My Missing Piece {Uzuren}

34

I'm terrified to write this-
:deep breath:
I apologize in advance for.. whatever I end up doing.

Daily fun fact about cats: scruffing a cat is the action of picking a cat up by the skin on the back of its neck, but this is potentially painful and causes adult cats to experience stress and fear, rather than relaxation

———————

Akaza threw punch after punch at the tree, wood chips flying everywhere in his desperation to relieve his anger.

Just an hour prior, he'd had to endure the pain of his own blood boiling inside of him, courtesy of the demon king himself. Kibutsuji knew Akaza didn't like him, and returned the hate tenfold, so he'd had the bright idea to take his frustration over the blue spider lily out on the demon.

"I'm not a punching bag!!" Akaza hissed, shaking away the pain in his limbs after each hit. His body temperature was still dangerously high, as was his blood pressure. His muscles ached from the combined strain, but he didn't care. "I'd rather throw myself into the sun than spend another minute listening to that bastard talk."

"I'm not a florist! How am I supposed to know where some stupid flower grows?!" Slamming the side of his foot into the thick trunk, Akaza grit his teeth and repeated the sequence of movements until the pine shuddered and collapsed, falling to the side. It was only then that he exhaled slowly, cooling his head as the bruises and scratches on his arms, hands, and legs healed. He brought the back of his palm up to his forehead, checking his temperature. Uncertain that that would give him an accurate reading, he instead bit into his wrist, letting the warm blood flow into his mouth. Still overheating.. I'll go sit in a river or something to calm down.

Luckily for him, that 'or something' happened to be passing by right at that moment. A black cat, one with sharp yellow eyes akin to the honey color of Akaza's, crept out from behind a bush. It's preadatory gaze was fixed on a small field mouse, so it didn't notice the striped demon standing just a few yards away.

Akaza blinked, strangely fascinated with the feline that stumbled upon such a dangerous creature and didn't even care. Certainly it heard the racket I was making, he thought, transfixed. And yet all it cares about is that mouse. Food driven lunatic.

He stooped low to pick the cat up, holding it away from himself as it swing it's claws through the air, hissing and growling at him in protest. The mouse tried to scurry away, only to be stopped and killed, it's neck broken. Akaza snatched that up too, dangling the rodent by its tail in front of the cat's face. "Will you calm down if you eat?" He asked, shaking it a bit to make the bit of prey look more enticing.

Letting out a low, aggressive keen, the bundle of black fur snagged the mouse in its claws.

As it settled down to enjoy its unconventional meal, Akaza sighed, sitting down with the cat laying across his thighs. Stroking its shiny dark coat, the demon began to let his guard drop. This was nice, just being able to quietly sit and hold something cute. He shook his head. I can't get all soft-hearted.

———————

Daki growled, darting backwards to avoid getting slashed by the fire demon's sword. This guy is way too powerful!! She'd tried multiple times to get her brother to help her, but he had dismissed the idea, stating that if she got decapitated, he'd come out and fight for her. It was difficult enough to avoid getting cut by the pinpoint accuracy of Rengoku's blade, trying to dodge him and his blood demon art was like trying to fight while doing the chicken dance. Too ridiculous and humiliating to even attempt.

Blood demon art.. Eight-Layered Obi Slash.

Two extra swaths of fabric unfurled from the sash wrapped around Upper Six's waist, from which they shot up then forward, all eight bearing down on Rengoku. The flame hashira glanced up at them, gripping his katana tighter. His look of serene focus should have been a warning that nothing good was coming Daki's way, especially as the tiger roared in challenge, it's flames licking the sky. It quickly became smaller, in less than a second it was no larger than a fox, burning a brilliant white all the way through. Smoldering paw prints melted away at the clay roof below it as the fire whooshed, leaping at the uppermoon with its 'claws' outstretched.