ℛℯ𝓋ℯ𝓇𝒾ℯ (a giyushino novel)

𝒫𝒶𝓇𝓉 ℱℴ𝓊𝓇

Four hours later, Giyuu and Muichiro left for the forest to investigate, while Rengoku remained on guard at the village, prepared to act as a surprise reinforcement.

Giyuu and Muichiro stepped deeper into the forest, their senses alert and honed for danger. The moon cast pale light through the trees, the shadows stretching long and eerie as if the forest itself was alive and watching them. The silence between the two Hashira was heavy but familiar. Giyuu's thoughts wandered, pulled by the gentle light of the moon. He remembered how, in moments of stillness, Shinobu Kocho would always comment about the night sky.

"The moon looks lovely tonight, right, Tomioka-san?"

Her voice echoed in his mind, and Giyuu clenched his fists slightly, his heart tightening with the weight of memories long buried. Before he could lose himself in the past, the putrid stench of rotting flesh invaded the air, pulling both of them out of their reverie. They halted, the smell nearly unbearable.

Giyuu turned his head, his keen eyes scanning the area. And that's when he saw her.

Shinobu stood in the moonlight, her silhouette glowing ethereally. She was beautiful, mesmerizing, yet something was unmistakably wrong. Her presence felt... wrong. It was as if she wasn't part of this world anymore, as if she were just a fleeting memory. Giyuu's breath caught in his throat. His heart, which had been so cold for so long, felt as if it might break.

"Shinobu?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

She turned slowly, her eyes meeting his, a soft, sad smile on her lips. The sight of her smile, so familiar yet distant, made his chest ache. It was as if he were staring at a ghost.

"The moon looks lovely tonight, right, Tomioka-san?" she repeated, her voice like a haunting melody from a dream long forgotten.

Giyuu took a step closer, confusion and sorrow warring in his heart. "Who are you?" he asked, though deep down, he already knew the answer.

"You know who I am," she said softly, her voice laced with sorrow. "I am Shinobu, the one from your previous world. The Kocho you couldn't save. The one who slipped through your fingers."

Giyuu's heart clenched at her words. The guilt, the regret, everything he had buried since her death came rushing back, flooding his senses like a storm. He had failed her—failed to protect her when she needed him most.

"Tomioka-san," she continued, her voice breaking slightly, "Can you promise me one thing?"

He swallowed hard, his throat tight. "Yes, of course," he replied, his voice low, barely holding back the surge of emotions threatening to drown him.

"Promise me that you will love her."

Giyuu frowned, his mind racing. "Love? Her? Who are you talking about?"

Shinobu's eyes softened, the sadness in them deepening. "You know who I'm talking about, Tomioka-san."