. He knew he'll never forget those moments in his heart, but now that that person is gone, Sanemi still wouldn't forget about her. If only I had been there... He clenches his fist.