Voices and laughter echoed behind the closed door. The room was dark.
Giyuu carefully made his way to the large, leather chair in the center of the room. The cushions softly lowered under him as he sat down.
Feeling with his hands, the young man detached the headset from the chair's headrest and lowered it on his face. A dash ran in front of his eyes, before switching to a statement written in LC font:
Location Password - ?
His fingers quickly tapped across the smooth keyboard panel on the arm of the chair.
A green light blinked on the bottom right corner of his vision, and another string of letters unraveled in front of his eyes.
Location Verified. Please Relax As We Prepare The Reality.
The chair hummed, reclining backwards. Giyuu shifted slightly, finding a comfortable position. He didn't use holographic transporters that often, and it was always a somewhat uncertain experience.
It tingled inside his head, sensors of the headset connecting to his own nerves. Even though the virtual operators ordered him to relax, Giyuu felt tense. He took in a deep breath, but the latter was cut short when the new instructions appeared in front of him.
Preparation Complete. Please Close Your Eyes.
Giyuu sighed, resigning himself, and closed his eyes.
The closest comparison he had to holographic transportation was that of water being rapidly sucked into the drain the first instant the cork was chugged out. His mind was suddenly thrust through something; however, there was no acute displeasure associated with it. The "flight" stopped in just a few seconds.
Location Reached. You May Now Open Your Eyes.
Giyuu opened his eyes - his holographic eyes.
He appeared in his usual chair behind the long, oval table. He was positioned back to the windows, so he was spared from looking completely like a ghost. Giyuu tried moving from his seat, but quickly found that the hologram was limited to the chair; it was of an older type. Sighing, Giyuu reclined his head on the chair. Somehow, the hologram sensed a barrier and prevented him from completely going through. His eyes traveled across the room.
The conference room was empty. There were two glass doors on either side of the table, adjusted for the various terminals. All the chairs were tucked around the table, but the different degrees of neatness —whether it was just slightly jutting from the table's edge or rotated toward the doors — revealed who was sitting where. Giyuu's eyes lingered on Shinobu's spot. It had a medical precision to it.
The glass doors slid open, and Kyojuro walked through. He glanced around, surprised, but when he noticed Giyuu, his expression melted into a beaming grin.
"Hey there, Tomioka!"
Giyuu gave a short nod, the corners of his lips rising slightly upwards.
"Hello, Rengoku."
Kyojuro placed his sword on the table across from his chair and, not sparing any other thoughts about it, walked over to Giyuu.
"I didn't notice you at first from the entire hologram business," he said energetically, reclining against the table's edge and crossing his hands. "Where are you streaming from?"
"A bar in a village near my sensei's place. He doesn't have any communication devices on the mountain, so I had to go down there."
"Hm, understandable." Kyojuro looked thoughtful. "It's been awhile since I've visited the countryside."
"Dammit, Kyojuro, you're getting more lame with each passing year," The glass doors slid once more, and Tengen, ducking slightly so as not to hit the frame, strolled in. His only eye glimmered in mischief.
"Your little brother is way cooler than you at this point."
Kyojuro laughed, shaking his head. "I'm counting on that."
Even though his expression didn't change, inwardly, Giyuu grinned. Tengen chuckled and, walking over, crouched in between the two hashiras.
"I'm getting sushi after this. Anyone free?"
"No," Giyuu sighed. Swinging his arm over the top of the chair, Tengen thoughtfully glanced at him.
"I'll have it delivered then. Any preferences?"
"Just the standard."
Tengen rolled his eyes, but looked over at flame hashira. "And you?"
"It depends on the results of the meeting." A barely noticeable wrinkle ran above Kyojuro's eyebrows. "I may end up with work."
"The demon, huh?" A shadow passed over the sound hashira's face. He was quiet for a moment, then turned around to the water hashira. "How did it go?"
"It's mostly Kanroji-san. Her ribs were broken." Giyuu frowned, remembering the details. He felt a strange twinge in his shoulder, his actual body triggered by the memories but the sensation only partly carried through by the hologram. He blinked, somewhat destabilized by the feeling of hollowness, and nearly missed Tengen's quiet whistle.
The seriousness disappeared from the sound hashira's face when the glass doors, this time on the other side, opened. He glanced up.
"Oi, kid! We're discussing sushi orders."
"No, thanks." Muichiro promptly waltzed past them to the window. His attire, modeled after a school uniform, made him look even younger among the adults.
"Oh c'mon," Tengen craned his neck over his shoulder to get a look at the boy. "I'll get the ones with the squid and radish."
"I said I'll pass." Muichiro, completely aloof, followed the passing cruisers with his finger, barely touching the glass.
"Your call, kid," Tengen sighed heavily, straightening up. He sat down in the chair next to Giyuu and, reclining back, switched on his watch. Kyojuro lightly tapped the chair's handle, silently encouraging Giyuu, before walking over to his seat. Being one of the younger hashiras, he was sitting farther down.
Giyuu leaned back on his chair as well, testing out how far he could stretch out his legs. After finding a comfortable position, he closed his eyes. The virtual operators immediately invaded his brain.
Do You Wish To Return Back?
No, Giyuu ordered, hoping they would understand. Somehow, they did, and he sank into a natural darkness. It was comfortably quiet for a while, the hashrias engrossed in their own thing and waiting for the others.
It wasn't a surprise on who exactly ruined the silence.
"My, I thought this was some sort of mausoleum. Tomioka-san I understand, but I expected more from you, Uzui-san."
Shinobu's cheerful voice easily overshadowed the hum of the glass doors.
Giyuu opened his eyes, right in time to see the insect hashira sit down next to the flame hashira.
"We knew you were coming," Kyojuro easily responded, moving his katana to the side so that she could place hers.
"Oh, I see how it works," Shinobu hummed. She leaned back in the chair, looking beyond the flame hashira's chair.
"Hello, Tomioka-san! Are you taking those antibiotics I prescribed?"
"Yes."
"Kochou, the regular ones?" Tengen echoed from his spot, not looking up from the watch.
"Mmmm," Shinobu's gaze lingered, and the wrinkles around the corners of her eyes softened. She straightened back in her seat, and Giyuu lost sight of her. "Just send me the paycheck."
"Copy that." Tengen quickly typed something in his watch. "I'll do the same for the rest, then."
Switching off his watch, he lowered his hand on his lap and glanced at the doors.
"Well, where is everyone? Kochou, didn't you walk out with Kanroji?"
"No, but she and Iguro-san should be here soon."
Like on cue, the doors swooshed. Sitting in a wheelchair, a male coat draped over her shoulders, Mitsuri waved in excitement. She was blushing.
"Hello, everyone!"
Shinobu smiled, while Kyojuro raised his hand in a silent greeting.
Obanai quickly scanned the room with his eyes and didn't say anything. Instead, he stopped next to Mitsuri's designated chair and dragged it towards the wall. As Obanai pushed her into the space left by the chair, Mitsuri looked around, searching for someone. Her eyes found Giyuu and widened in worry and happiness.
"Tomioka-san!"
Giyuu gave a small smile, looking at Mitsuri. It was always unusual seeing each other after missions, when both were bandaged up and the event remained as a hazy memory.
"I'm so glad you're well! I haven't seen you since the sewers." Her cheeks became even redder. "Thank you so much for rescuing me."
Giyuu shook his head. "Don't mention it."
He caught Obanai's gaze, but the snake hashira looked away, hiding whatever anger he had. Giyuu felt uneasy, but he couldn't really blame his colleague. He was partially at fault for letting the demon get so close to Mitsuri.
"Enough with the lousy greetings." Tengen tapped the table with his colorful nails. "Kanroji! What kind of sushi do you want?"
The love hashira's eyes sparkled. "Let's see... the ones we got last time were really good..."
"I'm afraid Kanroji-chan is on hospital food right now," Shinobu intervened softly. Muichiro quietly slipped into the chair next to her. He must have gotten tired from the picturesque city. Still zoning out of the conversation, he dropped his head on the table, pressing his cheek into the white wood.
"You're merciless," Mitsuri sighed, slouching into the wheelchair.
"The hell are we talking about?" Echoed from the hallway. The glass doors promptly opened in front of the wind hashira. Hands tucked into pockets, Sanemi walked into the conference room. He looked pissed off.
"Ah, Shinazugawa," Tengen, unfazed by the hashira's sour mood, raised his hand in a greeting gesture. "What do you want?"
"Chinese food," Sanemi retorted and dug his palms into the edge of the chair. It tilted under the pressure, two legs rising into the air, but the young man didn't pay attention.
"Did you hear about the mess those brats did?"
The atmosphere stilled. Giyuu held back a sigh. His partner managed to sabotage whatever lightness was present in the room with one sentence.
"It's not like they wanted it," Kyojuro argued softly. Sanemi passed a hand through his hair.
"Then what the hell are they getting their salary for?" Giyuu could tell that he was at the verge of bursting from anger and irritation. "Their screw-up record is fucked up."
"Shinazugawa," Kyojuro reminded him.
"My bad." Digging the heel into the floor, Sanemi pulled out the chair and sat down, crossing his arms over his bare chest. The sheath, still attached to his hip, knocked against the leg of the chair. "Regardless. I don't give a shit if those little assholes have a tie to Kibutsuji or if they're Master's favorites. I want them kicked out for dragging the demon slayers through court."
"You're oversimplifying like usual," Obanai pointed out dryly.
"Really?" Eyes narrowing, Sanemi straightened out. "If we get rid of that bunch, we lighten at least half of the accusations the corps is charged with."
"The verdict is out of our control." Gyomei noiselessly walked into the room. In a rhythmic motion, he sat down next to Sanemi. "It all depends on the Court's decision."
Sanemi smirked grimly. "More like the Court's whimsy."
"Respected hashiras."
A screen projected from the small device fixed at the center of the table. Two identical, fifteen year old girls appeared from shoulders to head. All the hashiras stood up at the same time. Giyuu felt the hologram violently flickering as he pressed the limits of the range, but remained upright nonetheless.
"Master has been waiting for you all."
The screen switched.
A frail man sat in a dim room, hands neatly folded on his lap. Slowly, a warm smile formed on his lips.
"Good afternoon, my children. You may sit down."
Respectful silence spread across the room. All the hashiras, seated once more, were still, watching intently and seriously to the man in front of them. Ubayashiki slightly turned his head in Mitsuri's direction.
"How are your injuries, Mitsuri?"
Despite the blush, Mitsuri's voice was clear and even. "They are healing, Master."
A glimmer of satisfaction passed across Ubayashiki's face. He faintly nodded, before turning his head to the other hashira.
"And you, Giyuu? Unfortunately, I will have to draw you out from the respite I ordered myself. How is your shoulder?"
"It's nothing, Master," Giyuu replied. The man's smile broadened, and his shoulders slightly relaxed in relief.
"Perfect."
The blind eyes were motionless, but all the hashiras nevertheless felt as if he was passing his gaze over them,
"You all perhaps know the reason why we gathered sooner than expected. Our Kanotos have been taken in custody for the failure to prevent a demon attack."
The corners of his lips lowered, the face losing the warm expression. He slightly leaned forward, tapping a transmitter in front of him.
"You're about to see the footage of the event."
An adjacent hologram flickered next to him, forming into an angled version of a spacious conference room. A camera recording, Giyuu realized. His eyes immediately found the demon slayers, discussing something with men in business suits. The footage was silent.
The room flashed red.
Shinobu felt a sour taste form in her mouth at the sight of streams of blood clawing up the windows and walls. She glanced at Giyuu, and, to her surprise, saw that his eyes were slightly wide. He wasn't looking at the screen either. Tracing his gaze, Shinobu saw in confusion that the woman in the wheelchair was staring back at him. Her face was pale.
Glimpsing to her side, the insect hashira noticed that Muichiro stiffen in concentration, noticing Giyuu and Mitsuri's stunned expressions. Frowning, Shinobu returned her attention back to the screen. Tanjiro had just cut off the head of who, according to the news, she presumed to be the company manager. She wasn't particularly unnerved - the fact that it was a demon inadvertently smoothed out the impression. Judging by the faces of the other hashira, they weren't too concerned about the decapitation either.
"That happened at around three of the afternoon yesterday," Ubayashiki said evenly, turning off the transmitter. "And this was nine hours earlier."
A new footage blinked up, filmed from the embedded camera on the side of the speaker. Shinobu tensed; judging by Mitsuri's braids peeking into the camera, the recording was Giyuu's. It was abrupt and uneven as he moved. Nevertheless, Shinobu felt almost an organic connection with it. She lightly squeezed her wrist, not looking at the man several chairs away from her.
The camera froze. The taste in Shinobu's mouth became unpleasant as she watched how the already familiar blood traveled the walls. Kyojuro and Tengen exchanged a glance.
Coincidences carry threat.
The hologram blinked off.
Ubayashiki was silent for a moment, as if thinking something over. Then, he quietly placed his hand back on his lap.
"Only Moons can convert humans into demons. The demon from the electric company emanated several blood types, but the ones registered most on the sensors was B negative. The only Moon that had a blood type B was Lower Moon Five, and Sanemi exterminated it a year ago."
A long pause dropped over the room. Sanemi was the first to speak.
"What about voice comparison?" He asked, gazing intently at the blind man. "Between the Lower Moon and this one?"
Ubayashiki wordlessly pressed a button on the transmitter.
At first, it was mostly static. A low, sharply-enunciated voice gradually rose from the depths. It was just around fifty words, no more.
Tengen frowned. The voice lacked bloodlust, but there was just as much hatred as in the clear, ringing voice of the demon slayer.
"The crows analyzed the frequencies and tone with the sample we got from the Lower Five." Ubayashiki switched off the transmitter. "Completely different. He is not registered in our records either." He paused. "There is one more aspect."
A cruiser lazily passed right next to the window. As if sensing its presence, Ubayashiki thoughtfully turned his head, gazing at it with blind eyes. His face reflected in the glass.
"In both cases, other demons were present. With Giyuu and Mitsuri, it was AB-4527. With Tanjiro, it was the demon at Sector F-8." He softly smirked and turned back to look at the hashiras. "Though there were no actual demons there. It was a malfunction."
Muichiro slightly shifted. Even though they weren't in the same room, Ubayashiki nodded; he seemed to perceive the boy's uneasiness.
"I understand you, Muichiro. Demon coordinating alarms are terrifying and unreliable." He was quiet for a while. "And even if there was only that one demon in the building, I can't be relieved."
"I apologize for the interruption," Mitsuri timidly asked. Ubayashiki looked up at her.
"Yes, Mitsuri?"
"Can it... can it actually sustain sunlight and nichirin blades?" She hesitated, anxiously interlocking her fingers in her lap. "We all saw it, but can't it be... a trick?"
Giyuu stilled, watching the Master's response. He replied almost immediately. Almost.
"No demon, even Kibutsuji, is able to tolerate sunlight and survive after being decapitated by a nichirin blade. This was held true for thousands of centuries. I won't allow exceptions just yet."
"Understood, Master," Mitsuri respectfully bowed. Ubayashiki turned to the rest of the hashira.
"The demon wanted to provoke us by making the demon slayers confront the Court. While I cannot influence its decision, I will deal with whatever consequences flow out. The priority of the hashiras lies in exterminating demons, not meddling in politics."
"Giyuu, Sanemi." He passed his eyes from one man to another. "Since your blood types match, I want you to look into the Blood Demon. Shinobu will guide you as she examines the corpses."
"Kyojuro," He turned at the fire hashira. "You're our only AB at the moment. Deal with the bird demon with care."
"Everyone else," Ubayashiki straightened out. His gaze became expansive. "Stay on guard. I don't doubt either will try to pull something else."
"Yes, Master." Everyone instantly responded.
Ubayashiki gave a short smile. "That will be all. May we wish ourselves success."
The hologram disappeared.
Tengen sighed and stood up, pushing in the chair with both hands.
"I'll go get those sushi." His voice did not carry the same nonchalance that the sentence implied.
"I'll go with you," Gyomei said suddenly, standing up and stepping over to the sound hashira. That one chuckled and tucked his hands into pockets.
"Wanna get some treats for those hospital urchins of yours?"
Gyomei didn't answer, but a smile appeared on his lips. Both of them left in comfortable silence.
Sanemi was massaging the bridge of his nose. His expression was exasperated and tired, but he abruptly stood up, as if snapping out of his thoughts, and made his way towards the exit. Without turning around, he silently gestured with his hand, right before the glass doors slid behind his back.
Giyuu read the gesture perfectly. Get back to work sooner, or I will find you. See ya.
The water hashira sighed and leaned back in his chair. There was a heavy aftertaste; the news were unpleasant.
"You know, despite the hologram, you actually look pretty well," a high voice said quietly next to him. Giyuu turned his head and saw Shinobu. She was sitting on the edge of the table, the katana hanging from her hip. There was a smile on her face.
Giyuu shrugged, looking away and watching how Mitsuri quietly discussed something with Kyojuro, but he couldn't help the corners of his lips pulled upwards.
"I'm photogenic."
Shinobu laughed quietly and hugged herself by the elbows in a relaxed gesture. "Oh? I didn't know you were this confident of yourself, Tomioka-san."
This version of his name was teasing and authentic, nothing compared to last time. Giyuu didn't say anything, simply looked at her.
Shinobu didn't pay attention, observing how Muichiro slowly slides out of the chair and trods towards the doors.
"Tokito-kun," she finally called out. The boy paused and glanced over his shoulder.
"Wait for me at the elevator, alright?"
Muichiro nodded and stepped through the doors. Shinobu turned back to Giyuu.
"Seems that we both have loads of work."
Again, Giyuu didn't answer, but it didn't seem that she was expecting one. Reaching out, Shinobu glided her hand through him. The hologram rippled at the intrusion, but she ignored it and comically wiggled her fingers in the region of his chest.
"Does it tickle?"
"No." Even though he couldn't feel her, Giyuu still sensed something drop inside his stomach. Shinobu's expression slowly became serious, and she wordlessly took her hand away. The hologram immediately restored itself.
"Sorry. I couldn't help myself." Shinobu smiled again, but this time, it was sad. "Don't forget to give my regards to Urokodaki-sensei."
Giyuu nodded and forced his features to remain straight.
"See you around."
"Mmmm."
Cyberspace Deactivated. Back To Normal. We Hope You Had A Nice Trip.
Giyuu peeled off the headset from his eyes and reclined his head back in exhaustion. His brain was ringing, a nauseating taste in his mouth. He couldn't feel anything neck down.
For a few minutes, Giyuu simply rested on the chair with his eyes closed. Disconnected thoughts, about demons, blood, hashiras, Shinobu, swirled inside his mind. A headache was slowly coming up. Giyuu pressed his cheek further into the leather, trying to relax.
His break already ended. And if he didn't get up now, he'd fall asleep.
Giyuu reluctantly opened his eyes and slightly stretched his legs. They moved without a sound, numbness spreading farther. Not quite feeling the leather under his fingers, Giyuu propped himself into a sitting position. His vision got dizzy, but not that terribly.
Giyuu stood up and, carefully feeling his step, walked out of the room.
He was blinded by homely, orange lights hanging from the ceiling. Jovial laughter and the sweet aroma of liquor and quick appetizers wrapped around him. Giyuu made his way through the stool and tables. He paused once, next to the bar stand, to slip cash to the bartender.
The street was bustling. People shuffled between stores, occasionally stopping and chatting with one another. A couple of kids ran by, dodging around Giyuu and uncontrollably laughing. A brief smile appeared on his lips. The hashira tucked his hands into pockets and steadily began down the road.
Rural villages like this were scattered around the entire country. They were built on wastelands or around abandoned lab complexes. But most often than not, they were just villages, missed by the wild and merciless urbanization. The resources were scant, the technology was limited, and the pay was meager. As such, there were less people. Simultaneously - few to no demons.
Lifting the strings of beads from the entrance, Giyuu glanced into the textiles store. Urokodaki was standing in front of the displays. A piece of blue cloth was in his hands as he was diligently sensing it for quality.
At the sound of the tickling beads, the old man looked up. His mask stared right into Giyuu's mind.
"They told you to leave?"
The question was delivered in an absolutely calm and unsurprised tone. Yet, Giyuu felt that he betrayed his teacher.
"Yes, sensei."
A/ N: Hello everyone! I'm deeply sorry about the late update. There were a lot of new characters introduced in this chapter, and I wanted to make sure their personalities were close to what I see them to be.
As you might have noticed, the hashiras are pretty close. I've always imagined that since they have been in this line of work for a pretty damn long time, their camaraderie would be pretty strong by this point.
Quick glimpse for next week: The Court... and Nezuko-chan.
Thank you for all the feedback!