丨Soar丨 Kimetsu no Yaiba x OC｜

Chapter 23.5

Emerging from the river, Obanai patted Chizuko's face, "Oi! Suzuki! Oi! Answer me!" He felt his eyes water, her breaths were so shallow that he could barely hear her, her fingers felt like ice, and her blood soaked his sleeves. His heart ached. Why is she injured so severely?

"Stay with me, Suzuki," Obanai wrapped her in his haori and bolted through the streets, looking for the nearest wisteria house.

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"Papa! You're home!" A little girl engulfed Jiro in a hug. Jiro ruffled his little girl's silky hair, "Has Aki been a good girl today?"

He was a kabuki* actor. His wife died after childbirth so Aki, his daughter, was the apple of his eyes. He wanted to shield his cute little angel from this cruel dangerous world that had no mercy. He didn't want to loose anyone again.

"Yes! Aki hasn't gone out today!" his daughter chirped. Jiro nodded in approval, "Good girl, now papa will cook you your favourite dish for dinner, okay?"

They were poor, but it was fine because they had each other.

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"And the protagonist of this play would be played by Yuba-san!" the director announced.

Jiro frowned, he had applied for the post first, why wasn't he given the role? Studying the list, furry flooded his systems.

He was assigned a female character, again.

He could hear the mockery of his colleagues. "Ha, has he got no shame? He asked the director to land him the main character." "He barely has any real talent, I wonder why the director is still keeps him around." "Probably out of pity, I heard his wife died because she starved before giving birth."

Yes, this was the cruel, merciless world he wanted to protect Aki from.

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"Dad? Can we go see the sakura blossoms this year?" Aki was in her teenage years. She could see the pink blossoms from her window every year but had never been allowed to go. Jiro's expression gone dark, "Maybe next year, Aki." "You say this every year!" Aki pouted, why did her father refuse to let her out? "No means no, Aki! Don't you remember the legend I told you?" Jiro questioned. Didn't she know he was protecting her? Aki crossed her arms, "That's just a story to scare kids! I'm not a kid anymore! Dad! Don't you understand?"

His boss never appreciated his talents, he was always casted as the side characters, and never got his wages on time. His colleagues mocked him, he was the oldest but had never once been a protagonist. He gulped down the alcohol, and now his daughter was against him too? "Go back to your room!" He ordered harshly, "No means no!"

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"NO!" Aki pushed her boyfriend away, Jiro's knife ended up in his daughter's chest. "AKI!!! AKI!!!!" Jiro screamed, why? Why did Aki have to leave home? Why did she had to follow this little bastard? "AKI!!" the boy held her in his arms, "She was right! You are a crazy man!" Weeping, the boy picked up the knife with quivering hands.

"OI!! OI!!!" Jiro was a second too late, the boy had killed himself. The blood of the tragic lovers stained the soil under the sakura tree.

It wasn't supposed to be like this, he planned to simply chase the boy away, that's all. But the ridicule from his boss, the smirks from his colleagues, he lost self control upon seeing the secret lovers. He cried and howled, pulling his hair, why? It was all their faults! Why did they have to lead his daughter away from him!

"Hello," a callous voice came from behind him. He turned to see a pale, red eyed man.

Before he knew it, the man pierced his forehead with a strange needle from his back.

Then, he eventually forgot who Jiro was, who Aki was, where he used to live or what he used to do. He only knew tragedy, and the legend of how dead bodies taint the white flowers pink.

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Chizuko's teeth chattered, she felt blankets layered on her, but she still felt as if she were laying in a mountain of snow. Someone held her unbroken hand.

She forced her eyes open, but her vision was blurry, "I-Iguro-sama? Kaburamaru? D-did we win?" she mumbled. Obanai whispered, "Yes. Now sleep, you need rest." Chizuko smiled weakly, "That's great...! And thanks for the new haircut... Iguro-sama..."

Feeling secure, drowsiness overtook her.

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*kabuki : a classical Japanese dance-drama

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Things to clarify:
1. Lower moon two's (or Jiro's :) ) blood demon art is linked with the sakura flowers. The aroma of flowers draws people into Lower moon two's illusion, like poisonous gas. The narrative voice in chapter 22 is actually Lower moon two outlining the illusion. And after the victims breathe in the aroma of flowers, Lower moon two can see their greatest desires and use it to his advantage.

2. Chizuko was less affected by the blood demon art as she was a Marechi and she was bleeding a bit too much.

3. The syringe Chizuko gave Kaburamaru was wisteria poison. It helped Obanai ward off the effects of the blood demon art :)

Sorry that things were quite unclear (TдT)