Long-Gone | Demon Giyuu Au

01|Long-Gone

Wandering around the forest, I hear crickets chirp and owls hissing through the night. I don't know why I thought this would be a good idea since I know Lord Muzan can read our thoughts and see through our eyes, but no matter how much I cursed my body to stop, my legs wouldn't obey. It is peculiar, though, since Lord Muzan doesn't do anything about it; I thought he cared, especially about demons that are strong and useful to him. But I guess I was wrong.

Speaking of demons, when was the last time I was a human before I became a demon? I find myself touching my right cheek with my right palm. Suddenly, memories come flooding back to me, the memory of me as a kid, my deceased friend, Sabito, my fellow hashira friends, and how could I forget the Master. I sighed, allowing everything to overwhelm me as I continued to travel around the forest. "Those were the good old days." I thought to myself.

"But wait, what was I thinking!?" "Return to my human friends and forget everything that's happened!?" He knew Lord Muzan wouldn't be pleased about me leaving the 12 kizuki. Which
I could understand from Muzan's perspective. After all, this is what I truly wanted, right?

I took a deep breath and let it all out, soothing me and giving me a moment to relax and think. When I was younger, I wanted to be a demon slayer alongside my best friend, Sabito. And after being a hashira for a couple of years, I couldn't get enough. I wouldn't say I liked that I wasn't strong enough to protect my friends and family against demons and failed them. I also didn't like being the guy who is always misjudged either. So, I guess I am a nuisance. Maybe lord Muzan was right; the demons are the only species who accept me into their kind without being misjudged. But I could be wrong; after all, Lord Muzan desires a lot for something: immortality. And to get immortality, you need power. The hashira's, on the other hand, welcome you with open arms. Sure, they have different attitudes and personalities, but they can be loving, too. However, I can't shake off the feeling that deep inside, the hashira don't like me very much. Some even give me the cold shoulder.

But the question is, what do I want?

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The insect pillar is off to a new mission at a village. She's been on many tasks in towns, but they would usually be familiar or be the villages she's visited countless times before. But this time, she has to go to an unfamiliar town she's never heard of.

She arrives at the village but sees no demon, but smells a lemon scent. She follows the aroma, leading her into the forest. She sees a monster walking around the woods when she gets far enough.
The demon looked pretty tall, had a low ponytail, had a hard, and a...sword? "Giyuu?" She thinks to herself. She decided she would confront the demon now. So she exited her hiding spot and rushed towards the monster with full force. The devil saw this and blocked this attack with his dead calm. Caught off guard, the insect pillar tried to steer as best as she could after landing on the ground after her first attack. Looking up, I was able to muster a smile.

"Giyuu?"

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I was minding my own business when I saw a figure rushing towards me, and at the last second, I used one of my breathing techniques to block her attack. From what I can tell, she's pretty fast. But I could sense her coming from any direction. It seems she was caught off guard and tried to steer as best as she could after she landed on the ground after her first attack. She smiled and called out to me.

"Giyuu?"

I blinked, not knowing how to reply to that. The short woman had a butterfly haori, a demon slayer corps uniform, and a butterfly hair clip. My eyes widened. "She's..."

"Shinobu?"

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"Giyuu?"

He blinked, his facial expression hard to read. Does he recognize me? I thought to myself. He examines me for a minute or two, his widening.

"Shinobu?"

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I couldn't believe it. The woman I ever loved was standing right in front of me. She looked even more gorgeous than last time and happier. "What do you think you are doing?" I heard a voice say, and I snapped out of my thoughts. Please wait a minute; those aren't my thoughts; it was his voice. Since he can see through me, he can probably already tell I was with this pillar. And if he finds out I am not doing what I am supposed to, he can threaten to kill her or make me do it.

I-I gotta go, I stammered. And I started to run away. I can't risk her getting hurt because of me; even if I am still a demon, I still haven't lost my human characteristics.

"Wait!" I hear a voice cry. I stop. "We have been looking everywhere for you." "Y-You can still make the right choice; you don't have to be a demon and live in a monster's body." "And this isn't your fault!" "The others may not know this, but I know you didn't become a demon by choice; you were forced!" "I sighed, turned around, and forced a smile even though it looked fake. "It's too late for me, Kocho-san." "The human me is already long gone." "I already became a demon, and that's that." "If I go with you now, I would risk putting your life in danger as well as mine." 'You know very well, this could affect your job." "Plus, I don't think hashira would accept me after I became a monster." "I stepped closer to her, put a few strands of hair behind her ear, lifted her chin, and wiped her tears. "Do this for me, please?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

"But I need you with me." "I can't live without you." "Come back with me, please," she begged.

I shook my head, smiling sadly, and kissed her on top of her forehead.

"Goodbye, Shinobu."