Somewhere Outside Reality - Demon Slayer Fanfiction

Chapter One: Crashing Waves

((Ah shit... here we go again.))

~~~

Giyuu had taken a walk in the forest to clear his head after a mission that Master had sent him out on. The mission was simple enough; find a demon- eliminate it, and go from there.

The demon was on a rampage. A youngster with golden hair and burning eyes. Some part of the demon reminded Giyuu of the positive energy Hashira- Rengoku. Always there to provide a smile, even if the smile was something not apt at the time.

To some degree, Giyuu would admit he admired Rengoku. The blonde fire hashira had always been brimming with passion and enthusiasm. Something that Giyuu lacked on both ends. One more than the other- most likely.

Now was not the time to be thinking about these things though. Even so- no matter how often the Hashira of water would tell himself these things, he found himself circled in even more doubt.

Avoiding making comparisons, because they are true.

Thought like these would always nag on him. Seeping their bloodied teeth into his very cranium until there was nothing more left to do than accept his fate as the negative nancy of the Demon Corps strongest pillars.

Amidst all these thoughts, though, there was a nagging urge to sit down- and take a break. It was almost a demanding sensation. His head had started to feel light and his eyes were drooping despite not feeling a slliver of tiredness not even two minutes earlier.

Falling asleep in the forest was always a bargain. Either a madman, or someone desperate would be sleeping somewhere away from town, or at least other people.

Alas, though- the sound of the chirping crickets and the ocean waves crashing into a small beach nearby seemed to soothe him. His shoulders were no longer stiff, and his deadpan expression had become less laced with stern-undertones.

Somehow always thinking and pondering. Trying to reason with himself why certain things are the way they are.

However, there were never anyconclusions ever reached.

With a last sigh of exhaustion, Giyuu closed his eyes and leans back, keeping his hand firmly on his sword as he found himself sinking into a world of darkness and a lack of sense.

This world being one that greeted him rarely as he was too busy fighting with metephorical demons to get a good amount of sleep most nights. Sleep was certainly most tempting. Almost too good to be true.

~~

It felt like no time at all had passed. However, Giyuu was brought back to the world of the aware by hearing the sound of snapping branches and movement from somewhere nearby. Blissful unawareness bled into confused semi-consciouness.

Naturally, The Water Hashira was up and on his feet, holding his sword in the direction of the noise. Or at least, where he thought he heard it coming from. His nose was overwhelmed with the sweet smell of Vanilla, Jazmine, and Lavender. All of them together... almost burning his nose from the sweetness of the scents.

It was overwhelming. The faint smell of iron behind them.

The stone-faced man tried to make his way to stand up- however, his legs were already showing effects of whatever strong sedative was invading his nose.

He had gone so far as to try and tuck his nose in his haori, but somehow, the smell was still penetrating through- making him too disoriented to move.

Giyuu had managed to close his eyes and concentrate a bit on something other than the smell, at least being motivated to move.

This had left him wandering to the beach he had passed that rested near the forest line. Freeing himself from these trees and gettting into the open air and open area would surely serve him well.

The Hashira of water struggled, but tucked his sword into it's hilt, before making a quick staggering walk in his desired direction. The sound of the crashing water was getting closer and closer. He could practically taste the salt from the coursing liquid in the shining sea.

The smell seemed to go down sunbstantially. Leaving Tomioka confident enough to turn in the direction he had felt eyes watching him from.

This, however, seemed to be a mistake as the tiring smell came crashing right into his nose- leaving him almost too shocked to move.

There, meager yards away- was a tall demon. This demon appeared to be female- with half a head of long straight hair- the other side straight but nearly bobbed. Her hair was white in color. She seemed to be wearing a simple white and red Kimono with floral patterns. The most notable features on her being the bleeding red flowers of assorted kinds- and the flower growing out of her mouth.

This demon had red stitch marks coming from the sides of where her mouth would have been- a flower planted firmly in her maw.

There were no words exchanged between the demon, and the slayer. This woman easily would have been mistaken as one of the spider demons Giyuu had helped fight if not for the fact that there seemed to be no spider like qualities about her in the least.

Save for the color scheme this demon seemed to cater to.

He tried to keep his wit, and he shakily moved his nearly slumbering limbs to brandish the weapon at the demon. The demon, in turn- seemed to make no attempt at communication- rather tilting her head in immense interest.

His limbs felt like static.. it was hard to even keep his hand clutched around the hilt of his weapon- this made giyuu frown as he tried to maintain his more authoritative air.

The sturdy facade was quickly diminished and reduced to false hope as he maintained his unmoving stare. His eyes were starting to hurt. The ocean breeze making his eyes itchy.

He resisted the urges he got to blink. The demon showed no signs of movement, but it was clear that she intended to move sometime soon. Otherwise, there wouldn't be this feeling of tension through his entire body. Unless that was all just his nerves.

Three whole minutes passed. No blinking... aching eyes, and burning sensations spilling all through his eyeballs.

The smell coming from the demon's direction making him almost too tired and disoriented to pay attention. It was so... disappointing that such a simple looking demon was besting him without having moved a single inch to physically strike him.

As a hashira.. it made him a failure. Weak. Useless. He is supposed to be fighting back, and yet he had not made a single move to advance against this demon. He was in control of his own body. He was failing himself in every way possible. Because some flowers were leaving his mind cloudy.

He grit his teeth, becoming frustrated at his own incompetance.

Tomioka, as a demon slayer, was always to make the first move. Never give the demon a chance to attack or strike first. If they strike you first, they already learned something about you. If you strike first, you usually gain the advantage.

He couldn't last much longer. He needed to do something. His foggy eyes barely keeping level with the piercing gaze from the woman.

Just as Giyuu barely went to blink- his eyes straining from the light- he felt movement in front of him- and all of a sudden- his arm felt lighter. A rush of pain started to course through him- blood rate increasing to an unsteady rushing through his veins, fueled with alarm.

((To be Continued))