yokai | t. giyu, douma & k. muzan

二十二 x 3k reads special

For every step Seriya took inside the fortress, her eyes felt like burning. It's the kind of pain you feel when you've been awake for so long that your eyes are stinging and tearing up, and that is exactly the kind of pain Seriya feels right now. As she ventured around, she wanted to see if there was anything she could see her reflection on, but there wasn't any.

Seriya was determined to look for answers on where she currently is and what's happening to her right now but her efforts remained fruitless as she entered a room within a room and fell down onto another platform countless of times. Apart from that, why couldn't she feel any other human nor demon within her range? Why could she only feel the creeping tension within her?

Taking a whiff, Seriya inhaled something that smelled pleasant and rich; the kind of floral scent one can smell in an aquatic nature or in a warm and misty atmosphere. Following that scent, Seriya was lead to another direction that made her eyes perked up at the sight of pink and white lotuses perched on top of the water and besides the lily pad's.

And then the strong, putrid scent of blood replaced the heady and fruit scent of lotuses. Noticing that a sliding door was open, Seriya cautiously took a peak and slowly opened the door and before her she found a girl with black hair with purple tips, holding a katana while facing none other than-

"Douma?" Seriya softly spoke, her eyes widening at the sight of the upper moon who had blood on the corner of his lips and chin while holding onto a pair of golden fans. The sight of her caused both the girl and the demon to notice her.

"Sakura?" Douma calls out for her name. Looking at her like she was an unbelievable sight while his hands drop to her side. "Y-You...you're..."

"The serum must be already taking it's effect" The girl whom Seriya didn't know suddenly spoke to her, still on her guard. "The kanji in your eyes have already disappeared and your nails are no longer sharp." She pointed out to her.

Slowly raising her hands up to her hands, what the girl had told her is true. Her nails were no longer that sharp that could pierce through any human's skin, slowly bringing her hands to her eyes, the corners of Seriya's lips were curling into a smile. Finally, she was becoming human again.

"You're...becoming human?" Douma asked to which Seriya suddenly whipped her head up to look at him. The tone of his voice sounding sad.

Offering the upper moon demon a soft yet sad smile, Seriya nodded her head. "Yes I am." She spoke softly. However, the soft and sad expression on her face was replaced to a confused one as Douma had lifted her up in his arms and placed her on the farthest corner of the room.

"Stay here and wait for me, will you?" Douma asks, offering a smile while patting the top of her head. "When this is all over, I'll take you to the compound where my followers and I will keep you safe." Before Seriya could say anything, Douma was already on his feet and resumed battling with the female hashira.

"Let's make this quick!" Douma cheerily spoke to Shinobu. "What kind of husband makes their wife stay up so late? We still have children to take care of!"

At the mention of children, Seriya's mind wandered again to Himari and Tsumigi. Did a good set of parents or a single nice person took them in? Are they sleeping well in warm futon? Eating well? She couldn't help but miss the two children she cared for.

All the while Douma was talking to another girl and boy who Seriya didn't know of, she held her stomach while coiling in pain. The pain was immense to deny, the feeling of a sharpened tip of the knife stabbing her stomach caused her to cry out in pain. She wanted the pain to get over quickly. But though Douma kept her on the farthest corner of the room, all Seriya could think about is Giyu.

When she caught sight of Douma turning around to face, he made place a hand over his nose. That signal alone made Seriya cover her nose with the sleeve of her kimono. When both the boy and the girl noticed Seriya in the corner of the room, their black beaded eyes widened at her sight.

"That's the girl Master helped cure!" The girl with a side ponytail spoke

The boy who wore a boar mask pointed at Seriya while talking to another girl. "Isn't she that Jiyu guy's childhood friend?"

"His name is not Jiyu! It's Giyu!"

"Kiyu?"

"Giyu!"

"It's water guy!"

Douma's ear perked up at the mention of another man's name. "I see now." Douma begins to say, "When a man has been away from his wife, his wife turns into infidelity and seeks another man's companion." Seriya's eyebrows furrowed, eyeing Douma with an unknowing look.

"I already made up my mind and share you with Muzan sama, but to share you with a hashira?" Douma made an X with his golden fans. "That's a no no in my books!"

And as a flurry of ice and lotus swarmed around her, Seriya used the sleeve of her left arm to cover herself as the other sleeve of her right arm kept her from inhaling the poison. The sounds of wooshing and clanking were all Seriya could hear as she blocked her sight. When the sounds have died down, Seriya slowly lowered her arms and found Douma's head before her, his eyes looking at her.

"Douma!" Seriya exclaims, picking up his head in her hands.

"I'm going to die, my blossom. But I don't feel anything but regrets." Douma spoke to her as he was slowly fading away. "I would have loved...to keep you by my side and have you wake up next to me every morning."

Pursing her lips into a thin line, Seriya's eyes began to sting and tears cascading down her eyes and cheeks. As Douma's head finally fades away from her hands, so do the rest of his body. But as before his clothing falls down on the wooden pier, an intricate box slipped out and fell into the muddy water; inside the box contained a plated gold ring with a single akoya pearl.