Giyū and Shinobu vs. Dōma

Chapter 2: Vengeance

Meiji 44, August 15

Nishitama-gun, Hinohara-mura

Over four years before the Kisatsu-tai's final battle against Kibutsuji Muzan and his Jōgen no Kizuki, a fourteen-year-old Kochō Shinobu was sitting on her knees in the northeastern part of Hinohara-mura, beads of sweat on her forehead and tears falling from her large, compound-like eyes as she held a dying Kanae in her arms. The seventeen-year-old Hanabashira's Nichirin Katana lay broken next to her and there was blood dribbling down her chin.

"Shinobu..." Kochō Kanae said weakly, putting a hand on her younger sister's cheek. "Please, leave the Kisatsu-tai. You're trying really hard... But perhaps you..."

"..." The Hanabashira paused, considering her next words before continuing to speak. "I want you to be happy, like a normal girl...and live until you become an old woman. You've already done enough."

"No!" Shinobu protested, taking her older sister's hand in her own and lowering it, a mixture of sadness and anger filling the fourteen-year-old's face. "There's no way I can quit! I must avenge you! Tell me! What kind of oni was it? Who defeated you?!"

Kanae didn't respond, a look of deep sorrow forming on her face as she stared up at Shinobu.

"Tell me, Kanae!!" Shinobu cried desperately. "Please!! After all this, there's no way I can live a normal life!! Kanae!!"

"..." The Hanabashira closed her eyes as tears began to trickle down her cheeks.

滅

Taishō 5, January 2

Infinity Castle

"It was an oni..." Eighteen-year-old Kochō Shinobu recalled her older sister telling her, standing in the open doorway of a particular room in the Infinity Castle, a mixture of disgust, recognition and shock on her face as she stared at the rainbow-eyed oni sitting on a wooden bridge amongst the bodies of at least a dozen girls. "...who looked like blood had been dumped over his head."

"Hi there!" Jōgen no Ni said with a grin, blood staining his chin. He briefly removed his black crown to reveal that there indeed appeared to be blood dumped over his pale-gray hair. "My name is Dōma. Nice night, huh?"

The Mushibashira's large, compound-like eyes widened and her brow furrowed.

"He's grinning and laughing..." Kanae had said. "...and speaks calmly and directly."

"H... Hel... Help..." One of the girls murmured, crawling away from the others to reveal that she was still alive. She looked up at Shinobu and reached out for the Kisatsu, tears spilling from her golden-brown eyes as a look of terror filled her face. "Help me!!"

"Shhh!" Dōma told the terrified girl, holding a finger against his lips as he looked down at her.

"I'm talking, right?"

HWOOSH

Two things happened simultaneously. Jōgen no Ni flicked open a golden tessen and swung it at the golden-brown-eyed girl, releasing a spray of ice shards, while Shinobu bolted into the room with immense speed and scooped up the oni's would-be-victim. The Mushibashira landed on a nearby bridge with the terrified girl in her arms, leaving behind a seemingly confused Dōma.

"Are you okay?" Shinobu asked the golden-brown-eyed girl.

"Wow!" Dōma exclaimed with surprise as he turned his attention to the Mushibashira. "You're fast! Are you a Hashira?"