𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒐𝒅 𝑯𝒂𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒂 | 𝙺𝙽𝚈 𝚡 𝙼𝚊𝚕𝚎!𝙾𝚌

𝙈𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙖 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 #131

I'm sure Giyuu-San thinks his death would be a good thing. I know how that feels so much that it hurts. How you want someone precious to you to survive longer than you do.

Does Tomioka even realize that... that's how many people feel about him?

And if that person dies earlier, or dies protecting you, then it feels like your flesh is being gauged out. Sabito... the boy who trained me in the misty mountains. It was a weird experience. Two people who were already dead...

They saved my life. I see now. So Sabito and Giyuu-San were in the same selection. If Sabito had survived, he'd be the same age as Giyuu-San.

Wow, amazing. He actually saved everyone in his selection. I couldn't do that. I was too busy trying to protect myself, I'm sure Aniki had done a better job than me.

If Sabito was alive, he probably would've been an amazing swordsman and that's probably why Giyuu-San thinks his own death would be a good thing.

I get him. Because I thought the same thing. Rengoku-San.. he risked his life to protect us, thankfully he survived. But... with what consequences? He is amazing.

I thought it would've been better if I had been injured instead of Rengoku-San. Maybe he would've been the one to eventually beat Muzan. But.. I just don't... I don't know what I can say to Giyuu-San.

No matter how ashamed or embarrassed you are, you have to stay alive. Giyuu-San may not accept it, but he's a Hashira now. No matter how much you badmouth yourself, and no matter how much you remind yourself of painful days.

I know nothing about Giyuu-San, so I can't blame him for anything. But... But... There's only one thing I really want to ask him.

Tanjiro called out to Giyuu, "G-Giyuu-San? Giyuu-San!" The boy wobbled on his crutches, but he didn't give up, even as Tomioka kept walking along the bridge.

"Isn't whatever Sabito entrusted to you keeping you two together?" Tanjiro asked softly, his worried expression never ceasing, and his heart pounding against his chest.

Tomioka froze and suddenly, he was back in another memory. Being punched to the ground and shoved, Sabito stood over him with an angry expression on his rather soft features.

"Don't say that you'd be better off dying ever again. If you do, you and I are done. We'll stop being friends." Sabito growled out brashly, "Your sister was supposed to get married the next day."

Sabito pointed harshly at Tomioka, "Despite knowing that, she hid you from the demons and protected you. You have nobody else...? That's an insult to your sister."

"You can't die. Ever." Sabito scoffed, "That life she lost to protect you? That future she left for you?"

"They're still with you, Giyuu."

Tanjiro was sweating bullets, concerned as Tomioka didn't move at all, he was fearful that maybe he had gone to far this time trying to comfort someone.

Maybe instead of mentioning Tomioka's past, Tanjiro should've done for talking about his and Miyake's friendship? Would that've been less overwhelming for Tomioka to think about?

Tomioka held his hand up to his cheek, "ouch.." He mumbled.

I can clearly remember the impact and pain of getting slapped. Why did I forget about that? The exchange I had with Sabito was really important.

Tomioka frowned as he remembered the night after finding out he had lost his best friend in the final selection.

I didn't want to remember, Tomioka concluded, the sounds of the bustling water below him creating ripples in the memories he had shoved deep below the anger and sadness, long forgotten in the sea of hatred.