Author's Note: Hehe, sis getting WHIPPED! ALSOOO I MADE SOME SKETCHES FOR 3 SCENES IN THIS CHAPTER CUZ I WANTED TO START DOING THAT 333 I DID THEM ALL IN THE SAME DAY SOOO I MITE DO MROE FOR UPCOMING CHAPTERS 333 WDHAUIO IM SO SORRY FOR NAWT UPDATING IN LIKE A MONTH. The third fucking trimester was closing up these past weeks, AND FINALLY I GET THANKSGIVING BREAK NEXT WEEK! WHOOOOO! So I'm gonna write more, and ya'll will be FED! 33 Plus, I wanna sketch more, bcuz I desperately need to fill my heart with MC x Tanjiro, Zenitsu, etc. 333 I LOVE YOU ALL! 333 MWAH MWAH 333
Warning: Swearing, description of gore, slight angst
Disclaimer: Bruh, I don't own Kimetsu no Yaiba, all rights go to Koyoharu Gotōge. Please support the official release!
Continued...
Inosuke grinned ferally, exclaiming, "Yana better be training her ass off if she thinks she can beat the Great Inosuke!" Tanjiro chuckled and continued reading, which was basically a retelling of what he and Zenitsu had read as well, including Lana's training and her day with Senjuro as well as her impressions of Obanai and Mitsuri.
And even farther away, into the mountains, an old man wearing a hand-carved red oni mask smiled to himself as he scanned through a letter, sent to him by his reckless, yet compassionate, daughter.
It's been about a month since I began training under Mitsuri, and so far I managed to finally get a good grip on ribbon-dancing, I also grew hell of a lot more flexible thanks to the excruciating agony of gymnastics, so that was something I was fairly proud of! I grew closer to both Obanai and Mitsuri, despite Obanai's icy attitude towards me, I can say almost certainly that he tolerates me now! Hurray!
Senjuro and I have made a ton of progress! He's learned half of the water breathing forms already, gosh, I'm so proud of him! With the hope of grasping water breathing, Senjuro's confidence slowly began to grow at the thought of finally being able to become a swordsman, with me supporting him all the way.
Anyway, back to my training. Mitsuri had decided that I should move on to using something heavier, she said, and I quote, "It'll make your ribbon training look as easy as breathing!" I grew fearful at what she meant by that, wondering just what the hell kind of training she was going to put me through. Going into her storage room, she came back out with a folded stack of red and white clothes and what looked to be a rope neatly rolled up and placed on top of the pile. She handed it to me, leading me to my room so she could help me change.
"This uniform is a keikogi, specifically for kendo training," Mitsuri said as she braided my hair as we stood outside in the training area. I looked down at the red oversized pants I was wearing, then at the whip in my hand, my fears from earlier justified. 'Oh man, I just know I'm gonna be whipping the FUCK out of myself, oh my god,' I thought with wide eyes, growing nervous at the aspect of swinging around a long, painful rope around my body. 'If Mitsuri says I'm ready, then I guess I am...? I mean, she is my master, so she definitely knows my abilities more than anyone else. Except Dad, of course,' I reluctantly shrugged.
Y'know, maybe this- this wouldn't be too bad, right? I mean, sheesh! I'm finna whip dis hoe! Gonna be the baddest mufucka in these streets!
"OHMYGOD-!" I screeched, jumping to the side as the whip suddenly let out a loud crack! as I attempted to twirl it. The rope was heavier and thicker than the ribbon, by a lot, and I struggled with using the right amount of force to tug it along. Moving past my hesitant stage, Mitsuri informed me that I had to be more braver with the rope in order to get it moving the way I wanted, which scared the ever-living shit out of me. "You okay?" Mitsuri called out as she spectated me. "U-uh, um- yeah?" I replied shakily, gripping the whip. Fuck, this was so difficult. God only knows how long I can keep this up for, geez!
Mitsuri encouraged me as I kept at it, watching as I continuously flinched and screamed when the whip came too close to my body as it snapped. "Bolder moves, Lana!" she called out to my panting form, sweat dripping off my brow. "I'm trying," I grit my teeth, huffing before standing back up and deciding to envision my practice with the ribbon wand. 'Okay, all I need to do is move it in the same directions, just with a harder force, right? Okay, okay! I got this!' I nodded to myself, opening my eyes and taking a deep breath as I lifted the whip. 'All I have to do...is twirl it around my body!'
I pulled with a good amount of force before-!
"OW, FUCK!" "Lana!"
"Sorry Lana-chan," Mitsuri muttered as she dabbed a cotton ball dampened with a disinfectant liquid to my swollen, bleeding cheek, watching sympathetically as I winced and hissed a the agonizing sting. "It's okay," I grumbled, resting my hands on my knees as I sat crisscrossed beside her. "It's all apart of the process, don't worry! I'm sure you'll master it in less than a month, yeah? I'll be here to help you all the way!" she sweetly smiled, pressing a gentle kiss to my cheek. A smile curled on my own lips, my cheeks feeling fuzzy from the affection of the girl who I started to see as a sister figure. "Better now?" she cooed, petting my head. "Yeah, thank you," I said gratefully, leaning into her hand as she comforted me as if I was a child.
About a week later, I was surprised to wake up to Morishi flying into my room first thing in the morning. "New mission! Romero Lana, you must go to the village in the far east to investigate! There's been reports of children and young women going missing! This might be a demon at work! Go, now! Hurry, hurry!" he cawed in an urgent tone. My sleepy eyes snapped open at his words, my mouth gaping as I realized this would be my first solo mission, my first solo mission. Holy shit!
"Thank you, Morishi! I'm on it!" I laughed, a bit nervously to be honest, before I scrambled to get ready, hurriedly combing my hair and slipping on my demon slayer uniform, tucking my sword into my belt. I threw my haori on and ran a hand through my hair as I speed-walked into the hall to find Mitsuri in the kitchen wearing an apron on top of her own slayer uniform as she prepared breakfast. She turned to me, surprised that I was all dressed up in my uniform before I informed her, "First mission! I gotta go to a village in the east." I fumbled with my sheath and adjusted it, watching as her eyes widened in realization before a wide smile spread on her face. "Already? Awe! I remember when I had my first mission on my own!" she gushed. I gave her a bashful smile before she hurriedly placed something in a leaf wrap and walked over to hand it to me. "Well, if you can't stay for breakfast, at least take some food for the trip! You have money too, right? So you can buy yourself some lunch and dinner for two days? Oh well, take some yen anyways, just in case!" she fussed, reaching into her pocket and placing a couple of yen bills into my hand as well as three fresh onigiri.
It was endearing to watch her fuss over me like a mom sending off her child to their first day of school. My chest grew fuzzy and warm at how she worried over me, knowing it'd be my first time on my own. She knew I could handle myself, after all, she trained me. But I still appreciated that she was concerned over my wellbeing on the trip.
My cheeks flushed and I giggled as I thanked her, placing the money into my haori sleeves. "Thank you, Mitsuri! I really appreciate it! I'll be fine though, don't worry!" I beamed happily. She looked at me smiled, her eyes softening. I took this moment to admire her features. 'She's so beautiful...Gosh, I love women.'
She patted my head fondly. "I know you will. Now go, you have your first solo mission, after all!" "Mm!" I nodded, feeling a lot more prepared for what was ahead of me. "I'll be leaving now!" I said, walking to the front door with a skip in my step. "Take care! Be safe!" she chirped, walking me to the door. "Bye Mooo- MITSURI! Mitsuri!" I flushed as red as a beet as I realized I slipped up, calling her "mom". I internally screamed in embarrassment as her eyes widened and her face flushed red. To my surprise, she beamed brightly, lighting up like I've never seen her as she held me to her chest, embracing me tightly. My eyes widened as she whispered, "Be safe."
I waved behind me as I walked down the dirt road, Mitsuri waving her arm violently as she gave me her goodbyes. I huffed in amusement at her enthusiasm before continuing on down the path, my heart pounding in anticipation as I thought about what could happen throughout the day.
Morishi rested on my shoulder loyally as I walked, making clicking sounds with his tongue. "I wonder how Tanjiro, Zenitsu, and Inosuke are doing?" I pondered to myself, looking up at the sky as I passed by a small rice plantation, chewing on the onigiri Mitsuri made for me. "Mm, probably training right now. Or maybe going on missions as well?" I snorted to myself, imagining Zenitsu screaming in terror at the thought of facing demons without us. He'd probably say something like, "What do you mean, I have to go by myself!? Are you crazy!? I'm gonna die alone, at the hands of a demon!" And Inosuke would make fun of him for being a wimp, "GRAHAHAHA! Coward Monitsu! You can't do anything without the Great Inosuke, eh?" Aaaand Tanjiro would try to calm down Zenitsu, or maybe even scold him for not taking his job seriously, "Zenitsu, you'll be fine! You're a demon slayer, act like one! What would Lana think, seeing you like this?" I let out a laugh, amusing myself with my active imagination.
Ah, I missed my boys...
It was around early evening as I finally spotted the village in the distance, Morishi cawing in confirmation that I had arrived. "Thank you Morishi! Anything else I should know before heading off to eat demon ass?" "Caw, nothing else to report! Good luck on the mission, Romero Lana!" he squawked before he flew off, probably back to headquarters or to hide nearby. I took a deep breath, wind rushing past my teeth as I inhaled. "Here we go," I breathed out, adjusting my sword so that it was hidden on my back underneath my haori, right behind my right leg.
I stepped into the village, noticing how it was very similar to the first village Tanjiro and I (and Nezuko) traveled to for our first mission. Deciding to follow the same procedure as the first time, I walked through the streets, my ear honed in to the chatter around me.
"Did you hear? Minato-san..." "Oh my, really? Poor Homura-san..." "It was quite the scandal, really..."
'Ohhhh shit, CHISME IS ON FIRE TODAY,' I mused, internally snorting at the idle gossip. Until I heard something that peaked my interest, more so than the whispers of affairs.
"Another incident? And such a sweet child, too..." "Yes, her older sister was taken as well in the same night. It's frightening..." Two people gone in the same night, eh? Two sisters, one a child. I mulled over this, keeping that in mind for later tonight as I busied myself, pretending to look at a jewelry stand as two middle-aged women gossiped just a ways away from me.
"How wasn't anyone alerted? Surely, the older daughter would've put up a fight?" "That's the thing, it was like they disappeared in thin air. Apparently, there wasn't any sign of a struggle or a break-in." How familiar...No doubt about it, definitely a demon at work.
"Could be a yokai at work, don't you think?" "Don't be so immature, this is serious! Your son could be next!" "Not if they get your daughter first! How old is she, 16, yes? My Nagato-kun is 4, and you know there's a pattern of young women first taken before the child!" "How dare you!?" DAAAAAAMNN! SIS WAS COMIN' FOR HA THROAT! My eyes widened as I bit back a cackle, finding the situation hilarious. I know it wasn't right for me to laugh while people are worried for their families, but holy shit was this funny- wait. She said a pattern of young women being taken first, and then the child? What the fuck?
As the two enraged women bickered, I was interrupted by a masculine voice clearing their throat next to me. I froze before deciding to pay them no mind. No one knows me, why would anyone talk to me? Better to act like I didn't hear anything incase I looked over and embarrassed myself by thinking I was being addressed. You know that thing everyone does where you think someone is waving at you and you wave back, but it's not you they were actually waving at? Yeah, that shit happened once, and from then on, I just assumed no one would ever want my attention unless they directly said my name.
I looked over the beautiful hairpins displayed in front of me, figuring I'd get some accessories before the Red Light District Arc to look like the sexy-ass oiran I was going to dress up as, until I felt someone tap my shoulder. Perking up, I looked to my left to find a boy around my age with a nervous, yet kind look on his face. His hair was a dark purple, and he had yellow eyes as he looked at me.
"Excuse me, I was wondering, I've never seen you around before, and I wanted to ask for your name?" he hesitantly asked. 'Oh. Does this mufucka like me or something? I mean, can't blame him, I'm a beautiful bitch. But I'll just shove his ass in the friendzone. I'm not interested, plus, I ain't gonna go behind my mans' backs like that.' I smiled at him and nodded, "O-oh! Yeah, I'm, uhh," 'Should I use my real name? It wouldn't hurt, right?' "-Lana. What about you?" His eyes lit up at my response as he replied, "Izuna. And this here is my friend, Tobi." He stepped to the side to reveal a timid boy behind him, who flinched and looked away as I made eye contact. 'Oh, what? I didn't even notice he was there.' "It's nice to meet you, Izuna-san, Tobi-san," I said, giving them a polite dip of my head and smiling kindly.
There was an awkward pause before Izuna spoke up again. "So- um, what've you been doing here? It's dangerous for a young, pretty girl- I, um, didn't mean that! I mean, not that you're not pretty, but-!" he stuttered, face flushing as he fumbled over his words. I chuckled and waved him off, "I know what you're trying to say. But honestly, don't worry about me. In fact, what do you mean 'dangerous'?" I questioned, pretending to play dumb to the disappearances. Izuna paused and rubbed his neck. I noticed he quickly shot a glance at Tobi, who appeared somber and upset. "Well, um," he looked around before pointing his thumb behind him. "Why don't we walk while I tell you?" he asked. I looked at him with a questioning stare before nodding and heading out into the street, Tobi quietly in tow behind us.
Listen, I WOULD NOT advise to follow some random dudes you just met into the street, but since I can literally send both of their asses on night night with a simple push of my fingers against their necks, I'm capable of handling this shit.
We walked for a bit before Izuna sighed, and began to tell me what was going on throughout the village. "For a few weeks now, girls and children have been going missing. Simply, just- disappearing from their homes out of nowhere. It- it's insane, really, because there's never any trace of a kidnapping or any of the sort. You'd expect at least the children to be wailing and waking up the entire neighborhood, but there's only dead silence at night, not a single soul heard until a parent wakes up and finds their child missing," he explained, sighing. "And, well..." He paused, unsure if he should continue.
Tobi quietly spoke up, making me turn to him. "...My sister, Nozomi, was one of them. Of the children taken, I mean." Izuna turned to him, "You don't have to talk about it if you-" "No," Tobi objected a bit forcefully before he looked down, eyes shrouded in sorrow. "I need to come to terms with it."
My eyes softened in understanding. Poor kid, I don't know what I'd do if my little brother, or in his case, sister, was suddenly gone without a trace. And not being able to do anything about it...It must fuckin' suck. So, I guess it's up to me, and only me, to hopefully rescue his sister.
"Oh my...I'm so sorry, Tobi-san. If you mind telling me, how long ago was this? Your...your sister being missing, I mean." I winced, hoping that wasn't too insensitive to him. He nodded and let out a shaky sigh, Izuna looking at him worriedly. "It was a day ago. Everything was fine the day before. We- we made sure her room was locked up, and she was to sleep with me so I'd be able to protect her. We fell asleep, and she was right in my arms. The next morning, I woke up, and my arms were empty. Not a trace of Nozomi at all. And knowing that- that I she was gone, just like that, and I didn't do anything to stop it, couldn't do anything to stop it. I'm devastated, Lana-san." His voice cracked and wavered as he spoke, sniffling as tears streamed down his face.
I gazed at him in pity and sighed, rubbing his back comfortingly as he trembled. "Tobi-san. I guess I'll have to tell you, then," I said gently, causing him to look up in confusion with tears in his eyes. "W-what do you mean?" he shakily asked me, wiping at his eyes. I looked at him with a serious expression on my face, letting him know I wasn't playing around as I said, "I'm here to stop the disappearances. So rely on me, okay? I'll do everything I can to find out what's going on, and hopefully, save your sister."
Normally, I hate giving others false hope, especially if it involves demons. She's been missing for two days, what was the likelihood that she wasn't immediately devoured after being taken? Little to none. But deep down, my optimistic side said that there was hope. That maybe, she was spared somehow. That maybe, we could save her and bring her back to Tobi. Perhaps it's unfair to the other families who've lost their children, their daughters, girlfriends, sisters. But seeing Tobi's dim, blue eyes light up and widen in hope, instilled some kind of strength in me that made me determined to do something about it.
"You'd do that? Wait, what do you mean? Are you some kind of detective or policeman- er, woman?" Izuna questioned, which was completely understandable. If the police weren't able to do anything, how would some random chick who showed up out of nowhere do something? I chuckled and gave them an unsure smile, "...Something like that. Don't worry, Tobi-san, I'll be able to help!" Tobi flushed and gave me a small smile, nodding. "If you can help my sister, then do whatever you have to do." I nodded, "Of course! Now, I really begin my work at night, so let's go eat! The sun won't be up for very long, now."
That night, right as the stars spread across the sky was when I set out on the prowl. I instructed Izuna and Tobi to stay home and stay safe, although Izuna begged to come with me for some kind of protection. "I can't protect you and fight at the same time," was all I said, giving him a firm look before he reluctantly agreed, saying he'd still stay awake until I came back, Tobi agreeing stubbornly. I sighed and nodded before setting out into the dark streets of the village, the moonlight being my only source of a light besides the distant lanterns outside some homes.
'This whole situation definitely brings back memories,' I thought in slight nostalgia as I wandered around the village, sword in hand and gleaming against the moonlight. Although I appeared lax, in reality, I wasn't letting my guard down. I didn't have abilities like scent, or hearing, or sensing. But I had my strength, and that'd all I could rely on at the moment.
Using my average hearing senses, I tried honing in to little sounds. Thankfully, everyone in the village had gone to bed, not a soul in sight besides my own. The cool night air combined with building anticipation made my limbs feel like jelly, my entire body shivering as I walked around on standby. "Now, where...?" I muttered before shutting myself up as I heard a distant, but somewhat nearby sound of floorboards creaking, sheets ruffling. 'I hope that's not two people fucking right now, please LORD,' I begged, deciding to check it out. Running over to the noise, I peeked into a slightly ajar window of a house, hoping I'd find something worthwhile.
I looked inside, scanning the dark room. The only window was the one I was peeking through, so the entire room was shrouded in darkness, my silhouette lined on the floor along with a square of light surrounding my figure from the moon outside. 'Shit looks like a whole scene from a horror game...' I shivered and turned around, only to clamp my lips shut as a yelp was going to release. A grotesque demon, not unlike ones I've seen before, stood right in front of me, a giant, sharp-toothed grin plastered on its veiny face. 'What...the fuck?' I gaped, surprised he'd just reveal himself just like that. He smiled and I immediately swung my sword at him, only to miss as he leapt back. I didn't have any time to go after him as I was immediately dropped down into a hole, giving me no time to scream as wind rushed past my face.
I safely landed on my feet before snapping around and holding my sword at ready, my guard raised to the max. "Fuck you, demon! Come here so I can beat your ass!" I yelled, my voice echoing. I was in what looked like to be a cave, seemingly average, had it not been for- for... the gruesome sight of a pile of blood and gore, corpses of children and young girls shredded and half-devoured simply tossed on top of each other like leftovers. Which they probably were, given the torn patches of flesh and meat tossed about the place.
Staring at the cold, dead eyes of little boys and girls, my mind flashed back to that day.
Hanako...at least she was with her mom when she died. Shigeru, Rokuta, Takeo. Oh, how that little boy with the brown hair and emptyemptyempty whyweretheysoempty? brown eyes reminded her of Takeo, the sight of his pale, blood-stained face haunted her.
That's right...it was easy.Soeasyto forget that day. I constantly repressed the memories, the mere thought being able to bring me to tears. I never really let myself grieve, too busy focusing on training and being there for the remaining Kamado siblings.
They were the ones who witnessed the death of their own family, and, ultimately, it was directly her fault for letting it happen.
And the smell. Oh, the smell. It hit me in a wave of nausea, copper and rotten meat rose bile in my mouth. I had half a mind to gag, but held it in, in favor of trying to stay strong. I prayed I'd never have to smell something like this again, nonetheless witness something like this. "What, the fuck," I choked out, eyes wide in horror and disgust. As my voice softly rang out in the cave, I overheard a small whimper, followed by a quiet shushing. My eyes snapped over to a small group in the corner of the cave. One older girl, as well as three younger children, one a boy, the other two were girls. My heart grew heavy with grief at the sight of their terrified, shaking forms. They stared at me with wide eyes shrouded in fear, terrified for their lives, and rightly so.
I tried to look like I relaxed in order to appear less threatening, wielding a sword and all, as I gently called out to them. "Hello? It's okay, I won't hurt you. I'm here to save you, okay?" The younger ones clutched onto the older girl, who hugged them protectively. They showed no signs of relenting, so I knew I had to do more. Fuck, I wish Tanjiro was here, maybe he'd know how to talk to these kids...
"Hey, hey, it's gonna be okay! I'm sorry for your suffering, but I'll kick this demon's butt and then take you all home to your families, okay?" I reassured them, watching as they relaxed for a moment before tensing again. Not a good sign, and it probably meant the demon was back.
Whipping around, sword gripped tightly in my hands, I glared at the demon in front of me, licking his lips. "Oh my, surely I'm going to have quite the feast tonight~" he salivated, chuckling as he wiped his mouth. I cringed and wasted no time in rushing at the demon, pulling my sword back. 'First Form: Water Surface Slash!' I swung, the visuals of water flowing around my sword and behind me as I lunged at the demon, only to slash off a chunk of his shoulder as he leapt to the side. He howled in pain and grit his teeth as he gripped his bleeding shoulder. I would've snorted, had it not been for the anxiety bubbling in my stomach.
"What a baby for a demon, I only cut off your shoulder, and you're already in tears?" I taunted with a cold expression. He snarled at me and I gave a low smile. "Did you not expect to be caught? I mean, given you're in a cave...But-" I lunged again, positioning my sword at my side. 'First Form: Water Surface Slash!' "-you're sloppy!" I swung again, figuring this would finish him off since he reacted so slow. But I suppose I was wrong, as I entirely missed. Right when my sword was about to touch him, he suddenly disappeared.
"Wha- what the fuck?! Where are you, you little shit?" I growled in annoyance, looking around frantically. When I looked up, I groaned as I spotted the demon up on the ceiling of the cave, crawling like an oversized spider. I shivered, feeling disturbed at the sight. But I've seen worse, I suppose.
"Motherfucker," I hissed before glancing onto the ground for a moment before turning back up and pulling my legs back, springing myself up and pulling my sword back, aiming straight for the demons neck. 'Seventh Form: Piercing Rain Drop!'
He let out a screech as he moved a bit too late, allowing/ me to stab right through his neck. I held onto my sword as it got stuck on the ceiling, effectively trapping the demon. "Well, I need to completely slice your head off and you're not dead yet, so I guess you're stuck here until my sword drops," I clicked my tongue before letting go of the handle, safely landing on the floor and watching as he tried to grab at the sword to rip it from his neck, only to growl in pain as the blade sliced his hands. His arms couldn't bend all the way back, plus, even if he could, the sword was stuck to the ceiling pretty good. I think the only way he'd be able to get free is by ripping his neck out, or maybe even sliding down the sword and hoping his weight can loosen the sword from the cave.
Turning back to the kids, their eyes were glued to the ceiling, eyes wide with fear as the demon writhed and grunted. "He won't be getting down anytime soon, really," I said softly, drawing their attention. The only teenage girl swallowed nervously and shakily said, "W-wh, how did you...how did you do th-that?" "I'm a demon slayer," I replied. Her eyes widened at that, most likely disbelieving, but judging by how her demeanor relaxed, I assumed she remembered that she literally was kidnapped by a demon. "I kill demons, and along the way, I try to save people. That's what my job is. You'll be fine now, so don't worry, okay?" I then smiled warmly at the other three kids, who stopped shaking as I spoke.
"Are any of you hurt?" I asked, making sure to keep my distance as I didn't want to alarm them. "N-no," one of the children spoke up, to my surprise. It was a girl, who looked a bit older than the other two. I breathed out a sigh of relief before I turned to them with a worried expression. "Can you tell me what happened? How did you all get here?"
The teenager sighed, her voice cracking as she recalled what happened. "My name is Sayuri. I was taken this night, I don't know how. One moment, I was sleeping in my futon, and the next, I woke up to find myself on the ground in this cave. Nozomi-chan here," she said, looking down at a small girl with short, black hair who held onto her yukata. "-Was alone before I arrived. The other two, Miko-chan and Nagato-kun, arrived this night. And then you came."
I nodded before realizing, "Nozomi, you said? Is that your name, honey?" I said gently to the small girl, who hesitated before shyly nodding. "You've been here for a day already, right?" Her eyes widened before she replied, "H-how did you know that?" I smiled, closing my eyes. "Your brother, Tobi-san, he's relying on me to bring you home. All of you, you're going home tonight."
Their eyes lit up with hope, tears springing to Sayuri's eyes at the thought of living another night after the pile of corpses just a few ways away from them blatantly showing what was going to happen to them, had I not showed up.
"Now, I guess I should get rid of that demon before anything. As soon as I kill that guy, we should be ejected right out of this cave," I smiled confidently, giving them a determined nod before turning back to the problem at hand. To my surprise, the demon was limply hanging from the sword embedded in the rock, as if he had given up.
My eyes narrowed. No way this mufucka had simply 'given up'. Whatever that bitch was doing, I'm gonna slaughter his ass.
...To be continued...