BUTTERFLY : SHINOBU KOCHO (PART ONE)

Part 1: Chapter 22; A Violet Thread

"Eh?"

Shinobu didn't so much as glance in the hunter's direction, instead holding her arm out towards her, not once taking her eyes off the golden-eyed demon in front of them.

"Yae, I need you to go into the flames and find our quarters." Shinobu instructed, "I'm hoping your rifle survived the blast, but I'm 100% certain that my blade, and at the very least one or two of my toxins, managed to make it through that explosion. The only way you, me, and Sadao and Umiki are going to get through this is if I have my blade."

"W-Wait, are you going to do what I think you're going to do?" Yae squeaked in reply.

Shinobu's silence was more than enough of an answer, and the realization of what was to come firmly settled into the hunter girl's mind.

"M-Miss Kocho-

"Yae, go, now!"

She didn't need to be told twice, and broke out into a sprint along the side of the burning Wisteria House, searching for a way through the flames into the conjoining rooms where her and Shinobu's belongings lay.

The Insect Hashira herself, however, never felt so discouraged over a fight in her life.

Barely able to stand straight up properly, with fractures, cuts, scrapes, bruises and a gash on her side, she was far from even remotely being in fighting condition, and against a demon with Sakusa's strength, speed and stamina, she was sure to lose in seconds if she didn't get her blade in time.

Things were far from ideal, to say the least.

"My, my, Miss Shinobu, you look utterly horrible, did I do that to you~?"

The girl in question flinched in shock.

T-That feminine voice....

"You're not Kari-san.....are you?" The girl replied in awe.

"Ah, you thought this was Kari in this body?" The voice scoffed, as Sakusa's body brought their hands to their hair and fluffed it out with a smirk,

"Wrong again, Miss Shinobu~"

Tch, it explains the hair and eye at least.....

"So, I'm not talking to Kari-san, I'm talking to you, aren't I, Razel~?" Shinobu flashed a condescending smile as she spoke.

The female demon said, "That's right, Miss Shinobu."

Razel stepped into the front yard of the burning house with a sadistic smile and a glare in her eye, peering deep into the raven-haired girl's violet eyes as sharp nails began to spring out of Sakusa's fingers.

"You're looking at the New-and-Improved Razel of the Fifth Day~" She said with a wink.

Shinobu felt the intensity even from where she stood.

Fan-flipping-tastic, a demon as strong as she managed to get her hands on a body like Kari-san's.....can I even bring her down?

"So, just how did you survive, hm, demon~?" The ravenette finally spoke up, keeping her distance and never once letting down her guard.

"Oh, I bet you'd just love to know, wouldn't you~" Razel replied, "Ah, well, what do I have to lose, you're going to die anyways~"

"Your boyfriend didn't manage to kill us off, he just got lucky with the sun coming up at just the right time before I killed him myself~!"

Tch, I should've known, no Hashira can take on even one Upper Moon on their own, let alone two demons of the same level at the same time....