I Feel You - Gyomei Himejima

Chapter 23

They punched through the floors, breaking and crumbling platforms, wreaking havoc with their giant fists as I jumped from platform to platform to judge them. If even one of their attacks lands on me, I'm gone for good. Thankfully perhaps because of Muzan's cells, my shadow technique has been accelerated even further, though it's starting to take a toll on me if I don't finish this soon. Yet they aren't listening to me, they don't believe me. 

"Hamito!" Yushiro yelled from a platform from above.

"I KNOW! I'M TRYING MY BEST HERE!" I yelled back.

"I'm going to transport everyone out of the domain! Muzan killed the biwa demon! The infinity castle is about to collapse!"

The ground beneath us began to ascent through the seemingly infinite floors.

It was now or never. 

I appear in front of them in mid-air, turning my blade vertically.

Hami, Mito, this wasn't the way I wanted you to live. For as long as Muzan lives, more and more kids like you will be turned into demons. We have to kill him. I have to kill you.

"Blood Demon Art...."

I love you two. Always.

"Shadows of the Abyss."

From the bottom of their feet to the top of their head, thousands of slashes cut neatly through their body, as if the hands of the abyss ascended from the ground and crashed through them.

We fell through the door outside the infinity castle, landing in the middle of the forest.

I land on my feet, my shoulders rising and falling as I try to catch my breath. The sun was starting to rise. I turn around, looking over my shoulder as I see the now separate bodies of my siblings laid face down on the ground, their bodies starting to wilt away into dust. I dragged my feet to approach them and fell on my knees before them, pulling their heads up to my lap. My bitter teardrops fall as I caress their face.

Hami sniffled and began to cry, "D-Did you mean it...? That you didn't leave us?"

"I would never lie to you, I love you two so... so much." 

"Hamito-nee-san..." Mito calls out in a hoarse, emotionless voice, half of their bodies now turned into dust, "I missed you..."

I held them tighter, "I hope that if there's a next life for us, we'll be together again, happier, and I will treat you better."

"You're the best... sister... we could ever... ha..."

They couldn't finish their sentence, their entire being now has fully disintegrated into dust.

---

By the time I returned to the site where the headquarters once stood, not full of rubble and corpses just about everywhere. 

I didn't know, I didn't bother looking at myself, I wanted to look for him, for Gyomei. 

I passed by everyone as they celebrated saying they were happy Tanjiro returned to human from being a demon. Among the rubble my feet led me to Gyomei, who lay still on the ground, breathless, lifeless.

I was brought to my knees. He was the only man who could ever make me kneel. I lean down to rest my head on his cold chest, caressing his face, I could see my hand turning into dust. Perhaps I had only reign free from his control, but not his cells, I was still a demon in the end.

"Hamito...?"

My eyes widen, hearing Gyomei speak of my name even at the brink of death. 

"Yes, my love...?" I asked in a soft tone, pulling away a bit as my eyes scanned his gentle face.

"Thank god..." He forms a smile, tears swelling up in his eyes, "I waited for you..."

"I hope you didn't wait too long." I chuckle, my voice cracking as tears form in my eyes. But I couldn't cry, I had no eyes, as the upper part of my face as well had now turned into dust.

"If we're to live a next life... I'll find you."

"Is that so? Will you still love me then?"

He reached out, placing his hand on the back of my head as he pulled me into a deep kiss, "In every lifetime. In every form. I will love you..."