A/N: This chapter has several perspectives that interlap with each other. I hope it's still clear to read, though. Heishi means soldier in Japanese.
THE UMBRELLA MAN bruh, is he human he's not human everyone
re:spectacularratmonkey
likes 15,894 y r the sensors not working?shouldnt they detect it
the fuck is the cops re:magmisha re:ak1N_e
Wait, are those tattoos of feathers on his shoulders
LIVE-STREAMING FROM SANOE PARK do you think he'll attack
TRENDING ON SPEEDO
if you push him in the sun, will he die
holy crap
The watch blinking violently on her wrist, Shinobu ran down the sidewalk next to the hospital highway. An emergency vehicle zoomed past her, and the sirens wailed in the air. The wheels of the suitcase she was pulling beside her bumped loudly against the concrete.
A thousand kilometers away from her, Kyojuro ran down the platform. A commotion occurred in front of him, and he jumped nimbly on the railing. The roll call Tengen was conducting echoed in his head.
"Himejima."
"Copy, Himejima."
"Iguro."
"Copy, Iguro."
At that name, Kyojuro's eyes darted on his watch. The coordinates under the snake hashira were changing, but he was still within his region. The flame hashira's eyes rose back up. Treacherous relief shone in them.
"Kochou."
"Copy, Kochou," Shinobu called back, swiveling to a rough stop in the middle of the sidewalk. Placing her hand on the top of the guardrail, she leaned down. The city dropped below with a dizzying height.
"Alright, everyone's set," she heard Tengen announce in her speaker. "Beginning the report."
Despite the vehicles and bridges slicing the air across, there was a clear trajectory to the city's depths. Shinobu turned around and crouched down, pulling the suitcase to herself.
"Around six forty-seven this morning, a demon with an umbrella walked out to the central square of Sanoe Park and stood there like a tree stump until he began trending on social media." The sound hashira did not stop for dramatic emphasis. "He was identified as AB-4527, the same bastard from the sewage system."
One half of the mind focusing on Tengen, Shinobu turned the suitcase on its side and typed in the combination into the lock. 2491, the year of Kanae's death.
The platform was expanding slowly, transitioning into a wider, fuller area. As he passed the arch-like entrance, Kyojuro glimpsed upwards. The words on the entryway read Sanoe Park.
"First of all, why aren't the sensors detecting him? Crows?"
The green, specially planted trees contrasted starkly with the skyscrapers towering around them. The alleys were adorned with flowers, laid out in an intricate, colorful design. Kyojuro maneuvered around the pedestrians, too quick for them to notice. His senses were already rearranging themselves, preparing for a battle, but he forced himself to listen to the information streaming in his head.
"Because they're turned off." Kanzaburo's voice rattled within the speaker. "All the sensors within a ten-meter radius from him are deactivated."
Kyojur's eyes shot at the lampposts, where the cameras and detectors were typically installed. Were they really switched off?
Shinobu gritted her teeth and pushed the button. The fastener easily gave way, and the lock clicked open.
"What do you mean deactivated?" The static trembled when Sanemi growled. Lifting the lid, Shinobu mentally agreed with him. The blade of her sword rested softly in the velvet, the hilt protruding as one of the handles of the suitcase.
"I'm trying to access them right now. I'm being blocked."
"They were hacked?"
"A third party?" Muichiro called out absently.
"Nevermind that. We're leaving it to the Crows," Tengen declared. "Second. How are we going to dispose of him?"
Kyojuro pivoted around the corner. The central square stretched out before him, and a demonic scent filled his nostrils.
"What's the point in the question?" Obanai's voice was drier than usual. "Isn't it obvious?"
"If we provoke the demon, he may start attacking the people around him," Gyomei's soft, worried intonations rang in Shinobu's ear. She could almost imagine him, standing with one hand pressed to his ear to block out the overwhelming traffic in his section of the district. Pressing her lips together, Shinobu took out the belt from the suitcase and wrapped it around her waist. "I think it's safe to assume on our part that AB-4527 is able to maneuver while holding an umbrella."
Kyojuro stopped behind an advertisement column, the paper ruffling against his back. Carefully, he glanced out.
The plaza was spacious and almost bare. A monument stood in the center, and benches were placed around the sides so that people could admire the construction. A crowd was clustered next to the monument, and Kyojuro perceived the recording cameras. He suppressed the frustration rising in his throat. Damn them all.
"No official network is covering it," Mitsuri added in concern. She was speaking louder than usual. Stepping away from the column, Kyojuro frowned. Was Mitsu also in a loud place? His eyes automatically scanned the plaza, but he didn't see his partner.
"The authorities don't want to admit the fact that they have a demon in an Upper Level." Tengen smirked into the speaker, but his tone was tight. "That would upend the entire structure of the security."
Next to the highway, Shinobu slipped the medical flasks into the belt holders and glanced at her watch. The comments underneath the random social media platform she was on continued popping up, but they couldn't hide the demon's absent expression, as if he had no idea what was going on. Shinobu suppressed the disdain in her mouth as she slid her hands through arm gloves, syringes tucked inside. She was positive the demon had every shred of understanding that he was being watched and was secretly enjoying it.
"We have two priorities right now. The first one is to clear the area of citizens, as discreetly and unflashy as possible. The second is to get rid of the demon."
Hand on the hilt, Kyojuro pushed past the excited people. Ignoring the grumbling that he blocked someone's recording view, he stopped next to a high schooler, too busy trying to catch the umbrella man to notice the hashira.
"I'm mobilizing the demon slayers in the area right now," a high-pitched voice entered the conversation, and Shinobu discerned the active typing of the keyboard. It was Urara.
Kyojuro gazed silently at the demon several meters away. He looked exactly like he did in the image they've recreated. A young face with a straight nose and grey, cold eyes. The steel, blue hair was tied in a messy bun. Tattooed feathers wrapped around his shoulders. Eyes fixed on the demon, Kyojuro covered his mouth with his hand to avoid being heard.
"I don't see how they can do that without dragging attention."
Shinobu cupped her ears to eradicate noise in order to hear Rengoku. The flame hashira's usual voice was quiet and cautious. The young woman's eyes darted on her watch. The coordinates for Rengoku showed one meter away from the demon. Shinobu felt a shiver run down her spine, but she knew it was a pointless emotion. Suppressing the nervousness, she reached out into her suitcase and roughly yanked out the med kit.
"There's a crowd forming around the demon. It's not long before the provocations begin from there."
Not surprised, the insect hashira fastened the kit over her right hip. She closed the suitcase and stood up. The wind from the speeding vehicles wrapped around her figure, but she wasn't cold.
"There's another matter," Shinobu spoke up for the first time after the roll call. "I want—"
A black-and-white football rolled up to the demon's feet. The entire crowd went silent.
The demon blinked. Slowly, he bent his leg, lifting it up slightly. The claws sank carefully into the football. Just as carefully, the demon lifted his leg back up, holding the football mid-air.
Kyojuro tensed, thumb nudging the blade from underneath the sheath, but remained motionless. He couldn't provoke the demon. The crowd seemed to hold its breath as well, anticipating what the demon would do. Suddenly, Kyojuro heard a small cry somewhere from the side. His eyes darted in the direction of the noise, and his heart nearly stopped.
A small child, five to six years old, ran into the center of the plaza. He stopped worriedly in front of the demon, even though he probably didn't even understand what was in front of him. Eyes red and puffy, stuttering, the boy stretched out his arms.
"Heishi-san? Heishi-san? Can I have my ball back?"
The demon's eyes lowered on the boy. His eyebrow arched slowly. The boy swallowed, arms trembling.
"Heishi-san, can you give me my ball back?"
The demon gazed at the child. His eyes rose, right at Kyojuro. For the first time, the hashira noticed a speaker inside the demon's ear, just like the one he had at this moment.
Kyojuro lunged forward, the blade sliding out of the sheath. He didn't hear Urara's scream in the speaker. All he felt was the adrenaline, warm like fire, enveloping him from the inside.
The demon tilted his head and grinned.
His skin glimmered, becoming translucent. The ball and umbrella dropped on the ground, not being held by anything, but the creature was undisturbed by the sunlight. Tucking his hands into pockets, the demon continued grinning while he flickered away. Skidding in front of the child, Kyojuro glared back at him.
The last bits of him disappearing, the lips fell slowly down. The demon vanished, and the hashira stared at the monument in front of him.
Kyojuro didn't hear the terrified shouts and the loud scurrying of footsteps of the people behind him. His brain was working actively, connecting the dots in the half-missing puzzle.
The demon just converted himself into a hologram and disappeared. He stood three and a half hours only to gather a crowd around himself, bring forward a demon slayer, and run away. Why?
Why?
"Rengoku-san!" The shout came from two opposite directions, one was from the speaker and the other was from outside. Kyojuro relaxed his frame and, stepping forward, took the football.
"One moment," he tossed to the demon slayer who ran up to him. That one nodded and paused at a respectful distance. Kyojuro turned around and handed the child his ball.
"You alright?" He asked, his intonation naturally reverting to become amiable. Eyes wide and glassy, the boy took the ball and shook his head in confirmation.
"Th-thank you so much."
Kyojuro gave him a wide smile, not at all correlating to his words. "Go find your mother and leave the park. It's not safe here."
The kid nodded again and, after a small glance to where the demon was, ran away. Smile dropping from his face, Kyojuro turned to the demon slayer. The young man, perhaps Tanjiro's age, stepped forward and squared his shoulders.
"Calm down the public and, if possible, isolate the area," Kyojuro ordered briefly, eyes scanning the plaza. He had no idea what the demon was planning, but for some reason, he doubted that it would reappear here. The demon slayer nodded.
"Yes, sir."
As the young man hurried away, Kyojuro brought his palm to his face, covering the fact that he was speaking.
"Rengoku here. Did you see what happened?"
Staring at the airway traffic, Shinobu listened to her colleague's stiff voice. The live streaming was still continuing on her watch, which focused on the slayers shooing the onlookers away. The wind scattered around her butterfly clip.
"Yeah." It was Tengen. "Crows, did you catch something?"
"We did, indeed." Shinobu recognized Tengen's crow, Nijmaru. "The sensors are back on. Whatever firewall was in place is gone."
"I'm trying to track down the hacker," Kanzaburo reported tensely, the keyboard taps ringing in the speaker. He'll probably send Sabito, Shinobu thought. The insect hashira glanced down at her watch, flipping to the screen where all the hashiras were listed. She scrolled down to the name of a person who was in the meeting, but has been silent all this time. Her heart tightened.
"I have no hesitation that the demon will reappear," Tengen continued speaking. "Even if it is in holographic form, we can't have him bouncing around the city. That's uncool."
"Dispatching patrols should do the magic," Nijimaru noted. His voice was muffled; the crow was likely communicating with other demon slayers and crows, resulting in a weaker connection. Shinobu heard Tengen hum in agreement. She straightened out and cleared her voice. She never finished her thought when Rengoku got attacked.
"If I may, Uzui-san. I have a theory about AB-4527's actions."
On the other side of the speaker, Kyojuro stilled. He could've guessed that Shinobu would be the one to arrive at the answer, but it didn't lessen the anticipation. Pressing his hand to his ear, he watched the crowd dispersing slowly.
"AB-4527 and the blood demon are interconnected with each other. Last time, AB-4527 served as a distraction to allow the blood demon to exploit the inexperience of our lower-ranking demon slayers." Kyojuro heard Shinobu take a breath. "It might be the same this time. AB-4527's maneuvers are just a stage performance to conceal his partner."
Kyojuro frowned, looking at the place where the demon just stood. Gathering a crowd, relocating somewhere else... it did seem like a PR-move. Kyojuro rubbed his forehead and smirked softly. That was one neat way to trick him. Judging by Tengen's laughter, he understood that as well.
"I see. Nice one, Kochou."
"Don't get carried away, Uzui," Sanemi interrupted roughly. "If what Kochou says is valid and all of this is just a fucking cancan show, let's split up into groups. Tomioka and Kochou look out for the blood demon. You and your girls take over public safety. The rest minus Kanroji disperse over the city to get that motherfucker."
"That all sounds good," Mitsuri said anxiously. "But how will we know where the demon will appear—"
"The sensors are shut down!" Urara shouted into the speakers. "I repeat, the sensors are being shut down! Kaunan District, ten degrees north, seventy degrees west!"
Her hand flew to the handle of the suitcase, and the insect hashira yanked out the katana. Ten degrees north, seventy degrees west. That was a meter away.
Shinobu whirled around, the blade slicing through the air.
No one was there. The sidewalk was absolutely empty.
"Yoashi Ward, nineteen and forty-three degrees north and one hundred and sixty-eight and six degrees west!"
"What the hell, Urara?" Kanzaburo shouted in frustration. "There are no demons there!"
"It's what shows up in my system," Urara bawled into the speakers. "I'm telling you, several sensors are shutting off! The next coordinates are next to Kanroji-san."
"Kanroji is in a mall in the Wisteria District," Obanai spoke caustically. "No demon will ever dare to breach the Wisteria District. Right, Kanroji? Kanroji?"
The wisteria shone through the glass, bringing the white cosmetics section a purple glow. It gave the demon's hair a darker shade.
Mitsuri stared at the demon, who tapped her shoulder a few seconds ago to catch her attention. Her wound twitched underneath her clothes, reacting psychologically to the proximity of the creature that created it. She heard Obanai's voice breaking through her speaker, but she couldn't reply. Mitsuri opened her mouth, but closed it again, not knowing what to say. The demon waited patiently, and she felt her neck becoming red.
"How?" She finally croaked out. Dammit, that was not what she wanted to ask at all, that wasn't what mattered...
All this time, the demon had been following the small changes in her expression carefully with her eyes. Hearing her question, he nodded in understanding and pointed on the wall.
"The AC," he replied. Mitsuri's knees went numb from the familiar, deep voice. Trying to hide her paralysis, her eyes traced cautiously to where he was pointing. The air conditioning box was fixed right underneath the ceiling, the fan rotating evenly behind the cage. The realization hit her like an electric shock; the cosmetic department filtered out the traditional smell of wisteria so as not to interfere with their products.
Mitsuri bit her lip and looked back at the demon. Up close, she saw that the corners of his mouth were lifted in a sarcastic, condescending smile. Mitsuri clenched her fingers, controlling her anger.
Her eyes darted around the mall. She couldn't fight him, not here; even if she did have the strength, she couldn't risk the lives of so many people around her.
"What do you want?"
The demon wordlessly took his hand out of his pocket. A nail polish bottle was nudged in between his talons.
"I just bought it. As thanks for not killing me."
Mitsuri felt the bottle touch her outstretched palm softly. She stared at the demon, simultaneously trying to understand what in the world he just said and discern the strained feeling inside her gut. Nail polish. She heard something about it before.
The demon outstretched his hand and snapped his talons together.
ATTENTION ATTENTION. DEMON SPOTTED IN AREA. PLEASE REMAIN CALM. ATTENTION ATTENTION. DEMON SPOTTED IN THE AREA—"
The building ignited red. The demon launched forward, jumping over Mitsuri's head and out of the open-floored cosmetics department. The wings burst behind his back. He skidded across the air right next to the glass ceiling. Not stopping at any moment, he outstretched his arm, and the glass shattered against his talons. The people below screamed, running and pushing against each other from the shower of glass that flooded on top of them. Cursing herself for her carelessness, Mitsuri tossed the flask of nail polish away. Running out of the store, she turned her head frantically, trying to find a springboard. A couple was sitting behind a coffee table, too shocked to move. Mitsuri raced up to them and, stepping up on the edge of the guy's chair, leaped into the air.
Her vision nearly went black from the shooting pain in her abdomen, but she bit through her lips. The salt from her blood refreshed her, and she crashed right into the demon.
Rooting her heel into his stomach, Mitsuri gripped him by the neck and punched him in the eye. Even if she didn't have her sword, she could disorient him somewhat until the others arrive—
"Honestly."
Blood, triggered by the scent of wisteria wafting from the broken ceiling, was dripping from his nose and into the mouth. His eye, filled with irritation and contempt, pierced right through her.
"I really jinxed it."
With lightning speed, he bent his legs and dug his claws into her hips. His hands landed on her arms and yanked her away with frightening force, force that Mitsuri didn't imagine he'd have.
The demon rotated around and thrust her down before she could process anything. The scream knocked out of her chest, Mitsuri collided into several stands. Agony ripped all across her stomach, and her shirt became damp and sticky, and she was gulping air like a fish tossed on a bank, and sweat, cold and stupefying, oozed down her neck. Running people trampled over her limp palm and fingers, and burning tears welled in the tips of her eyes. Why? She was trying so hard to protect them. It was so unfair, her weakness, his ridiculous power, and their infuriating indifference... Mitsuri rasped, trying not to choke. Her eyes stared into the air where the demon was hovering. Was it her bad eyesight or did he actually begin to disappear? Her gasps increased.
No... come back, you uncool piece of trash... she should finish him up, before he appears elsewhere and threatens her friends... after all, she is the only other AB apart from Kyojuro-san...
"Mitsuri? Mitsuri?"
Blinking away the darkness, Mitsuri gazed up at the man cradling her in his arms. Her eyebrows crept slowly upwards in confusion, wondering how he was able to arrive so quickly.
"I should've... caught him earlier..."
Eyes closed, Obanai pressed his forehead to hers, effectively shushing her down. The tears rolled down her cheeks. Mitsuri turned her head towards his coat, feeling destroyed and glad. The watch radiated on her wrist, indicating that another sensor was ticked off.
BREAKING NEWS: DEMON ON THE LOOSE IN THE UPPER LEVEL
A Grin from the Umbrella - Did Demons Finally Find A Way to Breach the Top?
The Failure of The Demon Slayer Corps: Why The System Finally Cracked?
Tengen stood motionlessly on top of the skyscraper, the jeweled eye patch blinking in the setting sun.
TATTOOED SHOULDERS; BLUE HAIR; CLAWS
Gyomei guided the traffic, clearing the lanes. His large and calming aura suppressed the panic of the vehicles. Muichiro was several kilometers away, sitting on a rooftop with his hand on top of his hilt.
PLEASE STAY AT HOME. DEMON THREAT. PLEASE STAY AT HOME. DEMO—
"It is interesting," Kanzaburo said quietly. The old crow was standing on the balcony outside his office. He had lifted his mask to his forehead, giving a rest to the swollen and veiny eyes. They passed wearily over the darkening sky.
"What is?" Giyuu replied just as quietly. His back was towards the city, and his elbows leaned over the railing. Kanzaburo glanced at the demon slayer. His face was impassive, like always, but if the crow had to guess, he would assume that the hashira was very strained.
Sanemi was on the other end of the district, following the variations of the sensors. All Giyuu had to do was wait for Shinobu's instructions regarding the blood demon. If anything came up at all, that is.
what are they thinking in the corps?
what the hell does that demon want
we r screwed when night comes
The stench permeated through her nose and swirled inside her head. Shinobu opened her eyes slowly. The watch was lying on the makeshift table they dragged into the sewers. She was unable to look at any more news.
Leaning forward on the chair, the insect hashira gazed with red-shot eyes at the monitors which displayed the activity within the blood pool.
Tracker position: 0.012m from center. Speed 5 x 10-14 km/hr
Kyojuro walked out on the main square of the park.
There were a total of one hundred and sixty two sensor malfunctions. Sometimes they stopped working, other times they wouldn't detect a demon, and there were instances when they announced a threat when there were none actually. The demon materialized seventy-times, or around forty-five percent of the total failures, but the hashiras ended up chasing each instance.
The place was completely empty. The lamplights shined brightly against the night sky. The rushing of the fountains filled the air. Kyojuro inhaled slowly, savoring the fresh dampness that came from wet concrete.
what do you think he wants
... it's a demon
"All the times he appeared," Kanzaburo said slowly, interweaving his fingers. "He never interacted with a demon slayer, let alone a hashira. The only one was Mitsuri-san. He would linger around for ten, fifteen minutes, get some sort of reaction from the surrounding people and disappear."
"He's probably waiting for a complete nightfall." The sun set ten minutes ago. Giyuu glimpsed at the crow. "What did you get with the sensors?"
Nothing. The hashira tensed, hearing Sabito's voice in his head. He completely forgot that the AutCo slip that allowed his friend to connect to his nerves was still attached to his neck.
There's a firewall across all the detectors. I don't recognize it at all.
"The crows tried everything they could too," Kanzaburo added. Giyuu looked at him. Sabito must've connected simultaneously with him as well. "We can't crack it."
Giyuu narrowed his eyes.
"Do you think the hacker is working for the demons?"
"Most likely."
they're finally airing it on the news now. Do you think they will kill it?
It was funny how after twelve hours, he ended up back in the park. Kyojuro gazed into the water, the droplets drizzling onto his face.
His watch blinked, indicating that the sensors in the area had turned off. Kyojuro gripped the hilt, fighting the exhaustion accumulated after the strain of chasing nonexistent signs all day. Gathering his willpower into a fist, the hashira squared his shoulders and looked up.
The demon was standing on the opposite side of the fountain, the features distorted by water.
Tracker position: 0.013m from cent— 0.014, 0.015, 0.205, 0.456, 1.596, 7.860...
Shinobu straightened abruptly in her chair. The numbers kept on increasing, the tracker moving further and further away from the center of the pool. Shinobu wasn't even sure if the tracker was in the chamber at all now.
Her eyes darted at the speed value. It glimmered at a stable 9 x 10-4 km/hr. It was the rate of blood circulation.
Knocking over the chair as she jumped up, Shinobu raced into the blood chamber. Hitting her shoulder over the edge of the hole, she skidded to the stop and stared at the shimmering blood pool in front of her.
Streaming in between the cracks, veins dipped right into the red liquid, sucking it out. Shinobu felt the pressure in her temples, both from excitement and dread.
Her fingers pressed lightly on the speaker.
"Giyuu. The blood demon is behind everything. We were right."
A/N: Hi guys! Honestly, this was super fun to write, so I hope you've enjoyed it!
Thank you all so much for the reading this story! Feedback means a lot to me... even if it's just the knowledge that this is being read :) (tho everything else is also very appreciated XD) See you all next week!
Edit: I just noticed that I had a formatting error (*cries*). Basically, the last page break was in the wrong position, it cut the final part of Mitsuri's scene by mashing it with the BREAKING NEWS portion. I fixed it now, if you didn't catch it, I'm so glad, if you did, I hope it makes more sense now! I'm so sorry for this!
