𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝑰 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆 [𝕘𝕚𝕪𝕦𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕠] (KNY)

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝟣𝟦: 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝐿𝒶𝓈𝓉 𝒮𝓉𝓇𝒾𝓀𝑒

A/N: cmon lets get this book to 1k views!! 

Shinobu POV:

"You are proving to be a difficult meal." Douma grinned. "I suppose there's a reason you call yourselves Hashiras."

I laughed, out of breath as I narrowly dodged a clone, glaring furiously at him. "I suppose there's a reason you call yourselves idiots too."

Douma giggled. It was the most horrifying sound I had ever heard. "Well, aren't you witty."

I rolled my eyes mentally. That was one of my more horrible comebacks. My brain wasn't braining, his relentless attacks kept me busy enough. "You are the world's biggest fricking shameless pr-"

I gasped as one of his attacks hit me square on the chest. 

"Hehe. Do excuse me. I would have preferred a slower death for a pretty girl like you, but oh well..." Douma smirked, pulling back his fist for another strike, one that would kill me. 

I couldn't move. I was frozen to the spot, the weapon making a gaping wound on my chest, everything hurting like hell, how could I? All I could think was this is the end as his fist pulled back further and finally he let go, and it was coming directly at me, going in almost slow-motion, everything fading, everything becoming fuzzy...

I closed my eyes for the final blow. 

But it didn't come. My eyelids fluttered open, shocked. He hadn't hit me. How?

That was when I noticed Tomioka in front of me, his body a shield between me and Douma. His fist had connected with Tomioka's body instead of mine. 

My brain whirled. How had he appeared there? How- why-

I couldn't process anything as his pale body lost it's energy. He turned around to look at me with a pale face, a hopeless expression but yet still a smile on his face. "Get... help. I can't... protect you-"

Suddenly, his body became lifeless as he dropped to the floor. 

It was just like before. Just like that time at Final Selection. Except...

He hadn't failed this time. He hadn't hesitated. He'd put himself between me and a fatal strike. He'd saved me. Now he was telling me he couldn't proetct me any longer, and it was all I could do to not scream, not shriek out-

But I was frozen again. I couldn't do anything. If, just if-

Suddenly, my crow appeared above me, doing a backflip in the air. The signal Oyakata-sama had taught to all our crows. The backflip that signalled backup was coming. Help. 

Oh, thank god. Suddenly, my brain cleared immediantly.

I swiftly dodged Douma's third attack and injected a recovery needle into Tomioka's chest, then cartwheeled over his body to dodge two more ice clones.

Just a little longer. A little longer, and then help would arrive. 

I should have felt shameful, a Hashira needing help defeating a demon. But for once in my life, I wasn't ashamed. Because it wasn't just my life at stake- it was also Tomioka's. 

He'd been prepared to sacrifice his life for mine. He might even die from that wound. I couldn't let that happened. 

If I did, I would never forgive myself. 

A/N: this is sort of a twist on the canon events... shinobu still holds hate over douma in this au, but for a completely different person