𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞? [KNY] [Giyushino]

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 9: 𝓕𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽 𝓑𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓼

Author POV (ft. Shinobu):

Shinobu, Giyu and Shigeru all met at the gates to go on their mission.

Shinobu visibly flinched at the sight of Giyu. She hadn't seen him lately, it seemed like she had completely broken off with him. To be fair, it wasn't much of a change, since it's not like she and Giyu did anything really. She just liked to annoy him.

Shinobu had already asked Kagaya-sama to not put her on missions with Giyu anymore, and she hadn't had any missions with him ever since, but now suddenly here she was. At least she had Shigeru.

Shigeru had arrived early to spend some time with Shinobu. She was happy with Shigeru, but as soon as she saw Giyu head towards them, she felt immediantly queasy. Sick to the stomach. Was she coming down with something?

"Hello, Tomioka!" Shigeru said warmly. Giyu didn't even look at him as he walked past them and headed off himself.

Usually Shinobu would have greeted Giyu, but this time she just focused her attention on Shigeru. 

"Ara ara~ Should we go ourselves, Shigeru-kun?"

"Yes, that sounds good," he said, then muttered under his breath, "What's up with him?"

[A/N: Oh, no worries Shigeru-kun, just a dead sister and two dead best friends who died protecting him, yep totally normal] [Anyway on with the story...]

Author POV (ft. Shigeru):

Soon, Shinobu and Shigeru arrived at the town. Giyu was already there.

"This is a really cute town," Shigeru mentioned, "Maybe we should go here for a date sometime, Shinobu-chan?"

That was sure to provoke the water pillar. He knew his job, and he intended to get it done quickly, but he could already tell the cold Hashira was very dense. 

"Yes, it's quite cozy," Shinobu agreed, smiling as always. Shigeru found her constant smile cute, but creepy sometimes. It was also somehow intimidating when she was angry.

Shigeru shot Giyu a side-glance, hoping he would say something or at least show a sign of annoyance, but he remained silent as ever and contuined walking.

"Should we split up to find the demon..?" Shinobu suggested. Shigeru winced at the suggestion. He didn't actually have swords skills, and Mitsuri always covered for him. But she was busy today, and told him just to wing it and let Shinobu protect him.

But if Shigeru found the demon on his own, well... he'd be dead meat.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Shinobu-chan.." Shigeru said nervously, hoping she wouldn't question it further.

"You are a Hashira. You will be fine." Giyu suddenly spoke up, and then leapt onto the roof, heading west into the town central.

Shigeru visibly shivered. The water pillar was obviously intimdating, and he couldn't really picture him with the colourful insect pillar. Still, if he wanted the money from Mitsuri, he would have to make him jealous. If that person could even care.

"Ara ara~ Don't worry, Shigeru-kun! We can go together," Shinobu said warmly. 

Thank god for Shinobu, Shigeru thought, Does that cold-blooded pillar even deserve her?

The two started leaping on top of the roofs and keeping their eyes peeled for demons. Luckily, Mitsuri had did a bit of training on Shigeru before so he could keep up with Shinobu.

After quite a while, Shinobu finally discovered something...

Meanwhile [Giyu POV]:

I leapt from rooftop to rooftop, scanning the ground for any demon in sight. 

It was so annoying that Oyakta-sama had put me on a mission with Kochou. It was awkward, except it couldn't be awkward if you didn't talk, but that new Hashira kept on talking. It was so annoying.

Shigeru was the new pillar, and I get that he's still new and everything, but it's pathetic that he would be afraid to go and search for a demon. Even if it's a possible upper moon. No other Hashira would hesitate. Was he even a proper pillar?

Of course, I wasn't either, so I guess I couldn't blame him. But still, that was a very weakling-act.

Suddenly, I heard a blood-curdling scream from below me. A human.

I jumped down and immediantly began scouring the town, following the sound I heard.

I ran past an old abandoned garage, then went back to it. I saw a bloody corpse.

A demon, it's fangs dripping with blood.

The numbers engraved in it's eyes.

Upper Four.

A/N: Ok so please ignore whoever is actually Upper Four in the real manga, I am just going to make up a demon since I can't be bothered to learn the Demon Arts of some random upper moon demon. Also yes Shigeru is an OC.