2nd Chances

Part 27

Kagaya's facial expression changed as his daughters read the report to him.

"200 civilians accounted for, 7 fatalities." One read off.

"Upper moon 6, "Enmu", encountered and killed by Slayer Tanjiro Kamado."

"Slayer Tanjiro Kamado heavily injured."

"Upper moon 1 encountered."

"Flame Pillar Rengoku Kyojuro and Water Pillar Giyuu Tomioka both in critical condition after engaging upper moon 1."

It was an ominous report, the upper moons had only become more and more active over time.

First upper moon 2, then 3, and now 6 and 1, all encountered within the last few years alone.

It was hard to believe, what should've been a simple mission was quickly turned into a horrible disaster.

The prior day they had just been discharged from the butterfly residence and now they went straight back even more injured then they were before.

"I understand." He said as he signaled his daughters to stop reading.

(3 weeks later)

Aoi had done her routine sweep checking all their patients. Now came time to check on the two pillars.

Rengoku was awake but still bed ridden per Shinobu's instructions. He had received a nasty head injury that may very well force him to retire unless he recovered, and had broken numerous ribs.

Giyuu had been in a comatose state for 3 weeks since he was brought in and still hadn't woke up.

Aoi still remembered her master's look when she saw Giyuu being brought in on a stretcher half dead by the Kakushi.

His vitals were far beyond what a normal human could handle, even for a breath user they would've likely been fatal.

Ever since they were brought in the two had been on a constant teeter between life and death. Giyuu while still unconscious had suffered multiple high fevers and Rengoku had many open wounds that simple wouldn't close. Multiple sets of stitches were used just to close up each of their injuries.

Aoi could only feel sympathy for her master, the last time they spoke was brief but it gave her a good idea of what she was feeling. Kanae did her best to hold it all together as the estate was flooded with visitors. It was tough on the pillars, they were down by a total of 3 members with a 4th bogged down, but they had to perceiver, that was what being a pillar meant.

Shinobu was in no state to continue on with her duties, she had been forcefully given time off by the master in order to get her affairs together as she cared for the two injured pillars.

They required constant monitoring to make sure their conditions didn't worsen.

Many other pillars came to visit the two when they could after the news got out, Rengoku wasn't cleared for visitors since he was still in a very delicate state mentally. He had received serious internal and external damage and his mental state didn't seem to fully recover yet from his head injury.

Giyuu on the other hand didn't seem to wake up. His injuries had been mostly healed over already while he slept but he never regained consciousness.

It was actually Tanjiro and Inosuke who had given the Kakushi those reports about the mission while he was recovering.

Aoi walked into the Flame pillars room, she was told to be very quiet when she checked up on him because of his sensitivity to noise.

Aoi quietly entered the room as she brought in a tray of food.