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I used to believe the road of happiness stretched forever
Blood dripped down the bedroom wall like tears. The tatami mats were stained a horrible red color.
But now I realize that the road of happiness lies upon a thin sheet of glass
The road of happiness shattered the fateful night a demon with hungry eyes intruded upon the Sugawara family home. He was at least seven feet tall and three feet wide. He had bulging muscles that were coated with strange, green-tinted skin that stretched like leather rather than regular skin. His eyes were bright red and were filled with hunger. His mouth was hanging open, saliva dripping from his lips. And his claws…they were huge. Koushi’s parents simply stood no chance.
The kitchen knife that Koushi’s father had grabbed now lay on the blood-stained tatami mats, long forgotten. Its owner was lying next to it, blood spilling from his neck. Right next to him lay Koushi’s mother. She was too far from Koushi for him to see what was exactly wrong with her. But Koushi could tell from the eerie stillness that both of his parents were dead.
In another corner of the bedroom, Koushi was huddled in the corner with his little sister, Kiyoko. Koushi had his arms wrapped around Kiyoko as if he would be able to shield her from the demon’s deathly claws. Kiyoko’s head was buried in Koushi’s chest. Koushi couldn’t see her, but he could tell that she was crying because he could feel warm liquid against his chest.
The demon turned his head to Koushi and Kiyoko in the corner. Perhaps it would be more practical to kill them all before feasting on the adults. It would only take a second, after all. Just one swipe of the claw and both children would be dead.
Koushi tensed and held Kiyoko tighter. He could feel Kiyoko shaking. She didn’t deserve this. She was only ten years old. But were the tremors Koushi felt Kiyoko’s or his own? Koushi couldn’t tell. Perhaps they were both shaking like kicked dogs.
It was no use being quiet. The demon was already making his way to the corner.
It’s okay, Koushi whispered. I’ve got you.
They both knew that was a lie. There was nothing in Koushi’s power that could stop their inevitable deaths. Even so, Koushi adjusted his hands so that they completely covered Kiyoko’s head.
The demon was five steps away from them now. Koushi couldn’t bear to look. He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his head into his sister’s hair. So much for protecting her.
Three steps. Koushi could already smell the foul stench radiating from the demon.
Two steps. He could smell the blood that was mixed in with the foul stench.
One step. The demon raised his claws, preparing to strike. A drop of the demon’s saliva fell to the ground.
BOOM
The demon’s head was blasted off its body. The body fell to the ground. Koushi looked up. Standing before him was tallest man Koushi had ever seen. He had brown hair tied back into a bun and bulging muscles hidden beneath his clothes. He wielded a spiky ball and an ax end attached to a metal chain.
“I’m sorry”, the man said solemnly. “Perhaps if I had been here one second sooner I could have saved your parents”
The man’s name was Azumane Asahi. Him and strange-looking people called Kakushi helped give Koushi’s parents a proper burial. Afterwards, he took them to his estate.
The man seemed nice enough. He explained that he was part of an organization called the Demon Slayer Corps – an organization that hunted demons just like the one that killed Koushi’s parents.
The long walk to Asahi’s estate was near silent. Not completely silent because Kiyoko still had tears flowing down her cheeks. Every once in a while, she would let out a small sob, and Koushi would giver her hand a squeeze. And Koushi himself felt…numb. It was too much to process. Just a few hours ago his life had been completely normal. His family had been just about ready to go to sleep. Koushi’s mother was setting up the futons and Koushi’s father had been telling a funny story to a very interested Kiyoko. They were supposed to go see fireworks the next day. His mother had promised Kiyoko that she would buy her a new kimono.
Then that cursed demon came. Their futures were ripped apart. The road of happiness shattered into millions of pieces. Blood. So much blood. Everywhere. On the walls, on the tatami mats. On the futons. On the claws of that cursed, cursed demon.
The numbness followed Koushi back to Asahi’s estate. He set up two futons for him and Kiyoko. He told them to sleep well and that he’d find a place for him the next day. Sleep, in this state? Just hours after that damn demon had taken everything away from them? While Kiyoko was still quietly sobbing?
Koushi didn’t think so. He looked over at Kiyoko. Her head was buried in her pillow. Her dark hair caught the moonlight from the window. The dark hair she had inherited from her mother, the mother that was dead, dead, dead.
Then it dawned on Koushi. Of course they would have to do this. There was no way they could live a normal life after everything that happened.
“Kiyoko”, Koushi whispered.
Kiyoko raised her head from her pillow. Her eyes were still red and shiny.
“Let’s become demon slayers. Like Azumane-san”
Four years later
Koushi was no longer the boy who buried his head in his sister’s hair because he had been too afraid to look at the approaching demon. Things are different now. Koushi had passed the Final Selection and was now an official demon slayer. Kiyoko also passed and was now steadily climbing the ranks. As for Koushi, he became the Flower Hashira after he killed Lower Moon Four.
With his earnings as a Hashira, he bought a large estate. He furnished it with advanced medical supplies and hospital beds as well as spacious training rooms. He called it the Butterfly Estate, because there seemed to be butterflies everywhere no matter the time of year.
“Koushi!!”, a clearly irritated fourteen-year-old Kiyoko stormed into the room. She had grown taller, though not much taller. Her hair was still a dark raven color, and her eyes were beginning to resemble her mother’s. “Hitoka’s being impossible!”
Hitoka, the petite orphan girl Koushi and Kiyoko had rescued trailed nervously behind Kiyoko. She was an odd child. She was as quiet as a mouse. She had blond hair and brown eyes that never seemed to show anything. Koushi had made sure to properly nourish her after she was rescued. But despite her improved health, Hitoka never seemed to take up much space.
“Oh, come on Kiyoko. Let her watch you practice. It can’t hurt”, Koushi said while polishing his sword.
“I can’t focus when I’m being watched!”
Koushi chuckled. “Perhaps Kita-san will take Hitoka off of your hands. But he might be busy.”
Kita was a doctor at the Butterfly Estate. Technically, he was a demon hunter, but he decided to stick around the Butterfly Estate as a doctor.
“Anyways, I gotta go. There’s been an alarming number of disappearances up north. I’ll need to find the demon there before continuing my usual patrol”, Koushi said, putting his freshly polished sword back into the sheath.
“Hey, hurry back, would you? I still want to spar with you”, Kiyoko said, leaning against the door frame.
“Of course. I’ll be back before you know it”
Koushi left the butterfly estate and Kita waved goodbye. Koushi waved back. He was about to step outside the gates when a tan-skinned demon hunter came running his way.
“Hey! Suga!”, the demon hunter waved. This was Sawamura Daichi, Koushi’s best friend. They had been on countless missions together. They’ve fought powerful demons and saved each other at the brink of death. Daichi was a Kinoe – the highest rank a demon slayer could achieve, second only to Hashira.
Daichi and Koushi had missions in similar directions, so they walked together. They chatted about how Daichi was thinking about making a trip to the Swordsmith Village and how Hitoka was becoming more and more interested in sword fighting. Times like this were Koushi’s favorite. He could laugh and joke with his best friend without a care in the world. For just a few minutes, they could both pretend that death did not lurk in every corner.
But alas, it was time for them to go their separate ways. “I’ll see you soon, Daichi”, Koushi waved goodbye at him. “Hey, send your crow my way if the demons are too strong, would you? Flower Hashira Sugawara Koushi has your back!”
Daichi chuckled. “I’ll be fine, Suga. Let’s stop by the market and get Mitarashi Dango in the morning!”
“Only if you don’t die first!”
“For goodness’ sake, I’m a kinoe, Suga!”
Koushi looked around the village where the demon was supposed to be. Apparently, the disappearances got so bad that some people even fled to the neighboring village, hence the many empty houses.
It wasn’t like Koushi had an excellent sense of smell or anything, but he could tell that there was something dangerous nearby. No doubt it was a demon.
The night was serene and quiet. The abandoned houses seemed to give the night an eerie stillness. There was definitely a demon nearby.
Koushi sighed. He really didn’t have time for this. “HEY DEMON! I KNOW YOU’RE HERE SOMEWHERE!”, he shouted into the night.
Koushi really didn’t expect anything. If it was a demon that he was used to encountering, it would have stayed hidden, fearing Koushi’s blade. It was stupid for him to shout, really.
The demon’s probably hiding in one of the houses, Koushi reasoned. If the demon was nearby, the only real place it could hide would be inside a building. Koushi walked down the road, peering inside the window of each house.
Then he passed a large house that had pretty vines growing on the walls. This is the one, Koushi thought. There was something about this house that was different from the others.
Like the others, this house appeared to be abandoned. There were no lights and no signs of movement. Koushi broke down the front door, apologizing to the owner in his head.
Then he smelled it. The unmistakable scent of blood. Was it too late? Had the demon already made the kill? Would Koushi be just seconds too late, just like how Azumane was late that one time?
Koushi ran towards the smell of blood. His sense of smell brought him upstairs. Then it pointed him into a bedroom. The smell of blood was even stronger now. He grabbed his sword and pushed open the door.
Sitting on the tatami mats was a tall man with long brown hair. He wore a blood-red turtleneck and hakama pants. The hair on top of his head had a strange pattern. It was like someone dumped blood on top of it.
The demon appeared to be in the middle of dismembering and consuming a young girl. Her arm was ripped clean off and the demon was licking up the blood. Her body was crumpled on the once-pristine tatami mats.
“Oh?”, the demon spoke, turning his head to Koushi. “Gah, they actually sent someone? How careless of me…the girls in this village are just too good to resist, you know?” The demon leered at Koushi. His lips stretched in a teasing grin. And his eyes…they were rainbow colored. But that wasn’t what concerned Koushi.
Upper Moon…Two!, Koushi thought. Shit. He had come expecting a regular demon, a lower moon at most. His hands instinctively tightened around his sword.
“I’m so sorry for all the fuss I caused the demon slayer corps. Usually, I’m much more…discrete about my meals. My, my, I really got carried away, didn’t I? The girl I’m eating right now has skin as soft as snow. She’s a real treat”, the demon remarked. “Oh, where are my manners. I must introduce myself. My name is Oikawa Toru, upper moon two”
Koushi got in a defensive position. It didn’t matter how powerful the demon was. He was here to do one job and one job only. It wasn’t like Koushi was guaranteed he was going to live to see the next day, anyway. That’s just the life of a demon hunter.
Get a hold of yourself, screamed Suga mentally
“Greetings, Oikawa. I’m Sugawara Koushi, Flower Hashira”, Koushi said with steel eyes. “Enough talking, let’s get into it, shall we?”
Flower Breathing, second form…Honorable Shadow Plum!
Koushi launched himself at Oikawa. The demon reacted quickly and tried deflecting it with a pair of sharp metal fans. Nevertheless, Koushi landed a deep cut on Oikawa’s chest.
“My goodness…you’re really not going to take your time, are you?”, Oikawa chuckled. “This should be fun. Let’s see how long you last. Though I’m super pumped to eat you. I don’t usually eat boys, but you look extremely tasty”
Flower Breathing, fourth form – Crimson Hanagoromo!
This time, Oikawa dodged it and swung at Koushi with his sharp fans. Koush barely deflected it.
“I’ve never fought a flower hashira before. Oh, this is new. Come at me with your fancy flower breathing! But do hurry, I want to finish eating this girl and make a feast out of you as well!”, Oikawa laughed.
Blood demon art – frozen lotus!
Oikawa whipped his fans horizontally, and it sent out a rush of razor-sharp ice shards and an array of frozen lotuses. The frozen lotuses also released a cloud of icy mist. Koushi barely dodged in time.
Okay, so the demon had ice powers or something. As long as Koushi could avoid getting frozen, he should be fine. Koushi weaved through the frozen lotuses and swung at Oikawa’s legs.
Oikawa jumped to dodge it. He then tried kicking Koushi, but Koushi was ready for this and absorbed the blow with his sword. Nonetheless, he was launched backwards for a few yards and was ready to charge him again.
Blood demon art – freezing clouds!
The room was filled with a thick haze of icy mist. When Koushi took a breath, the air was so cold it felt like it was burning his lungs. It was like he could almost feel the ice crystalizing in his airways. This wasn’t good. In a small bedroom like this, there was no way Koushi could avoid breathing in the mist. He would have to take Oikawa outside.
Koushi retreated back a few steps before delivering his next attack.
Flower Breathing, Sixth Form – Whirling Peach!
Koushi kicked off the ground and used his body weight to stab Oikawa in the chest. The rotation in the air gave it some extra power. With a loud BOOM, the wall broke and Oikawa and Koushi were sent flying outside. The wall fell with them, as well as some other debris.
But Koushi and Oikawa rightened themselves in the air. They both landed gracefully. Oikawa swung his fans at Koushi once more, aiming for the head. Koushi deflected it with his sword before swinging at Oikawa’s neck.
The blade barely caught the skin of Oikawa’s neck. The demon smirked. “Nice try, Mr. Flower Hashira. You’ll have to do better than that. Oikawa followed up by delivering a downwards slash to Koushi’s chest.
Koushi couldn’t completely dodge in time and the blade caught his shoulder. Blood spurted out. Not to worry. It didn’t seem dangerously deep. Koushi had dealt with worse in the past.
Oikawa came at him again, this time aiming for the head. Koushi deflected the fans with his sword. Oikawa kicked him, sending him flying backwards.
Koushi hit the ground with a hard thud, panting as he scrambled to his feet. Something was wrong. He coughed into his hands. When he opened his eyes, he noticed thick drops of blood on them.
Oikawa took his time walking towards him. “Ohhh poor dear. Looks like you inhaled my blood demon art. It’s supposed to freeze your lungs and bloodstreams. Youch, I can’t feel pain but that looks like it hurts. Want me to finish it off quickly, Koushi?”
As if I’m dying this easily, Koushi kicked off the ground. A bit of ice would not stop the Flower Hashira.
Without missing a beat, Koushi spun into his next attack.
Flower Breathing, fifth form – Peonies of Futlity!
Koushi unleashed a flurry of layered consecutive attacks that seemed to weave in on themselves. Oikawa could help thinking just how Koushi’s flower breathing technique was. He found himself surrounded by a flurry of pink petals. Yet the petals had blades. Oikawa wasn’t able to dodge them all. His arm sliced off and hit the ground with a thunk.
Oikawa smirked. His fallen arm disappeared into dust. With a bang, a new arm emerged from the stump.
So, this is the regeneration power of an upper moon, Koushi thought to himself. Usually, the demon would have been temporarily weakened, but given the lightning-fast regeneration time, Koushi wasn’t sure if cutting off limbs would give him an advantage at all.
“The neck. The neck, Koushi. You’ve got to go for the neck”, Oikawa said, tapping his pale neck.
“Good idea”, Koushi panted, readying himself for his next attack.
Flower Breathing, fifth-
Blood demon art, wintery icicles!
Oikawa unleashed his blood demon art before Koushi could attack. Suddenly, there were twelve huge ice stick looking things above Koushi’s head. They all fell to the ground with a thunk almost simultaneously, shaking the ground. If Koushi hadn’t dodged in time, they would have crushed his entire body.
The icicles had pushed Koushi against one of the houses, forming some kind of ice prison cage. If Oikawa had more large-distance attacks like that, then it would be difficult for Koushi to take his head.
Blood demon art, cold white princesses!
Two female humanoid figures appeared before Koushi. They were made up of ice and seemed to glitter under the moonlight. Clouds of ice and mist emerged from their mouths. The ground in the path of the cloud froze into ice.
There was nowhere to run. The ice princesses had enormous reach. Practically the entire road was covered in ice. And the fact that Koushi was still stuck behind the icicles made it even harder to avoid.
Koushi covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his butterfly patterned haori, trying to avoid the worst of the damage. He could feel his hair and uniform getting frozen.
Oikawa appeared out of nowhere and cut the icicles away. His fans were inches away from Koushi’s eyes. If they hit…the fight would be over. Koushi could tell by the angle of Oikawa’s arms that this attack wasn’t intended to blind Koushi, it was intended to slice his head in half.
Hurry back, won’t you?
Time seemed to slow and Koushi could hear Kiyoko’s voice. That’s right. He promised her that they would spar later. There was no way he could die now.
Koushi whipped his back backwards and barely dodged. The blade scraped his nose bridge, but that was the least he had to worry about. Koushi was still trapped and Oikawa still had the advantage. There was only one place to go.
Up. Koushi jumped straight up, out of the ice prison and away from the ice clouds.
Oikawa looked at the sky, confused. Where did that pesky flower hashira go?
Well, the most logical place would the on the roof of the house in front of him. Given his position, that would be the easiest place to jump. But it didn’t look like Koushi was up there.
Oikawa sensed a slight parting of air behind him. That tricky little demon hunter had jumped onto the rooftop behind him and now appeared to be sneaking up from behind and going for the neck!
Oikawa apologized to Koushi in his head. He had underestimated him. Oikawa never meant to give Koushi that opportunity to slice his head off. He only meant to toy with him for a little before going in for the kill. But Oikawa was reminded why Koushi was the Flower Pillar. Perhaps toying with him now would be the reason why Oikawa wouldn’t witness the next moonrise.
Koushi’s blade cut through the night. It only had one target. The rainbow-eyed demon that was in front of him. Upper moon two. The demon that had taken hundreds if not thousands of lives. He was so close. Just centimeters away.
Slash
Blade met skin, but it wasn’t Koushi’s sword meeting Oikawa’s skin.
Red. Red again. Oikawa’s ruthless blade cut Koushi diagonally through the collarbone, lungs, and stomach.
Blood spurted everywhere. And it hurt. It hurt so, so bad. It was worse than being burned alive, worse than being frozen to death. No one should ever go through this kind of pain.
Koushi couldn’t breathe. His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees. If blood was his body’s tears, it was sobbing right now. Thick tears of blood fell to the ground and mixed in with the dirt road. He coughed. Even more blood spilled out. It wasn’t like the drops of blood he coughed into his hands earlier. It was a merciless amount that would surely kill him.
“My, my, my”, Oikawa kneeled so that he was eye level with Koushi. He looked at Koushi with mock pity. “You sure are fragile. Like a toy. Would you like to become my meal now or would you like to keep fighting? I don’t have all night, you know”
“Hey. Look at me when I am speaking, Oikawa said, yanking Koushi’s chin up. From up close, Koushi could clearly see the ‘upper two’ etched on his eyes. He could see his fake-pity expression and the mercilessness in his eyes. “Aww, I feel so bad for you. That last attack must have hurt, right? I can see it in your face”
Of course it hurt. The pain was literally ripping his body apart. It hurt so, so much.
Time seemed to stop. Was Koushi’s life flashing before his eyes or something? In this moment of stillness, he found Kiyoko.
She still wore a furrowed brow and had eyes that oh-so resembled their mother. A handmade butterfly clip rested in her hair.
He found Hitoka. She looked different from the first time Koushi had saw her. Her hair was neatly brushed and clipped back with a butterfly clip that Koushi had made just for her. She looked at him with expecting eyes.
Koushi, Kiyoko’s memory said. Are you coming back to us or not?
I want to, Koushi thought. I want to so bad. I would give anything to see you two again.
Koushi found Kita. Kita looked the same as when Koushi bid him farewell that evening. Like Hitoka, he looked at Koushi expectantly.
Koushi felt a warm hand on his shoulder. Daichi.
We’ve been through so much together. I’m so sorry I can’t be here with you right now
A selfish part of Koushi wanted Daichi to be fighting alongside him right now. Maybe then they would both have a chance. Another part of Koushi was glad that Daichi was safe somewhere else, not fighting upper moon two.
A tall figure loomed behind Daichi. It was Azumane. Koushi hadn’t seen him since the last Hashira meeting.
Suga. Look up.
Koushi looked up. He could see the sky starting to light up. The sky of dark indigo now was a lighter shade of dark blue. Had they really been fighting for that long?
Oikawa noticed too. The memories of Kiyoko, Hitoka, Kita, Daichi, and Azumane vanished. “Ah, would you look at that, Koushi. Your time is up”
Oikawa raised his fist, ready to pound Koushi’s head in. But with the sun rising, there was no way Koushi was just going to die. If he could hold Oikawa here, just until sunrise…the sun would do its job and Koushi could go back home. Back to Kiyoko.
Koushi stabbed Oikawa in the stomach before his fist could reach his face. The force of Koushi’s blow sent Oikawa tumbling backwards. Shakily, Koushi got on his knees and stood up. Blood continued to pour down, but Koushi readied himself for another attack.
“How…are you still standing?”, Oikawa asked in wonder. It shouldn’t even be physically possible for Koushi to be standing up right now.
Flower Breathing, fourth form – Crimson Hanagoromo!
Pink petals filled the air once more.
Koushi’s crow Hakuren glided through the sky. Koushi was Hakuren’s favorite human ever since he was assigned to him after Koushi’s final selection. Koushi was always kind to his crow, making sure it had enough to eat and drink. But now Koushi was in danger. Hakuren knew that there was no way Koushi could defeat upper moon two on his own.
The crow perched on Kiyoko’s windowsill in the Butterfly Mansion.
“CAW! SUGAWARA KOUSHI! FIGHTING UPPER MOON TWO! ASSISTANCE, ASSISTANCE!”
Kiyoko’s eyes widened in shock. Upper Moon Two?! She wasted no time grabbing her sword.
“HURRY, HURRY! KOUSHI IS IN BAD SHAPE!”
Hakuren flew in the direction of the fight, Kiyoko following along closely. If Koushi needed assistance, then that must mean he was still alive. For how long, Kiyoko had no idea.
Kiyoko was fast. She might have been small, even undersized, but she was agile. She would get there on time. She had to.
Please, Kiyoko pleaded. Please, gods. Let me get there in time. Tears clouded her vision. Please hold on, Koushi. I need you. I swear I’ll get there.
Daichi had just finished his mission. It had been a rather easy kill. But the demon had been particularly good at hiding, so it did end up taking a while. His crow, Ukigomo had gone elsewhere while Daichi was trying to find the demon. Ukigomo never liked to stick around during missions anyway.
Daichi was surprised to see Ukigomo flying towards him. Another mission, already? More orders from the master?
“CAW! FLOWER HASHIRA SUGAWARA KOUSHI IS FIGHTING UPPER MOON TWO! ASSISTANCE NEEDED!”
Daichi’s eyes widened. “WHAT? Are you being serious right now??”
He was already sprinting. His crow flew in front of him. Daichi knew how strong Suga was. He had witnessed his flower breathing technique firsthand. There was a reason why he was the flower hashira. But there was also a reason no demon hunter had killed an upper moon for hundreds of years.
He cursed his legs for not going faster. He didn’t know how long Suga was fighting upper moon two or his condition right now. But he would get there. And they would fight together, just like they always did.
Oikawa didn’t want to admit this, but he couldn’t seem to end the fight. He didn’t understand why Koushi was trying so hard. Even if he won the fight, Koushi would probably die of pneumonia because of the ice in his lungs. Or perhaps he would die from blood loss.
How relentless, Oikawa thought as he sent out icy lotus vines, which were cut up by Koushi’s katana. Oikawa has pretty much used every attack he could think of. He even tried running away and have Koushi fight a crystalline divine child, but Koushi somehow managed to cut it up into pieces before it could use an attack.
Blood demon art, scattering lotuses!
Lotus petals as sharp as ice filled the air. Koushi couldn’t dodge them all. He cut a few with his sword, but the rest cut into his body. He was so close. Perhaps he was imagining it, but the lower part of the sky was starting to turn from blue to a pale orange color.
Oikawa moved in and tried slicing Koushi’s neck off. Koushi dodged and try to return the attack. Oikawa responded with an icy lotus vine.
Koushi was forced to back away to avoid the lotus vine. He cut it cleanly in half, but Oikawa was already sending other lotus vines his way. Koushi’s stamina had already depleted at this point. But the sun was literally on the verge of rising.
Oikawa’s patience was running out. Foolish humans. Always trying so hard. Oikawa could see the way the sky got dangerously light. He would need to end the fight sooner or later, or else the sun would burn him into ashes.
Oikawa could see Koushi moving in for another attack. The blood loss, broken bones, and exhaustion made his form sloppy. There was an opening in his stance. Now was his chance.
Slash
Oikawa made a horizontal slice at Koushi’s stomach.
“Well done, Koushi”, Oikawa leered, looking down at Koushi. “You held on for so long.” The demon smirked. “If you had been just a little stronger…you probably could have lasted until sunrise”
The little blood that was left in Koushi’s body was pouring out of his stomach. He tried holding pressure on it to slow the bleeding, but the wound was too big and too deep. When he pulled his arm away, it was slick with blood.
Oikawa straightened himself up, brushing off the dust on his pants. “I’ll be leaving you here now. Master would probably prefer me to finish you off, but…it’s not like you’ll survive anyway” The brown-haired demon turned around and walked away.
Koushi couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe either. Wait, he tried to say but no words came out of his mouth. His body was dying. Koushi was practically at Death’s front door.
Oikawa kept walking. Perhaps there was still time to get back to that delicious snow-skinned girl. It was a shame, really, that he couldn’t eat Koushi. He had been really looking forward to that. But that hashira was just so stubborn.
“Wait”. Oikawa looked behind him. Koushi Sugawara was standing, sword still in his hands. Blood was still cascading from his stomach. “I’m still…I’m still alive!”
In the blink of an eye, Oikawa found himself pinned against the wall. Koushi’s sword pierced him through the chest, trapping him. Gorgeous pink petals burned vermillion. He couldn’t move. Even half-dead, Koushi was unbelievably strong.
“You stupid human…WHY WON’T YOU JUST DIE!” Oikawa’s eyes filled with rage. He swung at Koushi’s body with his fans. Koushi made no effort to dodge the blows. More blood spilled out, yet Koushi still held on.
Koushi’s hands were shaking. Yet they refused to let go of his sword. Oikawa’s blades cut him, yet he refused to fall back.
Please, sun. Come faster, please.
Oikawa really did have to give credit to Koushi. He was probably the most talented Hashira he had ever encountered. In his one hundred and twenty nine years of his life, he had never been this close to death.
The sky was now a burning yellow at the bottom. Oikawa could see the beginnings of the sun rising. He had to end this right now.
Blood demon art, lotus vines
Several icy lotuses appeared in the air. Its vines cut everything in his path. Koushi took the blow. It practically cut him into pieces. His sword was cut in half, freeing Oikawa.
The last of Koushi’s strength left his battered body. He fell backwards to the ground, his broken katana falling out of his hands. He could see Oikawa breaking off in a run.
The morning sun hit Koushi’s face just as Oikawa found cover. So Koushi did live to see the sunrise after all. Just not the ones after that.
Blood pooled under Koushi, seeping into the dirt road and staining his haori. Koushi really couldn’t move this time. The lotus vines had immobilized him.
The sun felt warm against his face. But his body felt numb and Koushi could feel the ice particles growing inside of him. Koushi didn’t feel pain anymore…is this what death felt like? Would his world end in numbness, instead of agony?
The remnants of Oikawa’s blood demon art evaporated as the sun hit it, erasing the evidence of the demon.
I’m sorry, Kiyoko. I think I’m dying, Koushi thought inside his head. The thought of seeing his younger sister’s face made him want to cry. He thought about their promise. The promise they had made that night they decided to join the demon slayer corps.
If we kill one demon, we can save dozens of lives. If we kill an upper moon, we can save hundreds. Let’s save as many people as we can, Kiyoko.
But in the end, Koushi was unable to defeat Oikawa. The wretched demon would go on and destroy hundreds more lives.
Koushi was tired. His eyelids felt heavy. Was the end this close?
Footsteps. Footsteps of someone running. No, not running. Sprinting. Koushi didn’t have to look up to see who it was.
“KOUSHI!!”, Kiyoko ran to Koushi’s side. Koushi could see the tears spilling out of her dark eyes. Kiyoko grabbed Koushi’s body and placed his head on her lap. “NO, no, no, no, keep your eyes open!”, she snapped.
Koushi refocused his eyes. Kiyoko’s face was right in front of him. She was crying, her face stricken with fear.
“Ki…yoko”, Koushi mumbled. He could hardly speak now. The horrible coldness was spreading everywhere. “Listen”
“You’re going to be okay”, Kiyoko reassured. But it was more like she was reassuring herself. “The Kakushi will be here soon. They’ll treat you. You’re going to stay alive”
Koushi coughed and more blood stained his lips. “Kiyoko. I think I’m going to die”
Kiyoko screamed. “Who-who did this to you?! Tell me, I’ll avenge you, I swear!”
She reacted just like how Koushi thought she would. Kiyoko was furious. She would try to hunt down Oikawa himself. But Koushi didn’t want that. It was noble, really, for making that promise when they were younger. Risking their own lives for the sake of others. Slaying demons so that children could grow up with their parents. But Koushi didn’t want to be avenged. He just wanted Kiyoko to live.
“Listen to me, Kiyoko. I want you to leave the demon slayer corps. Please. Live a normal life. You’re still so young.”
“I-I can’t do that!”, Kiyoko sobbed. “Theres no way I can lead a normal life after this! Please, Koushi, tell me who did this to you”. The light behind Koushi’s eyes flickered. “KOUSHI!!”
“It was a demon…with long brown hair”, Koushi whispered. “His head looked like someone poured blood on top of it…He spoke in a calm, playful manner”. Koushi thought for a bit, trying to collect himself. “The weapons he used were…a pair of sharp fans. He can manipulate ice. It was…upper moon two”
“I-I’ll find a way”, Kiyoko quavered. “I’m going to avenge you”
Daichi hoped to find Suga still fighting. Daichi was more than ready to jump in the fight himself. Together, they would take down upper moon two.
But that wasn’t what Daichi found. He found Suga’s bloody body in the morning sun. His younger sister was holding Suga’s body close, screaming.
He was too late. He had been away when Suga needed him the most. That wasn’t right. They were companions. They were best friends. They always had each other’s backs.
The Kakushi draped a white cloth over Suga’s body. Then they carried him away. Daichi walked over to Kiyoko and held her hand. Together, they walked back to the Butterfly Mansion. There, Suga would be cremated and buried.
As they walked, Daichi’s mind replayed all the memories he shared with Suga. How Suga had nearly been killed by a demon in the final selection and how Daichi saved him. Their joint mission where they were surrounded by a hoard of demons. If Suga hadn’t been there, Daichi would have been dead. He remembered they had both returned badly injured and they both needed rehabilitation. Suga would always play pranks on Daichi during rehabilitation training. He remembered the moments they stole after Suga became the Flower Hashira and became so much busier.
Daichi had no family left. All he had was Suga. What on earth would he do without the silver-haired hashira beside him?
Kiyoko was experiencing sense of Déjà vu as he walked alongside Daichi. The walk was a lot like the walk back to Asahi’s estate after Kiyoko’s parents were killed. She had held Koushi’s hand back then. She was holding Daichi’s hand right now. Would Daichi be the next person Fate would rip from her?
Crows flew across the sky, delivering the news of Koushi’s passing.
Asahi, the Stone Hashira cried after his crow told him the news. He prayed for him.
Saeko Tanaka, the Wind Hashira felt numbness inside her chest. She had been close with Koushi.
Tobio Kageyama, the Water Hashira was deeply saddened by the news. Koushi had taken Kageyama under his wing. Being the youngest Hashira, Koushi showed him the ropes and always gave great advice. It was like he lost an important teacher.
Koushi Sugawara’s death would later trigger a series of events. Good or bad, only Fate knows.