Whisper of Broken Prophecy

So, Wake Up

Aoyuri is showing her side point of view (literally) when the accident in Natagumo mountain happened.

"I-Is that really me...?" Zenitsu stammered, his face flushed red when Tanjirou showered him with praise and Inosuke nagged his yellow-haired friend to teach him.

'These kids are extraordinary/scary/not bad.' The Pillars silently gazing the trio.

Their mind also occupied with 'remaining time' Oyakata spoke to the Onmyouji.

Less than seven months. What they can achieve until the time finally runs out?

...Will it be enough?

The Pillars, then, discussing between themselves about how they would train their Tsuguko and juniors. That last part left a bitter taste on their mouth — they thought that they're strong enough to not use them as a distraction.

No. Aoyuri dare to refer them as a decoy. Not a backups, but a fucking fodder to buy Pillars some time.

The string of anger is there... and it fueled more with the result of recent fight between Upper Moon Three and Flame Pillar.

That anger mostly directed onto themselves.

We're still weak.

"Why?"

They turned to see Oyakata-sama looking at the woman with a forlorn gaze. 

.

.

"Why?" Kagaya finally said. "Why you don't let us help, to such extend? We meant to—"

"Meant," she laughed weakly, betraying her attempt to keep those hands from shaking. "As if the children of this generation deserve to suffer themselves because of Sin from the past."

"We choose this path," Kagaya corrected softly. "We meant to always make the same choice."

"Only because there are no other choices." Aoyuri croaked, instantly turned away when felt a twitch of pain marred her face.

"...They have done enough work in my absence, deliver Mercy with a steady-handed kill," she said after a moment, her voice rough with feelings. "These children, saw evil preying on the world they beloved and took up the sword in its defense. Selflessly, without once grudging what such service would wreak upon their soul. For this, I will never be able to thank them enough."

"I can't ask anything more from them, I can't bring myself to," Aoyuri breathed out shallowly, and turned with a perpetual soft smile on her lips.

"Yuri—" Kagaya tried.

"That's enough, Ubuyashiki Kagaya," Aoyuri said sternly that almost make Kagaya flinched. "We're not here to discussing something unnecessary."

They stared at each other before Kagaya gave up a sigh.

"Genbu had come to me, at the night after you perform an exorcism," Kagaya told her. "He had remembered long enough before any of us. And the rest too, eventually bound to remember, Yuri. Ours had never been a small oath, or a feeble one. We're all here to overcome this together."

[Because choices needed to be made and pride had no place in the making of them.]

Aoyuri grew quiet. Something flickered across her face, a weighing of choices, as if seeing the unseen. She never began treading her path for love, for all he has known of her, neither for sentimentally. But she always come to care, in the end. It had been her fragility, a weakness — yet beautiful one, to get attached so easily.