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Hastily wiping off bits of rice from his face, Shinazugawa Sanemi continued his walk on travelling from town to town, hunting the remaining demons.
Two days since he left the Butterfly Mansion. Tomioka had left a day before him, the same as Tanjiro and his friends. He could tell the Water Pillar was brooding over something, and he could also tell what it was, but they weren't close enough for him to pry into the feelings of that stone-hearted idiot.
And as if I'm one to talk, Sanemi thought.
One of the girls had tried to stop him days ago, forcing him to rest. Being the stubborn man that he was, he insisted that he was fine and ready to go. The poor girl was forced to discharge him (even though blood was still seeping on his bandages) in fear of having to be on the receiving end of the Wind Pillar's irritation.
The blue-haired nurse, Aoi if he remembered correctly (as if he cared about names) had attempted to chase after him but he turned around and glared at her, asking her what she wanted.
The girl didn't falter and continued running towards him, holding what appeared to be a small sack. She handed it to him and spoke, panting. "Rice balls, Shinazugawa-san." He felt the light weight of the food on his hold. Aoi faintly smiled at him. "Safe travels."
His lips curled into what appeared to be a smirk. "You said the same line to the boar you were flirting with yesterday."
Aoi flushed beet red, "I-I--!"
Her stuttering was cut off when he placed a hand on her head, tousling her hair and loosening her pigtails in the process. The girl gaped at him, which he answered with a rare smile of his own. "Thanks, kid."
She smiled widely.
And back to the present situation.
"Should've rested more." Sanemi muttered, cursing himself a bit for his hard-headedness. The wounds on his body ached and he hissed whenever his sweat would seep through his bandages, making the wounds hurt even more in reaction.
Clutching his stomach, he sat down on a nearby tree stump and breathed heavily, puffing out clouds. A white object fell on his cheek, and when he felt the coldness did he only realize that it was starting to snow.
"Darn it. Nice timing." He cursed, rapidly thinking of where he could stay to avoid freezing to death when a pat on the shoulder disturbed his senses. Looking up, he saw a little girl.
"Mister, are you okay?" Her tiny voice asked. Shinazugawa wanted to frown and sarcastically tell the girl that yes of course he was feeling one hundred percent 'okay'.
He just shrugged out a word. "No."
The girl's eyes lit up with concern and she crouched down to look at him intently. He couldn't hide fast enough the bandages on his body smeared with blood which made her gasp. "You're bleeding!"
Obviously.
She quickly fumbled with her side and let out a groan. "I don't have bandages!"
Shinazugawa suppressed a faint smile at her concern. "Really, kid. I'm-" he sneezed when a snowflake entered his nose, the pressure making the wounds on his chest rattle, "...okay." He choked out the last part wincing.
"Okay, mister..." the girl said, obviously not convinced. "You have a lot of scars. Ooh! A sword!"
The smile that he was hiding earlier showed up in his features at her eagerness. "Curiosity kills, kid."
"But it's fun learning new things! And you can't learn without being curious, right?" He snorted, making the girl laugh at him.
Anyway, what was a kid like her doing in the middle of the forest this late in the afternoon? Though a few, there were still demons lurking at night and she was in danger. He turned to look at the girl's eyes.
"What are you even doing in the middle of the forest? It's late. There are de-" he bit his tongue, "dangerous animals roaming around."
The girl smiled. "I was following a squirrel earlier and got separated from my mother. But I know the way back. Do you want to come with me, mister?"
"Kanae! There you are!" A worried voice cut through their conversation and a middle-aged woman came scampering towards them. She knelt and held the girl by the shoulders. "I was worried! Don't stray away like that!"
"I'm sorry, mother. I was just playing with the squirrels." She squeezed the woman's hand and pointed at him. "Meet mister!"
"Mister...?" The woman turned to him and gasped. He wasn't surprised at her reaction."Young man! You're injured!"
Again, Sanemi bit his tongue to stop himself from saying anything sarcastic or rude.
He was a changed man. Hopefully.
"It's snowing too. Do you have anywhere to go? Or maybe you should spend the night at our home, how's that sound?" He could only nod and mumble a faint "thanks" as the woman and the little girl supported him. She didn't give him much of a choice, either.
They walked down the mountain and Sanemi saw a small wooden house on the borders of a town. He gulped. Even with his hazy vision, he recognized it as the town where he was from.
Once they reached by the door, the little girl, Kanae, slid open the door. His legs gave away from exhaustion and he sprawled on the floor. His stomach added more to his predicament when it started grumbling embarrassingly. The woman and her daughter chuckled and he felt his face flushing slightly.
"I'll cook some rice. Kanae, give mister some bandages, okay?"
"Yes, mother!" After politely answering, she set down a medical kit in front of him. Sanemi sat up and started undressing his wounds.
While cleaning them, the girl sat in front of him, staring. Bothered, he grunted "What?", not looking at her. The girl hummed. "I never got the chance to ask. What's your name, mister?"
"Sanemi Shinazugawa."
"Sanemi... Shinazugawa. So long. Oh! Can I call you Sanemi oji-san?"
"Kid, I'm not that old."
"Sanemi onii-chan, then!"
"...Whatever you want."
"Yay!" Kanae smiled widely at him. "I'm sure you already know, but my name is Toriyaozu Kanae! My mother is Toriyaozu Michina!"
"Nice to meet you, Shinazugawa-san." Peeking from the kitchen was the woman, holding a ladle. He nodded and smiled faintly in acknowledgement.
"Kanae..." he muttered softly. That name again. Colorful memories from years ago popped into his brain and he shook his head.
Not the time for a sad trip down memory lane.
She tilted her head curiously. "Sanemi nii-chan?" "Yeah?" Snapping out of his trance, he looked at Ka-- the girl.
"What's wrong? Does my name sound ugly?"
Sanemi, does my name sound ugly?
"No." It doesn't. "It's pretty." It's as beautiful as the moon.
She beamed at him. "Oh! I'm happy!"
The sound of shattering glass was heard followed by a distressed scream.
Kanae stiffened. "Mother?!"
Instincts spiking, Sanemi picked up his sword and hurriedly went to the kitchen. His blood went cold.
Toriyaozu Michina was lying on the floor, blood seeping from the big hole in her stomach.
A demon with a distorted face, three arms and bulging eyes licked its hands and looked at them, smiling with murderous intent. "More food."
Grinning devilishly, its tongue ran over its black lower lip while looking at the shivering girl. "Yummy."
Kanae cried. "M-Mother!"
"Stay back!" He shouted, holding her behind him.
"Now then..." the demon walked slowly towards them, sharp teeth glinting.
"DIE!"
It lunged towards Sanemi, but the latter moved swiftly and it hit a wooden cabinet. The Wind Pillar carried Kanae and ran outside. The demon followed, tongue lashing out.
"Sanemi onii-chan!" Kanae sobbed, tears continuously dripping down her cheeks as she gripped tightly on his haori. "Mother is..." she was trembling violently and he knew that he needed to protect her traumatized state.
"Ssshhh.. it'll be fine." Sanemi could only say in an attempt to reassure her. Putting her down, he drew his sword. "I'll fight the demon and protect you."
Kanae looked up, tears stopping in shock. "Onii-chan! No!"
"Don't run from me, Hashira!" The demon growled, glaring dangerously at him.
Even in his current peril, he managed to smirk. "So you know of me, huh."
"H-Hashira?" The girl muttered, racking her brain on where she had heard that term. The old people talking, the rundown house in the slums near theirs that was fenced and had bloodstains all over its walls from an attack that happened years ago before she was born.
The moonlight shone on their battlefield as her eyes landed on the writing at the back of Sanemi's haori. Her eyes widened.
Destroy Demons.
"Yes, I know of you." Angrily speaking, the demon walked closer towards him, sharpening its claws. Its back began to get bigger, its teeth became black and sharpened as its eyes glowed red. It let out a loud roar, shaking the trees.
"YOU AND YOUR PEST SLAYERS!"
It lunged towards him and he struck it with his sword. Blood oozed from its scaly left arm and it ran towards the town.
"Shit!" The Wind Pillar cursed, running hurriedly following it. There were a lot of people in there and that demon would kill them if he doesn't stop it immediately. He paid no heed to Kanae's calls, nor did he see her dashing towards the town too.
Wincing, he tried to ignore the throbbing pain from his reopening wounds. He knew that he was still in no condition to fight, but he had no choice.
People screamed and ran away from the snarling monster that began to ravish the houses. "Demon! Get away!"
"Sanji, where are you?!"
"Grandma, no!"
Just as it was about to skewer an old lady, a green sword cut its hand off. Sanemi jumped above the demon and slashed the top of its head.
"You pest!" Roaring, it swung an arm and swatted the wind pillar towards a flower bush in front. Before he could regain his balance, the demon jumped in front of him and swatted him again and he crashed in a house.
Is it toying with me?
Coughing, Sanemi willed his wobbly legs to stand up, leaning on his sword. Blood dripped to the floor, adding to the dried blood stains already on it. The demon landed in front of him, fangs glinting.
Fight. Protect the people as a Hashira.
The demon stopped in its tracks and began to wheeze. It howled and fell on its knees. His blood was starting to drug it.
"Now's my chance."
Walking slowly towards it, he raised his sword in the air and aimed for its neck-
"Sanemi onii-chan!" He froze, eyes snapping towards the hole in the wall where Kanae stood. His eyes widened.
"Get away!"
"You brat!" The demon's arm extended, claws ready to pierce the girl's tiny body.
Panicking, Sanemi's impulse kicked.
"Onii-chan..." Kanae stood, petrified. Her watery eyes looked at the man looming in front of her, hands on her shoulders as if protecting her.
Piercing all the way to his chest were three black claws.
Sanemi coughed up blood.
"This is the end for you, Hashira!" It lunged towards them. Mustering up the last of his strength, he stood up and looked at the girl's crying face before breathing shakily. Protect her, no matter what.
"Breath of Wind, Seventh Style."
The demon roared bloody murder and jumped towards him, mouth open.
"Gale— Sudden Gusts!"
His sword technique succeeded, and sharp gusts of wind slashed at the demon's body, ending its life with an ear-splitting screech.
After the last embers of its burning body dissipated, Sanemi collapsed to the floor. Kanae ran towards him.
"Sanemi onii-chan! Sanemi onii-chan!" She cried loudly, swerving her head, "Help! Anybody! Help us!" Voices of people were heard. She couldn't stop shaking while holding his head closer to her. "Nii-chan, please hang on. Please-"
A soft hand on her cheek silenced her. Looking down, what was left of Kanae's heart shattered.
He was smiling.
"I'm glad..." his voice trailed off. "I was able to protect you now."
Her wails echoed through the cold air. His vision blurred, and he looked up at the same rundown ceiling where he, Genya, and the rest of his siblings wrote their names around an encircled calligraphy.
Shinazugawa family.
His body went limp and he faintly felt drops of water on his forehead. Tears. "Onii-chan, please..."
Sanemi smiled again.
His hand fell on the floor with a thud. Kanae's loud cries and the people nearing them being the only things heard that night after his breathing ceased.
"Caw! Dead! Shinazugawa Sanemi is dead!"
"No." Ubuyashiki Kiriya said, looking up at the blue sky and then at the gravestone beside the other seven Hashiras'. It had a wind carving on it.
"He's with his family now."