Somewhere Outside Reality - Demon Slayer Fanfiction

Chapter Two: Beacon of Misery

((Bro you thought-))

Tomioka looks down to his arm, noticing that the lower half of his sword was now missing- no where to be seen. There was a sudden feeling of Deja Vu coursing through Giyuu's veins. Panic. Semblance of the past.

It was almost as if he was living out information he had only heard before. Picturing it in ever sense possible, yet never able to actually get a grasp on it. Maybe until now. Dread was surging through him. Senses of impending doom and even fear.

Was this what... Sabito felt...? It's what Kakushi had said happened.. before... before....

Giyuu shook his head slowly, trying to cure his frantic mind of the coursing thoughts that rought him havok and pried at his dainty psyche.

He couldn't afford to give up here. The only words driving him were the ones he lived by. He didn't want to waste his sisters life and is friends lives on him giving into the system and lestting himself be bested by a demon. He needed to do more. Be more.

But...

Maybe..

Just as Tomioka bent down to try and get into a position to run at the demon, only the good part of his sword in his hand now- he took a couple wobbly steps forward, bringing his sword up over his head as he did so.

This was met with, to no major surprise- a drastic failure to move forward much further- which sent him sinking to his knees in the sand not even 5 whole steps from where he was standing a second ago.

This made Tomioka grit his teeth infrustration as he struggled. Using any internalized energy he had left to try and pry his sleeping legs into awareness with the rest of his body. However, every little message he sent to his traitorous limbs seemed to fall in on deaf reception.

He couldn't pry his clothed kneecaps from the soft sand- trembling as he sunk to his hands as well- struggling to bring himself up to move.

The female demon walked toward him, her eyes seemed to be fixated on him. Lavender colored with red diamond shaped iris's. Locked on her pray.

Much like how a cat looks at a fish it had spotted near enough to the shore to swipe at.

She had been getting closer and closer to the water hashira- stopping right in front of him before kneeling down and grabbing his hair. This made Giyuu give a light hiss of disdain, as he lightly swung his body with all his might to try and get himself loose from her grasp.

This didn't deter her one bit. The strange demon pulled him up to his knees- before using his ponytail to guide his head back. She seemed to be observing him. Unknown thoughts coursing behind her rather subtle expression.

A stubborn glint crosses Giyuu's face as he squinted at her, one of his eyes closing due to the burning sensation he was getting in them. He refused to take his eyes off her. If she could approach that soundlessly in mere seconds, who knew what the hell she could do in even less time than that.

'So... this is the water hashira, Giyuu Tomioka... I've heard a lot about him and his ... comrades.' it was a little subconscious thought. The scanning eyes of the demon looking the raven haired demon slayer up and down in ponderance.

Giyuu felt rising tension spinning in his mind. Barely making an attempt to grit his teeth, he tried to at least move his fingers only to realize that at some point... he had dropped the other half of his sword and hadn't even noticed. Not until now...

'I can't move... my body... it feels like I am being held down with lead...' he let his face fall back to it's more loose expression- still unblinking at a creature that belonged to the existance of his sworn foe.

He silently wondered what the demon was thinking. There had yet been a word out of her. Barely any expression or readable gestures...

He couldn't figure out a single thing she was planning to do him. He couldn't plan how to get himself out of this situation.

The water hashira had already tried holding his breath so the smell that was subduing him wouldn't maintain it's effect... but that had proven to be fruitless. There was no results from that theory being tested... other than his lungs burning and the feeling of dizziness with his growing nausea.

The demon blinked at him a couple times, her face seeming to grow softer in appearance. She blinked at the hashira- her eyes shifting from her typical lavender color to a deep inky black with hidden red hues.

'He hasn't blinked once... more than likely skeptical something will happen if he does. Smart... most of the time. However... this will just make my task easier.' The thought passed by the demon quickly, her eyes seeming to become more intense.

Giyuu maintained eye contact with her, his challanging glance unwavering for the majority of at least a minute.

However... something about the eye contact he had made with the demon gave him a feeling of... hollowness. He was trying to remember why he was staring at her.. and he got hit with drowsiness like a wall of bricks.

He found his concentration wandering. Mentally adrift as his previous careful glance had melted to one that was somewhat dazed and unprocessing of the situation.

The demon seemed to speak to him telepathically. She put her cold hand on his face, and stroked it a couple times- mentally ushering him a small, minut command.

'Rest now, fretful one. There is no point in fighting now...'

Giyuu's face relaxed, nearly shifting into her touch subconsciously. His eyes fluttered closed and the stern expression he held melted. Falling to one of ease and borderline contentness.

The water pillar's body slumped completely. No longer being helf up by his barely functioning legs.

'Just as a thought...' the female demon closed her eyes, and let Tomioka slide down to the ground slowly. She breathed in his scent- smelling the disdain around the Demon slayer. Not surprised by how tired he was or the bags under his eyes. 'This regretful hashira is no short of exhausted... his internalized pain... smells so enticing.'

She kept her eyes closed as she gently set Giyuu downon the dampened beaches sand. She let herself traverse the depths of Giyuu's mind. A tormented man indeed he was.

The trip into his mind was short, but it gave her the idea she needed to commence with whatever plans she had for this demon murdering swordsman.

'Fret no longer, troubled one. I have seen the depths of your mind. Perhaps... we can be of use to each other... I needn't kill you.' she pondered the idea.

Just then, the white skinned demon's body started to shrink, nearly to the size of the black haired hashira that lie on the ground motionless. However, she stopped and soon- her body started to morph- taking the form of a long lost friend to the troubled man below.

Tender rosey-ginger hair, a long scar along the side of the face... a white haori, with a green and yellow under shirt. Black pants and similar colored socks.

Endlessly blue eyes, and a fox mask to top off his garb.

The demon had stolen the form of a young man, lost somewhere in the past.

'Let's see... ah... I see him. The biggest source of our grief... what a charming young fellow.'

The demon seemed to contemplate before sighing and looking down at the form she had taken. She contemplated, thinking she looked a tad bit young. Closing her eyes, she morphed the form she took. Growing in size, the hair getting longer and the chin becoming more pronounced.

Much better.

The falsified form of a long lost friend, and fallen lover smiled a little bit down toward Giyuu, before his face seemed to darken. The demon within the facade whispered out with confidence- a slight airy laugh following the word.

'But... worry no longer. For... when you wakem he will be right here. Waiting for you.'

((To Be Continued))