𝑖 𝑤𝑜𝑛𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛

Chapter 9

"SHINOBU!"

....

The young hashira collapsed down onto the ground, her weak body couldn't handle any more cuts from the UpperMoon 2. 

The reincarnated Giyuu, misunderstood. 

His lips shivered and an overwhelming weight of guilt harbored him. He was late. Now she was gone. Muttering, not accepting she was gone again, his knees fell down on the floor. 

"Eh? You already offering to be my servant?" Doma chuckled. 

"Don't worry, she isn't dead yet. I'll feast on her lovely body later.."

A nerve twitched his is mind. She isn't dead. The teary eyes disappeared as he slowly regained his purpose as a hashira. To protect..  He slowly stood up, removing the sheath of his Nichirin Katana revealing a nice deep blue. 

"Water Breathing 10th Form... Constant Flux."

Her eyes were struggling to open again just to glance at her surroundings.

"Why didn't i grow taller. Why are my hands so small. If i had been just a little taller.. I might have taken the demon's head and defeated him. If only my body were built of the figure Kanae's was then maybe i couldn've sliced his neck.. Im sorry.."

"Shinobu. Shinobu!"

Pull yourself together. I won't allow you to cry. Stand up. 

"Kanae? I've lost so much blood and it hurts. Im neither further nor closer to you."

That doesn't matter. 

Stand up.. Insect Hashira Shinobu Kocho.

Once you decide to defeat a demon, defeat it. Once you decide to win, win. If you want to die, then die. Win whatever the cost is. You..made that promise with Kanao and me, didn't you?

Kanae's voice was there.. She was watching. Then all the energy stored up within her anger gradually overpowered to almost worn-out body. 

Shinbou, you can do this. So do your best.

...

Regaining inner strength from the bonds and friendships her left eye slowly began to twitch open. A flash of yellow, green and dark red.

"Tomioka?" 

"Judging from your presence and the little injuries you have, you're a hashira, correct?" Chuckled the Upper Moon 2. 

"Eleventh Form...Dead Calm."

"You're fast! And strong.." He stated swiftly dodging the attacks while adjusting the fan in his left hand. 

Giyuu Tomioka was a tough opponent. But however, the demon in front of him was the second of the Twelve Kizukis. And sure enough, he wasn't a teardrop. After he regained his stance he soul weighed down from an agonizing pain. He got cut. Multiple times in fact. How? 

"Seventh Form...Drop Ripple Thrust"

With a quick slash of the blade, he managed to get across, through him and onto the other side. Strengthening the grip in his hands he landed in a perfect stance. He'd successfully made a cut through the abdomen of the demon which separated him in half. However Tomioka wasn't about to pause for a moment there. Catching sight of the demon falling backwards he stared back. 

"Eight Form...Waterfall Basin."

It cut through the demon again vertically in a flowing motion. 

"Oh.. You're getting serious? Thats cute. Well them, let us begin shall we?"

The water hashira, someone who always had great senses could not even comprehend how this demon went from one side of him to the other. What was he doing?

"I can tell the haori you're wearing is very special from the way you've been avoiding it from getting blood on it. So i decided to shape it up. How'd you like the new design now?"

......

Veins near his foreheads popped. An avalanche of anger was crashing down into Tomiokas river of peace. His eyes had lines of red flowing through, his breathing became heavy. 

His haori which meant more than the end of the world to him was cut up into pieces with holes in various places. 

"Sister. Sabito, Shinobu.. I will not lose you Shinobu.. If i could just be a bit more stronger thats all i need. I need to protect you. I love you."