Chapter Text
The forest was too quiet.
Giyuu noticed it the moment he stepped off the dirt path. Earlier that morning, cicadas had been loud enough to drown out thought. Now there was nothing. No wind moving the leaves. No insects. No birds. The silence sat heavy against his ears.
He slowed his pace slightly, fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.
Behind him, the junior slayer hesitated.
“Tomioka-san?” the boy asked, voice small. “Is this already the area from the report?”
“Yes,” Giyuu replied.
The answer was calm, even, but his attention sharpened. He could feel a pressure in the air, like something watching from just out of sight.
They continued forward. Giyuu made sure his steps stayed measured so the boy wouldn’t fall behind.
“You read the report,” Giyuu said quietly. “There was suspected Upper Rank activity here three nights ago. That means you stay behind me. Keep your breathing steady. Do not move unless I tell you to.”
The boy nodded quickly. “Yes, sir.”
A sharp snap echoed through the trees.
Giyuu turned just as claws burst from the shadows.
“Down,” he said.
He shoved the boy aside and drew his blade in one smooth motion. The demon’s arm sliced through the air where the junior’s throat would have been. Giyuu pivoted and countered immediately, steel ringing as it met flesh.
The demon moved fast. Not Upper Rank fast, but wild and vicious, fueled by fresh blood and poor control. Its eyes were bloodshot. Its movements were uneven and desperate.
Giyuu adjusted his footing and pressed the attack.
Then he heard it.
Footsteps.
Too close. Behind him.
He turned sharply and saw the junior stumble backward, panic written across his face as he stepped directly into the demon’s range.
“Tomioka-san, I—”
Giyuu didn’t think.
(Damn it.)
He pivoted and shoved the boy to the ground again, placing himself directly between him and the demon.
The impact came a heartbeat later.
The demon’s blow slammed into Giyuu’s side and hurled him backward into a tree. The sound was sharp and wrong. Pain exploded across his ribs, knocking the air from his lungs in one violent rush.
“…gh—”
The sound tore out of him before he could stop it.
His back hit the trunk, bark splintering, and he slid down onto his feet with a harsh gasp. White flashed across his vision. His left side burned, sharp and deep, like something inside had shifted where it shouldn’t.
The junior scrambled up. “Tomioka-san! Your side, it’s—”
“Stay back,” Giyuu said, forcing the words out. His breath came shallow and uneven. “Do not move.”
He pushed himself upright. His knees threatened to give way, but he locked them in place. Whatever had happened to his ribs was bad. He knew that immediately. The pain wasn’t fading. It was spreading.
(It’s fine.)
He ignored it.
The demon laughed, voice warped and taunting. “That looked painful, Water Hashiraaaa~”
Giyuu didn’t answer.
He lunged forward.
Each step sent a jolt of pain through his side, but he kept his posture steady. He shortened his breathing, controlling it, refusing to let it hitch too loudly.
Water Breathing, Second Form.
The movement faltered for half a second as his side spasmed violently.
“…tch.”
He forced the rest of the technique through anyway. The blade cut deep. The demon shrieked.
Giyuu followed through without pause, finishing it with the First Form. The strike was clean and efficient. The demon’s head hit the ground with a dull sound.
The forest went silent again.
Giyuu stood there longer than necessary, waiting for the world to steady. His vision narrowed briefly before clearing.
The junior approached carefully. “Tomioka-san… should I get help?”
“No,” Giyuu said.
He sheathed his sword with deliberate care. His hand shook once, then stilled.
“We’re leaving.”