The Demon Queen

Traitor Two

I was in shock at the sight. Kokushibou stood defensively with his sword still out. He didn't show the slightest remorse or regret for what he had done.

Muzan was equally in shock, his arm chopped off at the elbow and heavily bleeding. Even though he would regenerate, it wasn't going to happen immediately, having been cut by a demon as powerful a Kokushibou. Similarly, the wounds inflected on me by Muzan would take some time to fully heal.

I pulled Muzan's hand off of my neck, extended my arm, and let it drop to the floor in front of him. His fingers were drenched in my blood and his skin at his wrist was completely rotted off. The residue of my Blood Demon Art slowly but surely was spreading over the rest of his arm and hand, rotting it quicker than it could possibly disintegrate.

Muzan's eyes widened at the sight. "Self ... defence ..." he said quietly.

While Muzan was occupied with processing all he had done, Kokushibou looked at me with one of his top eyes. "Sakura-sama, get out. Now," he said under his breath. "I'll follow you."

I nodded. I quietly made my way to the door, Kokushibou inching along with his back facing towards me and his sword pointed at Muzan. When we got to the door, Muzan took notice and turned his head to look at us. His eyebrows were narrowed, but he seemed to be more angry with himself than anything else.

Kokushibou prepared for an attack.

Muzan wasn't looking at him. He was only looking at me with his enraged and pained red eyes. He could have apologised, but he didn't. And even if he did, his apology would not have been accepted.

I stared fearlessly into Muzan's eyes and put a hand on Kokushibou's shoulder. "Whatever you do, don't you touch him," I said sharply to Muzan, knowing that I could leave and go anywhere I wanted, but that Kokushibou would be physically unable to leave the Castle until sundown. I pulled Kokushibou back and nudged him out the door. "And Muzan," I added before I left. "Gyutaro and Daki are dead."

I didn't give him a chance to reply, though he was not in the state or position to reply at the time. Muzan didn't follow us as we left, allowing me to make my way through the Castle with a high-alert Kokushibou behind me. I led Kokushibou into my wing.

When we got to the exit in my wing near the veranda, Kokushibou told me to wait a moment. He gave me his sword. I watched him as he tore off part of one of his kimono sleeves and proceeded to tear it up into bandage-like strips. He wrapped them around my neck, covering the wounds that were still lightly bleeding.

"Thank you," I said and gave him back his sword.

Kokushibou observed my neck, checking that the "bandages" were sufficing to his standards. "You will go to the Eternal Paradise Faith Cult?"

"Yes."

He nodded. "I can't go with you."

"I know."

"I'll accept my death with honour."

"He won't hurt you."

Kokushibou said nothing.

"I ordered him not to touch you. He won't hurt you."

"It's all right." He looked down to my hands. He flinched forward, as if receiving an impulse to take them, but he didn't. "If you live, then I won't lose." He looked me in the eyes. "So, live. I guess with Douma. Survive, no matter who your enemy becomes."

I was silent for a moment. "Michikatsu, you know, this isn't goodbye."

Kokushibou took off his purple beehive-print kimono and put it over my shoulders.

"What's this for?" I asked.

"To cover the blood so you don't scare the humans on your way," he said. "And because it isn't proper for my Master to go out in her sleepwear." He smiled a little.

"Oh." I put my arms through the sleeves. "I need to go now, Michikatsu. Stay here in my wing. When it's sundown, go immediately to the Eternal Paradise Faith Cult. Douma and I will be there."

Kokushibou obviously still didn't believe that he would survive until then. "I will." he bowed his head. "Take care of yourself."