𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞? [KNY] [Giyushino]

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 16: 𝓓𝓲𝓮, 𝓓𝓮𝓶𝓸𝓷, 𝓓𝓲𝓮

Author POV:

Shinobu slowly stood up, her face blank and her cheeks wet with tears. The tears had stopped.

She turned silently to Naomi.

And with a smile that her sister had once loved, she lurched forwards and struck down on Naomi's neck.

It was rock-hard and the insect pillar could barely make a dent on it, but she kept her sword there anyway and kicked at the demon, digging her sword in.

"Ugh! Get away from me!" Naomi sent a powerful kick towards Shinobu and sent the pillar flying into the air, landing with a thump on the floor.

Shinobu only smiled, got up, and charged again.

Naomi found this more and more fustrating. Part of her just wanted to finish her off, but each time she went in for the fatal strike, the annoying butterfly just dodged and attacked. They were all simple strikes. The pillar moved almost robotically, getting up and attacking in the simplest forms with only one expression- an eerie smile, murder in her eyes.

Suddenly, Naomi looked up and saw the sky slowly light up, the sun peeking from the trees. Sunrise was here.

How did time pass that fast? The sun was moving fast too, and the sunlight would soon reach the trees.

"Ugh, just die! I need to leave, right now!" Naomi tried to run off but Shinobu blocked her repeatedly.

"Stop it, you annoying butterfly! Let me go!" Naomi pretended to go left, then lunged into the darkness at the last second, tricking Shinobu and escaping.

Shinobu POV:

I watched the demon flee. I considered chasing after her, but I knew she was too fast and I couldn't leave Giyu without burying him.

"Caw, caw! Tomioka Giyu, dead! Caw caw!" The crow flew overhead, announcing his death.

Yes I know, I thought, and it's all because of me. I set to work wrapping his body in a cloth and got some staff to carry him back to the mansion. I set back alone, with no-one but my thoughts.

As I leapt from rooftop-to-rooftop, I thought about what I would do now.

There was no way I could date Shigeru anymore. It was only in his last few breaths when I finally realised where my heart really belonged. Now it would always be with him, even if he was gone, I would never fall for someone again.

I would hunt down Naomi after I recovered and developed better poison. I would take my revenge. I would hunt down Douma too. They would both pay. For their lives, and my pain.

How would the other Hashiras react? Everyone would be devasted, or at least most of them would be. Giyu was a high-ranking Hashira, one of the most powerful. Although he never spoke with the other pillars, he was still an important part of the pillars.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, Giyu's body was safely, peacefully beneath the dirt and his soul was above the clouds.

Tomioka-san... please...

I lifted my head up to the clear blue sky.

Say hello to Kanae for me.