{THE EMPTINESS YOU LEFT} Tengen Uzui x Fem!Reader

34. Ikú

While watching Inosuke, something off in the distance catches your eye. There's a group of people moving fast, almost as if they're charging right for the entrance of the temple. Your eyes narrow as you look carefully in the direction of something almost too shining to make out. As they get closer, however, you see the familiar color and recognize the shape.

"Lord Tengen," you whisper under your breath, realizing he's coming to rescue you. Not that you need rescuing.

"Inosuke, look!" you shout, pointing off in the distance. Once the demon before him falls, he glances to where you're looking and lets out a laugh.

"I can't believe it!" he grins. "Your friends do have a plan!"

But when he looks back up into the window, you are no longer there.

"Let go!" you shout as a hand clamps around your mouth, dragging you backward into the darkness. You scream as loud as you can, but it doesn't stop the cold figure from dragging you.

Once you're back in the long, familiar hallway, the figure picks you up and carries you in their arms like an infant. It's then that you can see who's holding you. Those rainbow eyes and that overbearingly cruel presence give it away.

"You're not going anywhere, Y/N," Doma whispers in your ear as you kick and squirm in his grip. "Not without me."

His grip tightens around you and your lungs scream for air. When you reach a large room, most likely the back of the temple, Doma tosses you inside. As your back hits the cold ground with a thud, he slams the door shut behind you.

"I should have known you were one of them," he growls. "You reek the same as they do. I thought we had an understanding, Y/N."

You groan as you carefully rise back to your feet. "We did," you spit out as you try to regain your breath.

Doma merely laughs at your comment. "It's quite amusing you think so. You should have never come here!" he shouts, moving closer to you, caging you inside the dark space.

"You've only yourself to blame for that," you scoff. "You're the one who brought me here in the first place and murdered my sister right in front of me! You're not god, Doma, but a fucking disease of the earth!"

With that, he charges towards you in a flash and pushes you up against the wall. His hand grips around your neck and lifts you up. The pressure he applies to your windpipe makes you wonder if you're about to be the next meal for him. But just as his fangs peek out from behind his lips, the wall behind you explodes and dust flies into the air. You're tossed to the ground without a second thought.

"Y/N, are you okay?" a voice calls out from the dust.

"Stay away," you cough, trying to wave the dust away from your face.

Before you, stands a figure wielding two swords, too tall to be your brother.

"Master Uzui?" you then ask as the dust begins to settle.

"Get up," he tells you, his gaze fixed on Doma who is now charging at the two of you again with his teeth bared.

"What are you doing here?" you question him.

"What are you doing here?! Now's not the time, Y/N," Uzui replies as Doma lunges towards him. Thankfully, he's able to block the attack.

"Oh?" Doma laughs wickedly as he gazes between the two of you. "So that's how we're going to play?"

Uzui grunts as he swings his swords towards Doma. The demon, however, is faster than expected. He dodges the attack with ease and laughs.

"Are you trying to kill me?" Doma chuckles.

"That's the plan," Uzui replies with a smirk.

"Then I wouldn't mind killing you too," Doma laughs, though his voice drops to a growl as he finishes his sentence.

As the two of them fight, you can hear the sounds of others doing the same from every direction. You stand up, readying yourself to fight despite not having your sword.

Doma's quite fast. He easily dodges Uzui by moving from side to side. In a flash, he wraps his arm around you, tosses you over his shoulder, and uses your body as a shield. Uzui doesn't dare swing his sword and risk hitting you.

"Let go," you huff, pushing against him. But his grip is too tight.

Doma leaps towards Uzui, landing a blow straight to his chest with his free hand. He then spins the two of you around and laughs as Uzui's knees hit the ground.

"How could you possibly think you'd win against me?" Doma laughs as Uzui struggles to catch his breath and stand up.

Doma then places you down behind him and grins as he towers over Uzui. "Looks like I've won. That was fa-"

Before he can finish his sentence, another loud bang fills the air. A hole opens in the ceiling and you look up to see Rengoku falling from the sky with his sword ablaze. As he falls, Doma doesn't waste a moment. He grabs you by your wrist and pulls you close.

Time freezes after that. The only sensation you feel is blood trickling down your neck. And then, your own pulse in your eyes. His teeth pierce your skin and pain shoots through your neck. Blood begins to spin from the wound and down onto your chest. The smell alone is enough to make Doma grin wickedly.

Uzui's eyes widen as he looks between the two of you. His pupils contract as he stands to his feet and rushes forward, knocking Doma off his feet just as Rengoku's sword plunges into the ground. Flames erupt and consume the room.

You find yourself being thrown backward as, once again, the air is knocked out of you. The world pulsates as a familiar boar mask rushes in your direction. Your brother kneels down beside you and pulls off his mask. Tears flood his eyes. You don't ever remember seeing him cry. Not in front of you, at least. He always was the strongest out of you all, despite what you ever wanted to admit as the oldest.

"Insouke," you whisper as you lift your hand to his cheek. "Run."

"No way," he grumbles. "I'm not leaving you."

"You need to get out of here, now," you continue. "He's too strong. Train and get revenge once you're a true demon slayer."

"Please, Y/N," he shakes his head as he bows over you. "I can't leave you. I won't leave you. It's my fault. You only came back because of me."

As if in a hurry, he takes both of your hands and holds them in his. "I'll always be with you," you smile softly as you take note of how much older he looks now than when you had left him. He's already grown strong, but he's still not ready. "I need you to leave and find a way to survive. That's the only thing that matters to me."

Inosuke says something after that, but your eyes lose focus and all you can hear is the growing ringing sound in your ears. Soon, you can sense him moving away. And then you're left alone.

Just as darkness begins to consume you, another figure approaches just the same. Uzui kneels down beside you and takes the place where Inosuke was, but he's too late to catch your words. You're already fading away.

"Y/N," he whispers as he takes your hand and holds it tightly in his. "I..."