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The first mark on her skin had come in the form of a stinging slap.
Shinobu had never been struck before, neither by her parents nor her sister. She'd suffered a few minor accidents here and there when she was younger like any silly and clumsy toddler did; a scrape in the knee, a slash on the cheek, a broken nail. She was wild, fierce, and her adventures had cost her a cut or two. But she'd never felt a pain like this.
She'd been sat by her sister's side when it happened, leaning against her side, flames lighting up their faces with a soft glow, feeling her eyelids droop and her mind begin to slip into unconsciousness when a sudden, unknown sting rocked across the smooth skin of her face.
"Agh!" she yelped, hand reaching out to cup the burn on her face; it didn't feel particularly warm or red, but the pain struck her as if somebody had physically done so.
"Shinobu!" Her sister leaned over and gently placed her hand on top of her sister's "What happened? Are you alright?"
Vision blurry, fat, heavy tears streaming down her face, Shinobu had vehemently shaken her head, confusion, embarassment and pain swirling in her chest "No! I don't understand! Why does it hurt?"
Her sister's eyebrows had knitted together in the strangest way, the corners of her lips quirked downwards; there was a faraway look in her eye while she uttered,
"Oh, dear. Perhaps it's time I tell you about soulmates"
'Soulmates'. Pfft. The name itself just made her want to burst out laughing. Even after all this time, even after all the years that had flown by since her conversation with her sister, Shinobu still didn't entirely understand or welcome the term.
She didn't need a soulmate. Soulmates were a hassle, a heavy weight on her shoulders that only made her mundane chores more difficult. She'd be perfectly okay, chopping some vegetables for dinner, when suddenly an inexplicable pain would travel up her arm and then she'd accidentally cut herself, cursing and hissing, finding comfort in the fact that her soulmate would feel the same stinging on their skin.
After all, if soulmates were so delightful and pleasant, why had it made her sister's life so difficult?
Shinobu had spent many nights awake, eyes twitching and ears ringing, all while she heard her sister writhe and huff in pain, struck with an agony that wasn't hers, an affliction she didn't deserve. Shinobu just wished she could've made it all go away; digging her nails into her palms, she gasped when she realized she'd carved purple half-moons on her skin. The guilt that followed afterwards had done nothing to help.
Things had looked better when her sister had finally met her soulmate. Since then, the pain was more bearable, less likely to be self-induced. Kanae had a dreamy expression on her face everytime she spoke about him, cheeks flushed pink and eyes twinkling in the dark, telling Shinobu in hushed tones about her dates and her hand-holding and kissing, which had just made Shinobu's face twist into such a deep frown Kanae had burst out laughing.
It was all fun, and cute and pretty, until her sister had been killed. Shinobu didn't think she'd heard anybody scream as loudly as Sanemi had the day her sister died.
That was the day she decided soulmates were nothing but a burden.
Giyuu Tomioka never wavered. He never hesitated, or vacillated; his goal was precise and direct, to slay all demons that crossed his path.
So, perhaps, the whole soulmate thing was a little pesky.
He'd never suffered any greater pain than his own. Perhaps the hardships of training, the loss of his friend and his sister, the mean and ill-intended words whispered behind his back for his quiet demeanor and peculiar ways.
Still, he would've never thought that a demon would cause him physicall pain out of all things.
It was just a minor slash along the curve where his arm met his elbow; he'd swiftly managed to chop off the demon's head afterwards, but the pain pulsed like a relentless heartbeat beneath his skin, lingering with each step as he made his way to the infirmary.
It was his first time being there, despite having been a Hashira for quite some time now. He trudged up the stairs and into the mansion, inhaling its sweet flower scent that after a while became almost sickening, mingled with the familiar tang of alcohol and chemicals.
Three little girls scurried over to where he was sitting and fussed over him, checking his temperature, sniffling loudly, tripping over themselves in a circus show that only made him deem them incapable.
"Girls, girls, please. Give him some space, will you?"
Her honeyed voice rose into the air, quieting their nervous giggling, and they fled after a stiff bow. Shinobu Kocho stepped closer into the room, wisteria scented haori fluttering behind her, butterfly clip glistening under the sun, rich and deep purple gaze twinkling. Her fingers were clenching and unclenching around her arm, but they abruptly stopped when she noticed his staring.
She clicked her tongue and padded over to examine his wound "What do we have here?"
"...I messed up" he caved with a sigh. She went still for a moment, perhaps a bit too long, because when his head turned towards her in confusion she stood a little straighter and smiled.
"You sure did. For a Hashira, it seems you're not careful enough," her sickly sweet tone was laced with a beating irocy. She dabbed some alcohol across his flesh and he hissed, a slight frown making its way through his eyebrows.
"..."
"Tomioka, is it?" the bed dipped slighty when she sat beside him and brought a squeaky clean needle to her lips, fixing up a long strand of hard, black string. He swallowed.
"...Yes"
"Not very talkative, are you?"
"...I don't speak unless necessary-" a million pinpricks of pain thrilled up his arm when she dug the needle into his skin through both sides and pulled it upwards; her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
"I can see that," for a split second, it seemed as if she might've said something given the way her face contorted, but what came out instead was "Is that why it's so difficult for you to get along with the rest of us?"
Giyuu's frown deepened, wincing with each twist of the needle, breath catching in sharp, uneven bursts "...It is not difficult for me to get along with the others"
"Oh, my bad," she looked up at him for a very brief moment. Her gaze looked dark even doused with sunlight "Is that something you weren't aware of?"
And just to twist the knife, she pulled the string a little tighter.
That's it. No tiptoeing around other people, no 'accidents' in the hope others reacted to her pain, no hesitance whenever she went to sleep. The secret was out. Shinobu knew.
When she'd seen him for the first time, it'd been like a cold bucket of ice water had been dropped over her head, an chilly dread that glued to her skin and lingered no matter where she went.
Her own words, like a broken record, played on loop inside her mind, telling herself it was better this way. It was easier know, to be aware of when and where he was so she could avoid him; to send Aoi or the Butterfly Girls to patch up his wounds; to tease him relentlessly when they were inevitably paired together so she could drive him away with her persistance.
Even if it meant he'd spend the rest of his life without knowing who his soulmate was, then so be it.
It was one of those nights, when Oyakata-sama sent them together after a demon because they worked so well together; it was fluid, easy; no lingering grudges like him and Shinazugawa, no diversions like her and Kanroji. She soared through the air from branch to branch, frolicking like an authentic butterfly, leaving a trail of wisteria behind her; he ran meters below her, quick and methodical like a current.
She couldn't help admire, a foregin awe written in her eyes, at the way he sliced the demon's head off so easily, twirling the sword in his nimble fingers and thrusting it in the right spot. Not a drop of blood fell on his clothes, and when he set his firm gaze on her she felt her heartbeat drum painfully fast against her ribs.
Oh.
Oh no.
"Kocho," he called, drawing closer. He had to look down to meet her eye level "Are you alright?"
"Mhm," she hummed dismissively, "That was so boring," she tapped her sword against the ground, clicked her tongue before sheathing it "You should've let me attack first. It would've made things a lot more exciting"
His traditional frown came into view, as it always seemed to do whenever he spoke to her "It's not meant to be exciting. This isn't a game, Kocho, it's our duty"
"Fine, fine, whatever you say," her mouth twitched. Shinobu wet her lips before speaking, a sickly sweet smile plastered on her face "I bet your soulmate must find you a tad bit...dull"
They'd been walking side by side, slower this time, as if they were enjoying a nice stroll under the moonlight, but when she spoke, Giyuu stopped. His shoulders stiffened mildly, and she felt her heart contract in the strangest way.
"...I advise you not to speak about my soulmate. Or anything related to the matter"
An unfamiliar, foreign sorrow began pumping through her vains, the switch in emotion almost dizzying. Her throat tightened with contrite, and she uttered "Tomioka-san..."
Without another word, he dashed forward and ran into the night, his figure blurring between the trees.
Giyuu had never quite managed to warm up to Shinobu.
There was something odd and mystifying about her, as if she were a puzzle he couldn't quite solve. He held all the pieces in his hands; bubbly, helpful, dangerously smart, and bold. And yet, there had been times where her porcelain visage had cracked and he'd seen a trace of hurt, of anger, of trouble through the fissures before it went away just as quickly. She was bubbly, she was helpful, she was smart.
And sometimes she could be unexplicably cruel.
They sat down at a local restaurant tucked away in the hidden depths of a village not far from Oyakata-sama's mansion. Giyuu's haori was stained with blood and Shinobu's face was slick with sweat, but they'd managed to squeeze into two barstools and gather up some energy before heading out again.
The steam from her bowl rose into the air and curled around them in a pleasant way; it was raining outside, drops of water spluttering like bullets against the ground, making it almost impossible to be heard. Their soup was warm, they had a little time before going after the next demon, and Giyuu felt relaxed for the first time in weeks.
His gaze subtly shifted from his bowl to her face. Her hair was a little dishevelled, raven and purple strands curling around her face; the skin under her eyes was tinted purple and long worry lines were stitched onto her forehead. Other than that, she looked as ethereal and composed as always.
"Kocho," he began, tone quiet while he blew on his noodles to cool them off "...Have you met your soulmate?"
She was drinking half-way through her soup when the question caught her by surprise; Shinobu started coughing, choking, face flushing and eyes wide as she signaled for him to help her. Giyuu started hitting her back, just as a strange, opressing sensation tightened his own throat. He watched her, almost in a daze, before she managed to spit out a particularly hard piece of carrot.
Giyuu inhaled sharply when he realized he hadn't been breathing.
"Thank you," she sputtered, hitting her throat a few times before heaving a big sigh "...Geez, Tomioka-san, you really have no tact, do you?" she resumed to slurping her noodles as if nothing had happened, quietly humming to herself, gaze lost in the rain.
He'd gone quiet. His fingers trembled when he reached for his bowl.
He heard a click somewhere in the back of his mind.
With a quick and expert twist of the sword, Shinobu managed to land a few thrusts and slashes across the demon's skin, watching it thrash and hiss with the burn of wisteria running through its veins. She landed a few feet away, stepping back to admire her work, before Giyuu intervened and sliced its head off with the force of a roaring waterfall, gracious and silent in his every move. The head rolled to her feet and she tipped the demon's head upward, waving while it stared up at her in its last moments of life.
"Have fun in hell!" she chirped. Its horrified gaze morphed into full-on loathing before disintegrating into sticky ashes between her hands. She felt something tickle the back of her neck, and lifted her head to find Giyuu boring holes into her soul.
He'd been acting strange lately, which she'd atributed to one of his weird quirks and charms; Shinobu had come to find he could be strangely endearing with his awkward words and childish aloofness. She smiled at him, a smile that wasn't either too perfect or happy or ironic, and she could've sworn the corners of his mouth quirked upwards in return.
"Wahh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" With a squeaky cry, Shinobu was unexpectedly tackled by a little girl who clung to her leg as if her life depended on it; she was weeping, salty tears rolling down her red, chubby cheeks, and Shinobu crouched to pat the top of her head.
"Hey, hey, now, there's no need to cry," the little girl blinked away the tears and stared up at her with a sort of admiration shining in her starry eyes "You're safe now"
She sniffled, "Thank you. I was so afraid...afraid it would've hurt Kentaro too! But I'm glad he didn't," she sniffled again, but this time, a shy smiled had creept onto her face, and part of her fear had dissolved.
Shinobu's eyes darted toward Giyuu, who watched the exchange with a barely concealed amusement written on his face, and back towards the girl "Oh? And how do you know that?"
"I would've known if he'd gotten hurt. He's my soulmate after all" her tears completely dry now, the little girl's cheeks were tinted red for entirely different reasons. Her hands fidgeting, she timidly asked,
"What's your soulmate like, miss?"
Ah. Shinobu hadn't thought her heart could be shattered by such a silly question. Her chest seemed to fold in itself, voice coming out a little strangled when she answered "Well, he's...he's..."
The little girl looked so hopeful she didn't wish to disappoint her.
"He's brave, and kind," she started, which was perfectly vague while also being true "He's righteous and fair, and his eyes are the most gorgeous color I've ever seen"
She tried her best to keep her gaze fixed on the girl, to not let it wander towards her right where Giyuu was standing. Her chest caved in a little when she noticed a slight shift out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh!" the girl brought her hands to her lips, gasping "What color are his eyes?"
Her mouth went dry "Um, they're-"
"EMI! Come back this instant!"
The girl seemed to break into a sweat as her gaze darted between Shinobu and what sounded like her mother's voice. Finally, she sighed in defeat, shoulders sagging, and gave Shinobu a quick hug.
"I hope you and your soulmate stay together forever," she whispered, and detangled herself from Shinobu's arms before running towards her mother. Shinobu watched her go with a lump formed in her throat, unable to make her legs move and stand up.
"Kocho," Giyuu's voice was incredibly soft. He reached out a hand towards her. Shinobu waited a beat before taking it. Her fingers slotted into his hands perfectly, tracing the deep lines and callouses that had formed from years of work, and she almost wanted to laugh at how cruel destiny was to her.
"...Let's go"
When they walked side by side back towards the mansion, head hung low and pace slow, Shinobu didn't mind the the way her hand ocassionaly brushed against his, and if he noticed, he made no comment of it.
Lights low, buzzing with a mixture of insecurity and adrenaline, a hot raging feeling running through her veins, Shinobu took the cup from Tamayo's grasp with a wobbly smile. The demon looked sympathetic, bathed in the blue and white lights from her laboratory. The strong smell of wisteria wafted through the air, and it joined in with the other chemicals and flowery-scents that pervaded the atmosphere.
"You don't have to drink it right away," Tamayo said, her ever-soft voice ringing out in the eerie silence of the room "Just make sure to do it before nightfall, and let me know of the aftereffects in the morning"
Her hand reached out towards Shinobu as if to squeeze her arm, but she seemed to think better and dropped it. With a sigh, she abandoned the room and disappeared into the night.
Shinobu peered down at the concoction placed between her hands; it looked so innocent, swirling in an infinite whirl of purple, its smell so sweet it seemed to suffocate her.
I'm so sorry, Giyuu, she thought, before bringing the cup to her lips and drinking.
The garden appeared almost ethereal at night.
It'd been a long time since she'd seen it nourished and vibrant with life like this; butterflies of all sizes and color fluttered and frolicked happily amidst the flowers, which gave off their saccharine scent, lingering heavy in the warm air, infiltrating Shinobu's nostrils; she grazed the petals with her fingertips, and her body gave a final shudder before she let her head drop back and sighed.
She'd been suffering the aftereffects of the poison almost all night, between shivers that made her body spasm violently and the nausea that colored her face to an almost sickly tone; she looked like a ghost, drenched in moon beams, and she was glad Giyuu wasn't around to see it.
Perhaps, since he was away battling demons, the pain he felt was somehow lessened by the distance.
It was a silly thought that vanished as soon as he burst through the door. Shinobu jumped at the sound, and a feeling of dread crept up her spine watching him approach.
A thin sheen of sweat coated his face, and he was breathless, voice barely above a whisper when he muttered "...What on earth happened?"
She sprung to her feet, fear clawing at her heart, drawing closer to him "Tomioka-san? What is it? Are you hurt?"
He swatted her hand away when she tried to place it on his shoulder "Don't act dumb with me. What did you do?"
Her tongue dashed out of her mouth to lick her suddenly dry lips "I'm...I'm not sure what you mean"
He loomed over her, azure blue eyes sizzling with electricity, forcing her to retreat towards the wall "You know damn well what I mean. How long are you going to keep pretending? How long have you known?"
Shinobu felt it impossible to breathe, a hard knot narrowing her throat, blinking away the tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes. She fell silent, all while she watched Giyuu's furious expression morph into desolation at her lack of response.
"...Kocho-"
"When I stitched up your arm," she swallowed past the hard lump in her throat "That's when I knew"
His body stiffened, and then gave a strange shudder. His mouth was open, as if to retort or yell or do whatever he deemed appropiate for the situation. But he forced his jaw shut, gaze dropping to the floor, running out of steam in seconds.
"...Why?" his voice sounded broken, like a cracked crystal, and she would've almost preferred if he'd hit her.
"...It was easier" Shinobu followed his example, head low, staring at the dew sprinkling the grass "It was easier to pretend I had no one. I didn't have to be responsible for anybody. I didn't have to hurt," her eyelashes fluttered shut "It made...it made this easier"
Giyuu staggered backward, slumping on the grass, twisting the wet blades between his fingers. "I was so scared. For a moment, I'd thought...I'd really thought you..." he inhaled sharply. An intense fear shocked through her body in waves, and her knees almost gave out under her.
"...I spent so long looking for my soulmate I'd come to believe I didn't have one" he admitted, voice hoarse, looking up at the stars overhead "But when I realized it was you...it made so much sense I couldn't believe how stupid I'd been"
He stared at her. When their eyes locked, something crackled in the air as if the stars themselves had burst into flames.
Her stomach twisted and contorted, mumbling a weak "Tomioka-san..."
He slowly rose to his feet. She'd never seen this kind of look on his face; the light in his eyes had gone dim, eyelids twitching, gaze wet and shimmering. She was sure the same look was reflected on her face.
"Why do you have to make things so difficult?"
The hairs on her arms bristled, his words filtering through her ears and nestling in her heart.
"You have no right to ask me that," she hissed. It was her turn to walk up to him, forcing herself into his space until he took a reluctant step back "What about you? You've known for quite some time too, haven't you? Isn't that why you burst through the door?"
"You knew it was me," her hands balled into fists at her sides "And yet you kept quiet. You're a hypocrite" she spat.
Her voice was barely above a whisper now, like she'd been squeezing the emotion through her breath. She turned, her haori whipping the wind, ready to storm back into the mansion when he reached out to catch her.
"Kocho," the unfiltered agony in his voice made her breath hitch "Don't leave me again. Please" his voice broke. Shinobu choked back a sob.
When she turned to him, his hand found its way on her cheek and brushed away a stray tear. His own glimmered like diamonds under the moonlight.
"So it's you then," she muttered, and a breathy laugh escaped through her lips "You're the one who's been ruining my life"
He offered a weak smile in return, though it didn't quite reach his eyes "You caught me"
They fell silent for a moment. Shinobu felt the smile dwindle off her face and watched his do the same.
"So what do we do now? It's too late," her voice was quiet "It's too late to change anything"
He didn't answer immediately. He seemed content with holding both sides of her face. "I know," he answered softly "But why can't we make something out of this?"
One corner of her mouth quirked upwards "You're still wiling to try?"
"Always"
She sniffled. He gently cradled the back of her neck and brought her closer, his breath ghosting across her lips; his eyes fluttered close, inhaling deeply to steel his nerves.
"...Can I?"
One of her hands found its way on the mushy, soft skin of his wrist "...Yes"
Shinobu had spent her entire life believing that soulmates were only linked by their physical pain and nothing more. She was proven wrong as soon as her lips grazed Giyuu's, and a wave of shock thrilled up her spine.
She gasped against his mouth when she felt it, and he shuddered it; the electricity, the tingle of emotion that swam through them both. It wasn't just pain she felt; she felt his desire, his want burrowed deeply under his skin. The euphoria when she backed up against the wall and he pressed himself flush against her. The salty taste of his tears, the scent of pinecone he carried, the scorching touch of his hands tilting her chin upwards. She tightened her grip around his wrist so much she felt her own begin to throb.
"Wow," she breathed out, when they broke for air. His eyes peeled open, and for the first time, she saw a glimpse of hope shimmer in his gaze "That was...yeah,"
He huffed a small laugh, his eyes darting from her lips to her eyes "...Again?"
"Yes," she laced her fingers behind his neck and pulled him downwards, smiling against his lips, "Again"
His eyes traced her every movement with the authentic attention of a hunter; he watched as her fingers strained reaching for the cup next to her nightstand; the liquid looked almost glowy and gooey in the moonlight, and Shinobu hesitated for a moment when the rim grazed her lips.
"I'm sorry," she squeezed his hand, and his fingers curled around hers almost instinctively "But I have to do this"
A troubled storm swam in his eyes, deep-blue waves crashing against rocks "...You don't-"
"I do," she bit back, a familiar vehemency to her words "I have to"
A long line had appeared between his eyebrows, grappling with an inner battle. When he rose no other protests, Shinobu tilted the cup upwards and swallowed the content in one go. It slid from her hands and rolled through the floor, and she snuggled closer to his naked form, breathless, searching to soak in his warmth.
Not long after, she felt the first small pin pricks of pain pluck against her skin, the strange heat tightening around her bones, the beads of sweat running down her forehead. His breathing became labored too, and his arms wrapped around her protectively. He began planting a trail of kisses on the back of her neck, and she shivered for entirely different reasons.
"Don't," she mumbled, despite the want twitching in her fingers. He complied, rolling her over to gauge at her face "I don't want to make this harder for you"
"...You don't have to handle this alone" gaze tinted with a deep shade of sorrow, he dipped his head low to kiss her again. She squirmed under his touch, a giddy pink flushing her cheeks. She could never get enough of the feeling that ran through her body when their desires meshed together, when the string of yearning was pulled taut and they both felt it thrum in their chests.
"You're not alone anymore. We're together now. I'm not going anywhere" he muttered against her lips, and despite the hurt swirling in her chest, she felt her lips curve into a soft smile.
"...I know," she ran her fingers through his hair, felt the shaky exhale that brushed against her collarbone where he lay "...I just wish things were different"
"Yeah," his voice was muffled "Me too"
She let a beat pass between them before her hands travelled from his tousled hair to the low valley of his back, feeling the hard lumps of muscle flex under his skin. He sighed, his breath tickling her skin.
Shinobu stared at the twinkles of light against her bedroom ceiling, a small shiver running down her spine with the last aftereffects of wisteria, when he spoke, voice timid and flat.
"...I had a dream about you, once"
She perked up at the sound of his voice, craning her neck to stare at him "...You did?"
"Yeah"
A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips "What was it like?"
His face visibly warmed, still hidden where he lay "...It was silly"
"No, no" Shinobu slithered downwards to meet his eye level, staring at the infinite calm within the blue "Tell me. I want to know"
He heaved a deep sigh, budged like he always did when it came to her "It was the night I realized you were my soulmate. I-" he chewed on the inside of his cheek "I was angry. Confused. I did not know how to handle what I felt"
Something tugged inside Shinobu's chest, shattering a little, and her hands reached up to touch him. Cupping his face, tucking strands of hair behind his ear, she muttered "I'm sorry"
"What for?" he kissed the palm of her hand, sending little tingles down her wrist "I understand now"
"I know you do," she offered a weak smile "...What was the dream about?"
"...I dreamt," hesitance bled into his tone, and his eyes darted anywhere except towards her "I dreamt you became a demon. And I was the one who had to slay you"
Shinobu bit her lip in order to avoid the giggle that threatened to spill, a blooming adoration crinkling her eyes. At her stifled sound, Giyuu quirked an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her smile growing impossibly large "It's not stupid. It's kind of adorable, actually"
"'Adorable'?"
"...To think you cared so much about me to dream such a thing," her fingertips ghosted across his cheekbones "It's nice"
Giyuu emited a grunt of disagreement, rested his face against the crook of her neck. At her sudden silence, he ventured a little more and pressed a chaste kiss to the hot pulse of her skin. Shinobu wriggled slightly, a familiar tightening sensation coiling in her belly when his hands reached upwards to pin her wrists in place; he peppered her face with butterfly kisses, slackened at the sounds that erupted from her lips.
His eyes were very dark when her legs wrapped around his torso, pulling him even closer and closer. A vibrating warmth buzzed in her gut, a familiar yet novel pleasure that she recognized as his.
"...Again?" his question came out more as a statement, amusement coloring his tone, and Shinobu felt herself grin.
"Oh, well, if you're too tired..." her hands began to slid off his grasp, and he tightened his grip.
"Never," he murmured, diving in for a wet, sloppy kiss that sent her mind reeling. Her legs squeezed involuntarily against his sides and Shinobu let her mind run free, let instinct take over as Giyuu's kisses trailed lower and lower.
Giyuu felt it before he heard it.
One minute he was sprinting through the infinity castle, Tanjiro trailing hot on his heel, vision swimming in a mixture of yellows and oranges, walls and floors shifting under his feet, when a pain struck across his chest and he almost stumbled forward from its force.
"Giyuu-san! What's wrong?!" Tanjiro appeared beside him in a flash, gripping his side, concern written all over his face. But Giyuu was gasping and clutching at his heart, at his throat, thinking it inconceivable that he was still able to breathe.
The pain rocked through his body in waves, and Giyuu dropped to his knees. His vision had become blurry again, but now for entirely different reasons.
"Shinobu..." he uttered under his breath, his voice barely above a tremor, knuckles whitening around the grip on his haori. A shrill sound broke him out of his stupor, the shadow of a crow flying overhead.
Shinobu Kocho is dead!
He heard Tanjiro gasp beside him, but it felt distant, as if he was faraway and Giyuu was on his own. It'd scared him half-to death the first time Shinobu had taken that poison, and he'd felt his intenstines shift and wriggle inside him, a physical agony that had torn him apart; but now, it was completely different. A dull, beating thrub had escalated to a glaring hurt, intense like lightning had struck him.
"Giyuu-san! We need to keep moving!" Tanjiro's voice yanked him back to reality. A crushing sound reverberated against the walls, and the boy shrieked mildly beside him, hands curling around Giyuu's shoulder in a bone-crushing grip. Giyuu rose to his feet, his pace wobbly and rythm shaky as they resumed their running.
It had absolutely terrified him the first time she'd drank the poison, rendered speechless by the enormous ache that had rocked his body. Somehow, it felt even scarier now when the pain gave way to an all-consuming numbness.
That was how Giyuu Tomioka knew he would never feel again.