Deep azure eyes clashed with a pair of golden red irises that rivaled the flames. Somehow those eyes are familiar. A dreamy sense of déjà vu washed over Fuyuko as she stepped out of the carriage and came face to face with a man that has the blazing features similar to a mighty flame. Specially, his long yellow hair that has red streaks.
Just gazing at those strands of vibrant hues, made Fuyuko want to touch his very familiar bright hair,
She then noticed the man's smile fell and was replaced with an expression of utter shock. She didn't really get it why and just decided to brush it off as she diverted her attention to the large white headdress that the shrine maidens gently crowned upon her head.
While the shrine maidens are still doing their work, Fuyuko's eyes then traveled to the lined-up guests. She figured they might be the man's family and peers but the most strangest of all, some of the guests males are wearing a Demon Slayer uniforms. She can't be wrong, those are demon slayer outfit.
After the headdress was secured in her head, she then walked towards the flame-like man that have regained his smile, but this time it was soft, a soft smile that he purposely held towards her. She then halted beside him and waited for the parade to start with the harmony of the beautiful music being played.
The bells in her sandal chimed at her every step as the parade motioned like a snail. The night is beautiful, windless and starry as the moon blessed their path with its radiance along with the lanterns' tangerine glow. Too bad that this night will soon be in ruins sooner or later.
During the leisure walk, Fuyuko then calmy inhaled the cool air around her and let her senses feel the aura of the strangers around her, specially, those who wore the corps uniform.
And she was slightly shock to feel the strength of their auras, it's definitely strong, strong enough to level a hashira - or they are hashiras... along with this man that walk alongside her, hunting the same demon.
The corps must had been alarmed because some demon slayers before her vanished into thin air in this very same town, and she also haven't been writing a report. She doesn't really have anything to report, during the passing days of no progress and she also instructed Inei to hide so the demon wouldn't be in suspicion that there is a demon slayer nearby.
When they were about halfway of the parade, Fuyuko raised her head and intensely scanned the bottom of the red umbrella to make sure that there is nothing unusual.
Before the time of the wedding and the staffs was just decorating the shrine, Fuyuko came to check the wedding props. She inspected it one by one, not leaving any strange details behind. If her theory was right, then the demon's blood should be in the materials because in that way, the demon could use its blood art even if it is far away.
If the demon's blood is embed in the props or in one of the props, that specific items should be out of the sun, shaded so the blood wouldn't degenerate from the sunlight's touch. It should also be used in the very beginning of the wedding during the parade, and is very close to the bride.
Fuyuko thought of the wedding kimono or its headdress but the shrine had a tradition to bathe the kimono along with its paired accessories and headdress from the very first sunlight to the very last, so the bride and the groom will be blessed with well-fortune and to also cast away evil energies.
So it couldn't be the wedding kimono, then Fuyuko's sharp eyes fell to the red umbrella. Its bottom is very shaded and the sunlight couldn't pierce its upper layers. It is also opened above the groom and the bride. A perfect weapon to be use in the demon's blood art.
She sniffed and eyed the umbrella to see any traces of blood but she sadly found none but her instinct is intensely screaming towards the said object. She then turned the umbrella up-side-down, exposing the its bottom towards the sun, and that's when she saw traces of blood burning away from the rear of the umbrella.
She finally solved the puzzle! And to make sure that there are no more spells of the demon in any of the materials, she spoke to the priestess and told that all of the props and items of the wedding should be bathed under the sun for as long as it could.
And to her surprise, the chairs for the guests and the couple also have demon blood burning away like petals touched by the ember of destruction. It cascaded to the wind as it slowly vanished.
At first, she didn't know why the demon also planned to abduct the guests if it only had a taste for young brides. But she clearly understands now; the guests, along with the groom, are Hashiras. Killing them will surely increase its rank.
I guest Fuyuko saved the Hashiras from the trouble of vanishing.
The final stage of her plan, is to lure out the demon. To do it, this wedding should go on until the demon get frustrated and blindly show itself, and that's when Fuyuko strike.
Fuyuko also calculated all of her plan, and she espected the demon to show itself before the priestess could announced the wedding's success. Just right in time to ruin a ceremony so she will not be bound in any form of marriage and to finally slay a demon that she had been hunting for a month.
"Is there something wrong?" A warm voice suddenly brought Fuyuko back to reality.
She didn't really need to looked at him to know whom the voice came from, so she just lowered her head back and replied a 'No'. It was the first time he heard his voice tonight but it also felt like she had heard it from long ago.
The parade continued on until it reached the shrines garden where the final wedding ceremony will be held and come to a close. Where Fuyuko's plan and mission will also come to a close.
Meanwhile, the Hashiras was surprise why the bride didn't disappear, nor did the demon appear. They all whispered to each other as they sat on their ordered sits, while the bride and groom sat in the center, facing the priestess and the shrine maidens that will soon start the binding of the couple's union.
"Oh my, shouldn't the bride disappear a while ago..." Shinobu mumbled.
"Maybe this wedding is really bound by love." Mitsuri whispered in glee.
She can't help but blushed and smile as she eyed Kyojuro with his soon-to-be wife. She really hoped that the demon wouldn't show, so this marriage will be deemed as a success. She would totally scream in joy, wishing them a life full of love.
"What an unflamboyant wedding without a demon." Tengen muttered with a frown.
"This wedding has been blessed by the Gods. Soon their souls shall be in union with great fortune." Gyomei cried with tears of joy. "I pray for their everlasting happiness."
While others just stayed quiet, a certain white-haired Hashira was beyond pissed. He waited for this night, not to witness a damn wedding but to fight a strong demon. But with the demon nowhere to be found, his blood boiled in irritation.
He even slightly cut his skin using his nail to try and draw the creature out again with his blood. As the ceremony continued to unravel before their eyes, will this marriage end in unity? Or will it come to a sudden stop with the demons meddling?