Chapter Text
The Ubuyashiki estate was a warm glow enveloped in the pale background of the winter. The Wind Pillar walked through the corridors of the esteemed estate, stopping before the door where their master usually resides in. When he slides the door open, his face contorts into a frown. There, sitting in front of Ubuyashiki, was the one-man Sanemi couldn’t bear to stand. Tomioka Giyuu.
Sanemi could feel a sudden spike of irritation pulsating through his skin. Why the hell was he here?
Then the serene voice of their master is heard, “Come in, my child.”
Sanemi realizes he had been standing at the door for an unnatural amount of time. He quickly bows his head, “Good evening, Oyakata-sama. I hope you are well”.
“Please rise, Sanemi”, Kagaya says softly.
The Wind Hashira gets up, and moves to sit in front of the corps’ leader, beside the water pillar. Sanemi decides to effectively ignore the expressionless man next to him lest he does something reckless in front of Ubuyashiki-Sama. He trains his focus solely on the poised grace in front of him.
“A matter up north has been troubling my mind. There has been a number of deaths in the mountains, ones of the cruelest nature.” Kagaya pauses for a moment to collect himself. He continues- “Most of the slayers who were sent did not return, but one. I am afraid this might be one of the twelve Kizuki at play. So, my children please investigate the matter.”
This time, Giyuu replied in a quiet but firm voice, “Rest assured, Oyakata-sama. We will find the demon who caused this”
Sanemi had averted his eyes to the bento box beside Ubuyashiki, his anger palpated at the mention of the demon. He looked up once he heard the voice of Giyuu, and almost scoffed at the fact that Giyuu had dared to speak for the both of them. Why on earth was he assigned with Tomioka for this mission anyway? The master knew they could not stand each other.
As if reading Sanemi’s mind, Ubuyashiki’s lips quirk up.
“The weather is quite harsh up there; I have prepared some suitable clothes for you. Be careful, my children.”
“Thank you, Oyakata-sama, I will handle it”, says Sanemi politely, but there is an edge to his tone.
“Is the one who retuned staying at the Butterfly Estate?”, Giyuu asks.
“Yes, he was found unconscious near the mountain. He should be awake by now”, Ubuyashiki replies sounding hopeful— possibly worried due to the lack of details about the missing slayers. Giyuu nods. They bow, wishing the master good health, and file out of the room. As soon as the sliding door shuts behind Giyuu, Sanemi turns to him.
“Do not slow me down Tomioka, I could have handled the mission alone if it were not for Oyakata-sama”, Sanemi’s voice is venomous, restrained anger evident.
Giyuu is unfazed, almost as if he expected the outburst— which pisses Sanemi off even more.
“I want to visit that slayer first”, come out Giyuu’s monotone voice. One could never tell what the Water Hashira was thinking, that was one of the greatest things that annoyed Sanemi the most.
“Do whatever you want”, Sanemi replies— he really could not care what why Tomioka wanted to meet that slayer. He turns and leaves Ubuyashiki’s estate. Once out in the chilly wind, he hears Giyuu calling out to him.
“Shinazugawa”
Sanemi pauses.
“Are you heading to the mountain?”, Giyuu asks.
“None of your business”
“You do not have any information about the demon.”, Giyuu states. This irritates Sanemi, he really thinks he’s so much better than me, huh. Sanemi strides towards Giyuu.
“And you do?”, Sanemi taunts.
“One slayer returned from that mountain when none of the others did. He must know something”, Giyuu replies simply. There was a point to what Giyuu said. Even Sanemi could see that.
“I do not have the time to run around and ask questions, I have demons to slay.”, Sanemi retorts.
“Then you have a death wish.”
In a quick motion, Sanemi’s hand grasps Giyuu’s collar. “Say that again. I dare you.”, Sanemi’s voice shakes with anger. Giyuu lets out a sigh. A sigh. He grabs the hand on his collar and frees himself.
“The details are important”, is all Giyuu says before turning around and walking away— in the Butterfly Mansion’s direction.
Sanemi stands in the same spot for a while, shaking in anger. He knows Giyuu is right. But his blank face and his attitude infuriates Sanemi. Reluctantly, he faces the path that leads to the Butterfly Estate.
“He’s right this way, Tomioka-san”, says little Kiyo-chan, leading Giyuu through the corridors of the Butterfly Estate. They enter a room; the smell of the antiseptics almost immediate. The small room had a bed which was currently occupied by the slayer who returned from the mountain. Shinobu was conversing with him, when she spotted Giyuu.
“If it isn’t Tomioka-san~”, her tone is bright and cheery.
“Kochou”, Giyuu regards her.
“You are heading to Hakusan, then?”, Shinobu was sharp as always. But before Giyuu could reply—
clang
The plate in the slayer’s hand had dropped at the mere mention of Hakusan. His eyes were blown wide, hands shaking.
“You are g-going to Hakusan...? To Hakusan? That’s not right”, he spoke as if he had misheard, voice trembling with terror.
He abruptly stands up and scrambles towards Giyuu. His hands are outstretched as if to grip him, but Giyuu steps to the side. The slayer ends up grabbing Sanemi, who had just entered the room. The irritation in Sanemi’s face is evident at the sudden assault.
The slayer looks surprised and turns to Giyuu and speaks in panicked rush— “You mustn’t go there Tomioka-sama. That place is cursed.”
Then as if reliving a moment on that mountain, he gasps,
“You must never look into its eye”
His face paled, as if remembering— “It turned my comrades into ice”, Giyuu frowns softly at the slayer’s broken voice. Giyuu attempts to steady the slayer but he collapses onto the floor, gasping and sobbing.
Kiyo, Naho, and Sumi help the slayer onto the bed. Sanemi and Giyuu briefly catch each other’s eyes.
“Ara, the poor boy has suffered a lot.”, Shinobu’s voice is light, but there is an undercurrent of something akin to anger; she represses it quickly.
Shinobu regards Sanemi now, who had come during the earlier frenzy.
“Shinazugawa-san, what brings you here?”, she asks, although she could already guess the reason. Sanemi grumbles, his distaste to the topic is clear. So Shinobu presses, “Is it possible that you too are going to Hakusan?”
“…”
“You too make quite an interesting team~”, she says in a thoughtful tone— an obvious taunt.
“Do be careful now, and I am guessing you both know; in case you catch hypother—”
“I know Kochou!”, Sanemi finally bursts out. Shinobu only smiles. The Wind Pillar stomps out of the room.
“Well then, Tomioka-san, all the best for the mission, and that”, Shinobu says looking at the spot where Sanemi was standing, just seconds ago. Giyuu nods.
This is going to be a troublesome mission.
(RE-EDITED)