𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳'𝘴 𝘬𝘦𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘳

14. PRAY TO FESTIVITIES

At least another month had passed before Sakurai returned to the butterfly estate, and she'd arrived back after a horrible two weeks on a overpacked ferry boat harbouring disease but also lurking demons under the deck and clinging by the waters, hunting those on board. It was difficult because the quarantine was unexpected, and she, being 400 years from the past, was probably the most susceptible to disease if it weren't for her own demon's interference. Which made it even more difficult to hide on board amongst humans, but the demons had almost missed her. It was a difficult job as she was patted down and sword were packed away in her luggage. Nothing but a small tantō tucked in her hair like a pin, keeping those on board safe until she could pinpoint each one, steal her swords back from the captains quarters, and a brief dip beneath water before they made it back to the mainland.

Now, after a grimy trip she bathed at the estate, finding scars on her once perfect skin, and scabs forming on newer wounds. The skirt she had been wearing made her quickly realize how much more susceptible to wounds she'd be, and she'd rather not live through getting her leg nearly sliced off again. That still scarred, despite the demon's healing. After all, her body was still human.

Sudden crying could be heard outside, lifting her ears to the commotion outside the doors. She sprung out of the hot water, forgetting to cover it as she dried and put on her uniform skirt and hadajuban, barely buttoning up her uniform to cover it as her haori was flying off the other arm. The crying alarmed her without Shinobu around and only the girls around, the boys on their missions.

In the garden, she found Aoi lifted on the shoulders of a stout man with flamboyant makeup and flashy ninja attire, and Naho under the other arm.

Kanao stood frozen, while the other girls cried and demanded that the man let them go.

Though, she could see how it wasn't simple as that, him being the Sound Pillar that was in favour of her death.

Her hands were still wet as she was holding her sword by the hilt and hand at the ready. Seeing it was a hashira, her hand went back to fixing her shirt. "What are you doing?" she demanded from a distance as she lowered her sword, almost brushing her bare toes. "Put them down, you can't take them anywhere."

"I'm a hashira, it's my orders and I can do what I want. It's not any of your business," he snapped back. So that's the kind of guy Uzui Tengen was—brash but completely ignorant.

"I don't care who!" she huffed back, her hair drenching her haori and the back of her neck. Suddenly, she realized as she tucked her shirt there was no belt on her pants. They were not gonna stay, so she held them up. "You can't kidnap them because you understand, regardless of who or what you are, it's kidnapping!"

He turned, as if ignoring her and started leaving the estate again.

The sword clattered to the ground as Kanao nervously reached forward to grab his shirt and try to stop him. Sakurai had sprung forth as well, grabbing hold of his belt. Then the girls were all tugging with tears in their eyes.

Sakurai turned as she sensed a familiar presence. "Tanjiro-san! He's trying to take them!"

Tanjiro sprung forth, even after returning from a mission, to classically headbutt Uzui. He missed completely, and it was as if the hashira had disappeared.

Sakurai's eyes lagged behind but she felt him move to the roof of the wall surrounds the estate.

Zenitsu and Inosuke had arrived fashionably too, perched on the wall rooftops.

Something absurd left Tanjiro's lips. The suggestion that the young slayers accompany Uzui in the replacement of Aoi. Even without any idea of where they were going, they ended up following him to his mission.