At Demon Slayer Headquarters.
"Tomioka Giyuu has sustained potentially fatal injuries and is currently in critical condition. Kakushi performed emergency first aid and are currently transporting him to the butterfly estate." A girl said.
Kagaya panicked and sat up, sweating profusely, and coughing due to his illness. His daughters quickly came to his side, trying to help the sick man however they could.
"What happened?" Kagaya asked, panicked.
"While on his mission he attempted to protect Mizunoto Kanzaki Aoi. This caused him to engage in combat with Upper Moon 5, managing to stall it until the sun rose. The demon unfortunately escaped, but the girl is safe." The girl answered.
"Giyuu... no. What of the other young Demon Slayers who were on that mission?" Kagaya asked.
"The only surviving corps members from that mission are Kanzaki Aoi and Tomioka Giyuu." The girl answered.
"Thank you." Kagaya said, clearly upset. He paused for a moment, wiping some blood from his mouth.
"Alert all the Hashira." Kagaya ordered.
"Kocho Shinobu has been alerted and is preparing to perform emergency surgery." The girl responded.
"Good. Thank you for your hard work, now please inform the others, there will be an emergency meeting tomorrow." Kagaya said.
"Understood." The girl said, leaving the room.
Kagaya sat on the floor for a while. He loved every member of the corps, but all of the Hashira held a special place in his heart.
"Send extra Kakushi to the Butterfly Mansion, Giyuu must be saved no matter what." Kagaya said.
With Mitsuri Some Time Later.
"Iguro-san we should get some food, I'm really hungry." Mitsuri said sweetly.
"Oh... are you sure." The serpent Hashira responded nervously.
"Of course I am, stop being so silly." Mitsuri said with a laugh, leading Iguro to a restaurant.
"So, what do you feel like eating?" Mitsuri asked.
"Don't you enjoy western foods?" Obanai asked.
"You remembered? That's so nice." Mitsuri said happily.
The bandages over Obanai's face hid his blush at her kind words.
"Then let's get western food." Obanai suggested.
"Only if that's what you want." Mitsuri said.
"Of course." Obanai replied.
The two continued to walk towards their destination but heard a crow rapidly approaching from the distance.
"WATER HASHIRA TOMIOKA GIYUU HAS SUSTAINED LIFE THREATENING INJURIES AND IS IN CRITICAL CONDITION. EMERGENCY HASHIRA MEETING TOMORROW AT MIDDAY." The crow said.
Obanai stood stone faced, he wasn't unfazed by the news, but he had barely talked to Giyuu. Still the news that a Hashira was near death was concerning.
Mitsuri on the other hand, was completely shocked.
"Tomioka-san..." She said.
Obanai looked over and saw the state she was in. Her eyes were wide, and tears began to fall.
"Kanroji-san are you okay?" Obanai asked.
"No." The usually cheery girl replied.
Mitsuri broke down, worried for her friend. Obanai awkwardly comforted the girl, unsure of how to proceed.
With Tengen
Tengen walked through the hallways of his mansion happily. It was the start of another flashy day, and he had no mission, meaning he could spend the entire day with his wives.
He turned the corner to the main living room of the estate and called out to his wives excitedly.
"Hinatsuru, Suma, Makio, are you excited? We haven't spent a full day together without having to travel or go on a mission in a while." He said, his usual large smile present.
He looked at his wives who were currently together at the table, reading a note.
"Don't tell me we received a mission. I was so looking forward to finding a flamboyant way to spend the day with you three." Tengen said, disappointment evident in his voice.
Suma started crying, while Hinatsuru and Makio stayed silent.
Tengen quickly moved over and hugged Suma.
"It's okay, we can all do something another time, I'm sure we'll get a day off soon." He said, comforting the woman.
Suma snuggled into him, accepting the hug but still crying.
"Hinatsuru? Makio? Are you okay?" He asked.
"Tengen-sama, read this please. It came with the Kasugai crow." Hinatsuru said, her voice weak.
Tengen unfolded the note and began to read. As he kept reading his eyes widened in shock and his face changed.
"Tomioka... No, it can't be." Tengen said.
"I'm sorry Tengen-sama, I'm afraid it's true." Makio said, placing her hand on his shoulder.
"Get ready, we are leaving for the headquarters as soon as we can." He said seriously.
With Rengoku.
"That is good, now keep it up." He said enthusiastically.
The youngest member of the Rengoku family, Senjuro was currently swinging a wooden sword against a training dummy. Senjuro was sweating and breathing heavily, his arms clearly exhausted, struggling to lift the wooden sword again.
"SET YOUR HEART ABLAZE SENJURO. ONCE MORE." Kyojuro yelled.
Senjuro brought the sword down once more, instantly dropping it and falling to his knees in exhaustion.
"VERY GOOD." Kyojuro said, moving to help his brother up.
"Thank... you... brother." Senjuro said between breaths.
"Now come let's get you inside so you can rest." Kyojuro replied, a large smile on his face.
An older man who looked similar to the two stumbled out of the house a large container of sake in his hand.
"Will you two just quit it already." The man said angrily, taking a drink from his bottle.
"Good morning father, do not worry we have finished our training for now." Kyojuro said.
"It doesn't matter how much you train. None of us will ever amount to anything." The man said coldly.
Kyojuro went to respond but was interrupted by a crow arriving.
"FLAME PILLAR. THE WATER PILLAR TOMIOKA GIYUU HAS SUSTAINED LIFE THREATENING INJURIES AND IS CURRENTLY IN CRITICAL CONDITION. AN EMERGENCY HASHIRA MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW AT MIDDAY." The crow said.
Kyojuro's face dropped, his usual face of constant determination vanishing in the face of the news.
"It's just as I said. It's all worthless." His father said, walking back inside.
"Brother, are you okay?" Senjuro asked.
"No Senjuro, I am not." Kyojuro responded sadly.
With Gyomei
"You must repeat continue to repeat your prayers. If you are not able to reach a state of total concentration breathing, then I will not allow you to take Final Selection this year." Gyomei said in his usual booming voice.
The boy he was talking to yelled in anger, then continued to attempt the task he had been given.
I believe in him. Gyomei thought.
Gyomei's crow flew and landed on his shoulder. Speaking in a softer voice than most other crows, he alerted Gyomei of the current situation.
Gyomei instantly brought his hands together in prayer, tears streaming down his face.
"Namu-Amidabutsu." He said quietly.
"Is there a problem?" The boy currently training asked.
"Yes. I apologise but I must leave immediately, there has been an emergency. Continue your training as usual until I return." Gyomei said.
The boy bowed to him and quickly returned to his task.
"Tomioka, I pray for your well-being." Gyomei said, beginning his walk to headquarters.
The Next Day. At Demon Slayer HQ.
The Hashira were gathered in their usual meeting spot, though this time a heavy silence hung in the air. The atmosphere was suffocating. Mitsuri had large bags under her eyes and had clearly been crying. The typically outspoken and flamboyant Tengen was silent and serious. Even the enthusiastic Rengoku hadn't said a word since arriving. Gyomei as always had tears pouring down his face and Sanemi and Obanai were quiet and serious. Noticeably Shinobu was missing.
The master walked out, flanked by his daughters and the Hashira instantly knelt.
"Hello Oyakata-sama, we all hope for your continued health." Tengen said, lacking the usual energy found in his voice.
"Thank you Tengen, I hope you are all doing well." Kagaya said.
"Now. You all know why you are here. Giyuu is currently being taken care of at the Butterfly Mansion. However, there is no guarantee that he survives." Kagaya said sadly.
"Oyakata-sama, what happened?" Rengoku asked.
"There were reports of a group of low rank demons hiding in a forest, so we sent a group of young corps members. There were... problems and Giyuu was nearby, so we dispatched him. All the young Demon Slayers perished except one, who Giyuu protected." Kagaya answered.
Sanemi looked confused, he didn't like Giyuu but there was no way a Hashira would fall to a low rank demon.
"The complications with the first mission were caused by Upper Moon 5." Kagaya explained.
The Hashira gasped, shocked at what the master had said.
"Giyuu engaged in combat against the demon and managed to stall it until the morning. Unfortunately, the demon escaped, but Giyuu sustained heavy injuries." Kagaya continued, earning a horrified look from Mitsuri and concerned looks from the other Hashira.
"He has been poisoned as well. Kakushi performed emergency first aid, but his situation is... dire." Kagaya admitted, pain laced in his tone.
Silence once again shrouded the garden.
"What does this mean Oyakata-sama?" Mitsuri asked, holding back tears.
Kagaya took a deep breath, trying to push down his feelings at least for a moment.
"It means two things. The Upper Moons may be becoming more active, which means we are entering perhaps the most dangerous period in history. But more importantly it means we may have lost a pillar. It is no secret that the organisation has been suffering heavy losses and we are becoming weaker and weaker. To lose a pillar at this point could prove detrimental in our battle against evil." The master said.
The Hashira remained silent, none of them sure what to say.
"Gyomei, Sanemi and Obanai, I would like for you three to investigate the area and see if you can find anything. If you find the Upper Moon, eliminate it." Kagaya said, ending his speech with a rare anger in his voice.
"Yes Oyakata-sama." The three said in unison.
"You will all be taking more solo missions for a while. Unfortunately, due to this incident we are now without the services of two of our pillars for potentially a long time." Kagaya said, his usual tone returning.
"What do you mean Oyakata-sama?" Rengoku asked.
The group began to panic, assuming the worst. Only two Hashira were missing from the meeting, one was incapacitated so what of the other. They had thought that she was the one performing the surgery, but if she was unavailable for a while, what could that mean.
"Shinobu has requested that she not take missions until Giyuu has either become stable, or..." Kagaya said, not wanting to finish his sentence.
"Seeing as she is our best medic and Giyuu is a Hashira, I approved her request." Kagaya said.
Normally Mitsuri or Tengen would laugh at the statement and accuse the two of being in a relationship, but with the situation being as it was, the two found no joy in such things.
"I'm sorry my children, but this is a difficult time for me. I wish you all the best of luck in the coming times." The master said, leaving.
"Thank you, Oyakata-sama." The Hashira said in unison, lacking their usual enthusiasm.
"We will take our leave now; I wish you all the very best. Tell Kocho we wish her luck." Gyomei said, still crying.
Gyomei turned and was followed by Sanemi and Obanai.
"Aren't you two going to say anything?" Tengen said.
"He is a Hashira. If he lives up to his title, he'll live." Sanemi said, earning a hard look from Tengen.
"And you Iguro-san." Mitsuri said, her voice weak.
"Kocho is a good doctor, she is his best chance, there is nothing we can do now." Obanai said.
Mitsuri turned her back to him, and he felt a small pain in his heart, he felt he had let her down. The three then turned and left to complete their mission.
"So, we're all going then?" Tengen asked.
"Yes." Rengoku and Mitsuri said.
Some Time Later at the Butterfly Mansion
Shinobu stared at the wall of her room with a blank expression. She had been the only one taking care of Giyuu since he arrived, not allowing anyone to help her out of fear they would mess up. She couldn't tell if it was from the physical or emotional exhaustion, but she felt nothing. Or at least she thought she did. Tears fell from her face, causing her to panic.
"No. No. No." She said, looking in a mirror and trying to fix her face.
"You have to keep smiling. You have to." She said. But the tears did not stop.
She buried her face in her pillow, punching the ground in frustration. After a couple of minutes, the tears finally stopped. She stood up and looked in the mirror again, this time fixing her face successfully.
"Keep smiling." She repeated
She heard a quiet knock at the door and quickly turned to look at it.
"Come in." She said.
"Shinobu-chan." A voice called out.
Shinobu sighed, she wasn't ready for this but put on a brave face. Mitsuri walked in and moved towards her friend.
"Mitsuri-chan, how are you?" Shinobu asked.
Mitsuri began to cry, rushing over and hugging Shinobu.
"Calm down Mitsuri-chan, please calm down." Shinobu said.
"You shouldn't be telling me to calm down, I should be the one comforting you." Mitsuri responded.
"You're such a caring person, but please relax for a moment, you're stressing me out." Shinobu said, forcing a laugh.
"How is he?" Mitsuri asked.
Shinobu went silent, she fought as hard as she could to keep her smile, but it dropped.
"He's... alive." She said, taking a deep breath.
"Well at least there is that." Mitsuri said.
The two sat in silence for a moment, which was extremely rare for the two of them.
"It's bad isn't it?" Mitsuri asked.
"Yes. It is." Shinobu answered.
"How are you feeling?" Mitsuri asked.
"I am fine Mitsu..." Shinobu started.
"Do not lie." Mitsuri interrupted.
"I can see it in your face, you're not even close to fine." Mitsuri said.
"I will manage." Shinobu conceded.
The two sat in silence again, both unsure of how to speak to one another in their current situation.
"Shinobu-chan, I didn't come alone. I understand if you're not ready, but Kyojuro-san, Uzui-san and his wives are also here." Mitsuri said, breaking the silence.
"I don't think I have the energy to talk to them, they're just so... enthusiastic." Shinobu admitted.
"Not at the moment they are not." Mitsuri said sadly.
"Well then, I suppose it would be rude to keep my guests waiting." Shinobu said, standing up.
The two exited her bedroom and walked to the main living area, entering the room they took in the scene in front of them. Rengoku, Tengen, Makio, Suma and Hinatsuru sat quietly on the floor.
"Shinobu-san." Hinatsuru said, being the first to notice her walk in.
"Hello everyone, how kind of you all to visit, I am sure Tomioka-san would be grateful." Shinobu said.
"How is he?" Rengoku asked.
"There are too many factors to make a clear judgement. He has deep lacerations in some vital areas. The demon opened a deep wound in his stomach, back and both his arms, and there is some serious bruising on his back and ribs. But he is alive for now." Shinobu said.
Uzui, Rengoku, Makio, Suma and Hinatsuru fell silent.
"Can we see him?" Tengen asked.
"Unfortunately, no. The poison has left his immune system very weak. The Kakushi and I are the only ones permitted to see him at the moment." Shinobu answered.
No one but her had seen Giyuu, but that was not something they needed to know. They would most likely reprimand her for over working herself.
"I understand." Tengen replied.
"Oyakata-sama told us that Tomioka saved a young Demon Slayer, are they doing okay?" Rengoku asked.
Shinobu felt a twitch in her heart as she thought about how Aoi was doing right now.
"It was Aoi." Shinobu said, earning more shocked looks from the group. Mitsuri began to cry again and was soon joined by Suma who could not control herself.
"She is fine. She only has cuts and bruises, but she has not left her room since returning." Shinobu said sadly.
"And how are you feeling?" Tengen asked.
"I am fine, I just have a lot of work to do." She answered.
"Kocho if you need any help, please don't hesitate to ask. We may not have medical knowledge, but we can help with anything else." Rengoku offered.
"Thank you Rengoku-san." Shinobu said.
"I will send a message to the master when I have more information about Tomioka-san's condition. Thank you all for your concern, but I need time to rest." She continued.
"We understand. We wish you the best of luck." Rengoku said, bowing to her.
Tengen, his wives and Rengoku left the room. Suma, Makio and Hinatsuru hugging Shinobu before leaving.
Mitsuri hugged her after the others left.
"I will visit whenever I get time. Please take care of yourself." Mitsuri said, taking her leave as well.
Shinobu stayed in the main room and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She left the room, changed into a different uniform and washed her hands. She placed her hand on a door handle and composed herself.
Opening the door and entering the room she saw Giyuu laying in the bed, motionless. His chest barely rising and falling with each laboured breath.
She moved to his side and checked his pulse. For a moment she felt nothing, after waiting a few seconds that seemed like hours, she finally felt a small beat. Feeling relieved she removed the bed covers that were keeping him warm and inspected his wounds. They still had not began to heal, most likely due to the poison. His stomach wound was particularly nasty, it was clear the demon had slashed him the worst there, she couldn't even bandage it due to its severity. She checked the wounds on his arms, they had absorbed more blood and needed to be changed. She unwrapped the bandages slowly and carefully.
She walked over to a nearby medicine cabinet and took out some antiseptic, ointment and more bandages. Rubbing the antiseptic along the wounds she felt another tear fall from her eye.
"You promised you'd take care of yourself. Why did you not?" She asked, knowing she'd get no response.
She finished cleaning the wounds and redressed the ones that were able to be covered. She then moved around and sat in a chair next to Giyuu's bed.
She continued to monitor him, checking for any signs of recovery or deterioration from the man. After hours of waiting and fighting off sleep, she eventually passed out, still in the chair.
Hello all of you amazing readers, I wanted to leave a little note last chapter but given how intense it was I thought it wouldn't really match the tone. So, wow this story low key blew up a little, we're the number 1 ranked GiyuShino story on here at the moment and oh my god that's awesome. After 22 chapters we reached 100 votes and now only 5 chapters later we're at 211 which is just insane. But for those of you commenting asking questions about the story, I am sorry, I appreciate your comments and it's awesome to see you interacting with the story, but I will never give away any spoilers for future chapters. It's just more exciting that way. So yeah love all of you and appreciate your support so much, if I haven't responded to your comment I'm sorry, but I read every single one and a lot of them bring a smile to my face and make me laugh so please keep that up. Next chapter coming very soon, so I will see you then.