𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 | 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐤𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐲𝐮𝐮

❄️ 82

Sitting down on the bench she requested to be placed under the sakura tree, F/N sighed as she looked up at the pink blossoms on its branches.

"Are we nearing victory?" F/N muttered while keeping her eyes at the softly swaying branches of it. The Victory Tree. Said to be planted by the first user of the Breath of Flower. "Somehow, with all of these things happening, I can actually feel it." She then chuckled.

She held up her cane and placed it on top of her lap and stared at it. Eyes filled with hope and at the same time, with dismay.

Dismayed that she couldn't do such thing; couldn't even train herself and couldn't even show power to motivate and inspire the people inside the Butterfly Mansion. The cane she's using showed symbolism of her weakness, her incapability of fighting and doing her duties. It pains her that she had to use this every single time, every minute.

Shinobu does her check-ups every half a day and her body showed no changes nor improvements, neither sign of recovery. At this point, the Insect Hashira feared that she will no longer be able to fight as a demon slayer and what's worse is that she won't be able to walk straight again.

F/N's energy remained low ever since she woke up three weeks ago and it made her feel useless. She has the urge to stand and train, but her body said otherwise.

Even the girls in the mansion could feel the sadness in her eyes whenever she looks at the demon slayers who comes and go in the mansion to heal and rehabilitate; and the fact that those demon slayers stopped giving her the amount of respect they once had, it's all over in her head.

Gathering all the strength she barely had, F/N stood her cane on the ground and stood up from her seat before dragging herself towards a kakushi guarding outside the gates. "Asahi," she called.

Her call startled the person, but bowed down to greet her respectfully. "Soyama-sama!"

"Will you take me to Oyakata-sama? Right now?"

Asahi slowly raised his head and gave her a confusing look as to why the sudden urgency of meeting the leader. "Uh... As you wish."

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"My apologies for suddenly arriving," F/N greeted while bowing her head down to the floor.

"My...child," Kagaya responded weakly. "I'm not able...to face my children anymore, you see."

She slowly raised her head. "I really am sorry... but I would like to inform you of something...as a Hashira."

"What is it?" Amane replied on his stead.

"I would like..." F/N cleared her throat. She can feel it aching and it hinders her from speaking. "I would like to retire from the Demon Slayer Corps. I'm afraid, I could not hold a sword anymore. I can't even call myself a hashira at this state," she said as tears started falling off her cheek. Kagaya and Amane listened very carefully. "I am much weaker than those who couldn't survive the Final Selection. I am nothing but a mere sick person. I couldn't even stand on my two feet, what more of fighting an unranked demon?"

"F/N." Kagaya smiled. "I respect your decision of retiring. Although, I still have my hopes that you will recover and improve your skills even more... Will you return by the time it happened?"

F/N sniffed. "OF COURSE! I WILL, OYAKATA-SAMA! I promise... I will fight 'til the end once I regain my strength, I will definitely be a part of our victory!"