WARNING!

Mild spoiler! (sorry for putting up the warning so late, I completely forgot). This chapter is based on the real storyline, and more importantly on the ONE aspect of Doma's past that links him to the Demon Slayers we all know and love.

Nothing is outright said, but still a mild spoiler.

THAT'S IT HAVE FUN!

As per usual, Doma was carrying her on his back while they roamed the nightly streets, leisurely making their way out of town to head to their next destination. Just as Sakura was about to ask him to teach her some more about the stars (they had started to read books on astrology in their spare time, since she was curious and he was the one doing the reading), her companion abruptly stopped walking.

"Doma? What's wrong?"

"We have company, Little Blossom."

"Uh? What do you—"

"Release the girl at once, demon!"

Doma turned around halfway, and Sakura looked behind them. There was a woman with a beautiful and imposing lilac aura. Also, killing intent was radiating off her in waves, and the young girl suddenly realized that this woman was probably one of those "slayers" Doma sometimes mentioned.

"Release the girl!" she repeated firmly, gritting her teeth.

"And what if I don't want to, little slayer?" taunted the demon, fully looking her way.

She stiffened at that, fear creeping up on her. "You're… an Upper Moon…!"

"Quite an astute observation, my dear." Despite his earlier taunts, he did put Sakura down, and she was well forced to sit since she couldn't stand. "It'll take but a moment, Little Blossom."

"Don't underestimate me, demon!"

The woman pounced at him as soon as he stepped away from the human girl. She didn't really understand what was going on between those two, but she wasn't about to let that demon get away with his prey. However, no matter her determination and her skills, there was no denying that this wasn't a fair fight. Even if she was what they called an hashira, Doma was an Upper Moon with little time to spare. The night was still young, but every minute spent fighting that woman was a minute with Sakura lost—and he didn't exactly have an endless amount of those. The years were slowly drifting away and, soon, it would be time to claim his dues—and when he did, then who knew when he'd meet another girl like her? Probably not for another few centuries, so he intended to make the most of the time they had left together.

In other words, he didn't intend on wasting his time with that woman slayer, as cute as she may be. However, just as he was about to kill her—

"Doma!" He froze, his hand just shy of impaling the woman's chest. "Stop! Don't- don't kill her! Please, don't kill her!"

"And why shouldn't I, Little—" He stiffened. "Sakura…?"

Tears were streaming down the girl's cheeks.

No, not tears—blood.

"Because- because if you kill her… you will die," she choked out, visibly shaken. "So please, please, don't kill her. You can't- you can't die! I- I don't want you to die! Please! Doma!"

Without a second thought, he dropped the woman slayer and rushed to Sakura's side. As soon as he got close enough, she grabbed his hand and shared with him everything. He let out a strangled gasp, overwhelmed by the sudden onslaught of unknown emotions, and it took him a few seconds to notice that he, too, was crying now.

"… I see." Without another look for his previous opponent, he swiftly picked up the young girl and started walking away. "Let's go."

"N- no! Don't you dare—"

"Please, give up." The woman slayer froze in place upon hearing the pink-haired girl's plea. "If you don't, you'll die, and then your sisters will cry. So please, give up."

The woman stiffened, her eyes going wide but, before she could reply anything, the two of them vanished from sight. The demon easily gave her the slip, taking away the human girl while he was at it, and he didn't stop running until they reached the cover of the forest, a few kilometers away from the town they had just left. Once he deemed they were far enough, he gently put Sakura down, helping her sit on a large rock, before kneeling before her and getting started on wiping away the crimson streaks the blood tears had left on her cheeks.

"… what was that feeling?" he finally asked, in an uncharacteristically subdued voice.

She reached out to him, gently brushing away his own tears. "Despair," she simply whispered.