The moment the sun rises, you decided to go back to the headquarters, still silent of thinking what just happened.
On your way back, you bumped into someone and just mumbled sorry, not even trying to see who it is.
"(F/N)." You stopped on your tracks to turn around only to see Giyuu and realized that you bumped on him.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't noticed that it's you," you said and smiled at him a little.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
Your brows rise up. "Hmm? Nothing's wrong," you lied.
But he can still see through you. "Not so cheerful today, why are you lying?"
Will he be mad if I told him that I let a demon go?
"I'm not—" You heave out a sigh. "Something weird happened last night...I...please don't be mad."
"Let's go to my house," he said. You nodded and followed him until the two of you reached the place.
As usual, you sat on the stairs while he sat beside you. "Now, what is it?"
You started telling him what happened and he carefully listens to you.
"I got scared because he's emitting this strong aura, and I know I can't defeat him there," you said lowly.
"Why did he hug you?" He asked.
"I don't really know why. I thought he's going to absorb me but he said that he will never hurt me," you said. "Then he just left."
"Whatever that means, it's good that he didn't kill you," Giyuu said.
"Sorry, I got scared," you muttered.
You heard him sighed. "It's okay to get scared."
"I even forgot to ask him about the crescent demon," you said. "I'm sure he knows something about it."
"There's tons of demons to ask about that. Don't mind it—"
"CAW! CAW! EMERGENCY MEETING AT UBUYASHIKI HOUSEHOLD! CAW!"
"What is it now?" You asked.
After hearing the crow, you two made your way to the master's estate because of the said emergency meeting.
Once you arrived at the place, Shinobu and Sanemi are already there. But what caught your attention is Sanemi's expression when seeing you...with Giyuu.
You ignored it and made your way to where they are. Though, Sanemi didn't let it through.
He approached you and you only sighed. "Why are you with him?"
"Oh? I happened to meet him on my way home," you answered. "And what's so wrong about it, he's my friend."
"Friend? He have a frien—"
You placed a hand on his mouth covering it before smiling sarcastically. "Shhhh. Shut up." And he definitely did so you removed your hand.
A few moments later, and all of the hashira have gathered in front of the house, waiting for the twins to let them in.
And when they came out, the twin asked everyone to enter the house.
Sitting on your legs, you removed your sword from your belt and placed it down on the floor and everyone did the same thing.
Later on, Kagaya entered the room with his wife, and sat in front all of you.
"I am sure you are wondering on why have I called you today all of a sudden," he started. "It's just that I received a report that a group of people are destroying the wisteria flowers at the Fujikasane mountain."
"Why would they destroy those?" Sanemi asked.
"In other words they are letting the demons escape," Shinobu muttered.
You wondered, why would they do such?
"The crows have heard that they are doing that in exchange for money," Kagaya answered. "I am not aware of who started it, that's why I called all of you here...
...Those children I've sent to arrest these people haven't came back. It's been days and I haven't heard of them at all," he added. "There's two possible reasons for that...Either they were killed by a demon, or those people are the ones committing it."
"Unforgivable," Gyomei mumbled. All of you are not happy upon hearing the master's words.
"I would like to sent all of you my children to surround the whole mountain and arrest those people," Kagaya ordered. "I can't send any more children from the lower ranks, and only you pillars can handle such. Do you understand?"
"We understand," you all answered in chorus. Kagaya smiled.
"I will end our meeting here," the master said. "I pray for your succession."
"Yes!" You shouted at once.
All of you stood up when the master left and you let out a sigh, thinking of the mission.
"I'm guessing we should leave now?" Shinobu suggested.
"Let's go now!" Kyojurou beamed.
You only nodded to them and started walking.
"Do you really think that those people kills our hunters?" Walking next to Obanai, you thought of what the master mentioned a while ago.
The two possibilities of the disappearing of the other hunters. Either demons, or the human themselves.
You gazed at the sky, the sun's still on top of you, meaning that it's noon. You haven't eaten any breakfast yet but you're just enduring it.
"Oyakata-sama said that it could be possible," Obanai answered. "Humans can be murderous too."
"Soyama Hakuji was seen killing sixty seven students from their neighboring dojo. All of the corpse can't be recognized."
You gasped at the sudden memory a few years ago.
Onii-san's right, humans can kill too. My brother did that.
You hummed as a response. "Yeah."
"But the real question is...Is a demon leading them or not?" He asked.
You turned to him. "Why would you ask that?"
"Kocho also said that at the meeting. They are letting the demons locked in there to escape," he said.
"Then what about the money-thing?"
"They are getting paid for sure. Someone or something is probably providing them," he explained.
Then out of the blue, you flinched when a hand was placed on your shoulder. When you turned around, it was Giyuu with an onigiri in his left hand. "Oh...Tomioka-san."
"You haven't eaten yet, right?" He asked.
You chukled awkwardly while looking at the onigiri and making you drool. "Eh...uh...Y-Yes."
He handed you and onigiri. "I stopped at a shop over there. You just came back didn't you?"
You hummed and nodded. "Then...Thank you so much! I am really hungry to be honest," you said and started munching the food while continue walking...only to realize that Obanai have already left you. That's fine.
"Then eat now while we're not there yet," Giyuu said.
"I'm also surprised you stopped to buy something, I couldn't even stop because I'm quite embarrassed," you said and giggled. "You know, they might say that a real pillar ignores pain and hunger...but I just can't help it!" You whispered to him.
"There's nothing embarrassing for being hungry," he said before looking back. "Look behind."
Turning to your back, your jaw dropped after seeing Kyojurou eating while walking, the same goes for Shinobu who's quietly eating too...And what surprises you more is Sanemi munching a food too.
"I guess I should've eaten earlier," you chuckled and continued eating the food he gave.
to be continued.