The Pegasus' Light (Giyu Tomioka Love Story)

Chapter 12

Asahi's P. O. V:

I hesitate, wondering how the hell there's another me. I notice she has the same injury in her right arm.

"Giyu-kun, are you seeing this?" I ask.

"Yes. It's you. But I don't know how that's possible."

"I don't either..." I trail off before I lunge for the other me, thinking she's an enemy. "Pegasus Breathing, Tenth Form: Calming Meadow." I send a singular slash at the copy but she dodges and immediately goes up to Giyu.

"G-Giyu-kun! You won't let her attack me, will you?!" The second me asks, startling us.

"You've gotta be kidding me! Giyu, you know that's not me!" I point out. Giyu flicks his gaze between us. "I've been with you the whole time!"

"That is true..." Giyu murmurs.

The copy smiles as she says, "Kill her, Giyu! She's the enemy!"

I stiffen and feel weariness as the Tomioka looks at me. He readies his deep blue nichirin blade.

"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!" To my relief and surprise, the ravenette swings his sword for the copy, grazing her left side and forcing her back. Giyu jumps in front of me as though to shield me. "I know you're not the real Asahi. You won't fool me." I could tell that he was angry, though I do t really know why. "Water Breathing, Eighth Form: Waterfall Basin." Giyu runs at the demon and brings his water covered sword down with an explosion.

The demon leaps out of it and swings her claws for the Tomioka. He deflects her attack and aims for her neck but she jerks away from him.

"Pegasus Breathing, Eighth Form: Pegasus Wrath," I say before doing a barrel roll for the demon. As each of my slashes hits them, hoof prints appear. With another slash that misses their neck, I send the demon crashing back to the ground before I leap back beside Giyu.

"You didn't have to do that for me," I tell him.

"I wanted to make sure you were safe," Says Giyu. For some reason, my heart goes crazy at those words. I jerk back to attention as the demon moves. I couldn't sense its presence anymore or smell its blood, which means it's concealing them.

I feel something whizzing through the air and exchange several vicious slashes with the demon as it swings its claws for me.

"Water Breathing, First Form: Water Surface Slash," Says Giyu before he swings his sword, blade covered in water, at the demon. He only manages to graze the demon's right leg. "Water Breathing, Seventh Form: Drop Ripple Thrust." Giyu thrusts his nichirin blade up at the demon as water swirls powerfully around it.

The sword strikes the demon's left shoulder as it goes to dodge.

"Pegasus Breathing, Sixth Form: Petals Fall," I say as I thrust my orcrist at the demon. Each time my sword made contact, petals sprout from the enemy and bits of their body begin to crumble.

The demon hisses before jumping away and slashing at me with their claws. I deflect each swipe of their claws. As I do, Giyu sends out a water dragon that slams into the demon and knocks them away from me.

"Pegasus Breathing, Fourth Form: Never Ending Bloom," I say before I run around the demon with extreme speed. As I do, I stab my sword into them and flowers start to bloom on their body.

The demon dives to the side before I could finish them off. They hide their presence once again.

"This is one tough demon to slay," I say, as Giyu stands beside me.

"We will defeat it. We just need an opening," Says Giyu. We watch our surroundings carefully for the demon. It suddenly lunges out at us but Giyu and I attack it in turn. The demon pulls back and hides amongst the surroundings once more, just before a swipe of my sword made contact.

"Stop hiding like a coward and fight us!" I call in irritation.

"I'm no coward. I just know when there's an opportunity to attack," Responds the demon.

Suddenly, Giyu jumps in front of me and grunts in pain. I gasp loudly as I whip my head around to him. I see blood oozing from his right shoulder. That gash looks deep.

"G-Giyu-kun!" I exclaim worriedly as I rest my hands carefully on his shoulders and examine his wound. "Are you alright?! Why'd you do that?!"

"That demon... was about to attack you... from behind," The Water Hashira responds between deep breaths. He flicks his mesmerising blue orbs to mine. "I'll be okay. It's just a scratch. And, I couldn't just let that demon hurt you again."

My heart goes crazy once again at what Giyu said and did for me.

I don't know why I'm acting like this whenever I'm around the Water Hashira, but I'll figure it out later.

I say with a frown, "You shouldn't have done that! I don't need you to protect me! I can protect myself." Giyu starts at this, his blue eyes jerking wide with surprise at my outburst.

"Asa-chan..." Giyu murmurs, trailing off.

I interrupted the Water Hashira as I say, "Your wound... it's worse than mine... let me..."

Giyu waves me off when I go to rip off a strip of my shirt to try to stop the bleeding. "Worry about that later. Let's focus on stopping the demon first," Giyu says.

I hesitate but know he's right.

"I'll go and find it," I say. "It seems to have vanished again."

Giyu tells me, "I'll catch up in a minute. Please, be careful, Asa-chan."

I nod my head before I turn and go in search of the demon.