Chapter 76: Canon start
Author : I just wanted to mention that the timelines are a little different. Even though I tried to follow cannon as much as possible, I had to make some changes.
For example, Mitsuri should have just completed her final selection in the canon timeline but in this one, she is still just training.
And obviously Kanae is still alive.
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[3rd POV]
In the end, she couldn't go through with it.
After all that effort, a single glace at him evaporated all the courage she had built up for months.
He was preparing a rejection, she realized halfway into her confession. She hated that he was a blank sheet and any emotion that was strong enough to surface on his face was so obvious to read.
And what did she do?
She never confessed. You could not reject someone when they didn't even confess.
But why would she do that? Why would she continue pursuing a heart that was ready to reject her? That was a foolish decision, she was smarter than that.
Well....she didn't know either. Just ask her heart why it loved him. She was just a victim of her heart like many girls were.
During the past two months, she came to learn about his engagement in a little more detail. You wouldn't be able to imagine how heavy her heart was when she learned that not only did Seiji like this fiance, but he was more than okay with the engagement.
Maybe she should've given up then. Instead of acting like a bitch that tried to seduce an engaged man, instead of trying to steal a heart that was already owned.
But a voice in her heart said, 'A little more.'
'A little more effort.'
'A little more time.'
'A little more love.'
After a little more, she would finally confess her feelings even if her reward would be rejection. Then she would let the world move on. Personally, she might never move on but at least she would let him go then.
She knew the danger her job presented, people die all the time while doing missions. So if she were ever to face such an end, she wanted to go out without regret.
And she wanted to squeeze everything out of her life.
"Heh~ I thought they would die but look who is alive and swimming," Seiji said while crouching beside the pond of the Flower Mansion. He was looking at the goldfish they had caught last night like a small excited child.
Kanae looked at the goldfish swimming around in their new home with sad eyes.
'A little more.' a voice in her heart sounded again.
'I want a little more of his scent.'
'I want a little more of his touch,'
'I want a little more of his love.'
For a woman who spent all her life helping people and giving without asking for anything in return, it was okay if she was a little greedy this time right?
She couldn't have the whole thing but...
Please.
Just a little more.
"Whaaaaa!!" *Splash!!*
Seiji fell into the small pond because he was trying to follow a certain goldfish swimming in the pond.
...
Actually, the strongest Hashira would never slip like that and make a mistake. But Kanae realized that she must've looked sad while she was deep in thought.
He was doing that silly thing to cheer her up and distract her from the sorrow of her own thoughts.
Honestly, he was so obvious when you knew him well. That was one of her favourite things about him. He was so obvious even though he believed that he was clever.
His eyes never missed anything, but the eyes of a woman in love didn't either.
To reward his effort, she allowed herself to release a peal of giggles. She was not actually laughing at his wet self but at his cute attempt to cheer her.
And he just sat there, half his body submerged and stared at her smile.
'A little more Seiji.'
'Let's play dumb for a little more.'
..
..
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[Seiji's POV]
(A week after the festival date)
Enough of this sad and K-drama bullshit!! Look at this cool shit instead!!
"Storm Breathing : Second Form,"
Could you imagine, how fucked the demon in front of me was? He was probably as weak as Tanjiro's first demon whom he killed with an axe too.
Talk about going overboard.
But I had absolutely zero remorse for the battle looking ahh demon. I was racist like that.
It was his karma that he met Seiji 'The Steroid Hashira - professional hater - racist - too deaf to hear you beg' Shigan.
There was absolutely no sound while I dashed past the demon. Only when the technique was done and I had obliterated my opponent did sound gather up the courage to scream.
*BOOOOM!!!!*
"Lightning Wave," I said out loud while standing still in my place due to fatigue.
I admit it was a little goofy that I became a statue whenever I used Storm Breathing but I was spamming it exactly for that reason. After using it enough, my body would grow stronger and adapt to my strength.
There was no one to disturb me because I made sure there were no threats before pulling off this move. After a few seconds, my body came out of its locked state and I breathed a sigh of relief.
Then raven flew down from the tree and landed on my head.
"Thank you for looking out for me," I said with a smile. She was in charge of protecting me while I was in my vulnerable state after using Storm breathing.
How would she protect me you ask?
"Well, her job is to fly in front of the enemy and present herself as a quick snack before they attack me-OW!" Raven pecked me on my head and it hurt like you wouldn't believe.
"Alright, I was joking," I said, "You are the main course meal before they attack - ow ow ow OW!!"
And she bestows my joke with multiple pecks on the head. I swear a lower demon could die from this thing.
Just then, a Kasugai crow appeared overhead and delivered a message. That put a stop to my punishment of dao pecks so I sighed in relief.
"Seiji Shigan!! Seiji Shigan!! You are called for an emergency Hashira meeting!! You are called for an emergency Hashira meeting!!"
Well, that didn't sound good at all.
It had only been a few days since we last had the Hashira meeting. But now an emergency meeting was called. I hope nothing bad has happened and it was only just about to happen.
Because I would rather take an incoming disaster than a disaster that already struck.
..
..
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When I reached the Demon Slayer Corp headquarters, everyone had already gathered. I was the furthest away and also the last one to be informed because of my speed.
I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the meeting ground though. There was someone extra today, someone who was not a Hashira yet.
"Rengoku?" the name spilled out of my mouth and everyone turned to look at me.
"Ah, Seiji," Ubuyashiki gave me a gentle smile, "You're finally here, we've been waiting for you,"
I went to my fellow Hashira and stood beside them. Rengoku was on his knee a few meters away from us. I posed a question.
"What's going on?"
"We will get to that in a minute my boy," Ubuyashiki replied, "With the pillar of pillars here, let us finally start the emergency Hashira meeting,"
After that, a pregnant silence fell over the headquarters.
"We have discovered many bombs planted in Tokyo and it is also highly possible that one of the twelve Kizuki is in the city,"
Oh, that sounded bad.
Wait, this feels familiar.
I racked my brain for a few seconds before the answer finally came to mind. My suspicion was correct, I have read this before.
It was the start of Rengoku's manga.
I smiled, I guess it was finally time for my friend to cross the threshold and become a Hashira.
..
[IMAGE : JONTY is having trouble irl and won't be on the internet for a while. But he asked everyone to continue posting image in his stead. Let us not forget the legend of this book]
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