Second Chances {Doukaza}

15

LOL THREE CHAPTERS IN ONE DAY
This is way too much writing for my brain to handle... I've been sitting in my room for so long 😭
Help I listen to demonslayer music as background music and at this point I've memorized all the ones on my playlist jkljgnghfuovljaiwadsdwqeegcvaspkgd

Douma's POV
I woke up to the sound of Akaza's peaceful breathing, his chest rising and falling in sync with my own. Cute! I decided to go check the headquarters while he was asleep. With massive amounts of care and caution, I slipped out of the cave, doing my best to not wake him. Once I was out, I looked around and jumped into the branches.

I made my way to the big tree, testing every branch before I stepped on it to make sure it could bear my weight. When I got there, I crouched on my tip-toes with one hand on the trunk. It was almost nighttime, and the vibrant colors of the sunset were beginning to decorate the sky. As I watched, the light blue gave way to bright pink, orange, purple, and midnight blue that splashed across the sky like paint, turning the heavens into a beautiful canvas.

Reluctantly, I turned my attention away from the sunset and to the hashira, quickly doing a head count to make sure they were all there. The emo looking one was sitting on his porch, listening to Tanjiro and the yellow haired boy tell him a story of some sort. The flashy one was showing off his swordsmanship skills to the young hashira and the angry white Pomeranian. I spotted the tall one sitting a little ways away, listening to the others with his hands clasped together, almost like he was praying. My eyes scanned the estate, every garden, every household, but I couldn't seem to find the snake one and the girl. Nor could I see the boar head.

While I was wondering where they were, Akaza snuck up on me and gave me a hug from behind, nearly surprising me out of the tree.

"Good evening, Akaza-dono!" I turned around and hugged him back. "How did you sleep?"

He backed up and rubbed his eyes. "I slept fine. You're a really comfortable pillow." A warm blush spread over both of our faces. "I didn't mean to say that out loud." He facepalmed.

"It's okay! You look cute when you're asleep on me anyways!" I looked back at the estate.

Akaza joined me on the branch. "Are they all there?"

I shook my head. "The serpent hashira and the girl with green and pink hair are missing, as well as the masked slayer we met before."

"Why does it matter if the boar head isn't here?"

"I felt weird around him, like I knew him from somewhere. But I couldn't place it then, so I want to talk to him!"

Akaza shrugged, "As long as it doesn't interfere with the mission." He poked my chest with one finger. "Do. Not. Kill. Anyone." One poke for each word. "If you do, I'll punch your head off."

"I know you won't. You'd just as soon find yourself pinned to the ground!"

I think I broke Akaza. A second later he sighed and pointed at me. "You, go figure out where wild child is. I'll look for the hashira."

I hesitated. While I did want to look for the boy, I also didn't want to leave the pair of hashira to Akaza-dono. "Okay, but be careful!" I kissed his forehead lovingly and jumped down from the tree.

Time skip

I found the young slayer deep in the forest at about midnight. Why is he even out this late? He launched himself across the clearing and slammed his head into a tree trunk. And why is he doing that? He banged his head a couple more times on the same tree before backing up and doing it again.

Is he trying to give himself a concussion?

I thought for a second. Is it worth revealing our presence? The boy took a running leap at the tree. I sent small tendrils of ice out to catch him midair, setting him gently back on the ground.

"You keep that up, and you'll hurt yourself," I warned him.

"You again!?"

I smiled. Genuinely, and not a fake smile like I would have done in the past. "What is your name, slayer?"

"What's it to you!?!?" He drew his swords and faced me in a battle stance.

"Oh dear." I summoned ice to trap his feet in place so he couldn't attack me or run away.

"What the- HEY! LET ME OUTA HERE SO I CAN CLOBBER YOU!!!"

"Shhhhhhhh, you're making too much noise!" I stepped out of the shadows into the moonlight, stopping just a couple of feet away from the trapped slayer. "You look quite strong, what's your name?" I asked happily.

The boy beat at the ice with his swords, so I just added more. "You won't be able to break those," I stated.

"FIGHT ME!!!"

"I'm not here to fight~ I merely want to know your name!"

The slayer paused, perhaps he was going over his options. I waited patiently, my smile never wavering.

"Inosuke."

"Hm?" I tilted me head, confused."

"My name. It's Inosuke Hashibira."

Hashibira?? As in Kotoha Hashibira???

"Are you perhaps the child of Kotoha Hashibira, Inosuke?"

"Huh? I don't have parents!! What the hell are you talking about?!!"

I remember the name Inosuke from somewhere. Let me just- I stuck my finger through my temple and fiddled with my brain, trying to jog my memory.

"What the hell are you doing???"

"I remember your name from somewhere! I'm trying to remember where I heard it!"

Kotoha's child... what was its first name? I extracted my finger and wiped the blood on my pants, almost instantly regenerating the small hole in my head. It was Inosuke, right? Yes.

"May I see your face?"

"NO!! NO ONE GETS TO TOUCH MY MASK EXCEPT FOR ME!!"

"I'm not asking for your mask, Inosuke. I simply want to see what you look like underneath it."

"Well my answer is still no. I'd never willingly let a demon see." He enunciated the word demon, crossing his arms and looking away.

I sighed, dashing forward and removing his mask before he could react. I jumped back out of range from his swords and placed the boar's head carefully on the ground, making sure I didn't damage it.

Standing in front of me was the same Inosuke Hashibira I had known two seconds before, but now I could see his familiar green eyes and thick black hair that faded into blue. His face looked very feminine, but I instantly knew that I did know him. This was Kotoha's son, no doubt about it.

"GIVE ME THAT BACK!!!!!" He screamed. Honestly, it was a wonder no one had come to see what was going on. I hoped we were far enough away so no one could hear. I walked up to him and handed his mask back, which he quickly stuffed back over his head.

I then raced into the forest, in the opposite direction of the headquarters. When I doubled back and started to take the long way back to the small cave, I released the ice that was keeping Inosuke from following me. Now we have to leave. I'll get Akaza and we'll go back to the infinity castle to report to Muzan-sama!

A rustling to my left caught my attention, and I stopped to see what it was. A blur flew out from the tree behind me, nichirin sword drawn.

GET CLIFFHANGERED FOR THE SECOND TIME TODAY!!!
Bets on who it is?

Btw, should I write the next chapter today or tomorrow?