𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞? [KNY] [Giyushino]

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 12: 𝓞𝓷 𝓲𝓽 𝓖𝓸𝓮𝓼

Giyu POV:

I could see the only way to escape death was by jumping up, but the whip would just follow me. It moved at a lightning-fast rate and would cut through me in a second. So I had to let go of my sword to move freely.

I should have disabled her arms and feet before I striked on her neck. Too distracted, never good enough, weak, weak, weak. Letting go of your sword in battle. Never let go of your sword, Urodaki once said, It is the one thing that keeps you alive.

But there was no other choice. Never another choice, except to stay alive. And I would kill this demon before I died. I would.

I leaped upwards, quickly releasing my sword as I did, and retreated further away from the whip. Naomi smirked and swiped my sword out of her neck, dropping it on the floor with a clang.

"I'm only taking faith on you and not destroying your precious katana because I see you're a good fighter, y'know," Naomi smiled, "I'd like to train with you a bit longer. How about you become a demon and we can improve together?"

Giyu didn't even bother responding, dashing forwards quickly and grabbing his sword off the ground, then swiftly switching to an attack positon. I was gasping despite my best attempt at keeping my breath even, a bloody, dripping wound burning into me.

But my constant training had taught me well. I could still fight at my full potential, even in this state, and my mark wasn't even awakened yet. I could get stronger.

Suddenly, a vague flashback startled me.

Training at late spring. I slashed my sword in the air, slicing as hard as I could. I had been doing this and other excercises for hours now, and my sweat was pooling onto the floor. I'd coughed up blood around an hour ago, but I just drank some water and contuined on.

The plan was to last as long as I possibly could. Test the limits of humanity. Get stronger. My gaze hardened at the air, making it my enemy. 

Harder. Harder. Too weak. Just too weak. Too weak to save your sister, too weak to save your friends. Get stronger. Stronger. 

No. Not good enough.

Nothing would ever be good enough. Training to death wouldn't bring back Sabito or Tsutako. Nothing ever would. So what was the point? My grip on my sword faltered as suicidal thoughts ran past my head again.

Or, at least I thought that was it. But my body was moving without me controlling it, and I was falling to the floor, all energy lost. The world started turning black.

I fainted on the floor, my sword clashing onto the earth.

Faintly, I remembered waking up on a soft bed. Shinobu was next to me, looking worried. I blinked, the world coming back into focus.

Shinobu had taken care of me after she'd seen me unconsious on the floor. Sanemi would have kicked my body, probably.

It hadn't meant anything to me back then, but now...

Giyu's thoughts were interuppted as a flash of pain shot through him. He'd subconsiously clashed his sword with Naomi's whip, his mark awakened.

His sword was tougher and stronger than the whip, but the whip was more flexible and faster.

However, Naomi underestimated a human's capability, especially when droven to their best.

Faster, stronger. A mark of not only raw strength, but hard work and determination.

A/N: Heyy~ So the fight goes on! I'm pretty sure one or two more chapters of the fight, and that'll be it for the battle? Phew! Also a warm thank you to my biggest fans, TeamVision and snowleapord1234! I could not do this without you! <3