|| RIVALS AND ROMANCES || sanegiyuu

Chapter Six - Echoes of Sorrow

Giyu Tomioka dashed through the moonlit forest, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and dread. He had returned from his two-week-long mission only to be met with ominous whispers of tragedy at the Butterfly Mansion. Without a moment's hesitation, he raced toward the source of the turmoil, his mind consumed by thoughts of what could have transpired in his absence.

As he reached the entrance of the mansion, his breaths came in ragged gasps, his chest heaving with exertion. But there was no time to rest, no time to catch his breath. Not when the fate of his loved ones hung in the balance.

Sanemi Shinazugawa stood at the threshold, his eyes wide with shock as he beheld Giyu's arrival. For a fleeting moment, their gazes locked, a silent understanding passing between them before Sanemi turned to Shinobu Kochou, who stood nearby with a heavy heart.

Shinobu sighed, her shoulders sagging with the weight of her sorrow. "Giyu," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "Kanae... she's gone."

Giyu's heart clenched at the words, a cold knot of dread settling in the pit of his stomach. Kanae-the one who had been like a sister to him, the one who had filled the void left by the loss of his own family-had been taken from them, her light extinguished by the merciless hand of a demon.

Without a word, Giyu stepped forward, his eyes darkening with resolve. He had sworn to protect those he held dear, to uphold the honor of the Demon Slayer Corps. And now, faced with the reality of Kanae's death, there was only one course of action left to him.

He would find the demon responsible, and he would make him pay.

As Giyu moved to leave, his path was suddenly blocked by the unexpected appearance of Kanao Tsuyuri, her expression unreadable as she stood before him with an air of quiet determination.

"Mr. Tomioka," she said, her voice calm and composed. "You can't. Miss Kanae was stronger than you, and she still got defeated by him. He must've been an Upper Moon demon."

Giyu's eyes flashed with a mix of frustration and desperation. "I don't care if the Demon King himself killed her," he growled, his voice laced with a cold, steely edge. "I'm killing him. End of story. Let me leave."

His words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of his grief and determination. Giyu had always been known for his stoic demeanor, his unwavering resolve in the face of danger. But now, faced with the loss of the one person who had meant the world to him, he was a man consumed by raw emotion-anger, sorrow, and a burning thirst for vengeance. As he stood there, poised on the brink of darkness, his heart torn asunder by the cruel hand of fate, Giyu Tomioka knew that there would be no turning back. The path before him was shrouded in shadows, a treacherous road fraught with peril and uncertainty. But he would walk it nonetheless, his blade unsheathed and his spirit unyielding, until justice was served and the memory of Kanae Kochou was avenged.