"Look at you, Daichi-kun! A Hashira!"
"You are one too." He pointedly reminded her of the obvious. They had recently slain a Lower Moon One together on a joint mission. It also happened to be the fiftieth Demon that Daichi had slain. Either way, they both met the requirements to be a Hashira and there were empty slots available, so they were placed into the positions.
It's been a few years. They are now a lot closer as friends or well, maybe getting somewhere that is slowly encroaching the boundaries of more than just friends. For her, at least. She isn't sure if Daichi's one-track mind had actually picked up the subtle clues she had given him. She's a little confused about his actions. On one hand he acted like everything between them is normal but on the other hand he did things like giving her the beautiful haori that she is now wearing, the one that makes her look like a butterfly with the wing patterns sewn on it.
She sighed, why had she fallen for such a man with a sharp mouth paired with a soft heart?
Daichi is an exemplary Demon Slayer. He has the drive and skills to push himself to his limits and break through them. He takes his duties seriously. He even created an entirely new Breath Style to better accommodate his fighting style and named it the Breath of Earth. Unlike Himejima and his Breath of Stone that focuses on brute strength, Daichi's Breath of Earth is a lot more fluid and focuses on wearing his opponents down through cuts and slashes and also locking them in place with his chain. His fights are not as direct as Himejima's but that does not make him any less dangerous.
He is now the Earth Hashira, Sekai Daichi. She is now the Flower Hashira, Kocho Kanae.
She held a hand up to him, palm facing up. He looked at it, sighed, and then placed a small cloth bag smaller than the size of her palm into her hand.
"Thanks for giving me the good luck charm!"
"It's only wisteria flowers. You can get them anywhere from here." He gestured to the large number of wisteria flowers planted around the Corps HQ, easily visible from where they are at. It's their little tradition for her to bug him to gather some wisteria flowers for her and place them in a small cloth bag, claiming that she needs her good luck charm. He will grumble a little every time she requests for it but he still does it anyway.
This really brings her back to when he first gave her some wisteria flowers to ward off the Demons.
"It's different if it comes from you, and an ojou-sama needs to be pampered!" She smiled as she said those words in a childish manner, walking alongside him. Now that they are both Hashiras, it's likely that it will be rare for them to go on the same missions together. That still didn't stop them from spending more and more time together when they are free.
"A spoiled ojou-sama indeed."
"And what a grouchy old man you are. You need to smile a little more, Daichi-kun! See?" She tiptoed and pulled at his cheeks with her fingers to pull his lips into a smile, only to quickly duck when his hand tried to swat her away.
"Daichi-kun~" She called after his departing figure when he grumbled something inaudibly under his breath and she quickly caught up to him, her smile still on her face. "Wait up! Don't leave your ojou-sama behind! It's bad manners to do so!"
"Do I look like I care about manners?"
"Hmm? Are you going to train again?" She asked when she recognised the route they are taking. They are heading to his favourite training spot whenever he has some time off and is training in the HQ.
"Yes. I told you, I'm going to be the strongest Demon Slayer there ever will be. If you decide to be a Demon Slayer-"
"-then slay Demons. If you decide to defeat a Demon, then defeat it. Once you decide to win, then win, whatever the cost. Yes, yes, I know." She dismissed it with a casual wave of her hand, having heard it too many times for her to keep count.
"Doesn't sound like you understand it."
"You need to loosen up a little. Life is a lot more than just killing Demons all day long! Smile!" She said with her hands outstretched and stood in front of him. He simply walked around her without a change in his stoic facial expression. She quickly ran after him once more to chatter his ears off.
"Daichi-kun~ Don't be so cold! At this rate people would have mistaken you to be a practitioner of a Breath of Ice or something! Ah, maybe you've been spending too much time with Tomioka-san? The way you two ignore people are really alike! I know! You two can invent a Breath of Ice together! Water plus Earth equals Ice!"
"It makes no sense."
"I'm an ojou-sama! My words make sense!"
They had reached the isolated spot where Daichi often trains himself in. Her eyes caught where his hands were moving and she quickly leapt backwards to draw her blade, blocking the sickle coming her way in time. Sneaky.
"Now that's not very polite, Daichi-kun~"
"If you have so much energy to talk non-stop then you have the energy to train." He grunted as he swung the weighted end of his kusarigama at her this time. She dodged it and watched as the weapon blew a huge crater on the ground where she was standing.
"That could have killed me if it hit, you know?" She said with a sweet smile on her face as she dashed in and rapidly thrusted her sword at him which he deflected. "How could you do this to your ojou-sama?"
"Somebody has to make the spoiled ojou-sama do some work and get people to stop pampering her. Guess who volunteered for the job?" He replied as he did another powerful smash of the weighted end of his weapon and forced her to leap back to gain some distance. Fighting at a distance against Daichi puts her at a disadvantage because of the longer reach of his weapon, but fighting him up close is also dangerous thanks to his sickle. He's the most troublesome opponent indeed.
"But I'm such a delicate flower!" She said with a happy tone as she used her Fourth Form: Crimson Hanagoromo and did a series of slashes with curves and twists, forcing him to be on the defensive. "How could you bear to stomp such a pretty and delicate flower like me into the dirt? How cruel of you, Daichi-kun! This ojou-sama is so disappointed in you!"
"Delicate? You sure?" He scoffed as his sickle came right at her and nearly slashed across her face if she didn't use her Sixth Form: Whirling Peach to parry it in time and unleash her own counterattack at the same time. As she had expected, he blocked it.
"Ah, so you are not denying the pretty part? I knew it! You find this ojou-sama pretty!" She said with a laugh, her heart and body feeling lighter as she picked up the unspoken message in his words. He didn't reply as he unleashed his next attack by closing the distance, the iron weight spinning in a powerful circular motion in his right hand and the sickle in his left.
She took the opportunity and pressed on with her attack, both verbally and literally. Her sword is continuing to slash at him with a flurry of slashes in a rapid and fluid motion. His chains are constantly trying to trap her sword and pull it out of her grasp, something which she cannot allow to happen because that will definitely result in her loss.
"Say, Daichi-kun, you couldn't have developed a crush on me during the many missions we've been together, right? I mean, we did sleep together-"
"We didn't." He emphasised as he threw the iron weight her way, the long metal chain following after it as it flew across the air in an arc. She darted to her left before closing the distance, the smile still on her face.
"-in the same room on the same bed! At least let me finish my sentence before cutting me off! People might get the wrong idea if you cut my sentence off like that!"
"Your explanation doesn't help nor does it make any sense." He blocked her blade with his sickle and almost managed to disarm her if she didn't twist her body to follow the motion of her blade and disperse the momentum. She barely managed to avoid getting caught by those chains as she leapt out of the gaps she spotted.
"Come to think about it, remember our latest mission to kill the Lower Moon One? The Bell Demon?"
"What about it?"
"After we defeated it are you sure you didn't peek at-"
"NO such thing."
Both the heavy iron weight and the sickle were thrown at her this time as he controlled them by only holding onto the middle portion of the chains. The two ends of his weapons lashed at her like ferocious metal serpents that had been given life and she is finding herself more and more hardpressed to deal with the onslaught.
She really needs to do something about this distance. She needs to get close.
"You have to be honest with me, Daichi-kun. Look at me, I'm such an innocent, pretty, and fair maiden!" She blinked her large watery eyes at him for extra effect upon saying those words. "And if a man had seen my body I would have no choice but to marr-"
"Just. Stop. Talking."
She knew her words had the desired effect when his face started to blush a furious red and he began to pick up the pace. She easily kept up with him as they continued their dance of metal.
"But I was unconscious and defenceless and bleeding out and then I found that someone had dressed up my wounds around my chest in clean bandages and you are saying it isn't you?" She asked in faux innocence and relished in delight when she found that her words had managed to disrupt the rhythm of his attacks. She decided to keep it up and make him feel more embarrassed. There's only the two of them here anyway.
"I mean, there was a pretty nasty gash across my chest and when I woke up someone had applied some sort of ointment to stop the bleeding and I've been changed into a clean set of clothes. We were in the woods and nobody else was around, so unless you are telling me it was a ghost-"
"FOURTH FORM: ROAR OF THE EARTH!"
He cut her off before she could carry on as his attacks came at her in a frenzy, his hands expertly manipulating the chains to let both his flail and sickle fall on her location with pinpoint accuracy. She managed to fend off the attacks but the power behind his hits had made her hands rattled a little whenever she used her blade to deflect his weapon.
She saw an opportunity and quickly used her foot to pin down a section of his long metal chain, effectively disabling one end of his weapon. In the blink of an eye, she leapt towards him in an arc and appeared before him, the same smile still on her face. Somehow, he managed to recall his sickle back into his hand just as fast and blocked her blade. At the same time, her left foot is stepping on the section of the chain held in his right hand, preventing him from swinging about the weighted end of his kusarigama. The both of them pushed against each other in a brief contest of strength, employing their Breathing Techniques to enhance their physical capabilities.
Feeling cheeky, she took this opportunity to lean her head closer and whisper into his ear.
"Was it soft? My chest?"
He sputtered at those unexpected words and she took the chance to unbalance him. In one smooth motion, she disarmed him and pinned him down onto the ground with her body, the tip of her blade pointing at his neck.
"I win~" She said in a singsong voice as she straddled him and she leaned her face in closer, purposely blinking her eyes innocently just to annoy him.
"That was dirty." He argued as his gaze travelled to her sword. "Can you put that away now?"
"Ah, ah, not until I get my answers." She waved a finger in front of his face with her other hand. "Be honest with me, how much did you see that day?"
"What day?"
"Don't beat around the bush, you know which one I'm referring to. Right after we slayed the Lower Moon One and I was unconscious." She inched the tip of her blade a tad bit closer to his neck for emphasis, her smile getting a little more dangerous. "Let's see, were my nipples pink or brown? Don't lie, Daichi-kun, you know this ojou-sama always knows when you lie."
His face blushed even redder than she thought possible. He looked away in embarrassment.
"Daichi-kun~ I'm waiting for my answer~" She continues with her threat as she lightly pressed the tip of her blade against his neck.
"P-Pink." He gritted out as he closed his eyes in embarrassment, finally giving in.
"So you did see!" She accused. She honestly doesn't feel that bothered about it. She actually just wants to see him squirm. She knows if he hadn't treated her injuries when he did, she would have either bleed out to death or her wounds would have been infected with inflammation. There really wasn't any other choice.
But she just wants to use this opportunity to see him squirm. It's not everyday she has him at her mercy.
"Hmm, lying to your ojou-sama now, eh?" She said in a sweet smile that she only uses when she needs to hint to whoever she is talking to that they are now in big trouble. "Didn't you say that you didn't see anything? Well if you have seen them you must have touched them. Are they soft? Hmm? How long did you fondle them for while I was out like a light, hmm?"
He groaned in defeat and visibly resigned himself to his fate. She knows for certain that he didn't do anything to violate or insult her dignity as far as the situation would allow it because he's a nice man like that. It's just too bad for him that she just wants to milk this opportunity for all she can to tease him.
"Daichi-kun, hmm? This ojou-sama is still waiting for her answer."
"Yes, soft." He said with a groan. "And no, I didn't fondle them. I tried not to touch them as much as possible. I'm sorry, okay?! But what else would you have me do?! Let you bleed to death?! It's not like there's another woman nearby who I can call for help to help clean and dress your wounds!"
"Ahh, now that you've seen and touched my body no one would take me as his bride!" She purposely did a whine and threw a childish tantrum before she placed her blade right in front of his right eye. "You have to take responsibility for this, Daichi-kun!"
"... How?" He asked with extreme caution, cold sweat breaking out on his face.
"Why, take me as your bride, of course-" She said with a teasing laugh as she lifted her blade and did a fancy twirl before sheathing it in one smooth motion. Seeing his stunned look, she tapped a finger on his nose and then proceeded to complete the second half of her sentence. "-I'm just kidding~ I'm not such a petty and narrow-minded ojou-sama, my dear Daichi-kun, but thank you for saving my life back then and being honest with me!"
He threw his head back and closed his eyes, letting out a groan.
"I hate you."
"Aww, love you too, Daichi-kun!"
"Stop that. You are going to give people the wrong impression."
"Hmm? Am I that bad or unattractive as a woman for you to say this way?" She replied in mock anger. "This pretty ojou-sama will have you know that the sheer number of suitors that are asking for her hand can easily form a straight line across the world. Am I that undesirable as a woman?!"
"No, but-"
"But?" She pressed on and that sweet smile reappeared on her face, daring him to continue.
"But can you get off me? If people see us like this right now it really won't be nice for you."
She looked down to see the position they are in. Well, he has a point. It is a little inappropriate. She got off him and pulled him up, her smile still on her face.
"Well, now that we got that out of the way, let's continue training, okay? And Daichi-kun?"
"Y-Yeah?" He asked, still a little wary of her.
"If I cannot marry myself off by twenty-five I'm holding you responsible, okay? So make sure you at least live till I'm twenty-five or else I would end up as a spinster, got it?"
It's rare for a Demon Slayer to ever live past the age of twenty-five. Many died by the age of twenty, but Daichi is a man with a heavy sense of duty and responsibility. He doesn't easily give promises but he always keeps his promise. With her words phrased this way, hopefully, like this, it can help a little to make him try and live till that age. The suicidal devotion he has to slaying Demons is starting to get a little worrying.
She knew that from the moment they signed up to become Demon Slayers, they had resigned themselves to live a life of constant conflict and none of them would live to a ripe old age. She is already starting to regret pulling Shinobu along with her to become a Demon Slayer. She doesn't want her younger sister to die before she hits twenty. She really doesn't want to see him die in his mad pursuit to erase all Demons from existence.
But it is their life to lead, not hers. They had made their choice just as she made hers. The only thing she can do is to support them as best as she can.
He didn't respond, merely bending down to pick up his weapon once more. She didn't press for an answer this time but merely drew out her blade again, this time in silence and stood across him with total concentration.
"If you decide to be a Demon Slayer, then slay Demons. If you decide to defeat a Demon, then defeat it. Once you decide to win, then win, whatever the cost."
They wanted to be Demon Slayers and they are already here. They are now Hashiras, the pillars of the organisation. They have to be the best Demon Slayers they can be. Anything less is unacceptable.
On an unspoken signal, they lunged at each other and began their training in earnest, not exchanging a single word and not doing a wasted action. No more fooling around.
They are Demon Slayers. They slay Demons.
"Say hi to Kanao-chan!"
She pushed an unresponsive little Kanao towards Daichi. Kanao looked up at him and blinked. He looked down at her and blinked.
The silence continues.
"Nee-san, I told you introducing the both of them to each other is not a good idea." Shinobu remarked in exasperation, hands thrown up in the air to convey that very expression. "One cannot make decisions for herself, the other does not like to talk!"
Kanao continues to stare at Daichi before taking out the coin Kanae had given her. She tossed it up with a thumb and flipped it.
It's heads.
"Hello." Kanao greeted in a monotone before the staring and silence resumed.
"Hi." He broke the silence after a short while. "My name's Sekai Daichi. You?"
Kanao flipped the coin again. Tails. She went back to stare at him in silence.
"Isn't Kanao-chan just so cute?" Kanae broke the uncomfortable tension as she leaned down behind Kanao, hands placed on her shoulders and head poking out from behind her. "Right, Daichi-kun?"
"Huh? Yeah, I guess. What's with the coin flipping though?"
"She cannot make any decisions on her own, so nee-san gave her a coin to help her make decisions until she does not need to rely on it." Shinobu explained. "Before this, she wouldn't even eat her meals until I ordered her to."
"I see." Daichi nodded his head. "Well, nice to meet you, Kanao."
Kanao flipped the coin again. Heads.
"Nice to meet you."
Kanae smiled. Well, at least the first meeting went better than what she had expected it to be.
"Say, do you really just train all day on your day offs?"
It's getting rarer and rarer for them to see each other now that they are Hashiras, but that didn't stop her from popping by his place whenever they are both free. She sat down on one end of the table with her chin resting on the back of her hands, content to just watch him polish and maintain his weapon.
"I told you. If you decide to be a Demon Slayer, then slay Demons. If you decide to defeat a Demon, then defeat it. Once you decide to win, then win, whatever the cost. I don't have time for menial things like hobbies. I'm aiming to be the strongest Demon Slayer and take Muzan's head, what do you think?" He spoke the familiar phrase that she had heard many times during the years she had unknowingly spent with him.
"You are boring." She said with a pout. "You need to learn how to live a little."
"I died the day the Demons took my father away from me."
She can sense the underlying fury in his voice. Like she feared, he still hadn't put down the hatred in his heart. To her, holding onto hatred is like self-inflicted poison. It simply isn't healthy. To him, hatred is what drives him forward. It is his reason for living.
It hurts her to see him act this way. So, she took out the small cloth bag and tossed it to him, which he caught in reflex.
"The wisteria flowers you gave me the last time had already dried up and wilted, so be a good friend and help me replace those with fresh ones, okay?" She said with a cheery voice. At least this will let him take his mind off those dark and negative thoughts for a short while.
"Tch. Still don't get why you could not simply do it yourself. Wisteria flowers are everywhere in this place." He grumbled but still put down his weapon anyway and got up to his feet. She followed after him as they reached the flower garden outside. He bent down to inspect the wisteria flowers that had bloomed and began to pick out the nicer ones. It didn't take him long to finish the task she had him do for her.
"Here." He said as he handed to her the small cloth bag, the cloth bag she sewed using the cloth he had given her years ago when he first gave her these flowers that were wrapped with it.
"Thank you, Daichi-kun! This ojou-sama is very happy with your assistance!" She said with a smile as she received the small bag with her hands. It's times like this that she felt like she is just another normal girl living a normal life.
If only their world can be a world without Demons, or if only humans and Demons can live alongside each other, maybe…
She shook the thoughts out of her head. That is just not possible. At least, not in her lifetime. Not in this lifetime. Besides, Daichi holds too much hatred in his heart to be able to reciprocate her feelings for him, she understands that. Even if he did, it is just not possible to promise a future with each other because they are the Hashiras of the Demon Slayer Corps. They have their duties to fulfil first and foremost.
So, she will just keep those words and feelings in her heart and continue to smile, supporting him every step of the way just like how he did for her.
"Hey, you alright?" He asked in concern. She blinked. Was she so lost in her thoughts?
"Why wouldn't I be?" She said with a laugh and a clap of her hands. This time, she felt that her smile is a little forced instead of the usual carefree one she gives him. "Say, shall we make a promise?"
If they cannot promise the future for each other, maybe they can promise something in the present.
"What promise?" He questioned with a curious look in his eyes.
"That we will smile no matter what! Even in death, we will smile!"
"Childish." He muttered as he began to walk back to his room. She trotted after him, content to just constantly annoy him with her voice.
"Say, Daichi-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"If one of us dies before the other, the one who left first will wait for the other before heading to the afterlife. This ojou-sama is kinda afraid of making the journey alone, you see."
"You won't die."
"Aww, I didn't know you have so much confidence in my abilities!"
"Keep quiet, annoying woman."
"Say, Daichi-kun?"
"What is it now?"
"If we both cannot live past twenty-five in this life, how about you take responsibility in the next life?"
"You are still on about that?" He groaned and facepalmed. "I told you, I'm sorry! There's really nothing else I could do!"
"You can take this ojou-sama as your bride!" She stood in front of him and smiled at him while putting her palms together. "This ojou-sama wouldn't mind!"
"Go away." He muttered as he walked around her and she skipped after him, already knowing his answer based on his reaction just now.
"Say, Daichi-kun?"
"Yes, what now?"
"If we are both lucky enough to be born into a world without Demons in our next life, you must come find me, okay?"
"Alright, fess up. What brought this up? You are not acting yourself." He stopped in his tracks and turned around to face her. The abrupt stop almost made her bump her face into his chest.
"Nothing much, really. Just thinking how short life is and we should live it to the fullest. I mean, life's too short to have any regrets, ne?"
She smiled at him, trying her best to ignore the sudden tightness she felt in her chest. He continues to look at her in silence before speaking again.
"Fine." He spoke. "If I go before you I will wait for you. If there's a next life I will come find you. If by then you still want me to take responsibility I will marry you."
"E-E-Eh?" She stuttered and her hands subconsciously went to touch her blushing face. "D-Daichi-kun! Y-You c-cannot just say s-something like t-that out of the blue!"
"You were the one who brought it up." He snorted and began to walk back to his room. "You want me to take responsibility, fine. Just don't complain about it when I do, ojou-sama. No backing out, no half-assing things. You know me, when I decide to do something I will do it. If I made a promise I will see through it, so don't think too much about the negative things and just focus on being that annoying happy-go-lucky ojou-sama that cannot stop talking."
She stood at her spot, stunned. He continues to walk on ahead and turns around to face her when he realises she's not following after him.
"You coming along or what?"
His words snapped her out of it and she quickly ran up to him, her mouth began to chatter happily non-stop as their conversation returned back to normal.
"If I go before you I will wait for you. If there's a next life I will come find you. If by then you still want me to take responsibility I will marry you."
She smiled. What a softie.
"Eastwards, eastwards! Earth Hashira Sekai Daichi had encountered the Upper Moon One! Earth Hashira Sekai Daichi had encountered the Upper Moon One!"
Those were the words she heard her Kasugai crow barking out before she found herself reacting even without thinking, running as fast as she could towards the east. As far as she knew other Hashiras like Himejima and Uzui had also received the same news and they were all converging on Daichi's location from their current locations as fast as they could to help him.
She ran and prayed. She kept running and praying within her mind for him to be safe, to return to her side. He had always kept his promise but this time, this is one promise she doesn't want him to keep.
"If I go before you I will wait for you. If there's a next life I will come find you. If by then you still want me to take responsibility I will marry you."
She doesn't want him to go before her. She doesn't want him to marry her in their next life, if there even is one. She wants to marry him in this life, Demons or not. Those are the words that she could never muster the courage to tell him.
She kept running. Daylight is coming and she is hoping that he could last long enough for her to reach him, or anyone else to reach him. If he could just last a little longer she will be there. Her hand grabbed onto the small cloth bag that holds the wisteria flowers he gave her, her good luck charm. She prayed as she held onto it, hoping for him to be safe.
Please, hang in there.
She arrived in a small village where the crow said he was at. Everything around her is destroyed. She could tell the signs of his flail wrecking havoc and the uneven slashes of his sickle. There are many other chaotic slash marks around, probably the work of the Upper Moon One.
Her ears picked up a faint sound and she rushed towards it. All she saw was the back of a retreating figure with a sword, obviously a Demon. Her mouth opened to shout something at it and her hand had already drawn her blade but the Demon disappeared in the blink of an eye without any clues as to where it might have gone.
She stopped in her tracks and looked around. Where is he?! Where is Daichi?!
"DACIHI!"
She screamed his name, hoping for a response. Silence greeted her. She kept running and looking around, hoping to find any clues about his whereabouts.
She found him buried under rubble. She held in the urge to cry when she saw that his left arm had been cut off and his right leg had been severed. He is quickly bleeding out. She quickly got him out and held him in her arms, lightly slapping the side of his face with her palms. There's still a pulse.
"Daichi! Daichi! It's me, Kanae! Daichi!"
She saw his eyes slowly fluttering open and how they met her gaze.
"Ka...nae…"
"Y-You are g-going to be alright. You are going to be fine!" She choked out as she quickly tried to stem the bleeding. "I-I don't care about the next life, I will marry you in this life! This ojou-sama demands this of you so don't die! You got to take responsibility, you hear me?! Don't you dare go before me! Promise me this!"
"Sorry, Kanae… I… I don't think I can make this promise. He's too strong, the Upper Moon One… I… I cannot defeat him alone… I tried to fight till sunrise but… I…"
"I DON'T CARE! JUST DON'T DIE ON ME!" She screamed as she used whatever pieces of cloth she could find. "WHO ELSE WILL GIVE ME WISTERIA FLOWERS IF YOU'RE GONE?! WHO ELSE WILL I ANNOY IF YOU ARE NOT AROUND?! SO DON'T DIE! I WON'T LET YOU DIE!"
He slowly raised his right hand to cup her face, making her pause in her actions.
"I promised… that I will wait… for you so that we can go to the afterlife… together… I will find you and then… I can take responsibility… I will take you as my... bride…"
"If I go before you I will wait for you. If there's a next life I will come find you. If by then you still want me to take responsibility I will marry you."
"Not now! Please! Please!" She begged as she held his hand to her face, her tears falling. "I-I t-take it all back! I don't need that kind of promise, I just want you to live! I… I don't care! I don't care about being a Demon Slayer anymore, I cannot let you just-"
"Stand up." He wheezed despite the obvious difficulty in trying to even breathe. The fury in his eyes made her freeze just by looking at it.
"D-Daichi-kun?"
"Stand up, Flower Hashira Kocho Kanae. Don't you dare to show such a pathetic side to me before I go. If you decide to be a Demon Slayer, then slay Demons. If you decide to defeat a Demon, then defeat it. Once you decide to win, then win, whatever the cost. That's the… ojou-sama… I know…"
"Daichi! DAICHI!" She tried to shake him awake as his eyes began to close, hugging him close to her. "Please don't leave me! I… I won't quit! I promise! So stay! Please! STAY!"
She saw a small smile breaking out on his face as his eyes closed shut.
"DAICHI! DAICHI!"
When Himejima and Uzui arrived, it was raining. All they saw was her hugging his dead body close to her as she screamed his name over and over again, his blood staining the butterfly haori that he had given her a bright crimson red.
"Nee-san."
"I'm fine, Shinobu." She replied to her sister's concerned look with a smile. "I'm fine."
"Say, shall we make a promise?"
"What promise?"
"That we will smile no matter what! Even in death, we will smile!"
"Childish."
Both of them stood in front of Daichi's grave, a bouquet of wisteria flowers lay on it. Kanao was the one who gathered the flowers. For the first time, she did something on her own accord without a need for instructions or depending on the coin to make her decisions. Kanao tugged on her sleeves, giving her a silent look of concern as well.
"I'm fine, Kanao. Thanks for your concern." She patted her little sister on the head with a smile. "Come, let's go, we still have work to do."
They turned and left, leaving the bouquet of wisteria flowers to accompany him. Soon, it will be her turn. After all, not many Demon Slayers have the luck to live past twenty. Daichi won't need to wait long. She is sure that her turn will come soon.
After all, the ojou-sama needs him to pamper her.
"I won't allow you to take a single step further."
"Ahh! Please don't do this! I still need to go and save everyone and lead them to paradise! Ah ha! How about I start from you?"
Kanae gritted her teeth. Upper Moon Two. She has no idea why such a powerful Demon is here in this backwater village but she cannot let him harm the villagers here. The Kakushis had already started to evacuate them, so now all that is left is to prevent the Upper Moon Two from taking another step towards the village and buy some time for the evacuation to be completed. She's not delusional, she knows that there's no way she can possibly defeat this Demon alone but reinforcements won't make it in time. That means there's only one way left, the method Daichi had chosen in his fight against the Upper Moon One.
Stall until sunrise.
"I feel sorry for you." She stated without a smile on her face as she drew her blade and pointed it at the Demon. "Despite how you are smiling all the time, you are in fact empty and emotionless, are you not? What a pitiful existence."
The Demon dropped the smile on his face upon hearing her words.
"Huh, I thought I hid it pretty well. What gave it away?"
She smiled as she took a stance.
"Nobody smiles as often as I do."
"If you decide to be a Demon Slayer, then slay Demons. If you decide to defeat a Demon, then defeat it. Once you decide to win, then win, whatever the cost."
She felt a pair of hands pushing her forward on her back as she lunged. For a moment, she thought she saw a familiar silhouette holding onto that familiar kusarigama.
Daichi?
That silhouette disappeared when she blinked and she continued to engage the Upper Moon Two in battle. She heard a whisper in her ear, the words giving her strength.
"Win, ojou-sama."
She cannot breathe. The Demon's cold frost had entered her lungs. He is too fast. She cannot keep up.
She coughed uncontrollably from where she was on her hands and knees, struggling to stand. She is losing too much blood. All she can taste in her mouth is the coppery taste of blood, her own blood.
She… will lose.
She started to fall and landed face down on the ground, too tired to continue. The Demon continues to say something in that fake cheery voice but she could not hear anything anymore. She closed her eyes, knowing that her time is near. The only regret she has is that she wasn't able to last till sunrise.
Daichi, I'm coming.
"Stand up."
Daichi?
"Stand up, Flower Hashira Kocho Kanae."
Her eyes shot wide open when his words rang by her ears once more.
"Ah, sorry, sorry, I was too rough with my cuts and it ended up causing you to suffer~ Don't worry, it will be over very soon! Once I've eaten you what awaits you is paradise~"
"Don't you dare to show such a pathetic side to me before I go."
His words were like a painful slap to her face. What is she doing, giving up like this? She's the Flower Hashira, one of the nine strongest Demon Slayers in the Demon Slayer Corps, the pillars of their organisation.
He's right. She's pathetic.
With a painful shout, she pushed herself to stand up on her feet once more despite how her vision is swimming. She gripped onto her sword as she took her stance again, ready to dance till sunrise.
Sorry, Daichi, for being so pathetic, and thank you.
"If you decide to be a Demon Slayer, then slay Demons. If you decide to defeat a Demon, then defeat it. Once you decide to win, then win, whatever the cost." She recited in a whisper as her lips curved into a smile. Even in death, he is still giving her strength.
"Eh? What are you talking about?" The Demon cocked his head to a side and asked in curiosity.
"Something you will never understand." She replied as she lunged once more. This time, she heard him again, loud and clear. His voice is one of pride.
"That's the ojou-sama I know."
"Nee-san!"
"Shinobu." She whispered as she felt herself being lifted up by her sister. She opened her eyes, seeing her sister's face looking down at her. She weakly reached out a hand to try and wipe away the tears falling from her sister's eyes.
She succeeded. She didn't let the Demon take another step past her and into the village. She lasted till sunrise like Daichi did. She performed her duties as a Demon Slayer and as a Hashira. Nobody else will be dying today.
Nobody but her.
"Leave the Demon Slayers." She used whatever remaining time she has left to tell her sister the words she had always wanted to tell her. She regretted letting her sister follow in her footsteps. Hopefully, her impulsive little sister will listen to her this time.
"I know you are working hard, and you really, really are. But maybe you are better off..."
"Say, Daichi-kun?"
"What is it now?"
"If we both cannot live past twenty-five in this life, how about you take responsibility in the next life?"
"You are still on about that? I told you, I'm sorry! There's really nothing else I could do!"
"You can take this ojou-sama as your bride! This ojou-sama wouldn't mind!"
The life she wanted and couldn't have, she wants her little sister to live it. She just wants Shinobu to live a happy life.
"I just want you to obtain happiness like any normal girl would, and live till you turn really old. That's… enough for me…" She choked out as she tried to get her words out, the taste of blood fresh in her mouth as she tried to look at her sister's face one last time. She cannot be around to protect her anymore, cannot be around to protect her and Kanao anymore.
"NO! I won't ever quit! And I will avenge you for sure! TELL ME! What was this Demon! Who beat you just now!"
The look in her sister's eyes is so familiar yet distant. She doesn't like it, doesn't like it when her sister let her rage consume her in its entirety. Why is that look in her eyes so familiar? Where had she seen it before?
"Are you two going to… uh, be Demon Slayers too?"
"We are. You?"
"Of course I am signing up for it. If I'm going to be a Demon Slayer, then I will be the best. Demons. I… I will kill them all."
Ah, Daichi. She wasn't able to help pull him out of his hatred. As fate would have it, it seems that she will fail to pull her sister out of it as well.
"Just tell me, nee-san! Please! I… I can't live a normal life after someone did this to you!" Shinobu screamed as she held onto her hand, rage clear in her voice. "NEE-SAN!"
She sighed and closed her eyes, feeling her tears slowly trickle out of her eyes. Like Daichi, Shinobu had allowed her anger to consume her. She failed again to help her loved ones put down the hatred in their hearts.
The best she can do before she leaves is to grant Shinobu's wish. That's the only thing left she can do as her sister, to support her in whatever she chooses to do.
And so, with the last of her strength, she told Shinobu everything she could about the Demon.
"... the weapons… this Demon uses… are a pair… of… sharp fans..."
She described to Shinobu as much as she could about the Demon's physical appearance and felt the last of her energy leave her as her hand slipped out of Shinobu's grip. She couldn't even feel pain anymore.
"Nee-san? Nee-san! NEE-SAN!"
She felt light as a feather as a sense of peace washed over her. She didn't know how long her eyes were closed. All she knew that a warm hand gently cupped the left side of her face and a familiar voice rang by her ears again.
"Hey, Kanae."
She slowly opened her eyes, seeing Daichi's face smiling down at her. Hesitantly, her hands reached out to hold onto his hand which is currently touching her face.
"D-Daichi?"
"I promised you, didn't I?" He said with a gentle smile, one that she very rarely sees on his face. "That if one of us dies before the other, the one who left first will wait for the other before heading to the afterlife. Since the ojou-sama is afraid of making the journey alone, someone has to accompany her, right?"
She stared at him in silence, then she began to choke out a laugh as she threw herself into his arms.
"T-Thank you, Daichi. I… I thought I would have to go… alone."
She felt his arms wrapping around her and pulling her close.
"You know me, when I decide to do something I will do it. If I made a promise I will see through it. I told you that before. This spoiled ojou-sama really needs to have some faith in poor old me."
She laughed as she looked up at him.
"If we are both lucky enough to be born into a world without Demons in our next life, you must come find me, okay?"
"I did promise you that before, didn't I?" He said gently as he carefully tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. "Sorry, Kanae, I wasn't able to give you the life you wanted. I'm sorry. Sorry, it's not like I didn't pick up the feelings you had for me but I… I couldn't put it down, my hatred for Demons. I could not bring myself to promise you something I could not deliver."
"Well, this ojou-sama had just very graciously gave you a pardon for that, but you better make up for it in our next life." She said cheekily. "Don't make me wait too long. This ojou-sama does not like to wait for any much longer."
"I got it. I won't make you wait too long this time, I promise." He pressed a kiss on her forehead before holding her hand. "Shall we go?"
She looked back from where she had come from, lost in her thoughts. She turned back to him.
"Can we… stay here for a bit longer? I want to be there for Shinobu too, just like how you appeared before me when I was fighting the Upper Moon Two. Knowing her, she will need some encouragement when the time comes."
"Of course, anything for my ojou-sama." He said with a laugh as they both sat down beside each other in the void as she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Hey, Daichi-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"You were very inspiring, you know that?"
"Are you sure this is me you are talking about?"
"Stand up, Flower Hashira Kocho Kanae." She recited those words from memory. "That's what I heard when I was about to give up. It gave me the strength to continue fighting till sunrise. Maybe I should tell Shinobu something like that too if she needs some encouragement when her time comes. If you decide to be a Demon Slayer, then slay Demons. If you decide to defeat a Demon, then defeat it. Once you decide to win, then win, whatever the cost. I lived by what you told me. I finally understood what you meant when you first told me those words. I did well, right?"
"You did." She closed her eyes as she felt him pulling her close to him. "I'm proud of you, Kanae. That's the ojou-sama I know."