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Giyuu exhaled. A mission with Shinazugawa.
He didn’t understand why he needed to be paired with Shinazugawa of all people. Sure, he didn’t like being paired with any of the Hashira for missions, but especially not Shinazugawa.
Sanemi was likely on his way to drag Giyuu out of his estate, he’d be here any minute. Giyuu was already prepared, he had his uniform and haori on, as well as his katana. That’s all he needed to bring.
Giyuu stands and makes his way to the door upon hearing a violent knocking. That must be Sanemi. He opens the door and is grabbed by the arm and dragged out, as he assumed it would go. He pulls the door closed while Shinazugawa drags him, quickly regaining his footing and walking beside the other, matching his pace. Shinazugawa eventually let go of his arm after noticing that Giyuu wasn’t resisting being taken along.
They didn’t exchange any words along the way to the location. If Giyuu didn’t know any better, he’d think Shinazugawa forgot he was there. But he was always like this. He ignored Giyuu’s existence any time they were in the same area, otherwise he’d be mocking him.
So, he was honestly fine with being ignored. It was better then Shinazugawa mocking him and calling him names.
By evening, the two had arrived at a village. If he remembered correctly, it was a relatively small village with only a few hundred residents, but his crow had informed him that people had started going missing without explanation at night.
Giyuu continued to follow behind Sanemi as they entered the city, he said not a word as Shinazugawa stopped and turned to him.
“I’m gonna talk to some people and ask about the demon, see if anyone has any extra information. You follow me, but don’t say a damn word or I’ll kill you. Got it?” Sanemi spoke, his voice gruff, comparable to wolf’s growl. Giyuu simply gave a slight nod before Shinazugawa turned and continued walking into the city, approaching a few people.
Sanemi was much more polite and calm with the citizens, his voice smooth like a rippling stream. It was strange to Giyuu, to hear him like this. He was always used to Sanemi either yelling at him or glaring, never talking so calmly as he is now.
But that didn’t matter. Not right now. They have a mission to do.
Giyuu started actually paying attention now, Sanemi was listening intently to a short black-haired woman speak, one arm lowered to hold the hand of who Giyuu assumed was her child, while she used the other to exaggerate her speech with her hand.
“-I heard my husband mention that a few people said they found orangish fur near the site of or close by the place the people were last seen. I honestly thought it might’ve been a wolf or something, but wolves don’t have that shade of orange fur, and there was no blood”
Shinazugawa hummed, holding his hand up to his chin in thought. “Thank you, ma’am. Could you perhaps point me to who your husband was speaking about? Or to him so I could ask him myself?” He questions, keeping a calm, straight face.
Giyuu turned his head away from his mission partner and over to a different direction, the hairs on his neck standing upon seeing someone running towards them, blood dripping in large puddles down their leg and torso, face melted into that of pure fear.
Giyuu grabbed Shinazugawa’s arm and tugged at him “What the hell do you-“ He stopped, now seeing what Giyuu was looking at. The two ran to the man with a quick pace, Shinazugawa grabbed him under his arms before he was able to collide with the ground.
“Sir, are you ok?” Shinazugawa questions, lowering himself and the man down to the ground while he heaved for air, his entire body trembling. Giyuu spotted multiple large claw marks on the man’s body, and though they were long, they weren’t deep.
The man choked on a fearful sob, clinging onto Shinazugawa “TH- THERES A D-DEMON!” He shouts, momentarily looking over his shoulder, back to the direction he came from.
A demon? Must be the one they were looking for. “I’ll go ahead. You get him to somewhere he can be treated.” Giyuu spoke, the first words he’d said since they started their mission. Shinazugawa begrudgingly nodded and carefully pulled the man to his feet, then lifted him off the ground and onto his shoulder. Giyuu began running in the direction the man had come from, his hands on his katana.
Eventually, Giyuu came up to an area that was very dark, not a single house was lit up and no other lights were on. Perfect place for a demon to snatch people up without being caught.
Giyuu paused, his body tensing when he felt a strange presence in the area.. it took him a moment to realize-
He’s facing an uppermoon.
This isn’t good. He could take a lowermoon or a regular demon any day, but an uppermoon? They were the 6 strongest demons under Muzan himself.
He could just hope it wasn’t one of the upper 3. He knew for a fact he couldn’t win against one of them. Especially not alone.
Giyuu drew his sword and began to speak “Uppermoon, show yourself.” He spoke with a hiss to his voice, taking up a defensive stance with his katana leaned to cover his torso. Giyuu almost flinched when he heard faint chittering, it sounded like a fox.
Perhaps a fox-based demon? Since that woman did say something about orange fur.
Giyuu began slowly walking forward, cautious about every step taken. He could be attacked at any moment, he had to be careful.
Giyuu tenses upon hearing quick footsteps, but soon realizes it was Shinazugawa. He’d memorized each of the Hashira’s footsteps for this reason.
Upon noticing Giyuu had his sword drawn Shinazugawa pulled out his own. “Seen it yet?” Shinazugawa asks, only to receive a short shake of his head
“Not yet, but I’m pretty sure it’s an uppermoon, possibly a fox-based demon too. I heard chittering that sounded like a fox, and it would match the description of finding orange fur near the disappearance sites.” Giyuu explained, his voice nearly a whisper, as usual.
Shinazugawa tightened his grip on his katana. The two began walking forward, a tad faster than Giyuu originally was. They both knew they should stick together if it was an uppermoon.
The two heard more chittering, but this time it sounded closer than it did before. The two stopped and took up a defensive stance, turning away from each other to be prepared for a possible attack from any direction.
They stayed like that for a good minute or two, but after some time with no sign of attack, Shinazugawa lowered his guard.
Only to be met with a fox darting out of a doorway and lunging at him. He got a quick look at it’s eye.
This fox is apart of the demon. It has to be- It’s eyes are solid white yet it moved so fluidly to attack. There’s no way it could lunge with such precision if it’s blind.
Sanemi raised his katana and knocked the fox to the side before slicing his blade through the scruff of it’s neck. It yelps and falls to the ground and began to fade into ash.
“Definitely a fox demon, and definitely one of the 12 kizuki.” Shinazugawa confirmed, now adjusting the grip on the hilt.
While they spoke briefly, 2 more foxes came out of the shadows and leaped at them. Sanemi was able to easily slash this one like he’d done before, but Giyuu’s reaction time was off by just a second, and a second was enough for the fox to latch onto his arm and begin tearing at it like a rabid fox grabbing onto an innocent rabbit and shaking it ferociously.
Giyuu clenched his jaws and grabbed it by the scruff, trying to yank it off as best he could without pulling his own flesh off his arm. Sanemi turned over and stabbed it through the neck, barely missing Giyuu’s hand that was still desperately grasping it’s scruff. Upon pushing his blade down and through most of the fox’s neck, Giyuu managed to pull it’s body off the rest of the way, causing the now decapitated fox to release it’s grip and drift away as ashes.
Giyuu examined his arm. That was a nasty bite. It was able to tighten it’s grip enough to bite down pretty deep, it’d nearly sunk it’s teeth all the way into his arm. He’d have to treat it for a possible infection whenever he was done with this.
Giyuu was then suddenly pulled backward by Sanemi, only realizing why when another fox lunged only inches in front of his face, barely missing it’s attack.
He braced himself upon regaining his footing, this time taking the initiative and attacking the fox himself. He raised his sword and brought it down, but the fox moved in time that it only struck it’s shoulder, getting away with a limp. It retreated, blood running down it’s leg.
Another fox emerged from a crack in a wall and stopped by the injured one, quickly lapping at the other’s bloody wound before it darted out towards the two, the injured fox slipping away into the building.
“There’s so many of these stupid foxes!” Shinazugawa shouted as he brought his katana to the fox’s neck, slicing through it easily. It fell to the ground and disintegrated.
“Even though they disintegrate like any demon, they don’t seem to be able to regenerate like one. Which is good. Less foxes able to attack, even if they’re not dead, is good.”
Shinazugawa raised his sword to another fox, and Giyuu followed suit, slicing his blade through the neck of another one of the small canids.
The two froze, hearing the clicking of a tongue from in front of Shinazugawa. Sanemi looks up to see a silhouette standing on a dry water fountain. On it’s head, Sanemi noticed two triangles that resembled fox ears, and at it’s waist was a short, bushy tail.
That’s the demon.
The demon raised it’s hand, Sanemi noted that it looked like a mix between a normal human hand and a canid paw. Faint outlines of fur blowing in the wind, rounded fingertips with protruding, blunt claws on each finger. Definitely a fox demon.
The demon snapped it’s fingers and a horde of at least 15 foxes rushed at the duo, all snarling and yapping amongst each other as they leapt on the two. Sanemi growled to himself, taking his blade and cutting through the first fox with ease, but began to struggle when numerous more latched onto his arms and pants.
Giyuu was struggling an equal amount with foxes trying to nip and bite at his face while digging their claws into his shoulders, chest, and back.
Shinazugawa and Tomioka could hear the demon let out a loud cackle, and begin to speak “Foolish hunters, thinking you have a chance at defeating me. You can’t even get through my foxes! What makes you think you could have my head if you struggle against small canids?” He mocks, his sharp teeth glistening in the moonlight as he grinned wide.
Giyuu yelped when a fox managed to grasp at his neck. “SHINAZUGAWA- THERE’S TOO MANY!” He shouted over the snarling of foxes. Out of the corner of his eye, Sanemi saw the demon stiffen.
Sanemi turned and grabbed the fox biting at Giyuu and ripped it off, tossing it towards the demon.
The demon made a loud yip sound, and the many flooding foxes suddenly began to retreat. The two looked around in confusion, watching the foxes skitter away into the many cracks and crevices around the area, and turned to eye the demon when it hopped down, off the fountain.
Both Giyuu and Shinazugawa braced themselves, but were a tad confused when the demon didn’t make a move to attack, only took slow, cautious steps forward.
“Gi-..yuu..?” They heard the demon speak, it’s tone low, almost sorrowful.
Giyuu stiffened and tightened his stance “How do you know me, demon?!” He hissed through clenched teeth, preparing for any possible attack.
The demon halted it’s slow advance, Shinazugawa noticed it’s tail started slowly swaying back and forth.
“Giyuu- it- I-“ The demon seemed to be unable to find the right words to say, stumbling over it’s sentences with a stutter.
“It’s me- it- It’s Sabito.” Finally, the demon finished what it had been trying to say.
Shinazugawa raised a brow “The hell? Who the hell are you? Why aren’t you-“ Sanemi stopped when he heard Giyuu’s nichirin blade hit the ground. He looked over, puzzled.
“Sab-. it-to-..?” Giyuu looked like he was just told his entire family was slaughtered, clearly on the verge of tears. Who the hell is ‘Sabito’?
Giyuu began taking steps forward, seemingly still hesitant.
The demon braced itself and made a wide, high leap, landing behind the two. They spun on their heels, watching it descend and eventually land. It now turns, face visible in the moonlight.
It really is him.
Giyuu now bolted to the demon, tears flowing hot down his face. The demon, or ‘Sabito’ didn’t even flinch when Giyuu opened his arms and grasped onto him, clinging onto the demon as if his life depended on it.
Sabito wrapped his arms around Giyuu, who took in a sharp inhale and sobbed out a wobbly “SABITO!”. Shinazugawa just stood there, completely confused.
Shinazugawa noticed the demon’s expression relax, eyes half-lidded and mouth pulled into a gentle smile, his tail also started to thrash quickly back and forth- no- not thrash, wag
“It’s good to see you again, ‘Yuu” Sabito said, his own eyes now pricked with tears. The two lowered to their knees, clinging onto each other like a mother dog to her puppy who’d been missing for days.
Shinazugawa just stood there, unable to really understand what was happening. A moment ago, they were fighting mercilessly against demon foxes, and now Giyuu was completely broken down in tears clinging to the demon they were supposed to kill.
Sanemi took a few steps closer- but stopped when he heard the fox demon snarling and gripping tighter onto Giyuu’s split-designed haori.
Giyuu suddenly pulled away from the fox demon, leaving the other a little confused. “Sabito- please don’t be mean to Shinazugawa- he’s just confused” Giyuu cupped Sabito’s face in his palm, the fox demon quickly easing into the gentle touch. Sabito’s pointy fox ears lowered.
“‘M sorry, I just didn’t want him to hurt you-“ Sabito explains. Now that he’s getting a better look at this demon, he looks to be about Giyuu’s age. Maybe a little short, but he was definitely a young adult. No older then 21.
Tomioka turns to face Shinazugawa, gesturing with his hand to come closer. Shinazugawa reluctantly complied and approached slowly. Giyuu patted a spot in front of him and Sabito.
Shinazugawa plopped into a criss-crossed sit, staring reluctantly between the two. Giyuu inhaled, presumably going to explain.
“Shinazugawa, this is Sabito” Giyuu introduced them “He was- he was my boyfriend when we were teenagers” Sabito nudged himself closer to Giyuu, resting his chin on the other’s shoulder.
Sanemi just stares. Completely unable to think of a single word to say.
Giyuu continues. “He- he died during final selection. Or- I thought he did.” He pauses, taking a slow inhale. “His death is- kinda the reason I am the way I am.” Tomioka continued, raising a hand to rest it in the demon’s long, salmon-colored hair. It felt as soft as he remembered it being.
He then turned to look at Sabito “Sabito, this is Sanemi Shinazugawa, he’s my co-worker” At this point, Sabito was purring contently, tail wagging against the dusty dirt floor they sat on.
Sanemi had finally processed all what was happening, and his face was a mix of solemn and angry.
“Tomioka. You already broke the corp rules, sparing the life of that demon girl, but now this? I should be telling Master about this.” He tightens the grip on his blade as he uses it to rise to his feet. Giyuu frowned, clinging a bit tighter to Sabito, who was now glaring at Shinazugawa.
“Shinazugawa- please. Sabito is the only person I have- I thought I’d never see him again for years. Can’t I just spend a little time with him now that I have him again?” Giyuu raised to his feet, helping Sabito up with him. Sabito was glaring at Sanemi.
“Tomioka. You’ve had too many chances already. It was one thing with a normal demon- but now upper six? Have you lost your damn MIND?!” Sanemi raised his voice, receiving a flinch from Giyuu. Tomioka stiffened and shuffled to stand a tad behind Sabito.
Shinazugawa just stared. Was Tomioka scared of him? The same Tomioka who brazenly ignored the other Hashira? The same Tomioka who swiftly and mercilessly killed demons with single slashes? It felt impossible.
“Tomioka-“ Shinazugawa tried, raising his free hand and taking a step closer, only to be greeted with bared teeth and a loud snarl.
“Don’t even think about trying shit. I won’t let you hurt Giyuu.” The fox demon spoke through gritted teeth, clenching his hands into an almost fist.
“Sabito- please” Giyuu spoke in a near whisper, it was what Sanemi was more used to hearing. Sabito seemed to relax his posture when Giyuu spoke, turning briefly to look at him.
“Tomioka, do I have to remind you that this demon has been killing people? We were sent here to kill it.”
Sabito quickly turned back around “I haven’t killed a single person in this village. All those foxes you were killing without question? Those are the people who’ve gone missing.” His tail now turned from wagging to lashing, his feet-claws digging into the dirt.
The hairs on Sanemi’s neck started to stand. Those foxes were the missing people?
Sabito unclenched his hands and inhaled sharply “I’ll tell you everything I’ve done to the people I took if you’d just calm down. I’ll provide as much information as I’m able to give- just- calm down and stop shouting at Giyuu.” Sabito spoke, his voice commanding and stern, but his words contradicted his attitude. He was bargaining with Sanemi, to spare Giyuu for information. It wasn’t really like Sabito to back down from a fight, Giyuu knew that.
He was only doing this for Giyuu’s sake.
Giyuu wrapped his arms around Sabito and held him tightly, Sabito placed one of his paw-hands on top of Giyuu’s, giving it a gentle squeeze in an attempt to silently reassure Giyuu.
Sanemi gripped the hilt of his blade tighter for a moment, sucking in a breath through his teeth, before he sheathed his katana.
“Fine. But we’re not talking here. Not in town.” Sanemi growls out. Sabito and Giyuu both let out a breath neither seemed to realize they were holding.
“WooAuuAh-“ Sabito turned and swept Giyuu up and off his feet, now holding him bridal style. Giyuu raised his arms in protest and to steady himself, but eventually allowed it. Sabito made a brief yip and the remaining foxes wiggled out from their hiding places.
The one injured fox limbed alongside another, it’s cut was wrapped up with clean bandages and was leaning on the other.
It was a bit more clear now- these foxes weren’t just an extension of Sabito, they were their own separate demons. If Giyuu had to guess, Sabito was allowed to turn them all himself and therefore gained demonic abilities similar to his own. Kinda like that spider demon family.
“Say- er- Wind Hashira, mind walking a bit slower? One of the foxes is injured and can’t walk too fast” Sabito spoke, his tone a lot more even and calm. That sounded like the Sabito he knew.
Shinazugawa exhaled, giving no response, but he slowed his quick pace just enough.
Sabito grew a small smile, thankful for the small gesture.
The three (plus about 23 foxes) arrived at a cabin far into the forest. The many foxes dispersed into the land, presumably to do their own things, but the injured fox and it’s companion followed the three into the house.
Sabito sat Giyuu on his bed and examined the injures caused by the foxes. Sabito’s ears were flattened against his head, clearly upset that he’d damaged Giyuu. Sabito began licking Giyuu’s wound (much to the other’s confusion) and the skin started to close up.
“Woaahh” Giyuu awed quietly at the strange sensation in the cuts as they closed up when Sabito licked at them. He supposed it was apart of his demon art?
Sabito licked at Giyuu’s neck, a few of the nips the foxes gave had drawn blood. Giyuu scrunched his face and let out a giggle, playfully batting at Sabito. It felt like they were still 15, like nothing bad ever happened to either of them. They were contently playing together in their beds like they always did.
Sanemi sat in another room, tending to his own cuts. He didn’t want to be in the same room as that uppermoon. It just made him want to kill it even more. But they had a deal. Information in exchange for the demon’s survival.
Sanemi glanced away from his now bandaged arm over to the two foxes sitting in a corner by a small, smoldering fire. There were only two rooms in the house, a main room and bedroom. The injured fox laid stiffly on a thick blanket while the other sat up, lapping at the other’s wound while they both yipped quietly to each other.
They really were individuals. They weren’t just mindless beasts who took commands even at the cost of their lives.
Shinazugawa took a sharp inhale and leaned back on the wall, letting his legs stretch out a little. This was a strange scenario to be in. Tomioka basically dropped a hydrogen bomb on him when he revealed that this demon, upper 6 no less, used to be his boyfriend.
Sanemi didn’t even know it was possible for anyone to tolerate Giyuu, much less like him.
But at the same time- he had to think back to something Tomioka said when he introduced the two of them to each other
‘His death is kinda the reason I am the way I am’
Sanemi had to wonder, did that demon’s supposed death affect Giyuu THAT much? That now that Tomioka knows he’s alive, he’s suddenly so much more lively? He could hear the Water Hashira in the other room giggling with the demon. He’s never heard Giyuu laugh. Never seen him smile, never seen him look anything other than a husk of a person.
He always assumed it was arrogance, especially when Tomioka would say ‘I’m not like you guys’ or things long those lines. He thought Tomioka was looking down on the rest. But his conclusion was clearly incorrect.
Now that he thinks of it, if he’d even payed attention a sliver more- he’d have realized.
Giyuu was depressed, wasn’t he?
He never hung out with anyone, the only people he’d contently talk to was Tanjiro, but Tanjiro can easily win the affection of anyone he talks to, so that’s not a big feat.
Any time he had a mission with Giyuu and he’d go to retrieve him from his estate, he never saw or heard any assistants. He’d seen inside his estate a few times, it looked barren.
Not a single picture frame, no plants, no little decorations. Nothing. It’s like nobody even lived there, even though Tomioka spent most of his off-time at home.
A few times when Tomioka had skipped a meeting and Shinazugawa was feeling extra angry with him, he’d go to the Water Estate himself, searching and shouting for Tomioka, only to find him either asleep or laying in his Futon.
Every single time he went. Giyuu was laying down, looking near lifeless.
He should’ve put the signs together sooner. Maybe things would be different if he did. Sanemi couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.
Sanemi heaved to his feet. He shouldn’t sit here and stew in what he did wrong, and the things he should’ve done. He SHOULD apologize to Tomioka.
Shinazugawa walked over to the door that led to the demon’s bedroom, knocking lightly on the door. He heard some shuffling as the two beyond the frame went quiet, then Sabito spoke up
“Come in” Shinazugawa inhales, bracing himself. He’s already mentally planned what he’ll say. All that has to happen now is actually saying it.
Sanemi opens the door slowly, taking cautious steps in, his eyes trained on the ground to silently convey his thoughts.
Giyuu was staring warily at him from beside Sabito. Sanemi stopped halfway from the door to the two, taking yet another deep breath.
“Tomioka, can I talk to you?” He asks, his tone much more even than when he usually spoke to Tomioka. Giyuu hesitated and looked at Sabito, who returned the glance. Giyuu glanced back but gave no response.
“The dem- er- Sabito can stay. I’ll say what’s on my mind in front of it- him.”
Tomioka just started, awaiting whatever words Sanemi had to say.
“I’ll start off by saying, I’m sorry.” He paused, clenching the cloth of his uniform in his right hand “I thought about something you said earlier today, and I realized I was wrong in my assumptions about you. You aren’t egotistical, and I should’ve thought deeper about the few habits I noticed you had before I made an assumption.”
Tomioka was completely silent, even after Sanemi had ceased speaking. Sabito looked between the two, his eyes lingering on Giyuu more than Shinazugawa.
Giyuu slowly stood, Sabito stayed sat on the bed. Sanemi wasn’t sure what he felt in the moment, it’s like everything went blank. Especially when Giyuu wrapped his arms around Shinazugawa.
Tomioka whispered a shaky “Thank you..” in his ear before slowly removing himself from the other and sitting back beside Sabito.
Shinazugawa exhales. That went a lot better then he expected.
“As an- extra sorry, would you be willing to go out and eat with me?” Shinazugawa did Not want to call it a date. It was Not a date. He did Not just ask Tomioka on a date.
Tomioka stared some more. He seems to be doing that a lot tonight. Then he glances to Sabito for a few seconds. Shinazugawa could swear to you that the two were having a silent conversation with slight gestures and looks. Before Giyuu turned to face Sanemi again
“T-that’d be nice..” He responds, causing just a bit of tension in Shinazugawa’s shoulders to ease away. Shinazugawa nods and begins to turn away
“I’m going home. I’ll come get you tomorrow, 8pm. Be ready.” He states, briefly pausing before he exits “We can discuss whatever information your demon boyfriend can give another day.” He stated, now continuing through the door, leaving little room for Giyuu to suggest anything else. And before long, Sanemi had left.
Giyuu supposed he didn’t mind this. He had his best friend back- maybe boyfriend? He’d have to ask Sabito about that. And he made friends with Sanemi.
In Giyuu’s opinion, things were turning out for the better.