The Touch of Darkness (Giyuuxoc reader)

Unsheathed

As I channeled the power of the Sun Breathing technique, flames erupted from my katana, engulfing it in a fiery aura. The demon before me snarled, sensing the danger it was now facing. Its grotesque smile faded, replaced by a look of fear and desperation.

With a swift and precise movement, I launched myself towards the demon, my blade cutting through the air with a blinding speed. The demon attempted to dodge, but my Sun Breathing enhanced agility allowed me to anticipate its movements.

The clash of steel on it's neck echoed through the air as my katana met the demon's head. Sparks flew, the force of the impact shaking the ground beneath us.

With the first and final strike, I stood about a half feet away from it's head and lifted my head slowly and cleaned my katana.

I felt a lingering stare, an intense feeling at the back of my neck, and peered directly into the water pillar's eyes, where I saw his lips open in puzzlement. He didn't seem to ask me anything else. The trees appeared to slow down a little, as a gentle breeze blew past our hair.

I sheathed my nichirin blade, ready to face whatever obstacles lay ahead in the world of demon slaying. We appear to emerge from whatever trance we were in. Giyuu stayed out of my way and didn't allow his curiosity get the best of him.

Giyuu pov:

She was in fact exceptional. I've only heard of one person who used the sun breathing method. And he was legendary. The slayer who taught us everything there is to know about breathing techniques."So this was what Oyakata sama was safeguarding"

"I've heard that the legendary sun breather Yorichii fought Muzan Kibutsuji, and if he ever finds out about Tsukumo san, he'll diminish her on sight," I reasoned. I still didn't have the courage to strike up a discussion with her. She appeared so... rigid, so out of place in this environment. I had no idea what was going through her mind.

What awed Giyuu the most was that she had kept her vow, not allowing the demon to get within one foot of her perimeter. Giyuu felt proud within, knowing that his mission companion was competent and someone he wouldn't have to worry about while battling.

Reader pov:
By the time it was completely dark, we had traversed the entire perimeter of the forest. Tomioka slowed his pace and headed to a nearby cottage. Not the finest spot to spend the night, but better than the open sky. We might as well have run out of good fortune when the owner indicated that there was only one room available overnight. How cliche' is that?

Tomioka san and I inspected the room to make sure for any traps or unwelcome dramatics. When we were completely satisfied, we rolled each of our futons for a rest. The Yahari cottage was frequently a rest stop for villagers on their way somewhere or for demon slayers on a quest.

They simply provide an empty room with no supplies. Still preferable from the unrestricted outdoors. We never know what lurks in the woods. It's better to be safe than sorry.

We eat some snacks we packed for the trip quietly. Giyuu and I exchange a few glances, and it suddenly dawns on me how awkward we both were. This is the most silence I've ever known. Even on alone expeditions, forests spoke to me more than this. I wasn't looking forward to his statements though.

I delicately grab some sake from my possessions and begin sipping it. Sake helps me to relax my mind. And if we're only staying for the night, there's no need to be on high alert.

Tomioka cast a strange glance at me. I could tell he doesn't like it when I drink. "What? It's not every day you see a woman drink this much, huh?" Surprisingly, my voice came out. I wasn't expecting to talk to him. The sake must have freed my tongue.

I was a little tipsy, as to my cheeks were hot and pink. I'm not generally such a slacker, but Lord knows how much of the bottle I've already downed. What is a trip without sake?

Tomioka gazed at me with a sour expression. "I don't like it when my task partner drinks; we need to be on guard at all times," he gritted his teeth and gave me that grim look that he always have.

"Good thing I don't give a damn what you like or dislike, no Tomioka san?" As I untied my hair from the hair band, I scoffed. My haori is made of a plain tattered black fabric. I was often practicing and going on missions by myself, so dressing up didn't seem like such a big deal.

Tomioka gave me an odd look as he gazed up and down. "Is he eyeing me?" Oh, he certainly is," I exclaimed within myself, my thoughts jumbled.

"Like what you see, Tomioka san?" I inquired, smiling at him. Where had the shame gone? Oh, I'm sorry, I don't have any. Pink colored his cheeks; he clearly did not want to have this conversation.

"Oh please, this is the most conversation we've ever had in our entire lives, ease up a bit, perhaps we should get to know each other a little better too," I urge him, handing him the sake bottle, which he refused rather disrespectfully.

My shamelessness seeped into my blood as I stood temptingly messing with my hair. This was the sake influencing my senses. I untied my frayed haori, showing my smooth flesh. It wasn't my first time approaching a man, but it seemed strange that I was doing so to a hashira, with whom I had never spoken in my life. It had a dirty tinge to it. Giyuu backed up against the wall, his pupils nearly bursting out.

His face was bright red at that particular moment. He noticed her sultry emerald eyes, which no ordinary man could resist. What was she up to? Giyuu shifted his gaze sideways, shielding his eyes from the woman's dignity. He heard a thud sound muffled by his futon not far from him and hesitantly looked her direction to see her landed in a peaceful drunken sleep. He wasn't going to sleep tonight; he'd rather keep a close eye on her.

After a while, Giyuu's heart stopped pounding in his chest. He makes no mention of his personal life within the demon slayer corps, and he was not about to let this: happen again.

He sat cautiously, wiping glistening sweat patches from his forehead. Any respect he had for her disappeared with whatever she just carried out. This was going to be a very long mission.

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Don't worry this is just the start.
Funfact: there's a google extension called interactivefics which enables readers to change the character names to what they want. It only works with laptops or computers though. 💡💁🏻‍♀️