Thirteen-Way Dilemma (anime males x fem! reader)

CHAPTER 20: GIYUU'S CALM

"Don't be scared, Y/N," Giyuu whispers, "I will protect you with my life."
Rui snickers as Giyuu makes this promise to me.

"Even if you do, I'll cut right through the both of you with my threads!" He exclaims.

I flinch backward as Rui thrusts both arms out and threads begin to form at his fingertips, flying toward Giyuu and I at an unbelievable speed. Giyuu uses his sword to block all of Rui's attacks, but doesn't receive the chance to strike before another wave of threads comes flying toward us.

"Y/N!" Giyuu shouts while warding off the threads, "I need you to run! I can't protect you and fight at full-strength at the same time! Go back to my house and call the other slayers for backup!"
I'm afraid that if I leave Giyuu, he'll end up severely injured by the time I get back... or worse. But then again, I suppose I'll be of no help anyway. It's not like I have the strength needed to battle a demon, and certainly not one of the twelve demon moons.

So, I follow his instructions, taking off in the other direction, however, I feel myself get dragged backward by something tight wrapped around my leg. The force of it causes me to lose my balance and I glance over my shoulder to see Rui, hands outstretched in my direction, using his threads to trap me.

"Don't touch her!" Giyuu screams and leaps into the air, calling upon the second form of water breathing to sever the threads constricting my movements.

Unfortunately, my leg was cut deeply in multiple places when Rui wrapped his thread around it. Blood is gushing out of every wound——there's no way I'll be able to walk now, let alone run.

Giyuu grits his teeth and faces Rui angrily.

"How dare you hurt her?!" He yells, "Leave her out of this!"
Giyuu grips his sword even tighter than he had been before.

"Water breathing, fourth form!" He shouts, "Striking tide!"
I watch in awe as his sword becomes engulfed with piercing water and he delivers many effective blows to Rui, who becomes increasingly frustrated at the sudden movement.

"Not half bad," he remarks once Giyuu's attack has been completed, "But there's no way you'll be able to deflect this!"

Terror overcomes both Giyuu and I as Rui's demeanor shifts, becoming even darker than before.

"Blood demon art——cutting thread cage!"

Rui's threads turn from a white color into a bright shade of red, signifying that they've become even stronger and more durable.

Suddenly, a giant dome of red threads envelops both Giyuu and I, preparing to close in on us at any given moment and slice us to pieces.

Giyuu clenches his jaw as this occurs, but releases the tension as he stares at me.

"No..." he shouts, placing the tip of his sword upon the ground, "I will not let you hurt her!"

Giyuu takes a deep breath in and out and just before the cage can close in on us completely, he gets a fearsome look in his eye.

"Water breathing, eleventh form," he states, "Dead calm."
Nothing seems to happen at first, but then, as the threads begin to near us even further, they dissipate into thin air, as though some invisible barrier is protecting us from them.

It's the eleventh form——an impenetrable defense if done correctly. Giyuu did it! He really did it!

I gasp as the last of the threads are whisked away when they come into contact with the eleventh water breathing form. Somehow, Giyuu isn't even breaking a sweat——he just looks aggravated and determined.

"Damn you..." Rui growls, "I don't understand! How did you——"

My mouth hangs agape as Giyuu approaches Rui at a rapid pace and slices his head off in the blink of an eye. The demon's severed head rolls upon the ground and stops when it's far away from the both of us. And soon, it crumples into ash, leaving behind nothing but a bad memory.

Once Rui is gone, Giyuu sheathes his sword and immediately races over to me. He cups my cheeks in both of his tender hands.

"Are you alright?" He asks frantically, "Your leg——it's bleeding!"
Before he can say another word, I pull him into a tight hug, tears streaming down my face as relief flows through my body.

"I'm so sorry," I blubber, "This is all my fault! I'm the one who suggested that we leave the house and take a walk. Please forgive me."
Giyuu releases me and stares me directly in the eyes.

"Please, don't blame yourself," he begs, "None of this was your doing."

———

Giyuu carries me back to his house and I can't help but rest my head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat thump steadily.

Back in the woods, I remember feeling intense worry. But I wasn't fearing for my own life——I was afraid that Giyuu might die. But he's alive and well, so that brings me great comfort and happiness.

Once we enter his abode, he places me upon the couch and immediately retrieves a first-aid kit from a nearby cabinet.

"Since we won't see Lady Tsunade until tomorrow, I have to clean the wound right now," he informs me, "It will sting, but I don't want it to get infected."
I hesitantly agree with his words, and he begins to dab cleansing alcohol on my leg. It's very painful at first, but after a moment, it settles back down.

As I observe Giyuu bandage my leg, I can't help but feel bad. After all, he just fought with everything he has. And here I am, being doted on by him after he's the one who saved both of our lives.

Finally, he stands from the floor, and elevates my leg on a nearby pillow for me.

"There," he murmurs, "Hopefully that'll give you some relief until Lady Tsunade can heal it for you tomorrow."
Giyuu collapses onto the couch, sitting right next to me.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Y/N," he whispers, "There's nothing worse than having to fear for your own life."

"Yes there is," I state, "There is something worse than having to fear for your own life. I experienced it tonight. When I was watching you fight that demon, I couldn't think about my own safety at all..."
Teardrops begin to threaten the edges of my eyelids.

"...I just wanted you to be okay," I continue, my voice quivering, "And it was the worst feeling. I was completely powerless——I couldn't even manage to call for backup. Giyuu, if something happened to you back there, I don't know what I would have done."

Losing all of my composure, I begin to sob into my hands, hiding my face from him out of embarrassment.

"Y/N," He speaks softly, "Please don't cry. I'm okay."
But even after hearing his comforting words, the tears just keep flowing.

"I'm sorry," I manage to blubber, "I'm so sorry, Giyuu."
He removes my hands so they're no longer shielding my face. And he gently gazes into my teary eyes as I continue to weep like a pathetic fool.

"Come here," he says tenderly.

I collapse into his arms, burying my face into his chest as I release all of my emotions.

"It's okay," he whispers quietly, "I'm here. I'm right here."
As my cries become softer and weaker, he carefully lifts me off of him so he can stare into my eyes.

He's so beautiful... like an angel sent straight from heaven.

"I've said this already and I'll say it again. I will protect you no matter what."
The two of us grow closer to one another, both filled with overwhelming feelings, until the gap separating us has been closed completely.

He presses his soft lips against mine, and I immediately return the kiss, placing my hand along his cheek.

His arms creep around my waist, slowly pulling me nearer to him.

"I promise..." he says before kissing me again, "...I'll keep you safe."
I hunger for him even more after these words escape from his lips. I wrap my arms around his back, squeezing tightly as if to make sure he doesn't go anywhere.

I can feel everything... his heartbeat, his breath, the warmth of his skin.

And when he tries to pull away, I don't let him, kissing him repeatedly until at last I feel the need to come up for air.

I rest my forehead against his as I listen to him breathe in and out heavily. I can't help but smile tenderly.

"Thank you, Giyuu."