Due to Shinobu actively hunting other demons in her current area, she decides to rest for the night since the more she expands her energy, the faster she will starve.
"You've become less annoying recently. What's gotten into you?"
Shinobu curiously asked the demon she has no choice but to exist because for an unknown reason, it was bound to her body. The demon had done nothing but taunt her and persuade her into eating humans but these past few days, the voice had behaved.
Nothing in particular...
"Are you angry that you saved Kanao even if you almost lost your head to her before?"
You asked me to save her...
"But oddly enough, you listened to my request"
The demon couldn't explain to why despite being in control three days ago, it listened to Shinobu's request and saved the two without harming them.
"It doesn't really matter. As long as you're not being annoying, I wouldn't care about your reason"
Cold as always to me, huh. It just shows how being a demon only made you hate demons even more
"I never asked to be a demon. I never asked to be a man-eating monster that killed my family"
Still with the immense hatred, huh. I wish you'd calm down even for just five minutes. You're always angry
Shinobu wipes the clean colorless blade, speaking out her hatred towards demons and becoming one herself. The disembodied voice had gotten used to Shinobu's deep and rooted hatred but it wished she would say something other than hating her own existence.
"You're the one to talk. You've been angry recently as well. I'm not sure why but I can sense you're angry since you're inside my head"
I'm angry at the crazy demon doctor who forced me to merge with you
"A crazy demon doctor?"
One of that man's demon pets. He is a demon doctor who uses corpses like his playthings, yours included
"So this doctor is the reason I'm like this know?"
Correct. While you were on the verge of death and me weakened from having to deal with three Pillars at once...he used the opportunity and tricked me
The demon gritted its teeth, fangs laid bare and seething with immense anger. It's no doubt that this demon desired revenge against another demon.
He transplanted both my blood and some of my parts into your dying body
"...?!"
Surely you should remember since you were still conscious while you were dying...
Shinobu widened her eyes, having a vague recollection of the events which lead to her supposed death. She was dying from her mortal wounds and blood loss, her body motionless on the ground and her consciousness fading away.
[The Insect Pillar. She will do...she will do...and I can use that brat since she's weakened now...]
Before Shinobu's consciousness slips away, she heard a faint voice laughing in amusement and someone else choking and mumbling incoherent but furious sounding words.
He basically transplanted me into you which is why you became a demon and me becoming this. A demon with no body but just a voice inside someone
"Where is this demon now?"
Shinobu's anger seethed much more than the demon itself. If the unknown demon doctor is the cause of her body turning into a demon then it's only natural she would see revenge for her cursed life.
"I would like to give him a piece of my mind"
Like the hell I know! I want to find him too for some damn payback but he does nothing but hide!
"I see. Then it seems both of us wants revenge. You for losing your body and me for losing my humanity"
Shinobu sat back down but she still remained furious and seeking revenge against the one responsible for "bringing her back from the dead".
Hahahaha. Would you look at that? For once we both have the same thing in mind
"..."
Shinobu, that asshole experimented on demon slayer corpses. Before we could get him, we have to fight people like you. Demon slayers that have been turned into demons. You're going to fight swordsmen with demon abilities
The demon within Shinobu warned her about the kind of opponents they're going to face in the future.
You're a new demon while I'm already two hundred years old. You're only strong because we're basically merged but you're weak right now since you won't eat humans
"I will never eat humans again"
I know that, okay? What I'm trying to say is if you want payback then you better learn to co-exist with me
"..." Shinobu is clearly skeptical
You can't even fight a normal demon swordsman by yourself! I'm the one who whooped his ass
Shinobu clenched her fists since what the demon said is true. She can't handle the likes of demon swordsman by herself since she lacks arm strength when she was human. Fortunately for her, the demon merged with her is someone who is capable of using breaths.
Then at least learn to use me properly. I don't want to be the one to always take over just to save your ass. Save yourself for once, damn it!
"..." Shinobu grunted
Besides, I don't want to be the one to save your tsuguko next time. That kid is still making me angry just by existing. I almost lost my head to her while I was dealing with the Flame Pillar and Sound Pillar
"..."
Also you have to face her and those other brats sooner or later. That boy with a good nose will figure your out by your scent and the Love Pillar already saw you
"I can't let them see me like this...a demon, especially Kanao..."
Shinobu is afraid to reveal herself because she was once a demon slayer and seeing a former Pillar become one of the demons is close to a form of betrayal to the corps.
I'm going to tell you this in advance. I'm not going to die by some demon slayer until I give that shitty doctor my payback and...
"And what?"
To know what the dreams I'm seeing lately mean. There was light, there was warmth, and there was someone. I was under the sun...and I was happy with someone
"You said you don't remember your human life?"
I don't. These images just pop out in my dreams. Just a fleeting dream...
The demon, still bound within Shinobu's subconsciousness, stood in the pitch black darkness. It was a girl no older than a fifteen year old by her physical age dressed in a kimono mixed with a western skirt. Right before her is a peaceful and green scenery. A mirror image of herself stood right before her, silently and blankly staring at her.
I wonder...was that me when I was human...?
The demon thought to herself while Shinobu observed her silence. Ever since gaining fragments of her past, the demon had been less active and only acts when she is needed.
"You're quiet again-"
Shinobu sensed a dreadful presence, the weight of it is enormous. It belonged to a demon of unknown strength but to her every demon is a enemy.
"...?!"
Before she could grab her sword, her whole body froze, the demon inside her restraining her every movement.
"What are you doing?!"
Ah. He actually came...
"...!"
In that instant, the demon overtook Shinobu again who briefly struggled but the demon forcibly put her out of control. With Shinobu incapacitated for now, the demon takes one deep sigh and calmly walked out.
"I never thought you'd actually pay a visit, shishou"
A demon in a dark purple kimono and six eyes crossed his arms as he ominously looked at the demon inhabiting the body of a former Pillar.
"So that's your current form. You don't seem upset with it...Akane" The demon narrowed his eyes
"I've gotten used to it and this girl is actually entertaining me"
The demon, whose name is Akane, faintly smiled at the demon whose presence can drain hope in an any swordsman.
"You're not getting soft on that vessel, are you?"
"Of course not. I have no choice but to get used to it since I'm stuck with her for the rest of my life. I'm surprised you're actually worried, Kokushibo-san"
Kokushibo examined Akane's current body but didn't speak out on what he thinks of his student's current status.
"I mean I thought you said I'm on my own now since I have to learn to be stronger by myself like the others before me"
"..."
"Are you upset that I didn't lose my head? That instead I'm stuck like this?"
"..."
"It can't be helped. I didn't choose to be stuck like this. That's why I want pay back to the geezer"
Her expression darkened when she expressed her desire for revenge for her current situation.
"That man didn't give you permission to kill the culprit"
"I know...but I want to slice up over and over again. I just really hated being tricked, shishou"
"You allowed yourself to be vulnerable"
Kokushibo is rather frank and harsh but Akane is aware of his attitude towards other demon swordsmen whom he allowed to be students.
"Akane, you can never rise to the ranks of an Upper Moon with a stubborn vessel like that. You're allowing her to be the in control"
Clearly upset, Kokushibo pointed and raised his voice for a moment. Aware of that fact, Akane looked away, angry for being reminded.
"Do not let a mere human overpower you or that body will influence your very being"
"..."
"You will lose yourself to that human. Do not ever let that happen"
"I know, I know. I won't let this girl do as she pleases all the time"
Slightly annoyed, Akane grunted since she felt like Kokushibo is saying that she will lose to a human when it comes to control over the body.
"Besides, I won't let a former Pillar influence me. This girl has deep anger issues"
"Make sure of that"
"Wait, shishou"
"What?"
"Where is the asshole going to be tomorrow night?"
"Hmph. You really want payback, huh"
Kokushibo sighed as the demon merged with a former Pillar demanded an answer, really seeking revenge.
"He's residing in Mt. Kashina. You'll find him there exposed"
Without anything else to say, Kokushibo immediately left the demon bound within a former Pillar. After the short visit had ended, Akane returned to being passive and as soon as Shinobu regained consciousness, she gasped for air and fell one knee.
"That demon..."
Shinobu clutched her chest as she felt the tremendous aura Kokushibo is emitting, a heavy pressure that could crush any weak-willed man.
"His pressure in unbelievable"
That's because he's an Upper Moon and the demon who kind of adopted me. Rather, forced to adopt me
"Adopted?"
It's a long story but during my early months as a demon, I was killing normal demon slayers when he found me. My mind back was like a lost child so I started following him like an idiot. Damn those were embarrassing times
Akane casually explains a bit of her past with Kokushibo whom she met by chance.
I was like an annoying kid and no matter how many times he told me to go away, I never left...until he finally had it and gave up and allowed me to follow him. I was still annoying him before I got stuck with you
After the short explanation, the pressure Shinobu felt hasn't fade away. It was because it was the first time she encountered with an absurd amount of strength just by the pressure it emitted. Akane is no longer fazed by it as she had followed Kokushibo for so long.
I'm no longer following him since he said I'm on my own now. That I need to develop my techniques further by myself like he did-
Akane stopped talking when she noticed Shinobu hasn't fully recovered from the brief r counter.
I can't blame you if you're like that. He has the highest rank for a reason. A level I could never reach
Sighing, the demon let Shinobu be to recover from the encounter earlier since her body is still shaking.
The following night
In a normal mission by himself. Giyuu, as usual, swiftly eliminates the demons around him with his fluid Water breathing. Though it frustrates him that no matter how many be eliminates at once, the number refuses to dwindle.
"Where are these demons coming from? Maybe these are copies of the real one"
Giyuu thought since what he's looking at is neither human or demon, just abominations that will strike anything that moves.
"Usha!"
Interrupting the battle, the the Flame Pillar made his entrance by appearing out of nowhere, jumping down from the sky. While presence of another Pillar is relieving, Giyuu doesn't look to amused with his arrival. He usually performs his mission by himself and will only team up with others if needed or ordered.
"The Flame Pillar has arrived!"
Clearing grotesque and twisted looking demons, Rengoku Kyoujoru's fiery sword cut down the fleshy puppets with little effort. What he cut down could hardly be called a demon as they were like mass of flesh clumped together and moving in complete agony.
"How are you doing, Tomioka?"
"Fine...until you came"
"Don't be like that. I'm helping you out" Kyoujuro laughed
"..."
"You were having a hard time. Luckily, I was nearby trying to find clues about the demon we talked about the other day"
With an energetic expression, the Flame Pillar swung his sword left and right, his fiery fighting spirit cutting down every demon that gets in his range.
"These things are just puppets! Where is the real demon?"
"Probably in that direction. When I try to head there, they immediately react"
Giyuu pointed in the north and without a second thought, Kyoujuro head towards that direction. Like Giyuu said, the demon puppets would immediately react to try and stop him.
"We have no time to lose. These puppets will just waste our time while the demon will get away!"
With a brief sigh, the two Pillars teamed up to clear the demons who all tried to stop them but resulted in failure. Giyuu is being stalled by the demon puppets with the arrival of Kyoujuro, they are able to plow down the horde of flesh puppets.
"...!"
The demon, sensing the two Pillars cleaving through its puppet with ease, begun retreating.
"You will not get away, evil demon!"
When Kyoujuro declared, he leaped forward and prepare to have his blade connect to the neck but...
"What?!"
In a desperate attempt to save itself, the demon created a copy which was immediately killed the flame Pillar. The demon may be inferior in direct combat but it boasts its speed and cloning ability. Through its flesh, a grotesque copy emerged like a tumor that has sprouted and immediately ripped off from the main body.
"Two Pillars! Why does it have to be two Pillars?!"
The demon molded its body, changing its form to humanoid and skinny beast with elongated arms and legs. It discarded its human form and switched to a monstrous form with exposed muscles and an animal skull-like head.
"I won't die! I won't die!"
Escaping is the only thing the demon knows but against two Pillars, it pushed its instinct to flee and survive to the limit that desperation overtook.
"I'm going after the demon!"
"Tomioka?!"
Giyuu left the remaining puppets in Kyoujuro's care as despite the numbers, the puppets are only as strong as a regular demon. The demon lacked strength but its speed is troublesome for Giyuu whose attention is fixated on decapitating it.
"Just give up, demon. I will have your head in the end!"
Giyuu declared as he jumped and tried to slash the demon but created four more copies out of itself.
"Third form: Flowing dance"
The way Giyuu side stepped and twirled as he swings his blade when the copies attacked all at once mimicked the flow of surface waves. With one attack, all four copies were quickly eliminated. While it only stalled Giyuu for at least a minute, the demon managed to gain some distance from the persistent Water Pillar.
"When I said you're not getting away, I really mean you're not getting away"
Still, Giyuu managed to pursue the demon who is beginning to exhaust itself from creating copies of itself. The more it molds new copies, the more its strength is being quickly drained and this allowed Giyuu to quickly catch up to the demon.
"Just lay down there as I cut off your head, evil demon"
The demon fell on the ground, whimpering as Giyuu slowly draws close to him, tired of demons running away when they will all die by his blade in the end.
"...?" Giyuu raised his sword but he looked above
"...!" The demon stood up and prepares to flee again
Both the demon and Giyuu looked up when a figure struck from above, swiftly cutting off the demon's right leg, causing him to stumble and his face smashing to the ground.
"It burns! What kind of slash was that?!" The demon writhed in agony
"That...is my payback, Hirokuma...you asshole"
Giyuu blinked in confusion as a girl in a kimono wearing animal mask with a familiar looking haori stood between him and the demon.
(Why do I feel something familiar?)
Even if Giyuu can only see her back, he felt an odd familiarity in the girl with an unknown sword.
"Y-y-you...! You found me"
"I promised to not kill you in exchange for your whereabouts"
"You're angry..." The demon backed away
"Of course I'm angry. You fused my blood and flesh with a human and now I'm stuck with her!"
Clearly furious and filled with killing intent, the girl with a mask slowly approached him with her sword itching to slice him everywhere but the neck.
"I'm not amused when you waited for me to be weakened enough back then. You used that opportunity and tricked me"
"Kkh! Like I'll be scared by someone like you!"
The demon's fear turned into a fighting instinct, spikes growing at his spine and his claws growing in size.
"Don't overestimate yourself, brat!"
The deformed demon lunged with fangs and claws laid bare but despite her current body, she hasn't forgotten to fight.
"I may not be as strong as an Upper Moon right now but you're forgetting who taught me how to fight!" She quickly jumped over him
"...!"
"It'd be a waste to use his technique on you so I'll use what I've been using before I met him"
While the girl clashed with the demon, Giyuu is unsure whether he should interrupt and fight them. He couldn't decide when the unknown girl appeared out of nowhere.
"Breath of the wind..."
"...?!" The demon realize what is about to happen
"Third form: Claws-purifying wind!"
The girl lifted her sword above her head and slashed vertically creating four wind blades that slashed like claws.
"I haven't forgotten how to use this breath"
"Hahaha! But you certainly have forgotten who taught you that!"
The girl lowered her guard when the demon hinted something about her past and this moment of vulnerability gave the demon enough time to charge and attempt to shred her with his claws.
"...!"
To the girl's surprise, Giyuu jumped in and slashed his arm and chest, forcing the demon Hirokuma to jump back instantly. His weakened body was quickly cut open, blood profusely spilled out.
"You..."
While the severed arm heals, the demon lunged with his other arm but the girl pushed the spaced out Giyuu and blocked his slash with her blade. Giyuu shakes his head since he lost his whole attention when he sensed familiarity with the unknown masked girl.
"You damn child!"
She kicked the girl away and blinded by rage, the demon Hirokuma switched his target to Giyuu. Faster than he was a minute before, the towering demon smacked away Giyuu who got distracted again, but the girl caught him before he could slam to a tree.
"To think you'd be distracted in the middle of a battle. This isn't like you...Tomioka-san"
"...?"
The demon disappeared the moment he threw Giyuu and the girl catching him, using the few seconds of distraction to escape from their sights.
"You know my name?"
"There's no way I'd forget it..."
Unlike while she was fighting, the girl's speech pattern and tone visibly changed and she spoke to Giyuu in a familiar and somewhat sorrowful tone.
"It was nice seeing you again. Really..."
Those were the girl's only words before she leaves to chase after the demon who shouldn't have gotten far away after expanding its energy.
"Again?"
Usually, Giyuu would either be suspicious or callous towards anyone but his instincts were calm from the moment he looked at the girl with a familiar looking haori. He blinked again, confused to what the girl meant by "again".
"Tomioka, I have arrived! Where's the demon!" The Flame Pillar shouted, his uniform covered in demon blood
"...he threw me against a tree and escaped..." Giyuu lied
"Are you hurt?"
Kyoujuro reached out his hand and Giyuu accepted, helping the Water Pillar stand up again.
"I just broke a few bones in my leg. I couldn't go after him" Giyuu lied again
"It's fine. It's better than losing your whole leg!"
Giyuu massaged his leg and sighed, unable to inform his fellow Pillar that a certain someone had interrupted the fight and chased after the demon be was fighting with Kyoujuro.
"Have I met her before?" Giyuu muttered to himself
"What was that?"
"Nothing..."
Giyuu shakes his head, trying to forget about the familiar-looking girl who sort of saved him and spoke as if they knew each other. He doesn't even know if she was a human or demon since she used a sword and can use Breath of the Wind.